When I talk to people about coupons, one of two things will happen:
1) The person will flippantly say, “You can’t save THAT much money with coupons. It just isn’t worth my time.”
2) The person will get a defeated expression and ask, “I’m just so busy already. Is clipping coupons worth my time?”
Before I dive off into the time continuum and try to show you the value of taking a few minutes each week to clip coupons, let me give you the golden rule for couponing.
Stack coupons on rock-bottom, low prices and buy in quantities to build a stockpile.
Congratulations. Now you know everything you NEED to know about using coupons. While there are many rules for matching coupons to store policies and strategies for maximizing your savings, you really only need to know that ONE directive to see a huge benefit in your budget.
Back to the question…
Is using coupons worth my time?
Yes, and this is how:
Subscribe to a reputable coupon-matching blog.
My personal favorite is Southern Savers because she offers an amazing list for each store, matching the current sales to available coupons. Just click the items you want to purchase and print. Spend ten minutes each evening browsing your subscriptions, checking for any hot deals or coupons that you need to print.
Time invested = 60 minutes each week, assuming that you take one night off.
Organize your coupons on a weekly basis.
Coupons can be organized in countless ways and the only wrong way to organize them is… with a method that doesn’t work for you. Visit YouTube and search for “how to organize coupons.” Watch these ladies explain how they file their coupons and find the method which matches your style and the amount of time you have available. Want to see how I organize my coupons? You will find me here.
Time invested = 30 minutes each week
Limit yourself to shopping only two stores each week.
Hot deals rotate and eventually, every store is going to have the same deal available. Figure out which two stores are your favorites (based on their policy, location, etc.) and stick with them each week. When you are browsing your favorite coupon blog, print of the list for both stores at the same time. When you sit down to pull the coupons you will need, do this for both stores in the same sitting. Place the coupons and your list in an envelope marked with the store’s name. Tuck the envelope in your purse so next time you are passing by one of those stores, you can run in and get what you need.
I shop alone, leaving my husband and children at home, and these trips take no more than 45 minutes each.
Time invested = 90 minutes each week
Consider the breakdown
How much did you save? For our family, I have used coupons to cut our budget from over $600 a month to an average of $250 a month which equals a savings of $350. But, to make this as practical as possible, let’s assume that you will save $200.
How much time did you invest? 3 hours for the week
How much money did you save? $200
If couponing were a part-time job, you paid yourself $16.67 per hour!
[…] into grocery stores praying for enough money to buy groceries and realize that couponing actually works. Then, you will teach what you know to others and help hundreds of families be able to eat on […]