What I Got With Coupons And A Gift Card

Oh how I  love couponing! Look what I got today at CVS for just $ .26.

Before and After: Back to my desk!!

Here we go again! I can't seem to find my desk under all the clutter and madness that is covering it. I know you can relate when I tell you that when it looks like this, I can't concentrate on anything.

My desk is the first place that clutter attacks. Coupons, bills, junk mail, my son's school papers, you name it, it gets dumped here. For me, clutter equals chaos and chaos means a lack of productivity which is not acceptable. It isn't acceptable to the bills that may be missed, the paper my son needs signed, or the blog that needs to be written. I admit it, I need a better system but for now, until one is found, priority is just finding my desk again!

Hey, look what I found! It's my desk. Thank goodness, now I can actually get something done!!

Is It Really Worth It To Clip All Those Coupons?

A question that nearly every person that coupons has heard time and again, "Is it really worth it to clip all of those coupons?"

 For me, the answer is simple. Of course it is worth it!

 Do you like getting things for free or for pennies? Do you like shopping? Do you like knowing that you are saving money to provide for your family? These are the questions that I would ask. It takes time collect them and clip them but time spent equals money saved and money saved is money earned.

If you stick to the products you need and buy them when they are on sale, you can save an enormous amount of money and build a stockpile in your home. When the need for a product arises, search the stockpile so that you can avoid paying full price. Just because a coupon exists does not mean it has to be used or used right away. Wait for those great sales which usually come in six to eight week cycles.

 Do you use products like these?

Then yes, clipping coupons is worth it!

Where In The World Do You Get All of Those Coupons?

    Times can be pretty tough and money can be short. Coupons, however, are abundant. It is important to know where to look for them. Even I had to be taught to look for them in many places, not just the Sunday paper. Surely we have all seen those shows where someone takes a list of things to the store along with their coupons, racks up a bill of $300 and then whips out her stack of coupons which bring the total down to $.25. If I had the storage space, I would extreme coupon like crazy, but non-extreme couponing helps out too and it can be fun. Have you ever wondered where they get all of those coupons?

There are many sources for coupons. We all know about the Sunday paper coupons. In the area I live in they have a county paper that comes out about once a week too. There are a few coupons in there but not many. Often, on the flyer that comes out from your local store, there will be store coupons attached that you can cut out. I have been surprised to see that a few of the magazines that I am subscribed to have booklets of coupons, once in a while, attached to them or in the plastic wrapping that surrounds them. If you look inside the magazines that you buy, you can find coupons on pages or in the form of cards. Don't want to clip coupons yourself. Look online for coupon printing companies, they will do the work for you for a small fee.

 Lately, there has been a trend towards printing off coupons. Not every store allows these yet, but more and more they are becoming the way to go. You can go to the coupon companies themselves such as Redplum, P&G, SmartSource, etc, ... where they offer you the printable version, tell you where to find them locally, or signup for their newsletters. Some will even send them directly to your home if they are not offered in the local papers.

Some stores offer you their own coupons. Target, for instance, has a large selection of in-store printable coupons. These can be used along side a manufacturer's coupon. Having a store coupon, manufacturer's coupon, and a great sale and you have the makings for some incredible deals. Many times a store's  coupons can be found in the isles as you shop. Catalinas are found in the little machines where you can pluck them and they spit out another. Also, vendors will post manufacturer coupons in the isles that you can peal from a pad. Yet another way to get them is to buy something with a coupon on it that you can use at the time of purchase. There are coupons, sometimes, on the insides of packaging as well.

One of my favorite ways to get coupons is to go directly to the manufacturer. Companies want to sell their items and often will send out samples or coupons if you sign up to their pages or newsletters. For instance, if you like a certain cleaning product, write the company that makes it explaining how much you love their product. In their appreciation, they will often send coupons and/or samples. P&G Everyday offers samples that can be tailored to your preferences. 

Like to shop online with coupons? Click here to check out how to do it on Amazon!

Finally, we come to apps. Many stores have their own apps where you can find mobile coupons, search ads, or even shop. Digital coupons are growing fast in popularity. Not having to search or clip through them makes life a little easier. They send out regular texts to let you know when a new batch of digital coupons are available. 

Check it out, see how many coupons you can find in these places and then start saving money. Who knows, you may even have fun!