For many, the word, “coupon,” conjures up the image of a 1950s housewife in a dainty apron clipping coupons out of Good Housekeeping. Are coupons relevant and useful anymore or is it too much hassle to keep track of all the little slips just to save a quarter? This secretary’s answer is a qualified yes. Coupons can still save you money, but there are a few rules to follow to be sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

The first cardinal rule of coupon shopping is that a coupon does not save you money if you use it to buy something you ordinarily wouldn’t purchase. Yes, $3 off a bottle of laundry detergent is a great deal, unless your family prefers another brand and won’t use it. And $2 off of 7 cartons of strawberries is great unless you’re a single man who couldn’t possibly finish them in a week. So be honest with yourself – if you think you won’t use it, don’t be tempted.

Second, don’t write off your smaller coupons. Many supermarkets offer coupon doubling days, when they’ll actually double the face value for you. So your $.25 coupon becomes worth $.50 – which still isn’t a ton of money, but it helps if it’s for an item you purchase frequently. Your supermarket’s sales flyer should tell you which, if any, coupons they’ll be doubling for the week. Check for any quantity limitations on the coupon – you may be able to apply your discount to 4 or more of the same product!

And it may seem obvious, but if you don’t have your coupons with you or if you can’t find the ones you need, then you can’t reap the savings! Experiment and find a filing system that works for you. All I do is carry an envelope in my purse since I don’t have many coupons to carry once I’m done being brutally honest with myself about what I’ll actually use. When I find a coupon I’ll use, it goes in the envelope so that I’ll always have it on hand when I’m in the supermarket. If you have more coupons to manage, a small notecard box can be helpful, allowing you to file coupons by expiration date, product type or other characteristic.

Finally, be creative in the places you look for coupons. There are tons of terrific places on the internet to find coupons. In fact, a Google search for “internet coupons” turns up approximately 18,800,000 matching websites. My personal favorite is www.couponsurfer.com – if you register you can create your own personal “CouponButler” who will let you know when there are coupons available for the items you buy most. You can also try narrowing down your Google search with terms like “baby coupons” or “golf coupons” to find more targeted coupons or search a manufacturer’s website for specific product coupons.

Managing coupons isn’t something that should take you a lot of time – I’ll check my local newspaper and Coupon Surfer account before heading out to the grocery store. It doesn’t take me long and the coupons I find knock a few dollars off my grocery bill each week. It isn’t much, but good secretaries know that every dollar counts!