“The Ultimate Guide to Extreme Couponing”
No discount? No coupon? No thank you…well on certain items.
For as long as I’ve known myself (and I’m no spring chicken :), I refuse to pay full price for anything, well except on food, occasionally. But, when it comes to supplies, clothes, shoes, purses and non-essentials, essentially — no discount, no coupon, no thank you! Not only because I can’t afford it but because it seems kind of ridiculous to pay full price when there are all sorts of coupons available to help me save a couple bucks here and there.
With money saving apps and deals like BOGO (buy one, get one) at grocery stores, or Groupon, I don’t have to pay full price on groceries, toiletries, household and cleaning supplies or occasional restaurant meals. It isn’t any wonder that I identify with the mantra “Never pay full price for anything?!” You say I’m cheap, I prefer frugal or economical.
The advent of television shows dedicated to the art of couponing and how to guides like this one from Couponchief.com — “The Ultimate Guide to Extreme Couponing”, are golden if you want to get into couponing or sharpen your couponing skills.
The guide offers valuable tips on how to organize your coupons to become successful, tips on preparing for your shopping trip, how to pack your purchases to make sure you don’t run out of essentials and even put the generic versus brand name debate to rest.
Here’s what Coupon Chief says:
Organization is crucial
“When you’re organized, you’ll be able to maximize your savings and reduce the time spent preparing for your shopping trips. When you don’t organize, you won’t be able to find the coupons you need — when you need them — and your shopping trips will be nothing less than a disaster.”
Preparation—drawing up a plan is vital to your success
“Step one is to make a temporary shopping list. What do you need? Include things that you are out of as well as things that you’re running low on. Plan your trip out in your head. Think about each store you need to visit and where it’s located. Taking into account distance and location, decide in which order you’ll shop. This step helps you save time and gas — double score!”
Packing your purchases strategically is essential so you don’t run out of essentials
“When organizing your stash, keep like items with like items. Arrange things neatly so that it only takes a glance to see what you have plenty of or what you might be running low on. It’s every extreme couponers nightmare to reach for a tube of toothpaste, only to find that there’s none – and that there are no sales or coupons this week.”
On the generic versus brand name debate, they say:
“Name-brand items can easily be much cheaper than generic ones when they go on sale and you have a coupon. However, when there are no sales to be had, you’re better off buying the generic or waiting for a sale on the brand you must have.”
If you’re not an avid couponer the guide says although “extreme couponing isn’t really for the faint of heart and is an activity that takes time, effort and patience, you can pull it off and the payoff will be nothing short of miraculous.”
Ultimately, everyone loves a good deal and saving money. For the intricate details on how to master the art of couponing, check out The Ultimate Guide to Extreme Couponing.
Coupon Chief says…
“You may not see hundreds shaved off your grocery bill the first few weeks you coupon, but don’t let that discourage you. If you stick with it and stay organized, it won’t be long before you can count yourself as an extreme couponer.”
Happy couponing, happy shopping and happy saving! Cha-ching!