How do I do this, from my research I got some tips you can use to reap the savings.
1. Research others that have gone before you look at their methods and find out if it can work for you. You just have to find out what works for you, but you won't know what will until you RESEARCH! (look at tip #13)
2. Shop with coupons when there is a sale, if it is already a low price why not use a coupon and make it a sweeter deal.(look at tip #12 for further explanation)
4. Where can I get coupons? Number one way is through newspapers.
You can buy as many papers as you want but, this is a tip I heard from another couponer and friend Jamie Knickerbocker -"Get a Sunday paper for each member of the family and make it even. (so if you have 3 total in your family depending on your family's needs add or subtract one to make it even)"
As for supplements there are many other options too.
Digital coupons-
Coupons that are loaded onto you stores loyalty cards, Winn-Dixie, CVS, and Upromise are good in Florida (these are coupons you can only get one of, but they are loaded to all your cards. So, no matter the store you have a card you have the coupons.)
Coupon companies- companies that come out with new coupons every couple days that you could clip and print. (these usually print out 2 per computer, until the companies reach their maximum to give out.)
even getting on the manufactures mailing lists-
Go through you favorite brands of products and get on their mailing lists either on the phone or online and have coupons, free samples, and information (like sweepstakes) sent to your email and snail mail. (limited to what they give you, also go every three months and re-get on their mailing lists)
Daily Coupons-
These are sites that offer deals for local businesses, offering much higher priced services or produces cheaper. The catch- it's a one day only sale (so you have to subscribe or go to the site daily) and some have limits you can get and limits you can get for you friends, but the payoffs are awsome when you get one you really like.
5. What is the customer service policy?
Ask customer service for their coupon policy. A coupon policy is what the store accepts and does not accept, do they stack, do they double, do they take competitor store coupons; these questions and more will be answered by the store coupon policy. Different stores have different policies, and look periodically for changes (often due to non-ethical couponers)
6. Something ran out at the store what do I do? Rain check the item for their next shipment. the pros-you have a week to search for more or better coupons. The cons- your coupons may expire. So call your store to pre-order. Nate or Mr. Coupon as he is better known from Weusecoupons.com made a video about rainchecks at his local Kroger store.
7. There is an awsome sale coming up, I'm taking all I can carry. Pre-order if you are buying some items to stock up ( I would say more that 4-5 items). One you will be sure to get the extras you need and leave some for the everyday shopper who might have not even got a coupon but is just shopping the sales.
8.I need help or a coupon buddy? Sign up for a forum, I use We use Coupons (link below). There are some good ones in links below and while looking there you can find others, who have blogs or sites of their own.
9. Write down everything you spend, and/or save all the receipts. It will show you where you money is really going every week. Plus, using this you can learn what is your budget now and calculate what it can be.
10. Figure out what you would consider a deal, personally, I think 50% off is great.
So I look for that type of sale, but more than that I look for Buy 1 Get 1 (BOGO or B1G1) sale (I love, love, love Publix Supermarkets for this) or Coupons.
11. Can I use a BOGO coupon for a BOGO sale?
Now depending on the store's coupon policy you could use BOGO coupons on a BOGO sale, other Times you cannot. But..... what you can do is use a BOGO and end up getting a Buy 1 Get 2 Free. Which is nice too (66.6%).
....You don't have a BOGO to use on a BOGO sale, that's ok. Remember any higher savings than you ideal deal make it an awesome deal. You can use a Manufacturer and/or store coupon for each one of the items (preferably) or if you have one for both that good too.
BOGO w/ 2 coupon example
Product A is on BOGO sale for $4.00
You have 2 $1.00 off manufacturers coupons.
So, ...
Accounting for the sale
$8.00-$4.00 (BOGO sale)=$4.00
$4.00-$1.00(coupon on item 1)=$3.00-$1.00(coupon on item 2)=$2.00
You just got this product for 75% off!!!
Now that is a big deal!
(and that is not even including the store coupons or doubling)
12.What can I do with coupons?
Now there is two ways commonly referred to when using coupons: stacking and Doubling (find out from your stores policy what you can do, Florida does not usually use doubling, so stacking is your best bet)
Stacking Example:
Product A usually $3 is now on sale at a certain store for $1.75
You have a Store coupon for $0.75 off of 1 of the product
You also have a Manufactures coupon for 1.00 off of 1 of the product
$1.75-$0.75=$1.00
$1.00-$1.00=$0.00
You just got this product free, both the store and the manufacture paid it for you, and you being a smart shopper reaped the savings
Double Example(can sometimes be a triple sale, again check store policies):
Product B is $1.95 at certain store on sale for $1.25
You have a coupon that is $0.55(at your store they have a double coupon sale also once a month and guess what today is that day. That store double any manufactures coupon up to a $1.00.)
So,...
$1.25-$0.55 (and -$0.45 because it double to a dollar)= $0.25
Not a bad deal,huh?13. I keep forgetting my coupon/ I don't know what I have? Have an organization plan. I use the binder method, but there are many other methods as well. Find one that works for you. To find out some methods, go to Southern Savers (link Below), they have two youtube videos that go over many methods, one dedicated to their favorite method with the pros and cons and the other video goes over the other methods with the pros and cons with tips.
14.Loyalty Cards
Many stores have loyalty cards that give additional savings
CVS- Extra Care Bucks
Winn-Dixie-Rewards Card
Upromise
15. Walgreens has register rewards, what is that?
Register rewards are just that Rewards you get at the register for buying qualifying purchases.
It comes out with you receipt after you make you participating purchase (found in store and in the weekly circular), and what it is, basically, it is a coupon for almost whatever you want in the store. When you get this you can roll over transactions (make more than one transaction in the store) or come back next week for another transaction. You must if you use RRs have a transaction equal to or greater than your RRs. If you price is too low you need to add something else to make it equal to your RRs. Good videos about RRs and shopping in different stores are found (links below) in the weusecoupons site or Southern savers they both have youtube videos showing how to use RRs and more.
16. Stockpiling
Stockpiling is just buying enough now for cheap, until you can get it again for cheap. Items sell in cycles there are three types: seasonal(by year), 6 week or a 12 week cycle. So with the idea of stockpiling you only want to stock up on those that will last until the next cycle without it expiring.
Example:
Toilet paper A -sells usually for $6.49.
Every 12 weeks it goes on sale for BOGO at Publix.
You have a coupon for $2.50 from the manufactuer and a store coupon for $1.75 making a total of $4.25 off of $6.49 with coupons = $2.24 for 2 of the toilet paper.
This is compared to 6.49 each.
You now can get up to three for about the price of one. So, you buy about 6 toilet paper A and it was about the price of 2 toilet papers. and it will last you 12 weeks.
You wont have to buy toilet paper for 11 weeks at $6.49 each.
Savings:
6.49 x every 2 weeks for 12 weeks= 38.94 vs. 13.44 for 12 weeks.
That is a savings of 25.50.
Now do that all year long ($110.50).....now that is a big deal.
17. Wal-Mart's Price Match
Wal-Mart has a great thing going on with what is called a Price match. If another store has an item that the sale price for that week is cheaper than their prices they will match the price of the ad. It is easier if you bring the ad to the store and have the Items marked in the ad. There is a video from Iheartthemart.com that show how this is done.
18. This tip you don't need a coupon. Buy produce in season.
The Prepper's Wife from weusecoupon.com has made a wonderful list of when produce is it freshest, in season and cheapest. Thank you to The Prepper's Wife for this post.
