Save money with coupons – just search and print, no clipping required 
“Mom, I need jeans,” my fourteen year old son mumbled while reading the back of the cereal box last Saturday morning.
“What do you mean you need jeans?” I asked, annoyed by his tone and realizing my day was suddenly being rescheduled.
“I meeaannn I need jeans. I have none that fit. I can’t wear shorts because there’s snow on the ground. I have two pairs of sweats, and they’re dirty. I…need…jeans.”
Okay, kids grow. I know that, especially boys at his age. But that wasn’t what was annoying me. No, what was really ticking me off was here again, this sudden “surprise” plopped into my lap for me to take care of…now. Just like the call on Tuesday from school when he needed more lunch money…now! Followed by the call on Thursday to sign a permission slip that he needed…now!
After unloading my frustration, explaining that the world didn’t revolve around him (though all moms know it does) and punctuating it with, “Things around this house are going to be changing, buddy,” my thoughts switched instead to, “Now how can I save money on those overpriced jeans that every teen loves and every parent loathes?” You know the kind I mean…holes, faded “everything,” the ones that we as kids inevitably transformed into “cut-offs” and our parents turned into rags.
I know…I’ll give Nathan a project. Sitting him down in front of his computer I explained that his objective for the next fifteen minutes was to come up with a discount coupon that we could use to save money on his jeans. As I headed upstairs to quickly change and make myself more presentable to the shopping public, I felt a sense of parental self-satisfaction that I had transformed a semi-tense exchange into somewhat of a a teaching moment. Chock one up for mommy!
A quick spruce-up and fifteen minutes later, I was ready to take on the mobs of shopping mayhem.
“How did you make out?” I asked Nathan.
“Couldn’t find anything,” he muttered.
“What do you mean, you couldn’t find anything?” I asked, surprised.
“I couldn’t find anything, ” his voice cracked and eyes watered. ” I went to their website and looked for coupons and discounts, and the only thing I could find was for online shopping.”
Hmmmm…tread softly, hormonal zone detected.
“Okay, that’s fine. Let’s take a couple minutes and do some quick searches. A lot of times you won’t find coupons or discounts on the store’s site itself,” I explained. “Many times they’re not advertised to the general public. They may be available only to frequent shoppers or for a limited time period. However, there are websites that research and publish these discount codes and coupons for shoppers to use…you just have to look for them.”
And for the next ten minutes, Nathan and I played online detectives searching for that pot of gold – “the discount coupon” that would ease the pain of the overpriced jeans. We entered the name of the store plus the words “discount coupon,” “discount code,” “coupon,” “online coupon,” but they all had to do with savings for an online order. Then we entered the name of the store plus “printable coupon” and, voila, discovered three coupons that were valid. We clicked on the best which in this case was “30% off entire order” (woohoo!), and were merrily on our way to shop.
Upon arriving at the store, there was more good news. All the jeans were on sale! Combined with our 30% off discount, we saved a bundle. But the real joy occurred on our way out.
“Thanks, Mom, for taking me. I know it’s not what you had planned, but I really appreciate it.”
My eyes watered. “This was a lot more fun than errands, Nay,” I said, reminding myself to savor these moments because they were waning and gave him a huge hug.
Moral of the story: Do a quick search before you shop. Whether it’s heading out the door for groceries or to do some holiday shopping, if you know what you’re looking for, check online for printable coupons…good chance they exist and they just might save you a bundle.
Other moral of the story: When it comes to your kids, fight the urge to “just do it yourself.” Instead, opt to teach. They’re learning, even if they don’t want you to know it 
Birthday Wishes for Allison Reynolds!
Tags: saving money
