Not Extreme, Just Smart Couponing Tips

Our “Not Extreme, Just Smart Couponing” contest is in full swing. Week 1 of the challenge is complete, though there are still 3 more weeks where you can participate and win prizes! (We’re giving away $400 in gift cards and 16 Supporting Member memberships on AFullCup!)

There were so many amazing couponing tips in the Week 1 Challenge. We selected 4 winners using Random.org. Here are their fantastic tips:

 The 3-R’s of Smart Couponing

BlueMoon187 – “I follow the 3-R’s of Smart Couponing:

- Rule-following. I follow the rules set by the manufacturers and the stores. Always.

- Realistic. I know the limits of what my family needs and will use, and I don’t let chasing the deals take over my life or my home.

- Respectful. I respect others in the store and when trading. I try to be collaborative so that everyone can enjoy saving money.”

 

Expiration Date Anxiety

sarahboo1979 – “My # 1 tip would be don’t use a coupon just because it is getting ready to expire. If it is not a good deal let the coupon expire. More than likely another coupon for that same product will be re-released later. And the expired coupons you can send to the military families for them to still use when they can find a great deal for it.

Also check for local coupon exchanges in your area or consider starting one. We have a wonderful coupon exchange at our local library. There you can leave coupons you do not need, pick up coupons you can use and drop off expired coupons for them to ship all at one time to military families.”

 

Realistic Coupining for a Real Family

peak7263 – “I am very new to couponing. I am a well educated, computer savy, and former military female who is now a stay at home military spouse with two home schooled young children. I love saving money, but hate shopping. I have zero time in my schedule, not to mention no space in military housing to stockpile. Therefore, I needed to learn how to start couponing under real world conditions – not try to “extreme coupon”. I tried to learn on my own, but the sheer amount of information on the internet rendered it useless. Plus, most of the information is either not applicable in the average person’s life, or leads to dead end web sites. So I attended a local “workshop” where I learned two pieces of advice that became invaluable. First, don’t let the process overwhelm you. You need to learn what are considered to be realistic results, what you can really expect to save and how much time you can really expect to spend each week couponing – not what TV portrays. Pick no more than three stores at which to coupon until you master the basics and feel comfortable. Doing this one step simplified the process so that I was no longer overwhelmed and discouraged. Secondly, most of us do not have the space or desire to stockpile huge quantities. So I was told that when stockpiling an item, buy no more than what our family would use in a 6 month period. The reason for this is that most things go on sale in 3 to 6 month cycles. I had been getting so much information from so many sources. However, these two pieces of advice finally gave me that all important starting point.”

 

Use a System That Works for You

rose3trs – “I actually, do not use a binder for my Q’s. I tried, but found it too bulky and time consuming to use. I use an index card box, with the sections clearly labeled. The box fits nicely in the carriage seat and is much easier for me to use.”