Presentation week. Every student’s nightmare. Usually one will zone out their classmate’s speech in anticipating of their presentation, or in a daydream of what to do that weekend. Carrie Hoskin’s speech was quite the exception. She had everyone begging for more. Her topic of choice, you might ask? Couponing. Carrie is so passionate about savings that she makes you wonder why you haven’t started yet! I decided that I needed to sit down with her get some of her tips to share with all the fabulous Her Campus collegiettes™.
Carrie began couponing 6 months ago, when she saw the success behind her sister’s savings. She told me, “I’ve always been the person who likes to save money. I absolutely hated purchasing groceries and toiletries, which were items that were necessary for my day-to-day life. As being a college student, I felt that I had enough free time to incorporate this money-saving hobby into my life.” The combination of her sister’s influence, and the TLC hit Extreme Couponing convinced Carrie to make couponing her life-long hobby!
Here are some tips from the Couponing Queen
1.) Be Patient.
“The most important thing that took me a long time to understand was that I needed to be patient. You are not going to get big savings in your first week. You need to accumulate coupons each week in order to lead to your big savings. If there is a sale on an item that you do not necessarily need, do not throw away the coupon. Save it. Stores work on sale cycles, so what is on sale one week will go on sale again in the next 4-6 weeks. This is the most important tip I have to share. Big savings take time, but is totally worth the wait.”
2.) Be on the lookout for coupons.
“ Every Sunday, my roommates and I go buy the Sunday paper. It is always loaded with coupons. You can find such papers pretty much anywhere, all you need to do is ask for it. I also get a majority of my coupons online. My favorite sites are Coupons.com, SouthernSavers.com, and TotallyTarget.com. These sites make it so easy to coupon. They do all the work for you, and all you need to do it hit print. I check these sites up to ten times a day!”
3.) Organize your coupons for more efficient savings.
“ Cut, file, and store your coupons to make them easier and more efficient to use. This process will take time, but will save you time when you are preparing your shopping trip. You need to have some form of organization. I file my coupons alphabetically in 7 different envelopes and keep them in a big shoebox.”
4.) You can combine store and manufacturing coupons.
What are store and manufacturing coupons you might ask? “Store coupons are store specific and can only be found at the respectable store. Manufacturing coupons are from the brand. You are able to combine these coupons to maximize your savings. A good tip is that Publix accepts Targets coupons to compete with the competition.”
5.) Never pay for toiletries ever again.
“Toiletries items are the easiest to get for free. They are always on sale, or priced cut. There are always coupons in the paper for these items. TotallyTarget.com always have coupons for toiletries! For example, I will never pay for toothpaste ever again in my life!”
6.) Remember what you came to buy.
“Stores make it ridiculously easy to save, because they feel that you will purchase more. I won’t though. I only come go to use my coupons. You really need to have a set plan of what you need before you step foot in the store. Do not let yourself buy things you do not need. Do not get excited about your coupons, and then feel the need to buy unnecessary things because you know you now have the money for it. You will just end up angry with yourself!”
7.) Most importantly have fun!
“Remember, couponing is fun! Think about all you can buy with the money you save. You can be lazy, and still save a ton. You just need to be aware of where the coupons are and how to use them. Couponing is a hobby that saves you money and also challenges you at the same time. When I got my first item for free that is when I decided that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life!”
These tips will help you jumpstart into this money-saving hobby that will positively affect your life. In the past six months, Carrie has proven to be a great “couponer” and has big savings to prove it. This past week, she saved $30.24 and spent $2.82.
Biggest savings to date!
That might not match up to the extreme savings in Extreme Couponing, but Carrie Hoskin is well on her way to achieve those savings. It might be time consuming, but what better hobby to have than saving money! Now, instead of scrounging up change to pay for cover this weekend, through couponing, you can have the safety of knowing you have enough to make your night memorable.