Why I Use Coupons

I have lots of people ask me why I use coupons.  They say it’s time consuming, too much trouble, or not worth the savings.  Some people think we’re cheap because I use coupons.  I say the opposite.  Using coupons allows us extra money in our budget for the bigger things like holidays, vacations, and entertainment.

 

I like to turn it around and ask them why they don’t use coupons.  Even if you have lots of discretionary income, why wouldn’t you want to stretch it even further, buy one more Christmas gift for your child, or put more away for retirement? 

Using coupons allows me to save money on items we would have to buy anyway.  I don’t have a gigantic stockpile like some might have seen on Extreme Couponing.  What I do have is a comfortable stockpile so that when we run out of something I can run and grab it from the closet.  Plus, I take all my extras and auction them off (with fake money) to my family and friends at our annual Christmas Eve dinner.  So couponing allows me not only to supply my immediate family, but the rest of our family as well.  They look at it like a Christmas bonus!

The best advice I ever received is “Treat your coupons like CASH”.  I wish I could give credit to where I saw this advice, but I can’t remember.  The truth is that coupons are just like cash with a monetary value.  Check out at the grocery store, get your total and then hand over your coupons and watch the total tick down as if you were handing the clerk CASH!

I’ll continue to use coupons as long as the companies are handing them out.  I like spending our hard earned cash on fun things, not necessary things!!!