I had to change things around a bit because I realized, after my first class on coupon shopping, that not everyone had automatic knowledge of the "Coupon Lingo". Who would have thought that Catalina, Loadables and peelies were not everyday language. So to start with, the list below is "The Lingo" so you will at least know what is going on with terms and abbreviations.
THE LINGO
First listed is the sections of the newspaper (most common ones) that you will find coupons: P&G:
ECOUPONS/EQs/LOADABLE
CELLFIRE/CF
PGESAVER/PGE
SHORTCUTS/SC
UPROMISE
Okay now that that is out of the way we can really get started! Ready? Lets do it!
First rule of thumb:
Always but newspapers in increments of two!
For most families buy at least one paper per person and round up to make it an even number! But always buy an even number. Here is the break down of why...
If there is a buy one get one free (bogo) special a lot of places will allow you to use two coupons, because you are actually getting two products. So this is how it works:
-Example: if Store X has coffee on sale for BOGO and the cost is $4.99 a can. You get two cans, which comes to $2.50 each. Now if you have a coupon for $1.00 off of one - when you use two coupons the total cost is two cans of coffee for $2.99 or $1.50 each (makes it 70% off)!
However if you would have had only one coupon, it would have looked like this: Two cans of coffee $4.99, take off only one coupon = $3.99 so now you are paying $2.00 per can and your savings drops to around 60%. See how that one extra coupon made a huge difference in the amount you save.
I mentioned above to purchase one newspaper per member of the household. This will give you enough coupons to feed your family and stockpile (you will see why stockpiling is important shortly). I usually buy a little extra on the papers, especially when the coupons are good, this allows me to stockpile, donate or help others when a need arises. Also in some cases a particular sale or coupon may be rare or find an item on clearance and a couple extra coupons never hurt in these cases.
LEARNING STORES AND FOLLOWING SALES
It is important to really search the sales papers and to know the store coupon policies. The most common ones I use are below (remember it is up to the store or the store manager and policies are subject to change. Some times with changes it is all about trial and error. Trust me they will tell you if a policy changes.
2. Walgreens (WAGS); they also allow coupons on BOGO sales and combine coupons much like CVS.
They will triple/double up to three like coupons. .01 to .39 will triple and .40 to .50 will double. When combined with sales this will often make an item free. If the value of the coupon exceeds the sale price you will only get the amount up to the price paid and not the excess. For example:
Price: .89
triple value will be .54
Item will be FREE!
(Notice the triple value is not .70 to exceed the cost of the item)
4.Brookshire Brothers will double and triple as many as you have!
5. Randalls; they will double and triple but only one coupon for a
Why do we need to stockpile?
No Y2K is not coming back and you don’t have to go overboard with stock piling (not for the end of the world) but there is a good reason why we do this.
Sales run in cycles and by seasons. Usually 12 week cycles and as you start shopping, couponing and watching, you will learn these cycles.If you catch the right sale and the right cycle of coupons you will get the ROCK BOTTOM PRICE for that item. So why not stock up then!
Here are a couple examples I have found:
When school starts you will see lots of breakfast items and snack type food coupons and sales.
When the Holidays are near you might find coupons and sales for items you would cook for the holidays.
Spring - Cleaning supplies (I usually stock up for almost an entire year on these)
Even HBA products and medicines have cycles.
Lots of items run in 12 week cycles and you will learn these. Items that are non perishable are the items you want to stock up on. To get yourself through until the next sale. This keeps you from paying FOOL (full) price for that item.
I never pay FOOL price for anything! It drives me nuts when I absolutely have to! There are items I have got for FREE for so long now, I think it would drive me bananas if I had to pay anything for them (example soap, toothpaste, dental floss....)
Its all about YOU the consumer figuring out what and how the manufacturer is doing their marketing. Simple when you tract it!
So back to why we stock pile; you always want enough product on hand that you purchased ON SALE and with a coupon, to last you so you NEVER have to pay FOOL price again!
Things you can freeze will last a very long time, if they are kept frozen.
Can goods will last almost forever and a day.
Diapers last until the baby grows out of them,
Razors, toothpaste, shampoo...well again almost forever - you can’t have too much (and if you do there is always someone you know who may be in need)
So it all sounds so simple, and it really is. Starting out is the hardest part. We have what we call a NEEDS list - this is what you need and must get at the store. Coupon or not you got to have it! And you are consuming some items at the same time, be patient! It will work, it does take a little time but it will work.
Usually it will take about 12 weeks to get really going and start seeing BIG savings. Don’t give up it will come. If you start out with an extra newspaper or two it can’t hurt and will build you up quicker, then after you have a decent stockpile built up you can back down on the papers.
You will notice as your stockpile grows your needs list becomes smaller. This is when you can truly start seeing the benefits. Again, give it 12 weeks minimum and you will see a huge savings!
WHERE TO GET COUPONS:
Sunday paper - this is the obvious. In our area, there are usually one to three (sometimes up to 5) books of coupons each week. Some areas are not so lucky.
Internet (printable) - these you have to look for but there are common sites you can go to. Coupons.com, shortcuts.com are a couple but there are many of them.
Loadables - these are awesome. You load coupons directly on your Kroger or Randells card. No clipping, no forgetting you got them with you all the time. Down side to the loadables and you usually only have one per item. So if you want to buy three of something, your only going to have one loaded to the card. In some cases the computer will take off the loadable and will accept a paper coupon also. This used to be common practice but they have recently changed this. If it does take both remember to try to keep your total with a positive balance. Buy a candy bar if necessary to keep your total out of the negative. I try to use this extra toward things like meats and items I use but don’t have coupons for. MEGA sale events are a good time for this also, since the coupon is taking off of the price before the amount is deducted for purchasing 5 or 10.
Loadable web sites:
www.kroger.com
www.pgsavers.com
www.cellfire.com
http://www.shortcuts.com/
these all load directly to your card.
Mail (snail mail) Coupons - Of course you can find places on line to sign up for free coupons that will come in the mail. Also watch your mailbox, Kroger will send you store coupons in the mail.
Peelies - these are the ones on the front of the item you are purchasing.
Blinkies - these are the ones you look for around an item. They usually are in a little electronic box and you pull one out and then another one will spit out just waiting for someone to take. I usually get a couple of these. One to use and one for later. (Or two for later, whatever)
EBAY and clipping sites:
I don’t use these often but sometimes if there is an excellent coupon and I really need it I will purchase from one of these places. Usually get about 20 coupons (of the same coupon) for about $1.00. Sometimes very worth it!
Here are a few web sites that will help.
Www.couponermoms.blogspot.com:
Www.katycouponers.blogspot.com:
Www.thegrocerygame.com
CLIP ALL THE COUPONS:
I understand this sounds crazy and there are a few items I may skip (like hair dye) but I clip almost everyone. Yes there is a method to this madness.
What if you come across item XYZ on clearance for $1.00. Even though you don’t, won’t or can’t use it but you have a coupon for $1.00 (makes it FREE) who might use that item? Family, Friends, Neighbor, family in need, local Church or food bank and the list goes on. Here is a recent example that I came across; There are always coupons for diabetic sugar monitors. Usually these come out to free. Do you know anyone who might could use something like this. Even if they already have one, those little strips that you use are very expensive but each monitor comes with 10. I even got extra bucks back on some at one time so it was like making $5.00 off of each one, so I got paid to help someone else - nice huh! This happens with baby items, cat food, and even diapers from time to time. Would it hurt anything to donate cat food to the spca or baby food to a local women shelter. Just a thought - or you could throw the extra coupons away.
Sometimes you get paid to take a product. I really love these sales. For example, I do not have a cat but a few weeks ago at Kroger the meow mix cat food was on sale for 2/$1.19. My coupons were $1.00 off two, not quiet free but if you purchase 6 you get a $1.00 catalina (coupon off your next shopping order) back. So my transaction looked like this:
-cat food (6) @ $1.19 for 2 = $3.57
-coupons(3) @ $1.00 off 2 = $3.00 off
-end result - $.43 cents, so they paid me $.43 for each 6 I took. (So I took 18 and made $1.29 off of cat food and then I gifted it to a friend)
Items you may think are "always" to expensive so I would never buy or I will just buy generic. Well don’t let this fool you. There are items I used to think this about also, but when they go on sale and with a coupon they come out cheaper than generics or they are so cheap I can’t pass it up.
- MYTH: you spend more with coupons because you buy things you normally wouldn’t. Well YOU control this!
- My example is this: I never purchased Toaster Strudels for my kids (unless they were on sale very cheap and I thought the kids deserved a treat) I would get pop tarts or something instead. Toaster Strudels are almost $3.00 and there are only 8 in a box. YUCK! But with a .35 coupon and on sale for $1.99 or $1.49 (and they go on sale often) I pay $.94 or even $.44. I have even got paid to take them - usually with a catalina.
What exactly is a catalina, extra buck or register reward :
Catalinas are sales or specials that will print out and are $$$ off your next purchase. Example is the cat food above. You have to pay initially but you get it back and you can use a catalina on ANYTHING except alcohol or tobacco. Great way to save on meat and items you don’t have a coupon for.
Sometimes I will even have them run two transactions so I will get the catalinas from the first and use them to pay for the second transaction.
Now the MAGIC QUESTION.....How do you set up a coupon book:
Well there is no magic answer and there is not right or wrong way. Everyone may have a different system that works for them. I will share with you the system that I use and if it works for you then wonderful! If it doesn’t then hopefully you will find a system that does.
This is what you will need to put a binder like mine together:
3 ring binder - usually a 2 or thee inch with pockets in the front and back.
Pencil holder with a zipper - like the kids use in school.
Baseball card holders - the best ones I have found are at Target and cost about $7.00 but they are thicker and don’t tear as easily.
Stapler and staples
Dividers of some type to section out the coupons (cold stuff, can foods, box foods, hba, medicine, etc.
The first thing in my binder is the pencil bag. Then mark the dividers with the sections you want them divided into. Place the baseball card holders in, putting some in each section and you are ready to clip.
I take the multiple sections of the paper (the ones that are all the same) and lay them out on the floor or table (somewhere I have enough space) and take page one, two three, etc. till the entire section is laid out. Then I grab the 2nd one that is identical to that section and place each page on top of the matching one. Once I get all sections stacked with there match, I staple them together. This keeps all of the same coupons together - then I clip them. I leave them stapled together and put them in the baseball card holder. Picture up and I try to be sure the expiration date is where I can read it. Now you have all of the same coupon together in one cared holder. So if you have 4 coupons for pickles and you get four jars of pickles you have them altogether.
- I do not use this one. They do charge for there list. However if you log on the site and follow the links to the forum, there are lots of things to follow there. The forum is where all of the followers of that site list the deals they find and where. Very helpful and anyone can sign up (its free) this is another blogspot I follow, she is very good at finding deals and sharing them. this is a blog spot I have recently set up to help provide information on where the sales are and which coupons match up. Sign up for this and hopefully it will help you also. - upromise - shortcuts - Proctor and Gamble esaver - cellfire - electronic coupons you can load to your grocery loyalty cards(there are currently several distributors of these) Procter & Gamble Sunday insert
RP: Red Plum
SS: SmartSource
GM: General Mills
Commonly seen as: RP 1-02 ~ this means red plum section of the paper from that date. SS 1-2 or P&G 1-2 are all examples of the same thing. Easy huh!
Now for the lingo we couponers use:
$1/1, $1/2: One dollar off one item, one dollar off two items, etc.
2/$1, 3/$2: Two items for one dollar, three items for two dollars, etc.
BOGO: Buy one item get one item free
B2G1: Buy two items get one item free
Beep: Sometimes the register will beep when a coupon is scanned to indicate that the cashier need to take an action, like entering a price.
Blinkies: Grocery/drugstore coupon dispensers with blinking lights
Catalina: Catalina coupon, prints from a separate machine when your receipt prints (Krogers has these)
CRT: Cash register tape, usually used when referring to CVS coupons that print with receipt
DND: Do not double
Ea.: Each
ECBs: ExtraCare Bucks, CVS loyalty rewards system
ETS: Excludes trial size
Exp.: Expires
GC: Gift card
HM: Homemailer
IP: internet printed or printable coupon
IVC: Instant Value Coupon, Walgreens' store coupons found in ads and monthly booklet
MIR: Mail-in rebate
OYNO: On your next orderOOP: Out of pocket
OOS: Out of stock
Peelie: Peel-off coupon found on product packaging
PSA: Prices starting at
RC: Rain Check
RRs: Register Rewards, Walgreens' Catalina coupons
Q: Coupon
Stacking: Using both a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon on one item
UPC: Universal product code, bar code
Tearpad: Pad of coupons attached to a display, shelf, or refrigerator door.
WAGS: Walgreens
WYB: When you buy
YMMV: Your mileage (or manager) may vary, meaning some stores might give you a deal but others might not
Other Coupon Sources (of loadables):
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