Reflections from a novice couponer

Almost a year ago I became interested in couponing.  Ron and I agreed that I needed to cut some hours at work, which meant a reduced income.  As a result I was looking for ways to save on our expenses, and couponing seemed like a good idea.  With about a year under my belt, I thought it might be helpful to share my experience for anyone who's interested in giving it a try.  Here are some reflections from my year of couponing.

1. Get advice from a pro.  

My kind friend,Carmen, agreed to sit down with me to explain the basics.  Carmen is to couponing as a black belt is to karate.  She's good!  It was very helpful to hear how couponing works and get some tips from her before attempting to use coupons on my own.  If you don't know anyone personally, there are a number of great websites that offer basic information about couponing.  The two I have used the most are Southern Savers and Moola Saving Mom.

2. Be prepared and organized.

I'm not going to lie.  The first several times I attempted to use coupons were very stressful.  I was sweating, my heart was racing, and I was generally a hot mess.  This was partly to blame on having a toddler with me, but I can't totally blame Noah.  I wasn't as prepared as I could have been, and it made for a stressful experience.  I would suggest researching deals in advance, knowing what you want to buy, and only bringing in those coupons.  I've had far too many experiences of fumbling through a stack of coupons and it ain't pretty.  The websites I mentioned above will literally go store by store telling you the deals and coupons needed.  They do all the research for you, but you have to organize your coupons.

3. Know all the places to find coupons.  

Everyone thinks of the newspaper for coupons, but there are many great websites and store reward programs that provide great coupons.  I use coupons.com to print off so many great coupons.  I also get emails from stores that include coupons.  

4. Know what kind of couponer you want to be.

I think this is an important point because it seems like many are scared away from couponing with images of "Extreme Couponing" running through their heads.  You know your schedule and capacity; use coupons as much as you are able.  There are people who will go to five different grocery stores and three different drug stores to get all the best deals.  I'm not that person.  I typically shop at four stores: Walmart, Sams/Costco, Harris Teeter, and CVS.  I may be missing some deals by limiting my stores, but I'm ok with that.  I have a limited amount of time and energy to coupon, and I believe I've found a good balance.  It will look different for each person.

5. Know "good prices" for items.

Now that I have some coupon experience under my belt, I'm embarrassed to admit that in the past I would go to a store for whatever I needed and buy it at whatever the price.  If I needed deodorant and was close to a CVS, I would run in and get my Dove deodorant at whatever price was listed.  If it was on sale, great.  If not, I would still buy it having no clue whether I was getting a good deal or not.  The reality is that there are basic average prices for every item and when you learn those price points, you begin to realize whether you are getting a good deal or not.  There are plenty of times when a sale price is not really a sale at all and when using a coupon at a certain store means that it is still more expensive than the normal price at another store (usually Walmart, Sams, Costco, etc.).  I started compiling a list on my phone of best deals, so that I can compare prices and know if I'm really saving money or not.  Let me repeat that just because an item is on sale or because you use a coupon, it doesn't mean you are getting the best deal.

6. Stock up.

I know, I know.  You don't want to become THAT PERSON who has hoards of soap bars and cereal boxes.  You don't have to be, I promise.  What I mean by stock up is that you want to get ahead of the sale.  You want to have enough of all of your basic items that you can always purchase more at the lowest cost.  If you have a buffer of toiletries and food items, then you have the flexibility to wait several weeks for a specific coupon and/or certain sale to purchase more.  You will spend more if you are completely out of an item and you don't have a coupon or sale for it.  So don't hoard, but do stock up.

7. Just because it's cheap (or even free), doesn't mean you have to buy it.

I'm sure some will disagree with me on this point, but I've come to believe that purchasing what you don't need or may not like is not helpful.  Coupons are really tempting in this way.  You get a good coupon for a food you've never tried, and it's really easy to justify purchasing it.  You may end up not liking it and then wasting it.  I basically use coupons for about 20 different items (cereal, deodorant, toothpaste, pasta, pasta sauce, etc.).  I know that I can get these "staple" items really cheap or even free by using coupons.  There are a million items you can try simply because you have a coupon; I wouldn't recommend it.

8. Have realistic expectations.

You're not always going to use coupons and save 90% on your grocery bill.  People post their crazy savings on Facebook, but typically those are "one in ten trips" kind of savings.  For instance, when Harris Teeter has "Super Doubles," you can get some really good deals (like, they will pay you to buy items).  But this is not normal.  It will take some time to get into a rhythm with using coupons, but typically I save between 30 - 50 percent on my groceries.  That is good news to me and my family's budget.  

I'm still very much a novice in the couponing world, but it has been interesting to get started and learn how it all works.  It does take time and energy, but it can save you and your family some serious money.  If you have any question or comments, I'd welcome you to add it to what I've shared.  Happy couponing to you!