When I tell people that I am a couponer, they sometimes give me that “deer in the headlight” look.\u00a0 So, I thought I’d clear up a few of the misconceptions about couponing:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Coupons are only for junk food or for products I wouldn’t buy.<\/u>\u00a0 I think this may be the most common misconception.\u00a0 While there are coupons out there for junk food, the majority are not.\u00a0 The beauty of it is you get to pick and chose what is right for your own family.\u00a0 Just because you can get Fruity Pebbles for free doesn’t mean you have to.\u00a0 I only use coupons for products we already use or for products I’d like to try.\u00a0 There are coupons being offered for organic products all the time.\u00a0 Plus, there are tons of coupons for everyday items like toothpaste, deodorant, laundry detergent, hair products, etc., etc.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 Couponing is too time consuming<\/u>.\u00a0 I will admit that when you first start couponing it can be a time vampire.\u00a0 Once you find your groove and start learning the lingo and become familiar with your store and the cashiers, it goes much smoother.\u00a0 ORGANIZATION IS KEY!\u00a0 You must have everything clipped and know exactly what it is you are going after.\u00a0 What I do is look at my favorite couponing blogs to see what the deals are.\u00a0 I also open a Word document in another window.\u00a0 Then I cut out of the blogs only the items I am interested in and paste them in to my Word doc.\u00a0 I print my list, gather and clip coupons then head out.<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0 It’s a waste of gas.<\/u>\u00a0 That all depends on how much you are saving.\u00a0 I wouldn’t drive five miles to save a dollar.\u00a0 But I will drive 10 miles to save $50.\u00a0 I don’t run around chasing every store’s best deals.\u00a0 I generally choose the store that has the most\/best deals for the things I want.\u00a0 I also try to kill two birds with one stone by going to stores that are close to each other.\u00a0 Where I live, Albertsons is not convenient for me, but there happens to be a Rite Aid right next door.\u00a0 So if I choose to go after Albertsons deals, I also make sure I check out the deals for Rite Aid as well.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0 Coupons expire too quickly.<\/u> Coupons have varying expiration dates.\u00a0 Generally the higher value the coupon, the quicker they expire.\u00a0 Most coupons last for weeks, sometimes months.\u00a0 Coupons also tend to expire towards the end of the month.\u00a0 There is always plenty of time to use coupons before they expire.<\/p>\n
5.\u00a0 Couponers are hoarders.<\/u>\u00a0 The Extreme Couponers show has given some people that idea.\u00a0 As with most anything in life, there are always a few fanatics, but they are by far the minority.\u00a0 Most of us shop just for our families or donate their excess to their local food banks.\u00a0 I only buy what my family can use up within a few months.\u00a0 Most products are on schedules where they go on sale about every three months.<\/p>\n