Is a Coupon Clipping Service for Me?

Is a coupon clipping service for me? This was something I pondered when I first started couponing. For me, the answer is a definite YES. The main thing to ask yourself is this “Are there any coupons for items that I use on a regular basis?” If the answer is “Yes”, then consider getting multiples of one like coupon from a clipping service.

Using a Coupon Clipping Service.
Cost per coupon usually is between $0.08 to $0.15.
PROS: You can purchase anywhere from a minum of 1-3 coupons for one like item. Maximum may be unlimited or sometimes 10-15 depending on what the site sets (I believe this is determined on the popularity of the item). ALSO, you have the flexibility of getting only the coupons you want instead of all the unwanted ones from the Sunday insert. The previous statement is the main reason why I use a coupon clipping service. I only buy 1 Sunday paper because I only use about 15% of the coupons.
CON: Must make a minimum purchase. For example, the site I often use has a ”$3 minimum purchase.”
TIP: Check out the availability on Saturday. Most clipping services have the Sunday insert coupons available for sale the Saturday before.
Example of Scenario for when to use a Coupon Clipping Service
(Actually, this is an order I placed 1 month ago):
Products
——————————————————
3 x Hormel Always Tender Product $1.00/1 (4/5/10) = $0.30
3 x Campbell’s Healthy Request Condensed Soups $1.00/4 (4/30/10) = $0.24
6 x Quaker Chewy Granola Bars $1.00/2 (4/10/10) = $0.48
14 x Eggland’s Best Eggs $1.00/2 (6/30/10) = $1.12
5 x Grande Tortilla Chips $1.00/1 (4/30/10) = $0.50
5 x Progresso Soups $1.00/4 (4/3/10) = $0.40
——————————————————
Sub-Total: $3.04
Table Rate (Standard Shipping + .50 Admin Fee): $0.94
Total: $3.98

Using Ebay:
Most coupons found on Ebay are sold in 10s, 15s, or 20s. So, you’re buying/bidding on 10, 15, or 20 of the same coupon. The reason to do this – You want to stock-up or it’s an item you buy on a regular basis. Cost for these sets can range from $1 to $2.50 (not including S&H;)depending on the amount and popularity of coupon.

Is it worth it?
You may be thinking…”I am trying to save money and now I have to spend money to get coupons?!?” First, look at the coupons purchased using a coupon clipping service. I’ll use the $1/1 Grande Chips coupon as an example. I ordered 5 coupons. This coupon doubles at Giant PA (State College). Every time I used one coupon I saved $2. I used all 5 (once each transaction) and saved a total of $10!!! That is more than the $3.98 I spent to purchase the coupons, specifically I saved a net of $6.02 ($10-$3.98). This is just the savings on the Grande Chips alone. OR look at it like this. There’s a total of 30 $1 coupons on my order above. If I used all the coupons and all doubled, that’s $60 in savings! Even if they didn’t double, that’s still $30 in coupon savings. Well worth the $3.98 spent to get the coupons!

Coupon clipping services I recommend are The Coupon Master and The Coupon Clippers.  I personally have been using  The Coupon Master for the past 1.5 years and highly recommend them!!!

Anyone have other tips on how to get multiple coupons that originate from the Sunday insert? Questions? Please share.