Things to Know When You Start Using Coupons

Couponing is a phenomenon in the United States that is destined to last as long as the economic downturn. With unemployment on the rise and families trying to save money in every corner of their lives, couponing has become an important part of making ends meet. There are quite a few coupon gurus out there now saving thousands of dollars a year. Not only on groceries but everything they buy. How are they able to do it?

As a beginner, it can be frustrating. It is important to remember that just like everything else that you do, it will take knowledge and practice to reach the maximum percentage of savings. You can't learn to sew or cook overnight and acquiring the maximum savings with coupons is no different. The first thing you need to know is how to collect your coupons, and there are many ways to do this.

Sunday Newspaper Inserts

Most newspapers have manufacturer coupons included with the ads inside. How many papers you buy will depend on the needs of your family. A good round number to start with is five. That way you will have extras for the excellent deals that come up in the future. Everyone knows a few people who never use their coupon inserts so ask your friends and family to save theirs for you!

Manufacturer Websites

A lot of the manufacturer websites have coupons available on their sites for you to print off on your computer. Usually you are allowed to print two coupons for each computer that you have.

Writing Companies and Requesting Coupons

If you are searching for a specific coupon and have been unsuccessful in finding it on their website or in a newspaper insert, write the company and ask them to send you coupons for their products.

Free Samples

Most of the time when you visit a manufacturer's or large store's website, you will see a link for a free sample of something. Fill out the information to receive that sample and it will more than likely come with a high value coupon that doesn't expire for quite some time.

Peelies and Blinkies

Peelies are coupons that a manufacturer places somewhere on their packaging that you can remove and use for that purchase. Blinkies are those red boxes with the little red lights on them that are placed in the stores that contain coupons for a product nearby.

Purchasing Coupons Online from Clippers

Technically you aren't paying for the coupons because it is illegal to sell a coupon. You are paying the Clipper for his/her time and handling. There are many websites that offer this service for pennies for each coupon. This method is used by a lot of extreme couponers who use large numbers of coupons for each shopping trip.

Online Coupon Sites

There are quite a few online coupon sites such as RedPlum, SmartSource and Copons.com that have manufacturer's coupons available for you to print. There is a two coupon per computer limit on these sites. 

Now that you know where to acquire your coupons, the next step is learning how to use them to get the best deals and discounts.

Every week, grocery stores will have a sale flyer available to their customers highlighting what they have decided to put on sale for that particular week. The thing to remember is that not everything that is on sale is included in the flyers. Stores also have unadvertised sales on particular products along with what you will see in the flyers.

It is important to develop your own style of organizing your coupons. I tried a few different things before discovering what worked best for me. I had the files of inserts with the dates on them and would go to the websites every week to see what I "should" be buying at the best price. That didn't work for me because I don't buy something just because it is cheap and I found when going to the stores that I was missing out on some great deals because my coupons were at home.

Things to know when going on your shopping trip:

Take All of Your Coupons with You

I have all of my coupons cut out and stored in a small toolbox that I take to the store with me every time I go. You will not know what those unadvertised deals are unless you make a special trip to the store once a week to see what is on sale. Who has time for that? When you have all of your coupons, you are ready to acquire the maximum savings on every deal in the store. Clearance, unadvertised deals, new products and what you see in the flyers each week.

Every Trip to the Grocery Store is an Opportunity to Save Money

If you purchase an item on a regular basis and it is suddenly on an unadvertised deal, you have just saved money. When adding any coupons that you have to the sale price of the product will allow even larger savings on that item. That is the perfect opportunity to save money on products that you purchase all the time.

Know Your Store's Coupon Policy

If they don't have it online, call the store and speak to the Store Manager to find out. That way you don't end up having problems at the register when you check out. A lot of stores change their policies on a regular basis.

Extreme Couponing is NOT a Necessity to Save Money

Extreme couponing is going into a store and purchasing a large number of one item then storing that item. Everything has a shelf life and will eventually spoil. Store sales and coupons run in cycles. There will always be another chance to get that great deal at the next sale.

Follow the Blogs

There are blogs available that are packed full of information on couponing and freebies. Be sure to follow a few different sites that are local to your area. A lot of the sites will alert you when a great manufacturer's coupon pops up online. These sites do post a lot of the same coupon alerts and deals. When you follow a large number of these websites, you will end up having to sift through duplicate posts on each one to find anything new.

Practice Makes Perfect

Don't be discouraged if you aren't doing as well as you think you should be in the beginning. Just like everything else that we learn in life, couponing takes practice and time to learn how to become a savvy coupon shopper! After a while and once you have a few shopping trips under your belt, you'll be proud of your savings too, and your friends and family will be amazed when you tell them.