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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - How to make Coupons = Cash, not Clutter!
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Did you see the bit on 60 Minutes on Sunday on stay at home moms? It was more about the moms who left high powered jobs to stay at home, but was a pretty fair report all in all, although the woman who disapproved of highly educated women quitting to raise their families frankly sounded bitter to me.
I just don't see choosing to make time to raise your family as a betrayal of what women have fought for. We aren't the 1950s June Cleaver type of stay at home mom, after all, completely dependent on our husbands. Most of us have skills we have chosen to use in different ways, rather than focusing on our careers. Many of us work at home, either by telecommuting or by running a home business. We aren't exactly kicking back and watching soaps all day.
On a lighter note, I wish I knew why Ariel wants grapes so badly today. She's been begging for them all morning, and when I say we don't have any, she tells me to go look for them, then runs off crying. It's quite a little obsession this morning.
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Today most everyone clips or saves a coupon from time to time. Who can resist? When you know you can save more than the next guy just by having a piece of paper or coupon code, it’s a great feeling. However the drawback of coupons is that they can become just good intentions and not real savings when you forget them or let them expire. Also, if you have ever cut out the grocery coupons from the Sunday paper; you quickly realize that you wind up with piles of paper that clutter your kitchen desk. Then that pile that takes time to manage in order to achieve measurable savings at the grocery store and this is where most people give up.
Did you know that 336 BILLION dollars in coupons were distributed in 2002 and 3.8 BILLION coupons were redeemed for a total savings to consumers of $3 BILLION? This is according to the Promotion Marketing Association’s (PMA) Coupon Council. According to the PMA, 79% of consumers use coupons. So, gone is the image that coupons make you look cheap. Coupons have changed; using coupons is smart and anyone can learn to get in on these savings.
Listed below are a few things you can do to create a new routine that sets you up for successful savings.
- Treat coupons like cash. Most everyone has a wallet to organize their cash and credit cards; it would be silly not to return your cash and coins to the same place time and time again. The same is true with coupons.
- Have the right tools for organizing, storing and accessing coupons. Any job is easier when you have the right tool for the job and let’s face it, coupons can be kind of a job. The way you make the job pay off is in the tools.
- Success is in planning. Impulse purchasing whether it is at the grocery store or the Mall can kill any attempts to build up savings. When you take time to create, carry out and reap the rewards of a plan, you are more motivated to continue doing it and get better results as time goes by.
- Use online resources to scout out deals before you shop. If you wait to get in the store to look at the deals, you open yourself up to veering off your shopping plan.
- Use online sources to achieve additional coupon savings. Some grocery stores link their shopper card with a paperless coupon system where you select items you might purchase online. Then that information is uploaded to your shopper card and when you purchase these items and your shopper card is swipped, you received additional savings. Web Bucks are also available online through www.valupage.com. These are coupons that print out to be used on your next shopping trip.
- When the price is right, stock up. Many times grocery items go on sale or are Buy One Get One Free and this is the time to combine your coupon with the store savings for maximum savings. Many times an item can end up being FREE!
Keeping the household stocked with food and supplies is an ongoing challenge that has to be done. Staying on a budget is a continual process that requires sharp spending skills. After all, spending is a skill, not a pastime.
Amy Bergin, mother of three children, developed THE COUPONIZER®. A must have organizing tool for any family who strives to make the most of their hard earned money. An honored recipient of an iParenting Media Award for “2004 Hottest Products” in the Gift category. Her system is designed to make clipping and shopping with coupons fast, easy and worth the pay off. To find out more visit her website www.thecouponizer.com.
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How many times do we all say to ourselves "This year I will send birthday cards to all my nieces and nephews and anniversary cards to all my brothers and sisters and cards from the kids on Grandparents' Day?"
And how many times do we let this promise to ourselves fall by the wayside? Sending cards is becoming a thing of the past. But it is a really worthy thing to do.
Maybe all we need is a little help getting started and getting ourselves organized. Sending cards is not as expensive as sending a gift. But it does show the recipient that you are thinking of them.
The first thing you need to do is mark all your birthdays, anniversaries and other dates to remember on your calendar. You may have a large calendar where you keep track of the family's schedule. Or you may have a small one that you carry with you. Either way, mark every date for the entire year.
Then at the first of every month, glance at the calendar and note what cards you will need to send. Of course, there will also be unexpected occasions that come up--you may need to send a Get Well or Sympathy card.
It is handy to keep a stash of assorted greeting cards in a special place in your home along with a supply of postage stamps. It's a good idea to keep your address book here, also.
It's nice to include a small gift along with a birthday card for small children or even adults. Bookmarks, small calendars, magnets, stickers are some things that are flat and small enough to fit in a card easily. Be on the lookout for gift items when you are out shopping and add them to your "stash" at home so that you are always prepared.
If a card is from the whole family, have the children sign their own names. It adds an extra touch that friends and family will appreciate.
Another thoughtful touch is to always write just a short note, instead of just signing your name. Even one sentence is enough to make the recipient know you thought enough to take a little extra time just for them.
By the way, the proper way to send a card is to insert the folded side into the envelope with the pretty design facing the flap.
"Why not brighten someone's day today?"
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name. Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".
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