Have you been reading the coupon misconceptions that will help you be a more effective couponer?  If not, get started here!  I’m really excited to talk about today’s coupon misconception, because I think that this is something that almost all new couponers struggle with!

Misconception #7: Every Coupon Should Be Used

Truth: Many coupons will go unused, and to try to use them all would mean spending much more money than you will ever save.

I know the thought of not using some coupons may be surprising.  But not all coupons provide a great deal, and many coupons will actually encourage you to spend more money than you save.

For example, a coupon that allows you to save $1 on a product that is priced at $10 may be helpful if you need to purchase that product anyway.  However, if you weren’t planning to purchase that product and it’s not something that your family needs, you just wasted $9.

How do you know which coupons to use and which ones to forget?  Here are a few guidelines:

• Use a coupon if it’s a product that you would purchase anyway.  Example: You normally buy Digiorno, it’s reasonably priced compared with the other brands, your family loves it, and you have a coupon for it.  It’s a no-brainer.
• Use a coupon only if it makes the product cheaper than the other offered brands.  Example: You have a coupon for a specific brand of sour cream.  This brand costs .75 more than the store brand, and your coupon is good for .40 off.  Forget the coupon and buy the store brand, because you would still be spending .35 more by purchasing the brand for which you have the coupon.  This is a classic example of when it’s best NOT to use a coupon because it is costing you more money than it’s saving you.
• Use a coupon if it makes for a killer deal, even if it’s for a brand that you don’t normally use.  Example: Your family loves Suave shampoo, and you usually pay about $2 a bottle for it.  However, by combining a sale with a coupon that you have, you can get a different brand for .75 per bottle.  Don’t be so picky about your brand that you’re not willing to branch out.  The only catch to this: make sure you and/or your family will actually USE IT.  Dozens of bottles of shampoo sitting on your shelf do no good if your family still asks you to purchase more Suave.
• Use a coupon when an item is free.  Who cares if you already have three boxes of Band-Aids in the medicine cabinet?  At some point, you’re going to run out, and at that point there may not be an offer for FREE Band-Aids when you use that coupon you have in your coupon binder.  So buy them now, while the coupon is good and the deal is hot, keep them for later, and enjoy knowing that you won’t be spending money on them next time you need a new box. (Warning: There is a limit to how many Band-Aids, shampoo, and any other product a person can consume in a lifetime.  Be reasonable, not a hoarder.)
• Use a coupon only when it’s already part of a planned shopping trip.  Example: You find a coupon that is for a product that your family typically uses, and it expires today.  Don’t run to the store just to purchase this item with your .65 off coupon.  It will waste more of your time and money (think gas prices!) than it will save.  Chalk it up to a learning experience and use it as fuel to be more organized with your coupons and shopping trips.

Final thought: Don’t ever get caught in the trap of thinking about how much a coupon could SAVE you.  Every coupon has the potential to save you something, that’s the point.  Rather, consider what you’re spending on a particular product and if it’s really a good price at all.

What other recommendations do you have for situations in which a coupon should and should not be used?

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Don’t let misconceptions stop you from being successful using coupons!  If you’ve missed the first five misconceptions of coupons, get started here.

Misconception #6: Most Couponers Purchase Ten Or More Sunday Newspapers

Truth: Many couponers don’t purchase more than one or two newspapers, then find other sources from which to get more coupons.

Why don’t many couponers purchase several newspapers?  In short: frugality.

Saving all that money in coupons doesn’t make much sense if you’re spending $40 or more each week on newspapers.  Most couponers either have a subscription to their Sunday newspaper or just purchase one or two.  Then they get creative to get more inserts. There are lots of ways to get more coupons other than spending YOUR hard-earned dime to purchase a stack of newspapers.

Some of my favorite ideas for getting more coupons:

• Have a coupon “trade,” or coupon box, at work, for people to take the coupons that they need and bring in ones they won’t use for others
• Tell friends and family that you use coupons and let them know that if they aren’t using their inserts, you’ll be happy to take them!
• Talk to a store or gas station about taking the inserts from their unsold newspapers before they throw them away
• Check out your local recycling center-you never know what you’ll find!

Go here for even more ideas about how to get more coupons.

Another way that many couponers (including myself) get multiples of a specific coupon is to trade for it.  There are people out there who get hundreds of every insert each week and are looking for other things in exchange for their coupons.  Over the years I have gotten hundreds (possibly thousands) of coupons through trades.  Things that I have offered in exchange include Boxtops for Education, Coke Reward codes, other coupons that I won’t use, postage stamps, and very small amounts of money (usually .05-.10 per coupon).  Keep in mind that since you aren’t allowed by law to purchase coupons, the coupons are actually FREE, and you are simply compensating the person for their time and effort to clip and send the coupons.

Many people purchase coupons (or, technically compensate the person for their time and effort) from Ebay and other coupon clipping service websites.  I have made one purchase from Ebay and my other trades have come from the trading forum at A Full Cup.  I would much prefer to make a trade with another couponer like myself, with whom I can bargain for a price and item to trade.

Trading coupons is a fabulous way to get multiples of a specific coupon for a low price.  For example, a few weeks ago my local grocery store had cereal on sale for $1.99, and there was a $1 off 1 coupon out for that same type of cereal.  For me, this was a stock-up price.  I found another couponer that sent me 15 of the coupons for about $1.50, so I spent $1.50 to save $15.00 and get 15 boxes of cereal for just .99 each.

The bottom line is this: don’t feel as though you need to put out a bundle of money to purchase a ton of newspapers.  Get creative to find other sources for coupons and you will be on your way to successful couponing!

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