As much as coupons are becoming a popular recession-fighting tool, there are still skeptics to be found. Often when I meet someone new, my couponing ways manage to work themselves into the conversation. Imagine that!

The typical responses I get range from “oh, teach me how to do that” to (see Part 1 and Part 2)… but the most common myth of all that I hear over and over again:

“Oh, coupons just aren’t worth the extra time for me, I am much too busy…”

Sound familiar? I typically smile politely and cringe a little inside. Because for me, I don’t have time NOT to use coupons in my daily household budget. They play a huge factor in our lifestyle, the amount we are able to give, and the fact that our credit card debt is now gone!

If you are of the belief that coupons can only save you a few bucks here and there, then I understand why you might think they are a waste of time.  But what if I told you that coupons could save you literally hundreds of dollars a month, or thousands per year?  Does that get your attention?

Imagine what you do could do with an extra $200 or so every month. Pay down debt? Give more? Invest in your children’s college fund? The possibilities are endless.

But really, a skeptic will not believe what they cannot see.  So allow me to show you the power of coupons.  Or rather, allow several hundred of my fellow bloggers to show you… every Saturday!

Fellow frugal blogger Crystal Paine, aka Money Saving Mom, hosts a fabulous weekend meme known as “Super Savings Saturday”. She shares her weekly purchases and how much she spent on groceries and household items. Then other bloggers leave links to their fabulous deals, photos included.

I encourage you to visit some of those links to see for yourself how savvy shoppers save big time. Now keep in mind that these are typically serious couponers who do invest extra time to clip, organize and match their coupons. But clearly, it is well worth their time.

Perhaps it seems impossible to carve out some extra time of your already busy life to work on a coupon strategy.  I get that, really, I do. With four busy kiddos, a husband, pets, a home, and a blog to manage, I struggle to balance it all.

Here are a few time management tips for those wanting to start couponing:

• Set aside a block of time in your week to work on clipping and organizing.
• Older kids are happy to help with cutting inserts – which is also a valuable life lesson.
• Use some of your evening TV time to clip coupons- during commercials!
• Or, don’t clip them, use a file system for your inserts by date.
• Start small. Don’t chase every deal or every coupon.
• Learn to use e-Coupons, no clipping required!
• Utilize blogs or services such as The Grocery Game to make matching coupons and sales a breeze!

Do you have any time saving tips for those learning to coupon? Share them here in comments.

In the next installment of my coupon myths series, I will address the belief that buying generic or buying in bulk is cheaper than using coupons.

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No doubt about it, couponing is rapidly gaining in popularity.  I now see others regularly using coupons while shopping.  Even just one year ago, this was a rare sight to see.

But there are still skeptics out there.  You know the ones.  Heck, I used to be one!

“Coupons aren’t worth the time… they make you spend more… I can’t keep them organized”… etc, etc

I have heard such statements time and time again.  If I had a nickel…

It is not easy to convince a coupon skeptic to start couponing.  Short of physically taking them shopping, there is not much you can do to convert them.

Really?  Gosh, I hope that’s not true… afterall, there are always coupons for toothpaste and deodorant, right?

Household Items

Baby
diapers/wipes
pull-ups
lotions, soaps, wash
formula

The coupons for items above can be found in Sunday newspaper inserts.  Free online coupons are also plentiful for most major brands.  Sometimes coupons are seasonal, so you won’t see them year round, but they are out there!

Also contrary to popular belief, not all food coupons are for junk food.  There are frequent coupons available for organic products.  One great resource for organic coupons is Mambo Sprouts.  Sign up for their coupons by mail or print them online.

Feel free to share this post with the coupon skeptic in your life.  In the next installment of my Coupon Myths series, I will address the belief that coupons cause you to buy things you would not normally buy.

What coupon myths have you heard?

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