Coupons 101 - Updated October 7, 2011

This is a modification of my original post of February 4. My couponing has changed a lot since then.

Serious couponing takes time. I spend 2-4 hours a week clipping and organizing coupons and 1-2 hours a week shopping. This is more time than I used to spend planning and shopping, but less time than I spent when I first started couponing. While it is time consuming, I figure this is how I can contribute to my family's income. I usually have Baylie work on coloring or cutting while I'm doing coupons, so we're at the table together. She loves to cut up Toys R Us brochures or other catalogs/brochures so she feels like she is doing the same thing as me.

This is how I USED TO organize my coupons.

I have learned that this is not the way to effectively coupon. It is far too time consuming. I’m able to get rid of this because of the way the coupon site I use does coupons – it might not work with other coupon sites. (More details on this below.)

This is how I organize my coupons now.

I collect the inserts from the Sunday paper and put them in an expandable file, organized by week. I write the date on the front of each insert. Each week I throw out the oldest insert and replace it with the newest. If there are any coupons that are still valid in the oldest insert, I clip them out and put them in a smaller holder.

I'm sure you know that you can get coupons out of the Sunday paper. Since we are on a very limited income, a girlfriend and I go to a neighborhood on their recycling day and get the coupons from the Sunday papers that are being recycled. We call it dumpster diving.

Another place for coupons is "All You" magazine. You can purchase this monthly or just subscribe here. There are different versions of the magazine, so be sure to get the one that has the coupons. The magazine also has a monthly sweepstakes and a daily e-mail with a free sample you can request. (Note that the sample usually requires you to sign up for an e-mail. I sign up for everything now because it just means more coupons. You may want to get a secondary e-mail address just for coupons.)

As you shop, look for coupon dispensers in the grocery aisles (coupon etiquette suggests that you only take two of each coupon). Also keep an eye out for peel away coupons that are on merchandise. This happens a lot in the frozen food section. Only peel away coupons from products that you purchase.

You can also print coupons. The websites I use most frequently are coupons.com and grocerysmarts.com. You can try different zip codes or states to get different coupons. Most of the coupons will be the same, but sometimes you'll get variations. Be cautious with printing coupons because you'll spend a lot on toner which can offset your grocery savings. I don’t usually print a coupon until I plan my shopping when I realize that I’m actually going to buy that item. There are a few exceptions (any time there is a coupon for canned or frozen fruit/veggies, I print it because they go quickly). There is usually a limit to how many coupons a manufacturer allows to be printed. You should be able to print two copies of any particular coupon – you have to print them, you can’t copy them.

In addition many companies have coupons available on their own websites. For example, not long ago I needed soy sauce, but didn't have a coupon for it. I Googled "Kikkoman" and ended up with coupons that gave me $1 off Kikkoman, free eggs when I purchased a bottle of Kikkoman and free Ponzu sauce when I purchased Kikkoman. I was able to use all three coupons at once. The website I use tells me where to find all the coupons, so all the work is done for me (which is why I no longer use the origami-style notebook system).

Grocery stores may also have their own coupons. More about that below.

When I first started coupon shopping, I went to several stores. Now I am primarily shopping at one grocery store - Publix, and one drugstore - CVS. If there's something amazing at another store, then I will get it. (For example, meat and produce are usually less expensive at another grocery store.) Although something may be on sale at another store and not at your primary grocery store, it will eventually be on sale at your store too. (Items tend to go on sale in six-week cycles.) I seldom shop at Wal Mart. They don’t double coupons (although I’ve heard there’s an exception in Utah County) and they aren’t very coupon friendly.

Now here are some tips in no particular order. I'm basing these on shopping in South Carolina, but I'm sure similar tips apply to wherever you live.

Join any loyalty programs available. (Walgreens and Publix do not have loyalty programs). There are also programs online where you can enter all of your loyalty cards and earn money or coupons.

Doubling coupons – Kroger and Publix double coupons up to 50 cents. Bi-Lo doubles up to 60 cents. (You can check a store's ad to see if they double coupons.) What that means is that if you have a 50 cent coupon, you will actually get $1 off. If you have a 75 cent coupon, you'll just get the 75 cents. Wal Mart, Target and drugstores don't double coupons.

Watch for buy one/get one free sales for items where you have coupons. Even if an item is free, you can use a coupon for it. For example, if there is a buy one/get one free promotion and you have two coupons for that item, you can use both of them since you are getting two items. Let's say something costs $2 and is on a B1/G1 sale. You have two 50 cent coupons. Each of then will double to $1. You'll end up getting both items for free! Even if you only have one 50 cent coupon, you'll double it and pay only $1 for the two items, which means you pay 50 cents per item when normally it would have been $2.

Some stores have their own coupons. If they do, you can combine a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon. Store coupons do not double. These coupons may be sent in the mail, displayed in the store or found at the customer service counter. Some stores will accept competitor’s coupons. You can ask for specifics. For example, Kroger will accept coupons from other grocery stores like Publix, but they won't accept coupons from stores like Target or Walgreens.

Keep in mind that just because you print a coupon on a store's website, doesn't mean that it's a store coupon. Look at the bar code on the coupon. If it starts with a 5 or a 9, it is a manufacturer coupon even if it has a store name on it. Coupons that start with 5 can be doubled, coupons that start with 9 cannot. Even if a coupon states it cannot be doubled, a store that doubles will usually double it if it starts with a 5.

Some stores have electronic manufacturer or store coupons. This can be great and convenient, but be careful because sometimes these manufacturer coupons can’t be doubled. (For example, Kroger electronic coupons do not double.)

Pay attention to your receipts and catalinas - the little tags that come out with your receipt - for coupons or money credit.

If you have a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon for the same item, you can use both. For example, if you have a 50 cent manufacturer coupon and a 50 cent Publix coupon. You'll end up getting $1.50 off the item. (This gets tricky at Walgreens because even though they’ll take both coupons, you have to purchase at least as many items as you have coupons, so you might have to buy something cheap to have enough items.)

Look for clearance items. Many stores will have a section with items that are marked way down. If you have a coupon on top of the clearance price, you can make some real deals. When buying clearance items, be sure to watch for expiration dates. Many times an item is on clearance because it's about to expire. That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it, but you should use it quickly. Also pay attention to the expiration dates on your coupons.

Give up brand loyalty. This can be really hard to do, but is important to successful saving. For example, I love Gain laundry detergent. When it goes on sale and I have a coupon, I still buy it. However, I now use other detergents like All or Extra. There may be a few cases where the brand item is worth the extra cost, but those are probably the exception.

Shop before you meal plan instead of vice versa. I used to plan my meals and then shop for what I needed. Now I shop what's on sale and plan my meals based on what is in my pantry.

Buy things you wouldn’t normally buy and discover new products. I had always just used Minute Rice or Uncle Ben's or something familiar. However, I often get Mahatma coupons and can get the rice for free. I've tried new flavors and found I really like them. My family has really enjoyed discovering new products. Many of these products are things that were too expensive for us to buy before.

Check prices at your local drugstore. The drugstore often has sales on common products such as dish soap, canned goods, diapers as well as health and beauty products. It’s surprising how many things you can get for free at the drug store. Become familiar with the loyalty programs and how they work.

Buying in bulk isn’t necessarily better. Getting something for free or almost free will always be the best deal.

Some things will always be too expensive. Just because you have a coupon, doesn't mean it's a good deal. Couponing gives you a rush and sometimes you have to be disciplined not to buy something.

Typically sales and coupons run in 6-week cycles. So if you need something, but it isn't urgent, be patient. It will probably go on sale eventually.

Watch for rebates. One time I purchased a bottle of Bufferin (a pain reliever I don't usually use). It was $2 and I had a $2 coupon, so I got it for free. Plus there was a $2 rebate, so I actually got paid to buy it!

There are TONS of couponing blogs out there. To me, many of them are overwhelming. You should be able to find a good one for your area. My favorite one is Southern Savers. It basically does all the work for me. In addition to the individual store tabs I use, there are also tabs for "$1 or Less Grocery Deals," which like it says will tell you all the things you can get for a dollar or less at the local stores. When we’re really stretched, I just make my grocery list from these items. They also have the "Need it Now" tab, which will list some common items and tell you which store has it for the best price. I use this a lot for buying meat.

 

If possible, attend a coupon workshop in your area. The person who writes your local blog may even give workshops. For those of you in the South, Southern Savers is having a free online workshop next week. Go here for information.

Get used to having really long grocery receipts. This one was as long as Baylie!

Here are my results from last week. I got $136.86 worth of groceries for $56.01 and made $3.62 at the drug store.

Because I am a control freak and an Excel fanatic, I use a spreadsheet that details what I'm buying, if I have a store coupon or manufacturer coupon, and what the item and total cost will be. I total up what my final bill should be so I'm not surprised at checkout and so I can catch mistakes. It's amazing how often you catch a mistake or find out that something is not ringing up as expected.

So far this year, we have saved almost $600 by using coupons. One of my favorite things about coupon shopping is that I have been able to build up some excess food storage. In addition to a full pantry and a cupboard full of health and beauty supplies, we also have a closet full of additional food. I think we have about a three-month supply. It has been really easy to build up, particularly when there are B1/G1 sales. We use one and store one.

Couponing is actually fun, and a little addictive. I hope you’ll give it a try! If you're still with me on this blog post, you must be serious, so you may want to head to the Southern Savers "Learn to Coupon" page and learn from a pro.

Read here for my opinion about Extreme Couponing.