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9009 West Loop South, Seventh Floor, Houston Texas
1-866-889-9347 |
CCCS of Greater Denver
A Division of Money Management International |
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Regional Headquarters - 10375 E. Harvard Ave., Suite 300, Denver Colorado |
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Coupon Experts Save Money With Clip & Save Strategies |
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 Every Sunday morning, it seems I can barely get my newspaper from the sidewalk to the front door without leaving a trail of coupons along the driveway. They must mean big business because companies spend a fortune printing them up and having them distributed.
I think everybody knows one or two people who clip coupons every weekend without fail. These people have special organizers just for their stacks and stacks of coupons, organizing and collating them alphabetically, by food group and according to expiration date.
It’s important to remember, though, that coupons are a form of advertising, and they’re meant to increase sales for products that the manufacturer feels you wouldn’t otherwise buy. Have you ever noticed that you rarely see a coupon for milk or eggs? That’s because the manufacturers know that everybody buys these products, so there’s no point in printing a coupon for them.
Obviously, companies don’t make more money simply by discounting merchandise – if they did, they would just reduce the price. The intent is for you to see a coupon for a product you don’t normally purchase and think, “Hey, 50 cents off! I’ll give that new cereal a try.” If it turns out that you just love that cereal, or other new product, that’s fantastic – you’ve just been introduced to a great new product. For the most part, however, you end up with a box of cereal that you’re not that excited about, and may not actually finish eating.
The best way to use coupons, if your goal is to save money, is to clip only coupons for products you would buy anyway. The manufacturers don’t like to hear people say this because it completely defeats the purpose of distributing them in the first place. Don’t worry, though, they’ll survive because it’s an effective marketing technique that works on most people.
However, if you want to beat the system and use coupons to your benefit instead of theirs, make a grocery list before you sort through them. If you’re not due for a trip to the grocery store any time soon, take a refresher look through the pantry and the refrigerator, to re-familiarize yourself with the products and types of food you buy.
Then, sit down with the coupons, a pair of scissors and a waste basket, and start seeking out the ones that offer discounts on the food you buy. Keep them in an organized place – you don’t have to buy a fancy organizer, an envelope will do just fine – and refer to them the next time you’re planning a trip to the supermarket. Also, when you head to the supermarket, keep an eye open for “double coupon” days, and plan your trip accordingly.
If you decide to try a new brand because you have a coupon for it, check to see if the discount isn’t eaten up by the difference between that product and the one you usually buy. In other words, if you usually by Ketchup Brand A and you get a 50-cent coupon for Ketchup Brand B, but the regular price of Brand B is a dollar more than Brand A, you’re really losing 50 cents instead of saving it.
As usual, the best way to keep control of your finances is by organizing and planning ahead, then sticking to the plan. It’s possible to save a small percentage on your grocery bill with coupons, if you’re disciplined about how you use them. At the very least, you’ll recover the cost of the newspaper – assuming you don’t drop the coupon section in your driveway.
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CCCS, A Division of Money Management International
Regional Headquarters - 10375 E. Harvard Ave., Suite 300, Denver Colorado
Corporate Address - 9009 West Loop South, Seventh Floor, Houston, TX 77096
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