Step 1 - Check Your Head
How do you feel about coupons?
Do you think they’re a waste of time? Maybe you’ve used a couple here and there, but felt like it was too much work for a few cents in savings.
Do you do your shopping on a whim or (gasp!) when you're hungry??? Shopping without a plan costs you big money. Even if you’re planning a weekly menu based on what you want to eat, chances are you’re doing a lot of purchasing at full price. Food manufacturers and grocery stores love this kind of shopper.
Do you find yourself throwing away a lot of food? You’re throwing money away!
Well, time to change the way you think! Couponing is all about maximizing savings, and just clipping a few randomly is going to get you nowhere. The key to coupons is to know when and how to use them (don’t worry, I’ll show you). You may also need to make some changes to the way you shop. No more doing all your shopping on a whim – it’s time to organize. Rather than making a menu and heading to the store to buy what you need, to truly maximize savings we’re going to make a list of the amazing deals for the week, then plan a menu based on this list. Not to say you can’t still pick up the goods for your go-to meals, but the more open you are to shopping based on deals, the more you’ll save.
After you get home from getting your amazing deals you’ve got to make sure your finds are utilized. No more throwing money in the trash. Soon I’ll be adding some great info on storing and utilizing food.
And one last thing – you’re going to find that sometimes there are amazing (i.e. free or nearly so) deals that aren’t really something you use in your home. Please consider using your new found coupon expertise to give to your local charity or food bank. So many families are struggling right now, and charities are stretched to keep everyone fed. Deals like these are a great chance to give back without breaking the bank.
Ok, are you ready to turn your thinking around? I promise it’ll be painless.
Let's move on to step 2 - Get Some Coupons!
