Frugal Friday 23: 10 Tips for Using Coupons
September 14, 2007 by Karen Weideman
Filed under The-Grocery-Game, Top 10 lists, coupons, frugal friday, saving money, shopping
When I was a married college student I was a dedicated coupon shopper. I had my coupons organized in my little coupon pouch. I would shop mainly with my coupons at Ingles grocery store because they doubled coupons and I also shopped the sales. With my technique I rarely paid full price for anything.
I’ve decided that I need to get serious once again. No more tossing coupons into an envelope or my wallet or losing them in a mess of clutter on the kitchen counter. I got out my coupon pouch this month and began organizing my coupons. Today I got a mailing of coupons from my mom and immediately filed each coupon and finished labeling my categories. I’m so pleased! 
I have found that there is a store relatively close by that doubles coupons up to 99 cents! This week I had a 55 cent coupon for pickles and I was able to save $1.10 on a jar of dill cubes that cost about $1.89. I also saved 80 cents on the $1.50 crescent rolls I needed. That made my cost 79 cents for the pickles and 70 cents for the crescent rolls.
On the way out of the store, the guy from the newspaper was selling subscriptions. My lucky day. I am now subscribed to the Sunday paper. I am going to be the coupon queen once again. I’m back to claim my crown. lol I may even become a member of The Grocery Game.
Here are a few tips:
1. Make sure the cashier scans your store membership card. Ugh. It is so frustrating when they don’t.
2. Check your receipt before you leave to make sure you got your items for the right price. Or better yet, try to watch as they’re being rung up.
3. Hand the cashier your coupons and watch her scan them. Sometimes they get in a hurry and don’t scan them all. Or sometimes the machine doesn’t pick them up right away and they don’t notice.
4. Find a store that doubles coupons and know their coupons rules.
5. Get a coupon pouch and organize it. Keep it in the car or your purse so that you will always have it with you when you go to the grocery store.
6. Try to buy your items on sale and then use a coupon too. (This is why I want to join The Grocery Game.)
7. Many stores will let you combine store coupons and manufacturer’s coupons. Use the $2 Target diaper coupon and the $2 Pampers coupon at the same time.
8. In your coupon pouch, have a separate section for coupons that are getting ready to expire. I have this at the front of my pouch so that I can rotate my coupons around and not forget to use them. Try to use these coupons first.
9. You can usually save the most money when a product is first released. The item will usually be much cheaper than it’s normal price and the coupon values are higher. The company wants you to try their product.
10. Don’t get caught up in the thrill of saving money. Make sure that you don’t over buy or don’t buy products that you know you won’t use. Of course, you can always use those coupons to purchase products for a charitable organization or food pantry.
Do you have any coupon tips that you could share?
image is mine
I always buy things I wouldn’t otherwise have wanted when I have coupons. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a coupon bring something down below the generic price. How do you keep track of that kind of stuff?
I have been using couponmom.com. I guess it is like the grocery game, but it is free. It tells you the deals at quite a few different stores (like what is on sale and what sunday paper coupons you can use). I have found it to be pretty useful.
To answer babystepper, I have a little notebook that I have put a lot of “staple” items (pantry stuff, diapers…) and how much they cost per unit or ounce or whatever, at different stores. That way if I find a sale or a coupon, I can whip out my calculator and see if it really is worth it or not. I have been keeping track of how much costs at Sam’s Club, and sometimes the name brand stuff in bulk is cheaper than store brand stuff somewhere else, and sometimes it’s not. So it is good to keep track.
I am actually thinking about getting out my coupon pouch again because we have a new little one coming in a month or so. It is hard to find generic baby stuff and the coupons help out.
I also do GroceryGame and coupon mom.
With GG, I buy the list, and the ladies in the group pay me $1.00 for their copy of the list. The money that is pooled get donated to the food bank that our church supports and everyone gets the bargain list!
I was a coupon fanatic in college too. You know what though, it seems like the coupons in our newspapers aren’t as good as they used to be. Where’s the best places to get coupons besides newspapers?
Now that I’m getting back into using coupons, I’ll be researching sources. I’ll be letting you know about places to get coupons. Stay tuned . . .
Very cool… will look forward to hearing about what you find. Thanks Karen!
a great way to make sure you have your coupons with you all the time is if it’s on your phone and you can use your phone to redeem them! check out 8coupons.com, they let you redeem coupons on your phone as a text message. pretty nifty!
never leave home without your coupons. 8coupons.com found nifty way you can redeem your coupons using text on your cell phone. gotta love it!
To piggy back on #5, if you don’t have a coupon pouch you can also use a plain old evelope or a snack baggie in a pinch.
Paperclip it to your grocery list so you don’t forget it, & you’re on your way.