Coupons can be used as a supplemental income if used properly. The trick to couponing is to keep it light and only use them on products you actually need and use. Here are a few Dos and Don’t to couponing to help keep it simple:
DOs:
1) Do use coupons to buy products or pay for services you need
Why not save money on products or services you need? I know I always use a coupon to get my oil changed or if I need to buy something at Office Depot. You’d be surprised what you can find with a quick Google search.
2) Do stock pile on items you use
You maybe wondering what stock piling means. Stock pile is a term most couponers use to refer to what they have in their pantries. The object behind stock piling is to buy as many items that you can when they are on sale and store them until you actually need them. Keep in mind, this is a good strategy if you actually use the product. Some couponers will donate items they don’t use, especially if they were able to get it for FREE with coupons. This allows anyone to give back to the community by doing whatever they can despite their current financial situation.
3) Do use coupons to keep food cost low, especially when you or your spouse is out of work
If you are out of work, couponing can be a great solution to providing a supplemental income. Couponing can be treated as a part-time job.
4) Do follow sites/blogs to make couponing easy
There is a huge online couponing community. Some people are even full-time couponers and blog about it. They share valuable information to their readers which helps make couponing part-time for people with less time. Here are a few of the popular couponing blogs and coupon sources I have come across:
DON’Ts:
1) Don’t use a coupon to buy something just because you have the coupon
This is by far the biggest mistake I see couponers make. I know I was guilty of this in the beginning. Using a coupon to buy something you don’t need or use is counter-productive as you will spend more money this way.
2) Don’t spend hours upon hours searching for coupons
Some people shy away from couponing as it can be very time-consuming. One of the most effective ways to overcome this is to follow blogs that have already done the matching for you (as mentioned above)
TAKEAWAY:
Couponing can be a great way to live on a budget or even be used as a supplemental income if you follow the do’s and don’t to couponing mentioned here. Faith and Finance has put together a How to Coupon Guide if you want to learn more and is giving away the first 500 copies for free so make sure to get yours now while they are still available.
Do you coupon? Do you know anyone else that coupons? Perhaps you have seen Extreme Couponing on TLC. Do you have any other couponing strategies you would like to share? We look forward to hearing your comments below.