The Coupon Quandry

To clip or not to clip? That is the question. Will the savings really be worth the sacrifice of time and effort? Can you really save, or is it all a conspiracy to get you in the store and squeeze the money out of your wallet by tempting you with elegant displays of merchandise??

Ah... there is hope... once again, you must formulate a plan and discipline yourself to stick to it. Here's a few tips to get you saving with coupons.

1. Get organized: Get a coupon organizer and actually use it!


2. Look for some good coupon websites, there are many to choose from.


3. Make sure you are receiving coupon fliers, e-mails etc. from the stores you frequent.


4. Only clip coupons for products you know you use. Don't be tempted with the new items if it's not in your meal plan.


5. Take the coupons to the store! (I know this sounds pretty basic, but honestly, have you ever left them at home? Don't do much good there, do they?)


6. Watch for items already discounted in the store, you can increase your savings.


7. Add to your stash of coupons each week and purge expired coupons from your organizer.


8. Share with others. If you have friends/family who like to use coupons, create a coupon exchange group, pool extra unused coupons and each person can choose ones they want.


9. Be generous. Look for opportunities to give to others!

I have used a few coupon websites with mixed opinions, you will have to decide which ones are for you. I like www.coupons.com I have visited www.coolsavings.com in the past and still get e-mails from them regularly. I tried www.grocerygame.com and it's quite an impressive site but it requires a subscription and I didn't find very many products I use so it wasn't worth it to me.

To be honest I do almost all of my grocery shopping between Safeway and Costco. I use their coupons and savings card and try to shop wisely. I love to save money and really don't like to pay full price for anything. However, I also try not to stress too much about missing out on a great deal.

So, if you love to clip... keep it up...