Baby Items

I recommend taking envelopes, writing the above descriptions on them and then using clear packaging tape to reinforce them (this will allow them to last much longer).  I cut the top of the envelope off even with the container I am keeping them in.  As your coupon collection grows you may want to add additional envelopes.  For example, in the baking category you may want to break that down even farther and have an envelope for Duncan Hines, Pillsbury and Betty Crocker, along with a 4^th envelope that would just have all your other baking coupons.  For Pets you may want to break it down between Cat Food, Dog Food and Litter.  I divide all of the categories by cardboard tabs that I made myself and stapled hanging file tabs to.

If you would rather not cut out your coupons until you need them you can file them by insert date and type.  There are about 4 different insert names, Smart Source, Red Plum, Proctor & Gamble as well as General Mills.  You won’t get them all each week, but you do need to keep track of them.  To do this you simply take each weeks insert and write the date that it was published on the front (this is in very fine print along the spine of the coupon insert cover).  So, for this coming weekend (March 13^th) you would have a Smart Source and a Red Plum insert – so on the front of the Smart Source you would write SS 3/13/11 and on the front of the Red Plum insert you would right RP 3/13/11.  You can then file the coupons in a file of some sort.  When it comes time to find a certain coupon such as Kleenex tissue, you can locate what insert it is in by going to most any coupon database and searching for said coupon.  Keep in mind that different regions/areas get different coupons, both product and amounts.  For instance I may get a $0.75 coupon off of Crest here in Dayton, but out in San Diego they may get a $1 off Crest coupon or no Crest coupon at all.  Some coupons are identical for the entire country, some are completely different.  On the ClipShopShare database we try and keep all of the coupons that were in the subscription based Sunday Dayton Daily News.  You can find it here.  It is updated on a weekly basis.

This method works well if you get multiple copies of the same insert.  A drawback to this method is that you won’t have all of your coupons with you when you go shopping.  If you find a great deal, you will have to go home and grab all of your coupons and come back to the store.  You will also need to determine what you will do with the coupons you print out from the internet or find on products and such.  This is why I clip one entire set of coupons from each Sunday paper and file in a file that goes with me to the store.  All of the extra inserts that I get from friends and family I file by insert name and date in a file I keep at home.  Before I go shopping I cut the extra coupons I need and take to the store with me.  If I find a great deal and need multiple coupons, I know just where to find them by going to the coupon database.

Now then, did you put your name and address/phone number on your organized coupons – DO IT NOW!!!!!

I hope this has helped you to come up with a way to organize your coupons.  Remember, you can’t be a coupon queen/king over night and you must start slowly.  No one becomes an expert from the get go – you learn as you go, make mistakes and move on.  Those of us that have been doing this for a while, including myself still make mistakes on occassion when it comes to coupons.  It makes me upset, I have been doing this for 8 years, but I remember I have gotten wonderful deals in the past, I move on and forget about it.  If your first method of organizing doesn’t work, try another method.  And as always, feel free to email me with questions.  kim.w@Clipshopshare.com 

Read the coupon! Don’t just look at the picture!  Don’t Assume Anything!! The value of a coupon is determined by its wording, not by the picture that is on it.  Some people think that the picture on the coupon is exactly what you have to buy.  You won’t know this unless you read the coupon.  Look for phrases like “good on any size” or “good on any variety.”  This means that you can buy any size or variety, even if it isn’t pictured!  You don’t have to worry about what is pictured.  Usually on these types of coupons the manufacturer has a picture of the most expensive item, probably because the manufacturer knows that most people will just look at the picture and buy that item.  If the size or type of product is not specified, then the coupon works for any size of that product and any variety of that product – even trial sizes. 

You are probably asking, “Where do I get these coupons?”  Everywhere!!  This is the 1^st step to couponing.  Obtain multiple copies of coupons if you can, as this will help you to take advantage of good deals and stockpiling when you spot deals.

• Sunday Paper – get a subscription, you are guaranteed to get the coupons.  See my post last week about subscriptions. 
• Friends and Family – ask them to save their inserts after they are done with them
• Recycling Centers/Bins – Go around your neighborhood on trash day and pick up some extra inserts
• Clipping Services – You can pay for someone else to do the work of clipping
• Product Packages – Coupons can be found on the inside or outside of packages in the store – yes you can use a coupon on the package as you are buying it
• Paper Carrier – ask your paper carrier if they ever have extra inserts that you could use them
• Organizations – ask people in the organizations you support to bring you their inserts
• Magazines/Calendars – A lot of magazine’s now come with coupons in them.  Check out All You.  You can also purchase it at Walmart.  I got 3-4 calendars this year with coupons in them, Betty Crocker and Schwans are 2 of them 
• Grocery Aisle – Watch for “Blinkies” (coupon machines) in the grocery aisles
• Checkout/Cash Register Receipt – always check your receipt.  A lot of groceries and drug stores now put coupons on your receipt
• Company Contact – Contact companies you buy a lot of products from and ask for coupons – also check their website
• Internet – there are muliple internet coupon sites such as redplum.com and smartsource.com.  ClipShopShare hosts coupons.com as well
• Store Websites – most of the grocery and drug stores have printable coupons on their websites
• Facebook – a lot of products have a facebook page with coupons
• Store Loyalty Cards – if you have store loyalty cards you are more likely to get store coupons mailed to you
• Auction Sites – you can purchase coupon batches or specific coupons

HAPPY COUPONING!!

What is the number one thing you need when couponing???  Well of course the answer is coupons.

The best way to get coupons is to buy the Dayton Daily News or another larger city paper.  Because you are paying for a subscription, you are guaranteed to get all the coupon inserts. 

Now I know what you are thinking – the paper costs too much and I don’t read it.  Well neither do I but I want those coupons.  That is why you have to look for the best deal out there. 

I have found that the best deal is when the Dayton Daily News has a booth set up at the local Krogers.  They will try to get you to buy the most expensive offer, but just get the Thursday/Sunday subscription in which I only payed $8/month for, that is only $1 per newspaper unlike the newstand price of $1.75.  Now that sounds like a great bargain, but wait, there is more.  To top it off they usually are offering a $20 Kroger card as well. 

HAPPY COUPONING!!

Did you know that just because a store has something on sale and you have a coupon, does not mean you should buy a product.  It may still not be the rock bottom price. 

For instance – this week at Meijer they have Hillshire Farm rope style smoked sausage on sale for $2.  Now how do I know that is the rock bottom price?  I actually do know that $2 is the rock bottom price because I keep a price book.  Here is how and why…

Go to your favorite store at a non busy time with a small notebook and jot down the prices of your favorite foods and things you buy most often.  You should do this for 3-4 weeks, putting the weekly prices next to each other.  You will then be able to tell what the lowest price the item has sold for in a month and therefore know when it’s the best price.  For instance – I know from my price book that Hillshire Farm rope sausage has sold for $2.50, $2.00, $2.10, and $2.50.  THEREFORE, this weeks price of smoke sausage is a great price and I should stock up.

HAPPY SHOPPING!