Weekend Coupon Madness

It's Sunday and you know what that means?  It is coupon clipping day for me.  I used to go out every weekend and buy the weekend newspaper.  One day, the Baltimore Sun offered to give me a year subscription for only one cent.  Well, you can't beat that.  I am saving the $2 I used to spend every weekend.  So now, I get my coupons (and of course newspapers) brought to my door.  I am saving way more money and time this way. 

There was a time when I used to have a life.  I used to dine out, go bowling, or go shopping.  Now I spend my weekend going through sales papers and coupons.  However, I have to try to make my bargain shopping fun now.  Saving money is almost like a hobby now. 

My recommendation on making the most of this experience is leafing through all the sales and ads for the stores in your area.  Obviously, you are not going to save too much money if you are traveling too far to get your bargains.  You are then wasting all your money on gas or bus fees.  You will not come out ahead.  Plus, you need to clip coupons for only what you need.  Don't look at a $1 off coupon and think you may as well get that item.  If you do not need it and you probably won't use it, it does not matter that you saved $1.  Whatever you just paid was a total waste.  You also need to find stores in your area that double coupons.  In this situation, go to the cheapest store that will do that.  Just remember, usually they only double the coupon if it is under $1.  That is why I try to get as many 75 cent off coupons as possible.  In the world of double coupons, those are the best. 

Now, I have heard of people making charts or lists to keep up with every store and sale.  That is a little much.  I would recommend finding a couple of really low priced stores and sticking with that.  Always check for sales first though, even if that means going online.  Also, keep in mind that stores like Walmart, Target, Kmart, and dollar stores carry most of the same brands as grocery stores.  Those stores also usually carry food items and paper products.  I usually try to go to Target or Walmart once a week for things like toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, medicine, etc.  You will save way more money that way.  For items like meat, vegetables, cereal, and other food items, I go to a regular grocery store. 

If you incorporate some of these ideas into your own life, you will be amazed at how much you save every weekend.  A fun thing you can do is to also reward yourself with something small that you really want for all your effort.  After all, if you are saving 10 or more dollars a week, why shouldn't you get to have a candy bar or a cute item from the dollar store?

Happy shopping to you!