Women and Retirement: Creative Couponing

You have probably seen the stories on the news (especially the morning talk shows) about people who save hundreds of dollars on every shop by using coupons. You may say “that could never be me; I don’t have time to clip and organize coupons!” Believe it or not, couponing is really not difficult but it does take a little patience, organization and planning.
The first and most obvious place that people find coupons is in the Sunday paper. I usually buy a Sunday paper and share it with my Mother. This arrangement works well for us because I clip the coupons that we both can use and she enjoys reading it. I know not to buy the paper on the Sunday before a holiday, though, because for some unknown reason, there are no coupons in those editions. I use these coupons at discount stores, the grocery store, and at drug stores. Many drug store chains will allow you to use a manufacturer’s coupon along with their store coupon on one single item. For example, today I bought three packages of chips at a drug store and the price is 3 for $4.00. The store coupon was .99 and I had an additional .50 coupon which brought the price down to 2.50. I also got a reward coupon worth $1.50 bringing the final price down to 3 bags of chips for 1.00. A nice savings that enabled me to justify buying Girl Scout cookies on the way out of the store (I figure if those darling girls and their parents can stand out in the freezing cold, the least I can do is buy a box). Some really frugal folks skip the step of buying a newspaper and they get their coupons from recycling bins. Talk about creative couponing!
Many people I know also get coupons online. Most major retailers LOVE for you to print their coupons and use them in their store. It confirms that you are shopping only with them and are also using their website. Before you next shopping trip, go to the store’s website and looks for ads and coupons or online coupons. You will need a printer to print them (many are now moving to an online format that will enable you to have coupons emailed to you on your iPhone). You can also sign up for coupons to be delivered to your email box for local services, restaurants, and other items. You can try to places in your area and save lots of money. In fact, many of them give additional discounts if you “like” them on Facebook.
A final way that many people get their coupons is through online auctions. If you have a particular coupon that is of interest, you can order a lot of them for a small price. For example, a friend of mine eats protein bar most mornings for breakfast that costs $2.00 a piece (which is out of my price range comfort so I don’t eat them). She bought a lot of 40 coupons for $4.00 on an auction site. She will save $76 ($80 minus $4.00) for something that she loves and uses (which is the secret to effective couponing).
So, if you want to save money today and in the future (more for a secure retirement!), start couponing today. Be sure not to fall into the trap of buying stuff that you won’t use because even with a coupon, you are spending money on stuff you don’t need. Also, make sure to buy the item listed on the coupon to make sure that you get the discount (match the photo on the coupon to the item).
So, if you do couponing right, it can be fun and addicting. With a little practice, patience, and organization, you can also be a creative couponer!