About

Hello!!

I first would like to start off by saying that this blog is about my take on couponing.  It’s certainly not the law of couponing!  It is simply what I know at this point.   My way of going about this isn’t the only way or even the right way, but it has been successful for me.  I am sooooo very much a newbie still and it’s blogs such as this that have made couponing fun.  I hope that’s what this becomes!  Some place fun that we can all learn from because like I said, I’m still a newbie. 

I am a full-time working Mom with 4 awesome kiddos!  I started couponing a few years ago to help find a cheaper way to fill my pantry.  I was extremely successful with it and saved a ton of money.  For some odd reason I decided to quit the game for a while.  I put my couponing aside and rejoined the life of full retail price products and missed opportunities to save cash.  Yeah, not really smart!  I recently decided to pick back up where I left off and WOW have things changed.  I may not be “new” but I certainly am still learning!!  Keep in mind that with a little bit of patience, practice & a good sense of humor couponing can provide significant savings.  I would like to add though that it’s not just the coupons that provide savings, it’s the sales!!  The way this game is played is by watching sales AND matching coupons.

Just a quick little side note (because I think it’s interesting)…. Coupons have been around since 1887 when the Coca-Cola Company implemented them as a unique advertising technique.  Coupons were mailed to potential customers and placed in magazines to help market their new soda and aid in building a more profitable business.  In 1909 coupons were more widespread and helped sell things like breakfast cereals.  Over the last 100 years couponing has grown by leaps & bounds. 

Many of you (if not all of you) have experienced TLC’s Extreme Couponing.  This is absolutely the extreme and brings up the topic of coupon ethics.  I believe that saving money is as important as following the rules and not acting in a fraudulent manner.  Trying to pass off expired coupons or abusing the limits stated are just a few examples of fraud.  If used correctly, coupons are an acceptable form of payment.  Passing off bad coupons, in my opinion, is the same as passing off a bad check.  Copying coupons…. NO!!  Bad, bad, bad!  Don’t do that!  These are just a few very important things to consider when playing this game.  I will add more on this topic later.

I must add that it’s very important to have good couponing etiquette.  Follow the stores coupon policies.  Print them out (most you can find posted on this websites) and take them with you.  These will not only serve as a reminder to you about what you can & can’t do but it will also act as your support if a cashier is giving you a hard time.  Don’t be aggressive!  Having the cashier do a gazillion transactions is ridiculous and rude.  2, 3, 4 even… ok, but any more than that and you’re going to really get the stink eye.  Having a good stockpile is fantastic but do you seriously need 100 deodorants?  I didn’t think so either :-). 

Sorry for the long-winded post!!  These are just a few things on my mind at the moment.  I will try to put together some basic tips & tricks for those looking to get started!  For those of you who have been playing this game for a while, I hope you will post your helpful tactics.  We can all learn something from one another!