The goal of couponing is to pay as little as possible for everyday items that your family needs and wants. Any new adventure can seem a little confusing and intimidating at first, but I hope to help you discover how rewarding and downright addictive saving can be! So, let's get started making cents of couponing!
The biggest question friends have been asking me is where do you get your coupons?
- Weekend newspapers
- In our area the Red Plum insert will be in the weekend Times-Journal and the Smart Source Insert will be in Sunday Birmingham paper. Both papers will have the P&G monthly insert the 1st weekend of each month (unless it's a holiday).
- Magazines
- All You is loaded with coupons!
- Internet
- Certain companies send coupons in the mail occasionally.
- Peelies
- Check your favorite products for coupons that might be hitching a ride!
- Store
- Many stores have coupon booklets containing store coupons that can possibly be stacked with your manufacturer's coupon! Every store is different so check the coupon policy.
- Some stores print Catalinas which are manufacturer's coupons for cents off (like a regular coupon) or dollar amount off of next purchase (store rewards like Walgreen's Register Rewards and Rite Aid's Single Check Rebate
- Some companies give coupons for a limited time if you "Like" their page.
- Friends and Family
- There may be some people out there who do not share your passion for saving (crazy, I know). If so, after you have thoroughly explained to them what they are missing out on, ask if they will save you the inserts from their papers. Most people will gladly do so.
Another thought to consider is how to store and organize your coupons. Some options are envelopes, accordion folders, and binders. I use a binder which I will post a picture of later. My binder is filled with baseball card pages where I store my coupons, and dividers for organization. Before my shopping trip, I move the coupons I'm going to be using that day from my binder to a wallet sized accordion organizer. If you are interested in using a binder, there are many options available. I bought a cheap binder and dividers from Wal-Mart and ordered the baseball card pages online. You can also purchase pre-made coupon binders. There is one in particular that I think is a good deal: Mrs. A's Coupon Organizer.
Here are some terms and abbreviations you may not be familiar with as a coupon newbie:
BOGO or B1G1- Buy one get one free
B2G1- Buy 2 get 1 free
MM- Money maker
WYB- When you buy
OOP- Out of pocket
RC- Rain check. Some stores will honor the price of a sale item at a later date if they are currently out of stock.
Blinkie- a machine that prints off coupons in store. These are usually placed near the item that the coupon is for.
Catalina- manufacturer coupon that prints at the register triggered by your purchase. Come catalina's are coupons for cent off a particular product and some are a dollar amount off of your entire purchase.
RR- Walgreen's Catalina that can be used like cash toward your next purchase.
Insert- Coupon booklets that are in the Sunday paper. The three that you will see are the Red Plum (RP), Proctor and Gable (P&G), and Smart Source (SS).
Overage: This applies when the cost of your purchase is less that the value of your coupon. Some stores will give you cash back or apply the balance to the rest of your purchases. Many stores do not allow overage so they will adjust the value of the coupon down to the price of the item.
You can stock up on great name brand products by using your newly acquired couponing skills! But remember, to maximize your savings, you cannot be brand loyal!!. If you love Colgate toothpaste but Crest is free at Walgreen's this week, buy Crest!! You will likely not notice a difference in the quality of the products but you will definitely notice the money you save by being coupon savvy.
Another thing, do not feel like it is necessary to purchase a ridiculous amount of a particular item just because it is cheap or free. A sale cycle is usually 6 to 8 weeks so to save space and avoid clutter, stock up on enough to last you through the cycle. There are circumstances, of course, where I would say it is best to buy up as many of an item as you can. For example, the $5.00 off of any Similac product coupon that I used to buy 4 months worth of formula for Sawyer. This was wise not only because it was a rare coupon but because it generated $1.16 overage at Wal-Mart! You are probably wondering how I came in possession of that many coupons. Well, there are coupon clipping services where you can order large quantities of either individual coupons or coupon inserts. It is illegal to sale coupons, so you are paying for the time and energy spent to clip them.
Because you are blessed to be able to provide for your family, be a blessing to someone else! If you do come across free or very cheap items that you are stocked up on, purchase them and donate to a local food bank or charity. I am working on compiling a list of local food banks and charities in our area that are accepting donations.
For instructions on how to save at Walgreen's, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart and BI-LO, visit each page from the main menu.
This concludes Coupon 101! I hope that I have helped you make cents of couponing! I will be posting other helpful hints on the main page. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have! Happy couponing!!
