So as the fire finally burns bright at the year end, literally…
… And a new fresh start is about to begin….
My mind went to coupons tonight.
After the holiday season, one sees the shopping deals but sometimes also the overdraft in your bank account.
I love this time of year … And those coupons are great fire starters. The expired ones I mean (and yes I recycle too).
So as my “babies” sleep, I think: “Here’s one of the ways to keep them busy AND saving us money while getting the home stuff reorganized”: The Coupon Sort & Toss.
Here’s how you can do what we do:
Grab all the coupons you have and put them in a big pile on the floor or in the centre of a table.
Label 3 large Ziploc bags: Food, Household Supplies, Restaurants & Shopping, Use ASAP.
Label 1 extra envelope or cardboard box “Expired…. Recycle”.
Have each kid scavenge and sort each coupon by this list:
Is it expired? Yes –> Expired Box; No –> Continue
Is it going to expire in 30 days? Yes –> “Use ASAP” baggie/ envelope. ; No –> Continue
Which category does it belong to? Food? Household Supplies? Restaurants & Shopping?
DONE!!!
This can be made into many “games”:
Several kids can do it together as a sorting race
Find the highest worth coupon
Find the healthiest coupon and compare/debate
Make a healthy meal using only coupon items (and they have to be willing to eat it …. Because you can have it for dinner that week!)
(Do you have an idea? List it in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!)
They can do it while I might be busy with something but we can still be together in the same room and chat.
The “Use ASAP” coupons are a great way to pair with sales and flyers ( Don’t forget to use the Flipp app!).
They are also a way to get stocked up on a few items, or help you to buy items to donate to a food bank or food cupboard in your area.
Here in London, CANada we even have some lovely ladies that started Coupons for Hunger that you can donate the coupons to instead.
Plan parts of your meals with coupons to save money.
I’ve also written another article on couponing, published by the Ontario Home Economics Association. Read it for more tips on couponing.
Comments