Below you will find a few simple things to get you on your way to coupons, if you have any questions let me know :)
Coupon 101
Couponing can be fun and save you money, but it can be very time consuming and confusing. The tips below will help you get started and be useful in your couponing adventure.
Coupon Lingo:
BOGO/B1G1 = buy one get one free
OYNO = on your next order
Blinkie = Red coupon dispenser found it stores with red blinking light
Catalina = Coupons that print and are handed to you with your receipt
OOP = out of pocket
YMMV = your millage may very (when something may differ from store to store)
Store Basics:
Food Lion:
-Will take coupons for face value only
-They will usually let you use two coupons on BOGO items
-Most of the time if you only want 1 BOGO item it will ring at ½ price
Harris Teeter:
-Doubles coupons up to .99 cent every day
-Will double up to 20 coupons per day
-Will double up to 3 of the same coupon anything after that will only be taken at face value
-BOGO items ring at ½ price
Lowes Food:
-Doubles coupons up to .99 cent every day
-Will double up to 20 coupons per day
-Will double up to 4 of the same coupon anything after that will only be taken at face value
-BOGO items ring at ½ price
Kroger:
-Will double coupons up to .50 cent every day
-No coupon limit
-You must buy two of BOGO items one will ring up at full price the second will be free
Getting it together:
The main thing about coupon shopping is realizing that most stores run sales every 6-8 weeks. When an item you need is on sale it is best to stock up because most times it will be several weeks before the item goes back on sale for that price. Coupons should always be used when items are on sale. Doing this will get you the best possible price for the product. If you must have an item that is not on sale and you have a coupon for it then go ahead and use it. You can’t catch every sale and you will drive yourself crazy trying to. Each person will have to develop a system that works for them. It is best that you organize coupons where you can easily find them and see the expiration date. I suggest a 3 ring binder, and baseball card holders. You can place the coupons in the baseball card holders and that works very well. You can also buy dividers to put your coupons in order by what they are (ie: frozen food, personal care, canned goods, ect…) You will need to develop a system of scouting sales and planning your weekly shopping trips. I check the sales papers or online for the items that are on sale. Then I check my coupons and see how they match up. There are several good websites that can help you do this with little effort. I use www.savvydollar.org this is a local NC site that can help you match up deals by way of other savvy shoppers in the area. I also use www.southernsavers.com which is my favorite. You can click on the store you want to look at and it will show you the best deals with coupon match ups. You can also make a printable shopping list on this site which is very helpful. If you want to save money and time I would say southern savers is your best bet. Please remember that prices on these sites can differ than the price in store, nothing is 100% accurate.
Coupons can be found in the Sunday paper, online and through clipping services. When you use the southern savers site it will give you a link to online coupons where you can just go and print which is great. I usually clip the coupons out of the Sunday paper and file them in my binder. The coupons I don’t use I file in a folder with the date the issued in case I need to go back and get one later. I also sometimes use clipping services. www.couponclippers.com is a great site to buy coupons. If there are coupons you find you need in the Sunday paper and you would like more you can buy them from this service. On their website it shows what day the coupons will ship and it usually takes 3 days for those to reach our area after they are shipped. I usually do this when high dollar coupons are in the paper for items we use frequently. Keep in mind you do have to pay a small amount for these coupons and usually you must order at least $3.90 worth at a time.
With these tips you should be well on your way. Using coupons can save you at least 30 – 50 % on your grocery bill when used correctly. If you are super savvy and spend a lot a time couponing it could save you even more. It’s all how much time you want to put into it. Hope this helps. Happy Couponing!!!!!
Coupon 101
Couponing can be fun and save you money, but it can be very time consuming and confusing. The tips below will help you get started and be useful in your couponing adventure.
Coupon Lingo:
BOGO/B1G1 = buy one get one free
OYNO = on your next order
Blinkie = Red coupon dispenser found it stores with red blinking light
Catalina = Coupons that print and are handed to you with your receipt
OOP = out of pocket
YMMV = your millage may very (when something may differ from store to store)
Store Basics:
Food Lion:
-Will take coupons for face value only
-They will usually let you use two coupons on BOGO items
-Most of the time if you only want 1 BOGO item it will ring at ½ price
Harris Teeter:
-Doubles coupons up to .99 cent every day
-Will double up to 20 coupons per day
-Will double up to 3 of the same coupon anything after that will only be taken at face value
-BOGO items ring at ½ price
Lowes Food:
-Doubles coupons up to .99 cent every day
-Will double up to 20 coupons per day
-Will double up to 4 of the same coupon anything after that will only be taken at face value
-BOGO items ring at ½ price
Kroger:
-Will double coupons up to .50 cent every day
-No coupon limit
-You must buy two of BOGO items one will ring up at full price the second will be free
Getting it together:
The main thing about coupon shopping is realizing that most stores run sales every 6-8 weeks. When an item you need is on sale it is best to stock up because most times it will be several weeks before the item goes back on sale for that price. Coupons should always be used when items are on sale. Doing this will get you the best possible price for the product. If you must have an item that is not on sale and you have a coupon for it then go ahead and use it. You can’t catch every sale and you will drive yourself crazy trying to. Each person will have to develop a system that works for them. It is best that you organize coupons where you can easily find them and see the expiration date. I suggest a 3 ring binder, and baseball card holders. You can place the coupons in the baseball card holders and that works very well. You can also buy dividers to put your coupons in order by what they are (ie: frozen food, personal care, canned goods, ect…) You will need to develop a system of scouting sales and planning your weekly shopping trips. I check the sales papers or online for the items that are on sale. Then I check my coupons and see how they match up. There are several good websites that can help you do this with little effort. I use www.savvydollar.org this is a local NC site that can help you match up deals by way of other savvy shoppers in the area. I also use www.southernsavers.com which is my favorite. You can click on the store you want to look at and it will show you the best deals with coupon match ups. You can also make a printable shopping list on this site which is very helpful. If you want to save money and time I would say southern savers is your best bet. Please remember that prices on these sites can differ than the price in store, nothing is 100% accurate.
Coupons can be found in the Sunday paper, online and through clipping services. When you use the southern savers site it will give you a link to online coupons where you can just go and print which is great. I usually clip the coupons out of the Sunday paper and file them in my binder. The coupons I don’t use I file in a folder with the date the issued in case I need to go back and get one later. I also sometimes use clipping services. www.couponclippers.com is a great site to buy coupons. If there are coupons you find you need in the Sunday paper and you would like more you can buy them from this service. On their website it shows what day the coupons will ship and it usually takes 3 days for those to reach our area after they are shipped. I usually do this when high dollar coupons are in the paper for items we use frequently. Keep in mind you do have to pay a small amount for these coupons and usually you must order at least $3.90 worth at a time.
With these tips you should be well on your way. Using coupons can save you at least 30 – 50 % on your grocery bill when used correctly. If you are super savvy and spend a lot a time couponing it could save you even more. It’s all how much time you want to put into it. Hope this helps. Happy Couponing!!!!!
