At Pinching Your Pennies we have decided to bring you a multi-part blog series about using coupons. There has been a lot of talk about coupon use, both good and bad lately. Recent popular shows have made coupon use look like crazy behavior and scared many away from using coupons. People on these shows buy 52 bottles of mustard or 79 toothbrushes and try to call it normal coupon use. No way!  In reality, most coupon users are normal shoppers who shop very unnoticed through the store. Let’s get down to the basics!

Coupons 101

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 less than they ever imagined! 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! Who couldn’t use a little extra money? Extra savings in the bank, extra vacations, a new car, there are lots of things all of us could do with a little extra money.  It is so much easier to save money versus earning more money. Using coupons and saving at the grocery store is so easy to do and the savings can really add up!

Accumulate Coupons

The first step to achieving 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 will help you build a useable food storage. Obtaining multiples of coupons is not difficult. Family, friends, neighbors and co-workers are great sources for obtaining multiple coupon inserts.  Find friends who are coupon users and 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. If you watch our blog, forums and emails you’ll see that we bring you links every day to many of the great printable coupons around the internet.

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. There are also lots of other displays and coupon holders out in the stores. Pay attention as you go down the aisles and you’ll learn to spot these easily. 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.

It sounds crazy but this is actually the hardest step. Deciding to start using coupons and making a plan to gather them really is the hardest part! Stay tuned… tomorrow we will talk about getting organized!