Dollars and sense: Realistic couponing

The trick to couponing is to stay realistic

By David Uffington
| 12:02 p.m. November 6, 2013

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
Neighborhood

A television series followed shoppers to see how they saved huge amounts of money at the grocery store by using coupons. In many cases, shoppers were able to get hundreds of dollars in items for only a few cents. However, if you looked carefully at the cart, they were often walking out with dozens of the same product.

Yes, it was technically a savings if, for example, they were able to get 20 bottles of shampoo for a dime each, or less. On the practical side, if that’s done with multiple items, storage becomes a problem. If it’s a food item, expiration dates come into play. The trick to couponing is to stay realistic.

At least in the beginning, you’ll want to concentrate on items that your family actually uses. Yes, there are many items you can acquire cheaply that you can use for barter, but unless you have time to set up a network of friends and family to swap with, stick to what your family needs right now.

If you have a computer, generate a throwaway email account that you don’t use for anything personal and sign up on a few coupon websites. Be prepared for a blast of junk email, but that’s the point of having a throwaway name. Time can be of the essence with these online coupon sites. Delay by a day and you could be out of luck in the manufacturer has set a limit on how many can be printed. Find out when each site uploads its new coupons, and be among the first to the site to see if there’s anything you need.

Get the Sunday paper and go through all the coupons. On Wednesday, when grocery stores often have sales on some of those very items, make your purchases. You save even more by using the coupons. While you’re in the checkout line, flip through a few magazines to see if there are any manufacturer coupons worth having. Once you get out of the store, look at the back of your receipt to see if it contains any coupons.

If you don’t mind giving out your personal information (misspell your name and don’t give your street address), sign up for the store’s frequent shopper card, and use your throwaway email address. While you’re there, ask whether they accept coupons that have been printed off the Internet. Some stores don’t. And check the junk mail at home. Best bet for successful couponing: Start small.