Coupons provided such a thrill to Kim from FrugalMindedMom.com that she coined the term getting a coupon “high”. In fact, she grew so excited over the prospect of finding a great deal using coupons that she created a blog called The Coupon “High”.
Recently, some of the restrictions placed on couponing prompted her to change her site’s name to Frugal Minded Mom and alter the focus to being a little more lifestyle focused. If anything, though, her love for bargain hunting has grown and contributed to her decision to branch out beyond coupons into other types of saving methods.
She still remains an avid couponer, however, and continues to post often about coupons and deals. Learn more about Kim by reading the Q&A below.
A: I have been using coupons as long as I can remember, but I really started making the most of them about 9 years ago.
A: I was introduced to coupons by my mom when I was very young. When I first lived on my own and was newly married I thought I was doing great saving a couple dollars with coupons on each trip.
However, it was when we moved from Michigan to Pennsylvania 9 years ago that coupons truly became much more important. I’ll never forget our first shopping trip in Pennsylvania. We barely bought anything, but the cost was over $200. Although the cost of living in PA was supposed to be comparable to Michigan, food cost was much, much higher. I realized then that I was going to have to do something to maintain the family budget and that is when I started really couponing. Now instead of just saving $5 a trip, I save on average 50 to 70% per trip with coupons and sales.
A: 6 and a half years.
A: In 2009, I started the blog The Coupon “High” to share the excitement I experienced while shopping with coupons and share the great deals with my readers. I recently rebranded the blog to Frugal Living Mom. While I still use coupons as a method of frugality, the world of couponing has changed. With stores placing many more restrictions on them, it’s not quite the Coupon “High” it used to be.
Shopping and getting deals is just part of being frugal these days. I also share great frugal homemaking ideas, including repurposing items in the stockpile, saving on kids expenses, making your own cleaning products, and one of my favorite ways to save – cooking frugal recipes. That’s where you can make the most of the items you have picked up using coupons.
A: Saving money of course. This savings allows us the ability to “splurge” on items that we value as a family. For us these are health, education and time together.
A: When I first started really couponing I loved the drugstores. You could get great freebies and even a lot of money makers. It allowed me to build up a really big stock pile of toiletries. I can honestly say for years I didn’t pay a thing for toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant.
However, the policies and programs have changed at the drugstores in the last couple years. While I still visit them occassionally, they aren’t my favorite place to coupon anymore.
These days, my favorite place to coupon is Giant Eagle. I love that they double coupons up to 99 cents. That means a 75 cents coupon saves you $1.50. Combine that with a sale and you have a great deal.
A:
1. Know your stores rules. The best way to find this out is to check the web site and even ask at the customer service desk.
2. Don’t aim to be extreme. My goal is 50 to 70% savings at the grocery store on things I know I will use. This includes sale and coupon price. When I see them at a great deal, I stock up.
3. Be willing to change brands so you can take advantage of the most deals.
4. To make the most of a coupon, combine it with a sale.
5. Print out coupons for items that you would like and use even if there isn’t a sale right then and hold on to it. The sale might come the next week, and you might discover when you try to print the coupon it’s no longer there. That’s because there is a limit on how many coupons can be printed. So if you see a great printable coupon, print it right away and hope for a sale to come before it expires.
A: Misuse of coupons by people has caused companies to become very wary of coupon users. This had led to many more restrictions and regulations.
A: As are most things in the world today, coupons are going digital. Many stores provide eOffers. The downside of these is they don’t double and you can only get one item. One of my favorite new trends is cash back sites like Snap by Groupon, Ibotta and Checkout 51. These are a great way to boost your savings since you can combine them with coupons.
Paper coupons have been around for years and I feel they will continue to be around. Store rules might change and the value of coupons might decrease, but if you think of coupons like money - they will always be worth using.
A: Coupons are a great way to save, but they don’t always provide the best deal. It is very important to know and keep track of prices so that you truly know what a stock up price is.
For many items, I consider it a deal if it beats Aldi’s price. It’s for this reason that I am offering a Free Aldi’s Price list with over 300 items on my blog. That way you can know too if you should use a coupon or shop at Aldi!
