One of the most frequently asked questions is how do I get started using coupons and saving money. When I talk to people about how to use coupons and save I usually get things like, oh, “they never have coupons for the stuff I buy”, “it takes too much time” or “it’s just too confusing”. I just shake my head and say no, no, no. These are just excuses pure and simple. Anyone can save even a little bit and it’s easier then you think. Here are ways to get it going:
1. Have an open mind!
This is the most important part of saving money. Without an open mind, it’s just not going to happen. You must be open to trying new products and new brands. Throw your brand loyalty out the window. Trust me on this one. Let yourself go for a couple of weeks to just try it. It will work but only if you let it.
2. Change the Way You Shop: You will no longer be shopping for the week, you will now be shopping to stock up.
Throw out the thought of clipping your coupons from the Sunday insert and taking those newly clipped coupons to the store to shop. You are just not going to save money that way. You are now going to shop the circular. Look for the best sale prices on an item and match a coupon to score them at the lowest price. Once an item is available at a super low price, it’s time to stock up. Buy 4 or 6 of the item so you have enough until the next time the price drops low. This simple money saving technique is referred to as stockpiling and it is the key to saving money.
3. Start Small: Don’t try to become the coupon queen or king overnight.
Taking on too much too soon can overwhelm you and burn you out very quickly. Trying to master 3 drugstores, a grocery store and a bunch of catalina deals in a month is only going to have you seeing stars. Don’t do it. Start small with 1 drugstore first, learn how the deals work at that store and get the best deals there. Then move onto another store.
The best place to start is CVS. It’s simple, easy and the deals are basic. You can build up your stockpile of health and beauty aid products fairly quickly (and food too). And, while you are doing it, you will be learning and gaining more confidence that will help you to conquer another store.
4. Gather Your Coupons, because without coupons, none of this works.
The first few weeks as a new couponer, you will come across a few deals that you just don’t have the coupons for yet. Maybe they were from an older insert or they were printable coupons that are not available any longer. Don’t worry about missing out on some deals. Know that there are plenty of them. So, just concentrate on using the coupons you have and building up your coupons and organizing them. In no time, you’ll have enough coupons to wallpaper your kitchen.
5. Use resources that have done all the work already.
Here on LRWC, all the “dirty work” is already done for you. You don’t have to figure anything out. Look for your store, look through the deals you want to take advantage of, clip your coupons, make your list and off you go to save a bundle.
What tips would you give to a new couponer?
Cindy Livesey is the force behind Living Rich With Coupons which provides its readers with all the resources they need to shop smart so they can get life’s luxuries for a lot less. Her family of 5 has saved over $11,000 a year in groceries. And you can too.
{ 90 comments… read them below or add one }
I look at all weekly deals on one day, this way I know which store has the lowest price for the products I need and get them when I get to that particular store. I only shop at one store per day so I don’t burn out. And my newest fun: Shop Rite has an application for those who use the IPhone and you can click the items from the circular and have it handy on your phone while you’re shopping!! (And the application is free
Wow! That ShopRite phone app is amazing! Thanks for posting this!
I agree agree agree with Cindy when she says not to worry about coupons that you don’t have. I totally lost my binder a few months ago. Every coupon I had was in it. 2 months later I was totally fine and had so many coupons that I didn’t know what to do with them all. I love to shop Ebay and some of the coupon clipper sites if there is going to be a good enough deal especially when I didn’t have the coupons because stupid me left the binder in a cart never to be found again.
You have to have a sense of humor too… Don’t let the register people get to you either. It takes many many types of people to make the world go round. For every nasty cashier there are three good cashiers. May not seem like it at the time though.
If you don’t have the coupons to do one deal find another deal that you have the coupons for.
I understand Melissa. I just started couponing, and my very last store, I left my coupons in the cart. Now I’m rebuilding the coupons. I hope I never do that again. And the cashiers, I had one that couldn’t get the coupon to work, so he says, “oh you can try it another time when you come in”, Like i’m going back there again.
I had a cashier at Walmart say that when you “price check” an item you cannot use a coupon too. That’s a bunch of bull.
Hi Cindy,
This is one of the only things that stumps me, I went to walmart lastnight and used my B1G1 Glade air freshner coupon and on the cans there was save 50 cents now coupons, so I figured it would be ok to use 1 of them because I was still buying 1 can and the cashier said no since I already was using a coupon to get one free…can you use a coupons this way?
Hey Jennifer,
First, all stores are different so you have to know the coupon policy of your store.
Second, it depends if the $0.50 coupon was good off 1 or good off 2.
Third, it depends how the BOGO coupon was coded as to if the additional dollar off coupon will beep. If you look at your BOGO coupon, you will see the UPC numbers. If the last 2 numbers (larger set of numbers) are 10 then the BOGO coupon will attach to only one and you are free to use a coupon on the other product without the fear of beeping. If the BOGO coupon has the number 14 then it attaches to both products you can not use another coupon as it will beep.
Now, this is one of those areas that if you are new to couponing (and I’m not necessarily referring to you Jennifer, just in general for others that read may read this) you might want to say away from this and just go the simplest route which is using just the BOGO. Once you get better at using coupons, this will become easier.
Who does not want to save money,I haven’t really used coupons because i live alone but i’m willing to try;;”’
Make sure you have room to store all of the items you are buying. I don’t know what I would do without my extra freezer, one of the best investments we made.
understand the stores coupon policy, print them and insert them in your binder. make friends with the cashiers, (start with small talks) and make sure to thank them for their help, they will make your life easy when checking out with coupons on your next visits. apologize to people waiting in line while your cashier is doing your coupons. for some reason this works magic for me, the cashiers smile when i take the responsiblity of holding up the line. most of all, always make it a habit to visit lrwc.
absolutely right as i was an employee and everyone always assumes its the employees fault for the line moving slowly.
i work in a shoprite in ny and i know in my store we are only allowed 4 coupons of the same item per day and we double mfr coupons up to .99
Just wanted to give a big thank you for doing the dirty work!
Yes, thank you soooooo much!
I agree with Uneen on making friends with the cashiers. The cashiers were the hardest thing for me when I first started. I had to shop around to find the stores that were the friendliest to couponers. I have had quite a bit of trouble with Target which is unfortunate because I LOVE Target. Certain Foodlions in my area are fantastic. CVS, and Walgreens are always winners. Rite Aid is always a miss though, grrr. It is frustrating in the beginning and a little intimidating to find the right stores for you but hang in there I promise it is worth the trouble!
That’s funny to me because my Target never gives me any trouble with my coupons and they hardly ever beep wrong. I also love Rite Aid and have had the worst time with Walmart and Walgreens. I’m starting to recognize some of the nicer Walgreens cashiers though and learning what to do about error beeps! I’m just skipping out on Walmart though. It’s too far away and even though they pay overage, it’s not worth my hassle.
oh I have to agree about Walmart. I haven’t even bothered going there with coupons. Its a half hour or so away from me, and so not worth the drive and any hassle (based on everything i’ve heard about walmart, cashiers at walmart, and coupons).
cashiers at walmart are trained to be slow, i swear! It’s hard to beat going to one store and price matching though. I have found a cashier here in las Vegas that is fast and never asks to see the ad’s. so nice.
I think it would be great if stores had “coupon friendly” check out lanes. Other patrons would know what to expect and the cashiers would be completely prepared and knowledgeable. I am new to this and to me, it is the most intimidating part of the process.
Christina, that is an awesome idea. It seems like I see people doing coupons more and more and to have the cashiers trained and dedicated lanes for it is a great idea. It is really intimidating trying to explain how a coupon works to a cashier especially when you are just starting out
Thank you Cindy for clearing this up for me, and yes I am new! lol and Thanks everyone else for the help! Im very kind until the cashier comes across a coupon that states $1 off 2 pack or larger and the cashier says its off 2 not 1 you only have 1 and they won’t even attempt to scan it!! or let me explain the coupon!! then the claws come out! lol
i totally agree with ueen! a little sweetness goes a loooong way. also, if you are doing multiple transactions at a drugstore, offer to go to the end of the line again.
also, be prepared to walk away from a deal. remember some of these deals you were only purchasing at that time because you could get it at a super low price with your coupons, if the cashier is giving you a hard time about it…then be prepared to nicely walk away!!! just politely ask for your coupon back (why do they seem to hold onto them sometimes even when they are not swiping them?) and then hand them the items that you don’t want and say very sweetly “ok, then i don’t want these if i can’t use my coupon” be prepared to walk away…more deals will come…you will use those coupons again…or more coupons will come….
also, sometimes, when you plan on walking away, they will then take the coupon that they originally said they couldn’t take, this is rare though. (target is such abeast about coupons and stuff…i am mostly referring to target, but i have walked away from other deals too)
I’m pretty new to couponing and am getting ready to go to Kroger in the morning. I was letting it stress me out, but reading what everyone here has to say has helped me let go of my perfectionism…thanks!
Hi ladies! I’m super new to couponing (just joined this site on the past friday) but on saturday I went to Safeway and with the tips I learned here I saved $62 from my grocery bill!!!! But any way I ALREADY have a tip for other newbies, if at all possible go to the market either early when its still empty or late at night if you have a 24hr market like some pathmarks. That way you don’t have to feel so bad when you hold up the line with all your coupons b/c chances are there’s no one behind you
!
Pathmark is my favorite. last shopping trip I broke into 2 transactions to take advantage of $10 off $100 coupns. 1st total was $121 with savings of $75, second total was $181 with savings of $150. I wait until the end to give my Pac card to see the total roll down
I’m fairly new to this couuponing too, but I’m certainly NOT saving as much as everyone else seems to be! Today, at shoprite, I saved $12 via coupons I clipped but a total of $40 if you count the sales and the price club savings (which I don’t). Even so, $12 is better in my pocket!!
Why wouldn’t you count the sales and price club savings? That’s the key — stacking the discounts so you save the maximum!
im new couponing. im 23yrs old with 3 kids under 4yrs old and watching pple save so much makes me want to save too. i figure the more saved on groceries the more i have to put away for my kids. its been hard with the ecomony raising prices on everything n being able to save on food is great. i went shopping yesterday at shoprite n saved about $100 using coupons n sale items i cant wait to save more n have my total be less n less until i master i art of couponing
I have been couponing for less than a week and I have saved 280 dollars. I still spent three hundred because I still needed items that I didn’t have coupons for. I normally spend a out 600-700 hindered dollars a month on groceries so saving 280 in less than a week makes me happy. Thank you for all the tips and advice.
eventually you’ll be shopping because it’s on sale w/coupons not because you need it.
Ok silly question but when a grocery store has a deal for pasta 10/10. They only allow four like coupons per transaction. My question is do you have to buy all 10 to get the deal? Can I only buy four for $1 and then use my coupons?
It depends on how it is worded on the 10 for $10 deal. Sometimes you have to buy all 10. Normally, at Weis , you don’t…each one is $1. Just read the fine print!
Kroger is having a sale on pasta 10 for 10 right now, there you can buy whatever amount you want and it’s still $1.
normally read the tag it tells u whether or not u have to purchase all 10 in blk print it will say must buy so and so to recieve discount
Sometimes if have to really pay attention to the ad. When I first started I was looking at an ad for a spartan store and they were having alot of 10/$10 sales and the thing that got my attention was that I could mix and match all the items that were listed as 10/for $10. This was great because some of the items I only had a few coupons for.
I think most stores you get the 4 boxes at a dollar a box.
I am so new to this I went shopping tonight for the first time with coupons and what confuses me the most is the $1 for 2. Can you please explain to me do you always have buy the second item for the coupon to work? the cashier handed me back 5 different coupons cause I didn’t buy the secont item. If I have to buy the 2nd can I use another coupon for that item too if I had one. I’m sorry if the questions are silly but I want to get all the basics understood. Thanx for your help in advance I’m sure you will be hearing from me a lot more.
u have to but two of those itiems to get the dollar off
If it’s $1 off 2 items, then yes…you have to buy 2 items.
Hi from Texas all!
I just wanted to say a great big THANK YOU for putting all this great info on your site! I just started with the coupons and this is such a huge help. Did my first deals this last week for Easter at CVS and Walgreen’s and had a blast!! Thanks again…this is a great, encouraging blog, love it!
As a new couponer just 4 months in the game, I love this site as it is the best one I’ve found for the tri-state region so I can’t thank you enough for including not only the store deals, but unique posts such as the one you posted on which Shop Rites double fully or just to $1. That was not only valuable for shopping purposes, but also kinda fun to see all the diff ppl you’ve helped in our area!
My personal “hey I’m not such a freshman anymore” experience was at Walgreens last week, the cashier read a Do Not Double coupon and informed me that it meant that I could not use mult copies of that coupon and would have to do each item in a separate transaction. I was dumbfounded to find a cashier that didn’t know that Do Not Double actually means not to double the value of the coupon, not the amount of coupons/items per transaction. I actually laughed out loud as it seemed rather silly a concept but she was confident in her beliefs. But I stood strong, got a manager in on it, whipped out the copy of their coupon policy and proceeded to get all my items scanned properly, in one transaction. Woo hoo for becoming what i call now, a sophmore in the school of couponing! =)
Hi, Kerry! I though that it meant what the cashier was telling you, to not use multi coupies so thank you so much for sharing this info
) I’m a freshman here, joined a few days ago but look forward to learn much from all of you!
just wanted to say I LOVE THIS POST! ive been slowly working my way into couponing, i just bought my first coupon binder this week ( super exciting) and i will defenitly be adding the coupon policies to it for quick checks at times like these!
rock on fellow couponer
Is there one place where we can download and print out all the stores coupon policies?? I’m having a hard time finding them on the stores’ sites – and I asked at a few stores and they always tell me they’re out! UGH! And each cashier thinks the policy is something different! Would like to have them all printed and on hand to show them when they get cranky!
Thanks for all the help! Love this site!!
Just got back from my Pathmark trip.It was way harder then it should have been.I had all my coupons in hand and I planned out every item.I did save lots,but I thought I would get free items.Long story short the cashier and the manger made it Hell.
I did learned lots on this trip.Being nice,when other are rude keeps your blood pressure down,don’t let others get to you ,and always have a plan B.
Hi Cindy,
First of all i want to thank you for taking the time to explain everything to beginners like me. I am aware that takes time and thank you for reminding me. I live in california and i would like to know what kind of stores are the ones that you shop because most of them are not near were i live or they are just not here in california. you have mention a couple but the most commons are walgreens, cvs, target and maybe that is it. Maybe the other once are like vons? albertsons? or Ralphs?
i would like to become extreme in savings, i know its going to take time and once again thank you for creating this space.
I literally started couponing today at Walgreen’s and I couldn’t be happier! I went back twice today to get the bic soleil, noxzema razors, right guard, and John Frieda shampoo deals with comet for a 50cent filler. They were SO patient and taught me about separating my transactions to get the register rewards. TWO different ladies helped me figure it out!!! So starting with Walgreen’s is a good idea too! I got 5 packs of razors, 4 things of comet, 2 right guards, a lysol neutra air, a shampoo, a conditioner and some other things for a couple of dollars!!! WOO!!!
I have tried twice now to save money. I dont think im very good at it first time i only saved 20.00 and spent 130.00 at walmart grocery shopping. Second time (yesterday) i got personal items from cvs and saved 32.00 spent 50.00. Saving on food shoppin is what im really interested in. Does anyone have advice on matching coupons to stores. I feel like i dont have the coupons for what the stores have on sale. also if a store has a buy 2 for $4 sale can use two coupons???
to Danielle yes if a store is having a 2 for $4 sale you can use 2 coupons….
I wanted to hear from any one from the Los Angeles , area. I only have one store that will double coupons . That Is Ralph’s . If anyone from the area know of any other store that has a good coupon policy , please share . most recently I bought $112 of frozen food and snack product and saved over $62.00 .
Hey y’all i am also new and have only done one good trip since started it was at walgreens and when it was not going the way i wanted i said ok i think i dont want these items left in cart and left! i went home looked over recipt and it wasnt me the casher wasnt doing it right the manager worked with me and u finshed shopping and got 90 worth stuff for 10.85 and a 5 doller gift card so i was happy with them but i am curious on the food part now.. i am having a hard time finding things i would use or try… ne ideas on how to expand my couponing experience?
100% agree to not going during peak shopping times. In the middle of the night sometimes this backfires though, Pathmark I’m looking at you. They reduce the number of cashiers and there is sometimes a very long line. I’ve started shopping with no lines at the registers but by the time I was ready to check out there were crazy lines on 2 cashiers.
I’ve been doing this for 3 weeks now and I am very frustated and confuse none of the stores here in monterey county, ca double coupons and most of them do not accept the printed ones and when I ask to speak to the manager they get upset and by the time the manager comes out he/she does not even want to take a look at the coupon. He just tells me they don’t take them. I feel so bad that I am considering giving up on couponing…..
I’ve been inspired by the reality shows and started really couponing this week. I had no issues with my cashiers at Rite Aid and at Shop Rite. In fact, the guy at Rite Aid happily explained their up deals and I ended up walking out of there saving about $36 on $100 worth of stuff. The girl at Shop Rite couln’t wait to ring me up to see how much I saved. There was a couponer in front of me and she wanted to see who got more. Of course I did! $425 in stuff for $300. and $15 free stuff on my next trip through Catalina!
Hang in there Hope, it does really get better…it’s a lot of details to learn, ya don’t feel stupid forever, trust me! ~Chin up
I like going to target,they are always so nice.I do well there,stacking works great,don’t forget to bring your reuseable bags and save that way too.
I started couponing just last month on April 20th i was able to buy 2liter pepsi
I recently started couponing a month ago and started building my small stock pile. I am very excited about it too! Thanks Cindy for this wonderful site. I create my list form your website every week.
I want to say a big thank you as well. I just started couponing last month and my coupons have quadrupled since then. I have saved so much with this website. I’m satisfying my shopping fetish along with saving tons and scoring free stuff all while having fun. I get so excited when I get to the registers. I find myself admiring my receipt sometimes lol…This website def gets a “five thumbs up” from my family. My advice to the newbies like me: It’s like learning a new skill; practice makes perfect. You will be a pro in no time. Always stand your ground, know your policies…and most importantly have fun!!
Hi I love your site I have saved so much with your help, I save at least $250.00 every month on food, which is a big deal b/c I have 6 children, 2 which are teenagers! We fill up our gas tank for ¢75 at least once a month thanks to Price Chopper. I am alway on my Pandigital looking for free coupons & free stuff, my mail lady comes with a speacial bag that has all my stuff everyday! I do have one question when I click on here for a free item how do I know if I did it right? Sometimes I click & nothing happens……..
Hi, I just started using coupons and I got some good deals already in personal care items thanks to you (LRWC) but not in food, I live in bridgeport, chicago and I can’t find a store that double coupons, if someone knows pls let me know. Thks
let me just say i am a newbie ..have only been doin this for a month now and am addicted…the most i have managed to save is 43% but i am challenging myself to break the 50% mark..lol! love getting freebies and next to nothingies!! i have a quick question..if my store has a 6 pack of say bounty ppr towels on sale and i have a coupon (or two) for >25 cents off a roll of bounty ppr towels can i apply this to the multi pack? thanks for all the great tips!!! lovin the pennies i’m saving!!
Make sure you have a budget and you follow it even though you are stocking up. I made the mistake of stocking up through couponing, but I spent a lot of money in the first 3 months and overshot my budget ….a lot. Although, I am very,very stocked up, it has taken a few months to recover and then even longer to start seeing the savings. But it is worth it in the long run.
I am confused on how this is going to work for me. Where I live no one doubles coupons and some of the printables wont scan and the stores wont take them. So I waste time and ink on my printer. Also they do not even sell Sunday papers with coupons where i live. Someone please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try looking for coupon clipping sites, try facebook and ebay or just search coupon clipping. You can buy coupons from them. Look at your store policies and write to the store higher ups about not accepting printed coupons. Our Tops stores did not accept them and I wrote and they changed the policy (not saying cause “I” wrote but I bet lots of people did)
When I got my iPhone, my mother-in-law asked me what I needed it for. Well, let me tell you, it’s been VERY helpful! If you have an iPhone and a Stop & Shop and a Target and a ShopRite and you drive a car, here are the BEST money saving apps:
Stop & Shop: This app will give you this week’s and, by Wednesday afternoon, the following week’s flyer, with a list maker that lets you add the sale items and then other stuff. You can also track your promotional points, such as gas points. Every 100 points saves you 10 cents per gallon, usually at a Shell station. Last Monday (9-12-11), the credit card price for gas at the Shell was, I think, $4.099. I had 800+ points. 17 gallons, a bag of ice and a box of sandwich bags later, my total was $55. I paid somewhere between $3.399 and $3.499/gallon. She shoots, SHE SCORES!
ShopRite’s app is pretty much the same as Stop & Shop’s. Look through the flyer, compile a list, but ShopRite’s app lets you place a check mark next to the item on your list when you put it in your cart.
Target’s app will show you the weekly flyer by midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning. Actually, it’s broken down by category. It does have the tendency to show you stuff that’s ONLY available on the web, but I think you can ship-to-store. It also shows you their Daily Deals and you can access Club Wedd and Target Baby registries. And if you sign up for text alerts, you get some nice savings. The only issue I have with Target, in general, is that their coupon app for the desktops crashes the instant it’s installed. They use one by Catalina Corp and no browser I use likes it. Not IE, not Chrome.
Tanger Outlets has a really nice app, too. I just started using it last week. And additional savings and goodies if you sign up for text alerts, too. I saved nicely at Vitamin World and Hanes.
Another VERY useful app that I love is GasBuddy. When I don’t have a bunch of S&S gas points or I’m hoarding points for a special trip, or I’m not near my usual stations, I use this app. It’s a user-updated app that gives you the best prices in your area, sorted either by distance or price, can map your route to the gas station and, if you sign up for it, you can win tickets to be entered into a gas card drawing, just by updating gas prices. So, for example, if your GasBuddy says the Mobil down the street from you either doesn’t have a price listed, or has a different one than when you get there, you can update it for points toward the drawings. Admittedly, I don’t take advantage of this feature, but someone with more time might want to. Also, it’s slightly glitchy sometimes. If I’m sitting in my living room and it says that the nearest station to me is the BP 3 blocks away and then go to my basement, which is basically 10 feet straight down, it’ll tell me that the nearest station is the Mobil 3 miles away, but it’ll tell me it’s 3 blocks. I’ve told them of this, so hopefully that’ll be corrected.
Are you still with me? Good. I get long winded sometimes. The other great thing about these apps is that they will find you the nearest store based on your GPS in your smart phone. Very helpful when we go to Stew Leonard’s and decide to pop into the Target up there instead of the 2 I usually go to. If the flyers are a little different for each location, I won’t be surprised when the toothpaste I need is a dollar more expensive up there than down here.
OK I’ve babbled enough. Happy Couponing, Ladies and Gents!
Amy
Correction to this post: the Stop & Shop app doesn’t generate a list for you.
Hi!
I am new to this website and have been couponing since June. I am discouraged that my weekly grocery bill is not as low as I thought it would be by this time. I do buy some organic items (milk, yogurt, some vegetables, and some cereals) and buy better quality meat at the local meat market which costs more than buying at a grocery store. I try to keep things around $150/week, but think it should be lower than that by now. My questions are how low should you set your budget and when there’s a good deal for a stockup, do you use all of your coupons to buy that item even if you may go over your budget?(For example Kroger’s has Gillette body wash for $2.99. I have 6/$2 coupons, but only used 3.) I have never been on a strict budget before and now would consider myself on a “loose” budget. Sorry for rambling on, but I really would love for this grocery bill to be lower!! Thanks so much and God bless:-) I love your website; it is very helpful:-) Also, do you strictly stick to your budget? When a really good deal comes up and it’s not in your budget, what thoughts are in your mind??
Thanks, Kat
I am very new to Extreme couponing, but have done okay with saving on typical grocery store items, my main question is this for you extreme couponing savers… HOW DO YOU SAVE ON FRESH PRODUCE, AND FRESH MEATS? My bill always goes up from fruits, veggies, chicken, meat, milk, etc.
Also, do most of you buy numerous copies of the Sunday paper to get extra coupon inserts? How do you get more than two copies of each coupon? I receive one Sunday paper and print out two copies of the products I like from the internet, but you are only allowed two of each, so what do you all do?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Gail
As for getting coupons, you know you have a friend/co-worker who just tosses the flyers and inserts in the recycling bin. Put out the word at school/work/church that you are looking for extra coupons from anyone who is not using them. You can easily score extras that way. And I try to pay it forward. I get coupons from a couple friends, but I, for example, do not have any babies any more so don’t need the diapers, etc. I clip and bundle them all up and pass them on so someone else can use them.
As for how to save money on produce, etc., I have always looked at it the way Cindy does: If I am getting $5 cereal for $2 a box, that freed up $3 of my budget to put toward things I cannot get with a coupon, like produce or meat. The other thing to do is to figure out if your grocer does the Catalina deals, spitting out a dollars-off coupon if you buy the right products. I use those, when I get them, to cover things like a nice roast or fruit. I am feeding a family of 5 for about $75 a week, and that includes everything for three teenagers. Some weeks I spend more, some weeks less, but that is the average. Buy in bulk, never pay full-price and you can do it too!!
I have done couponing a little but not nearly as much as I am beginning to because I want to get the most for my money as well as save because I have a family of 5. I love to go to Brookshire’s in my area because they do a lot of 10/$10. I will usually have a coupon for something that is in that bracket and I will only pay maybe .75 for 3 or 4 to the 10. Couponing is time consuming but it’s makes me smile when I see how much money I have saved at the end. Thank you for the tips and I will continue to coupon. Don’t get discouraged, it takes time but IT’S WORTH IT!
Gail, the best way to save off of produce is to have a catalina from a previous purchase. For example, a few weeks back there was a cat from heinz….it as 5.00 off your next purchase. It can be used for anything. Try to look out for those deals and use a coupon. The gravy as .99 each….buy five and get 5.00 off your next purchase…free gravy….even better I had 2 1.00 off 2 gravies. So in fact I made 2.00 and got them free. I buy four extra papers on top of my sunday paper delivered. Well worth the money. I have also found some meat coupons from perdue, tyson, hatfield and johnsville. Good luck!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make life easier for others! I am a stay at home mom w / 4 children 4 and under, and I am finally taking the time to research this stuff to see if it is worth my time, which is something I dont have much of, LOL! You have lined everything out exactly the way I was asking in my mind. I do believe this is going to be a huge blessing for my family, along with something I can enjoy doing and feel good about. God bless you and thanks again!
I just started extreme couponing 2 weeks ago. I don’t think I am doing it right. I try to save money by using coupons but only end up spending more because I buy things I normally don’t buy.
Rana, that is the trick. Coupons only save you money if you use them on things you already purchase regularly. I’m kinda new to this whole thing too. But I’m doing pretty well, I saved 53% at one grocery store the other day. A couple tips. First, only clip coupons for things that you actually use. Second, there are websites that make it easy to find the best prices. I found one that goes through all the stores in the state you live in and outlines for you what is on sale at each store, so you can compare prices, and tells you which items have coupons that go along with the sale items. This is where the savings come in: the stacking of store sales and coupons. You can even use manufacturers coupons with store coupons. Third, I purchase two Sunday newspapers to get double the coupons. It is just my girlfriend and myself so two of each coupon is usually enough. A lot of times coupons are capped at 4 per visit. If you have a family you may want to by four of something so they last longer. An extra $1.75 doubles my savings. Finally, and this the most important in my opinion. STICK TO YOUR LIST!!!! When I go shopping I save a boatload. When I bring my girlfriend….not nearly as much. She is prone to impulse buys and often these things are not on sale. This drives up your costs. IF you stick to the list things will turn out better for you.
thanx for your great tips… can u plz mention the name of the site that compares prices
Where I live the stores will only double coupons just up to 50 cents and they will only let you use one coupon per person! what do you do in a case like that?
I would drive to better stores. Our local (17 miles away) stores are way overpriced so I drive 70 miles to a bigger town and go to chain stores with better prices and coupon policies.
I would do that AND write to the store and tell them you are doing that. I did that with TOPS market when they would not accept internet coupons and they changed their policy.
i work 10hrs a day monday to friday and 4hrs sometimes on saturdays. i live in an apt that doesn’t have a big pantry. i get my sunday newspaper and cut what i can. i go to one grocery store..walmart neighborhood grocery store after church and i usually only save abt $3-$10; and spend $70. my grocery store doesn’t have deals or double ups. i don’t have internet (at my mom’s at this current time) and have tried to print out coupons but i get all these junk emails and they are coupons i don’t need. i really want to save money but with the little amount of time i have for myself, i do not want to spend it running around to 3 different stores just to save money on grocery when i can save money on gas. couponing is confusing and i don’t understand how people can save money.
I’ve been extreme couponing for about two months and have experienced a little of all the points raised. I decided to coupon when my budget per month wasn’t enough to cover my vegan/organic diet. I’d spend over $300/week on fresh produce and organics. I became frustrated when I learned that produce was not only one of the most expensive parts of grocery shopping, but also, the least likey to find coupons for. I had to learn to buy frozen instead of fresh at times and to find alternatives. Gardening or finding others who garden is always a good idea. If that’s not possible, try local stands, buy when in season and freeze for the future.
I also learned quickly that the most challenging parts of couponing in the first couple weeks were (for me) the organizing and systeming, figuring out each stores policies, matching up the best coupons to use at the right stores and at the right times for maximum savings (for example, saving my higher coupons for stores that don’t double and using my printed coupons at stores that accept AND will double them) it became overwhelming when I realized all the variables and having to compare each store to decide which one I should settle on, as not to shop at 5 different stores. I managed to fine tune after making all the mistakes, and admit I took on too much at once. It’s better to test the waters … not print 100 coupons for things you’ll never use, yet printing all coupons you can because you never know what you can score for free.
Lots of work cut out for us trying to save! Now, here are my newest issues. Cashiers. I notice I’ve got a lot of lazy employees and some who were helpful and fun and taught me things. I ask a lot of questions and they don’t hesitate to detail. Usually those are Walgreens or CVS employees as opposed to the grocery stores. I even got managers who lied to me just because they didn’t know how or want to do the work it took to service me. That humiliated me and frustrated me. I went home crying many times after a well planned out shopping trip didn’t go as anticipated. Items weren’t stocked, machines didn’t accept, I forgot to read the limits, etc.
I start to get panic attacks when I reach the finish line because despite all the work, that’s the scarier part! You never know what you’ll get, if you have to put items back, how the line will pile up, etc. Here is my advice at this point… because it changes and I learn more by the minute. I would say first, make sure you read all the fine print, including coupons and ads. Learn the policies over each day until you have them memorized. Buy as many papers as you can. Clip everything, even if you don’t use the brands/items. Read all the blogs like this one that you can. Skip the deals you don’t have the coupons for nor think you can handle. Do it small. It’s easier to catch register mistakes, errors, and make sure coupons are doubling or scanning. Keep updated on the policies, they change often. Handle things at customer service as not to make a scene or hold up a large line. Ditch items if it’s too much of a hassle or the coupons aren’t scanning. Limit your mass quantities until you can handle multi-tasking. Ask questions of the cashiers. If they raise an issue with a coupon and are stubborn – tell them to call a manager, stand your ground, or leave, depending on how important it is to you.
Don’t expect everything to come at once. I never used a coupon in my life and did my homework to where I now save 90% on my bills. It took a lot of flexibility and a lot of understanding that sometimes it’s better to “let it go” than not. Another deal will come along. Sometimes even better. I try more and more to get my out of pocket less and less. I don’t buy if it’s not absolutely needed or a deal I can’t refuse. I don’t expect to get $800 worth of stuff on one trip. I try to save the most and buy as I need. Having too much in the frig can make you (over eat to get rid of the stuff and also have things go bad) … making the savings not worth it. I also don’t drive to 100 stores to save 50 cents. I just pick the best store with the most deals. ALSO, really important, always bring your coupons. You never know when you find a deal you didn’t expect. Check clearance aisles and you’ll say to yourself, “hey, I have a coupon for that!” And always, learn the art of stacking!
Sorry for the long message. Keep your head up. We need to help change policies and have customers inform more. Check, check check your bill, even if it’s too long, too confusing or you’re exhausted from the whole experience. I just found out the other day that Walgreens considers their register rewards as manufact. coupons and that CVS does rainchecks on items. And lastly, no matter how good you are, mistakes will always happen. Don’t sweat it!
thnx for ur post!
when we go to the coupon database we are having a hard time actually finding and getting the coupon…please help us with this. We wanna do this whole thing but we are new and just learning I think we have the just of it but we are having trouble actually getting the coupons..ie.(the tide coupon) (suave coupon) anything you can tell us would help!! Thanks in advance! =)
I checked out the database to see which coupons you may be trying to get. So here it goes ……. Let’s start with the Suave, that’s easiest. In the column that the coupon is located it will list the date with an insert from the weekend newspaper, or a printable website you can click on. The “RP” means Red Plum insert from that particular date paper. “1/08/12″. “SS” means Smart Source, printable means you can click on the highlighted area and it will take you to the coupon. You need to buy your local newspaper for the inserts. If you go to the top of this page and click on “beginners” it will give you complete information. There will even be a link to find out which newspapers have the best coupons in your area. Make sure to check the inside of the paper for the coupon inserts before you buy it! It’s awkward at first, but you’ll get over it quick. Keep all of your inserts and don’t throw them away, you will always be using older coupons that have not yet expired.
About the Tide ……. you can click on the link for the printable coupon and it will take you to Facebook. You need a Facebook account to access all Facebook pages, it is easy to set up and free. (Also set up a new free email from yahoo, or gmail, or hotmail to use for couponning only. It fills up quick and you’ll want to keep your personal stuff separate.) After you have your Facebook page, you can login to the Tide page. On the left hand side of the Tide page where it says “my Tide” you can click on “special offers”. This will take you to the page that has all of the offers that are currently going on. Right now you can sign up for the “P&G Everyday Solutions booklet” This will arrive in the mail in a few weeks. It has many coupons in it for P&G products. Hang on to it, even if you don’t think you can use many of the coupons right away. For the future, most coupons on Facebook you need to “LIKE” that particular Facebook page to get the coupon. The $2.00 coupon comes around frequently, that one you need to sign up for then Tide will mail it to you. Keep checking this website, it will let you know the next time it is available.
There is a lot to learn in the beginning, hang in there. Once your coupons start piling up, it will be easier to have them for the deals that are currently going on. You can also buy coupons from the internet. I think this is also talked about in the beginners area. Good Luck!!
Best Advice – Go to the “Beginners” link at the top of the page and study everything. Print out important pages to use for reference until you get the hang of it. You can also attend one of Cindy’s workshops, you can find that information by clicking on “ABOUT” at the top of this page, then scroll down and click on “COUPON WORKSHOP SCHEDULE” to find out when there will be one in your area.
I am an employee at shoprite 11years now, cashier and bookrunner, I am also a couponer always have been however, This site opens my eyes to so many other things to save me more money!! I am on a very fixed income, husband disabled so thats social security, my part-time pay and 3 teenagers! I shop twice a month spend at least $300 however I always save at least $100-$150 in coupons. but i need to get more organized. is the binder easier than a box? also I need to save more. could really use some tips on how to save. I always seem to run out of things and find myself grabbing something before I go home. how do I start stockpiling?
I did my first shopping trip today to stop n shop…. bought 38$ worth of stuff for $23 … saved around $16 … 42% savings… i am pretty happy n proud of myself… i hope to just get better at it… i started reading into couponing just after the new year… thnx cindy n everyone else who comments n adds their valuable input
I did my first shopping trip with coupons at Rite Aid yesterday (Friday). My total before my wellness card and coupons was $62.39. I saved $22 with my wellness and +up, and had $18 in coupon savings. I paid 22.39, exactly $40 in savings on my very first trip. Of course being a wellness plus member paid off a lot, but I made sure I took advantage of the in-ad deals/coupons.
***NOTE : my Rite Aid allows you to mix any 10 for 10 items, I called ahead to make sure of this, thus resulting in my savings.
Happy Couponing!
Can anyone tell me how to use stockpiling efficiently? Like how often do items rotate on sale? Cereal? Canned goods? frozen? Paper goods? etc…
I was at Smiths (kroger) the other day and they said their case lot sale is January and April, other than that it doesn’t happen again until the following January. That seems a bit weird.
How are we to know when and how much to buy if its random?
hey everyone! BRAND NEW COUPONER here im wondering if i can find a site or blog where i can find someone in my area to show me the ropes a bit more i seem to be a bit dyslexic to this and to be honest really intimidated
Welcome Val!
..good luck!
couponing is exciting… i am fairly new too … but have been doing good and am totally addicted…
make sure u read the complete beginers section here… its really usefull… some things that u may not understand while reading.. chances are that it will strike u when u do ur shopping trips… besides that Living rich with coupons(LWRC) has a facebook page too ..which is great too follow…
as for people in ur area… wer are u from? Cindy from LRWC i beleive has workshops in NJ… but if u are from anywhere else.. try looking for ur state coupons page on fb… i am from RI and we have a page there( not too active though) but maybe u can collaborate with someone and go on shopping trips together … hope this helps