September is National Couponing Month. For many people, the concept of couponing conjures up images of the sage coupon queen or extreme couponer who spends all Sunday meticulously clipping every coupon and strategically placing each coupon into some sort of binder or index card box. She’s got her collection memorized and can use years of experience to scan a store ad and find the best deals available for her family. Most people I talk with get exhausted at the thought of doing that themselves, even if it would save them $300 or more a month.
I have an enormous amount of respect for those who do all that work and enjoy their system. It’s just not in my DNA to do that. I don’t have the time or patience – even if it would mean time saved at the grocery store. It just feels like an unending job that would leave me with blisters from the scissors and a mild case of insanity from staring at all those offers. It would stress me out to know that I couldn’t go shopping until I put in my hours of cutting and filing. Again, I am speaking only for myself. Many of my friends and peers in the couponing world still advocate this system and I have respect for their diligence.
My desire to avoid stress, blisters, and mild insanity led me to create SavingsAngel. With technology, you can use the thousands of coupons that arrive in your Sunday newspaper or print from the Internet and let someone else do most of the work for you. Most weeks, I have found you can get the full benefit of 4-6 hours of clipping in less than one hour by working smarter – not harder.
Here’s how couponing now works for busy people in the age of the Internet:
1. Only clip coupons when you need them! The Internet can show you where to find, clip or print coupons as you put your shopping list together. When you need a coupon to match a great store sale, we’ll use a code like (SS 9/4/11) which tells you to look in the SmartSource September 4th, 2011 insert. Quickly thumb through your insert, and you’ll find the coupon you need. Until then, keep your coupon inserts intact.
2. Write the issue date clearly on the front of each insert with a Sharpie. (SavingsAngel matches coupons by the issue date.) You can find the issue date in tiny writing along the spine of the coupon insert.
3. (OPTIONAL) If you have multiple copies of the same insert, some people separate the pages and staple like pages together. File these in their own folder. When you need a coupon, you’ll be able to pull out the stapled pages and clip multiple copies of the coupon quickly! I, personally, don’t do this – but many long-time SavingsAngel members do.
4. Create weekly folders for your newspaper inserts. File all newspaper inserts you receive (Red Plum, SmartSource and manufacturer inserts) in a single weekly folder. Some people use a file drawer or cabinet, some put their coupons in a box or container that they can easily move to their computer or table. Some people just stack their inserts in order on a shelf. Choose a system that works well for you.
The important thing is to commit to a system that is realistic for your level of time and patience. Technology has made saving money at the grocery store easier than ever. The fact is, the average family of four spends more than $700 a month on groceries and household supplies. You get to decide if you want to use your money – or the manufacturer’s. Either way, buying groceries is just one of those necessities that will never end. My mission is to make it a whole lot less expensive for you.