[ACopsWife]

Does anyone have any advice for New Coupon Users? Or, Advice on how to get the best deals for your coupons and money?

[angelynne]

Good idea for a thread.. so far what I have learned is to use coupons when items are on sale for the best deal. But I still find that after planning for a week, every item I buy has a sale and a coupon, I'm still only saving around half, and I am insanely jealous of these hundred dollar trips for like 5 bucks, and I don't really know how to get there. I think I need a personal trainer... advice??

[wendy1214]

**Stay Organized! There is nothing worse than seeing a sale and knowing you have coupons for it ----somewhere---
**Take your coupons on EVERY shopping trip.
**Cut out all coupons- if you can get it free, get it, if you can't use it, someone else can, or you can donate it! Nothing beats sharing with those less fortunate than you.
**Read and learn, wait for the sales, combine with a coupon and stock up- get ad many as you will need untill the next sale- that way you won't run out and then have to -gasp- pay full price. This way, after a while when you stockpile grows, you will wind up buying what is on sale, and not what you need- because you will already have it.
**Again, stay organized.
**ASK QUESTIONS!!!! We were all new to this at one point, and no question is stupid. An
**Don't buy it just because you have a coupon- it still won't be a deal if it sits on your shelf and goes bad. That is where some poeple go wrong. Get the coupon, wait for the sle, and then buy it.
**Rebate- this goes hand in hand with most couponers. Start out with the RiteAid rebates first, those are the simpleest and easiest. No forms, can be done online, and need no UPC's ( you can then piggy back with mail in rebates from the company)
**Get mulitple inserts from friends, neighbors and family--more coupons means more deals.

Best of luck,
Wendy

[wendy1214]

Also- if able too, find a couponing buddy near where you live and keep eachother posted on good deals- two sets of eyes are better than one!

[angelynne]

Thanks Wendy. any advice for finding a good coupon organizer? My mom just uses envelopes but that gets so messy.

[wendy1214]

Originally Posted by angelynne

Thanks Wendy. any advice for finding a good coupon organizer? My mom just uses envelopes but that gets so messy.

There are lots of ways to do it- it just depends on what works best for you.

Some people use envelopes, some use check files-found in places like staples etc. some use boxes- like wipes boxes or plastic shoe and dividers. I use a 3inch 3 ring binder with a zipper and baseball card pages. This makes it easy to see what you have, and see the expiration dates.
Here are some links to set coupon up a binder.
http://divagirlusa.tripod.com/couponing101.html
http://www.momsaves.com/buildityourself.html
I also find it helpful because it has large pockets to hold circulars, and I use a pencil holder to hold scissors, calculator, etc.
I use stick on dividers right on the pages to separate my catagories.
Each week I get the ads, I make up my lists and put all my coupons for one store in an evelope(each store gets its own marked envelope) that way I have them organized by store, but I still take my binder with me because you just never know what may be an unadvertised special

Any questions, just ask, maybe I could take pics and post so you know more what I am talking about.
HTH
Wendy

[mjloves2shop]

There are several things that can encourage the consumer to buy. These include:

sales
coupons
rebates

Most consumers can be encouraged to purchase with one of the 3 ~ we tend to like to do ALL of them on the same item!

Today I went to Walgreens and got:
16 battery toothbrushes
4 manual brushes
16 packs of gum
2 2ltrs of Dr. pepper

My subtotal was $122! Tax alone on that should be over $7 ~ I got it all for $3.51!

I combined store coupons with manufacturers for some overage on the toothbrushes.

I got the gum B1G1 and used a B1G1 mfr coupon = FREE

Used a B2gum G1 Dr. Pepper since I had bought the gum already (this is stacking and you can't always get away with it.)

SO after I sell off the toothbrushes I will have my gum and soda free and make $14.50 profit!

Max out on every deal you can! You can always sell off excess!

NEVER pass up FREE!!!

[HollyHobby]

I have some pretty simple rules I go buy. If it costs more than $.10 I don't need it! (obvious things excluded like Meats, Milk etc) Also KNOW YOUR STORES! Know how they handle coupons. Test them. Don't walk in with a bunch of stuff wanting to test and have things beeping all over the place DO they have a limit? Do they give overage? etc. Makes the trip much easier.

I used to spend $100-$150 a week on groceries. (Only 2 adults and an infant at the time) I use to carry all my coupons with me to the store and I was still spending the same amount. Yes I was getting a little more but wasn't spending less per week. I would make the mistake of seeing a sale and going "OH! I have a coupon for that!" So my first BIG saver was not taking all my coupons shopping with me anymore. I sit down 1 day/night and make 3 lists for the stores. (I do Kroger, Meijer and Giant Eagle) I look at every ad, make a list and pull the coupons I need. If I see good deals posted on the boards (like buy something get a calatalina etc) I copy and paste them into a word document I keep on my desktop for each store. Then on the day I make my list I go to the documents and have all the sales I would have forgotten or were not listed.

I have a receipt card box with 4 dividers. I stick my coupons and list in a slot for each store and off I go! If I find any coupons while shopping I stick them in the back of the box. The only things I buy every week anymore are Milk and Bread. Everything else I just stock up on whatever is free that week.

I am not big on refunding (though I have been doing it a little more) I don't run to every store like a maniac when people post deals. I don't buy 900 bottles of shampoo just because it is free. I don't have a general store in my basement either (Really Darlene I don't LOL) I keep enough food on hand to last me a few months and that it. I stopped buying toiletries after 50 of each because how much do you really go through?

That's my babble! HTH's!

[wendy1214]

One other thing- learn your prices of items. A lot of times a store will advertise and item in their circular. If you know your prices, sometimes the sales aren't such great sales! Just because it is written down doesn't make it a good buy. Some people keep a price book of everyday items and what they normally cost, and how much they have seen that item on sale for. Once you get an idea of what a good sale price is, than you can try to hold out for that price again. Also- sales tend to be fairly regular- every six weeks or so, and some things run seasonal sales. Once you become familiar with good sale prices, those sale ads won't pull you in- reg price $3.00, Ad reads BUY3 for $9.00- that's not a sale, just a gimmick to get people to think it is a good deal. Stick around here, and read all the posts- you will learn a lot!

[HollyHobby]

I agree! I have found that items NOT on sale end up cheaper than iems ON sale. Example

Yesterday I bought (4) 6-pk Diet Pepsi Bottles. When I was loading them in the truck I noticed 2 seemed awful light. I ended up by accident picking up 2 - 20oz 6-packs and 2-16.9oz 6-packs. I looked at the receipt and the 20oz one were $2.25 and the 16.9 oz ones were on sale 4/$10 - $2.50!

[ACopsWife]

Thanks again Ladies! Ya'll are great!! I know i couldnt begin to venture out on my own simple knowledge of couponing without ya'll's advice. Ive been clipping coupons and watching out for good deals, just buying my time, and waiting to pounce. As soon as i get a few coupons of the same item, im gonna try my luck at the dollar general, i called and they take, printables also. Im trying to get free toothpastes, shampoos, etc. I have a few 1/1 coupons that i can use now for toothpaste. Im gonna use them this weekend.I think this is a good starting point. What do you ladies think?

[matt111]

where do u live
what r the coupon policies
doubles?

[KellyMarie]

Originally Posted by matt111

where do u live
what r the coupon policies
doubles?

these are very important questions--because you may not be able to get as great a deal as others on-line, OR, you may be able to get a better deal. For example:

I have 2 doubling stores-one to .50 and the other to .60, they have not done triples or super doubles in over 18 months!! So a .60 coupon is awesome for me because it is worth $1.20...plus my store will double 8 identical coupons for 8 products per trip. My .50 store will double unlimited per trip. On the other hand, Matt111's store doubles .99 everyday and she gets triples on a regular basis........so you really need to know your stores policies. Also, coupon values are different throughout the country...this week I got a .75/1 Edy's coupon that isn't worth much to me because my store won't double it, but it is worth gold to Matt because her store is tripling to.75!! Her Edys coupon was 1/2 in her area...that is why trading is so important HTH

[Barb]

MJ posted a GREAT list of things that you should never pay for. The one thing that has not been touched on is the art of stacking--again this is very much a ymmv thing. Here is an example of a VERY common stack that people do all the time:

Coupons needed:
$2 off produce wyb wishbone dressing (these types of coupons are usually tearpads)
2- $1 off wishbone dressing or whatever values make it free at your store when on sale

So, you buy the dressing using the dressing coupons and use the $2 on your produce. The debate goes on and on about how legit this is but most people use this method and I have only ever had one cashier tell me I couldn't.

The other is WINETAGS! If you don't have them in your area than you better start trading for them. I winetag is simply a coupon hanging from a bottle of wine. You are looking for the ones that say-- NO WINE PURCHASE NECESSARY. A recent one I found had $2 off any beer, $1.50 off any tortilla's and $1 on cheese. The point here (and yes many times you have to argue about these) is that there is no size or brand specifications. I can buy 1 can of beer for $1 and get $1 overage (if I am lucky). Most people buy there meat with wts. A common one is $2 off any turkey. You should have seen the cashiers across the country go nuts when people would buy $2 worth of sliced deli turkey.

[ACopsWife]

I live in Tx by Austin. I do most of my grocery shopping at HEB i think they only have those in Tx., and La. Im not sure about their policies. Im gonna call and find out though. I know they take printables too. I do some grocery shopping at Brookshire Bros, but they are very high priced, so i try not to.

[Barb]

Posts like this one are extremely helpful as well since they tell you what coupons you need and how/where to get it.

[Barb]

whoops--here is the example: http://www.afullcup.com/upload/showthread.php?t=7137

[KellyMarie]

hmmm.. I guess I could get my lazy butt moving and start posting the kroger deals again....Acopswife...do you have Kroger in your area of Texas? I know they are in the Dallas/Ft Worth area

[ACopsWife]

The closest Kroger is about 47 miles from me, in College Station. Id probably spend the money i saved there on gas........

[skyesmom]

Stephanie -

Make sure to get your coupons organized for the next Albertson's sale too! Next Weekend. It is a perfect time to work on those stockpiles and get lots of free things. Also, do you belong to coupon board on yahoo for the Austin area? You will get a lot of good info about local sales from there. I have the addy if you need it.

[ACopsWife]

SkyesMom

I dont belong to any other boards but this one. Id like to look into it though.
And, just my luck when there is a big sale like at albertsons Im on the ambulance that weekend. Thanks for the heads up though I'll keep on stockpiling though. Maybe i can catch the next big sale. Thank all of ya'll for all the advice, and teaching me what ya'll know about couponing.