I've been really trying to be more money-conscious lately and find places where we can save more. The first obvious place I decided to start is with coupons and sales. I admit that I'm really bad about using coupons or shopping the sales. I just get what I need to get when I need to get it. Sure, I'll shop around a little, but fore the most part, convenience trumps savings for me. I know I know, it sounds stupid, but honestly, that's the truth. I've tried using coupons in the past, but mostly I'd clip a few weeks' worth, forget to take them to the store, and then quit the whole thing.
Honestly, I think it's kind of a pain in the ass. You always have to be thinking ahead and make sure you have your coupons with you. You have to have a constant mental inventory of anything you might be running out of so that you can stock up when it's on sale. And (because I love to shop), I'm never quite sure if I'm buying something because I need it or because it's a great deal. Plus, I love my brands. I'm a brand loyalist and I'm not ashamed of it. There are plenty of things that I buy generic, but other things are non-negotiable. That inflexibility makes sale shopping a little more difficult.
But today, I am re-committing myself to shopping the sales. We get the daily paper, so there really is no excuse for me to not cruise the sale ads and make good use of them. In fact, this week Kohls had an amazing sale and I saved $49 on a set of flannel sheets and dishcloths! These were purchases I was already planning to make, and had I not looked at the ad I probably would've just paid full price later on. So I guess I taught myself a lesson.
I'm just hoping I won't fall into my old habit of keeping it up for a week and then falling off the wagon again. (What can I say, I have trouble finishing what I start). I really want to make this a change that I keep up and will save us some money. I'm learning more and more that every penny counts. I'm trying not to think of all the money I haven't saved over the years by not using coupons. It's too painful.
So, who has some money-saving tips for me?
Ohhh boy! I've found the best way to make bargain hunting work is to make it into a game. If you think it's a pain in the ass, then it will be a pain in the ass. But if you can challenge yourself to save more and more money, it can even be fun. For me anyway. But I'm a nerd.
ReplyDeleteThe simplest, best advice I can give you is to stop thinking about it in terms of what you need NOW. The best way to making couponing and deal hunting work is to stockpile. For instance, we currently have enough shampoo, deodorant, soap, etc. to last us about 6 months. All of it was purchased for pennies or free with coupons and drugstore deals.
If you wait until you NEED deodorant, then of course you'll head out and pay full price because it's convenient. The trick is to get ahead of the game so you don't need the item RIGHT NOW. Only then are you able to wait until the price is really good, you know?
The other thing I've found is that, yes, you have to be purposeful about it. I head out with the intent to bargain shop. I usually have a list of the items I want with all of my coupons organized so I can get to them easily. I go through the ads before I head to the store so I know which deals I'm going after. This prevents me from spending more than I intended, and it also ensures that I'm only buying the super good deals.
So far, I have not been able to make coupons work for me with food shopping. The best deals are toiletry items and cleaning supplies. A lot of times you can get that stuff completely free by shopping the sales and using coupons. That's all I've been doing so far, and it cuts a surprising chunk out of our monthly expenses.
It takes some getting used to for sure. I recommend you check out www.moneysavingmom.com if you haven't already. CVS and Walgreens are good stores to start couponing. That way you won't feel so overwhelmed looking for coupon deals at EVERY store, and you can make purposeful trips to the drug stores to stock up.
Good luck!