Some people swear by coupons, while others don’t think they’re worth the effort. Personally, I think it depends on what type of coupons you’re going after, as not all coupons are created equally. Personally, I like to break coupons down into three main categories:

  • Newspaper coupons: These are the coupons that come along with the Sunday circular. They are normally colorful and shiny and contain ads to sell you figurines and other keepsakes. I tend to not bother with these as I don’t take a newspaper. Also, many of the coupons are for boxed, packaged food products that I don’t buy so I have found that there’s less and less there that I can use.
  • Store coupons: These are the in-store coupons that you pick up by the door, sometimes these can be found online. I like these because since this is a store that I am choosing to shop in (often frequently) there’s more of a chance I will find something of value to me. For example in the past month I’ve saved over 20 dollars (and spent about $45 at Sally’s Beauty Supply). I only shop there every couple of months, but it just so happened that I came at a time when the things I wanted were on sale. Another nice thing about store coupons is that they often advertise for very broad categories. I do some scrapbooking (I know, not the most frugal hobby), and I can frequently find all paper or all acid-free stickers on sale for 50% off at Hobby Lobby. I like this because it generally includes most brands and types, versus only being able to buy Brand X in quantity Y. Hobby Lobby also has an online coupon where you can get 40% off any one non-sale item. This makes me very happy.
  • Community Coupons: These are the coupons that you receive in the mail that are catered to your area. Yesterday my roommate and I went to dinner with a one-free-entrée coupon (that had no expiration date!). We paid less than 14 bucks total with taxes and tip. When you’re a student, that’s a great deal. I tend to find good deals for local restaurants and oil changes in those books and fliers. And since the local Jiffy Lube gives free car washes with an oil change, it turns into a smokin’ deal.

Well that’s how I use coupons. I know everyone is different, but I think that with coupons, there’s pretty much something for everyone. I spend very little time on finding coupons and I get plenty of benefit, because I’ve realized where utilizing coupons actually makes sense in my current lifestyle. Does your coupon use fall more heavily into one category over another? Is there another category that I’ve overlooked?