Coupon Quick Tips
I have been using coupons for about six months now and here are some quick tips that I wish I had known when I started, or just need to be repeated! Money Saving Mom helped me learn about coupons!
- BE PATIENT- (not my strong suit) I am just now really starting to see the rewards of my effort and now saving some money (6 months later). I am stocked up on quite a few things and I even have a list of things not to buy unless they are free!
- SELECT ONE STORE to start with- (I did not follow this advise and I wish I would have, I now am usually only using one store a week). Start with the store that you frequent most often (Dillon’s for me, Kroger) and learn the ropes at that store before moving on to the next!
- STAY ON BUDGET! (Another piece of advise I didn’t follow at first, not intentionally, but just by making rookie mistakes) Do NOT decrease your budget for at least two months of using coupons, it takes a while to learn the ropes and be comfortable! You will still have to pay tax on FREE items! When I first started using coupons, I usually went over our budget by $20 each week.
- GET INTO A COUPON ROUTINE! Block out a certain amount of coupon time and stick with it, otherwise it is very easy to have coupons take over all your time! The first couple of months, I was on the computer (looking for and learning about deals/coupons) at least an extra 30 minutes a day and cutting out and organizing took a while!
- ORGANIZATION, find a way that works for you on organizing your coupons!