I recently started this myself and there are LOTS of resources online. If you have ever watched the show "Extreme Couponing" on TLC, here's a hint: many of the people featured on the show have blogs, websites, and more to help you. I follow two sites from people who have been on the show:
- http://www.weusecoupons.com/ - This website is VERY comprehensive, can tell you how to get started, and there is a forum where people post their deals, coupon matchups, etc. Mr. Coupon (the guy who started the site) is somewhere in the east, so I end up using this more for the big chain stores like CVS, Target, and Walmart. However, keep in mind that some of the prices will sometimes be higher/different out here than what is listed on the site.
- http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com/ - She does weekly coupon matchups from Northern California, so it is a little more applicable to our area, but not necessarily exact. She also has recently been posting her shopping for each week with the very best deals. I really like her lists because she finds the deals that are low enough prices to stock up on and puts an icon next to those items. It is either a good enough deal to stock up for 3-6 months or 6-12 months (meaning you get as many as you can and then you don't need to buy that item for either 3-6 months or up to a full year!)
STEP ONE
Obviously the first step is...TO GET COUPONS! There are lots of places to get coupons. The most obvious is the paper. I will tell you that the Desert Sun does have coupons on Sundays, but often there are fewer than what you find in the LA Times. I was able to find a deal for the LA Times recently that allowed me to get a year of Sunday subscriptions for only 19 cents each. (I originally had planned to camp out at Starbucks every Sunday morning and take inserts that people left behind, but figured 19 cents vs. $3 for coffee that I was most certainly going to get was a much better deal.) Do some searches online every now and then for newspaper deals and you are sure to find one. They are starved for readership since the internet is taking more of their readers away. If you are worried about consuming resources, look at it this way: you are supporting the local economy, and you will have wrapping paper at no extra cost to you!
I also enlisted my family members that are nearby to provide their coupons to me. I recently was offered more coupons by a business friend of mine. When all is said and done, without having to stalk people at Starbucks or other establishments, I end up with approximately 8 copies of all the coupon inserts each week. Why do I need so many? If there happens to be a very good deal, I use them all to stock up or even make money!
Another place to find coupons is online. There are two types of online coupons: Internet Printables (called "IP's" on couponing forums) and Electronic Coupons. There has been alot of trouble with IP's lately - I guess there is some counterfeiting and copying going on (both big no-no's) and some stores may be hesitant to accept them. Follow these rules and you should be ok:
- You can print two copies of IP's from one computer. So if you find a good coupon, print two copies and then it shouldn't let you print any more.
- When you print them, leave them on the sheet of paper if you can - don't cut them out. This will show all the small print along the edge of the coupon.
- DO NOT copy the coupons. They have images that won't copy, so it will be obvious if you try doing that.
- If the store still refuses, just let it go. Like I say, there is a bunch of fraud going on with this, and it is best to remain calm and understand that the employees and managers are just following what they have been told by corporate.
Here are some links to coupon websites:
- http://www.redplum.com/
- http://www.smartsource.com/
- http://www.coupons.com/
- http://www.pgesaver.com/
- http://www.shortcuts.com/
STEP TWO
Now you need to organize your coupons. You can check the websites/blogs above for advice. There are two main ways to do this: organize by date or organize by category.
Organizing by date is REALLY simple. You take the insert out of the paper, write the date of the insert in the upper right hand corner, and put it into a folder. You can use a binder full of sheet protectors and you just slip that entire insert into the sheet protector, or just use an expandable file and put them in that way. This is a way to get out of cutting all those coupons out. ALL of the coupon matchups that you find online will give you the information for the coupon you should be using and the format will look something like this: "$1/1 5/9 RP" or "$1/2 5/22 SS." You can translate those as follows: "$1 off one item from the Red Plum insert on May 9" and "$1 off two items from the SmartSource insert on May 22," respectively. So if you have the dates in big letters on the front of the insert, it is easy to find the insert and only cut out the coupon you need. The ONLY drawback I can see from this is that if you find a REALLY GOOD and unexpected deal at the store, you won't know if you have a coupon to use. Of course this can be very good, too, if you tend to make impulse buys and you want to curb that habit!
Organizing by category is more time-consuming up front. You will be cutting all the coupons out of the inserts (cut them ALL and I will explain why you should do this later). This can cause serious cramps in your hands, tedious sorting, family members' aggravation over piles of unsorted coupons...however, it can also be great when you run into a good deal. I.e. I was at Vons a month or two ago and noticed sunscreen that was 50% off. Not sure why (the expiration date was still far off), but it was there on the sale endcap. I remembered clipping a coupon for that brand. I opened my well-organized binder, found the coupon, and was able to pick up spray sunscreen for only $2. I would not have been able to save so much had I not organized my coupons that way. If you want to clip all your coupons, I used the free binder organizer sheets from http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com/. It is a good way to organize.
STEP THREE
Now you should pick your stores. I started with three stores: CVS, Vons, and Henry's. I just recently added Walmart for their best deals and I sometimes go to Target. It is best, though, to master a couple stores and that will keep you QUITE occupied without having to drive all over town to get the best deals. And I promise you will still save money. If you are comfortable with Ralphs, then shop at Ralphs! There are plenty of good deals to be had at each and every store. Ever heard of "loss leaders"? These are items that the store is willing to either break even or lose money on because they are banking that you will pick up other items that are full price. But we are going to avoid that marketing ploy and never do that again!
STEP FOUR
Now you should start making your lists. That's a plural.
First, you are going to start writing down what you buy as best as you can. I came up with the list of about 12-15 meals that I cook for my family for dinner and what the ingredients are. I also wrote down what we like to have for breakfast and lunch.
Now I can build a "price book." I will admit I have not done this as diligently as I should, but I do have it in my head...I know that $1.29 per pound for apples is too much and that if I wait a week or two I can probably get them for only $0.99 per pound. You want to price out your favorite items and start tracking them so you know what your "stock-up" price is. There is no sense buying something at full price instead of buying a little more when it is on sale and never running out!
In the meantime while you are building your price book (and your stockpile), track coupon matchups on those websites I mention above. Eventually you will be at a point where you are only buying a few items each week to replenish your stockpile or maybe you are even able to skip a week of grocery shopping if you are running low on grocery budget.
One note on stockpiling: I have watched "Extreme Couponing" and sometimes I think those people are only buying the items to buy them for 2 cents each. Who needs 600 bottles of mustard?! Stockpile for what you need. If you don't eat mustard, don't get mustard! I also only have one refrigerator and one freezer, so I don't buy a bunch if it isn't going to fit. I also have let things stay in the freezer so long that they are no longer edible. I am trying my HARDEST to eat through the things in the freezer and NOT let them go that long. That is WASTED MONEY! Again, this speaks to buying what is right for your family and what you know you will eat.
