Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”
I’ve been clippin’ all my coupons,
All the live-long day…
I’ve been clippin’ all my coupons,
just to stash some cash away.
Single, double, triple coupons,
that stretch my budget a mile.
I have saved so much money,
that now I wear a smile!

A homeschooling mom has nothing to lose by using coupons but she has lots to gain with the money saved. I worked with another lady who was as addicted to coupons as I was. We would compare sales slips from grocery stores to see who had saved the most. I once got $200 worth of groceries for only $65…no joke! I happened to win that week…

About 5 years ago, I got caught up in the “Great Coupon Race”. Hardcore.

I would buy 20 Sunday papers with the coupons in them. Since I lived in a large city (Omaha, NE) at the time, there were several different papers to choose from. And for some odd reason, they had different sets of coupons available. So, I would make sure to get about 5 of each. I had people look at me kinda funny sometimes, but that was the “price” I paid

My wonderful hubby and kids would help me with this. We would take the coupons out, and lay them out in an assembly line fashion. Like coupon pages in piles. Then, we would take scissors and cut out 3 or 4 coupons simultaneously. I had a large box of them. Like I said, I was addicted! Sometimes, I would find a “buy one, get one free”! That was so cool! Then, I would go shopping. Didn’t matter where…I just had to “spend” the coupons. One time, I had a pile of coupons for $1.00 off 2 boxes of Playtex tampons, and buy one get one free bottles of Pantene shampoo. Well, neither coupon stated size limitations, so, I went to the trial size area. (believe me, after a while, the cashiers would check size and quantity!) I wound up with 40 boxes of trial size tampons(4 in a box), and 20 bottles of trial size shampoo and conditioner for only $5.00! I also purchased on that trip 20 trial size boxes of Q-tips for about $.05 each. That was cool!
Some things to remember about coupons:

• always check the size and quantity listed on the coupon
• check your expiration dates and use before that date
• always carry a calculator with you and check the price per ounce with your coupon compared to the store brand, which usually doesn’t have a manufacturer’s coupon

It would be to your advantage, if using many multiple coupons, to not go shopping on a weekend morning. The stress of the store being so busy would not make this fun for you. Monday mornings work great, if you can, otherwise go later in the evenings if at all possible.

Here’s how I used my coupons:
I would make sure that I had the number of items for each coupon listed. 10 “Buy one, get one” coupons would mean that I had 20 of that item in my cart. If it didn’t have size limitations, then I would get the smallest size I could. For example, $1.00 off of a $2.50 jar of 24 oz Skippy peanut butter would be $1.50 or $.07/ounce. However, $1.00 off a $1.97 jar of 18 oz Skippy peanut butter would be $.97 or $.05/ounce. And, using 2 or 3 of your coupons, you could stock up for a good price.

Remember, that you don’t have to have an expensive “coupon holder” for your coupons. You can use a index card file box, an old shoe box, or even an envelope box. You can put your coupons in different envelopes and just carry them in the box. Some categories that I use are:

• personal hygiene or HBA
• pet supplies
• beverages (including coffee, tea, and pop, as well as creamer)
• condiments
• frozen
• paper and cleaning

If you have coupons that you don’t need, then don’t throw them away. Think about starting a coupon swap club. Check and see if your local library has one, or see about starting one. Look at church groups, or any clubs that your kids are involved with. Maybe other mothers would be interested. Expired coupons can be sent to military addresses overseas, as they can use them for up to 6 months beyond their expiration dates.

It would a good idea to contact any location first before sending out the coupons you collect. The list below is just some of the locations participating in the program.

COMFLEACT DET
Yokohama
Family Service Center
PSC 472, Box 8
FPO AP 96348-1150

COMFLEACT DET
Ikego
Family Service Center
PSC 474, Box 700
FPO AP 96351-0007

Coupons can be a wonderful way to stretch your budget. But, be careful to avoid the pitfalls of buying something just because you have a coupon, or you won’t have saved at all. For example, have you always bought the store brand cleaner and now you have a coupon for a “name brand”? If you are satisfied with the store brand and it’s cheaper, then I would say don’t buy the name brand just because you have a coupon. Always check your prices, and follow your list! Now, go clip! And make sure that you have your coupons with you when you go to the store. I usually put my box in my van and that way I have them with me at all times. And don’t forget to give them to the cashier when you are paying for your items. A coupon stashed is not money saved! I learned this one the hard way myself

Heather is a stay at home mother with 3 blessings to take everywhere with her. Teaching women to shop and save and get the most for your dollar are a vision that has been a long time in the making. She enjoys sharing her trials and triumphs at the local stores, as well as some good (and some not so good) recipes to help make those dollars stretch. Heather’s column, “Practical Penny Pincher” is a must read for the thrifty homeschool mom.