Mom’s Money

Don’t Let Clipping Coupons Become A Lost Art

This may seem old fashioned, and it probably is, but I love to clip coupons.  I even keep one of those little coupon sized accordion files in my purse so I’m ready to go on shopping day.  Now, mind you, I don’t buy things I don’t need just because I find a coupon for it, but I do watch for coupons for the items we use routinely or would like to try.

Since we no longer buy a Sunday newspaper, I have found a nice neighbor lady who is thrilled to get rid of all that stuff inside her Sunday paper.  That’s one source for coupons.  Another source is circulars in the mailbox and at the grocery stores themselves.  And, for all you computer savvy people, you probably already know that you can access actual grocery store fliers, complete with coupons, on the internet.  Just type in the name of the store you normally shop, and you’ll be given the complete flier to page through.  Print out the coupons and there you go!  Some stores even honor other stores’ coupons, so don’t be afraid to bring along the competitions coupons, too.

Even though magazines have become quite expensive, there are still some more reasonably priced weekly and monthly magazines out there that offer great coupons.  I’ve found a magazine for less than $2 that offers hundreds of dollars in coupons and deals inside the covers.  That’s a great return on investment!

Oftentimes schools will have fund-raisers in which you can purchase a coupon book.  Review the coupons carefully before you decide to buy to make sure you will recoup your money, as well as end up with a few extra dollars in your pocket.

Using your computer, once more, you may want to search some of the websites that actually find coupons for you.  Some may be for internet shopping only, but I’ve often found coupons to print and clip for local stores carrying items that we need.  Be sure not to agree to pay for this service as there are many sites which are free to use.

It’s always fun for me to go into the grocery store armed with my pile of coupons.  I like to watch the total on the register keep going down, down, down, until I get to the final amount due.  It’s just so rewarding to get money back for a pile of otherwise useless paper. Long live the coupon!