I'm loving doing these "ON AIR" installments, I get to meet the most fantastic people! I was very lucky this week to be able to throw my 20 questions (ok, more like 6!) at Terra and Ryan from Save A Loonie! Its always great to be able to get fellow couponers' tips and insights into saving, that way we can all keep learning from eachother!How long have you been couponing, what inspired you to get started?
I can honestly say before December of 2009 neither Ryan nor I had ever used a coupon before. Sure, I had discount cards & points’ cards and shopped the sales but never a coupon or a price match. Sometimes we look at one another now and say “Can you believe what we were missing out on?”
We started couponing mainly out of necessity. I am a full time student (only for a few more months YAY!) and Ryan is self-employed. We moved into a new house in January of 2010 and our finances were extremely tight. We quickly discovered that we were not going to be able stay afloat for very long. In December of 2009 we saw the very first episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC. That’s what started it all. We figured if they could do it, why couldn’t we.
What made you decide to share your skils and success online?
All the questions! LOL When Ryan and I started really saving our friends and family were asking a lot of questions. I tried explaining it all to them but it would take hours and without a computer in front of us and actually being able to go into the stores it’s near impossible. Ryan already does web design, so we figured it would be a great way to put all of the information together for them. We never expected that 8 months later SaveaLoonie.com would be over 16,000 fans strong! We are thankful for each and every one of them <3
You're both very lucky to have eachother's support in your saving ways! What advice do you have for others who may be dealing with sceptical friends or family?
Yes we are very lucky to have one another support as I know many don’t. My suggestion for couponers dealing with sceptical family and friends is to stay strong. Prove couponing works by sharing your success.
Next time someone is doubting you, ask them how much they paid for their last bottle of body wash. When you tell them you got yours for free, they may change their mind. If it is your spouse/significant other, show them the receipts and tell them how much you are saving your family. They will begin to appreciate it.
If they think stockpiling is unnecessary do the math for them. Sure, you may have paid $10 for 5 bottles of laundry soap but it’s going to last you close to a year. Negative Nancy is going to pay $7.00 each for the same amount of detergent in the same time frame and pay $35.00 plus time, gas and energy! It only makes sense!
How do you see couponing in Canada changing over the next 5 years? Do you see it becoming more accepted, or more difficult?
I think it’s going to be a bit of both. In the year or so that we have been doing this we have already begun to see a shift. As coupons begin to become a more accepted method of payment, the actual execution is going to become more difficult. Even though more coupons are becoming available there is a growing audience vying for those limited quantities. So this means that actually getting your hands on those high value coupons will be more difficult. It will also be more difficult to actually find the good sales still on the shelves.
I fear company policies are also going to become far more strict. We have already seen it changing in some coupon wording and store policies (London Drugs).
What are some items you NEVER pay for now that you are more experienced couponers?
My favourite thing, free stuff J Between a sufficient stock pile and growing experience with coupons we have a few things we never pay for anymore. A few of my favourites are Ziploc bags, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, deodorant/antiperspirant, garbage bags, bar soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and OTC pain medications.
What is one piece of advice you would give a new couponer that you wish you had been given when you started?
There is so much advice to give it’s hard to come up with just one thing, but I would have to say – Get Organized.
Find an organization system that works for you whether its envelopes, an accordion folder or a binder. And don’t be afraid to change your system if you find it’s not working for you. You’ll have very little success couponing if you don’t actually use your coupons!
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions! Some great info for new and experienced couponers alike!
If you'd like to see more from Terra and Ryan, head on over to Savealoonie.com!
HAPPY SAVING:)
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