By Rhonda White
Does clipping really save big bucks? That’s the general question coming from thrifty shoppers with scissors in hand, aching backs, arched over piles of coupons to clip. Is it worth all the time spent clipping and sorting? The answer from lots of expert shoppers is “yes”. And the reason is obvious.
Many name brand products can be purchased much cheaper than the generic brands. Of course, there is a trick to getting the best value. If you subscribe to the “The Oklahoman”, your Sunday paper is filled with coupons and your Wednesday paper will hold all of the weekly specials at your local grocery stores. This is a great time to get out your ink pen and start circling products that are on sale and for which you also have coupons as well. Get out your coupons and place the ones that you plan to use in an envelope. When you head out to the store, you won’t have to be sorting and searching through all your coupons. Taking all of your collected coupons with you; however, is good advice. Sometimes you might catch an extra good buy on clearance, and this will be an added bonus to your savings.
Shopping every week is another good key to great dollar savings. If you only shop once a month, or every other week, you are missing out on weekly specials and big dollar savings. Shopping every week allows you to catch all of the big discounts and use your coupons to a greater advantage. Another key to big savings is shopping at two or more favorite stores. Search for local stores that double your coupons up to 50 cents or even a dollar. By selecting at least two or more stores to frequently shop, you can participate in even more sales and catch numerous savings.
Many shoppers prefer not to make menu plans before heading to the store. Instead, they plan their menu around the weekly specials and sales. By not binding yourself to a planned menu, you no longer have to buy products for the full price in order to fulfill your list for a planned menu. Loyalty to certain brands can also detour the shopper from really big savings. If you can adjust easily from one brand to another, you will be able to efficiently benefit from a large number of your coupons. Various brands will be on sale each week, which will allow you to take advantage of all possible savings.
For those who become disheartened by the task of clipping and sorting coupons, you can ask your child or teenager to clip coupons in exchange for some spending money. This will relieve you of the task and still avail yourself of big money savings at your supermarket. Before your next shopping adventure, arm yourself against staggering grocery costs, and bring home the huge savings.