Some of you have asked about my coupon strategy so I thought I'd tell you some of my secrets - although they aren't really secrets since there are a million blogs on couponing out there. But here are some of the things I do to save money with coupons.
1. Set a realistic savings goal for visiting big box stores - Grocery, Target, Wal-Mart, etc...My goal is to save at least 10-20% and I feel really good if I hit 20% or more on an entire purchase. You don't have to be an extreme couponer to save money. But if you can save $100 a month, that's $1200 a year you could be spending on something else.
2. I cut coupons from the Sunday newspaper, Red Plum, Smart Source, and Target. Occasionally, I will go to another site for a coupon if it is advertised on Money Saving Mom. But I don't go out of my way to get every coupon that is out there.
3. I stack manufacturer's coupons with Target coupons - did you know they let you do that? I've always been a pretty loyal Target brand customer, but when you stack coupons, you end up getting brand name product for less than the generic. Usually between $2-$3 savings per product.
4. I match up coupons to what is on sale at that particular store each week. The goal is to stay far enough ahead that when you need something you always have a coupon for it (or better yet, you already bought it with a coupon and it is in the pantry). If you can score an on sale deal at Target plus a manufacturer coupon, plus a Target coupon, well then that's when you get very close to getting products for free.
5. I signed up for an account on Vocal Point. They send you a product or coupon for a free product to try it out. They ask for feedback on your use of the product.
None of this is hard or takes a lot of time (good thing since I don't have much free time!) but it allows me to meet a savings goal that makes me happy. Happy Saving!
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