Showing posts with label Beginners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beginners. Show all posts

Monday, March 16, 2009

Lessons from My Personal Shopping Experience

I have received some personal emails about bad shopping experiences and the inconsistency of stores. I want you all to know, it even happens to me.
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Today I went to my regular Publix. I have been going to this Publix for 4 years and haven't really had any major problems. While today did not produce a major problem, it did make me feel quite uncomfortable and maybe a little wrong of using coupons (while I know there IS NOTHING wrong with using coupons.)
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A very popular cashier, by couponers in my area, proceeded to scan the item, then the coupon. Usually my cashiers scan my coupons at the very end of the transactions (where I kindly have separated them by store coupon, competitor coupon, and MFR coupon.) I had a few moneymakers in my cart which she would not accept and instead changed the valued of the coupon to a lesser number. I am okay breaking even on items and not making money but I know on the store and MFR coupons, Publix IS getting back the full value of the coupon so technically I am the one cheated.
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While, when it comes to competitor coupons there is a loss by the store, so that is why I am confused by my experience. Back to the point, she called over the manager who then told her on my 15 $1 off competitor coupons (for items that were only $.79) to take off the full $1 - thus giving me a $.21 MONEYMAKER 15xs. There was even inconsistency in the store! The the manager then whispered something in her ear which made me feel even more uncomfortable.
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Lessons from this story and many of my shopping experiences
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1) I want you to know that even I have my BAD coupon days where I am made to feel like I am doing something wrong to the store. I know better, though, and go home proud of my savings.
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2) People always ask when is the best time to shop. I say go whenever you can because that is the truth. I have learned to go, though, during a busy time because they are eager to get you out of the store and not count your coupons (by the way they didn't take out any of my coupons because I was honest about my entire purchase.) Going during weekday mornings, especially middle of the week, they usually have the shelves restocked and a small crowd. This was the case for me today.
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3) We all have those bad experiences. Get to know the stores that work with your coupons (two of the same stores on the street might treat you totally opposite for your coupon use.) Also, get to know the cashiers who are proud of you for saving money and might even want to learn a trick or two. My cashiers know about my deals and my website - no secrets because I want them to save too!
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4) Always keep a smile and be kind no matter what! The cashier I dealt with today could have gotten in trouble for accepting bad coupons the day before (who knows?!?)
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5) MONEYMAKERS - some allow it to happen others watch you like a hawk. Like I said, there is not a loss for them when it comes to a store or MFR coupon. The ARE getting the money back from the manufacturer. Sometimes, I simply ask them to reduce the coupon so I break even, but in this case, I am the one cheated because they get back the full price.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Accordian File Organization

I have had a couple of questions from readers as to how I organize [my adorable Carolina Pad] accordian coupon binder (found at Target or Wal-Mart.)
The first 5 sections are organized by store. In these sections, I keep my store envelopes (remember I only carry in my shopping list and envelope filled with the coupons I cut for the week into the store when I got shopping.)
My personal five store sections are CVS, Publix, Target, Wal-Mart, and Walgreens.

The next 7 sections are organized by type of coupon. You can decide what type of coupon divisions are fitting for your family but in my case it is baby, beauty (make up, toothpaste), cleaning, food, medicine, miscellaneous/paper (batteries, toilet paper), and restaurants.
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My Sunday Inserts stay inside my coupon binder and any cut coupons I have go in my accordian folder. The ONLY reason I cut coupons is because I printed them or they fell out of the binder. The rest of the coupons in this binder are from peelies, blinkies (coupons found on the shelf below the item), mailers (mailed to you), etc.
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Remember, don't CUT from the binder coupons until you need it.
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Want to read more about my organization system, see my previous post Here.

Rebates


A lot of people do not take advantage of rebates. Manufacturers know this and that is why they don't bank of loosing too much money when they create them. One great rebate program we have spoken of before is from Walgreens with the Easy Saver Catalog. However, some people don't realize that many manufacturers also have rebates of their own.
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I personally love rebates because often times you get the item for FREE (or even make money if you used a coupon.) For example, if I got product x for $8 but used a $2 coupon, I would pay $6. The manufacturer is still going to rebate me the full amount of $8...exciting, isn't it?
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A Few Helpful Hints When Rebating
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1) Fill out the rebate form as soon as you ge.t home. Instead of creating FREE coupons, manufactures often create free after rebate (FAR) forms because they know the consumer will buy it with the intention of mailing in the rebate and then forget about the product.
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2) Many rebates are because of satisfaction purposes. You can get a rebate if you are unsatisfied with a product. There are many reasons to be unsatisfied with the product: wasteful packaging, price, taste, quality, etc.
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3) Keep track of your rebates. I keep an excel sheet with the date of purchase, the location of purchase, the item, the price, and the address to where I mailed the rebate. I also mark down on this sheet if there is a contact number.
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4) Rebates usually require the UPC code (cut out of the packaging) and the ORIGINAL receipt. That means don't buy 5 items you want a rebate for on the same receipt. You will need to mail the original receipt for each item. Some people like to make photo copies of their receipts in case there is a problem - I have not learned that lesson yet, but it is not a bad idea.
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Ready to Start Rebating? See Some Great Rebate Offers Below
(as well as coupon matches when available)
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Breathe Again $2 Rebate Here (in honor of my cold)
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Clorox 2 Money Back Guarantee Here
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Duncan Hines Carrot Cake (tis the season) Money Back Guarantee Here
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Hills Science Diet (dog and cat food) $25 Rebate Here.
B3G1 (buy 3 get 1) SS 1/25
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Just for Men - Touch of Gray Full Rebate Here.
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Kraft Mac & Cheese Money Back Guarantee Here.
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2 Lysol Products $5 Money Back Here (expires at the end of this month, you need a doctor's visit note - with colds, that might not be difficult now.)
SS 3/15, 2/8, 1/25
Many printables Here
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Nasal Cease (for nosebleeds) Here.
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Orville Redenbacher's Less Sodium Popcorn Moneyback Guarantee Here
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Peter Pan Peanut Butter Satisfaction Guarantee Here
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Progresso Soup Taste Challenge Here
$various SS 2/8
$various printable Here and HerAlign Lefte and Here and Here
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Pert Plus for Men Try Me Free Here - must be specially marked item
$1 printable Here and Here (coupons.com coupon - use my side bar to print)
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Rayovac Performance Guarantee Here
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12 oz Bag Seattle's Best Coffee Money Back Guarantee Here
$1 coupon with sample (show you should always get those samples!)
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Sure Max Here - must be a specially marked item
$2 SS 1/25
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If you see a rebate I missed, please leave a comment below for others to enjoy other great offers!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Walgreens RR - Reminder

I know there are a lot of beginners hitting the Walgreens sales this week. A note about Register Rewards (RRs.)
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This can be a little bit tricky to explain so read carefully.
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When you use RRs on a purchase, you can not use RRs for item x to get the same item x...what does not mean? Let me use an example from this week below.
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If I buy Right Guard for $2.99, I get back $2 RRs (totalling $.99 after RRs.) You can only get one type of each RR in a transaction. I could not buy 3 Right Guards and expect to get 3 $2 RRs in next transaction. I could, however, buy Right Guard in 3 separate transactions as Walgreens does not have a loyalty card.
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If I use that $2 I got in RRs, I can not go and buy another Right Guard with that same RR because the $2 RRs will not print. I can use the Right Guard $2 RRs to buy another RR item just not the same item I got the RRs for. Make sense?
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Finally, RRs will still print if you use a coupon. You can pay with RRs and still get RRs to print (just remember the rules above.)
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P.S. There is always less trouble when you give the cashier your RRs (when you are using them as store money) before your coupons. I am not sure why.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Are You a New Reader?

Welcome new readers form Dr. Phil, AOL Parentdish, Associate Content, Orlando Sentinel and the Chicago Sun-Times.


Please make sure you sign up to receive email updates, RSS updates or both. These sign ups are located on the top left of my website. Once you sign up, you'll need to check your email for a confirmation link. Click it to confirm and you are done.

Happy Saving!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Viewers/Readers Questions Take IV

Thank you again for the many well wishes. I am excited to be assisting all of you. Below I have listed some more readers questions. I am sorry I can not respond to each person individually.
I hope these help!

How do I get the coupons I need but don't have? Buy them! Many of you mentioned you are in rural areas and you do not get good Sunday coupons, so buying them always. Buying the right coupon does still maximize your savings (even though you are "buying" a coupon.) This is great for getting coupons to stockpile. You can always subscribe to multiple copies of the newspaper or you can get a few extra copies of ones you like. The coupon clippers (click on the icon below is a great resource for buying coupons.) They have coupons for a fraction of the price and ship very quickly.
The Coupon Clippers

How do you know what coupons are in what inserts? I do hole punch coupons, put them in a binder and put the binder away. This is what works for me. There are many great resources that let you know where you can find coupons (that you have stored in your binder.) Hot Coupon World, A Full Cup, and Refund Cents are great resources I use. If I need a coupon for Herbal Essence shampoo, I go to one of these three sites and they help me locate what insert (and date) the coupon is in.

Where do I find your shopping lists? Is there a fee? There is no fee to my shopping lists. Each week I highlight four stores and link to other stores. You can find my shopping list for CVS, Walgreens, Publix and Albertsons (each store name is hyperlinked to this week's list.) Use the side labels to look of a grocery store that fits your area if one of these does not. You do not download my lists. Please highlight with your mouse, right click and copy the list, and paste it into your word document. You then have a shopping list for the store.

What about Canada? I have gotten a handful of emails from Canada. I started this website for my friends/family in Florida. I will be on the lookout as to how I can help but I came across this...Try Here?

Email addresses - don't you get spam? You will get a lot of "spam" for the offers you sign up for. It is always good to have a email account devoted solely to your frugal shopping.

Can I link to your site? As long as your material is family friendly and is represents Frugal Coupon Mom in a positive way, by all means, go ahead. Thank you for the link!

How do I get started? Slowly. I would get started building your binder (with inserts from the Sunday paper.) Realize you will not do it all at once. This will be a growth. Each week it will be easier, quicker and you will save more. You can read my post Here on how to organize your coupons. You can read my post Here about getting started with Walgreens and Here for getting started with CVS. Start by getting organized. Start with one store. Pat yourself on the back for any savings you do have. I also give tips to couponing Here.

Walgreens Rewards

I LOVE Walgreens and the employees at the store I visit weekly can vouch for that. Walgreens works a little different from stores with Reward Cards. It has a more complicated rebate system, but once mastered you will be amazed by the amount of items you are able to receive cheaply. While there is not a rule to the right location to begin couponing with, many new couponers begin at Walgreen’s competitor store, CVS, because of its simplified program.


Walgreens has two incentives for their customers:
1. Register Rewards (RRs)
2. Their Easy Saver Catalog (ESC) - A Rebate Program.


What are Register Rewards? A Register Reward (RR) is similar to CVS’s Extra Care Bucks. It is “monopoly money” for Walgreens. Weekly, Walgreens offers deals that give you back RRs. RRs print out on a machine called a Catalina machine (this machine sits beside the register when you buy your merchandise). Cashiers will hand you your RRs with your receipt at the end of your purchase. Most RRs are limited to one per purchase, so keep that in mind. Like ECBs, RRs have an expiration date, so pay close attention to them. You can use these RRs on ANY* item in the store (not on the same purchase for which you receive the RRs). Jackie, a reader, brings up a good point I have noted in the past. Give your register rewards BEFORE coupons at the end of a transaction.

What is the Easy Saver Rebate Catalog? The Easy Saver Rebate Catalog is a monthly catalog full of coupons and easy saver rebates (ESR). There is a rumor that this program will end soon but I will begin to discuss it anyways. In the back of the catalog are typically over 50 items for which you can get rebates. Some of the rebates are “free after rebates” (FAR). These FAR items can actually be MONEYMAKERS when combined with coupons. For example, if I have a rebate for a $5 tube of lipstick and I have a $2 coupon on that lipstick, I will pay $3 for the item. I will turn in my receipt, however, for $5 – the shelf price of the lipstick. This means, having spent only $3 on that lipstick, I am getting back $5 and thus making $2 – a MONEYMAKER. (Note – the store will make $2 off that lipstick because they turned in the coupon to the manufacturer to get their money back). If you want to make even more money, request that your rebate be returned on a Walgreens gift card. If you request your rebate on a Walgreens gift card, you get back an addition 10 percent. Again, I spent $3 on this lipstick but I am now getting back $5.50 on a gift card (with my additional 10 percent). I made $2.50 AND ended up with a tube of lipstick!!! I got paid to take lipstick.

What do I do with my Walgreens gift card? When you get your rebates on a gift card you make an additional 10 percent of ALL your rebate items. I use my gift card from the previous month to buy the next month’s rebate items. I am recycling my Walgreens money. I am not using cash in the store. Let’s say I received $40 worth of rebates in November; in December I would use that $44 gift card (remember your extra 10 percent) and buy December’s rebate items. In January, I will use December’s rebate money to buy my new rebate items for January…and the cycle continues.

How do I get my rebate? No one can explain the Easy Saver Rebate (ESR) program better than Walgreens. Pick up one of their Easy Saver Catalogs (ask the cashier – she/he will point it out to you) and read the content – found in the middle of the catalog.

Two helpful hints
1. Get it on a gift card for an additional 10 percent and then recycle your rebate money.
2. Enter your rebates online. I enter my receipts online as soon as I get home from the store so receipts are not lost or misplaced. Doing this online saves you postage, lost receipts, and makes the return on your rebate much quicker.

There is a rumor on the Web that Walgreens will be losing their Easy Saver Catalog in coming months and will move into the Rewards card program. I hope this is not the case because, even though it can be more challenging, I have been very pleased with the set up of their rebate/RR program.

*RRs cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, prescriptions, and some other similar purchases.

Readers…Meet CVS

We pass it every six miles; CVS is becoming as popular on city corners as some other well known locations such as Starbucks and McDonalds. CVS has great weekly sales but are you really utilizing their great reward’s program???

What is CVS’s Extra Care Plan? CVS has a wonderful reward program called the Extra Care Plan. Anyone can sign up for an Extra Care Card. Some of the store’s sales do not apply to your purchase unless you present your CVS card (or phone number) to the cashier. Many people have the card, utilize the sales, but do not know how to use the actual rewards.

What are Extra Care Bucks? The CVS rewards that couponers are familiar with are the “Extra Care Bucks” (ECBs) program. ECBs are found at the bottom of your receipt when you buy a weekly item that has an ECB reward. In addition, cardholders earn back 2% of non-prescription purchases and $1 Extra Buck for every two prescriptions purchased. These earnings are then rewarded quarterly, delivered as ECBs. Quarterly rewards are paid out four times a year – on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. I call ECBs CVS’s version of “monopoly money.” The “money” is only good at CVS locations. They carry an expiration date so it is very important to pay close attention to your ECBs (again staying organized.)

What is an ECB Sale? CVS often advertises deals that they bill as “Free after Extra Care Bucks.” The best way for me to define what this means is to offer an example. Let’s pretend Colgate Toothpaste is $2.99 this week and is listed as a “Free after Extra Care Bucks” item. When you buy the toothpaste for $2.99 with the money from your wallet, you are paying out of pocket, however, when you get your receipt back, CVS rewards you with $2.99 in ECBs. You just got back $2.99 to put toward ANY*(not to be used during the same purchase for which you receive the ECBs) item in the store. You can buy diapers, printer ink, detergent, etc. Why not buy the FREE after ECB item? You didn’t lose any money because you are putting the $2.99 ECB toward your next purchase…whatever you went into the store for in the first place. Thus you go home with the item you need to purchase and an extra tube of toothpaste. You don’t need it? Then donate it.

What do I, personally, do with my ECBs? I don’t use ECBs on items I need (unless I have an overflow on extra ECBs.) I use my ECBs to buy my next ECB items. This means I keep recycling my ECBs. CVS is not seeing my cash. They are seeing the CVS monopoly money at the bottom of my register tape (receipt).

Give it a try, folks. Once you get the handle of it, you will be so thankful for CVS and their loyalty program.

*ECBs cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, prescriptions, and some other similar purchases.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Viewers/Readers Questions Take III

Why the binder?
The binder is simply for organization. I do not want all my coupons laying around. I get the Sunday inserts, I put the date of the insert on the front (the date I received the insert in the paper) I hole punch it and put it away. I only go to this binder when a shopping lists tells me go to your SS 1/4 to get your $1 off Clorox coupon. Inside my binder I find my smart source insert for January 4th and cut the $1 off Clorox coupon.

What do I take into the store?
Before I go shopping, I cut the coupons I need from my binder or print them from the Internet. I put the coupons I need in the envelope marked with the stores name. If I have coupons for my Walmart shopping list, I put the coupons in my Walmart envelope and only bring in my Walmart envelope (coupons are already cut) and my shopping list. The bulk stays in the car.

What do you keep in the car?
I keep ALL of my coupons in the car. This way if I need to stop by a store (unplanned) I have my envelopes, binder, accordion folder. These all stay in a bag for portability.

How many coupons can you print?
Most website only allow you to print 2 coupons of each type. You can use the back arrow (top left) of your Internet browser to print a second coupon after the first printed. Sometimes you have to press the back arrow button a couple times.

Is the ink/printer paper worth it?
I get my ink refilled at Walgreens for a reduction of the cost. Often the ink goes on sale or has a coupon in the Walgreens flier...great, huh? I also stockpiled on computer paper when I had a great HP coupon last year. This coupon opened in adobe and allowed me to print multiple copies. I loaded up on computer paper for about 75% off. Coupons for paper and ink do exist, but they come out few and far in between. These are great items to stockpile on.

Is it better to shop at a warehouse?
It depends on who you ask. I am not a member of a warehouse but I am willing to visit. I find I stockpile and save more in places I can use coupons. Friends I have swear by warehouses for their meats. I can understand this. You have decide what your family gets at warehouses, start shopping at other places and decide what is best for your family. In my family's case we get so much for FREE to CHEAP that warehouses would do nothing for us (just to get a membership for meat.)

Can you tell me about Store Brand vs Manufacturer Brand?
Manufacturer brand...you save more because manufacturers put out coupons. When I need something that does not have a sale and coupon combination, then I get generic. Get whatever is cheapest but I find I get the most expensive products for cheapest. It is true!

What is the coupon formula?
You CAN combine coupons. You CAN NOT combine manufacturer and manufacturer coupons. You CAN combine a store and manufacturer coupon...combined with a sale you get things for VERY cheap. The formula is combine with a sale, manufacturer, or store (or competitor) coupon. There sometimes is a missing link. That is okay. Save what you can.

Viewers/Readers Questions Take II

How long does it take you to shop?
For grocery shopping it generally takes me 30-45 minutes. This is because I don't browse. I have my list organized, and my coupons cut. I know exactly what I need. I also tend to shop when my husband can take care of the baby. Pharmacy stores take me 20 minutes. I take the baby.

How long does it take you to check out?
This takes time. On a big bill maybe 15 minutes. I apologize to the person behind me, but they are always amazed to see my bill. I sometimes tell them I might be awhile as I have a lot of coupons. Kindness always gets you far. I actually shop during the most busiest time of the week - Sunday afternoon. I do not recommend it unless you need someone to watch over the kids (which is my story.)

Do stores take expired coupons?
Stores get credit for expired coupons up to 6 months after it has expired, but THEY DO NOT take expired coupons unless you are a military family. In the case of a military family, I am not sure if you have to shop at a certain location - perhaps at grocery locations on base. You can send your expired coupons to APO addresses so that you are helping a military family. You can read where to send them Here.

Have you had trouble with printed coupons?
No I have not. Target sometimes will only take ONE printed coupon of each type. If you are having trouble, I would take to the manager. If that doesn't work, call the coporate office. You can see a list of corporate office numbers and contact information Here.

Viewers/ Readers Questions

I am so happy to be helping everyone save no their grocery bills. I wish I could answer all of your questions individually but I think it might be best for me to post a number of your questions in a post so that everyone is able to view the answers.


Where do I get coupons?

They exist folks. There are many places to print/retrieve coupons. 1) Coupons.com. You can utilize this resource on my left column where it says print coupons 2) Sunday inserts. Larger cities get better coupons. Small town folks are out of luck. I haven't found a good solution to this. Try a book store to see if they have an edition to a larger city newspaper. If so, see if the inserts are in there (likely not.) 3) Manufacturer websites 4) My website has links 5) Smart Source 6) Eat Better America 7) All You Magazine - you can buy it on my website. I remember when I started couponing I would google to search for coupons. This is a waste of time. Let the coupons come to you. When you search for them, you can find yourself wasting a large amount of time looking for coupons that do not exist.


Isn't Store Brand Cheaper?

Yes, it is but you save more money when you combine sales and manufacturer coupons that the larger brand names put out. When I do not have a coupon or sale and I am REALLY in need of an item, I buy store brands.


Where Can I Find Organic Coupons?

Again, let the coupons come to you. They exist. Manufacturers know that consumers want these coupons. They are producing them. I can tell you, though, that organic coupons are produced much less than processed food. My advice is begin saving on your beauty, cleaning, health, and other items. By saving a lot here, your budget will still drop.

How do I Find Meat and Produce Coupons?

These are few and far in between. These are usually items you find on sale by the stores. Some stores put out coupons like $2 off a $5 purchase.


Organization Questions

I do hole punch my coupons. This has not caused trouble when scanning because I am hole punching the insert not the individual coupon. I do not write what is inside on the front. I just date it. When a shopping list requests me to go to a certain dates insert, I go. I then find the coupon I need. I stay organized by dating them. I have the newest in front, the oldest in the back. By sorting coupons immediately (meaning I cut them as soon as I get them, my accoridan folder becomes too large. I also might neglect a coupon of something I could get FREE later and donate. I do not throw away the coupons of items I don't need. I believe strongly in donating.

How do I make my shopping list?

I highlight the list on my website. I copy it. I paste it into word and then I have my shopping list.

Time, Time, Time - How do I find the time?

It does take time. I would do it when I had someone (my husband) to watch the baby. This works for us on Sunday afternoon of after the babies go to bed. You have to decide is saving is worth your time. It will take more time up front, but in the end you will be moving very fast. The average couponer takes about 45 minutes a week for around 2 stores. It will take some time, but it WILL BE worth it. I promise. Don't drive yourself nuts, though. Do what you can.

Do I need to download software?

You will need to install a couple programs on your website to print coupons. You will soon find out most of the websites use the same software. I have never received a virus from these program. I do weekly/monthly deleate cookies and run a scan for my own computer safety. I trust manufacturer websites (for downloading coupon printers) and coupons.com.

Thanks for all the support and well wishes.

Seven Tips to Couponing

1) Stay Organized
Overall organization is critical to maintaining sanity and realizing long term value. There is nothing worse in couponing than going into a store unorganized. Have your list, your coupons, and know your sale. Leave the rest in the car. A little prep work in needed before you hit the stores. You can see how to organize your coupons Here.

2) Know the Code
There is a secret formula. A sale + a MFR (manufacturer) coupon + a store/competitor coupon = freebies, moneymakers, and cheap items. When possible combine these THREE things. In addition to the secret formula, you need to know the acronyms (see my side bar for examples.)

3) Be Flexible
Break from brand loyalties, there are a lot of great coupons out there if you are willing to try new things.

4) Learn to Stockpile
When there is an amazing sale combined with a large coupon you must stockpile. Know your store sales, how frequently things go on sale and then save enough until the next sale. This might mean you need several copies of a coupon…getting multiple copies of newspapers is a good idea.

5) Reward Cards Are Your Friend
Many stores offer great incentives only for those who are reward card holders. Sometimes it is best to get reward cards of stores not even in your area because some stores will take those competitors’ coupons.

6) Understand the Fine Print
Make sure you read the details so you truly understand what is on sale and what items for the coupon will work. Most manufacturers display the most expensive item on face of the coupon. Consumers look at the picture and select that item. If you read the fine print there might be a cheaper item for which you could get the discount (one example is a trial size item.)

7) Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Frugal Coupon Mom has done the work for you. Don’t get stressed trying to plan your shopping list. Use this resource and other resources like it to see what is on sale each week and what is matched to a coupon. If you do not have the coupon, don’t buy the item unless your family is in need (sales are good, but they are even better with coupons.) Look at my shopping lists then create your own list.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Here is How it Works Folks...

BeCentsAble appeared on Good Morning America this morning. I am so proud of these ladies. They did a great job. See their story Here. It really explains how couponing works.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Having a System of Couponing

Many of you have asked me how I organize my coupons.
I keep my weekly fliers (Red Plum, Proctor & Gamble, Smart Source) in a binder (I DO NOT cut the coupons from my fliers UNLESS they are needed.) My fliers are organized from newest to oldest.
On each flier, I write the date on the top (this is important because when you refer back to coupons, you do not want to have to search for the flier that came out November 23.)
All the coupons that I cut (internet, mailers, etc.) I put in an accordian organizer (thank you Rachel for telling me where to locate this cute folder-Walmart.)
Inside my accordian organizer, I have an envelope for each store. I place coupons I need for that week in that store's envelope. For example, if I need a Revlon coupon at CVS that week, I put it in the CVS envelope. My ECBS, RRs, giftcards all stay with in their stores envelope.
I also have a binder for Publix fliers. Always get more than one when you see Publix advertise one of these fliers. These fliers are usually found in the front of the store on a card board stand (special season offer) or on the rotating stand found in the middle of the foyer at Publix.

Lastly, I keep all of my stuff organized in a bag. This bag stays in my car so I have access to coupons if needed.