I am Grateful...: Coupons, Coupons and More Coupons!

What can I say, I have NEVER been a coupon cutter, ever. But I have to admit that over the past year I have changed my mind. Going to the grocery store and paying $40 for $65 worth of groceries isn't bad at all...

One of the places that I have found great manufacturer coupons is not just in the Sunday paper, but on Ebay. Various vendors sell manufacturer coupons in bulk for $1 or more in some cases, but they do all the work for you! They cut, they clip, they find, and you simply pay to have them mailed to your home. For the couple dollars you may spend in the coupons, it pays for itself if you use just a few coupons out of the entire bunch. The rest you can share with family, friends and co-workers. The key with Ebay is to find people who are offering the "Buy it Now" option, this way you are not in a bidding war over coupons. :-)

Manufacturer coupons are the best because they come from the product manufacturer and are good for a long time. Sometimes they never expire. I was at Walgreens the other day, my son had a cold and has been sick for over a week. I wanted to try the new Theraflu liquid warming severe cold concoction. It was $6.49... not that I don't want my son to feel better but my first thought was "Where is the Walgreens brand?" In most cases you can find the store brand of a medicine and it works just the same. Anyway, I go through the store and something told me to back and see what else I could find. To my surprise, someone had left a $2 off manufacturer coupon in the slot next to the Theraflu.. it was weird. I snatched it up, and it matched what I had in my hand! That $2 coupon, really made a difference, because I didn't have to change brands (which I know alot of you are brand loyal and savvy.)

The point is that coupons are extremely helpful, and if taking some extra time to clip them out or search Ebay or other sites to print them off etc is going to save you money, then it is well worth it.

Here are some great coupon sites that I have searched over the past few months (keep in mind some of them may ask you to install their coupon printer, not all do this.)