Extreme Couponing Tip: Prepare Shopping Trips a Week Early
This week’s Extreme Couponing Tip is on preparing and planning your shopping trips a week early–if and when possible. I know this seems like a long shot, as most of you are probably thinking “I struggle getting my shopping trips organized for THIS week, how am I going to plan for next week?” This might take some practice, however if you’re able to start even a small amount of planning a week in advance, I promise this will help keep your couponing experience less stressful, more efficient and ultimately you will be able to take advantage of more deals at better prices if you’re just prepared!
You’ve Got the Resources
Here at LRWC we give you the edge up– we offer preview ads and deal ideas to many of the stores we do matchups for. These previews are offered several days before the start of the sale. This gives you time to prepare a list of the items you know you need as well as a list of the items you know you want to stock up on based on the sale and coupons that are or will be available. Even if you simply put a coupon aside in a special bin on your desk or folder and set it aside for next week, this will save you tons of time the following week. There is nothing worse then knowing you printed a coupon and cannot find it. Or actually there is something worse…finding the coupon AFTER the sale is over! Yep, I’ve been there. If you know the item will be on sale next week or in the next few weeks, simply put it aside to save yourself time and effort when you want to use it.
I use stackable trays and labeled them with the stores that I frequent. When I print or clip a coupon that I know I will be using at one of those stores soon, I just throw it in the bin. When it’s time to really sit down and prepare my shopping trip, more then half of my coupons are already there waiting for me. No more finding coupons after the sale is over and lots of less time and effort each week since I try and prepare ahead. This technique has definitely helped me make extreme couponing even easier.
Now it’s your turn…do you prepare your shopping trips in advance?
If you are new to couponing, you may want to check out the Couponing for Beginners section where you will find a lot of answers to your questions.