Coupon Tips #1

   I am totally ready to start trying new recipes again. We have decided to cut sugar from the diet. We've already been slowly cutting out gluten in light of my Celiac. So now, it's time to break some rules, break out some books and tricks and discover some new yummy low sugar to no sugar gluten free yummy dinners that the kids and ourselves will eat. This is surely going to be a task! I have been saving a ton of money with coupons which is super exciting!

    I've been asked to share a few tips on coupons so here are some that I have learned over time...

1) Be aware of all coupon policies. Create a binder for your coupons and print out all of the local store coupon policies to have on hand. Becoming familiar with these policies puts yiu above a cashier who may not want to honor a coupon. They are out there, trust me. They are rude, sometimes very inconsiderate and look down upon you. You need to overcome this, because you're saving money and there is NOTHING wrong with this. Actually it's super awesome!

2) Get the Sunday paper, two if you can. Three if you want. Sunday papers have wonderful coupons in them and most you cannot find online. It's important to subscribe if you can to the weekend paper because it's much cheaper this way. Here where I live there are no newspapers that deliver. If you find yourself in this position, make a trip to the closest store that carries them...easy peasy.  If you know neighbors who do not coupon but get the newspaper ask them for their coupon inserts. You can really save a ton of money with these golden sheets of coupons =)

3) Become aware with coupon printing websites. There are three major sites...redpum.com, coupons.com, and smartsource.com. You can often visit your favorite brands website and get coupons also.

4) Look at sale ads, coupons, and store deals before making your grocery list. You are going to start making your meal plan around what is on sale.

5) Understand coupon lingo. Understand stock up sales mean serious cash saved. It may seem stupid to buy 10 boxes of cereal but over time you're saving money. Here is some important lingo you should become aware of.

Coupon lingo:

$1/1, $1/2: One dollar off one item, one dollar off two items, etc.
2/$1, 3/$2: Two items for one dollar, three items for two dollars, etc.
B1G1: Buy one item get one item free
B2G1: Buy two items get one item free
Blinkies: Grocery/drugstore coupon dispensers with blinking lights
Catalina: Catalina coupon, prints from a separate machine when your receipt prints
DND: Do not double
Ea.: Each
ECBs: ExtraCare Bucks, CVS loyalty rewards system
ETS: Excludes trial size
Exp.: Expires
GC: Gift card
IVC: Instant Value Coupon, Walgreens' store coupons
MIR: Mail-in rebate
NLA: No longer available
OYNO: On your next order
OOP: Out of pocket
OOS: Out of stock
Peelie: Peel-off coupon found on product packaging
PSA: Prices starting at
RRs: Register Rewards, Walgreens' Catalina coupons
Q: Coupon
SCR: Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid monthly rebates program
Stacking: Using both a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon on one item
UPC: Universal product code, bar code
Tearpad: Pad of coupons attached to a display, shelf, or refrigerator door.
+UP Reward: Rite Aid reward program
WYB: When you buy

6) DO NOT BUY something you do not need. Sometimes getting an item for free or extremely discounted is temping. But do not waste money, buying something just because you have a coupon is not the proper way to coupon. However, sometimes getting free items or discounted items that may benefit a local food pantry is okay. Go ahead and get a ton of food and personal items and donate them.

7) Make up care packages for soldiers or children in need with products you are overstocked on. You can and should buy full priced items for the care packages however you can offer a lot more when you use coupons. You can do great things with couponing.

8) Do not become greedy. Do not become a hoarder. Buy what you need for your family, but only what you need for your family. This goes along with number 6. You do not want couponing to become a problem. This is very, very important. A good rule of thumb is 3 months for boxed goods ie. cereal, hamburger helper, mac and cheese. 6 months for canned goods and it varies depending on sale items for meat.

9) Purchase a binder and find an organization method that works for you. There are tons of resources online for ways to organize a coupon binder. Keep it updated or you will lose all kinds of track of it. Seriously.

10) Couponing is fun. Couponing is rewarding and empowering. When I walk out of a market with $300 worth of groceries for my family and only forked out $100, I feel proud, and just overall overjoyed. My freezer is always full of great meats. We eat our favorite cereal, and meals now. Feeding the animals is cheaper. Washing our bodies, home and laundry is cheaper. Everything is just cheaper. Saving money is important to a lot of people.

Some people feel bad about using coupons and they feel like they are ripping the store off and making the economy worse. This is NOT true. The face value of a coupon is a tax write off for the store, or reimbursed by the company that offers the coupon. Take advantage of stacking coupons which means taking a store coupon or sale and stacking it with a manufacturers coupon (these are the printable coupons or the ones you find in the newspaper)/ This can save you even more money!

Most of all, have fun and save tons!

Much Luv,
Lady Bea