Coupon $avings

Sometime in the past year (I really don’t remember when), I started cutting coupons. I didn’t realize then that cutting coupons takes discipline! I was cutting everything out that looked interesting. Then I was going to the store and not comparing the product that the coupon was for to the competing and off brand products. Oops…I could tell soon that this strategy was *not* $aving me much! I ended up spending on things we wouldn’t normally buy (although tasty and fun) and usually spending more than what I would have spent because I bought what the coupon was for. Hmmmm… it was time to revamp my strategy. So I did.

Now I cut only coupons for product that we already use or need and then still compare the after-coupon price to similar product prices. Okay, this might have seemed obvious and common sense to most. And I think that I always knew these things. But somewhere along the way I was “gotten” by the coupon advertising and, because I am trying to save time, I didn’t take the time to do the comparative shopping. Bad idea. My new strategy is actually $aving us more and is pretty simple to do… that is, when you are going to only one or two stores to buy your food and household products! I have found that going to multiple stores can $ave you more but can make it much more complicated and time-consuming! (An upcoming post on that soon!)