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The Types of Manufacturer's
Coupons: More Than Just Newspapers!
How to clip, file, and store
your coupons
How to build
a coupon binder
WHY
SHOULD I USE COUPONS and HOW DO I USE COUPONS TO GET THE MAXIMUM
SAVINGS?
Is clipping and using the grocery coupons
in the Sunday newspaper a waste of time? No! Using coupons,
smart shoppers have learned how to live on a grocery budget
of $50.00 a week! Savings may be small in the beginning but
with knowledge, time and practice coupon shoppers are saving
more than ever imagined. Even if you don't NEED to pinch your
pennies, you can still have more than you ever thought you
could!
Accumulate
Coupons
The first step to these terrific savings
and successful coupon use is accumulating coupons. Each week
there are usually two different coupon inserts in metropolitan
newspapers with a third insert available once a month. Having
multiples of each coupon enables a shopper to take advantage
of the great deals in bulk. This helps build a food storage.
Obtaining multiples of coupons is not difficult. Family, friends,
neighbors and co-workers are great sources for obtaining multiple
coupon inserts. There's a great trading forum here at PinchingYourPennies.com,
where you can trade the coupons from Sunday paper that you
can't use, for coupons that you can.
Another source of coupons is the internet.
Printable coupons and coupon offers can be found at many manufacturer
and coupon related websites. Many manufacturers also offer
coupons which are sent post mail.
Additional coupons and in-store savings
can be found at most grocery stores. Coupons commonly called
blinkies are available in red machines set up in aisles in
the stores. Also, apply for grocery store courtesy cards.
Most grocery chains have these complimentary cards which provide
extra discounts and savings at their stores. These discounts
can be combined with coupons for maximum savings.
Get
Organized
The second step to successful coupon
use is organization. There is a variety of ways to organize
and maintain coupons. Successful coupon users have a place
to keep and organize the coupons. This can be a box, binder
or flexible file. Plastic flex-type coupon organizers can
be purchased at many stores. Many coupon users make their
own binders using a zippered binder filled with photo pages
or sports card pages. A box with dividers can be made or purchased.
Whatever is used, the coupons are divided and placed in categories
which provide for easy location while shopping.
There are many methods to saving and
cutting the coupons and inserts. Some coupon users will cut
all coupons and file them in their coupon organizer. This
way all of the coupons are available when shopping. If a surprise
deal or sale is found, the coupon is ready. Others cut only
the coupons they are sure to use and leave the rest in the
coupon inserts. When a sale or deal on a specific item occurs,
they can go back to the insert and cut the needed coupons.
If doing this, find a way to file and organize the inserts.
Print or write out a list of which coupons are in each insert.
What
is Food Storage?
The third and most powerful step to
successful coupon use is called building a food storage. When
a great deal is found, buy in bulk. This is why accumulating
multiple coupons is necessary. Buying a lot of one thing at
a great price can lead to never having to pay full price again.
For example, buying six months of cereal at a great price
means cereal will not need to be purchased again until you
run out. This can be done with many food items and most household
goods.
Use
Coupons Wisely
Using coupons wisely is another key
to successful coupon use. There are many ways to do this and
maximize the savings. The first way is to avoid using a coupon
just because it exists. If there is a coupon for an item that
is not a great deal and is not needed, do not use it. Unused
coupons can be traded. Expired coupons can be sent to military
bases overseas where they are valid six months past the expiration
date.
Watch the sales at different grocery
stores. Pair the sales with the coupons to get great savings.
Many times items are just a small fraction of their original
price when this is done. Here at PinchingYourPennies, we compare
ads and coupons for the grocery sales each week. This takes
less research by the coupon user and provides a place for
other coupon users to share deals they find each week.
Know the coupon policies at local stores.
Stop at the customer service desks and ask about their coupon
policies. Some stores double and triple the value of coupons.
Some stores will combine a manufacturer's coupon with a store
coupon. If a store has a coupon in their ad or in store and
there is a manufacturer's coupon for the same item, both can
be used. Two manufacturer's coupons can not be combined. There
are some stores that accept competitor's store coupons.
Read each coupon carefully. Most state
"one coupon per purchase". Each item bought is a
purchase. If 10 of an item is purchased, 10 coupons for that
item may be used. It is rare for a coupon to state "one
coupon per customer".
When coupons are collected, organized
and used in these ways it is easy to slice your monthly grocery
budget in at least half. One PYP user has done just that.
Misti's
Story
“When I first started using coupons
our monthly grocery budget was around $700. That included
food, cleaning supplies, paper products, diapers, etc… It
took a while before I really started to see my budget go down.
I don't think I noticed a difference in the amount of money
I was spending for 5-6 months. But there was a huge difference
in what I was bringing home. Over time, I started to see my
budget come down. It was slow at first but I decided to cut
$50 off each month and see what happened. After another 7-8
months, I had the budget for the same items down to $250 a
month. After having a fourth child I increased the budget
to $300 a month and that is what I spend now.” Misti M. of
Toole, UT
Shopping
Online
Shopping online provides a new shopping
experience for many consumers. Many retailers have websites
where they offer the same products found in their stores.
There are also many retailers who just sell products online
through their websites. Many times items can be found online
at great savings. Many online retailers off free shipping
or have free shipping promotions.
Most internet retailers offer discounts
by providing discount coupon codes for things like free shipping,
percentages off or fixed dollar amounts off a purchase. There
are many places online that compile lists of these codes for
shoppers. There are lists of discount coupon codes for most
of the popular online retailers at www.pinchingyourpennies.com.
Along with discount codes, many websites like this have areas
devoted to sharing internet shopping deals. Recently smart
shoppers were able to take advantage of a toy sale at a major
internet retailer with discounts of 75% of more and free shipping.
With a better price, no shipping charges,
increased internet shopping security, no hassle of going to
the store and further discounts available with coupons codes,
online shopping is growing in popularity. It has become a
first stop for many smart shoppers.
Even with online shopping, smart shoppers
do not give up shopping around town. Smart shopping around
town can also provide great savings. Planning ahead saves
shoppers money when shopping locally. Watch for sales and
clearances. Know where local stores keep clearance items.
Watch for end of season sales. Shopping at the end of a season
for items needed the next year provides huge discounts. Become
familiar with the sales cycles, know when different things
are typically on sale. For example, many things such as mattress
sets are typically on sale for the best discounts in the fall.
Shopping
Around Town
Knowing the pricing policies of local
stores is also important. Some stores have low price guarantees
or match other store's advertised sale prices. Know where
to find information about sales and clearances around town.
Again, websites like www.pinchingyourpennies.com can help
with this. Many local deals and sales at stores are shared
between readers. Even shopping locally can be a money saving
experience.
Whether it is using grocery coupons,
internet shopping or shopping locally, simply knowing how
to shop and where to shop is the key to shopping smarter and
realizing amazing savings. With the right knowledge, shoppers
can pinch their pennies and never pay full price again.
