Couponing is for everyone!
There have been people tell me that using coupons is just not for them.
My answer to them is in the form of a question:
Why would you think that?
Do you like saving money?
To get started on the path of saving your hard earned money, start small and choose one small part of your weekly/monthly shopping needs.
For example: If you are a pet owner, start there. Every week there are usually a variety of pet food/treats coupons in the Sunday Newspaper. These can range from buy one get one free items to dollars off your purchase of the products.
You are sure to find a brand that your pet (dog or cat) likes. Purina, Pedigree, Milkbone, Friskies, Whiskas, Iams and Science Diet are just a few recent brands to place coupons in the inserts.
So, If you have a cat or a dog then, I would say to start using coupons to buy pet supplies. This will be a small part of your weekly/monthly shopping but it will be easy to track your savings.
Another option is to choose beauty products which can range from makeup to hair products. I am at the point now that I will not buy these products unless they are free with the coupons or very close to free.
I absolutely love when stores have buy one get one free sales on makeup. That means that I get two products for a fraction of the cost of one, using coupons.
Remember: combining a store sale with a coupon will get you the maximum savings.
Coupon Challenges
It seems that I keep hearing the same problems from everyone I talk to about starting to use coupons.
The # 1 complaint is that they will take to time to cut and organize the coupons, but not get them to the store to use them.
My solutions:
1. Get a small Expanding File with pockets to place coupons in by category.
2. Use The Couponizer which is a pre labeled binder with pockets
3. Put coupons in envelopes divided by categories (or even use paper clips) stick them in a plastic sealed bag.
The whole object of doing these suggestions is to put these smaller items in your bag that you carry to the store. If you have them with you, of course, you are more likely to use them.
You can even leave these items in your car, so when you go shopping they are already there. Just pick them up and bring them into the store.
Five Tips from the Coupon Contessa
1). The first key to saving money is to get multiple inserts of the Houston Chronicle and lots of them. The coupons are usually with the magazine section that is wrapped in the funny paper.
There are three kinds of inserts: the Redplum, the SmartSource and the once a month General Mills and Procter & Gamble Brand Saver. There are not coupons on Holiday weekends.
2). Once you have your coupon inserts, now it is time to get to know the stores in your area.
Does your store double or triple coupons? Double means two times the amount of the coupon and triple means three times the amount of the coupon
At most stores, your coupon will be accepted at face value. BUT some stores double or even triple coupons. So a .50 cent coupon that is doubled will be worth $1.00. and a .35 cent coupon that is tripled will now be worth $1.05.
This saving can quickly add up and you may even be getting the product for free.
What are the maximum value to double or triple coupons?
In other words what is the highest amount of a coupon that will triple? Usually up to and including 35 cents.
And what is the highest amount of a coupon that will double? Usually it is up to an including 50 cents.
How many like coupons will double/ triple? If I am buying three toothpastes and I have three coupons for 35 cents each. Will they triple only the first coupon only or all three. This depends on the store policy.
3). Take advantage of store loyalty cards. They will help you save more money. But make sure you always give your card to the cashier first, or at least before any coupons. Sometimes it is the only way that you will be able to get sale prices or the double / triple coupons.
Make sure the company has your correct mailing address. They may send you valuable coupons in the mail.
4). Price Book: Very simply, it is a book, spiral notebook, spreadsheet or piece of paper that you record a list of the items that you buy most often and the best prices that you find in the grocery store.
In my opinion, this is one of the most helpful things you can do if want to save money at the grocery store and using coupons. It will not take too much of your time and it will be a great source for you to track the prices of the items that you buy regularly. Start with the top ten items. You will even start to see the sales cycle forming.
Prices should be recorded in price per unit (ounce, roll, pound), so that you can compare larger sized packaging to smaller sizes and store to store. Some stores have this price per unit listed on the shelf tag, for the other stores, you will need to bring a small calculator along. To figure out the cost per unit, take the cost of the item then divide by the number of units that will give you the cost per unit.
Example: 4 roll Toilet paper is $1.19
1.19 / 4 = 29.75 cents per roll
Example of a Price Book:
Date Store Item / Brand Size Cost Price Per Unit
10-1 Sun Grocery Bar Soap / Flwr 3 bars 1.65 .55 cents / bar
11-1 Moon Grocery Bar Soap / Bug 4 bars 1.89 .47 cents / bar
11-4 Star Grocery Bar Soap / Bee 3 bars 1.78 .59 cents / bar
With the knowledge of how to start and use your price book, you will never have to wonder if a sale price is the best possible price that you can get. Then add your coupon savings in the mix, and you will soon be willing to pay less and less for the everyday items that you purchase.
5). Take the coupons with you to the store! I know this sounds silly, but this is the biggest complaint I hear. I spend my time to organize and cut the coupons but I am never able to get hem to the store so that I can use them. Find a system that works for you and stick them in your bag.
Stockpile
How to create a stockpile of food and household items
1. Identify the items you would like to stockpile
Examples are toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, deodorant, laundry detergent, facial tissue, shampoo, conditioner, razors, frozen foods, canned foods
2. How much do you need of each item
Keep at least the minimum amount to have until the next good sale comes around. The stores usually cycle every 12 weeks.
3. Buy at lowest price with coupons
make sure to combine the sale price with a coupon to get the best possible price then keep track of the price that you paid in your pricebook.
4. Organization and storage
Be creative, think outside of the box…like under the bed or the top shelf of the closet
5. Keep your stock rotated
make sure you use the FIFO (first in first out) method
Coupon Etiquette
1. Be Nice
To the cashiers and to the people in line behind you.
Remember this is the cashier’s job; they are only doing what they have been trained to do. If there is a problem, politely ask to speak to the manager on duty. They are more likely to hear your complaint if you refrain from using questionable language or being too loud.
Most days, I will turn around and tell the person behind me that I have coupons and it may take a few minutes longer for me to check out. Usually this gesture is greatly appreciated and the person is interested in how much money I am going to save. They are always in AWE when the cashier hits total.
2. Only Use the Coupon for the item Intended
If the coupon says purchase any 6.4 oz or larger, then only purchase the 6.4oz or larger product. If a coupon states, must buy two items to receive .55 cents off, then both items must be purchased to get the amount off your grocery bill.
3. Do not CLEAR the shelves of items
Please try not to take every single item off of the shelf. If you have a lot of coupons to use, talk to the Manager and ask to pre order the products. This will also give the manager a heads up to order more stock for the sale. Although, this does lead the way to rainchecks, be considerate of others.
4. Do not use Expired coupons
Occasionally one will slip through, but do not intentionally use expired coupons when you know that the store does not accept them. This can lead to embarrassment at check out.
5. Know the Store policies
It is best to research and know the store policies. This way you are armed with the knowledge that many employees do not know. This will benefit you greatly if you ever have to speak to a manager or customer service representative about a problem.
In my opinion, an educated consumer is the best consumer.
Organizing your coupons
Now that so many of us have been saving the Sunday Chronicle Coupon inserts. What do we do with them? We need to be able to find the coupons that we need. I have compiled a few different ways to organize your coupons. I want to give several ways, so that you can choose what works best for you.
Expandable file folder: This is a great way to just drop the whole Sunday insert into the file and keep for a later date. I file these by the Sunday date they were delivered. This method is used for storing the coupons until it is time to cut and use.
Pocket size expandable file: These are designed for coupons and are labeled inside by categories such as: Beverages, Canned Foods, Cereals, Cleaning, Dairy, Meats, Health & Beauty, Baking Products, Paper Goods, Baby Products, Rice/Pasta, Condiments, Snacks, Pet Food and Miscellaneous. This is small enough to put into your purse for your shopping trip. Coupons must be cut and placed into each section.
Binder Method: In a three ring binder, I have place Baseball card inserts to hold coupons and put them into categories as mentioned above. This way all of the coupons can be seen and I can bring my whole binder with me on a shopping trip.
The Envelope Method: Take only the coupons that you need for your shopping trip. Place them into an envelope and head to the store. You have planned out your trip and every purchase. This works very well to make sure that you stick to only buying the products on your grocery list.
The Couponizer is a new product that combines several of these ideas all in one. It is a small binder with all the categories well organized. It also some very helpful tips to keep track of your receipts and coupons that you have. My favorite feature of this product is the CoupStacker which is a pre-sorting mat to use when clipping coupons.
Once you have your coupon inserts, now it is time to get to know the stores in your area.
Read the sales ad carefully,get to know the stores in your area and most imortantly – ask questions!
Does your store double or triple coupons?
Double means two times the amount of the coupon
Triple means three times the amount of the coupon
At most stores, your coupon will be accepted at face value. BUT some stores double or even triple coupons. So a .50 cent coupon that is doubled will be worth $1.00. and a .35 cent coupon that is tripled will now be worth $1.05.
This saving can quickly add up and you may even be getting the product for free.
What are the maximum values to double or triple coupons?
In other words what is the highest amount of a coupon that will triple? Usually up to and including 35 cents.
And what is the highest amount of a coupon that will double? Usually it is up to an including 50 cents.
If I am buying three toothpastes and I have three coupons for 35 cents each. Will they triple only the first coupon only or all three. This depends on the store policy.
Can you combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons?
Store coupons are only to be used at a specific retailer They can be found in the sales add or in home mailers. They are usually identified with the store logo. Look carefully because all in ad coupons are not store coupons. They may be manufacturer coupons. What you need to investigate is if you can combine the store coupon and a manufacturer coupon for the same item. Some stores will let you do this.
Do they accept competitor coupons? Will they take other stores coupons?
For example can you bring in a coupon for a gift card with new prescription from another pharmacy and have the coupon honored.
You will find that these policies vary by store.
Take advantage of store loyalty cards.
They will help you save more money. But make sure you always give your card to the cashier first, or at least before any coupons. Sometimes it is the only way that you will be able to get sale prices or the double / triple coupons.
The key to saving money, is to combine the lowest sale price of an item that you can find with a coupon.
Combining the two will provide the best savings.
Please visit CouponContessa.com for more money saving ideas!
