Coupon Sunday

It’s Sunday!!! The seventh day of the week, the day of rest but most of all it’s the day when most newspapers possess within them something so wonderful it can only be compared to hidden treasure. That’s exactly what it is….hidden treasure for deep within their multitude of pages lie coupons, hundreds of coupons, money for all intense and purposes.  In fact, the coupons more than cover the cost of the newspaper….that is why I buy at least three of my favorite papers from the adjoining larger cities. Note: not all papers have the exact same combination of coupons so if you find a really good one you may want to purchase more of the same paper.  I always get two or three of the Pittsburgh Press and only one of the others.

It has become a weekly ritual. Get up, get dressed, head down to Gibby’s, my favorite local quick store, to pick up newspapers, the whole time anticipating sitting down at the dining room table with my breakfast , tea, scissors and coupons the excitement and suspense is building by the moment to see what wonderful treasures of savings I will find.

In a frenzy to get them separated from the newspapers and start cutting them out, I can barely contain myself in anticipation of having my completed stack of clipped coupons so I can clear the paper scraps, reorganize the table top and sit down with my coupon box, computer, weekly ads and plan out my shopping trip for the week.  Ahhhhh, Now THAT’s how you relax.

People tell me that they don’t have the time to clip coupons. Who can’t find the time to save hundreds of dollars?…..they act like it’s a chore!  It’s fun!  It’s exciting to see how much merchandise you can get for free! Yes free….F-R- E-E.  If I won the lottery tomorrow I would still be down at Gibby’s first thing on Sunday for my coupons.

I’ve seen the shows on TV and I do not spend forty hours per week on my coupons, although I think that would be fun. I spend a few hours on Sunday and a few hours on Wednesday (the day before the ad breaks) on clipping, organizing and preparing my shopping list.

I have developed a system and that saves me some time and aggravation. You will develop your own system too with a little time and practice and the whole shopping experience will be a lot more pleasant.

By the time I get to the store, I know just what I want, where to get it and what coupons I have.  I take all of my coupons with me in case I come across an unadvertised sale on something I can use. Unlike the TV shows I do not have a basement full of items for which I have no use and that would expire before I would ever get to use them. Although, I will say that if I find something that I don’t use…..like cat food and it is free, I will get it for someone else or charity…..hey, did I mention it was free?

I do not break into an anxiety induced sweat at the register worrying about not having enough money to pay for my order. I think they do that for the shows drama factor. I know what I have, I know what I want and I stick to the plan. I would rather make two or three small trips to the store to purchase smaller more manageable orders than to go in there guns blazing with six shopping carts, a husband and three small children….what are they thinking?  They take their husbands shopping?

Meet me back here next Coupon Sunday for helpful hints on making your dollar stretch farther with coupons.