May 18, 2009
Tough economic times are bringing a resurgence of clipping coupons - but are the savings worth the time and effort?
I talked to an expert - a Corning woman has found ways to save 60, 70, even 80% or more at the checkout. And when it comes to shopping online, more savings are just a few clicks away.
Lisa Davis is a stay at home mother of three, college student, and wife. She also has another title: "The Coupon Queen of Corning."
"That came from my mom actually. About a year and a half ago, two years ago, I got some good deals and called her up again and was like 'I got this for this amount' and she's like wow, you're the coupon queen of Corning, aren't you?" Lisa says.
Lisa's skills have saved her family some serious cash. She's always been frugal, but when her husband got laid off from a local manufacturer, saving money became even more important. So she started searching for more ways to save.
"I found
frugalvillage.com, and it's a big huge community for people who want to be frugal, who are frugal, and want to learn from each other," Lisa explains.
Each week, Lisa scours the circulars, comparing the best sales to the coupons in her arsenal.
Lisa talks about the process. "What I do is I go through the ad, Tops this week has Aunt Jemima for 99 cents, and I have (a coupon for) save a dollar on any two, and I have three of these, so I'm going to be paying 50 cents each."
Lisa also finds her coupons on the internet, in magazines, and gets them directly from manufacturers.
"You can email them and try to get coupons, or write a letter. If you had a bad experience, or a good experience with a product, email them and tell them, and a lot of the time you'll get a coupon," she says.
She files her coupons, rebates and other rewards in portable, categorized accordion folder. And she knows how to find a good deal.
"I know what's a good deal, because I know what I usually pay for things."
Lisa says it's helpful to track your spending, to get a good idea of how much things costs. And stock up when you can.
"Sale prices are usually every 12 weeks. They're on a cycle, usually. And if you wait for the cycle, you usually get a better price," Lisa explains.
But, there are pitfalls to watch out for.
"Just having a coupon is not a reason to buy it. If you're not going to use it, don't buy it. Or know somebody who's going to use it. You can give it to a food pantry, or a friend or relative you know is going to use it," she warns.
While it may seem like a lot of effort, it only takes Lisa about an hour each week to prepare for her shopping trips. And the investment is worth the return.
"You may not see 50% the first time, or even for a little while, but you will eventually. I've even had 80, 90% saved," Lisa says.
Lisa's now sharing her expertise with the world, through her online
blog. She says she starting blogging to help anyone else out there in this rough economy.
Clipping coupons isn't the only way to save some cash. Check out the web. Retailers often give out coupons for discounts if you sign up for e-mailing lists.
And, you can often score free shipping as well. But beware; some stores require a minimum purchase. If you weren't going to spend that much to begin with, you're not saving anything.
And if you don't want emails clogging up your inbox, there are still ways to take advantage of online shopping coupons and codes. Sites like
RetailMeNot.com give you codes provided by other shoppers. Just search a store, and dozens of discount codes pop up, along with their success rates.
So give it a try! You may find a little effort can net a lot of savings.
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