COUPONING 101
To save, really save, with coupons, you have to change your old way thinking. Instead of making a list for the things you need or want each week, and then buying them regardless of whether they are on sale or you have a coupon, you buy ONLY what’s on sale (and lots of it.) The goal is to buy as few “needed” items as possible, while mostly just stocking up on the items that are on sale. The key is to stock up when items are at their lowest price. Done cumulatively and consistently, week after week, you will soon have a well-stocked and pleasantly varied pantry of food to choose from. As your stockpile grows, you will find that your list of “needed” items goes down each week, resulting in lower and lower grocery bills each week. (But don’t get your hopes up, it probably won’t ever make it all the way to $0)If you’ve watched TLC’s “Extreme Couponing,” you may think the only way to have a stockpile is to dedicate a whole room of your house to creating your own mini-Walmart.That is just not true. You do need to have a good variety of items to choose from in your stockpile, but it isn’t necessary to buy everything on the shelves every time it goes on sale.As a side note, it is important to know that no one–not even me–gets to take advantage of every great deal. Newspaper inserts vary by region & printable coupons run out. Don’t get discouraged by this fact! You will still be saving a ton of money, and there will always be more good deals to be had
Once again, Extreme Couponing is a cumulative process, not an instant magic formula.
GETTING COUPONS:
1. Newspapers are going to be one of your best ways for getting coupons. I
get four newspapers a week, sometimes more if I know there is going to be a bunch good coupons. From what I've read and been told you should get a newspaper for every member of your family. So if you are a two person family get two, but if you are a six person family then get six! This way you will have enough items stockpiled, and you always wanna get an even number that way you've got enough for BOGO deals! Start a subscription to the Sunday paper. (Or figure out where you will get your paper from each week.) Try asking friends, family, neighbors,
or local businesses for their unused inserts. Some areas even have free
local papers that include coupon inserts. BE SURE to subscribe to or buy
the local paper that has the best coupons. Not all Sunday papers are
equal!!
2. In Store coupons!!! Look for coupons on store shelves, on products, and on
the back of your receipts. Also look for coupons to print out at the
register!! LOOK EVERYWHERE. Publix, Sweetbay, and most grocery stores all have flyers each month that have a tons of coupons!!
3. Junk mail. Check all of it! Sometimes there are some awesome coupons in there!!
4. Directly from the manufacturer. You can get these a couple ways. You
can go directly to their website and sometimes there are coupons to
print, or you can contact companies *Mail, phone, email* & request
coupons! 9 times out of 10 just by sending an email thanking the company
for their great products they will mail you coupons!
5. Online Coupons. It used to be that most coupons came from the Sunday paper, but that is
no longer the case. I estimate that these days at least 50% of the
coupons I use each week are now printable coupons. There are always a TON of coupons to print online.
Most blogs will give a direct link to the coupon you need for deals. Consider buying a cheap B&W laser printer. You will
be printing a LOT of coupons, so I can’t recommend this option strongly
enough. An inexpensive laser printer can literally save you hundreds of
dollars over the course of a year. I bought my Brother HL-2240 almost 3 years ago and it is still going strong.
6. Another way is to buy from a coupon clipping service. There are a ton of these all over the internet I have never used one BUT I've heard great things!
How to Keep Coupons Organized
Your system need not be elaborate; on the contrary, the simpler it is, the easier it will be to maintain. (And trust me, it will need regular maintenance!) Ultimately you need to figure out what works for you when it comes to organizing your coupons. There are lots of ways to organize coupons; the key is to find the approach that works best for you. Three options to consider:- Clipping out all coupons
- Clipping out just the coupons that you intend to use
- Leaving the coupon inserts intact, and clipping coupons on an "as-needed" basis
- Develop a filing system. Many couponers organize their coupons by grocery category--dairy, frozen foods, deli, etc. – but it's not the only way to go. Find a filing system that works for you--by aisle, by expiration, etc. – and put it into action.
- Find a container to hold your coupons. Use a shoebox, a storage container, a coupon binder, a coupon wallet or a recipe box – it doesn't matter what you choose – but it's important to have a landing spot for all of those coupons.
- File coupons the same day you get them. Okay, so you may not always have time to file your coupons right away, but try to file them as soon as you can. This will prevent them from getting lost, and save you the hassle of having to sort through a big mess of coupons all at once.
- Purge regularly. Expired coupons won't save you money, so don't let them hog space in your coupon file. Set a schedule for purging expired coupons, and stick to it.
Personally I made a BIG coupon binder! I have a coupon binder and every
Sunday I go through take out all the expired coupons, clip ALL the
newspaper coupons and put them in my binder. I have it organized into 35
different categories. I did this because I like being able to take my
binder to the store with me and check out all the clearance sections.
Let's say I see a glade candle on sale for .75, it only takes me a
minute to open my binder, look for my air freshening section and see if I
have a coupon for it! Just a warning, when I started 3 months ago my
binder was a 1inch, it has now grown to a 3inch binder!! This is the best way for me personally I know some people would not want to tote around a 3 inch binder everytime they go ot the store! BUT I bought a bag and I keep my binder, scissors, paper clips, and pens all in there together so when i'm at the store I have everything I need and if there is something I find last min I have the coupon with me to use! It takes too much time for me to have to go home clip the coupon and run back to the store!
EXTRAS:::
Please note that when you first start couponing and you see a deal for the first few weeks you may not have all the coupons you need for the deals because it could include coupons that were from before you started! BUT don't let that hold you back in about a month you should be caught up! This time also gives you a little bit of slow time to get the feel of things, and figure out what system might work best for you!
SHOPPING:::
1. Determine which stores are in your area to shop at.
Here in SW Florida, the main grocery stores are Publix, Sweetbay, and Winn-Dixie. There is also SuperTarget & Super WalMart stores almost everywhere.
Part of the trick to using coupons effectively is to beat the system by a.) stockpiling and b.) shopping at multiple stores.
2. Pick a coupon shopping website to help you make your list.
There are some amazing coupon resources available on the internet, and you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration by using them.
Here are my recommended coupon matchup sites:
Once you figure out which of these websites matches the stores in your area, bookmark it and then spend some time exploring the site to see where everything is.
3. Find this week’s post for your stores.
Once you’ve decided on your site, click on this week’s ad for the store you would like to shop at.
Read through it completely. Make some mental notes:
I do almost 80% of all my shopping at Publix. Out of all the stores here locally they have the best sales!
I use IheartPublix.com for my ad matchups each week!
4. Make your list.
Finally, choose items that fit ALL of the following criteria:
2. The coupon required for the savings is a printable coupon that is still available.
(To find out if the printable coupon is still available just click the link and try to print. If you get a message that says “no more prints available” or “you have already printed this coupon the max amount of times,” there are no prints left.)
3. The item is something you or your family would use.
(It doesn’t have to be something you always buy, just something that you might like to try or something that you think your family might like if they tried it. Part of the fun of coupon shopping is that you get to expand your horizons and try new things!)
4. Gather your coupons.
Using the links provided on the site you are using, print as many coupons as allowed. (Usually 2 per computer.) If the coupon happens to be a PDF file (rare, but it does happen occasionally), it is helpful to save the coupon on your computer rather than print immediately to use again at a future date.
Be sure to buy ONLY what is on your list. (Make a separate trip for other items–the goal is to focus and learn without getting overwhelmed or distracted.)
Here in SW Florida, the main grocery stores are Publix, Sweetbay, and Winn-Dixie. There is also SuperTarget & Super WalMart stores almost everywhere.
Part of the trick to using coupons effectively is to beat the system by a.) stockpiling and b.) shopping at multiple stores.
2. Pick a coupon shopping website to help you make your list.
There are some amazing coupon resources available on the internet, and you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration by using them.
Here are my recommended coupon matchup sites:
- Saving Well Spending Less–I founded this site but have since sold it to a new owner–awesome Publix, Winn-Dixie, Safeway, Walmart, Target, & drugstore match ups.
- Southern Savers–great match ups for Southern grocery stores
- http://www.iheartpublix.com/- Great for Publix matchups!
Once you figure out which of these websites matches the stores in your area, bookmark it and then spend some time exploring the site to see where everything is.
3. Find this week’s post for your stores.
Once you’ve decided on your site, click on this week’s ad for the store you would like to shop at.
Read through it completely. Make some mental notes:
- Check the final price after coupons.
- Are there any items that look like a great deal?
- Are there any items that you or your family want/or need?
- Which items require coupons from newspaper inserts?
- Which ones match up with printable coupons?
- Are there links to those printable coupons?
I do almost 80% of all my shopping at Publix. Out of all the stores here locally they have the best sales!
I use IheartPublix.com for my ad matchups each week!
4. Make your list.
Finally, choose items that fit ALL of the following criteria:
- After coupons, it is more than a 60% savings off the regular price?
2. The coupon required for the savings is a printable coupon that is still available.
(To find out if the printable coupon is still available just click the link and try to print. If you get a message that says “no more prints available” or “you have already printed this coupon the max amount of times,” there are no prints left.)
3. The item is something you or your family would use.
(It doesn’t have to be something you always buy, just something that you might like to try or something that you think your family might like if they tried it. Part of the fun of coupon shopping is that you get to expand your horizons and try new things!)
4. Gather your coupons.
Using the links provided on the site you are using, print as many coupons as allowed. (Usually 2 per computer.) If the coupon happens to be a PDF file (rare, but it does happen occasionally), it is helpful to save the coupon on your computer rather than print immediately to use again at a future date.
- If you have more than one computer, use it to print additional copies of your coupons.
- Once you have printed (then trimmed) all the coupons for the 3 items on your list, determine how many of each item you will be able to buy.
- Remember, if an item is on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, you will be able to use 2 coupons, one for the paid item and one for the free item.
- On your list, note how many of each item you will buy based on how many coupons you have.
Be sure to buy ONLY what is on your list. (Make a separate trip for other items–the goal is to focus and learn without getting overwhelmed or distracted.)
- Be sure to check that the item is actually on sale. Every once in a while, an item on the coupon website’s list will not be included in the sale at your store. Most stores mark their sale items very clearly, so be sure to look for a sale tag. If you have any questions about an item, place it to the side in your cart so that you can ask for a price check before you check out.
- Also check that the sale item matches your coupon. Double check to make sure brand name, size, and specific product are all a match.
- Before you get to the checkout, double check your coupons to make sure that all the quantities are correct!!
- When you get to the checkout line, be sure to tell the cashier that you have several coupons, and ask whether he/she would prefer them ahead of time or with the items.
- Be friendly and courteous and confident, and pay close attention to the coupons as they are scanned to make sure that none get skipped or forgotten (easier to do when you are only purchasing a few items.) I promise any apprehension you may feel will disappear the moment you see your receipt!
BLOGS:
One of the top ways I find out about what the best and awesome deals are is to check out blogs!
I look at all these blogs at least once a day to check for new deals. There are a lot of coupons that are only available for a few hours or absolutely free deals you just have to be one of the first to sign up. SO I check frequently!
http://www.passionforsavings.com/I look at all these blogs at least once a day to check for new deals. There are a lot of coupons that are only available for a few hours or absolutely free deals you just have to be one of the first to sign up. SO I check frequently!
http://www.iheartpublix.com/
http://www.totallytarget.com/
COUPON LINGO
For those of you that are new to couponing, I’ve compiled a list of some of the abbreviations/terms that you might find while shopping/blogging in the “coupon world.” If you see one that I missed, please let me know and I’ll add it. Thanks!
$$/$$ – This means $ off when you spend $ amount. Example: $5/$30 is $5 off your purchase when you spend $30. (Check to see if the amount has to be before or after coupons to apply.)
$/# – This means that you get $ off for every # you buy. Example: $5/2 would mean that you get $5 off every 2 that you buy.
B1G1 = Buy One Get One Free (B1G2 is Buy One Get Two Free etc.)
Blinkie = A coupon that prints out at a machine in the store. They are located by the product associated with that particular coupon.
BOGO = Buy One Get One Free
Cash Register Tape = Your Receipt. Also refered to as CRT.
CAT = Catalina. A coupon that prints out at the register that is either $$ off your next purchase or $$ off a certain product. You typically have to use them at the store they printed, but some stores will take “competitor’s” coupons. Note: These are sometimes delayed in printing so wait a minute before walking away from the register. If you think you were supposed to get one and didn’t, talk to the cashier/manager and explain.
Catalina = Also refered to as CAT. A coupon that prints out at the register that is either $$ off your next purchase or $$ off a certain product. You typically have to use them at the store they printed, but some stores will take “competitor’s” coupons. Note: These are sometimes delayed in printing so wait a minute before walking away from the register. If you think you were supposed to get one and didn’t, talk to the cashier/manager and explain.
Closeouts – These are typically greatly reduced items that the store does not plan on re-stocking.
Competitors – This is the term meaning “of related chains.” For example, grocery stores will take other grocery store’s coupons and drug stores will take other drug store coupons. Always check with each store on what their couponing policy is and whom they consider to be a competitor.
Couponing Policy – This is the statement that each individual store abides by, in relation to coupons. What is typically included in their policy is whether they: take competitor’s coupons, take coupons past expiration dates, “double” or “triple” coupons, accept Internet Printables or if they even accept coupons.
Coupon Insert – These are “packets” of coupons found in Sunday papers and also sometimes in the ads mailed to you during the week. These are typically sent out by Smart Source (SS or S), Red Plum (RP) and Proctor & Gamble (PG)They are also refered to as inserts, S, SS, RP and PG.
CRT = Cash Register Tape, or your receipt
Discontinued – This means that a store has depleted their inventory of an item and does not plan on re-stocking it.
Double Coupons = This is the term used when stores will double a coupon’s value. Example, if you have a $1 off coupon, they’ll take $2 off. Stores vary on how often they do this ranging from never, always, on occasion or specific days of the week. Some stores may also set a maximum value limit. Example, no coupons over $2 and only 10 per transaction/day.
ECB = Extra Care Bucks. Exclusive to CVS. They work like cash on your next order. (Some restrictions do apply.)
ES =Easy Saver. This is Walgreens’ monthly rebate program. You can find the books by their ads in the store.
EXP = Expires or Expiration Date
FAR = Free After Rebate (See Rebate for explation)
FAE = Free after Extra Care Bucks (See ECB or Extra Care Bucks for explanation)
FARR = Free After Register Rewards (See RR or Register Rewards for explanation)
Inserts = These are “packets” of coupons found in Sunday papers and also sometimes in the ads mailed to you during the week. These are typically sent out by Smart Source (SS or S), Red Plum (RP) and Proctor & Gamble (PG) They are also refered to as coupon inserts, S, SS, RP and PG.
Internet Printable = A coupon that can be printed online. Also refered to as IP or Printable.
IP = Internet Printable Coupon. Also refered to as “printable.”
IVC = Instant Value Coupon. These are found at Walgreens in their weekly ads.
MFR = Manufacturer
MIR = Mail In Rebate. These are checks or coupons that the manufacturers/stores will send you if you meet the requirements on the rebate form.
OOP = Out-of-Pocket. This is the amount of money that you have spent after coupons, ECBs, RRs, Catalinas (See terms for explanations)
OOS = Out-of-Stock. This means that the store is temporarily out of an item but plans on getting in more inventory. Sometimes they will offer a raincheck in cases like these.
OYNO = On Your Next Order. Used when refering to coupons that you can use on your next order at that store. (Sometimes Competitors will take them.)
OYNP = On Your Next Purchase. Used when refering to coupons that you can use on your next purchase (order) at that store. (Sometimes Competitors will take them.)
Peelie = Coupons found on products in the store. (Don’t forget to pull these off and hand them to your cashier when you check-out. Don’t rely on the cashier to notice them for you. It will only aggravate you later when you come home to find it’s still there!)
PG = Proctor & Gamble. A big chain of brands that also puts out a coupon insert.
Prinables - These are coupons that you can print online. Also refered to as IP or Internet Printables.
Q = Coupon
Raincheck = A slip you can ask for in the store when an item’s on sale and out-of-stock. Some sales will specifically say “No rainchecks” and some stores will put an expiration date on their rainchecks
RP = Red Plum. This is a coupon insert that you’ll either find in your paper or the mail.
Register Rewards = Exclusive to Walgreens. They work like cash on your next order. (Some restrictions do apply.) Also refered to as RRs.
Rolling Catalinas – This means that you can use a catalina (see definition) as payment on another transaction of equal merchandise and another catalina will still print. Example, if you buy 5 “name brand items,” a $5 catalina will print. If you then buy another set of those same 5 “name brand items,” you can use the previous catalina you received as payment towards the order and another $5 catalina will print.
RR = Register Rewards. Exclusive to Walgreens. They work like cash on your next order. (Some restrictions do apply.)
S or SS = Smart Source. This is a big name coupon source. They not only send out inserts in the papers but they also have an online site with printables.
Stacking Coupons = This is the term used when stores will let you use their own store coupons along with a manufacturer’s coupon for the same item. Example: Most Targets would let you use their $ off “specific brand” product coupons along with a manufacturer’s coupon for that same “specific brand” product.
Triple Coupons = This is the term used when stores will triple a coupon’s value. Example, if you have a $1 off coupon, they’ll take $3 off. Stores vary on how often they do this ranging from never, always, on occasion or specific days of the week. Some stores may also set a maximum value limit. Example, no coupons over $2 and only 10 per transaction/day.
UPC = Universal Bar Code. This is the bar code that’s scanned on products for pricing/info at the stores. Several companies will ask you to mail these in on rebates
WAGS = Abbreviation for Walgreens
WT = Wine Tag. These are coupons that you’ll find hanging on the wine bottles in the stores.
YMMV = Your Mileage (Manager) May Vary. This is what you’ll see when someone finds a deal but they want you to know that your store branch may not offer the same deal.
WYB = When You Buy
OK, now you can put on your job applications/resumes that you speak a foreign language – Coupon Lingo!
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