To Buy or Not To Buy? When to Use Your Coupons

Using coupons can be both a smart move and a dumb move. Want to know more? Read smart tips shared by rutlandgrl at the FDR forum.

 

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY:

I remember the first time I ever used a coupon.

It was a tearpad coupon for .50 off a box of cereal. The cereal was ridiculously overpriced at around $5 for a small box, but I felt like such an awesome, smart person because I bought it USING A COUPON! I was saving money!

Not really. Buying something just because you have a coupon for it is not always a good idea. I always tell people to make sure they will actually USE the product before they buy it. Even if I am buying something like cat litter for $8 a container and only have a .50 coupon – I WILL use the coupon, because this is something I was going to buy anyway and WILL use, so I might as well save a bit of money while I buy it.

Some people can’t be bothered to use a coupon like that, they just think, ‘oh, it’s just .50, it won’t make a difference’. Guess what – it will. A coupon for .50 is .50 that stays in YOUR pocket and not the store’s cash register. Why anyone would turn down using a coupon for something they are already buying is beyond me.

Who cares what people think of you using coupons? You are using them to help save yourself some money. If other people want to pay full price for things let them. That’s just more deals for all of us smart people!
It is really easy to get trapped into the whole saving money thing when it comes to coupons. A bottle of ketchup (with sale price/coupon) that is normally at least $3.00. That .50 is an AWESOME price, but when don’t eat ketchup .50 can be too much money . Now, there are times that you should buy the ketchup and that would be if it was FREE (I would donate it) or very cheap meaning less than .25 a bottle (I would give it away to family/friends). Other than that, I would have to walk away from the deal and trust me – IT IS SO HARD.

You really have to think about whether a deal is actually a good deal for you and your family. If you will not use the item – DON’T GET IT, no matter how cheap it is. It’s not worth it.
Here are some tips to help you decide if your good deal, really is a good deal for you:

- Do you use the item?
- Can you use it before it expires?
- Do you have a place to store it?
- If you don’t use the item, can you afford to donate it?

 

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Thanks again to rutlandgrl for sharing your couponing strategies. This is fantastic information for new and seasoned couponers. Knowing your prices is the key to knowing what in fact IS a good deal. Try making a price book to help you identify the best shopping deals for the products you buy. Over time these strategies and tips will become second nature to you. Have fun couponing!