Part 3-Where do you get all those Coupons?
I think probably one of the most frequented questions I get from people is "Where in the heck do you get all the coupons?" First off let me start by saying that I have never been what you would call an "Extreme Couponer" If that's the road you want to take, then by all means, be my guest. However, let me stress that you will need ample space and coupons to achieve this title.
As of last year my family downsized to a small duplex on the outskirts of suburbia. With only 2 children left at home I no longer need to stockpile like I use to. Nor do I have the "Stockpiling" space that I use to have. So yes, I've cut my couponing down considerably due to this needed space to store these goods. So whatever is you plan...plan first! Think it through beforehand & never buy more than you REALLY will ever use. I mean, do you really need 5000 tubes of toothpaste? Probably not. Don't be the Couponer that goes into stores and clears all the shelves. This really makes me crazy! Be thoughtful and respectful of others. (Example: That medicine you just cleared from the shelf may have helped some child who has a fever...now his mom has to drive many miles out of the way to get it with her coupon because there was none on the shelves & maybe she has limited funds too.) My theory on giving blood and couponing are the same..."Take a little, leave a little!" I also enjoy leaving coupons on the shelf for others who may need them if I have more than I will ever use, or have changed my mind on the product. (Yes...I am the coupon fairy!...Shhhh!) Seriously, in my opinion there truly is a difference between stockpiling & hoarding. Know which one is which, and buy responsibly. Remember that when your own stockpile begins to consume YOU...it's time to donate! Many shelters, schools, and organizations will kindly take your much needed donations. Give back to your community! It feels good! Now that you're feeling all warm and fuzzy I'm going to tell you where to get all those coupons! Are you excited? I can feel that you are! 12 common ways to get coupons:
1.) Sunday newspaper/ inserts. You can order these to be delivered or buy at news stand, or stores.In my area newspapers are $1.75 each now, and I always buy 2-4 depending on the preview.
2.) Online coupon- printed by YOUR printer. Common sites for this would be HERE .
3.) E-coupons- these are usually found on your local grocerier sites. (Ex:Kroger's)
These coupons are loaded manually by YOU onto your store loyalty savings card.
4.) Peelies- located on some merchandise as a promotion. (I know it's tempting but please don't peel them from merchandise you're not buying.)
5.) Tearpads- Located around merchandise shelving or displays.
6.) Contest freebie coupons-Won on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or blogs for free merchandise.
7. )On package coupons-Inside/outside of packaging. Be aware of this before throwing out your packaging.
8.) Rewards coupons-Can be awarded through sites like Coke rewards. (Ex: free 12 packs with such and such amount of points) I love that one!
9.) Merchandise code/coupon- These are redeemed through emails, deep discount sites such as ebates, etc... Usually used when shopping online.
10.) Magazines- Woman's Day, Family Circle, and my favorite ALL YOU mag at Walmart.
11.) Friends, family & swap meets-Ask around in your circle of friends and see who will save their unwanted coupon inserts for you. You might be surprised how many you get in return.
12.) Blinkies-these are those little pully, or blinking thingies that spit out coupons for your buying pleasure in the stores. Located usually at eye level attached to shelves.
There you have it...the secret is out! hehehe Seriously though, take your time in stores, look around for these promotions, check out your packaging for extra coupons and make "friends" with the companies that you like. Check back soon! More to come!
Coupon Guide
Part 2-Understanding the Coupon Lingo
We've ALL been there... That awkward moment when you're
online, & all of a
sudden you see all those acronyms that appear to be some sort of foreign language. Such
acronyms might appear as BOGO, DND, UPC, OOP, etc.. You're thinking to
yourself, "What the heck are they talking about?" Right? Well...Don't
worry! I'm here to help you make some sense of it all. These terms are what we
call "coupon lingo". I will try to break it down to you as easily as
I can. This is not a complete list, and I will add more as I come up with them. You should learn these terms, and always...I repeat always READ YOUR
COUPONS! This will save you much time, frustration, and embarrassment at the
check-out line. Hope you find this useful.
RP-RedPlum
|
SS-Smart Source
|
P&G-Proctor & Gamble insert
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DND-Do not double
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BOGO-Buy one get one
|
B1G1-buy 1 get one
|
UPC-universal product code
which appears as a bar code
|
FAR-Free after rebate
|
MIR-Mail in Rebate
|
OOP-out of pocket
|
WYB-When you buy
|
IP-Internet printable
|
MQ or MFR-Manufacturer
Coupon
|
.25/3- Means .25cents off of
3 items. Appearance will vary
|
NED-No expiration date
|
WSL-While supplies last
|
CRR-Cash register receipt
CRT-Cash register tape
|
GC-Gift Card
|
IVC-Instant value coupon.
These usually come off when a certain amount of items have been purchased.
|
OYNO-on your next order
|
ETS-Excludes trial sizes.
|
Blinkie-coupon dispenser in stores usually at eye
level, & attached to item shelving.
|
Catalina-coupon that prints
from a separate machine when you buy so many items.
|
Peelie-these are located on
the products themselves & can be removed and cashed at time of purchase
or saved.
|
RR-Register Rewards are
given through Walgreen special sales purchases. They come out at the end of
your transaction.
|
ECB-CVS drugstores have a
loyalty card and these special "dollar/cents off" coupons come after purchasing some specific
items in their store.
|
Tearpad-A visible pad of
coupons off purchase of an item usually located like a Blinky by being
attached to shelves or display.
|
Price match-Some stores will
price match the sale price of their competitors. Please carry all policies
with you so you can refer back to them if cashiers says no.
|
NLA-No longer available
|
ILCS-I LOVE CENTSATIONAL
SAVINGS! Hehehehe <3
|
Coupon Guide
Part 1-GET ORGANIZED
So you want to start saving money and have decided that you're going to start couponing. First thing to do is get organized! You are beginning a journey that will be a huge money saver if done correctly, but in the beginning you will have to invest some time and a minimal amount of money to get yourself organized. Here I will list some different ways to do this. Note that I've tried them all and advise you to do the same. There is NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY. It's all about what's best for you.
Methods:
Binder method-This style of couponing incorporates taking all your inserts and cutting all the coupons and inserting them into baseball card style holders by category. You will need to buy one oversized binder with rings, card holder inserts (plastic) Dividers with tabs, Sharpie pen or labels. This is a very popular method. I personally don’t use it, but have tried it and found it too time consuming. I’m a career mom with children so time is of the essence for me. Please keep in mind the time you consume when couponing. If you’re like me you will want to make this an easy process. So go ahead, give it a try to see if it works for you.
Next step:
Buy one Accordion style file keeper- Date each file by month. Mark your coupon inserts from you Sunday paper by date with a sharpie and file them here. When you see a sale match up for a certain date, check out the date, go to the file, pull the dated circular and cut the coupon. Add to your box by category. This saves me time because I hate all that cutting process. That way I only have the sale coupons that I need…and no wasted time in the store searching for that ONE SPECIAL COUPON! I do however cut and keep with me all the coupons that I know I will use, & I keep all my "Free coupons" separately filed. I found these nice boxes pretty cheap at the Container Store. $3.99 is a great price! Container store site link.
Envelope Method: This is how I began. I use to file my inserts by month and date them. I would search the internet deal match-up sites. (Info on this coming next chapter) After I find the best deals, I would mark the deals I wanted and print the list. Once I had my list I would go to my inserts by the date & insert name, search for the coupon, cut it out and put in my envelope. I then would fold up my list and put it in my envelope and head out. This worked for me for a while, but I hated the long amounts of time I was wasting sorting through the envelope in the store.
Like I said earlier, "There is no right or wrong method with couponing. It’s just all about what is easiest and most efficient for YOU! "
If you have any suggestions to offer, I am always willing to post your ideas. Please feel free to email me a description & or pictures of your style of doing it. I will give credit to you here on this page. Email me to tholt@gmail.com
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