by : Diana Cassen

Now I clip coupons and save an average of about 40% off of our food budget thru careful shopping and watching all the sales every week. I am not loyal to any particular brands, most of the time I just buy the no-name or store brand for most things since it is the least expensive, but a lot of the time a good sale and a few coupons and I get a great deal. I find most of my coupons in the paper, some thru free surveys I have filled out, a ton of free coupons that I print off the internet, and quite a few from friends who think I am off my rocker but indulge me anyway.:-) You can also get great coupons by calling the 1800 number listed on the back of your favorite products, I have gotten a number of great $2.00 off coupons that way. If I also truly like a product I will email the company and let them know that I was satisfied with their product and most of the time they send out a coupon. I keep all my coupons organized in a coupon box of sorts, divided by index cards and sorted by food, bathroom items. cleaners, dog food etc. A good friend of mine sorts hers by expiry dates but she has a fantastic memory for the amount of coupons she has and I have yet to duplicate her methods.

If you live in a region where the stores will double your coupons then you have it made. I wish I did, but with keeping a careful eye on the sales and knowing what I have on hand and the store policy I do quite well and stock up on a lot of necessary items. Some stores may have a great deal but limit the coupon to only one per person per item, this is where my teenagers and husband come in handy.. I have had people make fun of me for clipping coupons, clerks who rolled their eyes, and even my own family giving me a hard time for doing this. Every time I went to the store I calculated how much I saved by using my coupons and the first year no one seemed to complain when we went to Disneyland using the savings I had built up thru coupon clipping. Now my kids get in the act and help finding coupons, getting extra flyers when possible (our complex has a paper recycling bin, most flyers are thrown out) and a lot of stores have the coupons in store that you have to carefully watch for or you will miss it. Clipping coupons may not make you rich but it sure can add a nice big bonus to the family savings account when you take the time to do so.