If you are just getting started with couponing, don’t be frustrated with all the deals you see that include the use of a coupon you don’t have. You can print many manufacturer’s coupons right from your computer! Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, Redplum.com and couponnetwork.com are all reputable coupon sites. Kellogg’s, Campbell’s, and Target also regularly have coupons on their sites. Printable coupons have 2 limits-a limit for the # of prints from a computer (2) , and a limit for the # of prints total (set by the manufacturer). If you see a coupon for a product you like you should print it then, because it may be gone the next time you look. Remember that ink and paper do cost money though, so I don’t recommend printing all available coupons.
You can find many coupons in magazines and in stores. You can search a coupon database to see if there are current coupons for the products you want to buy. My favorites are found at KingdomFirstMom and AFullCup (this one requires e-mail signup but is free). You’ll see lots of coupons that are marked similar to : 4/10 SS, which means they can be found in the April 10th Smart Source coupon insert that can be found in your Sunday paper. (I have a list of other abbreviations at the bottom right of my page) If there are coupons you want from a previous insert you can always hire someone to clip them for you at a very affordable rate (usually about 10% of the coupon value) This can be very helpful for high dollar Qs on products you use a lot of like diapers, formula, canned veggies, toothpaste etc. My favorite coupon clipper from experience is Coupon Dede (partially because she is in TX so shipping to me is fast!) but I have also heard good things about My Coupon Hunter and for bulk coupons try Kuntry Klippers.
I also have a page with more in depth coupon information here.
Even if you don’t have a coupon, you can still save big! Buy multiples of a good sale priced item. I say “good” sale price because I don’t want you to be fooled by sales that are only for pennies off the regular price. Know what you usually pay for an item and try to find it cheaper. Peanut butter typically runs $2.25 a small jar. If you use 1 a week and find them on sale for $1.50 (happens frequently) you can buy 1 and save $.75 for that week. Why not buy 2 and save $1.50 or buy 4 for the entire month and save $3. You’ve probably got room for 4 jars of peanut butter right? This isn’t an extreme number to buy. Save $3 a month on 10 different items and you’ve cut $30 out of your expenses with no coupons and save yourself shopping time during the weeks you no longer have to buy those products. Every year I stock up on canned vegetables and cream of chicken soup when they go on super sale right before Thanksgiving. I don’t have to buy them for months. I box them up in the laundry room and “shop” from there when my cabinet supply is getting low. I save about $75 a year just from buying the veggies and cream of chicken soup before Thanksgiving. You don’t have to buy years and years worth of a product when it’s at a rock bottom price. Just buy what you have room for or can consume before it goes bad.
Even without coupons you can particpate in programs at drugstores that allow you to earn partial and even full price rewards on products you use every day. Yes, I said full price rewards! You buy a participating product (listed in the sale ad or has a promotional price tag) and receive a coupon back for partial or full price that you just paid for the item. The Extra Care program at CVS and the Register Rewards offers at Walgreens are the 2 programs that I use. Currently 4/3/11 – 4/10/11 at CVS, you can buy contact solution and flossers and get a full price reward coupon back. You can buy bodywash, toothpaste, floss and mouthwash and get coupons between 70 and 80 % back. You can buy one item at a time and use the coupon to pay for another item, so that you end up paying very little to get a lot of stuff. If you’d like to see this written out with prices you can read this post.
As you get started with coupons and save your coupon inserts from the paper every Sunday, you’ll begin to save even more each week. If you save even $1 this week, it’s still $1 saved (actually more like $1.25 saved because of taxes, tithe, social security etc.). Try to increase that to $2 or $3 next week, and even more the week after that. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro!
If you have any questions, I’m always happy to answer them. You can leave a comment on this post, or you can follow me on facebook and leave a post there. You can also click on the “contact me” tab or button to send me an e-mail. If you want to be among the first to read a post, you can get instant updates from me through facebook or get a daily e-mail from me with that day’s posts by signing up here.
Most of our local stores refuse internet coupons but I do find great savings just using the reward card programs in the stores I do shop. Some stores even offer savings on gas at certain gas stations.
That’s too bad Jack! Most stores here in Tyler will accept them as long as they scan, which means I have to leave the printer on highest quality setting. It’s worth it for a $3 Huggies coupon though! Glad you have good gas discounts. None of our stores do. Wish we had a Kroger…