Frugal Dad had an article yesterday about how coupons make you poorer, not richer.  There are reasons to agree with the article, but a few reasons to continue couponing as well as ways to make sure you do it right.

Here is how I make coupons work for me instead of the other way around.

Reasons to use coupons:

1. You are low income. I make a part-time income and so does my wife.  We live in Southern California and our housing expenses are as low as they can be, but are still high.  Before I started using coupons, our grocery bill was $450 per month and our health and beauty bill (toothpaste, shampoo, gel, hairspray, floss, etc.) was $80 per month.  After coupons, my grocery bill has shrunk to $380 and my pantry is more full.  Our health and beauty bill has gone down to a negligible level.  I often get free toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.  We spend about $20 per month now.  All of this amounts to about $130 savings per month.  If you make $100 per hour, then forget coupons.  You have it made.  It isn’t worth your time.  But, for me, it makes absolute sense.
2. You are fastidious. If you can keep excellent records and use a price book, you will save money!
3. You have a family and a budget. If you are in charge of your family finances, it is amazing how much you can save over a year.

Ways to make sure you save:

1. Make a budget. Create a budget and keep track of it for a couple months without coupons.  Then when you begin to use coupons, you will know empirically that you have saved.
2. Create a price book. When you create your budget, create shopping lists every week and keep them.  Then make a list of the items you buy most often.  Then, in a notebook, begin to keep track of how much the items cost.  Then, if you know the historical prices, you can see how much the items should cost and, when you see a sale and a coupon together, you will be able to track your savings.
3. Only buy your normal household items. If you buy after coupons only what you bought before coupons, then you have definitely saved money.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with the article on Frugal Dad, I just think that, for people in my situation, coupons can make all the difference with the budget.

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