Some people argue that is
isn’t worth it to use coupons or other saving methods, “because it’s only small change and won’t make or break us”. I disagree. Here’s my favorite saying and I want you to remember it and repeat it to yourself each time you’re about to spend money or clip another coupon
“PENNIES MAKE DOLLARS AND DOLLARS MAKE HOUSE PAYMENTS!”. It’s really true. The .50 here and .75 cents there add up quickly to make a significant difference in your budget. I’
ve saved $1,000s since using coupons – not to mention all the free items I receive through samples, rebates, etc.
Step One: Build Your Stash – Coupons are available from a LOT of different sources – some “old school” and some newer…here’s a basic rundown on your options:
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The Sunday newspaper - Although you can buy the paper at lots of stores, I have personally found that many times newspapers that are delivered to the home have more & better coupons than those available at the stores. It pays to have it delivered…some people have more than one Sunday paper delivered to their home (you pay for it, but often at a discount). You’ll also find that different local papers have variations. For Example: We get the Cincinnati Enquirer AND the Hamilton Journal delivered – while the majority of coupons are the same, there are always a few differences (some are higher value in the Hamilton paper and some are missing entirely from the Hamilton paper).
BOTTOM LINE – IT PAYS TO GET THE SUNDAY PAPER DELIVERED – AT LEAST ONE COPY.
o You’ll often see coupons referred to as SS (
smartsource) or RP (
Redplum) – these are the two main companies who print the Sunday coupons on a regular basis – P&G also publishes these coupons inserts, but not every weekend.
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Friends, neighbors, and family – You’d be surprised how many people get the paper but never even look at their coupons – or just clip a few and then recycle the rest. Most people are happy to give them to you (and may decide to start keeping some for themselves once they check out my site and see how much money they can save, too!)
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In the store – If you really start looking around, you’ll find
LOTs of coupons and/or rebates, right on the products themselves. Most common include:
o those tiny stickers (“
peelies”);
o the blinking boxes on the shelves;
o
hangtags (the pieces of paperboard hanging on a product, like 2-liters, shampoo and even bottles of wine!);
o Catalina coupons (the ones that print out at the register)
•
The Internet – There are lots of great sites (I’
ve got a link to one in my right hand tool bar that saves you money and supports my site). Many large companies have printable coupons for their products (Betty
Crocker, etc.). If there’s a product you like, check out their website – odds are, they’ll have a coupon or free sample available on their site!
•
E-coupons – www.shortcuts.com www.cellfire.com www.pgesaver.com are just a few sites that offer coupons, for free, that load right onto your customer loyalty card (for stores like Kroger).
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Buy coupons – For some very good coupons that will equal FREE stuff I need, I have purchased coupons, in bulk, on
eBay. Be sure to check the expiration date first, so you’ll know if you’ll get them in time. Usually, there’s no problem as the sellers want repeat business. If you’re going to purchase coupons (or anything else online, for that matter) be sure you go through BIG CRUMBS – a site that gives you cash rebates for your online purchases, including
eBay!
Click here to learn more about BigCrumbs!Step Two: Be Familiar with store policy so you aren’t disappointed with your total Please note - some people start to get overwhelmed at this point. My advice? Just pick ONE store you're going to learn about and use. Once you've got it covered, move on to another. Little less confusing that way!
•Loyalty Cards. If your store offers a loyalty card then make sure to get one. Some stores only give the sale prices to card-holders. Loyalty cards are Free!
• Double coupons. An example of “double coupons” is a store taking .70 off of you’re your total for a .35 coupon. This is done automatically at the register. Find out if your store doubles (or sometimes triples coupons, depending on your part of the country). If they do, ask what the maximum double (or triple) value is and how many they will double.
o EXAMPLES: Kroger in most areas offers unlimited double coupons up to $1 (.35 coupon is worth .70 and .55 coupon is worth $1.00).
o This is unlimited (100 coupons? Buy 100 products. No problem.)
o EXAMPLES: Meijer offers unlimited double coupons up to $1 (.35 coupon is worth .70 and .55 coupon is worth $1.00).
o Meijer will only double the first two (2) like coupons. You can use more for the same items, but they will only be worth face value.
• Stacking coupons. Some stores will allow you to use one store coupon (discount provided by the store, also referred to as "in-ad" coupons) and one manufacturers coupon (discount provided by the manufacturer) per item.
• Internet coupons. Find out if your store accepts Internet coupons – this may vary by manager, but most should/do follow their corporate policies. Just to be sure, ask the manager first.
STEP THREE: Organize all those coupons!
• Two kinds of Files – Sounds confusing? It’s really not.
o File one – clipped coupons – get a small binder, index card box, whatever works for you (look in the office supply section of any big box store for a system you like that is cheap). Write out whatever sections you know you’ll use (Dairy, Baby products, Frozen Foods, Canned Goods, Pet Supplies, etc.). This should only take about 15 minutes and once it’s done, it’s done. Worth the time, for sure.
o File two – Insert files – Every set of coupons from the Sunday paper has a date on the spine. Get some plain cheap file folders (manila ones work best) and file these by date. Then when you see (on my sit or others that I link up to) great coupons matched up with great sales, you know exactly where to pull them.
• Clip the GREAT ones – there are some coupons that you see and know instantly that you will use them (favorite products that your family can’t do without or a deal that you know will be REALLY CHEAP). Go ahead and clip these out and file them
• File the rest in the Insert Files - With this method you just file your inserts by date in a box and use an online coupon database to find the coupon you need.
• TIP - When I make my list and go to the store, I pull all the coupons I’m going to use and paperclip them to the list. Then I bring my small file of clipped coupons with me to the store in case I see an unadvertised special or items on clearance that I can match up with a coupon. I get at least one free or VERY cheap item at the store EVERY TIME I go by taking my box of clipped coupons with me in addition to the ones paper clipped to my list.
THINGS TO REMEMBER TO MAKE YOUR COUPONING LIFE EASIER -
• Shop early so you don’t miss out on the really great deals. If the shelf is empty, first, ask an employee if they have more in the back (often they do), second, ask for a rain check and be sure to use it before it expires.
• Special display or end-cap – Just because they have it displayed someplace special doesn’t mean it’s a good deal! Beware their marketing tactics!
• Leave those cute kiddos at home – I usually go shopping after the kids go to bed and my husband is at home (either watching TV or working on the laptop). It’s easier and kind of relaxing to shop when there are no crowds – around 8:45 is my favorite time to go! That way you can focus on your list, your coupons and not feel pressured to buy them bribes to be good.
• Count your coupons – Before I hand them to the cashier, I count my coupons and then tell her how many I have (“Hi…I’ve got 16 coupons today, so I’ll go ahead and hand them to you so they don’t get lost in the shuffle, OK?”). Several times, I’ve recounted after she rings me up and there are one or two missing from the receipt. A manager will refund your money promptly, especially if you refuse to leave the line without your extra money ;-)
• ALWAYS check your receipt BEFORE you leave the store! – I’ve found missing coupons, prices that didn’t ring up properly and items accidentally scanned twice (charged twice for one item).
• Get the best price - Be sure to combine your coupon with a sale price and hopefully, a “special” deal like a rebate, buy X number of a product get $5 off your total, etc.
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