Did you catch last week’s episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8? If not let me explain the part that stuck out in my mind. The Gosselin’s are moving into a new home which means lots of expenses. Jon went to an unnamed store and purchased a shower faucet. And Kate found out he did it without coupons!! “This is annoying; beyond annoying!” she shouted. “I have stacks of coupons!” Jon’s explanation was that he didn’t know she had coupons for that store. Kate told the interviewer, not using a coupon is like flushing a $20 bill down the toilet. While I’m sure Kate drew some criticism for her coupon outburst, I understand the passion she has for saving money. Thankfully, my husband is completely on the same page when it comes to saving money. I have converted him from being someone who pays $300 for a pair of jeans (can you imagine!?!?!) to someone that won’t make a purchase without doing an online search for coupons first. But that episode of Jon and Kate got me thinking, what do you do if your spouse doesn’t have the same passion for using coupons? Here are a few tips:
Plan with them. You probably know if they are making a run to Home Depot or the grocery store. Get in the habit of planning purchases and which coupons to use.
Make it a game. Let them see the challenge of finding the best deal. Bring out their competitive spirit by showing them using coupons can be fun!
Teach them a few of your tricks. If you really are into using coupons, you probably have a few tricks for using them. Let your spouse in on your strategy and how to get the most for your money.
Encourage them! Don’t yell at them for not using coupons, encourage them when they do! If you’re hard on them when they forget they may just give up.
And if all else fails– just make sure you are the one doing the household shopping!