Couponing 101. From MY Perspective.

Not all couponing needs to be or actually is extreme couponing. I taught myself how to coupon and gained some valuable insight and knowledge from that show(which should truly be a lead into hoarding, the organized version). I feel it's important for people to know that your aren't going to get thousands of groceries for pennies. Especially not in the beginning. Those people buy coupons online so even they don't get groceries for pennies.

Okay here we go...

First & foremost. DO NOT IMPULSE BUY. if you go into the store and wing it you'll buy things that are not at their lowest prices and waste not only coupons but money. Make sure you have a shopping list that is put together with your coupons. This is when I use the small accordion coupon dividers. I put coupons in there for how many I need of an item & a few extra in the back.. if the store isn't low on supply I'll buy extra. There is NO NEED TO CLEAR SHELVES.

Next, know now... BRAND LOYALTY IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. But it is with coupons that I have found other brands I like more. Yes, they print a lot of the same coupons in each circular but they also like to throw people for a loop. I've found that smart balance milk tastes fresher, lasts longer & freezes better than your average gallon of milk. Something id have NEVER figured out before. I like all laundry detergent better than my old faithful(and way more expensive) Tide. I could go on and on with examples but it's time for more tips.

SURF COUPONING WEBSITES!!! This is a must wether you're an experienced couponer or a newbie. Reason being... This is what these people do day in and day out. They make money running websites that show deals & are more inclined to catch a deal before most. My personal favorite site in www.southernsavers.com
They have my stores and a personalized printed checklist. I know not everyone lives in the southern region(like my entire family) so my other favorite is www.thekrazycouponlady.com
She lives on the west coast & covers the stores that southern savers doesn't.

Now... in order to understand these websites there are some terms & acronyms you'll need to learn. There are three coupon circulars that go out in the news papers.
They are::
Red Plum(abbreviated RP)
Smart Source(abbreviated SS)
Proctor & Gamble Brand Saver (abbreviated PG or P&G)
The RP & SS circulars come out every week. Unless Sunday is a holiday. Then there won't be any coupons. P&G come out on the first Sunday of the month. Unless the 1st is a Monday or Tuesday in which you'll get it the last Sunday of the previous month. Under each item on their pages you'll see something that looks like this::

Kraft Salad Dressing, 8 oz $1.99
Buy One Get One Free
Use $1.00/2 Kraft Dressings or Sizzling Salad Dinner Kits from SS 5/20
Final Price: $0.50 each when you buy 2 or free with double

See where it says SS 5/20? That means the $1.00 off 2 bottles of dressing($1.00/2) was from the Smart Source of the May 20th circular. This remains true for all circulars & all couponing websites.

If you see an icon next to an item (southern savers uses an acorn and The Krazy Coupon Lady uses a black & yellow triangle icon) this means the item is at its rock bottom price. That means if you can(it's available & you have the coupon) BUY. Stores run sales on the same items once every six weeks on average. So if you see the icon marking a rock bottom price you won't see it that low again for 6 weeks. That's not to say it won't sell. Just that it won't hit rock bottom.

The biggest insider tip I learned for the Extreme Couponing TV show was BOGO(buy one get one) or two for one deals. Even though an item is on sale as BOGO does NOT mean you cannot use two coupons! You are still buying 2 items! This is how I personally save the most money. Here's one of my favorite deals::
ALL Small & Mighty Laundry Detergent
Buy One, Get One $2.99

This means you get 2 laundry detergents for the price of one, right? So ALL's coupons are almost always $1.00/1. Which means if you buy 2 laundry detergents for $2.99 and use 2 of the ALL $1.00 off 1 coupons you get 2 laundry detergents for .99¢ or just under .50¢ each. That's a steal!

Next HUGE pointer. Check for in store coupons! All the grocery stores here have their own coupon system. Insider tip. You can't stack(use multiple coupons for one item) manufactures coupons BUT YOU CAN stack a manufacturers coupon(the coupons in the newspapers) & an in store coupon to double your savings. Here's an example of one I did.
Tylenol Precise Pain Creme was $7.00.
I had a coupon from the news paper for $5.00 off a Tylenol precise pain creme. Public had a coupon for a $3.00 off any one Tylenol precise pain creme. Yes, that's $8.00 off. Since these two coupons could be used together, I was essentially paid $1.00 to take the product off their hands. The stores
Will not give you the $1.00. It'll just come off of your total bill but hey..z that could be a dollar off meats, fruits, soda, etc.

ORGANIZATION IS VITAL. However, organizing to someone else's logic is detrimental. If you don't organize your coupons in a fashion that makes sense to you than you're only going to set yourself up for failure. You have to be able to not only put up your coupons but find them again when you need them!

Okay. Here's how I coupon. Each Sunday I buy one of each of our local papers(there are three)... Unless its the P&G week then I'll buy one extra. I don't see a need for any more than four papers. There's a greater chance of wasting coupons other didn't have access to. I organize my coupons in a binder. My mom bought me a binder bag for my birthday & it's fabulous! You'll see pictures below. I made my own binder dividers & sections. This may seem tedious however I've made a system. I match up each page of the circulars, staple the coupons to each other & cut. This way. All the same coupons are in piles & I don't have to worry about keeping neat little piles everywhere & hunting down matching coupons. For the first time(yesterday) I put them in small baskets in general groups to narrow it down(cleaning, food, personal care, miscellaneous, baby & cooking). I found this made breaking the coupons down & putting them away SOOO MUCH EASIER.

Here is how I have my coupons divided::
Baby
Baking
Beauty
Breads
Breakfast
Canned Goods
Cleaning Supplies
Condiments
Cooking
Drinks
Frozen
Health
Laundry
Meats
Oral Hygiene
Paper Products
Personal Hygiene
Pet
Refrigerated
Shaving
Snacks
Miscellaneous

As you'll see below, on the divider page I have it broken down into what I believe belongs in wash section. It may seem OCD but when the time comes to grab a coupon... I know exactly where to go. I've dabbled in other couponing techniques so if this is too much for you then let me know & I can explain some more.

One last thing before I bid you ado... Call your grocery store & ask if they double coupons & on what day. This can make more difference than you can imagine. Our stores double coupons daily up to .50¢ which means all .50¢ coupons are really $1.00 off coupons!! It's fabulous. Happy couponing. I hope this helps! If you have any questions let me know.