With around $270 billion dollars worth of coupons for freebies and discounts that are printed annually in the US, the fraction of coupons actually redeemed is quite ridiculous - just around the $4 billion mark. Meaning, only about 1.5% of the coupons are actually used for savings and rebates that could be for purchases from supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, and other retailers. That’s really a big amount of potential savings going down the drain, so to speak. Savings, which for ordinary Americans, can mean thousands of dollars annually.
The problem is that coupon clipping is usually associated with the elderly, who are obviously aware of its vast potential in terms of maximizing the purchasing power of their limited incomes or pensions. But the fact is - you need not be a geriatric to avail of the great savings one can get from coupons. You only need to be practical and wise. All you need is just a little time scanning newspaper, magazine inserts, and you’ll get a fairly large amount of coupons which you can use in your next purchase.
Of course, you also need some creativity and good organizational skills to make the most out of discount coupons: it’s no good cutting and storing these clips of papers if you can’t find one when you need it most. Indeed, a messy stack could result in missed opportunities and that’s why veteran coupon-clippers take their tasks to a higher-level. They sort coupons into categories and expiration dates to help them easily locate coupons. Some use separate envelops for each category while those really conscientious use multi-compartment coupon organizers.
To add more coupons - and hence, more savings - one can go beyond the usual sources mentioned above. Manufacturing companies and even supermarkets often offer discount coupons directly to consumers, aside from those made by marketing firms that are inserted in publications. Or if you don’t have the time to do the actual searching and cutting, you can visit online coupon-clipping services which can provide you with the coupons you need for a nominal fee.
To efficiently use your collection, you should list the things you need to buy in your next grocery shopping. See which of these items have matching coupons that you may use and clip these coupons to your list! But if I were you, I’d bring along all the other coupons as well, as you never know when a great buy comes along unexpectedly and the coupons come handy in such occasions. Also, some supermarkets offer promotions in which they double or even triple the face value of manufacturers’ coupons – affording smart consumers much more value for their money.
Finally, coupon-clipping and usage need not be a lonely chore for mothers alone. Mothers can involve kids and even hubby in this task which ultimately benefits the whole family. It’s a good way to teach kids math skills (computing how much is saved or how many more items can be bought for the same amount); recognition and memory aptitude (by allowing the kids to find the items that matches each coupon); organizational skills and most important of all, truly learning the value of money.
Are you convinced now? Then get that scissors and start clipping all those coupons!
