that watches other people shop?? Seriously .. I can't believe what some people are willing to pay for things. The same things that I will seriously debate in my head purchasing for a fraction of what they do. Just last night while out coupon shopping I held a bag of chocolate almonds for literally five minutes before i decided that they simply weren't cheap enough to buy even after my coupon. I don't consider myself by any means a coupon expert but sometimes I really want to take people and grab them and say .. "there is a better way!!!".
My relationship with couponing started about three years ago and I must admit .. it is a parttime job. Sometimes I get frustrated with it .. but mostly I love it. People have commented to me that they are amazed but just don't have the time to devote to save money by shopping multiple stores, price matching and using coupons. Now this .. I just don't understand. It takes time to make money so of course it will take time to save it! More than that .. there is something so satisfying about getting a great deal .. it's like beating the system in some way! Granted maybe alot of families aren't as tight financially as we are but I know alot of them are .. and .. the pressures of the holiday financial burden is coming soon enough .. below are my top tips to get started in couponing ..
1.Don't buy things you wouldn't normally buy just because you have a coupon .. (unless it's free!). This is a major trap .. and will not save you money in the long run. However .. be flexible. If you are loyal to a particular brand consider trying a brand which there is a coupon for. At the end of the day .. when it comes to food items .. it is still food .. and you may like the different brand better!
2.Start small, coupon kings/queens can seem intimidating with all that they know and you may think you will never be at their level. Couponing and saving money IS a skill .. one that comes with experience.
3.Always .. I mean always grab coupons you see and hold on to them .. even if you think you will never use it or the item will never go on sale. I can't tell you how many times I've held onto a coupon which has sat in my coupon binder for six months before the deal comes up.
4.Be organized .. when your flyers come .. sit down with them and your coupons .. scope out the best deals, prices, what you can match up with your coupons.
5.Become a member of smartcanucks.ca .. a wonderful Canadian site, so many tips .. links to coupons, a section to brag about your deals .. I lurrrvee this site.
Great article!
ReplyDelete