The art of couponing

Ahhhh, coupons. They've become quite trendy with the recent economic downturn. Suddenly, economizing has become tres chic. There was once a time when it was almost shameful to use coupons in the grocery line. Like, somehow it indicated extreme thrift or poverty. Not anymore! Coupons are an essential tool in the smart shoppers wallet. It's money that you keep instead of spend. What could be better than that! The whole idea behind couponing is to use coupons wisely, for things you would buy anyway. 

Some tips:

1. Use your coupons for items that are already on sale! This is a great strategy. It's not always possible to do this, but for certain items (e.g., diapers) that go on sale frequently, it's a must! For example, at the store where I usually buy my diapers, the retail price for a jumbo pack of Huggies is $21.99. Using my Huggies coupons (I almost always have $2.00 or $3.00 coupons at all times for these), that brings the price down to $18.99 or $19.99. However, at least once every 2-3 weeks, Huggies go on sale for $14.99. A huge difference in cost $12.99 vs. $19.99.

2. Keep your coupons organized! My friend Pamela bought me a mini-accordion file that fits nicely in my purse. So I have files set up for food, kids items, hair care products, cleaning products, etc. It makes it much easier to find what you need when you are at the store.

3. Share with your friends. My friend Pamela and I often take out our files, and exchange coupons. We give each other our duplicates, or the coupons we no longer need.

4. Grab 'em at the grocery store! Often, grocery stores will have a pad of coupons for a particular item attached to the shelf. If it's a product you already use, grab a bunch of coupons, and stash them for future use. 

Where to find coupons:

I have a number of sources for good coupons.
www.save.ca  One of the best sites for coupons in Canada. You choose what you want, and the coupons arrive in your mailbox 3-4 business days later. 
www.webSaver.ca  Also a good site, not as great a selection as the previous site, but they conveniently are mailed to your home within 3-4 business days. 
www.brandsaver.ca  This site, operated by Proctor and Gamble, has a great selection of coupons for personal care items and cleaning products. Similar to the previous sites, you select what you want, then they mail the coupons to your home within 3-4 business days. 


There are many other sites out there offering great savings on goods or services. Be a savvy shopper and grab your coupons. Keep your money!