Parent Education Couponing class - what would you have liked to have known.......

[jenbennate]

I am preparing for teaching my first parent education class on couponing. It is being offered to the parents of preschoolers for a school in our district. The teacher, my youngest son's preschool teacher, asked me to teach a class. She said it was the most widely asked for class by the parents. I am thrilled and nervous and.....terrified, but excited!

So, my question to you all here on CM........What would you have liked to have known about couponing back in the pre-coupon days of your life?

I am keeping my agenda simple. However, I want to arm them with as much info as necessary for them to go forth and conquer!

Thanks all!

[Desert Debbi]

I think the most important things to hit on are:

1) Make an email AND facebook account for couponing to keep coupon and personal life seperate
2) Watch pennies by making sure the inserts are in the papers you are buying, and that the coupons that YOU will use cover the cost of the paper at the very least
3) Local store policies: ie limit 3 coupons doubled.. PER TRANSACTION vs PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY.. whatever YOUR stores happen to do let them know!
4) How to tell if its really a bargain... what I tell my class is they should pick a number between 40-70%, usually 50% is good. Then look at the retail price, vs the sale price of the item in question. If the coupon plus the sale puts it into your pre-determined price range then GO FOR IT! Its not about comparing yourself to others savings.. its about saving YOUR family on things YOU need.
5) any way they can score "free" coupons. Explain to them the various sources, from the newspaper, to the internet, to peelies.. coffee shops.. dentist or doctor ect.

[pen4sygnets]

Just getting started is overwhelming at times. Basic information would be good:
1. How to set up your own coupon inventory;
2. Location of coupons online and how to download coupon software and printer;
3. Locating sale items;
4. Online couponing websites (there are multitudes of these) it is good to have more than one source for sale and coupon data;
5. How to get the whole family on board with saving money:
Those are the only suggestions I have.
Have fun teaching the class!

[go falcons]

I would demonstrate what you have gotten for free or cheap by having some sort of display set up with those items. One lady I heard of does something along the lines of a "guess the price " game when she teaches a couponing class sort of like they do on the game show" The Price Is Right ".
I would also give them the trueth behind "Extreme Couponing " , by telling them that doesn't happen over night, it takes a lot of work etc.

[tiffinpa]

I have to agree w/ Gofalcons- The Extreme Q show is unrealistic, even to the best veteran couponers.
tell them to start slow, concentrate on one or two stores at a time. Don't try and grab every deal at every store every week. Too overwhelming. Don't compare their needs/wants to others. We're all different. It will take anywhere from 2-6 months to build a comfortable stockpile of items. It's about changing the way they see coupons, look at them as real money. Even if they don't 'need' an item right now, if it's something they know they use get it when the price is lowest. It saves money in the longrun. Cause, we all know if we go to the store to buy toothpaste only, there's a 99% chance we'll spend a lot more money on other items.

[shallen3]

I wish I had known there was a better or different way to shop when my kids were small. I never looked at prices, or planned menus before this. I would go to the store and throw whatever struck my fancy at the moment in the cart and never looked at sale ads or prices and a lot of what I bought ended up in the trash because it went bad. I have over the years tried using coupons but saved only a few cents and figured my time was worth more than I saved. If something was on sale I might buy 2 of it but it never occurred to me to buy more than that because "we didn't need it". I think I would start by explaining that you can save 25-50% without even clipping a coupon by buying multiples when they are on sale. Add coupons to the mix and it's the cherry on top of a sale. I would also stress that just because something is on sale and you have a coupon doesn't mean you should buy it. If something is .25 then that's .25 wasted if your family won't use it. I think that starting with H&B is the easiest way to start a stockpile, so I would go over at least one drugstore in your area. I would have loved to have that information because I get sick thinking of all that money I wasted on toothpaste.

[dp38587]

I get sick thinking of all that money I wasted on toothpaste.

And razors! I must have lost at least a pint of blood shaving my legs with crappy razors I shelled out $3 a pack for and thought I was getting a good deal.....