Five Common Couponing Misconceptions

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“Couponing takes too much time. It’s just not worth it!”

Wall Street Journal report stated that the average savings per coupon is $1.44. With that in mind, say it takes you one minute to clip and file a coupon and you spend an hour each week doing just that. How much money do you think you’ll save? Here, I’ll help you with the math: 60 min x $1.44 = $86.40. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen many part-time jobs out there where you can work in your pajamas, while watching the Game Show Network and earn $86.40 per hour! Also, money saved from coupons comes with an additional benefit, because unlike the money you earn at work, it’s tax free.

“Coupons are never for the things that I buy.”

Really? You don’t buy toothpaste, soap or laundry detergent? Remind me not to invite you over for dinner! I’m joking, but I think you see my point. There are coupons available for most everything you use on a daily basis. And as long as you’re not terribly brand loyal to any one product, you can save a lot of money on everyday purchases by using coupons.

“Coupons are only for junk food.”

True, there are a lot of coupons out there for sugary, processed foods. But there are also TONS of great coupons for healthy items. I often see coupons for frozen vegetables, whole grain breads and pastas, produce and dairy items. A lot of the smaller companies (i.e. those that manufacture all-natural or organic items) don’t have huge marketing budgets that let them get coupons in the hands of every consumer. Therefore, contact your favorite companies and ask to be added to their mailing lists. They’re glad to do it, and oftentimes you receive coupons for FREE items just by contacting them!

“Buying the generic store brand is cheaper.”

Yes, the store brand is usually cheaper than the everyday price of a name-brand comparable product. But if you wait until that name-brand item is on sale, plus use a manufacture coupon, it will almost ALWAYS be cheaper than the store brand.

“People who use coupons are usually not well-educated or financially stable.”

Not true. A recent CNBC article reported that households with incomes of $100,000 or more are twice as likely to coupon as those who earn less than $35,000. College-degree holders are also twice as likely to use coupons as those who did not graduate from high school. So, when that person behind you pays full price for the same items you’re getting for a lot less, who’s the smart one?