Are you new to couponing? Need some helpful hints to get started? I've put together the best tips I know below to help you get on track to start saving money! Don't worry, it can be very discouraging and overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, you are on your way! :)
Where do I get Coupons?
- Sunday Newspapers are full of coupon inserts. They range from 1-4 inserts each week! Sometimes more. The name of the inserts are: P&G, Smart Source, Red Plum, Unilever, GM, and Pepsico.
- You can also print coupons online, go HERE to see a list of a few
- Visit your favorite companies websites or their Facebook Pages for Coupon offers
- In-store ads
- In-store displays
- Free Samples
- Magazines! (ALL You is the best magazine for getting coupons!) Click here for your Subscription to All You Magazine
How many coupon inserts should I buy?
I typically like to have atleast 4 - 6 inserts each week. The reason being is because one of the main goals of couponing is to stockpile items at their lowest price. If you have more than one insert, that means you have more than one identical coupon, then you're able to get more products during a good sale. Also, some deals or promotions will require you to buy a certain amount of items, so you will have to have more coupons to do the deal.
How Should I Organize My Coupons?
There are so many ways to organize your coupons. Here are a few that I've tried, see which one works the best for you :
- Binder Method: Buy a big binder (try to find one that zips shut so you don't have coupons falling out) Buy the baseball card or business card inserts. Clip all of your coupons and place them in the the slots. Then, you can organize them into categories which you think will be the best way to find them when you need them. For example: Chips, Cereal, Soups, Meats, Frozen, Beverages, Baby, Hair Care, Medicine..etc. This is the best method because you can easily take your binder to the store and have your coupons with you at all times, but it is also the most time consuming.
- Whole Insert Method: This is the method I'm currently using. I separate all my inserts by each page and then stack all the identical pages together. I bought page protectors and placed the whole inserts in each one, page by page. I have them separated by inserts. For example I have a tab for P&G, Smart Source, Red plum, etc.. And I place a sticky note on the front of the beginning insert to note what date the insert was from. This way, if I need a coupon, I can pull out the whole insert, and cut all the coupons at once!
- Clip-as-you-go Method: This method is basically keeping your inserts whole, but organize them by date. And just clip the coupons as you find the sales.
How Do I Prepare for a Shopping Trip Using Coupons?
- Make a list of the items you'll be purchasing, include sale price and the coupons you'll need.
- Write down the total of what the transaction will be after coupons, so when you're at the register you'll know if something went wrong.
- Pull your coupons (I usually put mine in a little coupon envelope with my list)
- Have your coupon policy with you
- Bring your coupon binder with you (if you do this method) so you can score great deals on markdowns
- Lastly, have fun!!!!
Where can I find my store's coupon policy?
Most of the time you can go directly to their website and print it off there. I have also made a list of the stores I frequently shop at HERE with all the policies in one spot. I highly recommend that you print your store policies and have them with you when you go to the store, that way you're prepared if you come across any issues.
Can I use more than one coupon for an item?
- You can use only ONE manufacturer coupon per item.
- You can use a Store coupon and stack it with a manufacturer coupon.
Important Things to Look for on Your Coupons:
- Check the top to see if it says Manufacturer or Store Coupon
- Check to see if it states it must be redeemed ONLY at a specific store (for example, some coupons will have a store's logo on it and say "redeemable at Walmart", but if it doesn't state, "redeemable ONLY at Walmart" then you can use it anywhere (as long as it's a manufacturer coupon)
- Check the expiration date
- Check for any size limits or restrictions
- Check to see if the coupon states that you must buy a certain "type" of product
- Read the fine print to see how many "like" coupons you can use in one shopping trip
Barcode Tips
This is important to you if your store doubles or triples
- If your coupon starts with a number "5", your coupon will automatically double or triple (even if it states "Do Not Double" or "Do Not Triple")
- If your coupon starts with a number "9", your coupon will not automatically double or triple. If the coupon DOES NOT state, "Do Not Double" or "Do Not Triple", you can have the cashier override it and manually double or triple it
- Then, there are the new coupons that have no numbers, and just a bar code, or they start with a "0". With these, there is no way to tell if they will automatically double or triple unless you just take it to the register to see.
The Coupon Lingo
You may see these around on the blog and wonder what do they mean? Here are the most common abbreviations in the coupon world and the meanings.
- BOGO or B1G1 = Buy One Get One
- DND = Do Not Double
- DNT = Do Not Triple
- WYB = When You Buy
- BRP = Balance Reward Points at Walgreens
- IVC = Instant Value Coupon at Walgreens
- RR = Regist Rewards at Walgreens
- UP+ = UP Rewards at Rite-aid
- SCR = Single Check Rebate at Rite-aid
- VV = Video Values Coupon at Rite-aid
- ECB = Extra Care Bucks at CVS
- Peelie = Coupon found on a product that you peel off
- Hanging Tag = Coupon found hanging on the product or near the product
- Tearpad = Coupon Stack that you tear off, usually found infront of product or on a store display
- MFR = Manufacturer Coupon
- MIR = Mail in rebate
- PG = Procter and Gamble
- RP = Red Plum
- SS = Smart Source
- GM = General Mills
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