New Local Blogger, Freebie site! Giveaway!

Free is For Me--a new Portage County area blogger has set up shop to keep track of legitimate freebies for us, both in the stores and online! The site is still up and coming but she is offering a $20 gift card giveaway once she gets 100 likes on her facebook page. I will be interested to watch what deals and freebies she finds for us as she is building up her blog.

Quick Trip, HUGE savings! Couponing Tip!

I had to run some errands and pick up a couple of things. My trip took me directly next to Walmart so it was there I decided to shop. Some time ago I received a pair of Schick Hydro coupons, one for a free razor (up to $10.99) and a $2 off of refills. I noticed that Walmart had these gift sets on sale for $9.97 so I decided to see if my coupon would work for my set. Lo and behold, it did. Score one free gift set!

Since I also needed diapers, I decided to take advantage of Walmart's price matching program rather than run around. (Plus my CVS is always out of these diapers when they are on sale!) We are working on potty training but traditional Pull ups are too big for my little guy. Huggies Slip Ons fit perfectly and work just like a Pull up. They are on sale this week at CVS for $8, Walmart had them priced at $9.47. All I had to do was tell the cashier that they were on sale at CVS and the price and she did the rest. I added in a $2 off Little Movers coupon from a Sunday circular and got this pack for $6. While not a super, amazing, stock up price, it's still not a bad price at all.

The lesson behind this little trip is that it never hurts to ask. Ask if the coupon you have is good for a similar item or that item packaged with another. Ask for price matching, Walmart advertises openly that they price match, it's on every register, other stores may do so quietly. Don't be shy when it comes to saving money!

Recap:
1 Schick Hydro 5 blade Gift Set $9.97
1 Jumbo Pack Size 4 Huggies Little Movers Slip on Diapers $9.47
(= 20.75 with tax for shelf prices)

-$9.97 Schick Hydro coupon
-$1.47 Walmart's price matching program
-$2 Huggies Little Movers Manufacturer's coupon

GRAND TOTAL:  $6.40 (including tax)
A savings of 69%

Ok, now I have my coupons, what do I do with them?

Now you have a pile of coupons staring you in the face. What is the best way to organize them so that you will use them effectively and save yourself money? The jury is really out on one best method for every person. I can tell you from experience that not using any organization method of any kind is rather useless. For a long time, I would clip coupons and lose them. Or I would clip coupons and forget about them, leave them at home, leave them in my purse, and they would expire unused. In order to save money, you need to come up with a method of organization that keeps your coupons on hand and easy to find. That entails both a portable and easy to understand system. There are more than a few out there.

The Binder Method

Sarah and I both use the binder method of organization. This method requires finding or purchasing some type of three ring binder, I got my lovely binder with shoulder strap, multiple zippers, and carrying handle when they were on clearance after back to school season. It was an upgrade from the first, still perfectly serviceable binder that Sarah gave me for my birthday, but hey, I save money all week long so I can splurge $7 here or there right?

After you have clipped your coupons, you will need collector's card holders or other type of sectioned sheeting, I don't know of any other type, really, but I am sure there are some out there. Using these sheets and a pack or three of tabbed inserts, you will begin to sort your coupons into categories and fit them into the card holders.

The sorting method is really up to you. I tried to think of general categories, such as Beverages, Snacks, Dairy, Meat, Toiletries, etc and went from there. Invariably, you will find that you missed some crucial category, when I first made my binder, I completely forgot to put a Baby category. I had nowhere to put all of my diaper coupons! The advantage with the binder method is that you can easily add categories or rearrange categories, you can add more sheets for the categories that need it, for instance, if you sort your toiletries into one category, it will be huge. This flexibility also comes in handy when the seasons change, for instance, in the summer, I had a bulging condiments category as barbecue sauces and salad dressings were on sale, now that we are well into autumn, my canned goods section is in need of expansion but my condiment section has dwindled down to one page.

With this method, you will need to cut, sort, and file coupons every week. Getting behind can be disastrous and will end up seeming like a herculean task. Sarah and I both experienced this recently. I had to have help to get my coupons sorted this weekend, they were that out of control! (Hey! I'm not a professional!) I've found the best way to do this is to clear a large spot, the floor or the kitchen table both work well for me, then  clip your coupons, sorting them into piles as you cut them. Once you've clipped all of the coupons you have for the week, move them into their sections in your binder, scanning expiration dates on the coupons you already have as you put the new in. I am sure there are more organized methods, there are probably people out there that sort coupons by expiration date and are in alphabetical order, I haven't seen a need for this as of yet and I feel like I am doing just fine.

With this method it will be easy to flip through your coupons, both in the store and when you are planning your shopping missions.  As the binder is portable, you can keep it in the car and with you in the event that you need to run in for one small item or you run across unexpected clearance items for which you also happen to have a coupon. (Score!) Another advantage of the binder is the ability to store extra items. I use the pockets to store my discount cards, a pair of scissors, a pen, and paper for lists and notes. I used the accordion file in the binder to hold store coupon policies and ads. There are other methods that couponers are using effectively but for me, this method has been my most successful yet.

The Accordion File Method


In my past, less successful attempts at couponing, I did employ the file method of organizing coupons. Like, the binder method, you sort your coupons into categories and then you fit them loose into the correct slot in the accordion file. I found this method to be marginally effective. It was hard for me to search through the entire category for a coupon when I needed it, I much prefer to see my coupons all laid out in front of me on a page. One of the major advantages of this method is that it is cheap, you can get a file at most any dollar store and you are on your way. I'd love to hear from readers who utilize this method effectively!

The Envelope Method


I have seen this method in action in the grocery store and I honestly felt a bad for the lady. It works for her though, and that is what counts. She stopped and chatted with me for a moment about my binder and in the end decided that she'd been going with the envelopes too long to stop. It is the same principle as the file method except that for each file slot, you have an envelope. You flip through the stack of envelopes and then through the enclosed coupons. The envelops are usually carried in a shoe box or plastic box of some sort. This is also a relatively cheap method to get started, you can use items you already have on hand.

Failed Methods I have Tried 


Throughout the years, as a poor college student to where I am now as a young mom, I have attempted and given up on couponing at various points. I believe wholeheartedly that the lack of portable and efficient organization method was one of the major contributing factors to my failure. One of the methods I tried, was simply walking into the store with a stack of clipped coupons. Disaster ensued. Flipping through them all was tedious and slippery, they fell out all over the place, I didn't save much money at all.  I also tried slipping all of my coupons into a 4x6 photo album (I had a lot of photo albums.) This actually seems like the precursor to the method I have now. I was trying for something easy to flip through where I could look at my coupons at a glance. The downside was, there are only so many pages and many many coupons. I do still use a photo album to hold recipes.

Regardless of the method you choose, you need to remember to choose one that is efficient for you and portable. If you aren't going to utilize the method, there is no point in exerting the effort. You only save money when you get those coupons to the store and get your deals. And in our next installment, we'll be discussing just that! 

How does one start couponing?

We've had a few requests from the community asking how to get started saving money by couponing. (which I am over the moon about, by the way!)  Sarah and I started around the same time after we'd watched a few episodes of Extreme Couponing on TLC. Yes, we are relatively new to this and by no means as 'with it' as the people featured on that show, but we jumped in with both feet and were seeing savings in no time. Last night I went to Acme and saved 44% on my groceries and my trip to Giant Eagle today was a 54% savings. Nowhere near television reality show worthy, but I'm pleased with my results. We have our trips of 80% or more savings, but the reality is that not every shopping trip is going to be that way. We strive for practical frugality.  That means you aren't likely to see me clearing a shelf of barbecue sauce, but I will buy 6-10 of them if I have the coupons and the deal is good.

Step one in getting started is to gather coupons. You can find coupons nearly everywhere. 

Sunday Newspapers

Sunday newspapers are a more "traditional" source of manufacturer's coupons. Coupon inserts vary by region and newspaper. Each week you should find at least on Smart Source insert and one Redplum insert. Periodically there will be additional coupon inserts such as Proctor and Gamble or General Mills. You can find out ahead of time through this blog or through the Sunday Coupon Preview. Make sure that you check your papers for coupon inserts before you buy the papers. Paper carriers and store employees are responsible for putting the inserts into the papers, they are human and makes mistakes, there are also dishonest people who remove the inserts. Newspapers from larger metropolitan areas usually have slightly better coupons that we find in local papers. In our area, the Plain Dealer usually has a slightly different Smartsource insert than the local papers, but the Plain Dealer never has Redplum inserts, those inserts are mailed out up North. Buy your papers in multiples of two, that way you have at least two coupons for any sale that requires you to buy two of an item.

Online Printables

Coupons are online through manufacturer's websites, simply check out your favorite brands.  You can also print t through coupons.com, and similar websites (though I recommend if you are going to print from a coupon gathering website, you do so through Swagbucks so that you save money and earn points at the same time!)  Most places these days take printable coupons, but some stores limit how many printed coupons you can use per trip, check the coupon policy before you shop, I have most local stores listed here. You will have to install some software on your computer that allows the printing, mostly I think it just counts how many you print. Generally, you can print two of each coupon per computer.  Yes, that means you can steal your significant other's laptop to print more coupons! Facebook is also a good source of printable manufacturer's coupons. 

Direct Mail Coupons

There are a few ways of getting direct mail coupons. One way is to email the company directly and request coupons. I also tend to give companies feedback, both positive and negative, normally a company will reward you for taking the time to do this with coupons, but I have even gotten samples and full sized products for this practice. Another way of getting coupons mailed directly to your home is to sign up for free samples and to sign up for periodic coupon campaigns. Proctor and Gamble and SC Johnson are two of the largest companies to have these sort of campaigns but their sign up windows are small, watch for them and take the opportunity if it arises.

Peelies, Blinkies, and other coupons. 

I'm sure you've utilized a coupon stuck to the packaging of an item, those are referred to in the coupon world as peelies. I consider them bonus coupons, to be honest, I don't count on finding them but am delighted when I do. Another source of coupons you can find in store are the coupons dispensed by a machine, sometimes referred to as blinkies. I usually take a couple of these when I find them and wait for the item to go on sale. Tearpads are another coupon source, I take a couple of those when I see them as well. Look inside your cereal boxes and other packaging, this is one of my favorite sources for coupons as the coupons inside packaging are usually fairly high value and have lengthy expiration dates. 

Store Coupons

These types of coupons are generally available on the store's website, through their customer cards, and weekly ads. Walgreens puts out a monthly coupon book and CVS has a kiosk in the front of the store that prints coupons. Most stores allow the stacking of a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon which greatly increases the savings for you.

eCoupons

There are various sources of coupons that add directly to your store cards. There are those that deduct directly with your purchase, such as Giant Eagle's eOffers, Cellfire's eCoupons, Shortcuts eCoupons, and P&G eOffers.  The other type of eCoupon source are savings type accounts such as SavingStar and Upomise. With both of these, the coupon price is added to an account and once your account reaches a certain amount you can request a check or paypal deposit of the balance. 

This is all a bit overwhelming, but it's not as difficult as it seems. You can start small tomorrow by purchasing two newspapers, tomorrow's paper should hold a Smartsource, a Redplum, and a General Mills. Or you can browse some of the online coupon databases and print a few coupons. Every bit counts! Tomorrow we will discuss putting your coupons to work for you!