Schnucks-
Valley Fresh Chicken Breast (canned)- 2 cans @ $1 ea (regularly $1.89-on sale 2/$3 + $1 off coupon)
Select Harvest Campbells soup-2 cans @ $.75 (regularly $1.68-on sale $1.25 + .50 off 2 cans doubled to $1.00 off 2 cans.)
Uncle Ben's rice mix-4 boxes @ $.75 box (regularly 1.3?-on sale $1 + buy 3 get 1 free coupon)
Schnucks total regular price- $9.92
Scnucks total with sale price only-$9.50
Schnucks total with sales and coupons- $5.52
Gerbes-
Hormel Chili-10 cans @ $.23 each (1.41 regularly + .50 off sale + $.55 off 2 coupon doubled to $1.00 off 2 coupon + $.13 plus card reward)
Brawny paper towels-1 roll @ $.25 ( 1.59 regularly + $1.00 off coupon + $.34 plus card reward)
Dillons gallon 2% milk- 1 gallon @ $2.99 (regular price)
Palmolive dish soap (big bottle)- 3 bottles @ $.99 ea (regularly $2.82+ $.50 off sale + $.50 off coupon doubled to $1.00 off + $.33 plus card reward)
Birds Eye frozen vegetables Chef's variety- 5 bags @ $.49 ea (regulary $3.15 + $.50 off sale +$.50 off coupon doubled to $1.00 + $1.16 plus card reward)
Moms Best Natural Cereals- 2 boxes @ $.49 box (regularly $2.79 + $.50 off sale + $1 off 2 coupon + $1.30 plus card reward)
Zone protein bar-1 bar @ free ($1.00 regularly + $.55 off coupon doubled to $1.00)
Granny Smith Apples- 2lbs @ $1/lb (regularly $1.88 lb on sale for $1)
Lysol Neutra Air aerosol spray can- 1 can @ 1.49 (regularly $3.75 + $.50 off sale + $.50 off coupon doubled to $1 + $.76 plus card reward)
Mens Speed Stick- 6 bars @ $.44/ea (regularly $2.15 + buy 1 get 1 free + $1.27 plus card reward)
Lady's Speed Stick- 6 bars @ $.44/ea (regularly $2.15 + buy1get1free+ $1.27 plus card reward)
Gerbes total regular price- $82.68
Gerbes total with sales items and rewards only $48.87
Gerbes total with sales, rewards, and coupons $26.59
Bratchers (I can't tell the original price, only the sales price shows on the reciept)
Knorr's rice mix-8 @ $.50 ea (On sale 5/$5 + $.50 off 2 coupon doubled to $1 off 2)
Franks hot sauce-4 @ $.25 ea (regularly $1.25 + $.50 off coupon doubled to $1)
Texas Toast croutons-4 @ $.20 ea (on sale 5/$5 + $.40 off coupon doubled to $.80)
Grapefruit-6 @ $2.00 total (on sale 3/$1)
Prarie Farms sour cream 16 oz- 2 tubs @ $.80 ea (on sale 2/$3 + $.35 off coupon doubled to $.70)
Totinos pizza rolls- 2 boxes @ $.20 each (on sale 5/$5 + $.40 off coupon doubled to $.80)
Bratchers with sales prices-$27.00
Bratchers with coupons- $9.80
I did end up getting some things I needed from WalMart last night also (and even some without coupons!), so in fairness I'll go ahead and add them into the total. I got a tub of Country Time Lemonade ($2.18), A package of Starbucks coffee ($7.98-$1.50 coupon), 3 rolls of Jimmy Dean Sausage ($2.78-.55 off 2 coupon), 1 lb of Velveeta ($3.83-.55 coupon), Honey Bunches of Oats ($1.99-$1.00 off coupon) 5 Oral B dental floss ($1.14-$.75 off coupon).
Walmart total- $22.67
Total spending for the week: $64.58
Take into account that I am stocked up on meats from sales in previous weeks. But even if I had to get meat, I would go to WalMart early in the morning, pick up clearance meat and still be around $85 for 1 week of food vs. the $125+ I would spend in my pre couponing days :)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Today we are going to talk about getting even more power out of your coupons. The first rule of getting the most power out of your coupons is this: Don't use a coupon just because you have it. Don't use it the 1st week after you clip either, unless you find a heckuva deal on something. If you're getting $1 off prune juice and you hate prune juice, that's pretty pointless. Only use the coupons you have worked so hard for when you are going to get the most bang for your buck. That brings me to my next tutorial! Double coupons. Triple coupons. Stacking store and manufacturer coupons. Rewards cards. Oh it goes on and on. I will share with you all, my fine friends, what all this means (and which stores in our vicinity actually participate!)
Double coupons- A store that doubles coupons will basically take your coupon's face value and give you double that discount. For example, if you have a $.55 off coupon, you now actually have $1.10 off coupon with a store that doubles. Some coupons will specifically say "Cannot be doubled/tripled" so then you're hosed, but for the most part this is an excellent way to get some extra savings.
Stores that double every day:
-Brachters (up to $.75, giving you a total of $1.50 off. Maximum of 4 like coupons in 1 trip. Maximum of 25 doubled coupons per day. Any coupon over the $.75 mark will be redeemed at face value only)
-Schnucks (up to $.50 giving you a total of $1.00 off. Maximum of 3 like coupons in 1 trip. Maximum of 15 doubled coupons per shopper. Will take total of 1.00 even if coupon is more than $.50. Example- a $.75 coupon will actually give you $1.00 off)
-Gerbes (up to $.50 giving you a total of $1.00 off. Gerbes reserves the right to put a maximum on thier couponing, but they do not practice this. In other words, if you have 10 coupons they will probably let you go. If you have 500 coupons, they might have a manager step in. Also gives a total of $1.00 off even if your coupon is more than $.50)
-Patricias (up to $.50 giving you a total of $1.00 off. Coupons between $.51-$.99 will be redeemed at $1. No limit on how many you can use per thier written policy)
-WalMart, Walgreens, HyVee, and Target do not double coupons. HyVee's website says they do, but I had a discussion with their manager about it last week and they don't.
(If there is a local store not listed here, it's because I don't use that store so I wouldn't know)
Triple coupons-There is no one around here that triples coupons that I know of. Prengers did it as a promotional thing a few weeks back, but they are not going to continue that. If you ever find someone who does triple coupons, take advantage!
Stacking- Coupon stacking is the practice of using 2 coupons on 1 item (or for 1 deal). To do this you must have a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. IN ALMOST ALL CASES YOU CANNOT USE 2 MANUFACTURER COUPONS ON 1 ITEM. So lets say, for example, Walgreens puts out a $1 off 2 bags coupon for a big bag of M+M's (February's coupon book, hint hint) and I have a $1.50 off 2 big bags of M+M's. They are on sale this week for 2/$5. I will use Walgreens store coupon, and my manufacturer coupon to get 2 big bags of M+M's for $2.50 or $1.25 each bag (if you haven't caught on yet, this is all a true story so get on your couponing and go get you some M+M's!). Each store differs on what they allow for stacking. Walgreens is the biggest store around Moberly area that does store coupons so I'll start there. At Walgreens, you cannot have more coupons than items. IE, if you are using 2 coupons for 1 item, you will need to have an item you are not using a coupon for (like, maybe the $.25 caramels at the checkout line). If you are using a coupon that is $x off when you buy 2 and a store coupon on top of it (like the example above) you are ok. Before using store and manufacturer coupons, check with the store manager.
Rewards- Sometimes a store will give you an extra perk for shopping there, which is a reward. Each store does something different, if anything at all. Gerbes has a Plus card. You will want to get one of those. The Plus card gives you access to all of Gerbes sales, and it also gives you a few extra cents off each thing you buy there. Walgreens has Register Rewards. The register rewards are so touchy, it's hardly a reward. With Register Rewards, you only get 1 reward, even if you buy 10 products (for example, if you buy 10 $1.99 protein bars that has a $1 RR, you get $1, not $10). So, I tried to get around that by doing each thing with a RR in seperate transactions. But if you use your previous RR to pay for this RR you won't get another RR. It's really confusing and hardly worth it. If you plan to get Register Rewards, this is how I recommend doing it. If you have more than 1 of the same thing with RR's, pay for them in seperate transactions. Use cash for each transaction. You should then get all of your rewards. Then you can use those RR's on your next trip.
I think you all get the jist of this now. Get excited, because tomorrow we talk STOCKPILES! I will also post later today on my shopping trip how my shopping trip yesterday went. :)
Double coupons- A store that doubles coupons will basically take your coupon's face value and give you double that discount. For example, if you have a $.55 off coupon, you now actually have $1.10 off coupon with a store that doubles. Some coupons will specifically say "Cannot be doubled/tripled" so then you're hosed, but for the most part this is an excellent way to get some extra savings.
Stores that double every day:
-Brachters (up to $.75, giving you a total of $1.50 off. Maximum of 4 like coupons in 1 trip. Maximum of 25 doubled coupons per day. Any coupon over the $.75 mark will be redeemed at face value only)
-Schnucks (up to $.50 giving you a total of $1.00 off. Maximum of 3 like coupons in 1 trip. Maximum of 15 doubled coupons per shopper. Will take total of 1.00 even if coupon is more than $.50. Example- a $.75 coupon will actually give you $1.00 off)
-Gerbes (up to $.50 giving you a total of $1.00 off. Gerbes reserves the right to put a maximum on thier couponing, but they do not practice this. In other words, if you have 10 coupons they will probably let you go. If you have 500 coupons, they might have a manager step in. Also gives a total of $1.00 off even if your coupon is more than $.50)
-Patricias (up to $.50 giving you a total of $1.00 off. Coupons between $.51-$.99 will be redeemed at $1. No limit on how many you can use per thier written policy)
-WalMart, Walgreens, HyVee, and Target do not double coupons. HyVee's website says they do, but I had a discussion with their manager about it last week and they don't.
(If there is a local store not listed here, it's because I don't use that store so I wouldn't know)
Triple coupons-There is no one around here that triples coupons that I know of. Prengers did it as a promotional thing a few weeks back, but they are not going to continue that. If you ever find someone who does triple coupons, take advantage!
Stacking- Coupon stacking is the practice of using 2 coupons on 1 item (or for 1 deal). To do this you must have a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. IN ALMOST ALL CASES YOU CANNOT USE 2 MANUFACTURER COUPONS ON 1 ITEM. So lets say, for example, Walgreens puts out a $1 off 2 bags coupon for a big bag of M+M's (February's coupon book, hint hint) and I have a $1.50 off 2 big bags of M+M's. They are on sale this week for 2/$5. I will use Walgreens store coupon, and my manufacturer coupon to get 2 big bags of M+M's for $2.50 or $1.25 each bag (if you haven't caught on yet, this is all a true story so get on your couponing and go get you some M+M's!). Each store differs on what they allow for stacking. Walgreens is the biggest store around Moberly area that does store coupons so I'll start there. At Walgreens, you cannot have more coupons than items. IE, if you are using 2 coupons for 1 item, you will need to have an item you are not using a coupon for (like, maybe the $.25 caramels at the checkout line). If you are using a coupon that is $x off when you buy 2 and a store coupon on top of it (like the example above) you are ok. Before using store and manufacturer coupons, check with the store manager.
Rewards- Sometimes a store will give you an extra perk for shopping there, which is a reward. Each store does something different, if anything at all. Gerbes has a Plus card. You will want to get one of those. The Plus card gives you access to all of Gerbes sales, and it also gives you a few extra cents off each thing you buy there. Walgreens has Register Rewards. The register rewards are so touchy, it's hardly a reward. With Register Rewards, you only get 1 reward, even if you buy 10 products (for example, if you buy 10 $1.99 protein bars that has a $1 RR, you get $1, not $10). So, I tried to get around that by doing each thing with a RR in seperate transactions. But if you use your previous RR to pay for this RR you won't get another RR. It's really confusing and hardly worth it. If you plan to get Register Rewards, this is how I recommend doing it. If you have more than 1 of the same thing with RR's, pay for them in seperate transactions. Use cash for each transaction. You should then get all of your rewards. Then you can use those RR's on your next trip.
I think you all get the jist of this now. Get excited, because tomorrow we talk STOCKPILES! I will also post later today on my shopping trip how my shopping trip yesterday went. :)
Monday, January 30, 2012
Mommy and Daddy,where do coupons come from?
Whenever I start to share my couponing adventures, I inevitably am asked "Where do you get your coupons?" I am just a beginner, less than a month into my sobriety from full retail prices so I am sure I don't have anywhere near the coupons as some seasoned vets. Yet, my coupon binder literally weighs more than my first child. I am going to give you a list of some places you can get coupons, and which ways I think work the best.
-Newspapers- This is where the bulk of your coupons should come from. The trick to getting the good deals is to get multiple Sunday papers. For example, I usually get 1 Moberly Weekender, 2 Columbia Tribunes, and 5 KC Stars. The reason you want at least 1 of each is that they each have a different coupon insert because they are different regions. For example, 1 week my Moberly paper had a ton of Lysol coupons that no one else had, 1 week my Columbia paper had Prarie Farms coupons (yes for milk!) that neither other paper had. For this I pay around $15, but I saved over $80 in groceries this week. I think it's a fair trade.Plus, you can get Sunday only subscriptions which work out to way cheaper than buying them from Caseys or getting them from the machine. I just have been too lazy to get it together. When you buy 5 KC Stars, you then get 5 copies of each coupon therein. So when you can get Sunny D for free with coupon (Gerbes this week) you can snatch up a month's worth (or more) because you have enough coupons to do that. Be forewarned, it takes a long time to buy the paper, seperate the pages, stack the pages, clip the coupons, organize the coupons, re-organize the coupons according to expiration date, and so on. But you will get better at it. The way I see it is if I spend 2 hours a week couponing and another 4 shopping to save $80 on my groceries, I just paid myself $13 per hour.
-Internet coupons-I love internet coupons. Most of the time they have a higher value than newspaper coupons, and longer expiration dates! There are 3 catches to internet coupons: 1. Because of fraud, a lot of stores won't take them or at least will give you the stinkeye about it. 2. Ink for most printers is around $30-$40 for a refill. 3. You are limited to how many you can print from 1 computer. Avoid the pitfall of printing a coupon for a new item unless you have actually been to the store, seen the item, and know the price. Some smaller brands put thier coupons out there without any stores around here carrying said item. So now you're out the $.35 or whatever it cost you to print the coupon and no way to use it. ONLY PRINT COUPONS YOU ACTUALLY PLAN ON USING. I actually won't print a coupon unless I am leaving to go to the store and get that item. Remember, we coupon to save money. Wasting a bunch of ink and paper on an item you aren't getting is not an efficient way to coupon.
-Coupons from packaging- Believe it or not, the items you are getting at a discount or free can sometimes also help you get your coupon count up. There are 2 ways to get coupons from packaging. 1. Peelies- Peelies are the little stickers on the outside of the package that contain a coupon. Here is a little trick. The manufacturers put the peelies on the biggest, most expensive package of whatever they are trying to give you a coupon for. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking that sticker off that package and using it to buy a smaller, less expensive package. The manufacturer is trying to attract you to his/her product. In my eyes, it shouldn't matter what size that product is. As long as you plan to use it, go ahead and peel it.
2. Inside the packaging-These are the coupons that the manufacturer is hoping you'll miss and throw away. 98% of people do. Keep them. If you like that product or it goes on sale, you'll be happy you did.
-Blinkies- This is just a cute name for the little machines in the store aisles that spit the coupons out at you. Again, there is nothing wrong with you standing at the machine (if you have the patience for it) and taking 50 of those little coupons, AS LONG AS YOU PLAN TO USE THEM. Most of these cannot be doubled, but still worth grabbing. Also note, you don't have to use the coupons from the blinky machine at the store where you got it. That is a manufacturer coupon, good to use anywhere.
-Store coupons- Store coupons are just that. An additional discount the store is going to give you if you have the magic slip of paper. The difference is that with a manufacturer coupon, the person who makes the item gives the discount (and pays the store back that discount + a handling fee), and with a store coupon, the store gives the discount. In most cases you can use both and get a super discount!
-Ebay- So there are actually people who do all the couponing work, then list the coupons on eBay so that you don't have to spend hours clipping! It is illegal to sell coupons, so you will see on each listing something to the effect of "you are paying for a coupon clipping service, not for the actual coupons". This comes in handy when there is a good sale on something and you want to really really stock up. I usually will check the sales ads on Tuesday and if I can get something free I will go on Ebay and snatch up 10 more coupons for that item. It's not something you'll want to use all the time, but it does have it's perks.
-Catalina- A Catalina coupon is the one that comes with your reciept at the end of your shopping trip. Most of the time, the computer can tell what you bought the most of or the types of things you bought and will give you a coupon for something along those lines. A Catalina is a manufacturer coupon, but it must be used at the store that gave it to you.
-Ecoupons- an E coupon is a coupon that can be downloaded to something like a rewards card and used at a specific store. Gerbes uses softcoin.com to put coupons on your Plus card. Also, target is leading the way with E-coupons. When you sign up at Target.com they will send you a text message containing your coupon. Hand your cell to the cashier at checkout and BAM! Money in your pocket.
Coming up tomorrow...Double-coupon, Triple-coupon, Stacking, and more!
-Newspapers- This is where the bulk of your coupons should come from. The trick to getting the good deals is to get multiple Sunday papers. For example, I usually get 1 Moberly Weekender, 2 Columbia Tribunes, and 5 KC Stars. The reason you want at least 1 of each is that they each have a different coupon insert because they are different regions. For example, 1 week my Moberly paper had a ton of Lysol coupons that no one else had, 1 week my Columbia paper had Prarie Farms coupons (yes for milk!) that neither other paper had. For this I pay around $15, but I saved over $80 in groceries this week. I think it's a fair trade.Plus, you can get Sunday only subscriptions which work out to way cheaper than buying them from Caseys or getting them from the machine. I just have been too lazy to get it together. When you buy 5 KC Stars, you then get 5 copies of each coupon therein. So when you can get Sunny D for free with coupon (Gerbes this week) you can snatch up a month's worth (or more) because you have enough coupons to do that. Be forewarned, it takes a long time to buy the paper, seperate the pages, stack the pages, clip the coupons, organize the coupons, re-organize the coupons according to expiration date, and so on. But you will get better at it. The way I see it is if I spend 2 hours a week couponing and another 4 shopping to save $80 on my groceries, I just paid myself $13 per hour.
-Internet coupons-I love internet coupons. Most of the time they have a higher value than newspaper coupons, and longer expiration dates! There are 3 catches to internet coupons: 1. Because of fraud, a lot of stores won't take them or at least will give you the stinkeye about it. 2. Ink for most printers is around $30-$40 for a refill. 3. You are limited to how many you can print from 1 computer. Avoid the pitfall of printing a coupon for a new item unless you have actually been to the store, seen the item, and know the price. Some smaller brands put thier coupons out there without any stores around here carrying said item. So now you're out the $.35 or whatever it cost you to print the coupon and no way to use it. ONLY PRINT COUPONS YOU ACTUALLY PLAN ON USING. I actually won't print a coupon unless I am leaving to go to the store and get that item. Remember, we coupon to save money. Wasting a bunch of ink and paper on an item you aren't getting is not an efficient way to coupon.
-Coupons from packaging- Believe it or not, the items you are getting at a discount or free can sometimes also help you get your coupon count up. There are 2 ways to get coupons from packaging. 1. Peelies- Peelies are the little stickers on the outside of the package that contain a coupon. Here is a little trick. The manufacturers put the peelies on the biggest, most expensive package of whatever they are trying to give you a coupon for. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking that sticker off that package and using it to buy a smaller, less expensive package. The manufacturer is trying to attract you to his/her product. In my eyes, it shouldn't matter what size that product is. As long as you plan to use it, go ahead and peel it.
2. Inside the packaging-These are the coupons that the manufacturer is hoping you'll miss and throw away. 98% of people do. Keep them. If you like that product or it goes on sale, you'll be happy you did.
-Blinkies- This is just a cute name for the little machines in the store aisles that spit the coupons out at you. Again, there is nothing wrong with you standing at the machine (if you have the patience for it) and taking 50 of those little coupons, AS LONG AS YOU PLAN TO USE THEM. Most of these cannot be doubled, but still worth grabbing. Also note, you don't have to use the coupons from the blinky machine at the store where you got it. That is a manufacturer coupon, good to use anywhere.
-Store coupons- Store coupons are just that. An additional discount the store is going to give you if you have the magic slip of paper. The difference is that with a manufacturer coupon, the person who makes the item gives the discount (and pays the store back that discount + a handling fee), and with a store coupon, the store gives the discount. In most cases you can use both and get a super discount!
-Ebay- So there are actually people who do all the couponing work, then list the coupons on eBay so that you don't have to spend hours clipping! It is illegal to sell coupons, so you will see on each listing something to the effect of "you are paying for a coupon clipping service, not for the actual coupons". This comes in handy when there is a good sale on something and you want to really really stock up. I usually will check the sales ads on Tuesday and if I can get something free I will go on Ebay and snatch up 10 more coupons for that item. It's not something you'll want to use all the time, but it does have it's perks.
-Catalina- A Catalina coupon is the one that comes with your reciept at the end of your shopping trip. Most of the time, the computer can tell what you bought the most of or the types of things you bought and will give you a coupon for something along those lines. A Catalina is a manufacturer coupon, but it must be used at the store that gave it to you.
-Ecoupons- an E coupon is a coupon that can be downloaded to something like a rewards card and used at a specific store. Gerbes uses softcoin.com to put coupons on your Plus card. Also, target is leading the way with E-coupons. When you sign up at Target.com they will send you a text message containing your coupon. Hand your cell to the cashier at checkout and BAM! Money in your pocket.
Coming up tomorrow...Double-coupon, Triple-coupon, Stacking, and more!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Where to start.
Now that you have decided to take the couponing plunge, you are going to need a few things to get you started.
1. You will need a way to organize your coupons. Honestly, with the amount of coupons you will be clipping, those old "coupon organizers" are not going to cut it. There are really 2 ways you can organize. You can use a binder or a box. Either way you choose, you will then want to organize it. (I will go further into detail at the end of this post on this)
2. You will need a GOOD pair of scissors. Believe me (from experience) there is nothing worse than trying to clip through 30 seperate piles, each one 5-7 pages deep with a 1st graders safety scissors. It's enough to give you carpal tunnel. If you are a scrapbooker and have some type of paper trimmer, that will work too.
3. A source of coupons. There are several different ways to get coupons. You can print them from online, get them from your Sunday paper, printed out at the register with your reciept, from the packaging, and on and on. The key to saving money is having a plethora of coupons to choose from!
How to organize your coupons is a personal preference, and I'm sure there are more ways than the few I'm about to go through. I personally like these the best, so these are the ones I am sharing.
Binder:
--Things you will need:
Large 3 prong binder (3 inches or more)
Sheet protectors
Baseball card sheet protectors
a few envelopes
To start your binder you will need to decide by what category you are going to organize. You can organize by date (which I don't personally recommend, but you can) or you can organize by category. That's what I do. Whether you choose to organize by date or category, you will start by seperating each page of your coupon insert. If you have more than 1 insert (which you should) you will stack like pages on top of each other. First, we will talk about organizing by date.
If you choose to organize by date you will take your like pages, and staple them together. Then with a sharpie or some other bold pen or marker write the date that you clipped them on the page. Do not clip the coupon, keep the entire page. You will then simply put that stack of pages into a sheet protector and into your binder. This takes MUCH less time when you are couponing on Sundays, but much more time when you are at the store searching for that coupon you just know you had. But if you make a very detailed list before you go to the store and aren't an impulsive shopper listing by date can work for you.
If you choose to organize by category, you will need to get your binder in order before you start clipping. I recommend using http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com/ 's template. This template will give you a table of contents with all of the categories you will need. Once you have printed this off, you will put the full sheets of paper from the template into sheet protectors (also, if you have a paper punch that will make tabs, use it. It's much easier to create a file type system in your binder than have to look for category 32 without any help from outside sources) You will then put a few baseball card protector pages in for each category. Next you will clip your like stacks of coupons and put them in the baseball card slots. I like to organize mine by expiration date so that I can easily see what I might need to use soon.
If you choose to organize by box, you will need:
A hinged index card organizer box (the big one)
Numbered or lettered tab insert dividers for box
Lots of paperclips
You will create a table of contest (you can use the one on the template given above, but you will have to retype it smaller so it will fit on/in your index card organizer). You will clip each coupon by stack, similar to organizing by binder category. You will then paperclip off each set of coupons and drop that stack behind the corresponding divider. You will want to glue/tape your table of contents on the front or put it somewhere you can easily see it. The pro to the index card organizer is that it is small. You can throw it in your purse or whatever. The con is that you can not easily see all of the coupons at your disposal.
However you choose to organize, I like to also keep a few envelopes in mine so that I can take the coupons I plan to use out and have them ready. I then organize that by store (so I will have an envelope for coupons I'm using at Walmart that day, Walgreens, so on...) Whichever way you choose, I recommend also printing and keeping a copy of each stores coupon policy in your book. It's a nice thing to have if you get a snotty cashier, or if you personally are wondering how many coupons you can double, etc...Most customer service desks have the policy for you. Also, write your name and address in your book. Checking out with a bazillion coupons is a little nerve wracking and if you should forget the binder you have put so much work into at the store, at least the person who finds it would be able to call you. I think I have touched on everything you need to get started, so start thinking on which organizer works best for you and I will talk to you tomorrow :)
Next up...Mommy and Daddy, where do coupons come from?
1. You will need a way to organize your coupons. Honestly, with the amount of coupons you will be clipping, those old "coupon organizers" are not going to cut it. There are really 2 ways you can organize. You can use a binder or a box. Either way you choose, you will then want to organize it. (I will go further into detail at the end of this post on this)
2. You will need a GOOD pair of scissors. Believe me (from experience) there is nothing worse than trying to clip through 30 seperate piles, each one 5-7 pages deep with a 1st graders safety scissors. It's enough to give you carpal tunnel. If you are a scrapbooker and have some type of paper trimmer, that will work too.
3. A source of coupons. There are several different ways to get coupons. You can print them from online, get them from your Sunday paper, printed out at the register with your reciept, from the packaging, and on and on. The key to saving money is having a plethora of coupons to choose from!
How to organize your coupons is a personal preference, and I'm sure there are more ways than the few I'm about to go through. I personally like these the best, so these are the ones I am sharing.
Binder:
--Things you will need:
Large 3 prong binder (3 inches or more)
Sheet protectors
Baseball card sheet protectors
a few envelopes
To start your binder you will need to decide by what category you are going to organize. You can organize by date (which I don't personally recommend, but you can) or you can organize by category. That's what I do. Whether you choose to organize by date or category, you will start by seperating each page of your coupon insert. If you have more than 1 insert (which you should) you will stack like pages on top of each other. First, we will talk about organizing by date.
If you choose to organize by date you will take your like pages, and staple them together. Then with a sharpie or some other bold pen or marker write the date that you clipped them on the page. Do not clip the coupon, keep the entire page. You will then simply put that stack of pages into a sheet protector and into your binder. This takes MUCH less time when you are couponing on Sundays, but much more time when you are at the store searching for that coupon you just know you had. But if you make a very detailed list before you go to the store and aren't an impulsive shopper listing by date can work for you.
If you choose to organize by category, you will need to get your binder in order before you start clipping. I recommend using http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com/ 's template. This template will give you a table of contents with all of the categories you will need. Once you have printed this off, you will put the full sheets of paper from the template into sheet protectors (also, if you have a paper punch that will make tabs, use it. It's much easier to create a file type system in your binder than have to look for category 32 without any help from outside sources) You will then put a few baseball card protector pages in for each category. Next you will clip your like stacks of coupons and put them in the baseball card slots. I like to organize mine by expiration date so that I can easily see what I might need to use soon.
If you choose to organize by box, you will need:
A hinged index card organizer box (the big one)
Numbered or lettered tab insert dividers for box
Lots of paperclips
You will create a table of contest (you can use the one on the template given above, but you will have to retype it smaller so it will fit on/in your index card organizer). You will clip each coupon by stack, similar to organizing by binder category. You will then paperclip off each set of coupons and drop that stack behind the corresponding divider. You will want to glue/tape your table of contents on the front or put it somewhere you can easily see it. The pro to the index card organizer is that it is small. You can throw it in your purse or whatever. The con is that you can not easily see all of the coupons at your disposal.
However you choose to organize, I like to also keep a few envelopes in mine so that I can take the coupons I plan to use out and have them ready. I then organize that by store (so I will have an envelope for coupons I'm using at Walmart that day, Walgreens, so on...) Whichever way you choose, I recommend also printing and keeping a copy of each stores coupon policy in your book. It's a nice thing to have if you get a snotty cashier, or if you personally are wondering how many coupons you can double, etc...Most customer service desks have the policy for you. Also, write your name and address in your book. Checking out with a bazillion coupons is a little nerve wracking and if you should forget the binder you have put so much work into at the store, at least the person who finds it would be able to call you. I think I have touched on everything you need to get started, so start thinking on which organizer works best for you and I will talk to you tomorrow :)
Next up...Mommy and Daddy, where do coupons come from?
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Welcome to life in the cheap lane
Hi friends! I assume if you're here it's because you're my friend and I gave you this website address, or you are a friend of a friend (In which case I trust my friends judgement). In any case-Welcome! Are you ready to save some money on your grocery bills? There are plenty of couponing websites that will tell you where to get your coupons, where to use them, and how to get things cheap (or free). I have decided that I'm going to add to that by telling you where and how to use them in central MO. Too many times I have checked my favorite couponing site for a deal and run to the store only to find that our Wal-Mart doesn't carry that item, or our Walgreens is more expensive (making my coupon less valuable) than the website states. Of course, there are many other very frustrating things that can happen when you decide make couponing part of your lifestyle, and I want to help you avoid the pitfalls. I make a promise on this blog right here and now, I will NEVER tell you about a deal unless I have first went to the store and purchased said item so that I can attest to the success or failure of that deal. For the first week or two I will probably post daily or every other day. After that my plan is to post 1-2 times a week. So, please follow my posts, get ready to stock your home (and keep some hard earned dollars!).
Coming up tomorrow...Don't know where to start? Let me help.
Coming up tomorrow...Don't know where to start? Let me help.
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