The Busy Person's Guide to Coupon Clipping

The new trend for savvy shoppers is coupon addiction. From clipping to sorting to perusing the sale ads each week for hours searching out the best deals, the act of saving as much as possible gives them a sort of high that most of us wish we had time to experience. The truth is, most of us desperately need to save money in every area possible but we simply don't have the time to stockpile coupons and use them effectively. While it would be nice to have entire afternoons to clip the best deals from 17 Sunday papers each week, the truth is that the commonly advised approach just doesn't work in the real world. The good news is, coupon clipping isn't just for the stay-at-home mom or the homemaker anymore. Before you head out on your next shopping excursion, consider the busy person's guide to coupon clipping below.

Tip #1: Create a coupon posse. You may have time to clip coupons from one paper now and then, but it isn't likely that you are finding that the time investment is worth the cash saved at the checkout counter. To boost the benefits without taking more time out of your busy schedule, ask other coupon clippers to create an informal savings network with you. Friends and family looking for the best deals will likely comply more than enthusiastically. The purpose of your coupon posse will be to swap those you won't use for those that you will. Double the coupons each week on your regular purchases with very little effort, and you'll begin to see why the habit of coupon clipping can become a healthy addiction.

Tip #2: Make coupon clipping and sorting a chore...for the kids. If you have children, add coupon clipping and sorting to the list of their weekly chores. It's a small task, and most kids generally enjoy it. The tricky part here is garnering the savings without having to dole out more in allowances. Consider swapping this chore for one that your kids usually have trouble accomplishing in an acceptable manner. In other words, if you are going to have to clean the windows again after their attempts, just swap window cleaning for coupon clipping and sorting. Be sure that they are regularly removing expired coupons as well!

Tip #3: Have online coupons sent straight to your inbox. The busy person's dream when it comes to savings comes in the form of what would otherwise be considered junk mail. Those online coupon sites you see every day are sometimes actually legitimate. However, do a bit of research ahead of time before printing anything out, and call your regular stores ahead of time to see if they even accept online coupons (be aware that some will not because of the false coupon issuers that are rampant online). When you find a site with legitimate offers, sign up for free coupon offers tailored to your personal interests and needs and have them arrive in your inbox on a regular basis with zero effort. Print and cut, or use the online codes available for your online purchases.

Tip #4: Don't alphabetize...categorize. Alphabetizing coupons is a wasted effort for the busy person. You're not saving any time, even in the long run, if you can't remember whether you filed a product under "S" for soups or "C" for canned items. Instead, use drawer dividers or flat baskets to allocate items based on categories such as groceries, personal care, car care, clothing, etc. It's not likely that they'll pile up and become disorganized before their expiration dates.

Tip #5: Before shopping, organize coupons in a credit card holder. Credit card holders, often having eight slots or more, are great for instant categorization at the grocery store. Rather than throwing your coupons into your purse or cramming them into your wallet, use a credit card holder with delegated slots for each category. A minute or two of effort before leaving the house can mean cutting back on a great deal of drama and frustration as you are perusing the aisles.

Using coupons with a busy, hectic schedule is completely doable with a little realistic planning. While you may not be able to get your groceries for free as some claim you can, you'll be able to cut a sizeable chunk out of your spending without giving up too much of your equally valuable time.