How Couponing Saves Time

The most common response I get when people learn of my coupon addiction is, “I don’t have time for that.” I have a full-time job, and I’m a wife & mom. And I still have time to coupon. It really doesn’t take that much time, and I’ve noticed that the better I get at couponing, it actually SAVES time. How? Let me show you the numbers. I am an accountant, after all.

1. Meal planning and list making takes about an hour each week. But it saves me 15 minutes each night from pacing between the pantry to the fridge to the freezer and back again, wondering what we are eating for dinner.
Time spent = 60 minutes. Time saved = 105 minutes.

2. Couponing makes me a speed shopper. I no longer wander aimlessly down aisle after aisle. I have my list, and I’m on a mission to stick to it. Random question. Does anyone remember that old game show, Supermarket Sweep? I would totally be taking home that $5,000 grand prize, if that show still existed.
Time spent = 30 minutes. Time saved = 60 minutes.

3. No more random trips to the grocery store, unless you consider my basement a grocery store. Almost anything you could possibly want is in my stockpile. And if it’s not in the stockpile, you probably don’t need it anyway!
Time spent = 1 minute. Time saved = 15 minutes.

4. Don’t clip unless you need to. I hate scissors. So, I just label each coupon insert by date and file it away. Then when I get the weekly coupon match-ups, I know exactly where to find that coupon I need.
Time spent = 5 minutes. Time saved = 45 minutes.

Total Time Spent = (96) minutes

Total Time Saved = 225 minutes

Difference = 129 minutes of extra time I have each week thanks to couponing!