If you are just starting out on your coupon journey, you might be completely overwhelmed by all the bloggers telling you to print the end of the month coupons before they go away. All that urgency! All those coupons! It’s enough to put you into panic mode!
Let me share my experience and maybe it will help you decide on what to print or not to print!
In the Beginning…
During my first month of couponing, I printed almost NO coupons at all. I could not imagine that I’d ever be buying any of those items. And having shopped for store brands all my life (I thought that was the way to save money… geez!), I had not even heard of half the items on those coupons. And if I ever needed a coupon, it would be there to print later… or so I thought.
Then I Woke Up…
I kept following the bloggers because I was very curious as to how they were saving all this money. How on earth could they get free stuff with coupons for 50¢ off expensive stuff? Well, they showed me how! They pointed out sales, told me where to shop, told me which coupons to use, and promised I’d get something really cheap or even free! Only trouble was that when I went to print the coupons they mentioned, I was too late! The coupons were gone.
I Started Printing EVERYTHING…
I never wanted to miss out on another great deal or free item. So, I printed every coupon the bloggers pointed out. I even printed coupons no one told me to print. I printed and printed and printed. I felt safe. Phew… I had them all! Bring on the deals!
I Got Fantastic Deals…
Sure enough, when the bloggers pointed out the deals, I had the coupons! I was able to pick up lots of things for my stockpile and saved 85% to 95% off regular prices! Printing, cutting and organizing all those coupons was the key! But then…
I Had WAY Too Many Coupons!
When that first HUGE batch of coupons started to expire, I almost cried thinking about all the time I had spent printing, cutting and organizing. I also felt like I had wasted reams and reams of paper along with all that laser toner. And what a hassle it was to purge all those coupons! There had to be a better way!
And There Was…
I fell into a comfort zone. After a couple of months experience under my belt, I was better at figuring out which coupons I should print. I learned that some coupons popped up every month. I also learned that some coupons only lasted a day. I accepted that even with careful picking, I would still print lots of coupons that I would never use. I also accepted that there were going to be times that I would miss out on awesome deals because I didn’t print certain coupons. But middle of the road printing is what works for me… at least for now.
So, What Should You Do?
If you really think you want to make using coupons your new way of life, then you probably should do what I do. Plan on printing everything you can through a one month cycle. Chalk up the time and expense for printing as a learning experience. It only takes one cycle to get a better feel for what you should print the next month. You can cut back during your second month.
With all that said…
It’s the end of the month! If this is your first end of the month, you really should print like all the bloggers say to. And remember, even if it’s an item you would never normally buy, that coupon might just turn out to be a money maker! And if you do print tons of coupons, you really MUST visit your favorite bloggers every day so you know when to use the coupons! If you want a daily email from me, just subscribe using the box under my smiling face at the top right of page.
Here Are Some Coupons For You!
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