Ways to Get Those Coupons Clipped

Clipping coupons saves consumers big money. But you can't save money if the coupons are at home on the kitchen table. Clipping coupons is a chore, but it is a chore that can save you money and pay you bigger returns than anything else you do around the house. Once you develop good coupon habits you can always be ready to shop and take advantage of the best sales and discounts.

Clip the coupons when they come in the Sunday paper. Get to it, get it done and don't procrastinate. Make a habit of clipping coupons after breakfast, after lunch or while you watch the Simpsons, whatever works for you. Clip everything. You never know what will go on sale in the coming weeks.

Get a nice sharp pair of scissors that works. Nothing is worse than trying to cut coupons with a dull blade. You may also want to try electric scissors, a paper cutter or a rotary cutter and mat. Anything that makes the processes of clipping coupons neater and simpler will make the chore easier. Do be careful with these tools - coupon clipping injuries and more common than you might think.

If you buy more than one paper or get extra coupon inserts from friends and family, sort the coupon inserts putting like pages together to cut at the same time. Discard the pages that have no coupons at all on them. There are always some pages that are advertising only. Line the like coupon pages up carefully and staple the pages securely together using several staples near but not on the coupons themselves. You should then be able to cut the coupons reasonably neatly without clipping off any important information. If you do not secure the pages, they will shift as you cut and you could make some of the coupons unusable. You can only cut 4 or 5 pages at once, even properly secured. Another advantage to clipping multiple inserts together is that the similar coupons will be in a pile and filing will be much easier.

If you have coupon inserts from different newspapers you can't cut them together. The Chicago and Detroit papers may have many of the same coupons, but they are not positioned the same way and the inserts contain different advertisements and local brand coupons. Cut these separately.

When you clip coupons for all the different products you use around your home, don't overlook the fast food and restaurant coupons included in the weekly inserts. These coupons are worth clipping and can save you money when you have a night out. Keep these on hand too.

When it's time to hit the aisles of the grocery store, or to look for deals in the store flyers, your coupons are ready to go. You can match coupons with sales, makes pile of coupons to redeem at each store and really take advantage of those deals. It's a great feeling to save money and in the present economy it may even be a necessity for you. Disciplined coupon clipping is a way to keep your head above water and your grocery budget in check.