Coupon crazy

By Gail Vaz-Oxlade on February 16, 2011
Estimated reading time: 1 minute

One phenomenon I found most interesting as I’ve worked with people and their money is the extent to which they will go to “save.” I put “save” in quotes, because often these people use the “savings” they derive from their couponing or sale shopping to justify the mad shopping they love to do.

I like using coupons. I’m not coupon crazy, but if someone wants to give me a buck or two off a product I’m going to buy anyway, hey, I’ll take it. I particularly like those shelf coupons that you can redeem immediately, and I often take an extra or six so that I can use it again if the product goes on sale… feels like a double win to me. I saved $40 on bread last year (two 50¢ coupons a week for almost a year). Of course, you actually have to SAVE the money. That means taking it out of cash flow and putting it somewhere to work for you. If you save 50¢ using a coupon and then you turn around and spend it somewhere else, you actually haven’t saved a thing. To SAVE you have to take the money out of your wallet and put it somewhere you can’t spend it. Make yourself a Coupon Savings container that you can slip your savings into when you get home. Each time you return from shopping, go over your receipt and look at what you saved by being such a smart shopper. Now take that money and drop it into your savings container…plunk! NOW you’re saving. Once you have a bit built up, say $25 to open a high interest savings account, or $100 for a term deposit, you can put that money to work to earn even more money. You’re not just talking the talk anymore, now you’re walking the walk. Well done!