You have no doubt heard about using coupons and discounts to buy groceries and other items way below the price tag. I’m here to tell you that even if you can afford to buy everything you need, you’d be crazy to not take advantage of coupons, promotions and discounts to grow your stockpile. Okay, so I don’t always get twice the stuff for half the price like the crazy coupon ladies from the TV show, but most of the time I average 40% to 50% off my grocery bill. I aim to get at least a 45% discount each time I go to the store.
How do I do this? By making a shopping plan, sticking to it and using extreme couponing strategies each time I shop. If you’ve never couponed before, you may have to change your shopping habits to be successful. Most guys (and some gals) have trouble being “couponers”; they are just too proud to show up with a Ziploc bag full of coupons, watch the register and question the prices. If you are on a budget and want to stockpile enough survival supplies, you’ll just have to get over yourself. It’s either doing that now or elbowing hundreds of other looters when disaster strikes.
Here’s the breakdown of extreme couponing strategies for the uninitiated:
- Do not buy anything that is not on sale, unless you will die without it. If you do it right, you will eventually have enough stuff to not have to buy things if they aren’t on sale.
- Look through the flyers, circle items on sale and compare them to the coupons you may have. The best deals on brand name items are made possible when you combine sales and coupons.
- Most grocery stores and pharmacies offer loyalty cards. Get them, learn to use them and take advantage of the discounts, points and promotions. Frequently, sale prices are only valid for cardholders.
- Create an online account with every grocery store you frequent. Here’s the deal, you can now preload most manufacturer coupons onto your loyalty card and save a ton of time and a good amount of money on paper and ink. On top of that, many grocery stores offer “personalized deals”, rewarding you with deep discounts on your most frequently purchased items.
- Watch for mail circulars from your local stores. These usually have a few manufacturer coupons and a ton of store brand coupons that will allow you to get basic items at a fraction of the cost.
- Once you’ve made your shopping list, calculate the total cost and stick to it. If you tend to overspend, go to the store with enough cash to buy everything on your list – that’ll keep you in line.
- Don’t forget that you can run separate transactions if the coupon comes with a limit on the number of items you can buy at that price.
Remember, to survive you have to be not only tough, but also smart. Don’t misplace your pride – tough people look for bargains, too and those who find them probably end up being the most prepared ones. If you need more guidance on couponing, check out www.couponmom.com. This website not only teaches you how to coupon, it offers weekly deals line up for top stores around the country.
To your survival,
Richard Marshall
