Getting Started
Welcome to Coupon 101!
In order for you to get the best results from learning how to become a super coupon shopper, there are a few basic steps here that will save you in the long run.
The first step is to obtain a separate e-mail account that you use exclusively for registrations for the companies that require it. There are many legit sites out there for printing coupons, but it just takes one that isn't. They offer you printable coupons in exchange for your e-mail address and they just may not be anything more than a site that collects your e-mail address and sells it to others. It isn't until after, when you receive those e-mails pertaining to the opposite gender, that you realize you goofed!
Next is to create a coupon storage container. I use a plastic storage bin which fits comfortably into the child seat in a carriage. The majority of coupons which are printed online are approximately 6" wide, a container that is a little wider than that works great to keep them organized! It might seem a little large right now, but it doesn't take long to build up a nice stash of printed money!! (I mean coupons!)
To organize the coupons within the container, I use wide and tall index cards with headings that are common to me. Meat, dairy, soups, etc. are all very common to most people. For better organization for myself, there are a few names that I use for products that I know I utilize a lot. These are Betty Crocker baking, Bounty, Chairman, fiber bars, General Mills Cereal, Kellogg's Cereal, etc. This is because when I see those on sale, I want to find the coupons fast. Knowing how you name the products, helps in locating the coupons faster. The more tabs, the easier to locate them!
Now you're almost ready to begin!
There are three major locations to obtain coupons. Online, the Sunday paper and coupon clipping services. The most I find are online, either by the sites that supply them in bulk or from different advertisers such as coupons.com (easy print banner displayed on my pages) or directly from the manufacturer's website. The others are listed on different pages, accessible by the tabs above. When printing these coupons, you are typically allowed two of each. After the first one prints, you can hit your browser's back button, resend the information, and the second will print. Most require a one time software download which is required so they are able to keep track of how many you have printed on that computer. These are completely safe and do not download additional spy or adware.
The next is the Sunday paper. There are usually many coupons available each Sunday. Some Sundays have extra inserts from manufacturers and some Sundays have none. :( If they have a great coupon that you use a lot, instead of buying extra papers, you can ask family, friends, neighbors and even the store selling the papers to save the inserts before disposing of them.
Or, you can use a coupon clipping service who will send you multiples of the coupon for a small handling fee, typically $.08 to $.10 plus postage. Though you're paying a small price on these, I find that they are sometimes the biggest money savers! Recently I purchased 20 Green Giant coupons good for $.50 off 1 bag of frozen vegetables. Stop and Shop had them on sale for $1.00 each. Since they double the coupon, I received 20 bags for FREE! OK, you're right, the coupons cost me $1.60, so in reality they were $.08 each, but still a steal! And thanks to Purina who had a coupon for a free box of Kitten Chow available right when the kittens were born! I purchased 40 coupons and have enough kitten chow that it will last me until they can eat regular cat food.
So now you have printed, clipped and filed your coupons. The way to the best savings is by knowing what will be on sale before it goes on sale. In our area, the Stop and Shop flyer is in the mailbox on Wednesday prior to the Friday when everything goes on sale. I scan the ads to see what products are on sale and which ones I have coupons to combine with the sale. Some of the best sales are 2 for $5 for a product that I have a $.75 coupon off. Doubled it brings the product price down to $1.00 each. My goal for each shopping trip is to not pay more than $1.00 or $1.50 per item after the sale and the coupon. This means stocking up when they are on sale and not purchasing anything when it isn't. Those weeks that they don't have great sales are when we eat from the freezer or pantry!
Some weeks the stores have great sales which you don't have coupons for and this is when I stock up also. Recently it was $.50 per pound for pasta at one store and the same week at another store, it was $.80 per jar of pasta sauce. It made for some great inexpensive meals for when the kids bring a group of friends over!
Scanning the local grocery store ads, plus Rite-Aid, CVS, Wallgreens, Target and Wal-Mart as they all offer great deals on groceries and household products. It's just that you have to drive a little more for those specials. You should never pay again for toothbrushes or toothpaste when you scan all of these stores.
Regardless of whether you save $10 per week on your grocery bill, or become a super shopper and save half or more, coupons are like money growing on trees when you make a habit of using them!
If you bookmark and follow my blog, I will highlight the best deals that I find each day to help you begin 'keeping the money' where it belongs!
