Putnam - Southbridge Evening News
Putnam - Southbridge Evening News
Putnam - Southbridge Evening News
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PUTNAM VILLAGER<br />
Is coupon clipping worth it?<br />
Friday, September 03, 2010<br />
WHAT IS IT?<br />
• A5<br />
Is coupon clipping worth it?<br />
You can probably guess my<br />
answer to this question — of course<br />
it is! Then again, I’m biased, as I<br />
think everyone should use coupons<br />
in some way.<br />
By clipping coupons I’m able to<br />
save hundreds of dollars each<br />
month on grocery and drugstore<br />
items, savings I can apply to other<br />
areas of my budget like vacations,<br />
college funds, etc. While I do see<br />
lots of people out at the stores using<br />
coupons, it still surprises me to see<br />
so many more who are not. Why?<br />
Let’s take a look at some common<br />
objections to coupon clipping and<br />
debunk some myths about the value<br />
of clipping coupons.<br />
• Clipping coupons takes time —<br />
You bet it takes time, but it is time<br />
well spent. If it takes me an hour to<br />
clip coupons to save $40 off my<br />
weekly grocery bill, I consider that<br />
$40 earned. Where else can I earn<br />
$40 per hour, tax free, sitting on my<br />
sofa clipping coupons? Plus, it really<br />
doesn’t have to take that much<br />
time. You can clip coupons while<br />
watching television or relaxing outside.<br />
Get those kids involved, too!<br />
• Most coupons are for things you<br />
neither need nor want — Clipping<br />
coupons for things you don’t want<br />
or need is indeed a big waste of<br />
time. There is no rule that says you<br />
have to clip every coupon you see,<br />
PUTNAM ELEMENTARY<br />
AND MIDDLE SCHOOL<br />
Tuesday, Sept. 7: Hot dog with bun, baked beans, oven<br />
roasted potato, fruit, milk.<br />
Wednesday, Sept. 8: Soft-shelled taco, Spanish rice, corn,<br />
fruit, milk.<br />
Thursday, Sept. 9: Cheeseburger, curly fries, frozen fruit<br />
sherbet, fruit, milk.<br />
Friday, Sept. 10: Pizza, assorted toppings, salad, fruit,<br />
milk.<br />
WICKED<br />
COOL<br />
DEALS<br />
MICHELLE<br />
HOVESTADT<br />
so feel free to introduce unwanted<br />
coupons to your trash can.<br />
However, do keep an open mind to<br />
coupons you see for new products.<br />
New products are often introduced<br />
to the marketplace on sale so it is<br />
very possible you can get them<br />
cheap or even free with a coupon.<br />
Who knows, you may discover a<br />
new product you love!<br />
• Coupons tempt you to spend<br />
more money on things you shouldn’t<br />
— I don’t know about you, but<br />
I’m tempted to spend money I<br />
shouldn’t every day! That’s why I<br />
stay disciplined and have a budget.<br />
A budget is the single best way to<br />
help ensure you do not overspend.<br />
At the end of the month (or year)<br />
it’s not about what you saved, it’s<br />
about what your spent. Find a<br />
monthly budget that works for you<br />
and stick to it.<br />
• Shopping takes longer —<br />
Shopping can take longer, but it<br />
doesn’t have to. I contend that<br />
putting together a weekly menu<br />
plan and shopping around that plan<br />
can actually save you time shopping.<br />
Unplanned shopping trips<br />
always take more time, and let’s not<br />
forget the added stress of running<br />
into the store having little idea<br />
what you need to buy! Plus, you just<br />
know that unplanned trip to the<br />
store is going to cost you more<br />
money.<br />
Funny, the most common objection<br />
to using coupons I hear is that<br />
your coupons have been left at<br />
home, in the car or simply forgotten<br />
somewhere! Yes, even the dog ate<br />
them along with the kids’ homework.<br />
This is why you need a good<br />
coupon organization system that<br />
you can easily take with you to the<br />
store. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it<br />
just needs to work for you.<br />
So get out those coupons and scissors,<br />
sit back and relax with a good<br />
television show and start saving<br />
more money!<br />
Michelle Hovestadt is an independent<br />
marketing consultant and<br />
owner and publisher of<br />
WickedCoolDeals.com, where she<br />
blogs about coupons, freebies, store<br />
deals and money-saving strategies.<br />
Mrs. Hovestadt lives in Woodstock<br />
with her husband and four young<br />
children and is always on the hunt<br />
for a great deal to share.<br />
PUTNAM HIGH SCHOOL<br />
Tuesday, Sept. 7: Clipper burger, curly fries, baked bens,<br />
coleslaw, frozen fruit sherbet, milk.<br />
Wednesday, Sept. 8: Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad,<br />
garlic bread, fruit, milk.<br />
Thursday, Sept. 9: Chicken fajita wrap, Spanish rice,<br />
peppers and onions, corn, fruit, milk.<br />
Friday, Sept.10: Pizza dippers with dipping sauce, salad,<br />
fruit, milk.<br />
CONTEST ENTRY FORM: Sept. 3, 2010<br />
Deadline: Sept. 9, 2010<br />
My guess is:___________________________________<br />
Answer to last week’s photo: Kioti Tractor, Woodstock.<br />
Who wants $25 cash in their pocket? Anyone?<br />
The Villager has it to give.<br />
Enter ‘What is It?’ now for your chance to win!<br />
Name________________________________________<br />
Address______________________________________<br />
State_______Zip_______ Telephone#_____________<br />
Please mail your entry form to the Villager <strong>News</strong>papers, PO Box 196, Woodstock, CT<br />
06281, attn: Editor, or drop off to the office at Faire Place at 283 Route 169/171 in<br />
Woodstock, in front of the Woodstock Fairgrounds. You may also fax your entry to<br />
(860) 928-5946. All photos are of sights seen in and around Brooklyn, Killingly, <strong>Putnam</strong>,<br />
Thompson, Woodstock, Pomfret and Eastford. Responses must identify the subject and<br />
where it can be seen. Answers will be given the following week in the <strong>Putnam</strong> Villager,<br />
Thompson Villager and Woodstock Villager. At the end of each month, all entry forms with<br />
the correct answer will be included in a random drawing. One lucky winner will receive<br />
$25! One entry per person, please. Good luck!<br />
“Seven new clients,<br />
All I can say is, AWESOME”<br />
Carole Himmer, Carole’s Grooming & Boarding Kennel<br />
508-867-9734<br />
They got GREAT Results, you can too.<br />
Call us today at (860)928-1818<br />
or drop us an email at ads@villagernewspapers.com<br />
Villager <strong>News</strong>papers<br />
"Your local newspaper - the next best thing to word-of-mouth advertising"<br />
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