I love to save money. I’m not always the best at finding a deal, but when I do . . . woo-hoo! Let’s celebrate!
That’s why I was so excited last year to rediscover the art of couponing. In today’s economy, every penny counts—and I can save lots of pennies every month by using coupons when buying my groceries.
Coupon Sources
The local Sunday newspaper is my first source for weekly coupons. Several different coupon inserts are found here. Coupons in the Sunday paper vary from restaurants to cleaning products to food items. The Sunday paper is also the place to find weekly store ads where I can match my coupons to the best deals for the week.
Online coupons are a great source of savings. Sites such as coupons.com, redplum.com, and smartsource.com often have higher-value coupons than can be found in the newspaper.
Couponing can seem overwhelming at first to the uninitiated, but take heart! Many have gone before us, and they often blog about their wisdom. Two of my favorites are dealseekingmom.com and couponmom.com. Both of these Web sites explain the lingo and keep readers up-to-date on current deals.
Developing a System
I won’t argue that couponing takes time each week. I spend time searching Web sites, reading the store ads, and cutting and organizing my coupons. But, if I can save at least $10 each week by using coupons, over the course of the year I will have saved $520. Many weeks I save much more than $10, so I believe the time invested is worth the sacrifice.
Here’s my system: On Sunday afternoon, I start reading the paper and cutting out the coupons there. Then I go to the Internet and search coupon Web sites. After I get all of my coupons together for the week, I use an accordion check file to organize the coupons so that I can find what I need when I need it.
What to Do with Coupons I Don’t Need
Let me say this now—it’s not a deal if you don’t actually need the product! When first starting to use coupons, you can be tempted to buy products you don’t need just because it’s a great deal. However, if your goal is to save money, only use coupons on things that you actually need or use.
I always have a stack of coupons each week that I don’t need, and I have some coupons each week that will expire before I can use them. Several months ago, I learned that some military commissaries will redeem expired coupons up to six months past the expiration date.
So, I send all of my extra and expired coupons to a friend whose husband is serving overseas in the Air Force. She takes what she needs from the envelope, and then shares what she doesn’t want with other military wives on her base.
If your church has a food pantry, using coupons may help you score free or nearly free items that you can donate to the pantry. This would be one occasion when buying something you don’t need can work for good! Other area ministries can also benefit from your savvy shopping, such as homeless shelters and children’s homes. Check with these ministries first to be certain of any requirements that they may have regarding donations.
The reality is, we can all stand to save money these days. When we save in one area, we are able to give more to the work of our churches and to missions. We may even be able to contribute to a variety of ministries through our donations of food and other supplies. So, really, it’s all a part of learning to be good stewards of the resources that God has given us.
Be creative. How could you use coupons to benefit yourself and others at the same time?
Beth Holmes and her husband are working to save all of the pennies they can for the birth of their first child in early July!
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I won’t argue that couponing takes time each week. I spend time searching Web sites, reading the store ads, and cutting and organizing my coupons. But, if I can save at least $10 each week by using coupons, over the course of the year I will have saved $520. Many weeks I save much more than $10, so I believe the time invested is worth the sacrifice.
free items that you can donate to the pantry. This would be one occasion when buying something you don’t need can work for good! Other area ministries can also benefit from your savvy shopping, such as homeless shelters and children’s homes. Check with these ministries first to be certain of any requirements that they may have regarding donations.
