Lazy Girl’s Guide to Couponing

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The lazy girl’s guide to couponing is the perfect way to save a ton of money on groceries without spending hours a day clipping coupons. You can save your hard earned cash without making couponing your full time job.

Don’t accept paying full price for groceries! Instead use this easy lazy girl’s guide to couponing I created just for you.

[bctt tweet=”Don’t pay full price for groceries! The lazy girl’s guide to couponing will help! #savemoney #couponing”]

You’ve watched the episodes of Extreme Couponing where people are leaving the grocery store with pallets full of items that they got totally free. You sit back and think about how awesome it would be to save that kind of money each month on groceries and household products!

You want a piece of that savings, man! So you go out and buy a Sunday paper and sit down, scissors in hand, ready to start saving. Suddenly, it occurs to you that you don’t know jack about couponing.

Furthermore, you don’t have nine hours a day to spend couponing and researching. At that point you are probably ready to pour a glass of wine and resign yourself to paying full price for groceries.

Don’t pay full price! Instead, I’ve created the lazy girl’s guide to couponing just for you.

 

Don’t accept paying full price for groceries! Instead use this easy lazy girl’s guide to couponing I created just for you.

1. Go Digital

A lot of stores now offer digital coupons that you can load right to your store card. This is great if you’re busy and don’t have the time to clip and organize coupons. In fact, I recommend doing this every time you shop to save a least the bare minimum on all of your purchases.

Kroger is great for this (plus, hello, fuel points)! Here are some reasons why Kroger rocks for digital coupons:

Even if you don’t shop at Kroger, digital coupons are always worth the 5 minutes it will take to search at whatever store you do shop at. If you don’t know if your regular grocery store offers digital coupons, check. These can save you on the items you always purchase.

 

Don’t accept paying full price for groceries! Instead use this easy lazy girl’s guide to couponing I created just for you.

2. Let Someone Else Do the Hard Work

There are a ton of websites out there to help you find sales and match coupons to those sale items. For the truly lazy couponer, like me, the absolute best site for this is the Krazy Coupon Lady.

They do a fantastic job of finding deals but they take it a step further and let you know exactly what coupons to use and where to find them. Here are the specific (and super easy) steps to get your deals on their site:

  1. Select you grocery store from the menu.
  2. Click on the post for the current week’s matchups.
  3. As you scroll through the list, click on the box next to the sale items you want to buy. This adds those items to a list for you.
  4. If there are coupons online that you need to print, they will be listed as a clickable link under the item. Click and print these coupons as needed. Note: You can usually print the same coupon twice per computer.
  5. Repeat steps 1-4 for each store you shop at.
  6. Pull up your list on the site and print it out.

Not only will the items on your list be itemized automatically by store, they will also detail the precise way to use the coupons.

For example, if you shop at Target and want purchase a specific dollar amount of items in order to receive a free gift card but also want to use coupons, they will explain (and it will print) exactly how to ring up your transaction.

If you clip coupons from the paper for a certain item, they will even let you know the name and date of the insert it is found in. Seriously, this is the easiest way to achieve huge savings with almost no work on your part.

 

Don’t accept paying full price for groceries! Instead use this easy lazy girl’s guide to couponing I created just for you.

3. Enlist Help

There is no rule that says couponing can’t be a social experience. In fact, I absolutely support making it social. There are a ton of ways to make cutting coupons and shopping a social event but I’m going to share my 3 favorite ways with you.

  1. Get the kids involved. Let them help you cut out the coupons needed for your trip. If they are too young to use scissors (or to cut neatly) have them locate the coupons you need in inserts or organize like coupons together. Kids will get excited about helping and you’ll be teaching them life skills along the way. My oldest son started his own “coupon binder” at 5 years old because he loved it so much. Have fun with it and they will too.
  2. Make it a girl’s night. Get your girlfriends together with some wine and scissors and get to work. This lets you get some much deserved girl time without any guilt. Bonus, if you all pool your coupon inserts, you can get extras for items your friends may not buy and you might learn tips and tricks from each other.
  3. Stop together. The next time you go grocery shopping, have a friend tag along. My friend and I love doing this and I actually look forward to grocery shopping. We go into Kroger and hit Starbucks then get all of our shopping done. It is especially helpful if you have small children to wrangle. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one. It is also a fantastic way to stock up on items and bypass the Rule of 4 (see below).

 

Don’t accept paying full price for groceries! Instead use this easy lazy girl’s guide to couponing I created just for you.

4. Remember the “Rule of 4”

A lot of die-hard couponers recommend always bringing an updated copy of your store’s coupon policy because not all cashiers and managers will be knowledgeable about it. If you want to do that work, more power to you.

I, however, am far too lazy for that and instead made the Rule of 4. The majority of stores will let you use up to 4 of the same coupon in a single transaction. This means if you have coupons for a dollar off 2 boxes of cereal then you can use up to 4 of those coupons for 8 boxes of cereal in 1 transaction.

This is where having a friend shop with you comes in. Say you have 6 of those coupons and your friend isn’t using any. You can have her add the last 4 boxes of cereal onto her transaction and use the coupons to get the deal. Then just give her the cash for those items.

Now you know the absolute easiest way to save money with coupons! By going digital, using KCL, enlisting help, and remembering the “Rule of 4” you will be saving money on your groceries in no time. You may get so good at it that you’ll be able to start growing a stockpile (which I totally recommend). Need help budgeting, too? I’ve got you covered on our budgeting page!

See where I’m linking up!

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More Ways to Save on Your Groceries:

3 Rules to Save Money on Everything

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Don’t miss these 3 rules to help you save money on everything (even with distractions tagging along). They are a must to help you stick to your budget goals this year and every year.

Saving money is always at the top of everyone’s to-do list.Fatten your wallet with these 3 rules to help you save money on everything!

 

[bctt tweet=”Fatten your wallet with these 3 rules to help you save money on everything! #savingmoney”]

Saving money is always at the top of everyone’s to-do list. Even long after the stamina of the New Year’s push has faded, you still want to save money whenever and wherever you can.

Of course, then you’re in the store with 3 kids and you focus quickly becomes the incessant requests for items from little mouths and trying to get everything on your list (assuming you remembered to bring it this time) before the next outburst over a you said “no” to.

You finally reach the checkout and you’ve spent 50-100 dollars or more than you planned to spend. We’ve all been there but it doesn’t have to go that way.

 

Saving money is always at the top of everyone’s to-do list.Fatten your wallet with these 3 rules to help you save money on everything!

1. Have Patience

The majority of overpaying for items comes from hasty and impulse purchases. With the possible exception of groceries and fuel, you should never purchase something immediately without planning. This can be a hard discipline to get into but as with all skills will improve with practice. If you are at the store, see a pair of shoes, and suddenly remember that your son needs a new pair chances are that you will throw them in the cart and purchase them. Resist. Instead write a note, snap a picture, or send yourself a text reminder. Use the reminder later to look for discounts online or take a trip to a thrift store. In addition to helping you save money immediately, this rule will help you more easily distinguish between wants and needs. This helps you save even more in the long run. Here are some tips to help you do this:

 

Saving money is always at the top of everyone’s to-do list.Fatten your wallet with these 3 rules to help you save money on everything!

2. Put the Word Out

You would be amazed at what you can get for free when you simply put the word out to family and friends of what you need (or are looking for). This can be everything from craft supplies and clothes to furniture and toys. Even if you don’t get the items for free, I guarantee it will be much less expensive than buying the stuff from the store. Again, this one will require having patience but it is absolutely worth it. Just in case you want further proof, here are just some of the items I have gotten for free just by putting the word out with friends and family:

The list goes on and on. This is a fantastic way to save money and it also helps out the people who are giving you the items. This was they don’t have to worry about finding the time and means to get rid of the items.

 

Saving money is always at the top of everyone’s to-do list.Fatten your wallet with these 3 rules to help you save money on everything!

3. Shift Your Thinking

One of the best (and often most difficult) habits to form is to shift your thinking. Look for creative solutions to your problem. If you need a grocery list or other small notepad, cut up old papers that are blank on one side and staple them together. If you need a seat cover for the backseat of your car, see if you have an old blanket or tablecloth that will work. This rule, along with rule 1, also takes practice but here are a few ideas to help get you thinking:

Need/Want      Solution
TV Stand   Table, desk, or buffet
Receipt Organizer   Old jar, small photo album, or coffee can
Tablecloth   Flat bed sheet
Baby Doll Clothes   Infant Clothes
Bathroom Rug   Bath Towel

These rules may not be immediately intuitive. They will start to become habits over time with use. The best part is that they can be applied to any purchase. The immediate savings that you experience can help fuel the long-term development of these rules. They have save my family thousands over the years and I know that they will save you thousands as well. Want some extra help to get started shifting your thinking? Let me know a need or want you currently have and I will try to give you some solution ideas!

See where I’m linking up!

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More Money Saving Ideas You’ll Love:

10 Reasons Not to Boycott Early Black Friday Sales

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With only a little more than a week until Black Friday, the hoopla has once again started over the shopping craziness starting on Thanksgiving Day.  It happens every year and my newsfeed on social media is telling me to keep family at the center of Thanksgiving.  People have started ranting about how shopping on this day is unfair to employees who are forced to work.  It goes on and on with people bashing both the companies for being open and the holiday shoppers for not boycotting.  In case you’re on the fence, I have 10 reasons not to boycott early Black Friday sales.

In the great Black Thursday Debate, here are 10 reasons not to boycott early Black Friday sales.

 

[bctt tweet=”In the great #BlackThursday Debate, here are 10 reasons not to boycott early #BlackFriday sales.”]

1. You Love It

If you love the hustle and bustle of Black Friday shopping then by all means, go!  I absolutely love the craziness of this event.  It is an entire subculture that has its own rules and social norms.  It is also a group of paradoxes.  Many shoppers are the best of friends hanging out in line, sipping their coffees, waiting for the stores to open.  Once it does, it is every woman for herself, friend.  Sure, I gave you change for that latte but once we get in the store I will not save that last razor scooter for you instead of getting it for my kid.

2. You Don’t Need a Holiday to Celebrate Family

I don’t know how your family is, but mine doesn’t need a government-sanctioned holiday to celebrate our family.  In fact, we make it a point to spend time together as a family often, whether that means trips to the zoo or simple playing board games together.  My love for and devotion to my family is not determined by my availability on one singular day of the year.

3. Family Members Watch the Football Game

Do you have members of your family who plop in front of the TV and stay glued to the football game until dinner time?  Heck, some of them even eat their meal in front of it.  Is this the quality family time everyone is fighting for?  You cannot condemn one person’s hobby over another.  If a hobby is not destructive or harmful to yourself or others, it cannot be invalidated by another.

4. The Multiple Function Scramble

Have you ever spent one of these family holidays looking at your watch and constantly shuttling the family from one meal to the next?  If you have, you know that the holiday becomes too stressful to enjoy that way.  Yet, if you cut back, inevitably someone feels left out or like it is a reflection of how much you love them.  I would much rather fight hordes of people running to discount toasters than deal with this stress.

5. You Don’t Mind Heaps of Judgement

Judgement abounds over the decision to shop over Thanksgiving.  In fact, I know people who have missed Thanksgiving dinner for years, even before stores began pushing back opening times because they were napping in preparation for the big excursion.  This has been a point of contention for some family members.  However, if you don’t mind having the judgement piled on, by all means, do your thing.  Oh, and don’t forget about the judgement from strangers who don’t even know you or your family.  That will be served up on a platter along with Thanksgiving side dishes.

6. You Are Part of a Military Family

When you live the military life, nothing follows traditional societal norms.  If your husband is deployed over a holiday, you are just grateful if you get the chance to Skype.  If you want to go and pick up Christmas gifts on Thanksgiving Day (and Friday) I say do it!  I have been there, done that, and literally have the t-shirt.  (I’ll show you that on Black Friday.  Don’t worry.)

7. The National Holiday

Congress didn’t make Thanksgiving a set holiday until 1941.  This was actually done in response to FDR pushing the traditionally celebrated date back to lengthen “the Christmas shopping season” (Plimoth.org).  Prior to all of this, the President had to announce Thanksgiving each year.  You can read more about the fascinating history of this holiday by checking out the article “Thanksgiving History”.

8. No One Boycotts Non-Retail Arenas

The argument that by shopping on Thanksgiving you are responsible for people being pulled away from their families on this holiday is hypocritical at best.  I have never seen people up in arms over others who are forced to work this holiday.  No one is touting that hospitals or military bases should be closed.  No one is posting internet memes about the rights of NFL players to be home with their families on this holiday.  What about the families gathered to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?  People have to work that as well.  The fact is that it is their job and they knew that when they took it, end of story.  I worked retail in college and I never blamed the shoppers for having to work on holidays.  I knew that was part of the gig when I applied.

9. Your Budget Dictates It

Sometimes your budget necessitates the need to shop Black Friday sales no matter how early they fall.  This one tends to especially irk me personally because those same people judging moms for shopping on Thanksgiving are the ones buying their children hundreds of gifts for Christmas all marked from Santa.  This forces the parents that cannot afford to do so to have to explain to their kids about the inconsistencies in a way that still allows them to preserve the childlike magic of the holiday.  I pray that these people never face the reality of such a situation and if you are one of the people, whose budget dictates the kind of deep discounts found on Black Friday, hold your head high and know that you are doing what you can for your family.

10. You Love a Strategic Challenge

The last reason you should absolutely shop on Thanksgiving Day is that you love planning, strategy, and a challenge.  Black Friday sales force even the cleverest and well organized planners to prioritize and pull out all of their tools.  If you don’t have a plan, you will fail, plain and simple.  You need to know when stores open, prioritize how stores rank in importance on your list, and also how individual items within the stores rank in order of importance.  If you don’t have a plan that contains these things you will be running around confused and most likely miss out on the most important deals from your gift list.

So, now that I have alienated half of my family and friends, what are your thoughts?  Weigh in on the great Black Thursday debate in the comments.  Or if you are a Black Friday lover like me, check out my 10 Tips for Shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

 

See where I’m linking up!