Are you up for the coupon challenge???
Ask your self a few questions before you get started...
1. Am I brand loyal?
Being brand loyal is something most couponers throw out the window. My favorite toothpaste is made by Aquafresh but that isn't always what I use b/c I get other brands free. If you are dead set on using certain brands you probably aren't going to get the best deals.
2. Do I have room to store a stockpile of products?
The whole idea behind extreme couponing is to stockpile when things are at their rock bottom prices which means if you find an awesome deal were you can get cereal for 50 cents/box don't just buy one. Buy 10. {Obviously you don't want to buy things that are going to expire before you are able to use them .}
note: Most of this information is taken from http://mommymanaging.blogspot.com/
When I started using coupons this all seemed so confusing but I finally got used to the ins and outs of couponing. I am a stay-at-home mom. I feel that it is my job to get us the best deals on everything that we buy. I spend a lot of time shopping and organizing my shopping trips but it saves our family a lot of money and it actually is a lot of fun when you start seeing how much you can get for free or extremely cheap.
I hope this information helps some of you get started on a great couponing journey.
Finding Coupons:
The Newspaper
The most common resource is the Sunday newspaper. The first Sunday of the month is usually your best bet for a large amount of coupons and there are typically no coupons on holiday weekends.
There are a few different kinds of inserts:
Red Plum (formerly known as Valassis)
SmartSource
Proctor & Gamble (Released once a month - P&G)
Specific Store Insert, such as Dollar General
Keep every coupon, even if you don't think you'll buy the item. Occasionally you can make a profit on things that you wouldn't normally buy. This profit can go toward things that you would normally buy and you can donate the other stuff to a food bank or someone you know that would use it.
In Stores/On Products
Next time you're shopping keep a close eye out for coupons in the store. They may be on a stack or tearpad. They may be in little machines with blinking lights. They may be on the products themselves. I have gotten tons of coupons at Kroger this way and they can be used at any store.
The Internet
Being able to print coupons at home on my computer is like printing my own money. The downside--not all stores accept Internet coupons. Don't print every coupon you see b/c you are just wasting ink. Only print coupons that you know you will use. Before buying something with an internet coupon make sure the store will accept them. Some stores do not take them at all.
Coupon Clipping Services
There are websites that collect the coupons from the newspaper and distribute them by charging a "handling fee". They do not sell the coupons, per say, but their services in clipping, sorting, and mailing the coupons.
This comes in very handy when you want multiples of one coupon for specific sales. I recommend The Coupon Clippers. They have good prices, good in-stock quantities, and are fast and reliable. There is a 50 cent Admin Fee per order, a shipping charge, and a handling fee per coupon.
You can also get good deals on coupons on ebay but the shipping varies greatly.
Snail Mail/E-Mail
If there's a particular product you like, go to the manufacturer's website. Sign up for their e-mails or newsletters. Send them an e-mail telling them that you like their product. Many times, they will respond with coupons.
Set up a coupon email address so that you don't get tons of junk mail in your personal inbox.
Organizing Coupons After You Find Them:
I use the binder system. It has proven to be the best system for my needs. It lets me see coupons quickly and Lex can't really get to the coupons. It is a bit bulky but I carry the thing everywhere. I think one of the best tips that I have read is ALWAYS take your coupons with you even if you're just running in to grab a gallon of milk. You never know what deal you will spot and if it is a really good deal it may not be there when you come back.
I use tabs with baseball card protectors behind them. In the front of the binder I have a pouch with paperclips, sticky notes, small scissors and a calculator. Then I have a plastic pocket for each store that I frequent in the front of the binder. I keep the most recent sale paper and coupons for that store along with any ECBs or Rewards in this pocket for easy access.
When I get a chance I'll post my tab headings. They are for the moment a work in progress. Some need to be expanded and some just need to be deleted all together. If you go with this system, your binder will be a work in progress for a while. At first I had a really cute pink binder with flowers but it quickly broke in half from all the use. Tim gave me this ugly gray one that I thought was more heavy duty. However, after a few weeks of using it, Tim has already had to repair it with duck tape. Ha Ha. I think I'm going to try to find one of the fabric binders that zip up - this way no coupons could fall out.
Knowing the Language:
Use $1/2 from 9/7 RP, get $4 OYNO Cat
Does that look Greek to you?
Here's a list of translations for when I start speaking in couponese:
Q's=Coupons
MQ or MC=Manufacturer's Coupon
IP=Internet Printable
MIR=Mail-In Rebate
FAR=Free After Rebate
OYNO=On Your Next Order
Cats or Catalinas=These are coupons that print out of a machine near the cash register when you make a purchase
B1G1=Buy One Get One (Usually refers to Buy One Get One Free, but not always)
Peelies=Coupons on packages in-store
Blinkies=Coupons from a little box with a blinking light in-store
Tearpad=Coupons in stacks in-store
$X/X=Dollars off a minimum quantity (Example: $1/2=One Dollar off Two items)
WYB="When You Buy", as in "Get crackers free WYB cheese"
OOP=Out Of Pocket, what you actually pay
Stacking=This is when you use more than coupon for an item, like a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon or a $ off coupon with a Buy One Get One Free coupon.
RP=Red Plum Insert from Sunday Paper
SS=SmartSource Insert from Sunday Paper
P&G=Proctor & Gamble Insert from Sunday Paper
When referencing the above inserts, you will usually see a date before the abbreviation. This tells you what newspaper the insert came from.
Knowing Your Store's Policy:
These are the questions you want answered:
Does your coupon policy vary by store or is it a corporate policy?
Do you double or triple coupons? If so, to what maximum amount?
How many of the same coupon will be doubled or tripled?
Do you accept Internet printable coupons?
Can I combine store coupons and manufacturer’s coupons?
Do you have a coupon limit per transaction or per day?
Who do I contact if I have a problem using coupons in-store?
Finding the Deals:
You've already taken the first step by reading blogs about couponing, frugal living, etc.!
Forums are a great place to find deals in your area or at specific stores. A Full Cup, Hot Coupon World, and Slick Deals are the most popular. These forum sites also have great tools like coupon databases and coupon generators.
Using the Coupons:
Here's the big secret: combine coupons with sale prices and purchases that earn you rewards. That's it! Sounds easy, right?
In the blogosphere, we call it "Stockpiling". When an item is at it's lowest price and you have coupons for it, stock up. That means you won't need it when it's full price.
Notes and Information about Stores in Houston area:
Kroger (I shop at the 1464/Westheimer location only)
You do need a membership card to get most deals and sale prices. Sign up at the customer service desk for free and get a card instantly.
There are a few key things to know about deals at Kroger.
1) The store doubles up to 50 cent coupons and triples up to 39 cent coupons which means a 50 coupon would get you $1.00 off of the product or a 39 cent coupon would get you $1.08 cents off your item.
2) Kroger will allow you to use as many of the same coupon on items as you like. However, they will only double or triple the first 3 coupons. So, you will need to do separate transactions if you have more than 3 like coupons.
Shopping at Kroger is pretty basic, but saving at Kroger takes a little planning.
1) Shortcuts.com offers coupons you can load to your Kroger card. These savings come off automatically at the register as long as you have purchased the CORRECT qualifying item. Both Shortcuts.com, Cellfire.com & PGEsaver coupons can be used in conjunction with a manufacturer's coupon. BIG savings! You can only have 20 TOTAL coupons on your shopper's card, between all sites. You cannot delete any coupons--the only way to make them go away is to use them.
2) PGEsaver offers a similar program with Proctor & Gamble products.
3) Cellfire.com offers a similar program. You can have these coupons sent to your cell phone or added to your Kroger card.
4) Register your Kroger card at Kroger's Website so they can mail you store coupons.
5) Buy an Entertainment Book to save even more. I have $5 off $75 purchases every month and one $5 off $50 purchase.
6) Kroger gives out catalina coupons from a separate machine at the register. These may seem random, but they are sparked by your purchases that are kept track of on your Kroger card. Some of these coupons will be for dollars off your next purchase, to be used just like Kroger cash. You can find out what the current catalina deals are offered at the forum sites discussed here.
I check for deals on a daily basis on the Kroger TX/LA Hot Coupon World Forum. There is a wealth of info on this forum and many times there are sneak peaks for upcoming sale papers.
CVS (I shop at the Grand Mission Blvd/Westpark Tollway location only)
I'm not even going to attemp to explain CVS because Mommy Managing has such a great explanation. My pregnant brain couldn't do any better tonight. Go here to see what I mean.
Ask your self a few questions before you get started...
1. Am I brand loyal?
Being brand loyal is something most couponers throw out the window. My favorite toothpaste is made by Aquafresh but that isn't always what I use b/c I get other brands free. If you are dead set on using certain brands you probably aren't going to get the best deals.
2. Do I have room to store a stockpile of products?
The whole idea behind extreme couponing is to stockpile when things are at their rock bottom prices which means if you find an awesome deal were you can get cereal for 50 cents/box don't just buy one. Buy 10. {Obviously you don't want to buy things that are going to expire before you are able to use them .}
note: Most of this information is taken from http://mommymanaging.blogspot.com/
When I started using coupons this all seemed so confusing but I finally got used to the ins and outs of couponing. I am a stay-at-home mom. I feel that it is my job to get us the best deals on everything that we buy. I spend a lot of time shopping and organizing my shopping trips but it saves our family a lot of money and it actually is a lot of fun when you start seeing how much you can get for free or extremely cheap.
I hope this information helps some of you get started on a great couponing journey.
Finding Coupons:
The Newspaper
The most common resource is the Sunday newspaper. The first Sunday of the month is usually your best bet for a large amount of coupons and there are typically no coupons on holiday weekends.
There are a few different kinds of inserts:
Red Plum (formerly known as Valassis)
SmartSource
Proctor & Gamble (Released once a month - P&G)
Specific Store Insert, such as Dollar General
Keep every coupon, even if you don't think you'll buy the item. Occasionally you can make a profit on things that you wouldn't normally buy. This profit can go toward things that you would normally buy and you can donate the other stuff to a food bank or someone you know that would use it.
In Stores/On Products
Next time you're shopping keep a close eye out for coupons in the store. They may be on a stack or tearpad. They may be in little machines with blinking lights. They may be on the products themselves. I have gotten tons of coupons at Kroger this way and they can be used at any store.
The Internet
Being able to print coupons at home on my computer is like printing my own money. The downside--not all stores accept Internet coupons. Don't print every coupon you see b/c you are just wasting ink. Only print coupons that you know you will use. Before buying something with an internet coupon make sure the store will accept them. Some stores do not take them at all.
Coupon Clipping Services
There are websites that collect the coupons from the newspaper and distribute them by charging a "handling fee". They do not sell the coupons, per say, but their services in clipping, sorting, and mailing the coupons.
This comes in very handy when you want multiples of one coupon for specific sales. I recommend The Coupon Clippers. They have good prices, good in-stock quantities, and are fast and reliable. There is a 50 cent Admin Fee per order, a shipping charge, and a handling fee per coupon.
You can also get good deals on coupons on ebay but the shipping varies greatly.
Snail Mail/E-Mail
If there's a particular product you like, go to the manufacturer's website. Sign up for their e-mails or newsletters. Send them an e-mail telling them that you like their product. Many times, they will respond with coupons.
Set up a coupon email address so that you don't get tons of junk mail in your personal inbox.
Organizing Coupons After You Find Them:
I use the binder system. It has proven to be the best system for my needs. It lets me see coupons quickly and Lex can't really get to the coupons. It is a bit bulky but I carry the thing everywhere. I think one of the best tips that I have read is ALWAYS take your coupons with you even if you're just running in to grab a gallon of milk. You never know what deal you will spot and if it is a really good deal it may not be there when you come back.
I use tabs with baseball card protectors behind them. In the front of the binder I have a pouch with paperclips, sticky notes, small scissors and a calculator. Then I have a plastic pocket for each store that I frequent in the front of the binder. I keep the most recent sale paper and coupons for that store along with any ECBs or Rewards in this pocket for easy access.
When I get a chance I'll post my tab headings. They are for the moment a work in progress. Some need to be expanded and some just need to be deleted all together. If you go with this system, your binder will be a work in progress for a while. At first I had a really cute pink binder with flowers but it quickly broke in half from all the use. Tim gave me this ugly gray one that I thought was more heavy duty. However, after a few weeks of using it, Tim has already had to repair it with duck tape. Ha Ha. I think I'm going to try to find one of the fabric binders that zip up - this way no coupons could fall out.
Knowing the Language:
Use $1/2 from 9/7 RP, get $4 OYNO Cat
Does that look Greek to you?
Here's a list of translations for when I start speaking in couponese:
Q's=Coupons
MQ or MC=Manufacturer's Coupon
IP=Internet Printable
MIR=Mail-In Rebate
FAR=Free After Rebate
OYNO=On Your Next Order
Cats or Catalinas=These are coupons that print out of a machine near the cash register when you make a purchase
B1G1=Buy One Get One (Usually refers to Buy One Get One Free, but not always)
Peelies=Coupons on packages in-store
Blinkies=Coupons from a little box with a blinking light in-store
Tearpad=Coupons in stacks in-store
$X/X=Dollars off a minimum quantity (Example: $1/2=One Dollar off Two items)
WYB="When You Buy", as in "Get crackers free WYB cheese"
OOP=Out Of Pocket, what you actually pay
Stacking=This is when you use more than coupon for an item, like a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon or a $ off coupon with a Buy One Get One Free coupon.
RP=Red Plum Insert from Sunday Paper
SS=SmartSource Insert from Sunday Paper
P&G=Proctor & Gamble Insert from Sunday Paper
When referencing the above inserts, you will usually see a date before the abbreviation. This tells you what newspaper the insert came from.
Knowing Your Store's Policy:
These are the questions you want answered:
Does your coupon policy vary by store or is it a corporate policy?
Do you double or triple coupons? If so, to what maximum amount?
How many of the same coupon will be doubled or tripled?
Do you accept Internet printable coupons?
Can I combine store coupons and manufacturer’s coupons?
Do you have a coupon limit per transaction or per day?
Who do I contact if I have a problem using coupons in-store?
Finding the Deals:
You've already taken the first step by reading blogs about couponing, frugal living, etc.!
Forums are a great place to find deals in your area or at specific stores. A Full Cup, Hot Coupon World, and Slick Deals are the most popular. These forum sites also have great tools like coupon databases and coupon generators.
Using the Coupons:
Here's the big secret: combine coupons with sale prices and purchases that earn you rewards. That's it! Sounds easy, right?
In the blogosphere, we call it "Stockpiling". When an item is at it's lowest price and you have coupons for it, stock up. That means you won't need it when it's full price.
Notes and Information about Stores in Houston area:
Kroger (I shop at the 1464/Westheimer location only)
You do need a membership card to get most deals and sale prices. Sign up at the customer service desk for free and get a card instantly.
There are a few key things to know about deals at Kroger.
1) The store doubles up to 50 cent coupons and triples up to 39 cent coupons which means a 50 coupon would get you $1.00 off of the product or a 39 cent coupon would get you $1.08 cents off your item.
2) Kroger will allow you to use as many of the same coupon on items as you like. However, they will only double or triple the first 3 coupons. So, you will need to do separate transactions if you have more than 3 like coupons.
Shopping at Kroger is pretty basic, but saving at Kroger takes a little planning.
1) Shortcuts.com offers coupons you can load to your Kroger card. These savings come off automatically at the register as long as you have purchased the CORRECT qualifying item. Both Shortcuts.com, Cellfire.com & PGEsaver coupons can be used in conjunction with a manufacturer's coupon. BIG savings! You can only have 20 TOTAL coupons on your shopper's card, between all sites. You cannot delete any coupons--the only way to make them go away is to use them.
2) PGEsaver offers a similar program with Proctor & Gamble products.
3) Cellfire.com offers a similar program. You can have these coupons sent to your cell phone or added to your Kroger card.
4) Register your Kroger card at Kroger's Website so they can mail you store coupons.
5) Buy an Entertainment Book to save even more. I have $5 off $75 purchases every month and one $5 off $50 purchase.
6) Kroger gives out catalina coupons from a separate machine at the register. These may seem random, but they are sparked by your purchases that are kept track of on your Kroger card. Some of these coupons will be for dollars off your next purchase, to be used just like Kroger cash. You can find out what the current catalina deals are offered at the forum sites discussed here.
I check for deals on a daily basis on the Kroger TX/LA Hot Coupon World Forum. There is a wealth of info on this forum and many times there are sneak peaks for upcoming sale papers.
CVS (I shop at the Grand Mission Blvd/Westpark Tollway location only)
I'm not even going to attemp to explain CVS because Mommy Managing has such a great explanation. My pregnant brain couldn't do any better tonight. Go here to see what I mean.
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