Coupons first saw widespread use in the United States in 1909 when C. W. Post conceived the idea to help sell breakfast cereals and other products. That means that on Jan 1 of 2009, coupons as we know them are 100 years old!!! So love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are here to stay! Imagine how they have changed! Today, more than 700 corporations offer coupons for discounts on products or services. Each year, coupons for consumer packaged goods generate nearly 3 billion dollars in transactions within the U.S. alone! Who knew $0.50 cents here or there could add up to so much money in savings?
Actually, my mother knew, and chances are, yours did too! When I was younger, I never understood two things, coupons and checks. I always remembered my mom clipping coupons and writing checks. One day, when my mom told me she didn’t have any money, I told her just write a check! Checks and coupons were like magic to me. Somewhere along the way, coupons seem to have lost their magic. People now days think they are simply to hard, or not worth the time. I was one of those people. Coupons seemed overwhelming, time consuming, an ineffective use of my time, and most of all not cool. What self respecting guy would clip coupons to save some money?
I have to profess that when I started using coupons, I was extremely self-conscious. I would go later in the day, when few people were in the store. I never wanted to hold up the line or get stared at, but after a while, people began to ask me how I was saving so much. They stopped staring at me, and started staring at my bill. It was then that I realized that coupons are cool!! Saving is even cooler, and people these days aren’t bragging about how much their shoes cost, they bragging about how much they saved!
So with that said, here are the 6 reasons why coupons are still cool.
1. You save so much money.
It’s always cool to save money. My family never brags about how much we spent, we brag about how much we didn’t spend! Regardless of what you see on television, wealthy people stay that way because they don’t spend money! In these hard economic times, it’s responsible of you to minimize your expenses and maximize your savings. Because of the money we saved from coupons, we’ve been able to pay down debt. Who doesn’t like to save money? Besides Paris Hilton, most people I know think it’s really cool, that I can walk into the grocery store and spend nothing!
2. You get involved with likeminded people.
There is a wealth of advice on WeUseCoupons.com about coupons. Coupon clippers all over America meet here and discuss deals, what they are doing, coupon scenarios and much more. If you don’t know where to begin, visit our articles and virtual classes section. These are free comprehensive resources on how to use coupons effectively. Many posters will match up coupons with weekly grocery store circulars, making it easy to see how much you’ll save before you leave out the door. We would invite you to become active in our community!
3. Brush up on your math skills. 
By simply using coupons, your math skills will improve. Coupons force you to comparison shop, and require you to look at how much you’re spending. You’ve got to worry about the coupon doubling, and maybe an overage here or there. When used in conjunction with sales prices, coupons will cause you to exercise your math muscles, so that you know exactly how much you’re spending & saving.
4. Inspire other people to become financially aware.
Although I’ve had people groan when they see me hand the cashier fifty coupons, many are intrigued. I have had conversations with people in line about coupons and saving money. I tell them it may take awhile and that they might want to move to another line, but many say, ‘I’d like to watch.’ You can inspire people by couponing! I’ve had screams at the register from other people watching my bill. You are teaching them that you care about your money, that you’re not superman, just a normal person. Anyone can coupon! I now believe that most people will think you’re smart for clipping coupons.
5. Coupons make deal hunting a fun.
About a year ago, I watched on the food network a woman who went to the store, purchased all the basics and walked out paying very little money. The only question I asked was “how?” A year later, I was on my local television station doing the same thing! I know it’s insane, but it’s possible! Take a look at around our site! People everyday are getting things for free. Lots of posters will explain step-by-step, coupon-by-coupon how they achieve mind-boggling savings. It’s an attainable goal. When you really start couponing, you’ll discover how fun it can be to save money. You can then show off your spoils here at WeUseCoupons, take a picture or write what you got, and we’ll no doubt be proud!!
6. Coupons allow you to try new products.
Oftentimes, manufacturers provide great deals for new products through coupons. Why would you buy an unknown product? But to sweeten the deal, manufactures also negotiate discounts through stores that sell their products. In other words, if you hold the coupon until the product is on sale, you can often times get the product for free or close to it!
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