3 Easy Steps to Extreme Couponing
1. Save all coupons you buy, print, and find even if you don't think you will ever use them
2. Find/use websites that create Coupon Match-Ups for your store's sales and coupons
3. Each week combine your personal grocery list with your Weekly Match-up list. Find/gather matching coupons and go shopping!
STEP 1: SAVE ALL COUPONS!
As a general rule of thumb, most grocery stores allow two coupons per product:
1. One Store Coupon (Store Q)
2. One Manufacturer's Coupon (Mfr Q)
Store Coupons are ones that are created and released by the store usually with the store name or logo printed on it. Publix grocery stores periodically display at the front of the stores green and yellow flyers all full of store coupons. Manufacturer coupons are those that are created and released by the manufacturer of the specified product. All Mfr Q's will display "Manufacturer Coupon" somewhere on the coupon.
The basic concept involved here is to save and organize any and all coupons, monitor store prices/sales, gather and combine mfr and store coupons with low prices and/or sales to maximize savings! Before you freak out I want you to know that the difficult part of monitoring prices/sales is already done for us online by a plethora of websites and personal blogs. The more advanced couponer however, can indeed do it themselves in order to guarantee that no deal goes unnoticed!
As you will learn, there are many many places to find coupons. Sunday News Paper of course, online, ebay (currently not illegal to sell/buy coupons online), in magazines, in the mail, direct from the manufacturer, in coupon trading groups, in the actual stores, on products, laying on shelves, at customer service, on the floor, etc. etc. When you see coupons, snatch them up and save them all! Even if you don't like that product or think you will never use that product, save the coupon. Opportunities may arise where you might be able to get that product free with the coupon. This would allow you to either give it away to friends or donate them. Over the course of a year you may find that you acquire enough free items to donate and write off on your tax return! Another reason to save all coupons would be that you may actually find a deal that allows you to make money off of a particular product you don't want, using those coupons. This is the key to saving money on items that do not usually ever have coupons like produce and meats! Some stores will actually allow the overage made on products with coupons to be put towards the cost of other products on your bill. Some I have heard will even give you your overage in monetary change after the transaction is complete. This is very rare however!
Newspaper Coupons
Start getting the Sunday paper. Here in the Space Coast area there are two major newspapers available; the Florida Today and the Orlando Sentinel. The Orlando Sentinel has the best coupons between the two. I have compared the two side by side and the coupon circulars look identical but when you open them up you will find that some of the best coupons are missing from the Florida Today circulars. Also, the Florida Today does not have the Proctor and Gamble circular. There are three types of coupon circulars that are in the newspaper. Smart Source 1 & 2, Red Plum, and Proctor & Gamble. To see the release schedules for coupon circulars you can visit the following website: http://www.couponinsertspreview.com/. You should obtain multiples because when those FREE deals come along you are going to want more than one coupon so you can get a bunch of those items for free. How do you get multiple copies of the weekly coupon circulars? That is the Million Dollar question. Some choose to purchase them while others go dumpster diving into Recycling Bins. You need to find a method that works best for you. Be advised.....there are ways besides buying them.
NOTE:
1. There are occasionally coupons located in different sections of the newspapers and also some in the Wednesday papers.
2. Different regions of the country will see different coupons in the papers so it may help to have family and friends save and mail coupons to you from around the country.
3. Some stores accept competitor coupons. Always check your store's coupon policy. Your store's competitor just may publish their own coupons in the newspaper.
There are different ways to organize your coupons. Some people like to cut out every single coupon every week and file it in a binder. This is very time consuming due to all the cutting and maintenance of the binder in regards to expired coupons. In my opinion this is insane. The more sane approach is to file them according to the date of the News Paper they came in. All online coupon match-ups will reference coupons by product, discount, coupon circular name, and date. This will enable you to find the desired coupon in your organized collection quickly and easily thus removing the need to clip every single coupon in every single circular every single week! Now, how you file/organize the circulars depends on your personality and how "extreme" of a couponer you intend on being. If you are planning on just buying what you need and not stocking up then you may want to watch a video entitled GROCERY DEALS BY STATE which is part of a three video tutorial located at Couponmom.com. In fact the three part series is actually how I started learning about couponing. If you intend on going to the "extreme" and plan on having many circulars on hand then you might want to store them in a different manner than what the Coupon Mom has shown in the video. Here is an example of a simple method. Despite which ever method you choose I would absolutely recommend that you view the entire Tutorial Video series at www.couponmom.com. It is a great place to start before you read any further!
NOTE:
1. There are occasionally coupons located in different sections of the newspapers and also some in the Wednesday papers.
2. Different regions of the country will see different coupons in the papers so it may help to have family and friends save and mail coupons to you from around the country.
3. Some stores accept competitor coupons. Always check your store's coupon policy. Your store's competitor just may publish their own coupons in the newspaper.
There are different ways to organize your coupons. Some people like to cut out every single coupon every week and file it in a binder. This is very time consuming due to all the cutting and maintenance of the binder in regards to expired coupons. In my opinion this is insane. The more sane approach is to file them according to the date of the News Paper they came in. All online coupon match-ups will reference coupons by product, discount, coupon circular name, and date. This will enable you to find the desired coupon in your organized collection quickly and easily thus removing the need to clip every single coupon in every single circular every single week! Now, how you file/organize the circulars depends on your personality and how "extreme" of a couponer you intend on being. If you are planning on just buying what you need and not stocking up then you may want to watch a video entitled GROCERY DEALS BY STATE which is part of a three video tutorial located at Couponmom.com. In fact the three part series is actually how I started learning about couponing. If you intend on going to the "extreme" and plan on having many circulars on hand then you might want to store them in a different manner than what the Coupon Mom has shown in the video. Here is an example of a simple method. Despite which ever method you choose I would absolutely recommend that you view the entire Tutorial Video series at www.couponmom.com. It is a great place to start before you read any further!
Example: Newspaper Coupon Circulars
Online Coupons
There are four major players in online printable coupons:
1. www.coupons.com
2. www.couponnetwork.com
3. www.redplum.com
4. www.smartsource.com
These sites periodically update with new coupons as do all online printable coupon sites. Again, don't freak out! Once you find your favorite website or blog devoted to coupon match-ups for your particular grocery store, check in with that one site on a daily basis to keep updated on any new coupon sightings. However, the more advanced couponer can and probably will monitor all of the sites on their own instead of waiting for someone else to do it for them.
In addition to the above four sites there are many other locations online to find printable coupons. Now-a-days most manufacturers have a Facebook page where they can post promotions and coupons for printing. Some manufacturers prefer to post coupons on the actual product website as opposed to Facebook. Store websites sometimes have printable coupons. Target and Walmart both have printable Store Coupons on their sites. The great thing about Target coupons is that most Publix stores especially here in Florida consider Target a competitor and accept Target coupons. Publix occasionally has printable coupons on their site and other affiliated sites.
There are four major players in online printable coupons:
1. www.coupons.com
2. www.couponnetwork.com
3. www.redplum.com
4. www.smartsource.com
These sites periodically update with new coupons as do all online printable coupon sites. Again, don't freak out! Once you find your favorite website or blog devoted to coupon match-ups for your particular grocery store, check in with that one site on a daily basis to keep updated on any new coupon sightings. However, the more advanced couponer can and probably will monitor all of the sites on their own instead of waiting for someone else to do it for them.
In addition to the above four sites there are many other locations online to find printable coupons. Now-a-days most manufacturers have a Facebook page where they can post promotions and coupons for printing. Some manufacturers prefer to post coupons on the actual product website as opposed to Facebook. Store websites sometimes have printable coupons. Target and Walmart both have printable Store Coupons on their sites. The great thing about Target coupons is that most Publix stores especially here in Florida consider Target a competitor and accept Target coupons. Publix occasionally has printable coupons on their site and other affiliated sites.
Publix Affiliates
Remember, your favorite website/blog should monitor these and post when new coupons are added. Printable coupons are usually limited to 2 prints. Be advised...... there are ways of printing more. Be creative.
NOTE:
1. Manufacturer's coupons can also be obtained by writing or emailing a company directly!!!
2. Remember that your store may accept a competitor's coupons. Most Publix stores in the Space Coast areas accept Target and Winn Dixie coupons. Be sure to pick up weekly flyers from these stores for possible coupons in addition to their website coupons. In fact, Publix has many flyers and coupon booklets that you can usually find at the front of the stores.
3. There are many sites like www.freecouponalerts.com which you can register with to receive email alerts to new online coupons and deals.
4. Keep in mind that buying coupons online through sites such as Ebay is not illegal as of September 2011 but if you read your coupons they do say that sale of or auction of or transferred or reproduced coupons is prohibited and will void the coupons. Despite this, many people still engage in this activity.
4. Keep in mind that buying coupons online through sites such as Ebay is not illegal as of September 2011 but if you read your coupons they do say that sale of or auction of or transferred or reproduced coupons is prohibited and will void the coupons. Despite this, many people still engage in this activity.
Misc. Coupons
Coupons coupons, everywhere coupons. Keep your eyes peeled when shopping. You will always find new coupons lingering around the grocery stores. You may find some at the front of the business in Store Flyers. Always grab a bunch of these. Be sure to ask customer service for any new coupons or flyers periodically. Sometimes they forget to display them. Also look for Coupon Tear Pads which will be strategically placed in the store near certain products. Don't forget your child's favorite, The Blinkie. Blinkies are little automatic coupon dispensers that blink to get your attention and manage to also grab the attention of every little child in that aisle! Peelies are coupons that are glued to actual products. Sometimes shoppers will discard or accidentally leave coupons lying around on shelves or floors. Don't be embarrassed, grab 'em! Don't forget magazine coupons. Many magazines have coupons hiding within the pages. If you already subscribe to some that contain coupons then good for you. If not I would recommend one in particular that you should get a subscription for. ALL YOU magazine routinely has high value coupons that can be used to obtain some awesome deals! Also keep an eye on my Daily Freebies page as I occasionally come across deals for FREE subscriptions to various magazines!
Getting Organized
You are now printing, cutting, finding, and saving your coupons. What next? We already spoke above about how to store all of your coupon circulars but what about all the other misc. coupons? Do you use a pouch or binder? Where do I buy a binder and what kind? These are all excellent questions. I have put together a section specifically for coupon organization here.
Trying to keep up with all of this at first can get hectic. Trust me, it will eventually come natural. Start out slow and work your way up. I keep a weekly calendar to help keep track of when and what needs to get done.
Trying to keep up with all of this at first can get hectic. Trust me, it will eventually come natural. Start out slow and work your way up. I keep a weekly calendar to help keep track of when and what needs to get done.
Example:
Sundays I buy some newspapers and collect Walgreens/CVS flyers since prices/sales change on Saturdays.
Mondays could be a day for dumpster diving if that is what you choose to do.
Tuesdays I start a grocery list. This list will remain a work in progress up until shopping day.
Wednesdays I begin to look at the upcoming sales + match-ups on my two favorite sites.
Thursdays prices/sales change at Publix here in Florida. I will go and pick up the weekly flyer. I will also pick up Winn Dixie's flyer while I'm out since their prices/sales changed on Wednesday.
Fridays I start printing coupons. Fridays are good days for new facebook coupons and freebies.
Saturdays I will shop 'til I drop. A good haul could take me 2-3 hours in the store.
Personally I am against Dumpster Diving just for the pure aesthetics of the action.
How you break up your week is up to you. Everyone has different weekly tasks and schedules. Do what works best for you.
STEP 2: COUPON MATCH-UPS
Earlier we talked about Coupon Match-Ups and associated sites/blogs. Each week your store will probably come out with new prices and sales. These changes are usually published in a weekly flyer that you can pick up at the store or in your newspaper. Before the advent of the wonderful World Wide Web couponers had to create match-ups on their own. This is a time consuming and sometimes boring task. The task involves keeping a list or database of all known available coupons for any/all products. When the weekly sales/prices are released one would have to cross reference these sales/prices with the coupon database/list in order to locate the best possible coupon combinations ultimately finding the best possible deals. Luckily for us we exist in the age of the Internet which has made this process a hell of alot easier! There now exists many sites and personal blogs where you can find match-ups for your particular grocery store already compiled! One in particular is where I first started my couponing journey: www.couponmom.com
This site is very user friendly especially for the beginner. As stated earlier, this site contains some awesome tutorial videos and/or downloadable pdf files. The great thing about this site for beginners is that it is an "easy read" and it covers all the major grocery stores. Once you start becoming more comfortable with couponing and feel that you can venture away from couponmom.com you may find other sites or blogs that provide you with more/better information. These sites are not as user friendly though! It helps to have some experience and to learn the lingo before you visit these sites.
Website and Blog Examples
1. www.iheartpublix.com (my favorite)
2. www.southernsavers.com
3. www.iheartsavingmoney.com
4. www.totallytarget.com
5. www.couponmom.com
6. www.smartcouponing.com
Note:
1. Coupon Match-Ups and Extreme Couponing are not limited to grocery stores. You can find info for drug stores and retail stores also!
STEP 3: GO SHOPPING!
So now you have a nice list of match-ups and have found some deals that you want to take advantage of. Now it is time for you to make your regular weekly grocery list if you have not done so already. Proceed to look for coupons for all the items on this list. Be sure to search for store and manufacturer coupons to get the best deals. Make sure you search your entire coupon collection in your binders or file cabinets or wherever you decided to keep it. You may be asking yourself..."How on earth am I going to search the Newspaper Coupon Circulars?". Again, do not freak out! Go back to your favorite coupon site or blog and more than likely they should have a Coupon Database that you can search. Just plug each item in online from your grocery list and you should be able to find any and all available coupons for that item. Some databases are better than others. Iheartpublix's coupon database keeps track of competitor coupons such as Target and Winn Dixie where as couponmom.com does not. When they list coupons from the weekly newspaper circulars they will give you the circular name and date. If you filed them by those two categories then you should have no trouble locating the coupon and cutting however many you need. Once you have gathered all coupons needed for those items and the match-up deals then you are almost ready to go shopping. The last thing that I recommend you do is to include on your grocery list the following:
1. Coupons for each item (number of and type)
2. Quantity of item desired
3. Retail price of each item (can fill in this price at store. It helps with savings calculations & is good for record keeping of price fluctuations if you desire to do that)
4. Sale price if any
5. Actual cost after coupons
6. Total estimated cost of shopping trip
These things will help you keep track of price changes over time, calculate total costs, avoid confusion at check out, and finally figure out errors after the transaction has been completed.
Note:
1. Always bring the store's weekly flyer with you on your shopping trip in case there is a dispute over an advertised sale or price
2. Always bring a copy of the store's current coupon policy in case you encounter an employee/cashier lacking intelligence and on a power trip.
* Don't laugh.....I've encountered a few cashiers that still believe that coupons are only good for the product pictured on the coupon and not by what is written in words. Need I say more?
3. Since I shop at Publix Grocery Stores who do not provide "Store Loyalty Cards" I have not mentioned anything about them. If your store does have them then you can take advantage of the extra savings provided by them at checkout. Just hand you Loyalty Card to the cashier and watch the savings appear on the screen! Some of these cards allow ecoupons to be placed on your card. Again, since Publix does not have either of these I am not going into detail on them. If you do a little searching you can find a plethora of info on these things.
Good luck guys and welcome to the world of Extreme Couponing. If I can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to let me know: spacecoastcouponing@gmail.com
Earlier we talked about Coupon Match-Ups and associated sites/blogs. Each week your store will probably come out with new prices and sales. These changes are usually published in a weekly flyer that you can pick up at the store or in your newspaper. Before the advent of the wonderful World Wide Web couponers had to create match-ups on their own. This is a time consuming and sometimes boring task. The task involves keeping a list or database of all known available coupons for any/all products. When the weekly sales/prices are released one would have to cross reference these sales/prices with the coupon database/list in order to locate the best possible coupon combinations ultimately finding the best possible deals. Luckily for us we exist in the age of the Internet which has made this process a hell of alot easier! There now exists many sites and personal blogs where you can find match-ups for your particular grocery store already compiled! One in particular is where I first started my couponing journey: www.couponmom.com
This site is very user friendly especially for the beginner. As stated earlier, this site contains some awesome tutorial videos and/or downloadable pdf files. The great thing about this site for beginners is that it is an "easy read" and it covers all the major grocery stores. Once you start becoming more comfortable with couponing and feel that you can venture away from couponmom.com you may find other sites or blogs that provide you with more/better information. These sites are not as user friendly though! It helps to have some experience and to learn the lingo before you visit these sites.
Website and Blog Examples
1. www.iheartpublix.com (my favorite)
2. www.southernsavers.com
3. www.iheartsavingmoney.com
4. www.totallytarget.com
5. www.couponmom.com
6. www.smartcouponing.com
Note:
1. Coupon Match-Ups and Extreme Couponing are not limited to grocery stores. You can find info for drug stores and retail stores also!
STEP 3: GO SHOPPING!
So now you have a nice list of match-ups and have found some deals that you want to take advantage of. Now it is time for you to make your regular weekly grocery list if you have not done so already. Proceed to look for coupons for all the items on this list. Be sure to search for store and manufacturer coupons to get the best deals. Make sure you search your entire coupon collection in your binders or file cabinets or wherever you decided to keep it. You may be asking yourself..."How on earth am I going to search the Newspaper Coupon Circulars?". Again, do not freak out! Go back to your favorite coupon site or blog and more than likely they should have a Coupon Database that you can search. Just plug each item in online from your grocery list and you should be able to find any and all available coupons for that item. Some databases are better than others. Iheartpublix's coupon database keeps track of competitor coupons such as Target and Winn Dixie where as couponmom.com does not. When they list coupons from the weekly newspaper circulars they will give you the circular name and date. If you filed them by those two categories then you should have no trouble locating the coupon and cutting however many you need. Once you have gathered all coupons needed for those items and the match-up deals then you are almost ready to go shopping. The last thing that I recommend you do is to include on your grocery list the following:
1. Coupons for each item (number of and type)
2. Quantity of item desired
3. Retail price of each item (can fill in this price at store. It helps with savings calculations & is good for record keeping of price fluctuations if you desire to do that)
4. Sale price if any
5. Actual cost after coupons
6. Total estimated cost of shopping trip
These things will help you keep track of price changes over time, calculate total costs, avoid confusion at check out, and finally figure out errors after the transaction has been completed.
Note:
1. Always bring the store's weekly flyer with you on your shopping trip in case there is a dispute over an advertised sale or price
2. Always bring a copy of the store's current coupon policy in case you encounter an employee/cashier lacking intelligence and on a power trip.
* Don't laugh.....I've encountered a few cashiers that still believe that coupons are only good for the product pictured on the coupon and not by what is written in words. Need I say more?
3. Since I shop at Publix Grocery Stores who do not provide "Store Loyalty Cards" I have not mentioned anything about them. If your store does have them then you can take advantage of the extra savings provided by them at checkout. Just hand you Loyalty Card to the cashier and watch the savings appear on the screen! Some of these cards allow ecoupons to be placed on your card. Again, since Publix does not have either of these I am not going into detail on them. If you do a little searching you can find a plethora of info on these things.
Good luck guys and welcome to the world of Extreme Couponing. If I can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to let me know: spacecoastcouponing@gmail.com
