Couponing: Where to Start?

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This post, along with others will be excerpts from my "Conscious Spending" class I taught about a year ago. These articles are put together to help beginner's understand the sometimes overwhelming world of couponing. Please feel free to leave questions, or comments & I will get back to them as soon as I'm able.

Why Coupon?

-Help you make conscious decisions when you shop.

-Frees up money for other purchases.

-Allows you to stock up on necessities inexpensively.

-Decreases impulse buying.

Where to Start?

-Obtain Coupon Inserts as affordably as possible.

• Ask your friends, co-workers, and family for their inserts.
• Check local coffee shops, and fast-food chains.
• Check the library.
• Go to your local recycling center.
• Purchase multiple sets at your local gas station or grocery store.
  

I purchase 5 papers every Sunday. In some cases, I will purchase 10. The reason I do this is so I'll have multiple sets of the same coupon. And the newspaper cost seems excessive at first, but my overall savings outweighs the amount I spent on the paper.

Let me give an example:

Crest Toothpaste is on sale at my local grocery store for $1.00. I purchased 5 Sunday newspapers, and therefore have 5 coupons for .50 off Crest. My store doubles coupons so my .50 off coupon actually becomes $1.00 off. I buy 5 toothpastes during my shopping trip, and use all 5 coupons = 5 tubes of toothpaste for FREE.


Next Steps...Getting Organized & Learning the Ropes.

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Sit Down Saturday 9/11

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Today's Sit Down Saturday Question is as follows:

I was wondering if you ever buy coupons from one of the clipping sites?

A: Yes, I do use a coupon clipping site on occasion. Usually when I need additional individual coupons for a sale, or if the Sunday paper is only going to carry 1 coupon insert. If the paper is only going to carry 1 insert - it ends up being cheaper if I purchase them online.

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The site I use most often is: Coupons & Things by Dede HERE

*Her prices are reasonable,
*She aims for same day shipping on most orders!
*Clipped coupons and whole inserts are available.
*She has a $3.00 minimum order

I have never had any problems with my orders.
I would recommend her to anyone!

P.S. You are not paying for the coupons themselves. You are paying a handling fee to have the coupons clipped and shipped to you.

Buying Sunday Papers...

A few of you have asked if I purchase multiple newspapers on Sundays.
Yes, I do. I actually purchase 5 every week.
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Why do I purchase so many?
I soon realized that the exclusion on many coupons that reads "One Coupon Per Purchase" does not mean you can only use one coupon in the transaction even if you purchase multiple of the same item.
Let me explain...
One coupon per purchase = one coupon per item. The item is your purchase. You can make several purchases in a transaction. So for instance, if I have 5 coupons for .75/1 toothpaste: I can purchase 5 tubes of toothpaste, and use those 5 coupons. Now if they were .75/2 - I'd have to purchase 10 tubes.

Does that make sense?

Also, if you happen to find one..there are coupons that state "One Coupon per Transaction." I used to keep one of those in my wallet just in case I received any flack from the cashier. I'd pull it out, and explain the difference. This was rare, but did happen on occasion.
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So essentially buying multiple Sunday newspapers gives me access to multiple sets of coupons. This enables me to stock up on several of the same items during sales. It also ends up saving me money in the long run because I can keep my family stocked for at least 3 months out.

How many Sunday papers do you buy?

Couponing 101

Most of you who know me know that I use this lovely 1'' binder to store all my coupons. Yes, I clip every-single-coupon. Now, after teaching a couple of coupon classes in April- I realize that this way of organizing does not work for everyone. In fact; for most women - this probably won't work. It's too time consuming. I'm a visual learner, and love taking this binder through the stores with me, and I sometimes find great clearance deals.

So, after 3 years of couponing, I have decided to mix it up.
I'm confident that this way of organizing coupons will work better for the typical busy woman.

I picked up a box of colored hanging file folders & a hanging file folder box. There are 3 different colors of files for the 3 different inserts that can come in the Sunday Paper: Red Plum (red), Smart Source (yellow), and Proctor&Gamble (blue). Each week I will create a folder, and throw my inserts inside the folder. Now, this will be completely different for me because I will only have coupons clipped that are for deals advertised in the weekly ad. I won't have my coupon binder with me for any unadvertised deals, or clearance.

Tune in to see how this works for me. I'll blog about what kinds of deals I may miss, and how much time it takes me to get ready for the sales.

Should be fun!

How do you organize your coupons?