New to couponing and overwhelmed? Don’t give up yet. Give it time, start small, and be patient. That is the best advice I can give anyone who is just starting out. I know the frustrations of couponing first hand. I live in a very small town with a Shaw’s and a RiteAid. That’s it! I have to drive 30 minutes just to get to a very small Walmart and an hour if I want to go to a Walmart SuperCenter, a Target and various other grocery stores, so sometimes it isn’t worth it with gas prices being what they are, but make no mistake about it…. I know coupons and I know deals, so I can definitely point you in the right direction and live vicariously through you!
There are some acronyms that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with, I’ve listed them below:
RP~ Redplum Insert found in Sunday’s Paper
SS~ SmartSource Insert found in Sunday’s Paper
P&G~ P&G Insert found in Sunday’s Paper
WYB~ When You Buy (ie. Final Cost $1.00 WYB two.)
DND~ When referring to a coupon, this means Do Not Double
CAT or Catalina~ This is the coupon that prints at the register that they hand to you with your receipt.
For those of you just starting out, here are some tips to help you out along the way.
1. You can only use one Manufacturer’s Coupon per item. So if you have a coupon for $1.00 off two Ronzoni pasta, you must buy two of the Ronzoni and only use one coupon.
2. A lot of grocery stores (like Shaw’s) will double coupons with a value of $.99 or less. Thus being said, if you have a $.55 off coupon for a certain item it will double to $1.10 unless it clearly states DO NOT DOUBLE or is coded with the number 9 at the beginning of the barcode. Shaw’s will only double 4 Like coupons per transaction.
3. You are allowed to use a Store Coupon and a Manufacturer Coupon for the same item if the store does have their own coupons, like at Target just make sure you look at the coupons that you print off of Target.com to make sure they are Store Coupons, sometimes Target will put up Manufacturer Coupons on their site as well. If Target has a store coupon for $1.00 off SoftScrub Cleanser and you have a Manufacturer Coupon for $1.50 off of that same cleanser, you are allowed to use both for the same item.
4. Stock up whenever possible. If a grocer has split chicken breast for $.99/lb or ground beef for $1.89/lb, then you’ll want to stock up at these prices. Sales usually go in cycles, every 3-6 months or so. If you are able, you’ll want to stock up until the next sale. Now, being that my family lives week to week, this is very hard for me to do. I am NOT an “Extreme Couponer” (although I know how to be), my stockpile isn’t what you see on T.V. …but I make do with what little resources I have. (Shaws and RiteAid and a trip to Walmart and Target once a month or so). With that being said, make no mistake about it, I know how to save money and where the best deals are even if they are not in my area.
5. Print high value coupons as soon as you see them, as they often go quickly, (I will label these as *HOT* on the site). Manufacturers usually only allow a certain number of coupons that will print in total. So, if Coca Cola puts out a coupon and only allows for 25,000 to print off, after they have reached their limit, the coupon will disappear. So I recommend printing the coupon when you see it, even if you can’t find a sale to pair it with that week. Sales change weekly at all stores and you never know what will come up on sale for the following week. Coupons usually expire one month from print, sometimes longer, so we should be able to find a sale for that coupon before it expires.
6. It is a very good idea to always bring a printed copy of the stores coupon policy with you. I have had to use it many times. It saves a lot of time and frustration. It seems coupon policies change often, so be ready and don’t be pushed around.
7. Lastly, keep your chin up and don’t get discouraged. Ask questions as often as you feel the need. Don’t be shy. Go to the service desk and ask if you can use a certain coupon for a certain item. I have done this many times and I still feel the need to do it sometimes. This blog is always open to questions, however silly you feel they are. Just remember, everyone who uses coupons starts at the exact same spot, and chances are, I’ve asked the exact same question somewhere down the line. I am a self-taught couponer. I had no idea that blogs like this even existed until I had been couponing for 3 years or more. So please, just relax and have some fun. It’s a little scary to start out, but it WILL be very rewarding in the end!
I just want to thank you for this blog! I have been couponing for quite some time now, but I’m getting better at it. My husband is currently unemployed and that was my motivation to cut costs. And one of our biggest expenses is our food and household items. I have been able to cut that expense in half! I did have some inspiration from watching that tv show, but I don’t buy 100 bottles of anything. I usually buy 5-7 of one item with coupons and that takes care of my family of 5. I was like you, I didn’t know these type of blogs even existed, but I am so thankful that you do. They help me save even more money and time. Thank you and I appreciate all your hard work and time, and sharing your knowledge with all of us.
WOW! Thank you so much for such nice comments! I agree with the Extreme Couponing thing, I usually buy what we need and a little extra for when we run out. I love coupons and saving money. It is such a great feeling knowing that I am doing my part to cut costs and keep my family happy. Shaw’s is having an unbelieveable sale next week. I have been working on it for hours now! I hope to have it up by the morning. Check back. It’s a good one! I wish you and your family well and hope your husband finds work soon. It’s tough out there. Please remember that I welcome questions, so if you have any, PLEASE feel free to ask.
You are right about Target. It is tough going there. They are always so upset when I use coupons. I’ve gotten really bad customer service each and every time. Other places are happy/surprised at the final price and interested in where I learned to do it. Target gives me a really hard time and a lot of attitude. I had never experienced that there until I tried to use coupons.
I absolutely agree with you! They have gotten better lately, but their registers beep for everything. They are starting to get better, probably to keep up with Walmart, so that’s a good thing. Thanks so much for stopping by! I will be doing my Walmart and Target run tomorrow. Can’t wait to get back and report!
I don’t know if this insight helps at all, but I worked at Target years ago and I know this hasn’t changed–a lot of the “cashiers” you see at the registers are actually associates in other departments who were given a crash course on how to use the registers. Whenever the lines at the registers gets to be more than two guests long, the front end supervisor calls for backup from the rest of the store. What this meant is that guests ended up with cashiers who were effectively new, no matter how long they’d actually been there. I mean, imagine only running the register once or twice a day, or maybe even a few times a week and with minimal training? It meant that coupons and other situations (“This item is damaged, you need to take money off it so I will buy it,” etc.) was extremely stressful.
It does help and thank you for that. I had NO IDEA! They have gotten so much better lately. I really enjoy going to Target now. Thanks for letting everyone know!!!
What a great site. And thank you for clarifying the Shaw’s BOGO Deals. I have to agree I see nothing wrong. But how do you know about the other zip codes offers?
You’re very welcome. Thank you for such a nice comment. I don’t know for sure about the other zip codes offers, that’s why it doesn’t hurt to ask a store manager. I always do and have never had a problem.. I know that a store manager is definitely not going to put themselves or their employees in any situation where one might get into trouble. Thanks so much for stopping by!