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Couponing Basics

21 Aug

Let’s back up just a little.  The coupon stacking is good info, but I feel like I got ahead of myself.  If you’re a couponing newbie then you’ll want to start with a few basic steps.

  1. Get organized. Find a method that works for you.  The woman who taught the class I went to suggested a zippered binder and baseball trading card pages with categorized tabs.  This has worked really well for me, but I realize there are other methods out there.  Figure out a system that works for you…if you don’t, you’re not going to be able to maximize your savings.
  2. Purchase the Sunday newspaper. It’s best to get the largest one available in your area.  In Sanford, that’s the Raleigh News and Observer.  There are other sources of coupons, but this is the best way to start.  I get at least 2 copies.
  3. Cut and organize. When I go out to buy my papers, I try to grab a kid’s movie from Redbox.  Sunday evenings, while my husband is at church for a class, I put in the movie for the kids and go to work.  I staple the like pages together (if you only buy 1 paper, this isn’t necessary) and clip them together.  This saves a lot of time if you have multiple copies.  Just be sure you don’t staple or cut the barcodes.
  4. Know the rules. Each grocery store has their own rules.  You can usually find a store’s coupon policy on their website.  If not, ask at the service desk. They’re all just a little different, so to maximize your savings you’ll need to know how best to use your coupons.
  5. Know what things cost. Make a list of things you use frequently.  Then, every time you go to the grocery store, write down the price of those things in a pricebook.  Do this for at least 2-3 different stores.  This will give you lots of extra info and help you plan where to use your coupons.
  6. Find the deals. The forums over at Hot Coupon World will pretty much tell you where to go, what coupon to use, and how much you’ll end up paying.  It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process and helps me to plan my trips ahead of time.  With 3 kids, I need to plan ahead as much as possible!

It’s not that hard, but it does require some work and research to get the best deals.  And it has already saved us a LOT of money.  I’ve been doing it for a month and have saved over $300 already.  All for the price of a couple of papers on Sunday mornings and some office supplies.  I finally feel like I’m doing something to help my family save money and that is a good feeling!

 
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Posted in Couponing, Money/Finances

 

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  1. Karen O

    August 27, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    Couponing is very addicting- I thought it was too much work; but, after finding blogs and hotcouponworld.com, I discovered that I have to devote a lot less time than I though. And it is like a game to me – I have always loved a good deal! And it makes me feel good to know that we have enough stockpiled for quite a while if it takes me a long time to find a job (my job will be gone in a month or so)
    Glad it is helping you, too!

     

  2. Jennifer Miller

    February 24, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    Using coupon codes is a great way to save money. I like to recommend KindCoupons.org for more coupon codes.