Thirty-one-year-old Jay has a nickname that some men might find embarrassing. His friends call him “the Coupon Lady.” It doesn’t bother him, though. In fact, he likes it. Especially because while he is definitely not a lady, he is a coupon guru. Skeptical at first, the Coupon Lady couldn’t imagine spending hours dissecting a newspaper to save a couple bucks. But what he learned changed his life. He doesn’t chat with his buddies anymore about fantasy football leagues or NASCAR races; he talks to them about how much he saves on groceries.
Jayne, a woman who has learned to fit couponing into her life and is thriving because of it, was exasperated when I first met her. She has three kids under the age of ten, works a full-time job, cares for her ill mother in her home, and tries to maintain her sanity in the midst of it all (not an easy thing to do most days). “I can barely get my head above water,” she told me as she let out a big sigh. “The last thing I want to do is spend all night researching the best coupons.”
I simply nodded and thought, “Believe me, neither do I.”
Jayne took a deep breath and continued, “If I have to sacrifice more time just to save a few bucks, I’ve got to be honest. It’s not worth it. You can keep your coupons.”
Oh Jayne, I so get it.
You’ve seen the TV shows. You’ve heard about how much your friends, folks at the grocery store, or your frugal neighbor saves through these valuable pieces of paper. Heck, you might have even tried couponing before. But chances are, you weren’t successful (otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this book). And chances are, there is a small (maybe even a teensy-weensy) part of you that doubts couponing will really help you to save big.
When I started couponing I faced many doubts, questions, and concerns, some of which you may have. I want to start by addressing and dispelling some of the myths I’ve heard that say couponing won’t work. Misconceptions such as: “I don’t have the time.” “There’s never any coupons for things I normally buy.” “I like to stick with certain brands.” “If it works so well, why isn’t everyone doing it?”
So before we get into the nitty-gritty of couponing, let’s take some time to address the questions I get asked the most (and the ones you just might be thinking). Because I get it, I am not a crazy coupon lady. I’m just a regular stay-at-home working mom who is trying to save some money and some time.