LEARNING TO COUPON 101

Couponing 101!!

We are going to start a new series, were every day will we explain the CrAzInEsS behind couponing, how to start, how to organize, and how to get those GOOD deals!



So today we are going to start with Where To Start?

First things first is you have to be organized, if your not organized then you wont survive very long in the couponing world.  Weither you clip your coupons and keep them in a binder of sorts or if you just keep the whole coupon insert and then just clip out the coupon you need when you need it for a sale, it doesn't matter; you have to be organized.

Where Can I Find Coupons?

• The Sunday newspaper (ask family and friends for their cast offs if they don't coupon)
• Online printables
• www.coupons.com
• www.smartsource.com
• www.redplum.com
• www.couponnetwork.com
• www.bettycrocker.com
• www.boxtopsforeducation.com
• www.pillsbury.com
• Tearpads at the grocery store
• Hanging on products at the store (don't swipe them off if you are not buying said product)
• Home mailers from manufacturers (Email companies and request)
• The doctor's office
• Magazines
• Ebay
• Online Clipping Services
• www.weclipyousave.com
• www.couponclippers.com

Now don't get overwhelmed and start clipping up a storm and thinking I have all these GREAT coupons and I have to use them NOW!  That's not how it works, yes clip your coupons, start organizing them. If you're not sure how your going to organize them, then play around with a certain way for a bit and if that doesn't work try something else. When I first started I had one like this:

It was small, fit in my purse and held just the coupons that I was going to use for that shopping trip.  But once I figured out how this coupon game worked I quickly moved up to this:

I LOVE my binder! Everything is organized by store section, coupons are easy to see and quick to find. 

Another way to organize coupons is to not clip all the coupons from the inserts and keep the inserts organized in a file box by date. If you notice on coupon forums like www.weclipcoupons.com, that after a coupon they say (SS 4/11/12) That would stand for SmartSource, which is a coupon insert in the newspaper and the date would be for the date that it was in the paper. They then would go and find that insert in their coupon file box and take it out and clip the coupon that they were looking for.  Now this works for some people, but it didnt work for me.  I always found that I would be in Shaws and I would find a great deal in the clearance section and I would say I know I have that coupon only to find out that it was still on my desk waiting to be cut. With my binder I have everything right there (as long as I keep up on putting my coupons in it).  I have scored some AWESOME deals because I have my binder with me.

Heres how I made my binder:

• 1 3" Binder
• Page Tabs
• Baseball Card Pages (I knew those would come in handy when I was a kid!
• Ringed Pencil Case (To keep a calculator, pen, scrap paper)

Put the pages in, the pencil case in the front, and then start deciding how you want to have each section. Here are the sections I have:

• Produce
• Bread
• Juice
• Snacks
• Cereal
• Baking
• Sauces
• Meats
• Sides
• Frozen
• Refridgerated
• Baby
• Dog
• Personal Items
• Cleaning
• Paper Products

Those are mine, you can do it however you want, which ever order you want, whatever works for you and to keep you oraganized will be fine.

NOW...that you have your coupons and your ready to go, its time to learn which stores take what for coupons. 

 

• Shaws - Doubles coupons up to .99 (4 like coupons)
• Example: 4 coupons for .75/1 Rice Krispies you would get $1.50 off each Rice Krispies you bought
• Hannaford - Will take a Store Coupon and a Manufacture Coupon
• Rite Aid - Store coupon and Manufacture Coupon together
• Walmart - Manufacture Coupons
• Target - Store coupon and Manufacture Coupon together

If you ever have any questions about a store and their coupon polices then just stop by the customer service desk and ask the manager.  I had to ask the Shaws manager this past week about coupon policy changes and she let me know. It never hurts to ask!

So how do you organize your coupons and where do you get most of your coupons?

~Amie