"Coupons 101"

"The best things in life are free, for everything else, there are coupons."
I don't remember where I heard that quote, but I love it!

Coupons, coupons, coupons......to some they're just a hassle, to others they are like cash in your hand (or better!).
When I was just starting to use them, I wasn't very efficient and they were a bit of a pain to be honest -- but now I've seen the amazing amount of money they've saved and the benefit to my family (and others!) and can't imagine not using them!! And unfortunately, I live in the "land of no doubles"! If one of your grocery stores doubles coupons (they give you twice the amount stated) they're even more valuable!! Call around and find out if any of your local grocery stores double and what their policies are.

Half the battle is learning the basics and once you get those down and get organized, you can really save some moola!
*Remember that if you're new to couponing, you won't have a stockpile of coupons to begin with so the savings may start slow.  Once you've been "clipping" them for a month or two, you'll have a good source to take advantage of and the savings will add up!  =) 


So here's a little "Coupons 101" about where to get them, how to sort them...etc.


Where to get your coupons:

Sunday Newspaper -
This is where I get the majority of my coupons. They have inserts of manufacturer's coupons included in almost every Sunday paper (if there's a holiday coming up that week they often won't include inserts). I currently subscribe to my local paper because I get more ads/circulars in it. But I also stop by a gas station and get the Grand Rapids Press which is one of the biggest papers with the most coupon inserts that I know of available to me. So check the largest city near you to see if there are more coupons than your local paper.
Feel free to look through them at a gas station to see who offers what coupons. If you want to know what's coming out ahead of time, this website should give you a general idea (different areas release different coupons, so it may not be exactly the same).
They usually run $1.50-$2 per paper. I've also heard that some dollar stores sell Sunday papers for a dollar!

You can always get multiple papers for more savings!

Weekly Newspaper -
Check the Monday-Saturday newspapers too for coupons. They often print coupons in the paper itself for restaurants, movie theaters, automotive services....etc. Also, my local paper includes a special coupon "booklet" once a month or so. That will completely depend on your own newspaper - give them a call and ask.

Online -
It seems you can find a printable coupon for almost anything you're looking for online! Common sites are Coupons.com, RedPlum.com, SmartSource.com, BettyCrocker.com, Boxtops4Education.com, and Pillsbury.com (Meijer and Target both offer store coupons that can be "stacked" with a manufacturer coupon on the same item). I've added links on the side of the blog to the websites I usually use to find printables.
You can sign up with companies that you enjoy and trust to have them send coupons right to your mailbox (or inbox).
You can also order coupons online at websites like Ebay or TheCouponClippers.com.  I've never done this myself, but I've seen deals where this might be very useful to get a bunch of one coupon.  They don't cost much, and if the deal is good enough it would be worth paying for the coupons to take advantage of it with multiple coupons.

Contact Companies Directly -
Companies will often send you coupons just for asking. Call their 800 number or email them from their website and request coupons. I recently called Beech-Nut asking for baby food coupons and they were so nice and not only sent me "cents-off" coupons, but also 3 coupons for completely free products.

Subscribe to Newsletters -
I'm signed up to some of my favorite companies email newsletters (Pampers, Huggies, Hershey's, Del Monte....) and they send out coupons with their emails.

"Blinkies" -
Always be on the lookout when you're at the grocery store or drugstore. There are very often little machines, called Blinkies, on the shelf that spit out coupons for the product it's near.  They tend to have long expiration dates and often are a high value coupon.

"Peelies" -
 These coupons look like little stickers on the packaging of products.

Keep Your Eyes Open -
Be aware of coupons all around - printed on or inside packaging, at demo tables at the grocery store....they're all around if you pay attention.

Junk Mail/Local Mailers -
Yes, junk mail can be useful. Just glance through it before tossing it out and a lot of times I've found those valuable little slips of paper.

Magazines - especially "All You" -
Regular magazines often have coupons included in their pages, but "All You"has many high-value coupons every month.  It's only sold at Wal-Mart or by subscription.  You can see what they're offering during the current month by checking their website.

Swap -
Trading coupons with a friend can be a great source of coupons (thanks Heidi!) For example, I use All laundry detergent and my sister uses Tide so we save those coupons for each other. People who are out of the "baby stage" can offer their coupons for baby products to families still doing diaper duty......vegetarians may not need coupons for meat or dairy....etc.
Sharing coupons can be as informal as the way my sister and I share detergent coupons, or organized like with a swap box. A Swap Box can be a great way to share coupons with anyone interested at your church, daycare, work, community center...etc. I recently found a neat idea for how to set up and manage a coupon swap box at afullcup.com.


How to organize your coupons:

There are a few different ways to keep your coupons organized. There's no right way or wrong way, just find which way works for you.

First - decide how to categorize them.

some ideas are: (I think alphabetically would always make it easier to locate your coupons)
~ by brand name (Charmin, Kellogg's, Pampers, Tide....)
~ in general categories (baby items, dairy, paper products...)

~ by specific item type (Cheese, Milk, Paper Towels)
~ Store name (CVS, Target, Walgreens)
~ Store layout
~ Expiration Date (this might work if you only have a small amount of coupons)


Second - you'll want to choose a "container".


Here are some popular containers......
~ Accordion folder
~ Recipe box
~ Baby wipe box
~ Shoebox
~ Pencil case
~ Photo albums
~ Three ring binder with baseball card holder inserts
~ Accordion style file folder with dividers
~ Envelopes


Personally, I use 2 separate 13 section accordion folders (long envelope size).
The "Grocery" one for everything found at grocery/drugstores (like food, paper products, diapers...). The other one is for everything else - entertainment, auto services, mall discounts, restaurants....etc.
I've put a cheap calculator ($1 at WalMart), a pen, and a small pair of scissors in with my grocery coupons. (I've also put my name and phone number on an index card in the back that says "If found, please return to....")
I used to use a shoebox with a tight fitting lid, but found it to be rigid and a little bulky to carry around.  The accordion folders fit well in different sized grocery carts.

I sort mine alphabetically by brand name. I find that to be the simplest way for my husband and I both to be able to quickly find what we're looking for. My sister on the other hand finds it easiest to sort them by category (dairy, diapers...)

I also include a couple envelopes in my accordion folder specifically for Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and Meijer to keep Catalina's, rainchecks, Register Rewards.....things related to just those stores.
Also, before I go to the store I pull any coupons on my list and add them to the corresponding envelope to make my time in the store simpler and quicker.

There are many different ways to categorize and organize your coupons - and again, just find the way that works for you. Some couponers like to keep their whole inserts intact and use databases online to find the coupon they need and which insert it's in, and cut it when they're ready to go to the store. Personally, if I didn't have them all with me I would've missed out on SO many unadvertised sales and clearanced items that I can't imagine not cutting them and taking them with me.

*Here are a couple clever (unconventional) ways to hold and organize your coupons:
Kirsten's Method
Frugal Floridians Coupon Holder (and some great tips!)


It can take a bit of time to start your system and figure out what works best for you, but with some organization and an investment of time it really pays off - literally!!
Check out this article at afullcup.com for some more great tips on "Maximizing Coupon Savings".

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me at supersavingsblog (at) gmail (dot) com!  I'd love to help!  =)