How to Coupon

by Samantha Cook

Walking into a grocery store, and paying full price for anything physically makes me sick at this point. Sometimes, I still have to do it because that thing called “time” that really gets us all—but I really try not to. Have you ever watched “Extreme Couponing” on TLC? That’s where the idea for 80 bottles of shampoo in closet sprouted from. So I know that everyone wants to save money—why wouldn’t you? As college students, we are all faced with a lack of funding and a need for basic things . . . using coupons is a great way to get the things we need at low or even some NO cost at all.

1. Collect Coupons-

Buy the newspaper, steal your neighbors, raid the dumpster early on Monday mornings– it doesn’t matter how you get them, but you need to get the coupons. You are useless without them. Although I am pretty sure that it is illegal, you can buy specific coupons online. You can also ask your family and friends to save them for you because chances are they keep them with the intention to use them, but end up sitting in the drawer for 6 months before being thrown in the trash.

2. Facebook is not for Social Media Anymore-

There are so many Facebook groups that you can join. One that I like to use is “Giant Eagle Couponers”. It is run by Tammy Chambers Kraerr, the blog author of Lady Savings. Every week, she will post the “ad matchups” showing what is on sale at Giant Eagle, what coupons are available and where to get them, and how much your final cost for the item should be. Sometimes, there are deals that require you to buy more than one of an item—she works it all out for you, not only saving you money, but also time.

3. Go In Ready-

Print out the list of things you plan to buy and paperclip all of your coupons to your list. If you go into the store prepared and ready, you are less likely to get frustrated and mess something up. You are also less likely to buy things that you don’t have coupons for. Go in on a mission, and come out with money still in your pocket.

4. Hoard Your Stuff

Because you are just SO NICE, you’ll want to share all your collections with your family and friends, BUT DON’T. Teach them how to do it themselves instead, or better yet, show them this article. Have you ever heard the saying, “if you give a dog a leash?” Yeah, people will come shopping at your home, but they won’t bring any money. Trust me, you will have a use for everything in your collection. I once scored 60, 4-packs of Angel Soft for just $6.00! I didn’t buy toilet paper for two years—and I even shared a little. Now, I don’t have a lot of time to coupon, and I HAVE TO PAY FOR TOILET PAPER—ugh, it’s awful.