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TIP - Answers to common questions about saving money with coupons

Q: "Why are coupon experts able to get up to 75% savings at the grocery store? This never happens to me."

Amy's Answer:

If you think of coupon experts as being like elite athletes playing a game, then 75% savings are possible, but not realistic for the average consumer. Also, you never really know how much planning went on prior to the shopping trip to prepare for it, nor do you know what exactly was purchased.

ake for example, an elite tennis player. He/she leverages natural ability, the best coaching and the best tennis technology in equipment, nutrition and conditioning to compete in world class tennis. None of us know the true cost or sacrifice it took for him or her to achieve this. All we see on television or perhaps at a live event are the flawless strokes, amazing shots and powerful display of athleticism. Similarly, coupon experts leverage experience, coupon and store deal information as well as proven tools and strategies to compete for the absolute lowest prices and the average consumer does not see the true effort it took to achieve this.

Not many consumers are able to compete like coupon pros mostly due to a lack of time, skill, dedication and desire to achieve similar measurable results. Afterall, the majority of their life energy and time are devoted to achieving deals in every purchase, not just the grocery store. It may be they were born to seek out deals or learned but you know them when you meet them. But it is important to note, we can all still learn from them and admire their results. Just like I admire tennis pros and their results and I continue to learn from them as I play in recreational tennis leagues. However, I am not headed for for Wimbledon anytime soon!

Many people regard me as a coupon pro and to some degree I am but I am also an average consumer who deals with demands on my time and money like everyone else. Truthfully, my trusty Couponizer and I do not typically achieve staggering levels (75%+) of savings week in and week out, but I do consistently average savings over 25%. Some weeks I have lots of time,energy and coupons to devote to planning and executing my shopping trips and I do achieve super savings I am very proud of, but some weeks I don't do as well. Shocking as it may seem, I am content with that. My overarching goal is to spend money wisely, so even when I am having a tough week, I am able to achieve savings I am proud of while buying what is needed to keep the household running.

So take heart, these days with all the coupons, websites, tools and resources available, I think it is reasonable for the average consumer to achieve between 10-40% savings at the grocery store on a regular basis when combining coupons, store deals and buying store brands. Over the long haul, this will yield real savings you can be proud of!

Q: "How can I get the most out of printable coupons?"

Amy's Answer:

Printing coupons is a great way to add to your collection of coupons from other sources like the Sunday paper. However if you are not careful, you could wind up wasting resources to get them. So here are a few tips to make printing coupons as economical as possible so you get the most out of them.

1. Set your printer to print Black and White or grayscale. You do not need to print these in color since the color ink cartridges are most expensive and having them printed in color does not increase their value!


2. Save on paper. Create a paper pile of printer paper that is still useable on one side to use for printing coupons. For example, we print out math sheets each night for my kids to practice on and only one side of the paper is used. If I save these in a pile, then I shoot these through the printer when I print my coupons.


3. Clip, organize and redeem these coupons as you would any other coupon. If you don't do this, then your efforts are a waste of MORE time and money since you have to put time and your own paper and ink into retrieving printable coupons.

Click on both coupon sources in our QUICK LINKS to print to your heart's content

Q: "When I have a great coupon, I feel compelled to use it even if I don't need the product. It is especially hard to resist during the holidays when discounts and sales are everywhere. How can I change this behavior?

Amy's Answer:

During the holiday season the day I stop shopping is the day when all the gifts I planned to buy have been purchased. That's it, I'm done. Making up your mind to NOT shop is one way to combat the need to buy something when it is at a deep discount. If you don't deliberately stop shopping, then all kinds of extra gifts can creep in and blow the budget. I know I have done this and what I discovered is that once the holidays pass, the good feelings that come with sticking to a set number and dollar limit on gifts last and build confidence going into the New Year. Starting off the New Year with your finances in good shape frees you to focus on other meaningful goals.

Another way to combat the "But, I've got a coupon" syndrome is to realize that there will always be coupons, so holding off on buying can work in your favor. For example, this holiday season I saw a beautiful new coat and while I have a coat, I could use a new one. This coat I liked was a bit out of my price range, so I left it on the rack. Then it was marked down by $30 the next week and now seemed like it was a good time to buy, but I held off. Then I received a 30% off your purchase online coupon to the store and now the coat was within a reasonable price range. So, I printed the coupon and walked it into the store (you can do this at most stores). They honored it and I got the coat I liked at the a great price. The catch here is - then a 50% off your purchase coupon came out the next day and if I had waited a bit, I would have received even bigger savings. If i have the energy, I might go back and see if they will honor it since i saved my receipt!

My point is coupons are plentiful these days and when you apply discipline in waiting to purchase something, you usually wind up with a better price or save yourself the pain of an impulse purchase.

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