All You magazine recently published a list of websites to score printable and mailer coupons for organic brands.
Also, don’t forget that many manufacturer’s coupons work on the brand’s organic products as well!
Mercedes at Common Sense With Money just shared a GREAT article from Brett Arends with the Wall Street Journal. In his article “Doing the Math on Coupons” he tackles the age-old question “Is it REALLY worth it?”
In my opinion, it is. Since couponing our family has more financial margin than we ever thought possible. When we experience “low” months of cashflow, our stockpile helps us get through without major disruption to our lives. But Mr. Arends goes a step further and looks at the math – and even the pay – as if it were a side job.
I know, if you are reading this blog – I’m preaching to the choir. But I will admit, it is going to be nice to have this article in mind when people look at me and ask, “Is it really worth it?” My answer, “Yep. And here is the math to prove it.”
One of the questions Ali and I get asked is “Do you really send off for rebates? Does it even matter?”The short answer is “YES, we do” and “YES, they really matter.”
This month I’ve received $69 in rebate checks – for Up, Olay Buy $50, Get $20, $15 Olay Buy Two Regenerist Products, $10 Kraft Keep the Jingle in Your Holidays, and $20 Nabisco Back to School. Most of the products I submitted rebates for were either FREE after rebate or I made money because I paired a good sale with coupons.
As coupon cutting – price-book loving – strategic shoppers, you know the power of a good sale. But many people we talk to say rebates just confuse them or they forget about submitting the rebate till it is too late. It is important to understand rebates, the process, and when to submit them – and if done correctly – can be just like icing on your already “coupon high” cake.
Here is a rebate organization process that works for me.
1. When you see a rebate that you will use – print it out. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to find the form on-line after the fact.
2. Have a place for your rebates near your coupon organization area so they will be top of mind.
3. When there is a killer sale for the rebate items see if you have any coupons to make it better. Also – read the fine print on the rebate form. Know if all of the purchases have to be on one register tape, do you have to cut out UPC labels, or how many items/which items you need to buy. (Believe me you don’t want to go to the store again to buy a box of Wheat Thins so you can submit the Nabisco rebate – been there, done it.)
– put the toward a long-term saving goal (in my case – that’s for a treadmill),
– or if it is a tough financial month – use it to supplement the smaller grocery budget.
So the long (and short) answer is “YES – rebate checks do matter.”
How about you – do you use rebates at all? What are some of your organization techniques?
Q: Is it worth getting my local newspaper each week?
A: Kelly and I would recommend getting the Sunday paper each week for the coupons (and two if the coupons are really good!). You can find a preview of the coupons each week HERE to decide if it’s worth your $2. We also recommend subscribing to All You magazine. It’s a great magazine and has tons of valuable coupons each month. We also recommend other magazines from time to time that contain great coupons when the subscription rate is low.
Q: How many stores do you shop at per week?Just make sure to take some time to get organized by creating a shopping list and collecting coupons before heading out the door – see the post HERE for more on this topic.
Q: I don’t have an extra freezer. A: YES! The ability to stockpile meat and bread may be limited but you can still stockpile canned and boxed goods. Just be aware of the expiration dates when purchasing. You can also stockpile household goods without a freezer. Check out our post on stockpiling HERE.
Q: How many stores do you shop at per week?A: I think Kelly and I would both say we shop at a minimum of two stores per week and up to 4-5 depending on the deals and time we have available. Kelly shops with her kids, I do not. I try to take a night a week or Saturday morning to just go and get it all done at once. I find that I spend less money without my kids and can get in and out of stores a lot faster. Plus, as a stay-at-home mom, this is some much needed “me time.”
Just make sure to take some time to get organized by creating a shopping list and collecting coupons before heading out the door – see our post HERE for more on this topic.
