Saving money is generally considered to be a good thing. College students are not known for having tremendous amounts of wealth and conversely, some may look for every opportunity possible to save a hard-earned dollar. One hobby that has gained the attention of those looking to save a buck is couponing.
The concept of couponing is straight and to the point: use coupons and pay less when shopping. These coupons can be found in many ways ranging from being printed off of company websites to being cut out of advertisements in the weekly newspaper. Some companies will also give out coupons attached to the bottom of their receipt in order to entice the customer to return to shop on another day.
Many well-known retailers such as Walmart, Target, CVS, and Rite Aid offer various sales and deals through these coupons. While many of these coupons have limitations and rules dictating how and where they may be used, there are no limitations on who may use them. There are also many companies that offer new deals each week which can further open up the options that shoppers have to choose from. The multiple levels of accessibility present opens the hobby up to students, parents, and whoever else is interested in the shopping hobby.
Those interested in couponing may experience various levels of ease or difficulty when starting out. This was the case for Turlock community member, Lauren Freeman. “In the beginning when I was learning, trying to figure out how to make everything match was very difficult. Couponing takes a fair amount of time to make sure everything correlates properly. I usually spend a few hours on Sunday prior to my store trip.”
Turlock Couponer, Svitlana Richardson shares the sentiment when asked about her experience of beginning couponing. “At the beginning it seems hard, because you don’t know what to do and where to go. Currently there are a lot of couponing websites and blogs that will help beginners start. All you need is patience, a plan, and a calculator.”
The intimidation of starting paired with the time investment required has the potential to be a deal breaker for those considering the hobby. The rewards however may act as an incentive for others to put in the time to get the hang of it and stick with it.
“My first savings were on 20 boxes of General Mills cereal where I paid less than 10 cents for each of them!” Richardson explains, recalling some of the highlights of her hobby.
Richardson also acknowledges that there is a time investment when it comes to couponing. “Sometimes it crosses my mind that the amount of time and work I put into it are not worth it, but then I remember how many things I’ve been able to donate to victims of the California wildfires and local homeless shelters!”
Others such as Freeman find a sense of accomplishment through a successful couponing trip. “I think couponing is worth the effort, I like the satisfaction of getting products at a low cost and being able to give my family and friends the opportunity to save money,” explains Freeman.
With the costs of classes, supplies, and day-to-day life always adding up for college students, it would be understandable why the hobby would seem appealing. Harpreet Samra (senior, Biology) mirrors this thinking thanks to her experiences at Stan State. “I think it is a good hobby for students trying to save money because being a college student is already really expensive. Coupons are great because they help you save money and you also get to discover different deals each week.”
While getting a steal of a deal is often viewed as a good thing, there are some students such as Maria Isabel (freshman, Psychology) who aren’t enticed by the less exciting components of the hobby. “My friend’s mom saves so much money and is always stocked up on everything. I feel like if you are good at it, it benefits, but honestly, I’m just so lazy to be able to sit there and just cut out coupons.”
Other students such as Yoselin Rodriguez (freshman, Sociology) think that the trade off of learning the hobby is well worth the rewarded savings. “I think it’s an interesting hobby that more people should learn how to do and be able to help themselves out financially.”
While those who embark on learning the hobby of couponing are sure to experience varying levels of success, the goal of saving money while shopping is sure to capture the interest of those who would prefer to pay less at the store.
Like every other hobby, couponing is not for everyone and while there are bound to be some who are more than happy to partake, there will be others who are more than happy to get their shopping trip done with and cross it off their to-do list.