Couponing & Saving Money

Clipping coupons is a good way to save money and has saved us quite a bit over the years. However, I do it differently than I have seen those that are extreme couponers. It seems to me that extreme couponers want to use every coupon that they clip, but that doesn't make sense to me. I never understood the wanting to buy something you don't need just because you have a coupon for it. In fact, I do it differently than any article on how to coupon I have read.

I clip coupons for those products that we use the most often, especially for those toiletry items that are so expensive. When I run across one of those coupons, I use it before the date even if we don't need it. Those toiletry item coupons are few and far between, so in order to save on these items I use the coupon and keep a stock pile of items underneath our bathroom sink. We have found that method to be quite useful because we always have a supply on hand. 

Another way, we coupon took a while for us to convince ourselves it was worth the effort and did it really save money in the long run. I am talking about those coupons where you have to buy 2, 3, or 4 things of the item in order to save the money. For a long time, we just didn't see how it could be worth to buy more than you needed just to save a few cents. We started using those types of coupons for items on sale and where the coupons would be doubled. We learned it saved us more money and a provided us with a well stocked pantry. That well stocked pantry has come in very handy and at times has gotten me out of a jam when it came to fixing supper. Now, we have no hesitation when we have to buy more than one items to save a little money because we see that it will save us even more money in the long run. 

Looking at sales papers and pairing up those items on sale with coupons is another way we save a lot of money. I shop at two different places, so I always calculate the difference between the prices at both places on sale with the coupon. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy the item on sale where the coupons are doubled instead of the other place and vice a versa.  I also look for opportunities where I can use a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on items that are on sale, which makes the savings even greater.

Another way, I save money is to buy items that we use everyday in bulk when they are on sale. For instance, Cheerwines ~ the only soft drink we drink ~ is on sale for $1.00. I have been buying at least 6 a week. We only drink between 4 to 5 a week, so when they go back up to $1.25 or higher, I have several extra stocked up so I don't have to buy some for a week or two. 

I am also learning to take advantage of the special ways to save at our local grocery store. I shop a Walmart and at Lowes Foods. I don't have a smartphone and didn't know I could take advantage of Walmart's Savings Catcher. All I had to do was set up an account and type in the bar code on my receipt. I started it in August and to date, I have received about $15.00 in savings. Lowes Food has a program where you can earn money off of your gas purchase. For every $100 you spend, you get 5 cent off of gas. They sometimes will run a special where if you buy 10 things of the selected items you can earn additional money off of gas. I do this when the items are things we will use and can stock up on just to get that extra money off of gas.  

Another way, I try to save money is when I buy meats. We don't buy meat from Walmart, we had a bad experience and just won't buy it there any more. However, we do buy meat from Lowes Foods and a local butcher shop. The local butcher shop is where we get most of our meat. It is really good meat and most of the time cheaper than Lowes. They also have really good sales. I also lookout for sales at Lowes and take advantage of them.  

Clipping coupons and the various ways that grocery stores give you opportunities to save is like anything else in life. You need to do some research and seek advice, then figure out what works best for you and your family, because what works for me probably won't work for you. It will only take you a little time to figure out what works, so get started today. 

Using coupons and looking for ways to save money on groceries is simply one of things to do when you are trying live a simple and frugal life!