Coupon FAQs

1. How do I start?
    My advice is to start small. Don't expect to go out and save 90% at every store every week. Pick one store to begin with, follow the sales and match those sale prices with . There are many blogs and videos available to help you on your way. ANY savings is better than no savings. Remember you are wanting to stock up when prices are low so figure out what your family uses and how often you go through things to get an idea of how much to stock.

2. Where do I find coupons?
    The Sunday paper regularly has inserts. Red Plum (RP), Smart Source (SS) and Proctor and Gamble (P&G) are the most common. Sometimes we'll see inserts from Pepsi and General Mills. Coupons.com, Smart Source and Red Plum are good sources for coupons you can print at home. Mambo Sprouts is an excellent source for natural foods coupons. Nob Hill and Whole Foods have store coupons you can print from their websites. You can also combine these store coupons with manufacturer coupons for even more savings. Look for "blinkies" at the grocery store, those little machines that spit out coupons. Take a few extra to save for later. Look for tearpads at the store also. You can "like" companies on Facebook and many of them offer coupons exclusively to their Facebook fans. All You magazine, available at Walmart or by subscription has tons of coupons in it. Writing to companies you like can be another way to get coupons.

3. Isn't Couponing A Lot of Work?
    It doesn't have to be. And the savings are definitely worth it. Since I started putting time into couponing, I have saved about $150/wk in our spending. Let's say I spend 5 hours/wk. looking for, cutting coupons, organizing and planning my shopping trips. At $150/wk savings x 5 hours = $30/hr. I could go out right now and get a job that would net me that kind of wage. My retail savings is probably even higher. Basically I am spending less money but getting much higher value for what I do spend. You do need to be willing to invest a little time to start, but if you are truly interested in saving money, it will be time well spent. Following my blog and others can help you.  The whole point of couponing is to buy what your family will need and use at the lowest price possible, and to buy enough to get through until what you need goes on sale again. That means you are matching coupons with store sales, not using coupons on a full price item. It does take time but again I say it is worth it. It really stinks to have to run out and buy, say QTips for $5 when you know they go on sale for $1.99.

4. How do I get organized?
   There are different ways to get organized to be a successful couponer, the point being find what works for you. Here is how I do it. And I'm sure some of you will figure out a far better method than me. I have a small coupon organizer I keep in my purse. this is like a spiral notebook but instead of paper it has small pocket folders with categories written on them, and is about 5"x7" or so. When I go through the Sunday paper coupon inserts, I will immediately cut out coupons for products I know my family uses. I also put all coupons I print out on my computer into he holder as well. You never know when you might run into something on clearance because stores are always changing their stock. I keep all my Sunday coupon inserts in a portable file box with hanging file folders, organized by date. I used to cut out coupons I knew I would use and recycle the rest.  Then I would find out about a sale that made something free or dirt cheap and I would no longer have that coupon. I used to be a brand snob but I am now willing to try another brand or product if it is free or cheap. I also am able to donate more this way, which is something else to think about. Some couponers use a big zipper binder with dividers and plastic pocket sheets (like for baseball cards) to organize their coupons. And some use a big binder with whole inserts in them that they will cut out when they plan their trip.

5. What is a stockpile and why do I need one?

If you've seen TLC's Extreme Couponing, then you have seen some pretty massive stockpiles. One lady had a whole room just for cookies and snacks, with a lock on it to keep her 8 kids out. But a stockpile doesn't have to be "extreme". Us normal couponers can and should have one too. A stockpile is a supply of pantry, frozen food and toiletry items that you have gotten cheap, or free, that you can use until those items go on sale again. It is good to have a stockpile for not only for couponing purposes, but for emergencies such as a natural disaster or unexpected job loss. You don't have to accumulate one overnight. And you don't need to dedicate a whole room to one. I have a small house right now so my stockpile is in a number of places. Having a healthy stockpile can eventually cut down your grocery bill because you can plan meals by what's in it, and spend less at the grocery store because you are not shopping daily for dinner or buying what you want to eat when it's not on sale. For example, if you are able to stock up on pasta and sauce at a cheap price, and buy ground meat at it's lowest price and freeze it, then you can save money. We got an extra freezer for free off of and we use it to keep bread, meat, frozen pizzas (I only buy these if they are on sale cheap), etc. Did you know you can freeze cheese? Don't try to build your stockpile all at once. It took me a few months to get mine to a decent size. With 4 kids I am still evaluating how much cereal and peanut butter are enough to get us through. I have resorted to hiding some things from them, just to make it last. My kids are learning (for things like cereal, snacks, etc.) if it's not on sale AND has a coupon then we don't buy it.