How Coupons Saved My Life
I am sharing a video with you today… a very personal video. A video I filmed back in 2012. A video I wasn’t ready to release.
Now I am ready. Ready to share my story. My story about addiction, depression, and how those little things called coupons have done so much more than save me money.
*Please keep in mind that this video may not be suitable for children.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdTiPNJM7JU] If you can’t see the video, click here.
If you are currently suffering from drug addictions, food addictions and/or depression, I strongly encourage you to reach out to a friend or family member, doctor, counselor or pastor and seek help.
Colin, I love you even more now. I don’t live in the States but I visit your website almost every day, just for the fun of it. Your personality was what caught my attention in videos and I’ve been hooked to watch your adventures through the stores for at least 2 years. Thank you for showing us the other side of your not so perfect life – that made us realize we all have problems and we can overcome them. Inspiring, to say the least. xoxoox – your webfan from Brazil <3
Awww…thanks much!! 🙂
Wow. very raw, very human. thanks for sharing
I got online this morning to look for a make-up coupon, but came across your video instead. I’m glad I stopped the daily morning routine long enough to watch. Thank you Colin for sharing of yourself and being so compassionate to others! Love your site too!
WOW. I really loved this. Thank you for sharing and thank you for all you do!
I stop by here ever now and then and am not a heavy couponer but enjoy your website. I just had to leave a comment as I feel it wouldn’t be right to watch that video and not say anything. Your video was amazing and very inspirational…thank you so much for sharing it with us and letting us see that crazy side of life that we all experience day to day. Keep up the great work and you are amazing!
Collin. You are an inspiration. Thank you for breaking down the walls of “fakeness” that we women so often build up around ourselves so that our true, tender hearts don’t get crushed by the cruelty that is sometimes life. You are brave and you are strong, not only for overcoming what you have but for sharing your story with us. Your hubby and babies are so lucky to have you and so are we. XOXO
I am lucky to have my family, friends AND all of you!! 🙂
God Bless you Colin. Thank you for sharing. It is so true how we look at peoples edited lives on Face Book and can so easily be jealous. But what we don’t see are the behind the scenes.
Thank you Collin for sharing your story. You are such a bright light shining for others! I’m so glad I stumbled across your videos/site. It has been a huge blessing for me and my family’s life! Thank you for all your efforts to make a positive impact in the lives of others! I always tell others you are my coupon idol. 😉
With the money I save couponing I use for drugs and alcohol.
Dear Penny,
Please remember the main reason for this very personnel video being posted. She is trying to encourage anyone who is hurting and in pain to reach out and get help. Addiction in it’s many forms is a very lonely place to be. So, sweetheart put yourself first today and let Colin be your example of hope. God Bless You!
I haven’t been able to get your post out of my mind since I saw it yesterday. I have no real help for you but please follow Collin’s suggestion for help at the end of her video. God loves us as we are, where we are right now, broken and all. I will be praying for you. Please get the help you need. You are worth it!
Collin – you just rose in my estimation from being a seriously “hip” person who I liked a lot to being one of my heroes! I love the humour and fun of your blog and, of course, all the great deals. Watching your video this morning motivated me to go ahead and do my workout even though I really wanted to crawl back into bed in a funk – I feel so much better now. Thank you for being such an inspiring person!
Thank you for sharing your story Colin. I’ve struggled with depression since becoming a mom. Thank you for letting me know I’m ok.
You are an inspiration to so many! I hope you find great peace in all these positive comments, and realize there’s thousands more behind you as well! What strength to share your story! thank you!
Dear Dear Collin,
Thanks for sharing your story. I would never have guessed that you had such “struggles” in your life. You always seem so up beat and vivacious. I am glad that those dark moments are in the past. You are an amazing woman. Bless you!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You are the best, never forget that!
Thanks for sharing! That was very brave of you. I do get mad at myself when I get jealous of others from the snigglets they share on social media. I should know better, that things are not always sunshine and rainbows. Thanks for helping me to remember that and not judge myself against others. I’m glad things are much better for you now! And thanks for all you do for your site. I don’t visit but about 3 sites on a regular basis (like every other day) – and yours is one of them!
Wow! That was a touching video. Thank you for sharing 💕
Collin, you are very inspiring to me. Your story was very touching to hear. I too went through the same struggles in elementary and high school. Following your blog brings a little brightness to my day! So THANK YOU for all you do!
You are the epitome of courageous, kind, and real. All in one little spunky package:) I appreciate you and all that you do and I am so happy that you sought help. It would be a shame otherwise. Love to you and your special little family!!!!
Colin- God is using you in bigger ways than you know. Your story is so relatable to so many people watching. I hope you share this video with your kids one day. I think so many parents shield their children from struggles and failure and for them to know what you went through and how positive things can out of it would be such a lesson for them. To think you felt unattractive, unworthy and unintelligent and you have become a smart, successful, beautiful (on the inside bad out) business woman really speaks to your character. I love your spirit and thank you for letting God speak through you. You are a blessing to so many and I am glad to see you are also being blessed.
Thank you for sharing, Collin. I absolutely love Hip2save! You have helped us save so much! Because your sight encourages the “clipping” of coupons, my brother in law often refers to it as Hip 2 Clip!
So inspirational! I appreciate everything you do at Hip2Save — I visit your website several times every single day. My addiction is Hip2Save 🙂
Thank you for sharing your story. You are truly an inspiration!
This was a really touching video. Thank you for having the courage to share it. You are such a courageous woman. I’ve been a reader for about 5 years now. This site is awesome. I’ve saved so much for my family. You taught me to coupon. I can’t thank you enough for that. I’m so happy you are in a good place right now.
Thank you, Collin, for sharing your heart. .. Praying for you as you continue your journey and help me with mine. Hugs.
Very moving video. I think most families struggle with similar issues but hide that fact, so thanks for sharing your experiences.
Don’t ever let anybody tell you what you can and what you can’t do!
You are an inspiration to so many people most of all to your children!
This is a powerful video and it made me tear up because it showed the real you the real struggle that everyone has but tries to hide..
Kudos to you!!
You are amazing and I hope I can overcome myself at some point too and be a better person. ❤️
You are even MORE awesome than I thought 🙂 Thank you for sharing and all that you do.
Your video was so inspirational. There have been times in the past, I am sorry to admit, that I have visited your website and began to compare myself to you. You seemed so perfect, and I didn’t. It is such a relief to know that we all have problems that we deal with from time to time. Your impact on lives goes beyond helping us find ways to save money. Seeing the private side of your life lets us know that there is no such thing as perfect. I too have been depressed because I felt like a failure as a mom, wife, etc. Women are especially good at looking at all the things we haven’t done, and forgetting about all the things we have accomplished. Thank you for posting this very personal video. I am so proud of you. God is using you to inspire others. Amazing how a negative can be turned into such a positive. Thanks for all you do.
Thanks for sharing! That should motivate even more people to get the help and see what is out there that they could be missing out on.
My family has not had the addictions but we have the debt we need to get over. My husband lost a job that he had been at for nearly 14 years. It was a factory that paid very well. We have two children, one of which has cerebral palsy and autism. We had so much in hospital bills from him through the years and also my husband was having some medical issues (high blood pressure that we were trying to control), and our daughter was a newborn. I worked full time but didn’t make nearly what he did. He was able to find another job within 5 months but then I was let go from mine. During this time we were really having a hard time keeping up with things. Eventually we lost our home and had to claim bankruptcy. At the time I felt so embarrassed! We didn’t tell a lot of people but then it was in the newspaper’s court news section so anyone could see it. But, I think going through that made us stronger as a couple. Yes, he lost a great paying job but he hated the hours. He worked swing shift and it was also a very dangerous plant to be in. I think that in the 14 years he worked there 5 or 6 people lost their lives. Now he works as a custodian at our local school district. He loves it! Our son has graduated but due to his CP and Autism he is home all day with me. I have not worked since I lost my previous job. I would sub at the school as an aide or work in the office but can’t really work outside the house because I have to care for our son. We are trying to get him into a program where he can do some sort of work or get some more schooling. He’s getting bored being home with Mom all day but we don’t have a lot of options, either. We have new debt that we are working on paying down. I have followed your site for several years now and love all the helpful tips and info you give us. It has helped tremendously! We will eventually get there, I know. One day at a time! On a good note, my husband’s blood pressure did get better once he got out of the job at the plant. Money is not everything! Yes, it does help but your health and family mean so much more!
Again, thanks for sharing your story. It will give hope to so many! Hitting bottom and being able to rise above it means so much. Your bright personality is always an inspiration on those days when I’m not feeling the best. You’re always so upbeat about things. I never would have guessed all the things that you shared at happened. God bless you and your family!
Hang in there as things have a way of working out! 😀
Thank-you for being a REAL person! So wonderful and BRAVE of you to share!
Thank you! Thank you for being you!
THank you so much for sharing!
In my eyes, a beautiful life is not a perfect life. The beauty comes from pain and struggle transformed into growth and inner peace. Your past and your pain is what makes you so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing
While I don’t wish struggles on anyone I think they have made you a kinder, more compassionate person. That is the silver lining and that you have come out the other side stronger! What a wonderful man you are married to – to be there and support you throughout. Your children too. I do know what you mean about coupons not just being little bits of paper. I found your site around March 2009 when my son was 6 months old. I was so happy to be a mother especially since I lost my first child when I was 7 months pregnant but I felt like I was losing me. I worked, took care of my son, stepson and husband and there was no time left for me. I needed a hobby, something that would be just mine, but we were trying to pay off our debt so I didn’t want to do something that would cost money. I found couponing and haven’t looked back! I do get frustrated sometimes but overall I love the thrill of getting a good deal and the fact that I just “get” couponing like you said. Since then I have taught 2 other people how to coupon and given advice to several others. My husband and I paid off all of our debt including our mortgage. 2 years ago we moved to another house and paid that one off within a year. It’s still a struggle to stay out of debt but we love the peace of mind being debt free brings us! Not to mention, I have been able to pay it forward in so many ways that I never would have been able to before. Thank you for offering help and joy and yourself to all of us and thank you for working SO, SO hard to get better so that you are able to!
Love you Collin! You are such an inspiration for sharing your struggles in a time when people like to show that their lives are “perfect” on social media. I have been with you since 2010 and continue to view your blog on a daily basis. Stay strong and God Bless.
Thank you, a million times thank you. I can relate to a lot from your video, from your life. It’s important to remember that the struggles we pulled ourselves out from in the past are often what led us to our present. While there is so much that went wrong in my past, I wouldn’t change it for the world because I have two amazing boys and an amazing Husband and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make sure I found my way to them. They are my world and because of them I am a better person. Thank you Collin for sharing your struggles and un-editing for us. May you and yours live a lifetime of happiness… And keep reminding us all to pay it forward! :HUG:
You are so welcome! 🙂
Wow. Way to put yourself out there. So impressed that you did. It made me cry to see the raw emotion you expressed. Congrats on overcoming your struggles. You rock!
Lisa
Collin, thank you so much for sharing your story! It was really emotional to watch, because I’ve also gone through something similar. I wish you and your family the best!
Thank-you! ❤️❤️❤️ Collin you rock!!!!
Thank you for sharing your story. I enjoy your website – I have been able to find some wonderful deals and it has helped me to focus on paying down my debt. I had a job that cut my salary by $8/hr. I was a single mom and that was pretty devastating. But with some ideas from your website and a new job I will be debt free by the end of the year. So thank you again for helping so many people.
thank you for sharing. i’m so glad to know more about the real you, and i know God will use your story to help others who are battling some of the same addictions. i know how much your site has helped my family with our finances, and i just wanted to thank you for that as well. i appreciate every deal that you post, but more importantly, i appreciate your honesty about your life. god bless 🙂
Thanks for sharing your struggles. We all have them. Life is hard. You have added to mine. I thank you for that also.
Oops… I didn’t mean you’ve added struggles. Just the opposite… I’ve had fun keeping up with you and the joy of winning the game on bargains.
Thank you for sharing your story. Goes to show that we all have a back story, no one is perfect.
what a beautiful video
Such a powerful story, Colin, and so similar to mine…the low self-esteem, the depression, the addiction, the guilt, the bottom, the recovery…and now the coupons! You are a good gal, an inspiration and doing a magnificent job with your family and yourself…Thanks so much!
Collin, you are a beautiful person. I am sure sharing your story has helped many, many people.
Love to you and your wonderful family
I had tears in my eyes while watching this video. It must have been very difficult to expose your raw truth this way. I commend you for all you have done to get to where you are now. Thank you very much for sharing your story with us. I always look for your new videos. Even if I don’t purchase everything you do (no young children any more), watching you puts me in a good mood! Your family is so lucky to have you!
Great to hear the videos are uplifting! 🙂
Colin you are an amazing women, thanks for sharing and keep up your good work and keep that cute smile on, you are wonderful.
Bless you for telling your story.