COUPONING 101

COUPONING 101
 
Before I started using coupons, I used to throw them right in the garbage!!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING?????????? Don't worry, so many people do this!!!! I tried couponing before, but I just couldn't figure it out! I would buy things (that weren't on sale) and use my coupons, but ended up spending more money and wasting so much time!
WOW, my whole world has been changed and my eyes have been opened!!!!
 
So let's get started!!!!
 
 
Where do you get your coupons?
  • Newspaper- I have found the best place to get a wide variety of coupons all at once is the Sunday coupon inserts. I try to get at least 4 sets of inserts a week. Not all papers carry the same inserts, so you might ask which inserts your local paper has. The coupon inserts are Smartsource (SS), RedPlum (RP), General Mills (GM), and Proctor & Gamble (P&G)! The P&G only comes out once/month and coupons are only good for 30 days!!!
  • Printable Internet coupons- There are alot of really good sites to print coupons from. You can print the same coupons from alot of different sites. Most of the sites will allow you to print the coupon twice. But if you have more than one computer at home, you can print it twice from each computer. My favorite sites are http://www.coupons.com/ http://www.redplum.com/ , and facebook has some very great coupons!! So be sure to "Like" your favorite company's FB page and wait for those coupons!!
  • DO NOT try to photo copy your coupons!!!!!!!!!THIS IS CONSIDERED COUPON FRAUD AND WILL MAKE USING PRINTABLE COUPONS HARD FOR US ALL!!!
  • Ask around- you would be surprised how many people just throw them away.  I have so many friends who save their coupons for me!!! I'm at the point where I don't even have to buy Sunday papers anymore!
  • Peelies- these are the coupons that come stuck to a product. They normally have a long shelf life, they tend to not expire for up to a year. They are great to save and combine with future sales.
  • Buying coupons- According to the law, no one can “sell” a coupon. But they CAN charge you for the time and effort put into clipping it.
  • The Manufacturer- Many companies like it when you contact them. You can call, email, or write to them and tell them how much you love the product. Some companies are happy to send you coupons for discounts, or for free products. But not all companies do, you just have to ask around.
What coupons to save?
  • What coupons do you save? I SAVE EVERY COUPON!!! I only clip what I know I'm going to buy!!! I then take the entire coupon insert and stuff it into a folder! I organize my inserts by date!! (the date is always written on the spine of the coupon insert) This way, when I find an item is on sale, I can go back to coupon folder and clip what I need!!!
  • Don’t be to stuck on one brand- When you save all coupons, you are able to take advantage of some great sales. If you only save the coupons for the brands, you normally buy then you pay a lot more.
  • How many to save- There's a science to couponing!!! If there is a coupon for an item, it IS going to go on sale!! That's just the way it works!!! The key is to buy an item on sale, use your coupons to make it ridiculously CHEAP, and stock up on that item!! This way, you do not have to go back to the store to purchase it!! And this is how you save money!!!! Most items go on sale every 3 months!! So I have a 3 month stock of items!!
When to use your coupons?
  • WHEN IT GOES ON SALE!!!! I WAIT UNTIL THE ITEM IS CRAZY CHEAP, AND THEN I STOCK UP!!!!
  • I also stack my coupons!!! This means using your manufacturer coupon with a store coupon on 1 item!!! So watch for those in-store coupons, and see if you have a manuacturer coupon to go along with it.
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A LIFELONG JOURNEY TO SAVING MONEY, REDUCING DEBT, AND BEING COMPLETELY DEBT FREE!! COUPONING WILL COMPLETELY ROCK YOUR WORLD!!!

thanks to athriftymom for some of this info!!!
visit athriftymom.com for more tips!!!