I am a self-professed supercouponer. I clip coupons, lots of them. I have an arrangement with my local newsstand, I peruse the web for deals, and I get tons of shit for free. All the time. That doesn’t mean you have to do the same. I often retell the college story, of how I got a free bottle of shampoo with a coupon, and ever since I’ve been hooked. I also was raised by a very frugal grandmother. I couldn’t pay full price for something if I tried!
Clipping coupons isn't for everyone.
Supercouponing (or dare I say, extreme couponing, blech) is all the rage these days. But what if you’re really not interested in clipping coupons? That’s ok.
In the past 20 years that I’ve been doing this, I’ve shared hundreds of deals with friends & family. And I’ve had dozens and dozens say to me “I want to do that.” And in 20 years, only one person, my friend L, has done it. Seriously, one person in 20 years. And I’ll be perfectly honest, when she first emailed me, I probably rolled my eyes reading her email. Thinking, “Ok, we have another person, I’ll spend a bunch of time telling them some of the starter tips, and she’ll never follow though.”
But she did. Within a week, she had a source for muliple inserts. I could see the wheels turning in her brain, it just clicked. I know now, that when she goes to the store, her brain instantly thinks in deals, like mine does.
That doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Even though my brain arrives at the deals and processes them quickly, I still have to spend 1-2 hours every two weeks, clipping and sorting. I still have to find the patience to shop, with a 2 year old and a 4 year old, and process these deals without having them distract me. There are things I don’t do–I don’t play any online games, I don’t twitter, I don’t watch tv or movies, and so on. I actually enjoy clipping coupons, finding deals and posting about them. Really, I do. Even so, life comes first.
You either like it or you don’t. And that’s ok, whatever you choose.
While I spend time here publishing good coupon deals, I publish lots of other smart spending tips, that don’t require a pair of scissors. In fact, I was just speaking with some PECO people today, and am excited about something I have to post about saving on your electric bill.
Yes, there are lots of great deals and freebies to be had with coupons. And there are lots of great deals to be had without coupons.
I would compare it to health & fitness–there are lots of ways to stay healthy without going to a gym every day and working out. I choose the other options, because right now, going to a gym daily just doesn’t fit in my lifestyle. And it’s annoying to be lectured on it, kwim? I *know* the benefits of working out in a gym, it’s just not a priority for me right now.
A great post! Not everyone CAN coupon and there others that don’t have the time, energy, etc. People have to remember that you can still save without clipping or printing. That is exactly what I blog about: ways to save WITHOUT coupons!