Sisterly Savings

Need more coupons? How about 500+ that are already cut out for you? I’ve got way to many and am giving them away on my other blog, eBay Selling Coach. Just enter a comment to be eligible to win. Click here to enter!

Ask all of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, relatives and other contacts if they use the grocery coupons in the Sunday papers. Most people just throw them in the recycler. Offer to pick up the papers from them at a convenient time.

Do the same but ask about magazines that contain coupons. Good magazines to collect are Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, and All You.

Collect the coupons from the “blinkie” dispensers in grocery stores. You may not be buying that item today, but a deal may come along where you need it to get something free, or practically free.

Pick up unwanted free newspapers. In my neighborhood, we get a free paper on Thursday with the same coupons as in the previous Sunday’s paper. After a few days, I walk around gathering up as many as I need or want. I always do this if there are really good coupons valued at $2-$5. You can stockpile these coupons and use them later…or sell them on eBay for extra cash! (Click here for more information about selling your grocery coupons on eBay.)

Join a coupon train. A coupon train is a group of people in a close geographic area who pass coupons along to one another via snail mail. You can find these all over the internet. Just Google “coupon train.” The only cost involved is the stamp to mail the coupons along to the next person.

Dumpster dive. This is for the black belt coupon collectors. You are actually just going to skim the top of paper recycling bins. Use one of those Gopher grabby things (As Seen on TV) and you won’t have to actually touch anything.

You can also buy coupons on eBay for a minimal cost, or check out The Coupon Clippers to purchase exactly the coupons you need for the products you like to buy.

This is my first post for Sisterly Savings. I am thrilled and delighted to be part of the team on one of the best money-saving blogs on the internet! I’m Suzanne Wells, and my claim to fame is eBay selling. Back in 2003, I went through a divorce and was downsized out of a job at the same time. I began selling some of my own items from around my home on eBay to pay the bills until I found another job. I realized very quickly that eBay could be a lucrative home business, and have been earning my living selling in eBay ever since. My book, The Stay at Home Mom’s Guide to Successful eBay Selling is my way of helping other moms learn how to make money from home selling on eBay.

 I have always been a thrifty and frugal (cheap?) person. I’ve been clipping coupons and participating in store loyalty programs for over 20 years. For me, saving money or getting a deal is gives me a high – I love to feel like I have been resourceful and smart about spending money. I hope my experiences will help other moms save money in new and creative ways.I’d like to share a tip with you about acquiring coupons. I do many different things to stockpile coupons –  I clip my own coupons every week, print online coupons, and participate in coupon trains and swap groups. These techniques are definitely effective; however, they take time, planning, and work. Buying multiple Sunday papers can get expensive, and coupon trains may not provide the all coupons you need. Swap groups require correspondence and research to find the specific coupons for your household.

Several times a week, I buy coupons on eBay. Some eBay sellers offer nothing but grocery coupons. They purchase multiple Sunday papers, clip and organize the coupons, and sell them for around $1 a batch. Here is my strategy. After I have looked through my Sunday paper (usually on Saturday afternoon), I study the coupons that I will actually use. Then, I check eBay to see if any lots of the coupons I need are available. For example, this week there was a coupon in the paper for Schick razors, BOGO, for a value up to $12.99. I went on eBay and bought a lot of 15 of these coupons for $1.75, including shipping. So, these coupons will help me save $194.85, if I use all of them – my net savings after buying the coupons is $193.10. (I will use these razors as stocking stuffers and stockpile them.)

Buying coupons on eBay has several advantages. First, someone else is spending their time gathering the papers, clipping and sorting the coupons, and mailing them to you. It is a huge time saver! The exact coupons you need arrive in your mailbox in 2-3 days. Second, you can pick and choose exactly what coupons you will use and increase your savings on products you use every week. Third, you don’t end up with a bunch of coupons that you won’t use.

Fourth, coupon selling on eBay is a business transaction. You normally get your coupons faster (since you have paid for this service) than you would through a swap group or coupon train. The seller has a vested financial interest in your satisfaction and has made you her priority. She wants you to return for more purchases in the future. Finally, you are sure to have a stock of coupons to use for CVS ECBs, Walgreens deals, and the Rite-Aid SCR program to use as money-makers.

You might consider this technique for high dollar ($3-$5) or BOGO coupons– such as for diapers, baby formula, pet food, cosmetics, or medicines. This is also a great strategy for items that you frequently purchase such as cereal, dairy products, paper products, cleaning products, toothpaste, and shampoo. To buy coupons on eBay, look under the FOOD and WINE section, and look for coupons. You will find thousands of listings.

This technique can also work in reverse – you can sell your unwanted coupons on eBay for some extra cash. This is a great family project and your kids can help. Click here to learn how to make money on eBay selling your unwanted grocery coupons. For more information on eBay selling, please visit my blog at eBay Selling Coach.

(Note: eBay policy states that the coupons are not actually for sale. You are paying for the sellers time to clip, sort, and mail the coupons.)