As you read a coupon blog, you'll notice a lot of lingo and abbreviations. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but give yourself a little time and remember that the answer to everything is a Google search away. Here's a list of the most common terms and abbreviations you'll come across to help you get started.
$1/1 or $2/1: $1 off of one item or $2 off of one item
$1/2 or $2/4: $1 off of 2 items or $2 off of four items
BOGO--Buy one get one: Sometimes it's buy one get one free and sometimes it buy one get one 1/2 off. Be sure to read the terms of the sale in the store ad.
Cat--Catalina: The Catalina company has machines at the registers of some stores that dispense coupons that can be used on a future purchase. Some are store coupons (like Walgreen's Register Rewards) and some are manufacturer coupons that you could use at any store. Sometimes the coupons print based on a store promotion in it's weekly ad (again, like Walgreen's Register Rewards) and sometimes they print based on consumer behavior. I buy a lot of organic milk and yogurt at my local grocery store, so I often get coupons for those products.
Coupon Insert/Inserts: Coupons inserted into Sunday newspapers. Smart Source, Redplum, Proctor and Gamble and General Mills put out coupon inserts. Bloggers often refer to an insert and the date it came out in the paper to help you find a specific coupon. (Example: 1/8/12 SS) The date for the insert is usually in very small print on the spine of the insert.
CRT - Cash Register Tape: CRTs are usually associated with CVS. They are coupons that print at the end of your receipt or at the coupon center. They are only good at the store where they are printed.
EB/ECB--Extra Bucks/Extra Care Bucks: These are store coupons that print on your receipt at CVS according to the store's weekly or monthly advertised deals. When you make a qualifying purchase, you receive the coordinating Extra Bucks.
EXP/EX/X: Expires on or expiration date
FAR--Free after rebate: You can send a rebate form into the manufacturer and receive a full rebate on a product.
IP--Internet Printable: A coupon that can be printed from your home computer. Bloggers often link to IPs at Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, and Redplum.com among other sites.
IVC--Instant Value Coupon: Store coupons found in the Walgreens ad. You can stack an IVC with a manufacturer coupon.
MIR--Mail in Rebate: A traditional manufacturer rebate. You'll usually have to mail in a receipt and proof of purchase.
MFR--Manufacturer: The company who produces a product
MFR Q/MQ--Manufacturer Coupon: A coupon created by the manufacturer of a product
OOP--Out of Pocket: The dollar amount you'll pay at the store, not factoring in coupons or store rewards you'll receive.
OYNO--On Your Next Order: Some stores may offer a special such as "Spend $50 and save $5 on your next order" This means that after you make your $50 purchase you'll receive a coupon for $5 off your next purchase.
One Coupon Per Purchase: You'll see this term on most coupons. It means that you may use one coupon per item. For instance, you may use one $.55 off coupon on your coffee creamer. You may not use three $.55 coupons on one creamer to get it for free.
One Coupon Per Transaction: Limits you to using only one of that particular coupon on your shopping trip. For instance, if you have a $5 off of a $25 purchase coupon that states "one coupon per transaction" you could only use one no matter how much you spent. (In other words, you couldn't buy $50 worth of products and use 2 of the $5 off $25 coupons.) If it's okay with the store (and your cashier) you could split your $50 worth of products into 2 transactions totaling $25 each and use one $5 off $25 coupon for each transaction.
PSA--Prices Start At: When a group of items is included in a sale (for instance, all Huggies products 25% off) the sales ad may note that the the lowest priced item is $3.99 and the prices go up from there.
Purchase: A purchase refers to any one item. If I buy 25 items, I've made 25 purchases.
Q: Coupon
Raincheck: When an item is on sale, but no longer in stock while the sale is still going on, you can often go to customer service and request a rain check that will allow you to buy that product when it comes back in stock at the sale price. Terms of a rain check vary by store.
RR--Register Rewards: Walgreen's rewards program
SCR--Single Check Rebate: A rebate program at Rite Aid that allows you to request a single check for any rebate items you purchased during the past month.
Stacking: Using 2 promotions together, usually using a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on one item to increase your savings.
Transaction: A transaction refers to your entire purchase. If you buy 25 items and pay the cashier, that is one transaction.
+Up--Rite Aid rewards program: +Ups print according to Rite Aid's weekly or monthly advertised sales. When you make a qualifying purchase, you receive the coordination +Up reward which prints on your receipt.
Wags: Walgreens
UPC--Universal Product Code: The bar code printed on products that's scanned at the register
WYB--When You Buy: Some sales or promotions require the purchase of multiple items. For example, a store may advertise "Get a free bag of marshmellows when you buy a box of graham crackers and a pack of Hershey bars"
YMMV--Your Mileage May Vary: This means that a coupon deal that worked for one person may not work for another person or at another store or with a different cashier.
There you go! That doesn't cover eeeevery term in the couponing lexicon, but it's plenty of info to decode a coupon match up on any coupon blog.
Aug 4, 2011
Organizing Your Coupons
Now that you've collected a boat-load of coupons there are probably stacks of coupon inserts and piles of IPs laying all over, right? (No? Well, go check out these posts about newspaper coupons, internet coupons, more internet coupons, and other great coupon sources. Then come back here and we'll get 'em all organized.)
Nothing thwarts couponing efforts more than not being able to figure out where the coupon you need is. You need a way to keep things organized! Organizing is my bread and butter. Not that my house is perfectly organized (just ask my husband) but having a good system in place to handle all that extra paper coming into your home will be important for couponing success.
There are 2 main ways people typically organize coupons. I'll show you both and discuss the pros and cons.
Then, grab your scissors and clip all the coupons that came in the Sunday paper and tuck them into the sleeves of the baseball card holders under the appropriate category. And then keep doing that every Sunday when you get new coupons and be sure to pull out any coupons that have expired and throw them away.
When you're reading a coupon blog and the blogger references a coupon, you'll grab your binder and look it up by the category, product or brand (however you decided to organize things).
Did you knock over your chair trying to get to a pair of scissors to get started on this? Then the binder/clip and file method is definitely for you.
Are you filled with the dread at the very thought this? Then you should try. . .
I'm an insert file method girl myself. It's quick and easy. There've been a handful of times I saw a big cartful of clearance items at CVS and wished I had my coupons on hand, but most of the stores I shop are within 5 minutes of my house. So it's not a big deal for me to jot down a list of clearance items and prices and run home to see if I have any good coupons and run back out.
What do I do with the random loose coupons I collect? (Coupons I clipped intending to use but didn't, good internet printables I haven't used yet, etc.) I kept a mini binder for a while, but I had so few coupons in there that now I just have 2 envelopes (one for food and one for non-food) that I keep them in. And this has worked well for me for over a year.
So which method tickles your fancy?
Nothing thwarts couponing efforts more than not being able to figure out where the coupon you need is. You need a way to keep things organized! Organizing is my bread and butter. Not that my house is perfectly organized (just ask my husband) but having a good system in place to handle all that extra paper coming into your home will be important for couponing success.
There are 2 main ways people typically organize coupons. I'll show you both and discuss the pros and cons.
Coupon Organization Method 1:
The Binder* Method (AKA the Clip and File Method)
*Some people also file coupons in a recipe box or shoe box with dividers, rather than a binder.
Go buy a big binder (I like these) and some baseball card sleeves (like these) and some tabbed dividers (my personal favorite in the world of tabbed dividers are these). Come up with some categories (broad or specific... your choice). Maybe things like:- refrigerated
- frozen
- produce
- drinks
- canned goods
- condiments
- baking
- sweet snacks
- salty snacks
- baby
- personal care
- oral care
- medicine/1st aid
- household goods
Then, grab your scissors and clip all the coupons that came in the Sunday paper and tuck them into the sleeves of the baseball card holders under the appropriate category. And then keep doing that every Sunday when you get new coupons and be sure to pull out any coupons that have expired and throw them away.
When you're reading a coupon blog and the blogger references a coupon, you'll grab your binder and look it up by the category, product or brand (however you decided to organize things).
Did you knock over your chair trying to get to a pair of scissors to get started on this? Then the binder/clip and file method is definitely for you.
Clip and File/Binder Method Pros:
- Handy if you like to keep your coupons with you at all times (especially for unadvertised sales)
- Easy to look up a coupon if you're out and about and remember you need to pick something up
Clip and File/Binder Method Cons:
- It's a load of work
Are you filled with the dread at the very thought this? Then you should try. . .
Coupon Organization Method 2:
The Insert Filing Method
Buy a hanging file box like this (or you could use a milk crate
or banker box
) and some hanging file folders. When you get your Sunday paper, take out the coupon inserts and put them in one of the files and label the file with the date, filing the newest coupons toward the front.
or banker box) and some hanging file folders. When you get your Sunday paper, take out the coupon inserts and put them in one of the files and label the file with the date, filing the newest coupons toward the front.When a coupon blogger references a coupon from a coupon insert, she'll give you the name of the insert (Smart Source, for instance) and the date it came out (10/10, for instance). You pull out the 10/10 file and find the Smart Source insert and flip through until you find the coupon you're looking for.
Did your heart skip a beat looking at those files? Then this method is probably for you.
Insert Filing Method Pros:
- You only clip coupons you plan on using
- You don't have to weed out expired coupons, just throw away the inserts after 4 or 5 months
- Very little work
- Very little work
Insert Filing Method Cons:
- Not very portable
- No storage for in store coupons, IPs, etc.
I'm an insert file method girl myself. It's quick and easy. There've been a handful of times I saw a big cartful of clearance items at CVS and wished I had my coupons on hand, but most of the stores I shop are within 5 minutes of my house. So it's not a big deal for me to jot down a list of clearance items and prices and run home to see if I have any good coupons and run back out.
What do I do with the random loose coupons I collect? (Coupons I clipped intending to use but didn't, good internet printables I haven't used yet, etc.) I kept a mini binder for a while, but I had so few coupons in there that now I just have 2 envelopes (one for food and one for non-food) that I keep them in. And this has worked well for me for over a year.
So which method tickles your fancy?
Aug 1, 2011
Where to Find Coupons: In Stores, Coupon Clipping Services, Reward Programs, E-Coupons, Ask and You Shall Receive
What? More places to get coupons?
Yep.
1. In Stores
Once you start using coupons, you'll start noticing coupons all over the place. (It's like when you buy a new car and all the sudden you start noticing all the other people that have that same kind of car.) Coupons will catch your eye wherever you go and you'll see them all the time in the stores where you shop.
Tearpads: They might be on a tear-off pad on a product display.
Peelies: They might be attached to a product and you have to peel the coupon off to use it.
If someone is giving out samples of a product, they probably have a stack of coupons to hand out. You may find a booklet in the pharmacy, bakery, deli, at the register or on a product display somewhere. . . pick that baby up, because there may be coupons hiding in there.
These are all fun, free sources for coupons in stores. (Although you shouldn't use a peelie coupon from a product unless you are actually buying that product. Stealing them is considered rude in the couponing world.)
2. Coupon Clipping Services
Did you find a great coupon in your newspaper from weeks ago? Do you wish you had 10 more of that coupon and regret not buying more papers that week? Don't despair. . . you might be able to buy that coupon from a coupon clipping service!
Wha?
Yeah, I know. It seems strange to PAY for a coupon (even if that's kind of what we do when we buy the paper) but if you can buy a coupon for $.08 - $.15 that will end up making an item you need free or really cheap, wouldn't that be worth it? It is for me. There are a number of places you can buy coupons online, but after trying out a few different places, here's the only site I use:
I think Coupon Dede's prices are good and the shipping is really fast. In addition to clipped coupons, you can buy whole inserts. As far as I know, this is the only website where you can purchase a coupon insert. They also started a rewards program. Woot!
I've purchased coupons from Ebay from time to time, but have found the shipping to be slow. And shopping on Ebay can be risky. I've never had a problem, but some sellers are less than scrupulous so be sure to check the seller ratings before you buy from someone.
3. Rewards Programs
You know how sometimes the products you buy have codes on them that you can enter online to earn points? I didn't think too much about those until I started couponing. Most of the stuff you can redeem your points for is overpriced junk. However, you can usually redeem your points for free-product coupons.
I buy Stonyfield yogurt every week and earn a free quart every few months. It's nice to get something free for something I was planning on buying anyway. So check the packaging on the stuff you buy.
4. E-Coupons
E-coupons are coupons you load electronically onto your store loyalty card. It seems like a lot of e-coupon sites are popping up, but these are the ones I've used and have worked:
You can go to these sites and register your store loyalty card. Once you've registered you can load e-coupons onto your card that will automatically be taken off when you purchase an item and use your card. For instance, lets say there's a Shortcuts coupon for $1 off Cheerios. I load it to my card and go to my local grocery store and buy Cheerios. As long as I scan my card, $1 will be taken off. Easy peasey, yes?
There are a few rules to note, though.
Just like Shortcuts and Cellfire, Savingstar and Upromise offer e-coupons that you load onto your store loyalty card. Rather than taking the coupon amount off at the register, your savings is banked in an online account that you can "cash out" when you get to a certain amount. With Upromise, you can also put that money into a college fund for your kids. Nifty, eh?
And last, but not least. . .
5. Ask and You Shall Receive
You probably know a lot of people who get the Sunday paper and pitch those precious coupons without even looking at them. While it can be tiresome for your friends and family to be hounded about coupons all the time, finding a few people who will cheerfully save their coupons for you can mean a lot of savings for you. Parents? Siblings? Coworkers? Neighbors? There's a lady at my gym who leaves a big envelope full of coupon inserts at the front desk for me every month or so. . . just because we chatted about couponing one day!
You can also email companies to request free samples (which always contain coupons) and coupons. Kristin at Couponing to Disney has a gigantic list of companies you can email here. Most companies allow you to request coupons every 3 - 6 months. Many of the coupons they send out are much higher in value than what you find in the newspaper inserts or online. Sometimes they even send coupons for FREE products!
Whew! You made it. Now go out there and hunt down some coupons!
Yep.
1. In Stores
Once you start using coupons, you'll start noticing coupons all over the place. (It's like when you buy a new car and all the sudden you start noticing all the other people that have that same kind of car.) Coupons will catch your eye wherever you go and you'll see them all the time in the stores where you shop.
Blinkies: Coupons might be attached to a shelf in a little black box with a flashing red light on it.
Tearpads: They might be on a tear-off pad on a product display.
Peelies: They might be attached to a product and you have to peel the coupon off to use it.
If someone is giving out samples of a product, they probably have a stack of coupons to hand out. You may find a booklet in the pharmacy, bakery, deli, at the register or on a product display somewhere. . . pick that baby up, because there may be coupons hiding in there.
These are all fun, free sources for coupons in stores. (Although you shouldn't use a peelie coupon from a product unless you are actually buying that product. Stealing them is considered rude in the couponing world.)
2. Coupon Clipping Services
Did you find a great coupon in your newspaper from weeks ago? Do you wish you had 10 more of that coupon and regret not buying more papers that week? Don't despair. . . you might be able to buy that coupon from a coupon clipping service!
Wha?
Yeah, I know. It seems strange to PAY for a coupon (even if that's kind of what we do when we buy the paper) but if you can buy a coupon for $.08 - $.15 that will end up making an item you need free or really cheap, wouldn't that be worth it? It is for me. There are a number of places you can buy coupons online, but after trying out a few different places, here's the only site I use:
I think Coupon Dede's prices are good and the shipping is really fast. In addition to clipped coupons, you can buy whole inserts. As far as I know, this is the only website where you can purchase a coupon insert. They also started a rewards program. Woot!
I've purchased coupons from Ebay from time to time, but have found the shipping to be slow. And shopping on Ebay can be risky. I've never had a problem, but some sellers are less than scrupulous so be sure to check the seller ratings before you buy from someone.
3. Rewards Programs
You know how sometimes the products you buy have codes on them that you can enter online to earn points? I didn't think too much about those until I started couponing. Most of the stuff you can redeem your points for is overpriced junk. However, you can usually redeem your points for free-product coupons.
I buy Stonyfield yogurt every week and earn a free quart every few months. It's nice to get something free for something I was planning on buying anyway. So check the packaging on the stuff you buy.
4. E-Coupons
E-coupons are coupons you load electronically onto your store loyalty card. It seems like a lot of e-coupon sites are popping up, but these are the ones I've used and have worked:
You can go to these sites and register your store loyalty card. Once you've registered you can load e-coupons onto your card that will automatically be taken off when you purchase an item and use your card. For instance, lets say there's a Shortcuts coupon for $1 off Cheerios. I load it to my card and go to my local grocery store and buy Cheerios. As long as I scan my card, $1 will be taken off. Easy peasey, yes?
There are a few rules to note, though.
- No double dipping. . . if Shortcuts and Cellfire are both offering a $1 off Cheerios coupon and you load the coupon from BOTH sites onto your CVS card, you won't be able to double up and use both those coupons on one item. Only coupon will work at a time. The other one you'll have to use later.
- E-coupons expire, just like paper coupons.
- Not all stores accept e-coupons. For a list of stores that accept Shortcuts coupons click here. For a list of stores that accept Cellfire coupons click here and scroll down to this question "I have a savings card/account but don't know my number" (This is kind of the backwards way to find the list, but it wasn't posted anywhere else on their site!)
- Cellfire requires you to sign up with a phone number. You don't have to have a cell phone to do this. You can register with your landline number.
Just like Shortcuts and Cellfire, Savingstar and Upromise offer e-coupons that you load onto your store loyalty card. Rather than taking the coupon amount off at the register, your savings is banked in an online account that you can "cash out" when you get to a certain amount. With Upromise, you can also put that money into a college fund for your kids. Nifty, eh?
And last, but not least. . .
5. Ask and You Shall Receive
You probably know a lot of people who get the Sunday paper and pitch those precious coupons without even looking at them. While it can be tiresome for your friends and family to be hounded about coupons all the time, finding a few people who will cheerfully save their coupons for you can mean a lot of savings for you. Parents? Siblings? Coworkers? Neighbors? There's a lady at my gym who leaves a big envelope full of coupon inserts at the front desk for me every month or so. . . just because we chatted about couponing one day!
You can also email companies to request free samples (which always contain coupons) and coupons. Kristin at Couponing to Disney has a gigantic list of companies you can email here. Most companies allow you to request coupons every 3 - 6 months. Many of the coupons they send out are much higher in value than what you find in the newspaper inserts or online. Sometimes they even send coupons for FREE products!
Whew! You made it. Now go out there and hunt down some coupons!
Don't miss my other posts on where to find coupons here, here, and here. Struggling to keep all those newfound coupons organized? Read about coupon organization in this post.
Where to Find Coupons: The Internet, Part 2
More internet coupons? For reals?
For reals, my friend. I wouldn't try to track down every single source for internet printables (IPs), but if you find a couple of good coupon blogs to read, they'll track them down for you. Neato, huh?
But to give you an idea of good places to look, here's a handy list:
1. Manufacturer Websites
Is there a product you like? Go see if the product (or the company that makes that product) has a website. You can often find printable coupons under "coupons" or "special offers" or "savings". Or there may be a little box somewhere on the homepage that says something like "Save $1 on your next purchase!"
Sometimes you can just click the link and print the coupon. Sometimes you'll need to register at the site to print your coupon. (It seems like more companies are starting to do this.) The 2 prints per computer per month rule applies to most of these sites as well.
2. Facebook
If you "like" a product or manufacturer on Facebook you can often print coupons from Facebook. Sometimes you can even get free product coupons! Just today I got a coupon for a free Aussie hair product in the mail for "liking" Aussie on Facebook. Awesome.
Are you one of the 14 people in America who don't want to be on Facebook? Me, too. I set up a Facebook account with a fake name and an email account I use only for couponing. (People can look you up and "friend" you on Facebook using your email address so it's good to use an alternate email to avoid being "friended" by everyone who has your email address.) Voila! Coupons and freebies for me without actually being on Facebook.
3. Google it!
Are you out of toilet paper? Google "toilet paper coupon" and see what pops up. You can also look up coupons in the coupon database at Hot Coupon World. You can search for items by category (toilet paper) or brand name (Charmin) and get results for newspaper coupons as well as IPs.
4. Store Websites
Did you know that Target has coupons you can print on their website? So does Rite Aid. The coupons you print from these websites are considered "store coupons" and can be used together with manufacturer coupons (from the newspaper or the internet) for even more savings! (In the couponing world we call this "stacking".)
It's nice to hop online and peruse the coupon selection at your leisure, but as I may have mentioned before, if you're reading a few good coupon blogs they'll alert you when a good store coupon is out AND how to match that coupon with a sale.
For reals, my friend. I wouldn't try to track down every single source for internet printables (IPs), but if you find a couple of good coupon blogs to read, they'll track them down for you. Neato, huh?
But to give you an idea of good places to look, here's a handy list:
1. Manufacturer Websites
Is there a product you like? Go see if the product (or the company that makes that product) has a website. You can often find printable coupons under "coupons" or "special offers" or "savings". Or there may be a little box somewhere on the homepage that says something like "Save $1 on your next purchase!"
Sometimes you can just click the link and print the coupon. Sometimes you'll need to register at the site to print your coupon. (It seems like more companies are starting to do this.) The 2 prints per computer per month rule applies to most of these sites as well.
2. Facebook
If you "like" a product or manufacturer on Facebook you can often print coupons from Facebook. Sometimes you can even get free product coupons! Just today I got a coupon for a free Aussie hair product in the mail for "liking" Aussie on Facebook. Awesome.
Are you one of the 14 people in America who don't want to be on Facebook? Me, too. I set up a Facebook account with a fake name and an email account I use only for couponing. (People can look you up and "friend" you on Facebook using your email address so it's good to use an alternate email to avoid being "friended" by everyone who has your email address.) Voila! Coupons and freebies for me without actually being on Facebook.
3. Google it!
Are you out of toilet paper? Google "toilet paper coupon" and see what pops up. You can also look up coupons in the coupon database at Hot Coupon World. You can search for items by category (toilet paper) or brand name (Charmin) and get results for newspaper coupons as well as IPs.
4. Store Websites
Did you know that Target has coupons you can print on their website? So does Rite Aid. The coupons you print from these websites are considered "store coupons" and can be used together with manufacturer coupons (from the newspaper or the internet) for even more savings! (In the couponing world we call this "stacking".)
It's nice to hop online and peruse the coupon selection at your leisure, but as I may have mentioned before, if you're reading a few good coupon blogs they'll alert you when a good store coupon is out AND how to match that coupon with a sale.
Where to Find Coupons: The Internet, Part 1
Another great source for coupons is the internet. It's such a great source that I decided to split this topic into 2 seperate posts since there are so many places to get coupons online.
Internet printables (or "IPs" as they're sometimes referred to in coupon lingo) are coupons you print from one of many online sources. Typically, you're allowed to print 2 per computer per month and the coupons "reset" at the beginning of each month. So, if you print a coupon for coffee creamer (like I did in this post) you can print 2 on June 1st and then 2 more on July 1st when the website resets the coupons.
There are exceptions, of course. Stonyfield (maker of organic dairy products) only allows one print per computer per month. Or sometimes a site will reset a coupon mid month and you'll be able to print 4 in one month. Sometimes the print limit will be 4 or 6. Most of the time, though, it's just 2 prints per coupon per month. So let's move on to where to find these coupons:
These three sites have LOTS of coupons you can print every month. Unless a coupon unexpectedly resets, the limit is 2 prints per month. Coupon bloggers will usually post if a good coupon (a high value diaper coupon, for instance) has reset.
As I said, you can print 2 of each coupon per computer, per month. To print coupons from the sources I listed above, you'll need to download some printing software. It's totally safe and only takes a few minutes. After downloading the software, you can go to the site, check off the coupons you want and hit "print". All of the sudden your printer is printing money. :) To print the coupons a second time:
1. Hit the "back" button. A white page will pop up that says the webpage has expired.
2. Hit the refresh button on your browser
3. Then a box will pop up asking for permission to resend information. Hit the "retry" button and your second coupon will print. Woo hoo!
If you're cool enough to have more than one computer at home or if you have a work computer where you can print coupons you'll be able to get 2 additional prints from each computer. (It doesn't matter if the computers are hooked up to the same printer. The printing software is tracking your IP address on your computer, not the printer that prints the coupons.) Having multiple coupons for the same item will help you to stockpile that item when it goes on sale.
Internet coupons work the same way as coupons you get in your Sunday paper. They do look a little different, though.
Just like a newspaper coupon, an internet coupon will have an expiration date and scanable barcode. To save ink you can print your coupons in black and white. (That's what I do.) Most retailers now accept internet coupons (Walmart, Target, CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens all accept them.) There are a handful that don't, however. If the retailer has a coupon policy on their website you can check whether they accepts IPs there, but you can also just ask the manager at your store.
Internet printables (or "IPs" as they're sometimes referred to in coupon lingo) are coupons you print from one of many online sources. Typically, you're allowed to print 2 per computer per month and the coupons "reset" at the beginning of each month. So, if you print a coupon for coffee creamer (like I did in this post) you can print 2 on June 1st and then 2 more on July 1st when the website resets the coupons.
There are exceptions, of course. Stonyfield (maker of organic dairy products) only allows one print per computer per month. Or sometimes a site will reset a coupon mid month and you'll be able to print 4 in one month. Sometimes the print limit will be 4 or 6. Most of the time, though, it's just 2 prints per coupon per month. So let's move on to where to find these coupons:
The Big Three
As I said, you can print 2 of each coupon per computer, per month. To print coupons from the sources I listed above, you'll need to download some printing software. It's totally safe and only takes a few minutes. After downloading the software, you can go to the site, check off the coupons you want and hit "print". All of the sudden your printer is printing money. :) To print the coupons a second time:
1. Hit the "back" button. A white page will pop up that says the webpage has expired.
2. Hit the refresh button on your browser
3. Then a box will pop up asking for permission to resend information. Hit the "retry" button and your second coupon will print. Woo hoo!
If you're cool enough to have more than one computer at home or if you have a work computer where you can print coupons you'll be able to get 2 additional prints from each computer. (It doesn't matter if the computers are hooked up to the same printer. The printing software is tracking your IP address on your computer, not the printer that prints the coupons.) Having multiple coupons for the same item will help you to stockpile that item when it goes on sale.
Internet coupons work the same way as coupons you get in your Sunday paper. They do look a little different, though.
Just like a newspaper coupon, an internet coupon will have an expiration date and scanable barcode. To save ink you can print your coupons in black and white. (That's what I do.) Most retailers now accept internet coupons (Walmart, Target, CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens all accept them.) There are a handful that don't, however. If the retailer has a coupon policy on their website you can check whether they accepts IPs there, but you can also just ask the manager at your store.
Jun 3, 2011
Where to Find Coupons: Your Sunday Newspaper
A critical aspect of couponing is actually getting your hands on some coupons. The Sunday paper is the best source for getting lots of coupons. There are three main coupon inserts you'll find in the Sunday paper.
Redplum (RP) (comes most Sundays*)
*In some areas, you may receive the Redplum coupons
in the mail along with the grocery store circulars.
Smart Source (SS) (Comes most Sundays)
P&G Brandsaver (PG) (usually comes the first Sunday of the month)
General Mills (GM) sometimes puts out an insert, as well.
When you're reading a coupon blog, the blogger will reference a coupon insert to let you know where to find a coupon. (You can learn about how to read a coupon blog here.) So if they tell you to use a coupon from the 6/5 PG, you'll know to look for that coupon in the June 5th P&G Brandsaver coupon insert.
Here are some tips for stretching your dollar when buying a paper:
Most people are aware that coupons come in the Sunday paper. What some people don't know is that the coupons that come in the paper vary by region and by the size of the paper. If you get your local, small town paper you may get fewer and lower value coupons. If you get the "big city" paper you'll probably get more and higher value coupons. In other words, if you live in Ft Wayne, Indiana you should get the Indianapolis paper, not the Ft Wayne paper. (If you want better coupons, at least. Go ahead and get your local paper if you're reading it for local news.)
2. Get the Sunday-only subscription
I'd love to make myself sound smart and say I read my paper from cover to cover, but I don't. I pull out the coupons, a few sales ads and the sports page for my husband and put the rest of the paper in the recycling. So I have a Sunday-only subscription to save money.
My paper also sends out "holiday papers" on various national holidays. A short email to customer service got rid of this feature on my subscription and saves me $6 - $16 every year.
3. Haggle to keep your "low introductory rate"
I gave the paper my payment info and they charge my debit card every month. This is easy and I never forget to pay for my paper. I have some haggle-savvy friends who call every time their "special introductory rate" is about to go up and convince the sales person to extend their discounted rate. It takes some more effort to do that, but it's another great way to save money.
4. Buy extra papers at a discount on Monday
Some stores sell the leftover Sunday papers at a discount on Sunday night or Monday morning. (My local CVS does this.) This is a great way to get extra coupons for cheap.
Can you just go buy the day-old paper at the store instead of subscribing? Sure, but be careful. Sometimes there aren't any leftover papers. And sometimes leftover papers don't contain coupons. Manufacturers only put out so many coupon inserts, so when the newspaper is deciding which papers get coupon inserts, subscribers get first priority and it trickles down from there. The newspaper at your local grocery store, gas station or coffee shop may not have coupons in it, so check before you buy.
5. Have non-couponing friends/family give you their coupon inserts
Lots of people get the Sunday paper and just throw the coupons away. Sad for them. . . but awesome for you! You can probably find at least one person who will save their coupons for you.
6. There usually aren't coupons in the paper on holiday weekends, so put your paper on a "vacation hold" those Sundays.
You can check this site to see the coupon schedule for 2011. Most coupon bloggers will also alert you to "no-coupon" Sundays. There are 8 or so times this happens in a year, so if your Sunday paper is $2, you'll save $16 by putting a hold on your paper when there are no coupons.
Sometimes people ask me whether I really save money when I factor in the cost of getting the paper. The answer is a resounding yes! When I look through the coupon inserts, I can always identify at least $2 worth of coupons that I know for sure I'll use. Often it's much more than that, so it's definitely worth it to get the paper.
People also want to know if/when they should purchase extra papers. If you can find the Sunday paper at a discount on Sunday night or Monday, I would get an extra paper every week. On the weeks there are 3 or more coupon inserts, I'd for sure get an extra paper. Want to know what coupons are going to be in the paper this Sunday? Check the Sunday Coupon Preview website to find out several days ahead of time what coupons will be in the inserts. (Keep in mind that some coupons will vary by region.) Many of the coupon bloggers also publish this info on their blogs.
How many extra papers should you get? That's entirely up to you. Do you want to have shelves full of stockpiled items in your garage or basement? Do you have a large family or teenagers to feed? I'd get 4 - 6 extra papers. Do you want a small stockpile that fits in your pantry? 1 - 3 extra papers will probably do it.
You can also base how many extra papers you buy on what coupons are in there. Is there a high value coupon for a product your family loves? A coupon that will probably make that item free? You should buy a whole bunch of papers! Not only will you be able to stockpile a favorite item, there'll probably be a lot of other coupons in those inserts that you'll end up using as well.
That was a lot of information on newspaper coupon inserts. Want more great sources for coupons? Check out this post. . . and this one. Oh, and this one, too.
Jun 2, 2011
Extreme Couponing... Some Perspective
I had a great conversation with a friend recently about TLC's Extreme Couponing. I was initially pretty excited about it... a whole show about one of my favorite methods of saving money? Awesome! Then I watched the show. Not so awesome.
You see, reality TV did to couponing (and the couponers who are on the show) what it does best: make it (and them) look cuh-razy.
Sigh.
I'm not sure what I was expecting. It's a reality show with "Extreme" in the title. Nonetheless, I guess I was hoping for something a little more educational and a lot less voyeuristic. What we all got was people spending hours and hours collecting coupons and hunting down deals and paying a few bucks for a thousand dollars worth of groceries. It's really, really, REALLY impressive, but as a person who teaches classes on couponing, it seemed out of reach even to me.
So I'm going to clear up a few of the impressions that I think the show may have given.
1. If you really want to be a couponer, you have to dedicate 10+ hours a week to doing it.
Obviously, the more time and energy you spend collecting coupons and tracking down deals and shopping, the more stuff you're going to get. But you really need to consider the value of your time. Personally, I don't want to spend 2 hours at the checkout line. Sure, I've had plenty of transactions take longer than average because I was using coupons, but it doesn't take THAT long to scan a stack of coupons. (Unless you're using 700 coupons. Then it takes a looooong time.)
Many of the couponers featured on the show also spent hours in front of the computer plotting out their deals. As I mentioned in this post, I find the majority of my coupon deals on coupon blogs, so I do spend time online figuring out where I'm going to shop and what I'm going to buy. I make detailed lists and get my coupons all organized. This takes up about an hour of my week. . . not 10 hours.
2. I need to stockpile hundreds of bottles of detergent, mustard and sports drinks.
Do you know how many bottles of mustard I have in my house?
Two. . . one regular and one spicy brown.
That said, we're about out of both of those and there's a good sale at my grocery store, so I'll probably pick up 3 or 4 on my next trip. Not 60 like one couponer featured on the show. For serious, people, who buys 60 bottles of mustard??? (Although TLC didn't mention it, I imagine she donated a lot of those.)
The stockpiles we're seeing on the show are really huge, though. Stockpiling is an important aspect of couponing, but you really only need to stockpile enough to last you until the next sale. Some items go on sale every 6 - 8 weeks, some every 6 months and some just once a year. The bottom line is that you don't need to stockpile 5 years worth of detergent because it'll go on sale again in another month or two. So relax.
3. When you use coupons, you are going to have a lot of stress and problems in the checkout line.
I've had cashiers who were grumpy about coupons and customers in line behind me who were irritated that it took an extra 3 minutes to scan my coupons, but I've never had a register lock up on me because I bought so many items. I've never had a nervous break down at the store.
When you first start couponing there is a level of anxiety at the checkout since you're still learning how couponing works and not completely confident that you got all the math right. If you've had a bad experience at a particular store or with a specific cashier, that can cause some stress as well. That said, if you buy 50 items at the grocery store and have a coupon for 42 of them you shouldn't really have too many problems. Since the show features people buying $1000 - $1500 worth of products and using hundreds of coupons, the odds of things not going well go up significantly.
4. I have to dumpster dive or steal papers from my neighbors to get lots of coupons.
If you have the space and time to build a large stockpile (or want to be able to donate a lot to your local food bank or other charity) then having loads of coupons will go a long way. There are a lot of ways to get your hands on extra coupons and you don't have to jump in a trash can or steal to get them.
(Side note: When people "dumpster dive" for coupons they aren't going into an actual dumpster. They're looking through recycling bins. It's just newspaper, phonebooks and other random papers in there, so it's not as gross as it sounds. They're not sifting through banana peels and coffee grounds or anything.)
I won't go into great detail on coupon sources (as there's a bunch of info on that here, here, here, and here), but here are the most common coupon sources for couponers:
None of those sound crazy, right?
I don't want to rant and rave about Extreme Couponing (because it IS drawing some attention to the wonderful world of couponing and I CAN. NOT. stop watching it), but from what I've observed, the show is more of a hindrance than a help to new couponers. In spite of how couponers are depicted on the show, couponing can be a small and manageable part of your life. It can be something that allows you to make sure you and your family have the things you need AND save lots of money. Nothing all that extreme about it.
You see, reality TV did to couponing (and the couponers who are on the show) what it does best: make it (and them) look cuh-razy.
Sigh.
I'm not sure what I was expecting. It's a reality show with "Extreme" in the title. Nonetheless, I guess I was hoping for something a little more educational and a lot less voyeuristic. What we all got was people spending hours and hours collecting coupons and hunting down deals and paying a few bucks for a thousand dollars worth of groceries. It's really, really, REALLY impressive, but as a person who teaches classes on couponing, it seemed out of reach even to me.
So I'm going to clear up a few of the impressions that I think the show may have given.
Obviously, the more time and energy you spend collecting coupons and tracking down deals and shopping, the more stuff you're going to get. But you really need to consider the value of your time. Personally, I don't want to spend 2 hours at the checkout line. Sure, I've had plenty of transactions take longer than average because I was using coupons, but it doesn't take THAT long to scan a stack of coupons. (Unless you're using 700 coupons. Then it takes a looooong time.)
Many of the couponers featured on the show also spent hours in front of the computer plotting out their deals. As I mentioned in this post, I find the majority of my coupon deals on coupon blogs, so I do spend time online figuring out where I'm going to shop and what I'm going to buy. I make detailed lists and get my coupons all organized. This takes up about an hour of my week. . . not 10 hours.
2. I need to stockpile hundreds of bottles of detergent, mustard and sports drinks.
Do you know how many bottles of mustard I have in my house?
Two. . . one regular and one spicy brown.
That said, we're about out of both of those and there's a good sale at my grocery store, so I'll probably pick up 3 or 4 on my next trip. Not 60 like one couponer featured on the show. For serious, people, who buys 60 bottles of mustard??? (Although TLC didn't mention it, I imagine she donated a lot of those.)
The stockpiles we're seeing on the show are really huge, though. Stockpiling is an important aspect of couponing, but you really only need to stockpile enough to last you until the next sale. Some items go on sale every 6 - 8 weeks, some every 6 months and some just once a year. The bottom line is that you don't need to stockpile 5 years worth of detergent because it'll go on sale again in another month or two. So relax.
3. When you use coupons, you are going to have a lot of stress and problems in the checkout line.
I've had cashiers who were grumpy about coupons and customers in line behind me who were irritated that it took an extra 3 minutes to scan my coupons, but I've never had a register lock up on me because I bought so many items. I've never had a nervous break down at the store.
When you first start couponing there is a level of anxiety at the checkout since you're still learning how couponing works and not completely confident that you got all the math right. If you've had a bad experience at a particular store or with a specific cashier, that can cause some stress as well. That said, if you buy 50 items at the grocery store and have a coupon for 42 of them you shouldn't really have too many problems. Since the show features people buying $1000 - $1500 worth of products and using hundreds of coupons, the odds of things not going well go up significantly.
4. I have to dumpster dive or steal papers from my neighbors to get lots of coupons.
If you have the space and time to build a large stockpile (or want to be able to donate a lot to your local food bank or other charity) then having loads of coupons will go a long way. There are a lot of ways to get your hands on extra coupons and you don't have to jump in a trash can or steal to get them.
(Side note: When people "dumpster dive" for coupons they aren't going into an actual dumpster. They're looking through recycling bins. It's just newspaper, phonebooks and other random papers in there, so it's not as gross as it sounds. They're not sifting through banana peels and coffee grounds or anything.)
I won't go into great detail on coupon sources (as there's a bunch of info on that here, here, here, and here), but here are the most common coupon sources for couponers:
- A subscription to the Sunday paper
- Buying extra Sunday papers at a discount on Monday
- Printable internet coupons
- Family/Friends who don't use coupons
- Online coupon clipping services
- Emailing manufacturers to request coupons
None of those sound crazy, right?
I don't want to rant and rave about Extreme Couponing (because it IS drawing some attention to the wonderful world of couponing and I CAN. NOT. stop watching it), but from what I've observed, the show is more of a hindrance than a help to new couponers. In spite of how couponers are depicted on the show, couponing can be a small and manageable part of your life. It can be something that allows you to make sure you and your family have the things you need AND save lots of money. Nothing all that extreme about it.
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