We’ve all seen them on television…those ladies (and gentlemen) madly rifling through their coupon binders, clearing shelves of merchandise, and getting 1200 bottles of Vitamin Water for free from the grocery store…not because they need it—just because they can.
This is not the universal description of a “couponer”; however, these ARE the individuals who feed the perception that all couponers behave this way.
Not all couponers are created equally, and it is 100% possible to use coupons to immediately provide relief to your financial stressors, broaden your creativity, introduce you to new people, and give you an enjoyable hobby that your whole family can participate in.
You can reap the benefits of couponing without having to dedicate hours of your life to it, and you do not…DO NOT….have to be “extreme” about couponing to benefit from using them.
There are, of course, a multitude of reasons people choose to participate in couponing, but here I will give you my top three reasons for doing so.
- To Save You/Your Family Money
This would be the MOST obvious reason for couponing. I simply want to remind you of that fact, and to let you know that it is EASY to do, and it does not have to consume your daily life just to save a few hundred dollars a month.
My household consist of three members (myself, spouse, and child), and our monthly spending for groceries is between $80 and $90. This dollar amount includes meats, produce, dairy, and other things that there are rarely coupons for, because for everything else there are coupons.
And I do not buy tons of Sunday newspapers or dumpster dive for coupons. On Sunday mornings I go to Wal-Mart and buy three newspapers (note: if you are interested in using this method just be sure to ALWAYS inspect every single paper you buy to ensure that no entitled couponer has stolen the coupon inserts out of them….in case you don’t pay much attention to the news, yes, this happens A LOT).
After buying the newspapers I go straight home, stack all of the inserts, cut out ALL coupons, and place them all in my binder. This total process takes about an hour of my time, and this prevents me from EVER having to miss a deal because my insert for this/that deal is at home….just be sure to remember to always take your binder with you. 🙂
- To Bring Relief to Others
There are various ways of achieving this, but the primary method my family uses to help others by couponing is to donate our expired coupons to a military post overseas.
Overseas military commissaries accept manufacturer’s coupons for six months past their expiration date, and ALL military commissaries will allow overages (which many typical grocery stores do not). So there are quite a few ways that military families may benefit from your expired coupons, and this does not take any extra time on your behalf.
Think about it…you ALREADY have the coupons cut and in your binder, so when they expire you simply take them out, stack them, count them and ship them to an overseas military post of your choosing.
Another popular way individuals choose to aid others by couponing is by actually donating the items you get from using the coupons (many choose to simply donate the free items if they are items you and your family don’t want to use). The only time I get to do this is when I know I have items that will expire before my family can use them. Otherwise I typically use everything that I get from couponing.
- TO TRY NEW THINGS!!!
I know that there are some who swear by one certain type of toothpaste or shampoo, and will never, ever even CONSIDER switching…BUT if you are open to trying new products, then couponing is the perfect way to sample things without having this go through your head: “Oh Aveeno’s got a new moisturizer out, but it’s TWELVE DOLLARS! I WOULD try it, but I ain’t spendin’ twelve dollars on that…I’ll stick with what I’ve got.” Ok fine, so not everyone has that EXACT thought, haha. But you know what I mean. (And no, it’s not as simple as coming across a coupon for “$12 off any Aveeno product”…it would be more of a coupon “stacking” scenario.)
This is a HUGE reason why I coupon…because I like to try new things. I do not simply cut coupons for items that I have been using for years, or that I know I like, etc. If I typically use Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing, but I have a coupon that is going to make Ken’s Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing free, then I get the Ken’s and my family gets to have a different tasting salad for the next couple of weeks, haha. You see?
I mean, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You end up not liking the new product you tried? So what! It didn’t cost you anything, and now you can give it to someone else to try…again, at no expense to them. Added bonus: this method and outlook can lead to some REALLY creative meals 🙂
For more information on donating your expired coupons, see Overseas Coupon Project.
If you would like to learn the basics of couponing, Amazon has a great Kindle ebook (if you don’t have a Kindle, just download the Kindle App on your mobile device) available here
Jessica D. Williams of Rock Hill, SC has experience in banking, the mortgage industry and tax consultation. She is the Owner of Jessica DeVinney Photography and enjoys serving the Greater Charlotte, NC area—with specializations in Senior, Family, and Wedding Photography.
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