Extreme Couponing for Normal People: Step 1: Commit to Change

Step 1: Commit to Change

1:27 PM | Posted by 2busymom2six | | Edit Page

To really save money with coupons, you have to change your way of thinking about coupons and how you shop. Clipping a few coupons here and there off of the things that you want to buy will not net you very much of a savings. In fact, I would say that it isn't hardly worth the effort. Instead, what I will tell you to do is rethink how you purchase the weekly items for your family. You should be planning your weekly shopping and purchasing from only the things on sale and with a coupon and buy LOTS of it. Not as a hoarder, but to have a pantry stockpile of usable items for your family that were purchased at the lowest possible price so you don't have to pay full price if you happen to run out of an item before the next time it goes on sale. For example, if you found a fantastic deal on shampoo and only bought one or two and then needed to purchase more at full cost or without a coupon because you ran out. What have you really saved?

The methodology behind EXTREME couponing is simply this: Buy what is on sale now with a coupon and buy LOTS of it to hold your family over until the next time the item goes on sale!

"How will I know when that sale will be?"

My answer is everything comes on sale in cycles. You will learn these cycles as we go along in this process and beyond. A good rule of thumb is about every 8 - 12 weeks items will come and go on sale and coupons will be out again. With that in mind, when you are planning your purchases for your family, purchase enough to get you through to the next sale time.

You can judge approximately how much of an item you will need or how often you replace things for your family. If you replace ketchup in your home once a month, and ketchup is on sale right now with some great coupons. Then it is a great time to stock up and buy multiples of ketchup. By using the guideline of 8 - 12 weeks, you would need to purchase 3 bottles of ketchup for your family.

"But what if I don't need ketchup right now?"

Then my question would be how many do you have? Will it take you through until the next sale? If not, then you should probably be purchasing ketchup now. Don't be afraid to have a stock pile. I know that show has put a bad light on couponers and made them look like hoarders. What I am teaching you is to be EXTREME in your savings, not asking you to become a warehouse. By all means if something is nearly free and your family will not use it, then purchase it and donate it to someone! (Finances permitting!) Don't buy things just because they are 75% off or better if you don't have the money in your budget! I will cover this in more detail as we travel through our steps. The key is to shop from your pantry that is stocked with items purchased at the lowest possible cost when you "run out" of things instead of making a list and buying just because you are out regardless of whether or not it is on sale.

In the beginning, it may seem hard to do, but this is a process and it will build upon itself. As you progress through the steps, you will begin to see results. Subtle at first, but what I am teaching to you, I have already done time and time again as well as taught others to duplicate my results for their own families. At the end of the 30 days, you will be confident and have experienced couponing successes that will greatly reduce your future shopping budget and increase your family's savings.