As an ice-breaker posting, I wanted to share some information I feel might be helpful to anyone new to the wonderful world of........COUPONING!!!! Those wonderful money-saving confetti pieces that come in the Sunday paper. They can be fantastic in stretching your budget, but they can also be an utter nightmare if not kept up organized and well understood.
Some are things I have discovered the hard way, while others are personal views I have developed over the course of my savings.
And, although it should be a given, I want to make one issue very clear to everyone:
DO NOT SIGN UP FOR OR PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION WHATSOEVER IF YOU ARE NOT 100% COMFORTABLE WITH AND CONFIDENT OF WHO YOU ARE PROVIDING THE INFORMATION. IF YOU ARE NOT PURCHASING A PRODUCT OR SERVICE (such as shipping & handling), YOU SHOULD NEVER BE ASKED FOR PAYMENT INFORMATION (i.e. credit / debit card number, checking account number, PayPal account, etc.) MAKE SURE IF YOU DO PROVIDE PERSONAL INFORMATION OF YOUR OWN VOLITION, YOU DO SO OVER A SECURE AND TRUSTED SERVER / INTERNET CONNECTION. There are an unmeasurable number of scams, cons and seemingly-innocent ways to fall victim to identity theft. Be smart, safe, and stingy with your personal information; no free sample, coupon, or sweepstakes is worth the damage that comes with having your identity stolen.
With that said, I truly hope you find helpful information throughout this blog. Also, if you have any beneficial information you'd like to share with everyone, I gladly welcome it.
#1 - Coupon & freebie seekers alike: create an email account just for coupons & free stuff.
When you sign up with companies to get free samples, you generally must provide an email address. The companies use those email addresses to send product information, promotions, and other information / sales pitches. At times, those companies will share your email address with affiliate companies, who will also send your similar information regarding their products. Sometimes, the email are beneficial - they let you know when other samples are available for you to try, or include coupons for you to print out. Other times, it's just sales pitches and other random junk. I typically get an average of 300 emails per day, and most of them are not things I'm interested in reading. Thus the reason I have one account designated for coupons and one for personal email. I personally like Gmail and Mozilla Thunderbird, which are both free, but it is completely up to your own personal preference.
#2 - Don't use another person's telephone number when signing up.
Many times, it is mandatory to provide not just an email address when signing up for free samples, but also a telephone number. If you would like companies to solicit sales, surveys, or contact you in general, feel free to provide your contact phone number. I sign up for several items each day, and I prefer not to receive calls all day from various marketing representatives. If you are of the same mindset as me, you may find it tempting to provide a business's phone number (you local pizza delivery chain, the super-center across town, or your even your evil ex's work number). BUT, think about what that could do to the other party involved. A business often relies on their phone calls as a means of sales, customer service, or other BUSINESS-RELATED discussions. If they are suddenly being inundated with phone calls about random products you have inquired about, they are taking time away from their paying customers and business production to deal with something they have no involvement in. That is not fair to them. Also, if you give out random people's numbers (even by making up random numbers), those people are now being drug into the world of unwanted soliciting calls. Think about if someone gave YOUR phone number out to 5, 10, or even 50 different companies each day, and they started to call YOU. Probably wouldn't make you very happy. So, if you wouldn't want it to happen to you, don't cause it to happen to others.
#3 - Don't be a coupon or freebie hog.
Yes, you technically COULD create multiple email addresses / mailing addresses in order to get multiple free samples of the same product. But, that doesn't mean you SHOULD. Everyone enjoys getting great deals or free stuff. By abiding by an unspoken rule of curtsey, it allows as many people as possible to benefit from offers. Generally speaking, companies have a finite number of samples to give out, usually on a first-come, first-serve basis. Say there are only five samples left of _____(super-duper fantastic product)_____ and you really want to get one. If I have created multiple contact information and sign in before you, I could get all five of the last samples and you wouldn't get any. Whereas, had I respected the companies rules of one sample per customer, you would have been able to enjoy a free sample as well. It's all about thinking how your actions might effect others; A.K.A.: Don't be a jerk. The same applies to coupons and "shelf clearing".
#4 - Stay organized.
If you do not use some method of filing or organizing for your coupons, they will quickly become a source of stress. I tried to keep coupons in a shoebox, but I quickly got overwhelmed. I couldn't find coupons I was looking for, I forgot I had certain coupons, and a large number expired before I could find and use them. I actually considered giving up on couponing all together. It wasn't until I began to use binders and 3x5 photo pages to bring order to my stacks of coupons that I was able to really utilize my coupons and notice savings during my shopping trips.
#5 - Do not get discouraged.
While television shows tote extreme cases such as an extraordinary 98% savings on $1,000.00 purchasing, please understand those are NOT the typical savings most people achieve. I made the mistake of buying into that thought process, and it made me feel that my hard work was just not enough. I felt, despite an average savings of 50%, sometimes as high as 75-85% savings, I was still discouraged. It wasn't until I started seeing how those 50% savings added up in our monthly budget and heard the stories of many others who coupon, that I realized I was actually doing a great job. Now, I take great pride in saving money for my family, and am confident in my skills. I still aspire to walk out of the store with 15 shopping carts and having only paid $50 for all the contents. And while as thrilling as that may be someday, I am quite content to know I can buy items my family needs, have an emergency stockpile, and save money at the same time.
I will be posting a great many more tips and ideas as this blog grows. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions or ideas, please feel free to contact me or share with everyone. Happy savings!
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