After recently seeing comments on a friend's facebook page and my own asking how we got things for so cheap on our recent grocery trip and realizing that I only touched on certain points on coupons here and there, I decided to write a "how to" post for couponing to consolidate everything to gether. I'll focus primarily on Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh because those are the stores I primarily shop.
1. The absolutely most important thing you need to know about couponing is to not use your coupon on an item until it goes on SALE!! Now if you absolutely need the item now or you waited until close to the expiration date and it hasn't gone on sale and you still need the item, sure go ahead and use it. But if you can hold off, wait until the item goes on sale. You will maximize your savings.
2. The second most important thing is to know your store policy. Here are Harris Teeter's and Farm Fresh's policies. These will let you know what kind of coupons they do and do not accept. How many coupons can be doubled in a transaction. Stuff like that.
3. Now where to find the time. I don't spend that much time because I use coupon match up websites to match up the store sales to coupons. These sites will have links to any internet coupons for that item. Just do a Google search for the store and the date the sale started. I use the Coupon Consultant for Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh.
4. Look at your receipt and see how your items ring up especially the Buy One Get One Free items (B1G1). Does the second item ring up zero or do both items ring up half price? If they ring up half price, you can use two identical coupons if the coupon is for one item. Again you will maximize savings.
5. Sign up for the store loyalty card. What's an extra card in your wallet? I'll admit Harris Teeter can be expensive (why I use coupons) but they have some really good deals. Lots of B1G1 and even B2G3! I have gotten pasta sauce, pasta, nuts, 12 pack soda cans and even chicken breasts for B2G3. Combine these kind of deals with coupons and you can get items for dirt cheap. When they have these kind of sales I usually stock up.
6. Harris Teeter has another loyalty program called e-VIC. You sign up to get 6 special unadvertised deals that come out on Fridays. These items are usually pretty cheap. They also have electronic coupons that you can load onto your VIC card and combine with manufacturers coupons. For other stores with electronic coupons, make sure to check the coupon policy to see if you can combine electronic and manufacturers coupons. I know Kroger doesn't allow you.
7. Go to a store that doubles coupons. Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh both double coupons. Harris Teeter doubles coupons up to 99 cents every day. Farm Fresh doubles coupons up to $1 on Wednesday and up to 99 cents the other days. Kroger also doubles coupons but they only double coupons up to 50 cents and will round any coupons more than 50 cents up to $1.
8. Subscribe to the Sunday newspaper to get coupons. From what I have heard, coupons are no longer put in the papers at the stores, etc. It works out to be the same amount of money anyway.
9. Print internet coupons. Coupons.com, Coupon Network, Red Plum and Smart Source are good places for internet coupons. Like your favorite products on Facebook or visit your favorite product's website. They usually will have coupons posted or post them every so often.
10. Save every coupon! There are a lot of items that I won't buy because they were too expensive. But I buy them when the sale and the coupon gets them low enough. I use a binder to keep them all organized into categories. It will take you a couple of weeks to accumulate coupons to start getting good savings.
11. It's called Extreme Couponing for a reason. Don't expect to get the savings the people on the show do with your one paper a week and internet coupons. These people use many coupons to get an overage that allows them to get $1500 worth of stuff for $100. It seems like these people get these overages by buying crap. So unless you want to have 1500 mini boxes of cereal, you can do this too.
1. The absolutely most important thing you need to know about couponing is to not use your coupon on an item until it goes on SALE!! Now if you absolutely need the item now or you waited until close to the expiration date and it hasn't gone on sale and you still need the item, sure go ahead and use it. But if you can hold off, wait until the item goes on sale. You will maximize your savings.
2. The second most important thing is to know your store policy. Here are Harris Teeter's and Farm Fresh's policies. These will let you know what kind of coupons they do and do not accept. How many coupons can be doubled in a transaction. Stuff like that.
3. Now where to find the time. I don't spend that much time because I use coupon match up websites to match up the store sales to coupons. These sites will have links to any internet coupons for that item. Just do a Google search for the store and the date the sale started. I use the Coupon Consultant for Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh.
4. Look at your receipt and see how your items ring up especially the Buy One Get One Free items (B1G1). Does the second item ring up zero or do both items ring up half price? If they ring up half price, you can use two identical coupons if the coupon is for one item. Again you will maximize savings.
5. Sign up for the store loyalty card. What's an extra card in your wallet? I'll admit Harris Teeter can be expensive (why I use coupons) but they have some really good deals. Lots of B1G1 and even B2G3! I have gotten pasta sauce, pasta, nuts, 12 pack soda cans and even chicken breasts for B2G3. Combine these kind of deals with coupons and you can get items for dirt cheap. When they have these kind of sales I usually stock up.
6. Harris Teeter has another loyalty program called e-VIC. You sign up to get 6 special unadvertised deals that come out on Fridays. These items are usually pretty cheap. They also have electronic coupons that you can load onto your VIC card and combine with manufacturers coupons. For other stores with electronic coupons, make sure to check the coupon policy to see if you can combine electronic and manufacturers coupons. I know Kroger doesn't allow you.
7. Go to a store that doubles coupons. Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh both double coupons. Harris Teeter doubles coupons up to 99 cents every day. Farm Fresh doubles coupons up to $1 on Wednesday and up to 99 cents the other days. Kroger also doubles coupons but they only double coupons up to 50 cents and will round any coupons more than 50 cents up to $1.
8. Subscribe to the Sunday newspaper to get coupons. From what I have heard, coupons are no longer put in the papers at the stores, etc. It works out to be the same amount of money anyway.
9. Print internet coupons. Coupons.com, Coupon Network, Red Plum and Smart Source are good places for internet coupons. Like your favorite products on Facebook or visit your favorite product's website. They usually will have coupons posted or post them every so often.
10. Save every coupon! There are a lot of items that I won't buy because they were too expensive. But I buy them when the sale and the coupon gets them low enough. I use a binder to keep them all organized into categories. It will take you a couple of weeks to accumulate coupons to start getting good savings.
11. It's called Extreme Couponing for a reason. Don't expect to get the savings the people on the show do with your one paper a week and internet coupons. These people use many coupons to get an overage that allows them to get $1500 worth of stuff for $100. It seems like these people get these overages by buying crap. So unless you want to have 1500 mini boxes of cereal, you can do this too.
