Couponing 101
Did you ever have to stand in line behind someone at the supermarket who had a handful of coupons and just wait... and wait... while their price dropped from a $110.00 total, to a $15.00 total? Chances are high that you've ran into this situation at least once or twice. In this situation, you were either very angry about having gotten stuck behind a couponer, or your eyes widened and your jaw dropped in awe at the amount of money this person just saved! If you're visiting this blog, we're going to go ahead and assume you're the second person, and are extremely excited to start your couponing adventure here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!Keep in mind, if you're hoping to get the outcome of those who are on the "Extreme Couponing" show on TLC, you're in the wrong state. Sorry, but most of those people featured have grocery stores in their town that "Double" coupons. This is when the store matches the coupon price, making a coupon for $1.00 off Crest Whitening Toothpaste, a $2.00 off value. So, if the toothpaste is on sale for $2.99, you're getting it for $.99. Nice, but not realistic in this area.
Below, you'll find some links to helpful pages, as well as some other words of wisdom that will help you along your money saving spree. If you are already a couponer, and have advice of your own that I may have left out, please feel free to let me know what you think! Comments are very appreciated and tips are always welcome.
Save those Coupons!
Printable Coupons
There are TONS of different sources to get coupons from! With technology the way it is these days, you can literally print a majority of them from your own home computer. You can find the list of major coupon websites on the Printable Coupons tab.
Coupon Sites
These are sites strictly dedicated to coupons.They allow you to print two of each coupon. Although it would be nice to just log into these sites with a different email address and print more, it won't work. I know, sad. You have to download a special application to your computer that allows you to print these coupons. It tracks your computer ID, and will not allow that specific computer to print more than the specified quantity allowed. It also helps print the coupon bar code so that the scanner at the store will actually be able to scan it.
Manufacturer Websites
You can also go to manufacturer websites which will often have a tab where you can print off product coupons. P&G has samples and coupons that they will send you on a quarterly basis. All you have to do is go there, sign up, and each quarter (Jan. 1, April 1, July 1, and Oct. 1) check the box of what you want them to send you. You will get these within 6-8 weeks. These coupons are the best!
Facebook is another GREAT way to get the coupons you want. The manufacturer Facebook page will often have samples you can sign up for or coupons that you can print. These are also amazing as they can often be "High Value" Coupons. Don't miss out on the great Facebook deals either!
(**Please do NOT scan or copy these coupons. they actually print a small bar on them, like the ones on American Dollars, that identifies them as authentic and these do not show up on copies. If you do this and are caught, it is coupon fraud, and you will get in a great deal of trouble doing this.)
Newspaper Coupons
The obvious place to look for coupons, is your Sunday newspaper. Here in Cedar Rapids, IA, we get The Gazette, which has great coupon inserts such as Smart Source and at the end of every month, the P&G Brand Saver. We are also privileged to have another newspaper available in our area, it's called The Des Moines Register. I say privileged, because this newspaper offers coupons that the Gazette does not, and vice versa.I suggest picking up at LEAST one of each every Sunday. The Des Moines Register has the Red Plum inserts, something the Gazette often does not. This insert has a lot of great coupons that the Smart Source doesn't offer. After all, you want to grab as many coupons as you can! You never know what could be on sale.
Magazine Coupons
Although these don't frequently come into most peoples minds, coupons CAN be found in magazines. One, for example, is called "All You". This is available mail order or it can be purchased at your local Walmart. I personally have not picked up this magazine, so I can't tell you all it has to offer. If you have an available second at Walmart, thumb through the magazine and see if it has any coupons you'd be interested in. If not, there is no sense in purchasing something you probably won't use.Organizing your Coupons
Organization is key. You will want to be able to find the coupons that you want, and relatively fast, when you are thumbing through the weekly ads for the best deals. There are two ways to do this, and I personally suggest just doing what is best for you. What works for others, may not always be what works for you. Below are the two ways most couponers go about organizing their coupons. Again, if either of these are not how you go about it, do what works for you. Once you have a system, the couponing process will be a breeze.
Clipped Coupon Organization
Honestly, this can be done in a number of ways, as you will find out below. "Clipped" couponing basically states that you are cutting the coupons out as you get them, vs. keeping them in the inserts until you need them. This way, takes a lot more time since you are cutting each one out, and then finding its proper place, but it makes for finding and grabbing them a lot faster.Coupon Binder
Have you ever been doing your grocery shopping, and seen someone walking around with this gigantic binder in the seat of the cart? Yeah... that's one extreme couponer. This is probably the most popular, and widely appreciated way to organize that stack of coupons. There are a MILLION ways to organize a coupon binder, but do what is best for you, and what will help you find your coupons.
Here is what you need to start a coupon binder:
- Binder (preferably something at least 2 inches deep)
- Organizational tab inserts (you will probably want at least 5-10 dividers)
- Baseball card inserts (those little plastic inserts that hold about 12 cards in each page)
Optional:
- Plastic page protectors for sub divisions. If you're like me, I don't like a million tabs... so I have 5 MAIN tab dividers, and little plastic page inserts that divide the rest of the sections. (ex. TAB - Grocery PAGE INSERT: Candy)
Coupon Folder
If you're not into lugging around a binder when you go to the store, you can store your coupons in an expandable coupon folder. These are typically made of plastic these days, and usually have 5 divisions in them to organize your coupons with. You can chose the large one (which is made to hold your typical size 8 1/2 x 11 paper) or you can go with a smaller one (Usually made specifically for coupons).
Unclipped Coupon Organization
This is pretty much the literal usage. It means you do not "Clip" or cut out your coupons till you need them. It means that you take your coupon inserts out of the newspaper (or print them off) and instead of cutting them out, you leave them intact, till you actually need them. This is probably the fastest way to coupon, but can also be the messiest.If this is the way you choose, you will probably want an expandable file to put your inserts in, and either envelopes or a smaller expandable file made for coupons to take with you to the store.
I seriously DO NOT suggest taking the inserts to the store and clipping them while you're in line. This is time consuming not only for you, but the register clerk, and everyone standing in line behind you. The more organized you are, the faster the transaction(s) are. Please clip the coupons before you head to the store. You will probably want to take the inserts with, in case you have a coupon for an unadvertised deal, just make sure you cut it out it the isle.
Basic Concepts to Couponing
Reading your coupons
I highly suggest you check out the tab Coupon Lingo. Coupons can be difficult to understand or read, and if you misinterpret what is printed, you may find yourself paying more than you expected, as well as taking longer in the transaction process. Knowing this can save you a world of hurt... on your pocket book.Another reason this is helpful is because believe it or not, not ALL cashiers are experts with coupons, Nor are the managers. You will probably butt heads with a few of these folks, so make sure you know your lingo, and be respectful. It's not always their fault. A lot of them are not trained to handle coupons, so they don't understand the fine print.
Know Your Store!
Print off the coupon policies for the stores that you will be frequenting. As I said earlier, cashiers are often not trained in coupons, nor are they with their stores coupon policy. If you print this out and have it on hand to show the register clerk, it will help your defense when they say they can't take your coupon. I have attached links to the most popular couponing stores here in Cedar Rapids, so make sure to visit the Coupon Policies tab.Walgreen's and CVS have some of the BEST deals (hard to believe, I know!) but are pretty hard stores to shop based on their policies. Once you have the hang of it all, I guarantee these stores will be the ones you hit up each week! Make sure to visit the tab Shopping CVS and Walgreen's to get the details on these great deals, and how to work with their policy.
Going Coupon Shopping
Once you think you've got all your ducks in a row, you're ready to go out there and get to saving! Just make sure that you keep all of these helpful hints in mind, as well as the stores policies, and you will be saving money in no time.
Do you coupon? Is there a class near by? would you be interested in teaching a class?
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