Intro to Coupons!

I'm a couponer - that's no secret. Most people think I'm insane when they first find out. They huff and they puff and they think, "oh, you're the one holding up the checkout line to get an extra 25¢."

Then they see me get razors to last me four months for $5 and suddenly it's "SHOW ME YOUR WAAAYYYYSSSSS!!!!!!!"

Now, let's get this straight - I'm not like the ladies you see on Extreme Couponing. I don't have a garage full of 3500 shampoos and conditioners, and I've never bought more than 4 of one item on a coupon-venture.

I am 20 years old, I only have to feed myself, and seriously who on earth actually NEEDS 87 bottles of mustard? Seriously????

My point is - you can coupon effectively without being too extreme. Here are some main points I've learned about couponing, on a budget, for one person:

• First and foremost, do not let the excitement of saving money get the best of you! Yes, if you bought all 72 rolls of toilet paper - with the sales and coupons, you'd only be paying about 30¢ per roll! But you're on a tight budget, living in a tight space, and you already have enough toilet paper to last you through the end of the month. Save the coupon. Save your money.
• Stockpile! Yes, I have a stockpile. No, it's not huge. It takes up about two square feet on an otherwise empty shelf in my closet. If you are low on money and space, keep your stockpile to the necessities - I consider my stockpile more of a back-up for items I know that I absolutely will not live without. I've managed to keep it under control by only stocking up on things that I use on a daily basis, and if it's already in my stockpile, I won't buy any more until I need more. I keep a running inventory of things that are in my stockpile so that I can keep track of it, and it's pretty simple. Main things I keep in my stockpile are hygiene products (deodorant, shampoo, razors, body wash, etc.), vitamins, over-the-counter medicines, and cleaning products. Having a stockpile really does make couponing worth it, if you're able to keep it realistic and keep it organized - especially when you get in the shower and realize you're out of shampoo. I tell you, I'd rather walk to my closet in a towel and get some nice shampoo that I know I only paid 20¢ for than drive to the grocery store and pay $3 for the same thing.
• Be realistic. You're couponing to save money, right? Right. So, just because you have a coupon for something, doesn't mean you should use it. Even if it's on sale! Even if it's free! There's just no sense in that. At this current moment, I could probably get a lot of men's deodorant for free. But I prefer women's deodorant and have no desire to smell exactly like my boyfriend. So those coupons get set aside and I save my money for things I actually need. Which brings me to my next point...
• Be generous. Don't be greedy. I usually clip ALL of the coupons in the newspaper, and sometimes when I'm printing coupons I'll print one for a friend or family member if I see one - just because I'm the coupon queen, and I'm the only one who's ever going to see these in my little circle! Printing and clipping and organizing coupons is hard work, but I find I enjoy it more when my roommate says "I need _____." and I can respond with "I have a coupon for that!" In addition - DON'T THROW AWAY EXPIRED COUPONS! I started just putting my expired coupons in an envelope because I figured there HAD to be something better I could do with them - and then a friend of mine let me know that you can send them overseas to military! They can use coupons up to six months past their expiration date, so save your expired coupons and send them over every once in a while. You can find more information about that here.
• Be organized. You don't have to go full-on mom mode and have a massive coupon binder (although I have, and I highly recommend it - I'll be posting about my binder soon!), but try to keep it organized. The few minutes you spend clipping these valuable coupons are wasted if you can't find the coupon!

You can get coupons from a seemingly infinite amount of resources. Most major store websites have printable coupons, Publix does digital coupons, Target has the awesome Cartwheel app, and then you have websites like Smart Source and Red Plum - not to mention the Sunday paper! Do a little research, and you'll definitely find your coupons.

Lastly, and the most important piece of advice I can give you: keep up with weekly ads. That's the basis of the art of couponing - matching coupons to sales. THAT is how you save money! My Sunday mornings generally consist of some relaxing music, enjoying the sunrise, printing new coupons, and checking out the weekly ads.

To conclude: if you put in the time and effort, you can save a ton of money. Be dedicated, and be organized.

And this is just the beginning - I have a ton more to tell you about coupons! Like my coupon binder, where I get my coupons, other ways to save money similar to coupons, and more - all in future posts.

Have a beautiful Tuesday, everyone!