Ok, so I've been hearing a lot of methods about couponing: where to get them, when to cut them, how to store them, etc. Now for little, old me to weigh in (**announcer voice: 'at 105lbs...Alison 'The Femme' Frugal!! crowd: cheers**).
The Where: Everywhere--duh! I cannot tell you how many deals I would have missed out on if I had not been cutting coupons from the Smart Source and Red Plum circular
If you already read Couponing Successes posted earlier today you will be familiar with the examples used in this post. If you haven’t read it yet, make sure to check it out.
The reason most of the coupons I used this weekend were about to expire (literally, they expired that day) was because I was holding on to them waiting for the best deal. I had been holding onto to some of them for several months at that point. I find that it isn’t always the best plan to immediately use those freshly clipped coupons unless the items happen to already be on sale (e.g. Walgreens frequently runs sales corresponding with the newest coupons).
When I’m clipping coupons I set aside the very best coupons I definitely want to use and keep them separate from the rest by paper-clipping them at the front of my coupon file. The rest of the coupons that I might use get sorted into the pockets based on product type (breakfast, cleaning, etc). Don’t put the “gotta use” cou
This weekend I got my biggest coupon savings total ever - a whopping $40.05 or almost 30% on the bill. I’ve had much higher percentages before but only on targeted trips where I only bought specific sale items and didn’t buy fresh food for the week. Although I was thrilled, I was a little embarrassed because the checkers were so impressed they called over other employees (including a manager) to look at the total.
As anyone will tell you, if you are eating primarily fresh foods this kind of savings is unlikely to happen. We did buy a lot of fresh food but this week we also stocked up on some staples and convenience foods with coupons that were about to expire. This week was not representative of a normal shopping week for us - we typically save around 20% in coupons.
I thought I’d share some of the great deals we were able to find:
BBQ Sauce - Yes, BBQ sauce is usually cheap but we got it really cheap. Eric eats the stuff by the gallon so we can’t affo
Learn More About Coupons, Rebates And RefundsYou can receive rebates in the mail for purchases you have made. You can receive cash rebates, products and coupons. You can save on purchases with instant rebates.Read More About Saving Money With Coupons Athttp://couponing.about.com/Read Articles AboutRefunding Groups and ClubsOrganizing CouponsRefunding Basicshttp://couponing.about.com/od/groceryzone/a/basicrefunding.htmGetting Started Refundinghttp://couponing.about.com/od/groceryzone/a/refundingstart.htm
Learn More About Coupons, Rebates And RefundsYou can receive rebates in the mail for purchases you have made. You can receive cash rebates, products and coupons. You can save on purchases with instant rebates.Read More About Saving Money With Coupons Athttp://couponing.about.com/Read Articles AboutRefunding Groups and ClubsOrganizing CouponsRefunding Basicshttp://couponing.about.com/od/groceryzone/a/basicrefunding.htmGetting Started Refundinghttp://couponing.about.com/od/groceryzone/a/refundingstart.htm
You've probably stood in a checkout line behind someone who has a coupon for every item they've purchased, and it seems like eternity until they are finished. But, they probably saved over 50% to 80% off their grocery bill in that few minutes!How, you ask?If you want to try your hand at snipping scissors for savings, first you need the coupons! The best source for coupons is in the Sunday newspapers. The inserts are tucked in the middle with the advertisements.With the cost of a Sunday paper usually ranging from $1.00 - $1.50, it is a good investment with sometimes hundreds of dollars worth of coupons. And can you believe most people throw them away? Ask your friends, relatives and neighbors to save the inserts for you. Be on the lookout for businesses who subscribe and leave papers around for customers to read (ie Gas Stations, Laundry Mats). Check recycling bins. "Dumpster dive" if you have to.On Monday, ask your newspaper carrier and stores if they have any leftover Sunday papers
How do I get started?1. Get the Sunday papers (yours, your neighbor's, your friend's, your enemy's). In with the ads (typically inside the comic sections), you will find coupon inserts. Most weeks there are two of them, one called SmartSource (SS) and one called Valassis (once a month there is also usually a P&G brandsaver insert as well). You need to obtain lots of these coupon inserts for as little money as possible. You probably already get your own paper - so there's one.To get more, there are several possibilities.First ask everyone you know. Believe it not, most people don't coupon. They either throw them all out or just cut out a couple that they want and throw out the rest. You want them all. So ask for any leftovers.Second, if you live in or near an apartment complex go by their recycling section and see how many inserts the residents have thrown away.Third, go to your local recycling center and scour around - this is typically what people mean when they say theyâ€
