I have always loved to save money, but a couple of years ago I discovered how much money I could save by clipping coupons. In the beginning, everything seemed overwhelming from the coupon lingo and terms, to where to find coupons. It was hard to believe that it was possible to save 50%-90% off my grocery bill each month, but I decided to start learning how save with coupons and have since saved around $400-$500 per month.

Here are my suggestions for beginners.

Start Small

We had been subscribing to the Sunday paper for a while, but I had always just thrown out the Inserts without even flipping through them. This is how I learned to save money with coupons.

• My first step was to pull out these inserts from the Sunday paper and to review them. I would purchase extra papers during weeks where there were a lot of coupons that I would use.
• I clipped the coupons for the brands that I already used.
• I bought a wallet sized accordion folder and separated the clipped coupons into categories.
• I looked through the grocery and drugstore ads to find ways to combine sale and coupon savings.
• You can also follow a couple of your favorite deal sites!

Learn the lingo

There are different types of promotions that you can combine to save money at grocery stores and drug stores.

• Catalina - A Catalina is a coupon that prints at checkout after you buy certain items. In the past you might receive a $10 Catalina which is a coupon toward your next purchase when you buy $20 worth of ice cream. Often these Catalinas roll which means that you can apply your $10 off catalina to your next purchase of ice cream and save even more, then the Catalina would print again.

         Here is how it works:

         Buy $20 worth of participating ice cream
         Use $5 worth of coupons (clipped from inserts)
         Pay $15 for $20 worth of ice cream plus get a $10 catalina.
  
         2nd Transaction

         Buy $20 worth of participating ice cream
         Use $5 worth of coupons (clipped from inserts)
         Use $10 Catalina from the last transaction
         Pay $5 for $20 worth of ice cream plus get a $10 catalina.

Different stores call their checkout coupons by different names. Rite Aid calls their catalinas UP+ Rewards and Walgreens calls their catalinas Register Rewards.

• Double or Twice Value Coupons - My favorite way to save money is with Twice Value coupons. Twice Value coupons are offered at one of my favorite grocery stores and double the value of my coupons (up to $1) making many items free or very inexpensive to buy. 

       If an item was on sale for $1 each then
       use your $.50 coupon for that item and
       use your Twice the Value coupon.
       Item Price = Free

• Inserts - Inserts are the coupon fliers that are included in the Sunday paper. They include coupons from companies like General Mills, Proctor & Gamble, Red Plum and Smart Source.
• Out of Pocket - Out of Pocket refers to the actual cash you will need to purchase items after all the sale prices and coupons have been applied.
• Stock Pile or Stock up - When anyone refers to the term stock up or stock pile, then they are indicating that this is a rock bottom price for an item. Most sales run in a 3 month cycles so you would want to purchase and stock up on enough of that item to last until the next sale. Some items, including non-perishable items, can be purchased and stored much longer, if you have the space. 
• Stacking Coupons - Stacking coupons is a technique where you use a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon and apply them toward a sales price to maximize your savings.

Finding Coupons

• You can find coupon inserts in the Sunday paper and in store ads.
• Find printable coupons on-line at sites like Coupons.com, Smart Source and Red Plum.
• You can also get coupons at Facebook pages and product websites.

Get Organized

• Find a way to clip and store coupons that makes it easiest for you to use them. After all if you do not use them, you will not save money.
• I have used both the small accordion wallet to keep in my purse and have now migrated to a binder system. There are many different ways to organize your coupons, so you will want to experiment to see which system works best for you.

Coupon Ethics

• Do not photocopy coupons.
• You should only use the coupon only for the product and size listed on the coupon.
• Be courteous to other shoppers by placing orders with your store for large orders and avoiding clearing the shelves.

Have Fun

• You can save money with every coupon you redeem, so experiment and find out which system works best for you.
• Allow yourself to make mistakes. I have realized too late that a coupon for a deal has just expired or that the sales item is a different size than the coupon states. Even meticulously planned trips can encounter problems, so be flexible.
• Your cashiers can be a huge part of your experience so be sure to always be friendly. If you notice a mistake or error, just ask them nicely to check into it for you.

How much can you really save? According to an article from the Wall Street Journal from March 2010, you can make $86.40 per hour clipping coupons. $86.40 is a great wage for part-time work! You can read the full article HERE.


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