Meet the Couponers: Jennifer
06/09/2011
Jennifer
www.tipresource.com
My Family: Married to Mike for 21 years, 6-year-old twins and four cats (All the cats are from our time in Okinawa with the military, we adopted many strays; if a stray needs a home, it will find me.)
Q. How long have you been couponing?
I first started couponing 18 years ago.
Q. Why did you start couponing and how/when did it become "extreme"?
When we moved with the military to Okinawa Japan, I started couponing. It was about 18 years ago and prices there were very high! It was sticker shock. I stopped for about seven years after we moved back to the US. Three years ago, my twins were little and I would hunt around the internet while they napped. Something sparked my interest couponing again and I began teaching myself how to find the deals and where to get deep savings in the states. I gleaned little bits and pieces from hundreds of websites. Over time, I realized groceries, health and beauty aids, cosmetics etc, could really be free. From that moment on my interest has peaked and it never stopped. It makes sense to stock up on items my family uses while prices are rock bottom. It has taken me the last 18 months to find a flow of the sale cycles, what/when to buy and how much my family really uses each month. It is different for every family. For me, Extreme Couponing is Extreme savings on everything!
Q. What do you do with most of your stockpile?
I have two hard rules for purchasing and stockpiling anything. We either use it or donate it. That's it: no exceptions. I often walk into a store, see items, and think, "I could get that for free, but I can't use it and I am not sure who to give it to, so I won't buy it."
Q. What are your top 5 tips for anyone who wants to get started in couponing?
1. Get multiple Sunday newspapers for the inserts and file inserts by month. I do not clip coupons unless I am using them on a current shopping trip.
2. Don't buy items your family will not consume or donate.
3. Watch the sales and stock up when a price is low enough for you. Remember sales roll around over and over. If you miss one, there will be another sale coming soon.
5. If your family needs something, search the internet for a savings. If you find one, great; if not, it's still okay to buy it!
Q. What top things were you surprised to learn when you started couponing?
The most surprising thing to me about couponing is saving thousands of dollars a year on almost any item needed in a household. It takes a small amount of effort for anyone to save dramatically.
Q. What are your top 3 resources on the web?
Search engines. Anything I want a coupon/discount for I simply search the internet. Of course my website -- Tipresource.com and Retailmenot.com
