The importance of acquiring coupons

If you want to save money, it is important to collect and use coupons. Now, you can save with buy 1, get 1 and percentage off sales, heck, I do that myself. However, if you want to consistently save over 50% off your grocery and drugstore transactions, you must use coupons. There are two basic forms of coupons available: newspaper and ad inserts and printable online coupons.

I do not subscribe to my local paper. My grandfather generously lets me have his Wednesday and Sunday ads and inserts each week. This is actually a great way to start collecting coupons; asking relatives, friends, and co-workers for their papers. If you can't get enough inserts this way, you can also purchase additional papers. I'm not willing to buy extra papers, but my Walgreens discounts the Sunday paper to .75 when you purchase any other item. Some Dollar Generals will also mark down the Sunday paper to $1. You can also call your newspaper and see about discounts for multiple or Sunday-only subscriptions. If possible, buy the biggest (most populous city) paper available to your area.

Now, my paper, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, is horrible for serious couponing. So, I have to acquire the bulk of my coupons through online transactions. I regularly buy off of eBay and from coupon clipping services. eBay is nice, because it never takes a holiday and prices are generally low. Coupon clipping services are good if you need a specific coupon (usually you have to buy at least 5 and there may be a limit) and they generally offer whole inserts before any auctions will appear on eBay. Try to cultivate a variety of resources just in case something happens to one source. That way you'll never have to worry about missing a great coupon/insert.

Do you have a printer? If not, you will want to get one, because online coupons are awesome! Some coupons can only be obtained online. Target has good store and manufacturer coupons that can only be found on their website. My Publix accepts Target as a competitor, so I am able to use 2 coupons and save more money than I would with just 1 coupon. Even the newspaper insert companies have online coupons available! I highly recommend visiting Coupons.com, SmartSource, and Redplum. Also, look for your favorite manufacturers' websites for coupons. Sign up for mailing lists when you see them; email and mailed coupons are possible. If you have problems printing, consider trying multiple browsers or installing Flash. I use 3 browsers myself. Also, most online coupons can be printed twice per computer, just use your Back button.

Stay on the lookout for coupons; they will help you take your savings to the next level!

The importance of coupon organization

For most people, when they think of couponing, they think of someone spending hours cutting out coupons and stuffing them into a little handheld plastic organizer.  Heck, when I was a kid, that was how my grandma did it. If that works for you, that's great. However, there are other ways to organize your coupons and I'll explain below.

The first way and maybe the most common is the folder/ring binder method.  This involves cutting out coupons and putting them into a folder or organizer arranged into sections by product type.  For example, a section on household items might contain laundry detergent and toilet paper, but this is completely customizable by the user. It's up to you whether you cut out every coupon or just the ones you'll definitely use. A three ring binder with baseball card sheets and tab dividers are great if you decide to use this method.  The baseball card sheets are relatively inexpensive ($5 for 30 at Target by the Pokemon cards) and your coupons are completely visible and accessible. It also makes it easy to transport your coupons and catch unadvertised sales.

The second method is whole inserts organization.  This is the method I currently use. When I get the Sunday paper, I do not cut out ANY coupons. I keep my coupon inserts intact and use internet databases to locate my coupons when I make my shopping list(s).  It can be very time consuming to find a coupon without internet access, but I like this method because I don't want to be tempted to impulse shop. I take only the coupons I'll need when I go shopping.

The third method is a mixture of the first two methods.  Some coupons, like ones you know you'll use, you cut out and store in binders. The other coupons stay with the insert. I'm going to move to this method soon, because I print out a lot of internet coupons and they need to be organized.  I've also been buying inserts and coupons on ebay and I now have more coupons to sort through.

Feel free to use these methods or even make up your own.  The best method is the one that works for you and will keep you saving!

Saved 90% at Bi-lo!

Bi-lo has a great deal ending today on Bounty Basics single rolls B1G1. When I went earlier in the week, I was only able to get one roll because I only had one coupon. Some people would say that is foolish, but I try never to buy without a coupon if I can.  Luckily, I obtained 5 P&G Saver inserts from 11/29 from ebay and they arrived yesterday.  That meant I could buy 5 more rolls of paper towels!

Bi-lo highlights:
I bought 5 items, all Bounty Basics single rolls. I used 5 .25 Bounty manufacturer coupons that doubled.

Sub-total before savings: $6.30   (this was unusual but awesome because most Bi-los had them at .69/each)
Sub-total after card and coupons: .65
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saved $5.65 ----- saved 90%!