Couponing 101: “Why Me?”

Couponing 101: “Why me?”

Maybe you’ve heard people talk about couponing or read about it on sites like this and wondered, “What’s the big deal? Why are people getting so excited about saving a few cents?” Good question.

Many people don’t understand the impact couponing can make on their lives. When you consider the potential applications of couponing, you’ll realize that whatever your situation in life, it can also be of benefit to you. Here are some viewpoints to think about:

Emergency Preparedness. With all of the recent news about floods, earthquakes, global warming, and economic hard times, many people have realized that it is prudent to have a healthy stockpile of necessities in the home. FEMA recommends a 3-day stock of food, water, and other emergency supplies while the LDS church actually recommends having a full year’s worth. Where ever on the spectrum you fall, using coupons can help you have peace of mind by allowing you to stock up on important items such as Band-aids, medicine, food, etc on a small budget (oftentimes these items are FREE!!).

Someone on a low or fixed income. If you are a college student or someone living on social security, disability, welfare, or unemployment, you can stretch your fixed income by potentially saving several hundred dollars a month by “clipping” coupons.

Someone living in a rural area. If the driving distance to your local grocery store prevents you from making frequent shopping trips, couponing is a perfect way to inexpensively build a stockpile.

Relief/Charity Donations. Oftentimes deals will arise where you can literally get items for FREE after coupons. These could include food (cereal, soup, candy, etc), toothpaste, deodorant, soap, laundry detergent, and other personal care and comfort items. You can donate these items to relief and charity groups, including your church, or use them to create care packages for deployed soldiers or missionaries.

Stay-at-home-mom or dad. This is the most common demographic who are “into” advanced couponing. Frequently, these men and women do the bulk of the grocery shopping and oftentimes manage the family budget as well. Imagine saving enough money every year to pay down your debts, save money for your child’s education, or take a family vacation.

The rewards of couponing can be very exciting and I hope that these ideas have given you something to think about. How much money can you save by using coupons? That depends on what type of couponer you are. I’ll be discussing this in my next article: “Couponing 101: Your Couponing Personality?” Don’t want to miss it? Sign up for daily email updates.

What’s your current situation? I would love to hear more! Feel free to leave a comment (via the comments link) letting us know what couponing has done for you or your family. Is it “in the box”? Has it provided a rent payment every month? Has it given you extra cash for text books? Given you an excuse to shop with your husband’s approval (my personal favorite!)?