Couponing: Why bother? Why You Need Coupons

This morning during breakfast, my lovely 8-year-old popped the question, “Mommy, why do you care so much about all of these coupons? They are just papers.”

That sparked the conversation. Why do I care so much about the hundreds of little square papers that have floated all over my house and littered dark corners in my house? Why do I allow these same papers to consume my life for hours out of the week while I cut them, organize them, and then lay out my plan of attack before pursuing a trip to the local store? Why does it make me so upset when I find that my local paper does not have in it a coupon that was forecast to be released that particular Sunday, thus keeping me from achieving an awesome deal?

For me, the answer lies in several places. My coupons have become valuable to me, enough so that my husband does not even ask anymore before picking me up my usual two papers to bring home, then robbing said papers of the comics because that’s the only thing he is going to take the time to read. So why do I continue to obsess over multiple slick paper booklets a week, braving the risk of paper cuts and the loss of my sanity? Let’s start at the top, shall we?

Money, Money, Money

Plain and simple. As I explained to my beloved daughter, asker of 5 million questions a minute, couponing allows me to save money on things that I HAVE to buy for my family. Saving this money on the necessities allows me to allocate those funds to areas of entertainment and things that my family may not have been able to participate in otherwise. Generally, when I go into a store with an extreme trip planned, I am able to save anywhere from 50%-90% on the products that I am purchasing. That is quite a bit of extra cash staying in my bank account. Who doesn’t enjoy extra money in the bank?

It is important to note that when you start out your couponing career, you may not save at such high percentages when you start off. Also, different stores will allow you different levels of success. Some stores will double coupons, while other stores will allow you to stack your coupons with store coupons, maximizing your saving potential. Also notable, is the amount of munchkins driving you crazy, and putting a kink in your couponing style will be a determining factor in your saving success.

Ability to take Vacations

And lots of them. As a parent of young children, one thing I enjoy splurging on, (And by splurging, I mean sifting through endless websites for the best deals, and finding coupons to save on vacations because, let’s face it, I’m addicted to saving), is family vacations. In May of this year, my 8-year-old will be making her third voyage to Disney World, while my 3-year-old makes his second trip, and my newborn sees the amazing Mickey Mouse for the first time. My family also particularly enjoys spending time in cabins in the Great Smokey Mountains, visiting amusement parks in the summertime, and dropping in on family 1000 miles away in the Lonestar state.

The trips that we take would not be possible if not for my frugal lifestyle and meticulous expeditions through the Sunday paper to ensure that we are saving all of the money we can in order to redirect these funds to the fun things that we enjoy doing as a family. Some days I am simply saving money on our day-to-day needs, and other days, the purchase of these day-to-day needs winds up paying me to purchase them. My vacation fund also winds up being driven by my friends and family who come “shopping” from my stockpile and throw a few bucks my way to cover what I paid for the couponing items, which oftentimes winds up being more than what I paid because let’s face it, sometimes it is unbelievable that someone possesses over $700 worth of razors that they paid less than $50 for.

Need for a Hobby

Everyone needs one right? Mine just happens to save me money. My couponing adventure however began simply as a hobby for me, which developed following a week of binge-watching Extreme Couponers. From there, I began frantically buying and bartering for as many newspapers I could get my hands on. Over the next couple of months, my hobby began to consume me, as I realized how addicting it is to save money. I swear, this has to be the closest I have come to understanding what a drug user must go through.

I did realize, however, that when I couponed, I was at peace. (As long as I didn’t lose that buy one get one FREE coupon on Pantene Pro V that was going to be a money maker at CVS.) I would spend hours cutting and organizing coupons, planning my trips, and then organizing my goodies into my stockpile at home so I could marvel in all of the treasures I had gotten for dirt cheap. Slowly, my stockpile turned me into a hoarder, who was going to smell very nice if the apocalypse ever came judging from all the body wash I was in possession of. That fact aside, I was still proud of my accomplishment.

Nowadays, I have toned my hobby down to a couple of hours a week. I find it exhilarating to be back at my hobby again, regardless of the restrictions I have had set for myself. Also, while the stockpile is slowly growing again, my husband is no longer searching for me in the mountain of papers each week. The best news is, I still get that same high at least once a week when the cashier tells me my total.

Satisfaction of The Look

It NEVER gets old. The cashier gets done ringing you up, and you hand over your coupons you have worked so hard to organize and match to the sale prices. The cashier scans said coupons and announce your unbelievably low total. You pay for your merchandise, only to have coupons printed off following your transaction for money off your next trip to said store. You look behind you at the next customer in line, and their face matches the cashier. That my friend, is “The Look”.

More often than not, when I conclude my couponing trips, I find myself receiving this look. Better yet are the days when I get the “Did that really just happen?” or “They seriously paid you to take all that stuff?”. I never grow tired of hearing it! It amazes me how few people will take the time to use a coupon even if it is attached to the product they are buying, then they see what I do in the store and it is all of a sudden magic. All of my little papers, they add up believe it or not. Not to mention, the first time your husband sees you preform this magic, you quit getting growled at for buying newspapers just for the coupons and having coupons appear all over your house, car, purse, diaper bag, and sometimes, even in his chair.

There you have it folks! Why do I spend so much time obsessing over the part of the paper most people just throw away?

Because I cannot afford not to when it means I am getting FREE or almost free stuff.

Better yet, stay tuned and in some of my upcoming posts, I will share with you more about how I do it!