Homemade Coupons

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Homemade coupons are a great gift idea whenever you want to show your appreciation for someone special while sticking to your household budget. Remember, a gift doesn’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. In many cases, a gift of your time will be much more valuable than some trinket purchased at the local mall.

Coupon books are a great frugal gift idea.

How to Make Homemade Coupons

Making homemade coupons is a simple project, even if you’re not normally a “crafty” sort of person. If you’re a parent with young children, having your kids help with the project is a great way to begin to teach them about the importance of caring for others. Even preschoolers can design their own coupon books with minimal adult supervision.

Supplies:

  • White copy paper
  • Construction paper or colored cardstock
  • Scissors
  • Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
  • Stickers or rubber stamps
  • Stapler

Instructions:

  1. Cut strips of paper to a uniform size. Typically, 10-15 coupons is enough to create a special book.
  2. Write out different coupon titles, customized to fit the age and interests of your gift recipient. Don’t be afraid to be creative with this part of the project.
  3. Decorate your individual coupons with stickers or rubber stamps.
  4. Use your construction paper or colored cardstock to design a pretty cover for your homemade coupon book.
  5. Staple your coupon book together.

Coupon Ideas

Ideas for your homemade coupon book should focus on what the recipient may really want or need.

Consider the following coupon ideas for children:

  • Stay up 30 minutes past your bedtime
  • A day free of chores
  • Ice cream cone
  • Watch your favorite movie
  • One new toy of your choice (under a specified dollar limit!)

Ideas for teens and adults may include:

  • Free car wash
  • Breakfast in bed
  • Magazine subscription of your choice
  • A plate of homemade cookies
  • Home cooked meal of your choice

If you’re making a coupon book for a romantic partner, consider these frugal ways to show your love:

  • Hug and a kiss
  • Full body massage
  • Hot bath for two
  • Whipped cream party
  • Romantic dinner with strawberries and champagne for dessert

Although it’s not strictly necessary, you may want to consider putting an expiration date or other restrictions on your homemade coupons—especially when the coupons involve a financial expenditure for you. Offering to purchase your son or daughter a new toy may seem like a good idea, but you don’t want your child to try to redeem the coupon when you’re broke and anxiously awaiting your next paycheck!

Printable Online Coupon Books

Although it’s quite simple to make your own homemade coupons, there are several different Web sites offering printable templates for those who need an inexpensive gift in a hurry. For example:

  • Microsoft Office provides a number of printable coupons that you can use to create your own homemade gifts. There are coupons for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas, as well as general designs suitable for everyday occasions.
  • American Greetings has nicely-designed coupon books to suit a variety of occasions. While the site does charge a small membership fee, you can sign up for a one month free trial.
  • Pastiche Family Portal has printable coupons and gift certificates with a number of different themes.
  • Real Simple has a whimsical looking coupon template that you can fill in with the items of your choice.

If you’re looking for sites offering coupon books that kids can make themselves, LoveToKnow Save suggests visiting the following links:

  • DLTK has an interactive tutorial that lets kids create their own customized coupon books featuring popular cartoon characters from Blue’s Clues and Dragon Tales.
  • The Youth Online Club has several coupons that kids can print to give to their friends or family members.
  • All Free Printables has a cute chore coupon book that kids can make for Mom or Dad to promise they will help out around the house more.
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