Introduction

When I was younger, I would spend a lot of time with my little brother Jeff. We are only 18 months apart so we were very similar in the things we liked to do and were interested in. I remember one fall evening when were about 12/13/14 years of age, Jeff asked me if I would be the camera person for a documentary he wanted to make called "Jeff's Buck Taping Adventures". How could I say no to such a request? So I grabbed my mom's video camera (the big kind that you have to put up on your shouler) and we jumped on the 4-wheeler. The next few hours consisted of us driving around the foothills on the 4-wheeler looking for bucks. When we spotted some I would press the red 'record' button and get as much footage as I possibly could. Jeff would comment on the size/color/location/position of the buck with as much authority in his voice as any 12/13 year old could. When it got dark we headed back to the house and showed everyone our new tape. We repeated the filming of "Jeff's Buck Taping Adventures" several times over the course of the next few weeks. I secretly think Jeff was hoping we would get a contract with the hunting channel.

Just like Jeff had a passion to share his love of deer with everyone when he was younger, I have recently found a passion that I would like to share as well. Couponing.

Before you stop reading the post convinced that you will never be a couponer, let me tell you something that may surprise you. I HATED GROCERY SHOPPING. For a long time. Bad enough that when my sister Marti and I were roommates in college she went grocery shopping for the both of us and in return I did her laundry for her. I would give up hours of my Saturday morning freedom to sit in the laundry room and wait for the laundry to be done just so I wouldn't have to spend 30 minutes at the grocery store. When I got married I hated grocery shopping even more. Now I didn't only have to purchase the staples that I had learned to live with, but I also had to satisfy someone else's food preferences? Our fridge and cupboards were usually bare because I wouldn't go to the store until I absolutely had to. I think part of this is because I HATE spending a lot of money food and other supplies that we are going to use up quickly.

And now I like couponing? Seriously? It's true. 6 months ago when I heard this word I would just groan. My sister and her mother-in-law had been couponing for over a year and I thought it was exhausting. I had heard them talk about ordering 100 deodorants, 75 boxes of tampons, stockpiling on ketchup, bbq sauce, and salsa. It seemed like a lot of work for a little reward. Then my sister-in-law jumped on board and I realized something - couponing isn't crazy. With my sister I thought that it was just a passion she had and there was no way I would like it because I hate shopping. But when my sister-in-law started couponing, I knew that she didn't like shopping either, but she loved couponing.

Let me tell you why: COUPONING SAVES YOU MONEY.

Here are some of the mythes I had of couponing before I become a couponer:

Myth: Couponing takes too much time.

Fact: Couponing will take as much time as you want it to. If you have zero time in your week to spare, then you should not coupon. If you have 30 minutes in your week to spare, then you have time to coupon. If you want to go hard core and subscribe to 6 Sunday newspapers, then it takes time to clip those coupons. If you don't want to get papers, you can just coupon with internet printables. You can seek our your own deals and scenarios, which will take more time. Or you can just do the ones that you see on the couponing blogs, which are laid out for you and will take less time.

Myth: I will buy stuff I won't use if I coupon.

Fact: There are always deals on stuff that your household doesn't currently use. So you have to ask yourself, will I use this if I get it? If the answer is yes, then buy it. If the answer is no, then don't. I have found that if something is free or really cheap, even if I don't use it then I will start to use it or find someone who can. For example, last week at Rite Aid I bought a diabetic kit that had tons of stuff in it. Final cost: Free. I gave it to my dad who is borderline diabetic and has to check his glucose level daily. This week at Wal-Mart with double coupons I bought two packages of tostadas. I have never bought or made tostadas. I broke them up and we eat them like tortilla chips. There is other free stuff I have gotten that I don't use because I am brand specific (toiletries). I am planning on doing a Christmas box for a neighbor and can load it up with deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.


Myth: It's a lot of work for a litte reward.

Fact: Couponing is a lot of work, but just as much work and time as you make it. After two months of couponing I have a years supply of cereal, canned vegetables, canned soup, granola bars, toilet paper, paper towels, and fruit juice. All at ROCK BOTTOM prices. Some of them free. How is that not a great reward?

Myth: I will not save that much if I coupon.

Fact: Some people report saving over 50% of their grocery bill a month. I am yet to see those kind of results because I am still stockpiling. Once I have enough stockpiled I won't have to buy those items again for months unless they are FREE. The key it to match a coupon with a sale (and hopefully other incentives - coupons back or instant savings or twice the value coupons) to get the biggest savings.

You still might be thinking that couponing is not for you. Let's get this straight: COUPONING IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. If you feel like you have absolutely no time during the week so commit to this, then couponing is not for you. If I was a working mom that had 5 kids I would not coupon. I would want all my time at home to be at home. If I had a surplus of money left over at the end of the month to put into savings, I would not coupon. If I had to take 4 kids to the grocery store with me every time I couponed, I would not coupon. (That is just me personally - a lot of people do it!)

But in the last two months that I have been couponing I have realized that COUPONING IS FUN! I like it. I love finding good deals and walking out of stores with a cart full of stuff spending less than $20. It is rewarding. Yes it can be stressfull at times - yes checkout sometimes gives me a headache - yes there have been times when I messed up and didn't get a good deal - but I'm learning and saving. That's what's important.

So...do you want to become a couponer?