Welcome to the ABCs of Savings! Each day we’ll be discussing another money saving topic, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. Be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you don’t miss any steps along the way. You can read the full alphabet of posts here (updated as they are posted).
W: Work
Let’s face it. Couponing is work. Saving money is work. No one said that it would operate itself. Let’s just make sure that all that work is truly worthwhile.
How much time do you spend couponing and scouring the sale flyers? Have you ever added it up? If not, it might be wise to keep track for the next couple of weeks. Then take a peek at how much you’re saving on your shopping trips. And I’m talking REAL savings…. Not the stuff you got free but may never use. How much actual cash are you saving your family each week?
Now comes the hard part. Figure out how much you’re saving per hour that you worked on couponing/saving money. Is it worth you time? If you’re just starting out, you may say NO. But give yourself some time. The workload does indeed become a bit lighter once you’ve gotten the hang of this whole couponing world. But if you’re a veteran couponer and you’re only saving $1 for every hour that you spend planning, it might be time to rethink your strategy.
The bottom line is this… What’s your time worth? When you figure out how much time you’re spending trying to save money and comparing it to how much you’re actually saving, is it worthwhile? That answer is going to be different for everyone. I just wanted you to think about it today.