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Pax Partner: advice from a military spouse
(Editor's note: Kimberly Pepper-Hoctor will share money-saving and household advice each month in the Tester. She's also a nominee for Military Spouse of the Year for 2012. Check out her profile and vote at http://msoy.milspouse.com/ViewProfile.aspx?id=262)
You've seen those people in the check-out lanes, armed with coupons. Are you annoyed or in awe while their grocery bill decreases by the second? Shows like TLC’s Extreme Couponing and the current economic state have increased awareness about coupons and the money to be saved. People are using coupons more than ever and, on average, saving $20-$300 per shopping trip.
According to Promotion Marketing Association’s 2011 consumer behavior study, approximately 38 percent of people surveyed said they need to stretch a limited grocery budget and are clipping more coupons due to personal economic situations. In addition, 77 percent of respondents said that the money they save with coupons goes to purchase basic necessities.
For the last 30 years, couponing has been a shopping norm for me, influenced by my mother's experiences in the recessions of the 1970s and 80s and my grandmother's Depression-era upbringing. I've turned those life lessons into free classes for military spouses. People keep asking the same four questions: What is the benefit to couponing? Aren’t you spending money on things you don't need? Aren’t coupons just for junk and processed foods? Isn’t clipping coupons a waste of time?
Benefit
What would you do with an extra $5 to $300 in your pocket? Would you buy a latte or those many birthday cards you have yet to send? Would you buy more produce or save the money for a rainy day? There are a millions things you could do with a little extra cash; so why wouldn’t you coupon?
Extra Spending or Really Saving
There is a myth that coupons are for new, non-necessary items. Look closer at the items you purchase on a regular basis and compare them with sale-cycle of coupons; what you’ll find are coupons for your everyday items. I teach people how to plan and become a strategic shopper. Because I’m a brand-snob on some regular everyday items like toilet paper, laundry detergent, cereal and milk, I’m able to reduce my shopping bill by 70-95 percent. This is just from knowing where to find coupons, sale cycles, and planning. I can get brand-name everyday items; reduce my grocery bill and save money rather than spend more.
Healthy Coupons
The number one excuse I hear is that coupons are for junk or processed foods. While there are coupons for soda, candy, and chips, there are many more coupons for organic foods and basic everyday staple items like toilet paper, laundry detergent, deodorant, etc, allowing us to have a healthy lifestyle and save money, with a little planning.
For example, every six weeks I stock up on basic staple items (razors, toothpaste, deodorant, toilet paper, etc.). Knowing the sale cycles and strategically planning, I can save an average of $350-$500 on basic staples. Knowing where to find coupons for organic foods that don't aggravate our food allergies, I’m able to make better, healthier food choices. Using basic and healthy coupons allows me to put more money towards fresh produce and meat. If you can eat healthier and still save, why wouldn’t you use coupons?
Time is Money
People often ask, “Isn’t clipping coupons time consuming and counterproductive?” If I’m saving an average of $350-$500 every six weeks, and I spend only 10 hours a week clipping coupons, I’m saving an average of $3,100 to $4,500 a year clipping coupons. That is a nice chunk of change and worth it to me. My time is precious, but so is my grocery budget.
Kimberly Pepper-Hoctor is a 30-year coupon-clipping expert and military spouse whose passion is to teach others how to save with coupons. She writes a blog at www.facebook.com/thegirllovescoupons.