Why do you want to coupon?

Do you want to save money? Do like the thrill of the hunt? Do you just need something to occupy your time? Do you need free or almost free items for your church's food pantry or military families? 

There are many reasons to coupon, for most people it's the mere fact they want or need to save money. Personally, a very good friend of mine taught me how to effectively coupon. She took several classes through www.stockpilingmoms.com and wanted to share the wealth so to speak. I took great notes but then sat on the information for months, then one day decided I wanted to save money on my grocery bill. No one ever starts out couponing and saves tons of money, it's like learning how to ride a bike on two wheels, you start out with training wheels until you get the hang of it. 


If you are trying to build a stockpile, in the beginning you will spend more money because your are purchasing more items than you normally would. It is possible though to still save lots of money while building a good stockpile. For instance, in the month of May I blew our grocery bill out of the water with $352 total for the month. However, I was able to save 54% when all was said and done, so without coupons I would have spent nearly $775!! And in that large grocery bill for the month, I have items I won't have to buy for 3-4 months because we are stocked up. 


For me couponing is the thrill of getting stuff for free or nearly free. Just in the month of May I was able to get the following FREE: 

• 5 tubes of Crest Toothpaste
• 11 Reach Toothbrushes
• 4 Brut Deodorants
• 3 packages of Ivory Soap
• 8 bottles of Nivea Body Wash
• 4 tubes of Colgate Toothpaste
• 8 packages of Carefree Pantiliners
• 1 Two Liter of Sun Drop

I also purchased multiple items that I won't have to purchase for months, including:

• 10 jars of Ragu spaghetti sauce
• 3 jars of Nutella Hazelnut Spread
• 30 various deodorants
• 130 disposable razors
• 10 bottles of shaving cream/gel
• 15 tubes of toothpaste I only paid $0.50 each
• 8 tubes of diaper cream

As I mentioned above, sure I blew our monthly grocery bill out of the proverbial water, but I won't have to purchase many items for probably 6 months or more. By buying now when I can get a good deal, I am saving money money as well as later when I need said item.

So what is your reason to coupon?