Everyone these days is interested in couponing! And the beauty of it is that EVERYONE can do it.
Coupons are everywhere. They are in stores, in papers, in magazines, on products, and online. First thing to do is collect coupons. In my quest to coupon, I started out with a few Sunday papers, and then began keeping my eyes open. When I stop at the gas station, I wander around - Casey's General Store has a TON of coupons. When I am at SuperSavers, I wander the aisles and grab coupons. When I am looking for a specific product coupon, I search the internet.
Once you have you gathered your coupons, you need to organize them. There are many ways to do so, and I chose the ever popular black binder. I used a black binder and baseball card holders, then divided them into sections such as household cleaners, and toiletries. Some people use a binder with folders, some use just a pouch. Whatever works for you is great, and will help you be organized and have a quicker checkout!
Next up is actually USING said coupons! I would first decided what stores you would like to frequent and then print out their store policy. In the next few days I will be posting links here for policies to many stores. Then I would score the internet - 9 times out of 10, someone somewhere has already done the hard work for you, and matched up the deals. You just need to find them. Most stores run specials weekly, and pairing these with a coupon makes it a great deal. Some stores will have a store coupon that you can stack on top of a manufacturer coupon - this makes it an even better deal. Some stores allow doubling coupons, and that is a great deal as well. The BEST deal is when you are purchasing something at a store that allows overage. For instance, Walmart - lets say you have a $2/1 item coupon, and your item costs a dollar, you can use that overage on the remainder of your purchase, or sometimes recieve cash back. The perfect situation occurs when you can stack these occasions on top of each other.
Checkout can be nervewracking, and often will cause sweaty palms even if you are sure of yourself. There are some things you can do to ease the anxiety that might occur.
1. Be prepared. Organize your coupons prior to your trip, and separate them as you pick up the item off the shelf. Mark down your price matches prior to going to the store.
2. Bring the store policy with you - a lot of times cashiers are unclear or unsure of their companies coupon policy - even mgmt has trouble sometimes. Having it on hand will smooth over any confusion. If it doesnt, dont be afraid to request mgmt. If they wont comply with the policy, dont make a scene. Take note of the day and time, and mgrs name. Call the corporate store the next day, and calmly explain the situation. 95% of the time, corporate will sort things out and everything will be gravy.
3. Be conscientious of the time of day you are shopping. Early morning or evening are best. Dinner time when everyone is getting off work is not a good idea. Introduce yourself, and let your cashier know that you intend to use coupons. If you have a large amount, they may need a supervisor override, and this gives them the chance to request that assistance right away so you are not waiting.
Last but not least, enjoy your success. Tell your friends, and share it on facebook! Couponing is great for saving money, but it is also great for the soul - it builds confidence in yourself and what you are capable of and gives you a sense of success.
Please post any questions/comments/advice you may have to add to this page! Thanks!
