Make Coupon Shopping Work For You!

Recently I've had many people ask me what I think of manufacturer's discount coupons. I use discount coupons -- but only if they work completely to my advantage. In my book, they are very handy if:

1) You can match a Store Sale to a Manufacturer's coupon thus getting the item for nearly --or sometimes -- free.

2) If you need to purchase a particular name brand for a gift.

3) If that name brand product is something your family just thinks is the best product for the job. We have a particular brand of toothpaste my hubby would never do without. Ergo -- we buy it with coupons.

4) Shop at a store that offers Double Coupons up to a Dollar Value, thus bringing the value of the coupon up too, or near a dollar off.

Example #1: My family's favorite toothpaste is normally $3.49 at the grocery store. When there is a store sale, it goes for $2.49. With an additional Manufacturer's Coupon for a dollar off, the price goes down to $1.49 a tube. That's when I buy it!

Yes, I know I could take a hard line as the "money manager" in the family, and say we have to use some generic brand for a dollar a tube, or better yet, just use baking soda... But sometimes when you live on strict budget life's small pleasures can mean a lot. Ask my husband the spender of the family (laugh).

Another frequent question people asked me if the stories of some woman who got $200 dollars of groceries for $20 bucks with cupons are true. Yes, this is possible IF you buy only products already on sale matched to an additional dollar off coupon. Then you pay just a few cents an item.

Example #2: We did this this week. We got the weekly sales flyer from a large local grocery and matched it to our coupon collection. My teenaged son likes to do this. We found many items we were going to need later for holiday gift giving or treat making listed in the flyer on store sale. We went to the store on a day they doubled coupons so all our coupons would be valued around or equal to a dollar. The original total was over $90 Dollars, but with the coupons our total came to $40 Dollars, which is less than half what it would have been... The sales girl kept looking and looking at the full cart and the low bill. It WAS a fine Frugal Moment.

You can get Coupons from: 1) a Sunday Newspaper

2) or online at sites Like: Cool Savings.com Coolsavings.com

Ecoupons.com www.ecoupons.com

3) Cooking Coupons Directly From Manufacturers Like: Online Baking Coupons from Pillsbury.com http://www.pillsbury.com

Online Baking Coupons from Nestle http://www.verybestbaking.co m

Online Baby Coupons http://www.verybestbaby.com

All rights belong to author. Contact pinteareed@ureach.com for re-print permission.

About the author:

Lili Pintea-Reed is the well known author of the www.bellaonline.com FRUGAL LIVING site where she gives all sorts of advice to working families on saving money. Check out her site at: http://www.be llaonline.com/site/frugalliving All rights belong to author. Contact pinteareed@ureach.com for re-print permission.

Written by: Lili Pintea-Reed

< Back To shopping Next Previous