If you've turned on TLC in the past year, I'm sure you've seen extreme couponing and thought about trying it yourself; if you do try there are some things you should know about couponing. Once you know the basics, with a little practice, you get a lot of great deals for just a little bit of work! But first you need to learn these 7 things you should know about couponing.
Most manufacturers coupons say right in the fine print that you can only use one per order, but you can use store coupons as well as manufacturers coupons. For instance, let's say you have $2.00 off a Schick razor and your local pharmacy has a coupon for $1.00 off. That's $3.00 off a $6.00 razor, that's an awesome deal! Keep your eye out for store coupons and sales, that way you get the most bang for your buck! That's definitely one of the things you should know about couponing!
Some store like Rite Aid, Fred Meyer, Safeway and Walgreens all have rewards points that go towards coupons or rewards for future purchases. Make sure that you sign up for a rewards card whenever you can. For instance, Fred Meyer lets you collect points for gas deals, personalized coupons AND they send you a coupon that's just free money with leftover rewards points every month. I just got one of those coupons for $23.91, which is just rewards for money I already spent!
That's right, DOUBLE coupons. That means that if you have $1.00 off, you actually get $2.00 off. Pair that with store and manufacture coupons and rewards, and you're basically getting what you want to buy for free. In my area there aren't any stores that double coupons all the time, but there are a couple that run special day long deals where they will double coupons. Just be sure to check your local store's website or check at the customer service desk!
If you've ever watched any of the shows on couponing, you've seen that they have 7 different carts and about 20 different orders. If you want to build a stockpile, you have to do it with multiple orders. You'll have to do some math and figure out what goes in each order. Once you have it down, you can plan everything in each order carefully and keep it separated by cart.
This might be the most frustrating thing about couponing. If you get a cranky clerk, a lot of times if the barcode won't scan, they won't type it in. So be careful where you clip and also try to find one or two clerks that you know will do a good job and stick to their lanes. I can't tell you how many times I walked away from a store spending more than I should have because a clerk wouldn't type my coupon into their machine.
I have a dedicated binder for my coupons. That binder contains forty pages of clear baseball card protectors that are filled with coupons, those coupons are separated by type and there are stick tabs on every page to show me what category of coupons are on each page. That way, when sales papers come out, I can find what coupons I have quickly and make my list! You also need to be organized while shopping with your orders and your coupons for each order. Nothing is more frustrating that trying to find the right coupon for what you're buying with a frustrated clerk and a line full of people behind you.
Once you start couponing you will quickly realize that you have a lot of coupons you won't use but you have so few of the ones you will. This is when you'll wish you had joined forces with other people that coupon. Personally, I trade coupons with my boyfriend's mother and the local coupon exchange in the library!
Well ladies, these are my tips for couponing! What do you do to ensure a good deal? What tips would you give to budding coupon clippers? Let me know down below!