Many people would like to save money, but when asked why they don’t use coupons, it usually boils down to not having enough time. When I started using coupons, I immediately starting saving at least 50% off my grocery bill. But is that enough? Are coupons really worth your time?
The truth is YES, they are. Like most things, the time you put in will pay off, but you also don’t have to spend hours a day trying to get your coupons ready for a shopping trip. Their are steps you can take and resources you can use to make it easier (and quicker) for you.
Here are a few tips to make using coupons easier, and worth your time:
1. Organize your coupons in a way that works best for you. This may be by using a coupon binder, a coupon pocket, or a clipless method. Whatever works best for you is the right way. Just make sure that you are able to find your coupons when you need them. (You can check out my coupon binder Here.)
2. Save time, use printable coupons. If you just don’t have the time to go through the Sunday inserts, then you can still save with coupons by just printing the ones that you need. Sites with good printable coupons include Coupons.com, RedPlum, and Smartsource.
And if you don’t want to print, you can save by using e-Coupon sites like, Cellfire and Shortcuts.com, where you load the coupons that you want onto your shoppers grocery card. Doesn’t get easier than that!
3. Use your resources. There are plenty of websites that can help you find the best deals and coupon match-ups. If you are looking for a coupon database, a few of my favorites include A Full Cup and Hot Coupon World.
Of course, sites like this one (Saving Cents with Sense) can also help you by matching up the best store deals with available coupons. We do the work for you so that it can save you time and money. If you are looking for other deal bloggers in other states, check out the Frugal Map.
4. Watch the sales. When you know the prices of products you use in your area, then you can make sure that you buy at the lowest price. If you have multiples of a certain coupon, then you can stock up on that product at the lowest price, and save more in the long run.
5. Know coupon policies. Do your stores double coupons? Do they take printable coupons? How many of 1 coupon will they take per transaction? My recommendation is to have a print out of that store’s coupon policy (if there is one) and keep it in your coupon holder so it is readily available.
So, are coupons worth your time? Definitely! Just use your time wisely (because I know you have a million things to do with your family, job, church, etc.). You’ll find that by taking easy steps, you can use coupons quickly and efficiently, and then you’ll end up saving your family money at the store.
What do you think? Are they worth your time? Why or why not? What things do you use to make the most of your time when using coupons?
You can find more ways people save their cents at Frugal Friday.
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Melissa, a mom of 2 boys in Arizona, understands the importance of watching a family budget. After leaving the business world, she dedicated herself to working at home and pursued her passion of helping people.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Melissa, this is a great article! Thanks for sharing and I am going to link up to this and share with my readers, too!
You’re absolutely right about staying organized. It helps save time and money! I would be lost without my coupon organizer!
.-= Elizabeth @ The Thrifty Divas´s last blog ..Join The Cosmopolitan Buzz Club =-.
Thanks, Elizabeth and thank you for sharing with your readers! Yes, staying organized is a HUGE time saver, and not just with coupons! I just need to try to stay organized in all areas, and I’d save much more time, I’m sure!
Definitely worth my time! My method has really been streamlined and it is super easy. I pull the whole insert out of the newspaper, write the date on the top, and file them. When I’m planning my grocery trip, I take a look at a coupon match-up site and pull out just those coupons that match my current store sales, and then plan my menu around those things. Sometimes I print a few coupons to go with my store sales, too, but I don’t clip until I’m ready to use them. It couldn’t be easier!
I’m not a stockpiler, so I don’t get multiple copies of most papers, and I have limited the number of stores that I go to in an effort to streamline the whole shopping process. The fewer stores I go to, the less chance I have of buying things I don’t really need. A great deal is only a good deal if it’s something I need – clutter is never a good deal, no matter what it cost!
.-= The Saved Quarter´s last blog ..The Budget Kit: Review and Giveaway =-.
Thanks for sharing, The Saved Quarter, and that is a great point about limiting the number of stores that you go to. I do the same unless there is a really HOT deal on something that our family needs. Plus, I try to plan my trips so that I’m heading out multiple times a week, so I will go to the drugstore on the way to the grocery store, etc.
I use the same way Elizabeth does, which is what I learned from Couponmom.com. I cut out the coupons to use that week using the basic list I find there — and now adding the deals I learn from your site and others — stash them in a letter sized envelope marked with the stores’s name. I take it, a separate envelope marked “used,” for when the item goes in the basket, and a third envelope marked “specials” which is the repository of Internet coupons I may have printed over the past few weeks. I use the master list from Couponmom, and then handwrite any other deal scenarios I may find on the ‘net. The simpler the better works for me.
I am amazed how people say it’s not worth their time to coupon. We cut our bill by more than half and have more in the house than ever. I figured out that last year the money I saved on couponing was as if I worked 10 hours a week at a minimum wage job ($7.25 an hour) — and this was tax-free! I spend probably 60-90 minutes a week tops planning my strategy. With money tight, I would rather coupon than work at some kaka job.
To me, it’s a game, which makes it all the more fun. This past week it was $101 in groceries for $35 or 65 percent off.
.-= Prohomemaker.com´s last blog ..Three secrets to a clean house =-.
I completely agree, Harry, we have been able to do the same with coupons, which is why it is so amazing to me! And, like you, it is like a game to me- I really love finding the deals and seeing how much I can save. I’m always trying to guess what percentage I can get off at the check out
I stink at coupons. I print them, forget about them, leave them in the car…I just need to think about them more. I WISH I was good at using them, I really do!! I am going to try and be better because who doesn’t want to save $$ these days. Thanks for the post~
.-= Catherine B´s last blog ..Why is change so hard? =-.
Thanks for sharing, Catherine. Try getting a coupon holder (it doesn’t have to be big) that you keep with you (in your purse, car, etc) and see if that will help. Plus, the Saved Quarter above mentions not even cutting until you are ready to use the coupon. I hope these tips will help you save!
Oh, yes, it sure is worth your time! Even hours of time. I think of it as a sort of hobby, like crocheting or sewing. If you save $40 at the grocery one week, after maybe 2 hours of couponing (I’m also talking going through all the circulars and organizing), that’s like making $20 an hour. What hobby pays you $20 an hour, LOL?
.-= mom2fur´s last blog ..More Valentine’s Decor =-.
Very true, a hobby, a puzzle, I find couponing to be very fun, as well as helping us save money!
My sister Leslie, over at Our Simple Life, has been teaching me about couponing. And it makes me so GIDDY when I think about it. Just last night I FINALLY acquired some baseball card holders to organize my coupons. I had checked a handful of times at Wal-Mart. And sure enough, when my hubby went for prescriptions and I asked him to look for them, he asked for HELP and was directed right to them. lol SO happy to get started!
.-= Nikki´s last blog ..No more unloading dirty dishes. *WFMW* =-.
Yeah! I hope you like it- and really, it doesn’t have to be hard. Just take baby steps and try to save a little at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be saving at least 50% off your grocery bill! I’m sure of it!
this is a great idea
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..A New Q & A =-.
Coupons worth my time? ABSOLUTELY! The first time I brought home free food because I used coupons combined with a sale…I couldn’t believe it. I walked out the store looking over my shoulder thinking surely that can’t be! They’re going to come after me!!!
Nope..it’s true… If I can buy over $100 worth of food for $14 or $22 or $33 bucks… yeah..it’s worth my time and effort clipping coupons! I see it as part of my job!
.-= Bethany Vaughn´s last blog ..Save Money By Growing Herbs in Your Kitchen =-.