Sunday Savings: National Coupon Month

I was reminded yesterday that September is National Coupon Month. Duh! I can’t believe I forgot about this! So in my typical way of shamelessly self promoting myself, here is the link to the video of when I was on The CBS Early Show discussing coupons.

I went to make sure the link was still live and took a minute to read the comments that were left. I’d like to respond and at the same time, provide you with a few tips!

i would like to see monthly or weekly segments on seasonal items. there is a cycle that food, clothing and other items run through and I would like to see the consumer correspondent address those items.

Typically, food items go on sale every three months. So when you see something on sale in your grocery store circular, you can bet that it will be about 12 weeks until it goes on sale again. Now, there is also seasonal foods that are in abundance, so they will be cheap. For example, grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, and lettuce will be available for really good prices this month (September) because they are in season. To save on your food bill, incorporate these foods into your menu planning.

Now, other items such as clothing, housewares, and big ticket items are on sale seasonally also. Right now, you can find deals on the following items:

• winter wear (winter coats, gloves, scarves)
• summer clothes
• outdoor grills
• lawn furniture
• bicycles
• housewares

From now on, I’m going to include this information in my monthly ezine that I send to my subscribers. You can click here to subscribe. Thanks to the commenter for the idea!

I was excited to see this segment this morning, but really… where are the REAL tips? I can save $200 in a single grocery shopping trip or trip to Target when I plan it in advance, never mind in a whole month! I see stories on coupon users somewhat frequently but they really don”t spread the word on how much coupons can truly save a family when they put their mind to it! I”d love to see a story where they actually share the tips to making the most of your coupons!

Hmmm, saving $200 in a single grocery shopping trip? My question is how much are you buying to begin with? I can see this maybe if you only shop once a month, or for a family of 12. I’m not saying this is not true, but seriously think about this: even if you save 50% on every item you purchased, you still spent $200. So what’s to brag about?

Now as far as sharing the tips to making the most of your coupons, I have a few.

• Stack coupons with a sale. So if an item is on sale, find a coupon for it. The trick is that the sales circular don’t always match the coupon inserts and vice versa. So start collecting coupons. Most of the time, if you see a coupon in a circular, you can expect it to go on sale sometime in the near future, before the coupon expires.
• Buy in bulk: If there are items that you go through like water (diapers, dog food, mac & cheese), then I suggest joining a wholesale club. I belong to BJs and shop there for the items we use frequently. And a bonus: some wholesale clubs accept coupons!
• Buy elsewhere: Target, Walmart, CVS, and many more stores accept manufacturers coupons. There is no reason not to shop for groceries at these stores. Check the circular and when something is on sale, find your coupon!

These are just some of my tips. I have lots more in my free guide that you’ll receive once you subscribe to my list. PSST: Subscribers receive a weekly email reminding them to print out their coupons – with links provided. Pretty cool huh?