Small Town Couponing - It can be done

Couponing has become hard even for some of the most experienced & knowledgeable couponers out there.

The sheer interest in saving money, and tonnes of it, is very appealing....to anyone!

Couponers are no longer the struggling mothers, or unemployed individuals seeking just to stay a float. Couponers are business men & women, the single - working average jo, parents of one or multiple children, the retired...and now even teenagers. Its everyone of all walks of life.

People in large cities can have quite the advantage when it comes to finding deals & accumulating large varieties of coupons. Small cities & towns...ummmm not so much. But! it can still be done.

Big City Couponing Pro's & Con's:

• Large variety of stores to comparison shop (Price Match) - PRO!
• Multiple locations to search for tear pads - PRO!
• Large cities have large amounts of people couponing, tear pads disappear quickly! - CON!
• Takes more time to shop when you have to drive long distances to get a deal - CON!
• Bigger stores = More stock - PRO!
• Coupon inserts are widely distributed, if you can't find it at one location, you can always try another - PRO!
  

Small Town Couponing Pro's & Con's:

•  Its hard to find the products that you have coupons for - CON
• Small towns are filled with independent grocers who do not accept coupons. - CON
• Limited amount of tear pads are put on shelves (if any) - CON
• Takes minutes to get to the store to grab your favorite deals - PRO

.....as you can see, there are not too many Pro's to living in a small town & trying to coupon. 

So, having been living in a small town all of my adult life, here is how I cope & accomplish getting great deals.

1. I have established a network of people from different areas in Canada in which I barter with to trade coupons. If I have no coupons to trade, other compensations are offered. Ie: cost of postage, help with couponing, or other tokens of appreciation. Between a small group of ladies on facebook (whom now we are best of friends without ever having met) and a wonderful lady in Northern Alberta, I can generally get my hands on any coupon that I need with out too much pain involved.

2. Hold out for deals & pricematch. In my small town we have two grocery stores. I will price match one store against the other, and I am able to "stack" coupons to accomplish getting the cheapest price possible.

3. Stockpiling.....for small towns, I feel that "some" stockpiling is necessary. The expensive everyday items that you will always use and are hard to find cheap is what I like to stockpile on. Toilet Paper on sale + Coupons I can find for between $3-$4, Coffee $0.99 (Reg. $10.99), Shampoos, Conditioners, body wash, deodorants, cleaners, toothpaste, medications, etc, etc....usually can get a deal so I pay less than 10% of the regular retail price. If I stock up on certain "expensive" items, I will end up saving a lot of money.
But you have to remember: "Savings are not Savings until they are consumed or used, otherwise it is just $$$$ sitting on a shelf."
*make sure the items you stockpile will actually get used before they expire, otherwise whats the point?

4. I stay organized. This is a huge asset to successful couponing no matter where you live. If you can't find a coupon, how in the world are you gonna use it....enough said. The way you organize and take care of your coupons should be just as important as paying your bills on time...cause its money in the bank.

5. I shop every other day. even if I don't need anything, I will walk through the grocery store and observe any deals that I may be able to take advantage of. Looking at the flyers that come to you in the mail are not the only deals that are going on. Look for the Clearance & Manager Specials for more great deals. This also gives me the chance to have a much needed coffee.

Which brings me to my last point:

6. NEVER shop with children!...I have learned my lesson one too many times about this one. Children are distracting, and require your full attention...at all times! I have misplaced, lost, and forgotten about certain coupons when shopping with my kids in tow. I also don't get everything that I need, resulting in loosing out on a sale. When ever possible, shop with out the kids!
Here are some examples just to re-enforce this point

• When children who insist on walking and not sitting in the cart decide to open Fresh Orange Juice containers cause they are thirsty - She obviously needed my attention
• You spend time putting items back on the shelf that you kids are deciding you need
• Tantrums - resulting from putting back those items that you sweet children really really want
• They RUN! all around the store, and you spend your time desperately trying to keep them calm & quiet
• Your kids are impatient and demanding to leave...couponing takes too long with children
• At the till...well, as my children love to pick out their favorite gum, toss magazines, and argue cause they are so DONE with being in the store, I am lucky to pull out the correct debit/credit card & coupons. By this time, I also just want to get out of there.

Couponing in a small town is very possible, but certainly not as easy to get the deals that you hear about in the big cities. Be determined, frugal, and stay on your game. You will get great deals.