How I Use Coupons

Coupons are the easiest way to save money on groceries, household items, health and beauty items, and more. I am a little crazy about my coupons. I look forward to Sunday afternoon, when I sit down with my paper and go through all the new coupons.

How I Organize My Coupons:
(I am still working on my organizational method, but this is how I do it right now)

I have my coupons in a coupon organizer (like this one). I have them organized into broken down categories (like instead of "Household Items" - I break it down further into "Paper Goods", "Cleaning Supplies", "Laundry" etc). This makes it easier to find a coupon when I need it. The order I have the categories in my organizer, matches the path I take through the store.

Within the categories, keep the coupons in order by expiration date, with the soonest dates in the front. When I make my list, I take out any coupons that are going to expire that week before I shop again, so I can use the coupon, if I want to, before it expires. (I did just find out that Cub takes expired coupons for up to 3 months past their expiration date, so I might stop throwing them away, and save them to use there!)

I have a second, smaller coupon organizer that I keep in my bag at all times. I have a section for each store shop weekly, and put the coupons I will be using at that store that week. I also keep restaurant coupons, my Menards rebates, hair cut coupons, etc, in this binder so that they are always with me when we are out and about.

How are my tips for coupons:

1. Use coupons to save on top of sale price - I try to save my coupons, and use them when the item goes on sale to save the most money possible on that item.

2. Compare sizes to save the most money - Normally when you buy an item, the bigger the item, the better "deal" it is. Meaning you pay less per unit (ounce, pound, etc). When you use a coupon, sometimes it makes more sense to buy a smaller size. So do the math and find the best deal.

3. Use the Internet for finding coupons - sites like coupons.com, smartsource.com, red plum.com, target.com, plus many others, let you print coupons right from their site. Follow deal sites like moneysavingmom.com (my favorite site for saving money!), that posts about deals and coupons that are available. I have saved so much with deals I found out about through these sites, that I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

4. Sign up for emails from your favorite brands - They often send coupons.

5. Stack coupons - Many stores, including Target, Walgreens, and pretty much every grocery store I know about, allows you to use a manufacture coupon and a store coupon on the same item. So you can save twice on an item this way. (Wait for the item to go on sale, and then stack your coupons, to save even more! I get many items free, or nearly free, by doing this). When I come across 2 coupons I can use together, I sometimes keep these coupons together in my coupon organizer so I remember to use them together.

6. Find out if your store doubles coupons, and take advantage of this! - None of the stores I shop at do this, sadly. But if your store does, learn the policy and make it work for you.

7. Be Smart - Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the whole coupling thing, and start buying things just because you have a coupon. Ya, maybe you can get 10 boxes of something really cheap, but are you going to really eat that much before they go bad? Think about a purchase, and make sure you are going to use the item. Or there are sometimes the product is something unhealthy, or the kind of stuff I am trying to get my family away from eating. So, even though it may be really cheap or even free, I have to hold back. The point of coupons is to save money, and if something is just going to go to waste, or is something I don't want my family to eat, then it is wasting money, not saving it.

8. If you aren't going to use it, give it to someone who will - Share the savings! If your kids are out of diapers, give your diaper coupons to a friend or co-worker who can use them. Or if you don't have a pet, give pet food coupons to someone who does.

9. Give items to charity - My grocery store has coupons for free items every week. If it's not something I can use, I get it anyways and donate it. I drop it right in the food shelf donations on my way out the door. There are a lot of scenarios in which you can get items free, or nearly free. So if you can't use it, donate it to someone who can.

Have any tips for using coupons? Please comment and share!

How I Price Match at Walmart

In my weekly paper I get ads for many different grocery stores and drug stores, that usually have some good sales. But for me, most of them are about an hour drive away. I only shop 3 stores (Cash Wise, Target and Walmart) most weeks. Having to bring 2 little guys with me when I shop, that is all I have the time or energy to do. However I am able to take advantage of all the great sale prices in all those other stores, by taking advantage of Walmart's Ad Match policy. They have actually been doing this for years, but they are advertising it a lot more lately, and more of the cashiers are trained on how to properly do it. I have never had a problem at the store, and it is so simple! This is how I do it.

1. I search through the ads, looking for good sales (this is when it is handy to have a Price Book to compare prices!). I highlight what I plan on buying at Walmart, and add it to my grocery list. On my list, I also write the price I will be matching for, and what ad it is in (this makes checking out a lot easier).

2. At the store, I keep all the things I am going to ad match separate from my other groceries. Make sure you are selecting the exact brand, size, flavor etc., that is stated in the ad. (Also make sure to look at the shelf price! Sometimes Walmart is cheaper and I didn't realize it. I have almost had them Ad Match something to a higher price! Oops!)

3. At the checkout, I put those up on the belt first. I let the cashier know I will be ad matching the first few things, so they don't just start scanning. I have all my ads ready, and as each item comes up, I show the cashier the ad and tell them the price I am matching it for. (I always do the math ahead of time on things like 3 for $5.00 and write it on the ad, so the cashier and I don't have to think ;) Again - I'm shopping with 2 boys who are usually done with the whole shopping thing at this point! So anything I can do to make this go smoothly, I do!)

That is pretty much it. According to their policy, you don't even have to have the ad with you to get the sale price. I always have the ad with me, so I am not sure how it would work if you didn't. I have never had a problem with them not matching an item, or anything. I did once have a cashier tell me that they weren't supposed to take coupons for items that were matched - which, according to both their Ad Match Policy and their Coupon Policy, is not true. So I have now printed both policies and have them in my shopping binder to reference if needed =)

I save a lot of money shopping this way, and it saves me so much time going to multiple stores!

Have you tried price matching at Walmart? Please comment below and share any tips you have!

Shop Smart!

My goal is to try not to pay full price for anything, whether that is through sales, coupons, price matching, whatever. This isn't possible with everything I buy, obviously some things I have to pay full price for. Some things just don't go on sale or have coupons, so it isn't always possible. But I try my hardest.

Here are the things I do to save money, and some of the guidelines I follow. (As I learn more, I will add to this post)

1. Shop sales - this one is kind of obvious. When something you need or use goes on sale, buy one......better yet buy more then one! Buy as much as your budget will allow, and as much as you will use until it goes on sale again or before it goes bad, and stockpile it! I have shelves in my basement and a freezer full of pantry staples and things I have gotten for a great deal just waiting for me when I need them.

2. But remember, all sales are not created equal - Learn what a good sale price is for the items you use most, and wait until they go on sale for that price before you buy. Sometimes sale prices in store ads aren't really that good of a deal, they just advertise them so you think they are and spend more. I have a "buy-now" price for most items, and I wait until are that price, and that is when I stock up. (For example, I want to pay about $1.00 (but no more then $1.50) for a box of cereal, after sales and coupons. So I wait for that price to come along).

3. Price match! - see my post on How I Price Match at Walmart

4. Shop at the right time - Learn when your store restocks items, or marks down items. I usually shop the grocery store mid-week so they have restocked from the weekend. My Target usually marks down clearance items on Wednesdays, so I try to go there then.

5. USE COUPONS! - Read my post on How I Use Coupons. Also know your stores coupon policy. If you can shop at a store that doubles coupons, take advantage of it! I also recommending printing the stores coupon policy from their website, and keeping it in your coupon binder, so that you are prepared to deal with any discrepancies.

6. Know how to save when shopping online - I ALWAYS use coupon code when shopping online. The are many sites that list coupon codes, I usually have luck with retailmenot.com. I also wait for higher percent-off (25% off or more) sale before I buy. I (almost) NEVER pay for shipping, I search for a free shipping code (try freeshipping.org), and if I can't find one, I usually just wait to order until there is one because I HATE paying for shipping that much. Also sign up for emails for sites and stores you shop at the the most, they will send you emails with great discounts.

7. Earn money while shopping online - Sign up at a site like Ebates or Shop At Home, to earn a percentage of what you spend shopping back. I just got my first "payment" from Ebates deposited right into my Pay Pal account.

Do you have any money saving shopping tips? Please comment below and share them!