Beginners Coupon Tutorial - Part 1

For those of you who have the desire to start couponing and for those who don't know where to start this is for you.  Im going to show you an examples from this weeks ads that came in the mail just today.  There aren't as many so it is a good time to demo it for you.  Im not so extreme that I buy 600 bucks of groceries for 6 bucks.  But I can save at least 50% or more each time.

Terminology - get familiar with a few terms to understand what is meant by these words

Store Coupon - coupons offered by the stores themselves usually have the company logo on them
Manufacturers Coupon -  these are identified without a store logo and say manufacture in the top of them close to the expiration date
Stack(ing) - purchasing a product at a store on a sale price, using a store coupon and a manufacturers coupon
Double(ing) - using two coupons or doubling the give discount of a particular coupon.
Filing System - We have a binder full of baseball card holder sheets.  We slide the coupon in the sheet holder and we have tabs for each sections.  You can tab yours to whatever categories you want.  We kept close to what the stores have for their isles.  For example Dairy, Snacks/Junk Food, Household Items, Breads/Starches, Fruit/Juice, Non-Food Items, etc.

Supplies You will need:
1) Tuesdays "junk" mail ads
2) Ads from any past Sunday paper
3) some sort of filing system with categories similar to grocery store isles
4) Internet connection
5) printer with ink and paper
6) zip lock or container (one for each store you go to).  I have about 6 (fred meyer, QFC, Safeway, Albertsons, Walgreens, Rite Aid)
6) time
7) patience

There may be more than one way this works out but this is the way that I think I like to do it.

Step Outline:
1) go through your ads "Red Plum", "SmartSource" and any others that might have coupons.
2) cut out coupons
3) file them away into your filing system
4) Take out your store ads and review them for "deals"
5) make a list of deals
6) cut store coupons that may be in the ads
7) go to store websites and print out or load on coupons to your club/preferred/savings card etc.
8) go to sites like swagbuck.com, coupons.com, couponnetwork.com, redplum, smartsource and others
9) go to the maker of the products websites and look for coupons (General mills, Nibisco, Kellogs, Betty Crocker, etc).
10) like those companies on facebook and look for coupons.
11) Compare your list (from step 5) with your manufacturers coupons
12) pull manufacturers coupons from your filing system that match the sale of the product and the store coupon
13) place them in separate piles according to store
14) repeat for all store ads
15) when complete place store's pile into its appropriate bag.
16) NAP
17) shop till you drop
18) make the kids unload and put away
19) NAP

So here is what I do.

1) On Saturday night I buy at least 2 Sunday papers so I can clip away at the coupons that I want.  Then I know I have at least 2 of each coupon.  If you can get more coupons from other people's paper who dont use them then go for it!  I scan them for things that I think I will use, I know I want and need and clip away.  Do not cut the bar code or your coupons will be refused at checkout!  cut careful or let the kids cut, thats what I do sometimes.  These yield many manufactures coupons.

1.1) the second part of the Sunday ads are the store ads.  You can scan these for good sales on items.  Write down what you think is good for each store on a list by hand or in word, excel or whatever.  If you notice good store coupons clip them and file them away.  Save yourself some time and when you clip the store coupon if it matches a sale in the ad note that when you write it on your list.  For example, Safeway juice is normally 1.99 but the store had it on sale and it had a store coupon making it 1.49.  So on my list I wrote "Safeway Apple Juice $1.99 w/ store coupon $1.49"

1.2) repeat this for all the stores.  Save yourself some time as as you clip the store coupons make separate piles for each store.  Then compare them to your manufacturers coupons to your list for each store.  If you have one then add it to the appropriate pile.

1.3) when you are all dont looking, listing, clipping and comparing then place each pile in its respective baggy/container by store.

2.0) Now that you know what you have from your ads and they are safely in your filing system or in your store baggy/containers then go get more.  By this I mean get on your computer click and search.  Yes, more...more...MOOOORE!

2.1) I start by going to the store websites.  If you have their store discount card, club card, preferred card or whatever most stores will let you log in and "clip" a coupon and load it on your card.  Then you dont have to print it and when you are at the store and swipe/scan your store card they will automatically apply your coupon.  Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer both do this for those of you in my area.  Target has good coupons as well as many others.



2.2) Now you are done with store coupons you arent done yet.  You still got work to do.  I know we are just about halfway to halfway :)  Now go to places like swagbucks.com, coupons.com, couponnetwork.com, Red Plum, SmartSource and click to clip the coupons to your hearts content and then print them.

2.2.1) yes now it comes time to cut them out. I know it is getting old already and you have spent more time than you have but you will love it later...keep cutting!  Have the kids cut them out they do print with neato dotted lines.

2.2.2) of course you got to compare them to your list and if there are some that match put them in the appropriate baggy/container.  the rest go to the filing system.  Update the list you have as well.  So for example we had "Snickers bag candy 2/$5 w/ coupon 2/$2" on our list.  Say you printed a coupon for a $1 off one bag.  I will say you hit the jackpot and I will tell you to go back and print that one again.  Now you have 2 of those coupons.  So lets update our list now with the coupon.  "Snickers bag candy 2/$5 w/ store coupon 2/$2 and manufacturers coupon $1 off 1 bag".  Now here is the jackpot.  The store price is 2 bags for $5 and your store coupon means you get it 2 bags for $2.  Remember you printed 2 manufacturers coupons.  You can use one coupon on one bag and the other coupon on the other bag.  So you do the math 2 for $2 and minus $1 and minus another $1.  GOOD LIMEY! you now know you can give you kid a cavity for easter for FREE!  That is stacking my friends.  Sale+StoreCoupon+ManufacturersCoupon=shiny happy people (without REM and the B52s).
But why stop at 2 free?  Momma didnt raise no fool. You  bought 2 Sunday papers right?  so it will have the same store ad and same store coupons for the snickers bars 2 for $2 bucks.  If you did the previous steps right you already clipped it.  So go print out 2 more manufacturers coupons and add them to your baggy/container or filing system.  Now you can give yourself and your kid a cavity with 4 bags of snickers for the only good 4 letter F word...FREE!
Now if you are so very very wise and luck the store that has this sale participates in doubling coupons.  This means that they will double the savings of your manufacturers coupon.  So your $1 off one bag  just became $2 bucks off 1 bag of candy.  So we go 2 store coupons and 4 manufacturers coupons and we are doubling the store coupons.  4 bags of candy that were free now will pay you....YES PAY YOU $4 bucks.  Will they give that to you in cash most likely not but they will take it off the top of whatever else you buy...so it is like you just got 4 bucks off the rest of your purchase.  **Note**  most stores no longer participate in doubling you will have to call the store or check their website to see if they do.  Also some stores will only let you get the item free and will not let you get the extra $4 bucks off...so research that in advance for the best deal...or just get it free and move on.

3.0) Now I would go say shop, I mean come on when does someone ever pay you $4 to buy 4 bags of Snickers right?.   but why stop and shop now when you are doing so well?  You can go if you have everything on your want/need and if sales are ending or you are worried stock wont last at the store.

3.1) By chance if you know of any one else who isnt using their coupons or papers...go get them.  Am I suggesting you go out with your kid, pregnant friend and yourself and dumpster dive like the lady from Extreme Couponing...NO!  But every extra coupon can help your stacking!

4.0) Tuesdays more ads come out.  These are usually the ones that I throw away most (until now).  The Red Plum and Smart Source ones that look like random leaves of paper that never make it past the garbage can.  Well keep em, make your list cut, click cut print, pile and file away just like in the previous steps.

5.0) Now you have the best savings you possible can have so far!  Well now it is time to fill the gaps.  Say that you have a good sale on an item from Betty Crocker.  you have a good store coupon but not a manufacturers coupon and you didnt find one on the search from the coupon sites.  Well get on facebook and like them and look for a coupon.  go to their website and look for a coupon.  Chances are good you could find one.  Then you can fill the gap with a manufacturers coupon.  Ode to joy

6.0) are you sick of clicking, cutting, filing yet?  I bet you are.  Well I will say you can be done.  Extreme couponers keep searching and cutting and digging in trash.  Im going to go shop.

6.1) head out to your stores with your little baggies.  No you dont have to go up every isle because you have identified what the best deals are so go straight for them.  Make sure what you are buying matches your coupons and then go check out.

6.2) at checkout I let them scan all the items.  When they are finished I look at the total.  Is this close to the original amount I expected?  Im willing to bet it is, if you listed right.  Then I have them scan or I swipe my store savings/club card and then hand them the coupons.  Then watch them scan one coupon and look up make sure it takes till your done.  Then feel the rush, glory and excitement of saving 50% or so for the average-above average first time couponing experience.  For extreme couponers who are the Heroes/Heroines of the day you might save 90% or more.

Now I am not to the level of saving 90% but I can consistently save at least 50-60%.  I wont tell you how much time I spend on that though.  You will figure it out.  REMEMBER it will take longer to find and cut and file till you are more used to it.  Also REMEMBER that your first few trips you might not save as much as 50%.  Reason for that is 1) there is a learning curve and 2) many people just dont realize what a good deal is and coupons they redeem dont get their most value.

Good Deals:


These are just some of the Good Deal rule of thumbs that I have in my little experience couponing.

Cereal - if you get it for 1.50-1.75 that is decent.  I did once get some Chex cereal for 80 cents a box though so it can be done to get it under a buck.

Deodorant, toothpaste, body wash - can be gotten for free or around a dollar

Juice - The regular size not the little juice boxes.  Those if you can get 1.50 or under is pretty decent.