Saving Money by Clipping Coupons

The first thing you need to understand about saving money by clipping coupons is not saving at all, unless you are doing it for buying regular goods and services, which your family needs anyway. If you try to use all coupons that you have clipped, you will actually be spending more money and saving nothing, remember. The first prerequisite to saving is spending money only on essentials. Any expenditure on goods, however big the savings may appear to be is not saving at all. Remember, they are unwanted expenditure, and unwanted expenditures are not savings.

The next important thing about saving money by clipping coupons is you need to put the saving away in a savings account and promise yourself not to lay your hands on it unless you have to meet an emergency expenditure, for healthcare perhaps. That means unless you cultivate a healthy disciplined lifestyle, savings can never be paying. Of what use is putting couple hundred dollars in your account only to take it out the next day? Make it a point not to touch the money except in the rarest of rare situation.

 

Real savings are only those you can count at the end of a period. Before you begin with a coupon clipping saving program, have a plan ready. The plan should clearly state, how much you plan to save every month and for what length of time you propose doing it. Note that the time you allow is long enough; 10-15 years is what most experts recommend. If you can extend it up to your age of retirement, it is well and good. Have a purpose for the money you are going to save by clipping coupons. If you put money in to savings that have no purpose, chances are you will lay you hands on them for buying goods that you really do not need at all.

When you clip coupons, make sure that, overall your bills come down by at least 10% or more. Change brands if you have to. It is also an opportunity to try something that has been evading you for a long time. Another important factor you need to consider when switching brands is to consider price holistically. Buying a product merely on the face of the display price can be a folly that you can stay clear. Another important factor you need to consider the packaging itself. A large pack, about the size your family can never consume in a month, is not really a fit candidate for buying even though the price may come down substantially. For one you need to put money into something that you do not have to and the next thing is the buy may be wasted. Everything counts in the end.

Finally, if you are in the habit of impulse buying, bring in more discipline. Rather than deciding what to buy and how much to buy when at the store, make a full list to cover all your grocery needs when at home. When you make a full list and shop on a single day from the list, chances are you will not do impulse buying. The human mind is such that it can waver at the most inopportune time resulting in financial loss for you. Organizing your coupons in folders can help you get most benefits. Of all the tips for saving money using coupon clips, the most important one is not to fall for discounts that don’t give you time to think and ponder over. Most buyers go wrong here and that stores know very well.

This guest post is brought to you by Rita Dawson of cabletvserviceproviders.com, a site that offers savings and current information on finding cable tv providers.