1) Match Coupons with Weekly Sales. Always use coupons on items you need/use when they go on sale to double up on savings. Watch the grocery ads for weekly sales and look for store coupon matchups on my site and others. When items are at rock bottom price, stock up on them to last you 3-6 months (typical sales cycle). This is called stockpiling and really is the key to saving as much as possible.
2) Know your prices. Just because a store tells you it is on sale does not mean that it is the cheapest sale price. Start a price journal and track prices on your typical grocery purchases. We purchase so many different products it is hard to remember what a good sale price is and at what store, that’s where your price journal helps until you have been couponing for a while.
3) Seek Out Printable Coupons. Some of the best coupons come from the internet – Coupons.com and SmartSource.com. You can also check out websites to select coupons you want to print and cut out to use at your grocery store just as you would coupons from the Sunday paper.
4 ) Make your Store Loyalty Card work even harder for you. Some stores allow you to load coupons onto your store loyalty cards for savings without printing or clipping. Just click the coupons you want and they’re automatically redeemed when you use your loyalty card. Kroger (and affiliates) are a perfect example, and Meijer has a similar program connected to your cell phone number (no card to carry!).
5 ) Reach Out to Your Favorite Brands. Frequent their websites. You’ll often find money-saving printable coupons right on the sites, or you can sign up for special offers by mail or email. If you really like a brand send them an email telling them so. I have received coupons for FREE items numerous times just by sending a short email telling them how much I like their product. Make a list of your favorite brands. Pick one brand once a week, send off a short email, then sit back and watch the coupons and free stuff be delivered right to your mailbox. HERE is a list of Coupon friendly brands.
6 ) Be Strategic About Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGO) Sales. To double your savings, use two coupons when a product is on sale buy-one-get-one-free, one for each of the products you are taking home to save more money (as the coupon policy allows). Also, if you have a BOGO coupon for the product that is on BOGO sale, both items end up being FREE at most stores!
7 ) Stack Store & Manufacturer’s Coupons. Several national grocery retailers offer coupons that can only be used in their stores. When you purchase a grocery item you can pair the store-specific coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon for extra savings.
8 ) Take advantage of drug store programs such as CVS ExtraCare Program and myWalgreens. Drugstores regular prices are often higher than big box stores but when you pair their sale prices with their store reward offers and add manufacturer’s coupons on top of that, you often can get stuff for FREE and sometimes even make money by purchasing a particular item.
Example: At Walgreens, Maalox was on sale for $5.09 each and if you purchased $30 in products you received a $10 Register Reward. To make this a money making deal you paired it with using six $5/1 Maalox coupons therefore only paying $0.54 out of pocket then you received a $10 Register Reward back making it a $9.46 Money Maker!
9 ) Just because you have a coupon does not mean you have to use it. I think this is one of the biggest mistakes people make and actually end up spending more money. This is the whole reason companies put out coupons. Human nature is to use a coupon just because you have it. FIGHT THE URGE! If it is something you need then by all means use it, but don’t fall into the trap of redeeming the coupon just because you have it. It is like playing poker in a way. You have to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. I can’t even begin to tell you how many of my coupons get unused before they expire but that is ok because there are always more coupons.
10 ) Take advantage of the numerous mail in rebates that companies offer. I get around 5-6 checks in the mail on an average month. I have not paid for cat litter in over two years by taking advantage of products that are FREE after mail in rebate. To save even more, use a coupon on the item if available! Some companies will deduct any coupon savings from your rebate but often times they don’t. Even if they do, you are still paying less out of pocket to begin with. I am a mail in rebate fanatic! Just recently, I got a $120 toothbrush for $8 by combining a coupon, CVS sale and Extra Care Bucks and a mail in rebate. Many people hate mail in rebates because they always forget to send them in. I have a specific shelf on my desk in my office just for rebate stuff, and as soon as I get home from shopping I put all things rebate related on the shelf. Then, every Sunday I fill out my forms and send them off. Make it a routine, and you won’t forget!
Paula Shew says
January 24, 2012 at 1:04 amHi,
I am really just getting started on coupons and I am such a beginner 🙂 but I had a couple of questions and would really appreciate any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!~!!!!! Keep in mind I live in Chicago and none of the stores double with the exception of the occasional Kmart double days…. but I follow you and your awesome deal postings and often check your site just to see if I missed anything. But any way on #7 if you have a BOGO coupon for the product that is on BOGO sale, both items end up being FREE at most stores!……say Wags is having a BOGO on Pantene and I have a BOGO Q I can use the BOGO Q’s and get both for free? I am so confused?!?!?!
Thanks again for the help!!!!!
Ashley says
January 24, 2012 at 8:05 amYes, if your store is having a BOGO sale and you have a BOGO coupon for that item then both should be free. There are some stores that may not allow this but for the most part most stores do and they all really should. Think of it this way: the one that the store is giving you for free is fulfilling the purchased one necessary to use the coupon. Then the one the coupon is giving you for free fulfills the purchased one required to get the free one from the store.
Lanie K. says
February 28, 2012 at 12:21 amI am just trying to wrap my head around couponing and getting myself organized. Some people spend the whole day trying to get themselves ready for their shopping trip. It gets overwhelming. I appreciate you taking the time to write this article and all the others so people like me can get a better understanding of what to do and what not to do!
Ashley says
February 28, 2012 at 1:21 amYou are welcome. Couponing can be overwhelming to a newbie so take your time and master it in baby steps. Also, don’t compare yourself to others or the TV show. You will only get discouraged. Any savings is better than none and in time it will all make sense to you and you will be saving tons of money.
Amanda says
March 1, 2012 at 7:41 amThank you for this list! It’s nice to know. I’ve been trying to get into couponing for a while but it’s difficult to know where to start.
Chelle says
March 1, 2012 at 11:23 amAshley,
I love the way you shared your information….useful and concise. I really need to start making to most of couponing. I came across Coupon Sherpa and CartStar, but haven’t used them to good effect yet.
Thanks for the primer.
Peace and good,
Chelle
Lisa says
March 1, 2012 at 6:55 pmWhat great tips. So many people don’t understand how to get the most out of coupons. Anyone wanting to get serious about coupons should follow these tips.
Amanda says
March 2, 2012 at 12:23 amThanks for the tips! I’m not much of a couponer, but it’s always good to find money-saving ideas.
MJ says
March 2, 2012 at 4:54 amGreat information, especially for newbies. I think #11 is my favorite – that is where people go wrong often, thinking ok, I’ve got a coupon, it’s got to be a good deal… Doesn’t matter how much it cost, if you wouldn’t have bought it, you’re not saving! #12 is the one I have to work on the most, I am horrible for forgetting to do my rebates. Any suggestions on how you stay on track with them?
Colette says
March 2, 2012 at 8:15 amNice list of tips! I especially like the list of couponer friendly companies. There were alot more on the list than I thought there would be!
Lisa says
March 2, 2012 at 9:33 amGreat tips! I do this but only save like 10%. Don’t know how you “extremers” are always saving over 80% or 90%!
Jennie@my3ringcircus.org says
March 2, 2012 at 10:00 amI love using coupons and always trying to find ways to save our family a little money! Great tips and advise! Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this subject.
Kimberly says
March 2, 2012 at 10:49 amMy favorite tip is using BOGO coupons with a BOGO sale! There is nothing in the world like coming home with TWO products for FREE with one coupon!
Ashley says
March 2, 2012 at 11:44 amIt is a great feeling bringing home stuff for free isn’t it!
Tonia Sanders @TheChattyMomma says
March 2, 2012 at 2:06 pmI absolutely love using coupons. The only part that sucks is the person in line behind me that just got off of work (after a 10-12 hour work day) that breathes heavily when the cashier is scanning all of them. I just think about how much I save and smile that I’m going right back home to sit on my sofa.
Janis Meredith says
March 2, 2012 at 2:29 pmGreat advice! Couponing definitely has a strategy!
Leslie says
March 2, 2012 at 2:54 pmI also have a coupon site. I love sharing all the great deals and free items you can get with coupons, to my readers. Your post has a lot of useful information for people that are just starting out with coupons.
Kelsey says
March 2, 2012 at 5:31 pmWe are just getting into couponing and I have to say sometimes it is frustrating how much work goes into it! I have total respect for all the ladies that coupon hard core, wow! Thank you for all the helpful tips!
dawn says
March 2, 2012 at 5:58 pmI’ve been jealous for awhile that people in other places could put coupons on their loyalty cards, but finally stores near me are doing it with their cards. I just need to remember to get the coupons.
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
March 2, 2012 at 8:24 pmI like coupons to a point. I only use them for products our family uses. My husband loves the savings, but hates the coupons.
Shopping Tips and Tricks says
March 2, 2012 at 8:36 pmGreat article, Ashley! You are definitely a Coupon Queen! Love following you! 🙂
Amy says
March 2, 2012 at 8:56 pmGreat list of tips! Easy and concise.
Junebug says
March 2, 2012 at 9:44 pmThese are really great tips. I keep trying to get organized enough to use coupons. I just feel like they don’t make coupons for most the items I buy with the exception of toilet paper. 🙂 Well, I did until we got a baby last year. Now, I use more coupons. I need to study more sites like yours to get this concept down in my head. I want to save money but doing more than using one coupon for one item blows my mind.
successfully saving says
March 2, 2012 at 9:50 pmI takes time and patience to learn how to coupon effectively but the savings are definitely worth it. One thing I would like to point out is that most people who coupon do not coupon the way it is portrayed on certain television programs. If you start couponing with the hopes of achieving the type of savings that many of the people portrayed do, you will likely end up disappointed. Different stores have different coupon policies and different areas of the country receive different coupons. As long as you use coupons on items that you would normally buy anyway, you will see savings and nickels and dimes can really add up.
Jessie says
March 2, 2012 at 10:10 pmI am just starting to coupon and you have some really great tips! I am bookmarking this page so that I can come back to it later. I am so overwhelmed with couponing, but I really want to figure it out and start saving us some money! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Deborah Owen says
March 2, 2012 at 11:15 pmWow – there is so much to know about this. Silly me. I used to think it was as simple as cutting out a bunch of coupons and going shopping, but this is a science! Good information. Thank you. Deb
Cindy says
March 3, 2012 at 12:25 amYou are sooooo right. You should compare and see what is cheapest. Don’t just use a coupon to use it. I LOVE stacking. I recently learned how to use coupons and LOVE it. Now my goal is saving money! it’s such a game!
Women Are Gamechangers says
March 3, 2012 at 12:25 amGreat tips but always check your particular store policy. They seem to change due to the TLC show Extreme Coupons
Nekky says
March 3, 2012 at 7:16 amI’ve not been doing coupons but I’ve gotten a lot of insights from you. Nice job.
Quida says
March 3, 2012 at 7:39 amAshley, I love the tips. I have “liked” your Facebook page. Be sure to stay in touch and maybe we can work on some future projects together.
Have a great day!
Nichole @ readitagainmama says
March 3, 2012 at 12:37 pmI love using coupons to stretch our money further. These tips are great. There is nothing like the thrill of leaving a store with a really great deal.
Michelle says
March 3, 2012 at 1:45 pmI do coupons only when they’re easy and automatic, like coupons loaded onto my loyalty card or the coupons I get in my e-mail with coupons.com. I just don’t chose to use my time for things other than the work it would take to do the massive couponing. But I love sites like yours because I”ve gleaned so many good tips. thanks.
Happydally says
March 3, 2012 at 2:52 pmI wish I still lived near Kroger. They had the best Coupon deals!
Mystery Shopping Teacher says
March 3, 2012 at 2:54 pmGreat post! Very informative. I get super lazy with coupons sometimes, unfortunately. I love mail in rebates though. There is nothing more awesome than buying a product and getting a check for money back in the mail.
Paula Baker says
March 3, 2012 at 4:43 pmVery thorough and informative post! I like #11. I haven’t used a lot of coupons in the past, since many of them are for products that we don’t use. It’s lovely to get money off a product you love!
Angi says
March 3, 2012 at 5:47 pmGreat tips on using coupons. I haven’t tried reaching out to companies to get coupons so that is next on my list. And I don’t mind mail in rebates. I keep all the rebate stuff in my coupon binder and take care of them right away.
Rachel says
March 3, 2012 at 8:45 pmThank you for taking the time to put all of these together!!! This will help tremendously… These are all great ways to save money. I love to coupon and do it regularly. xoxo-Rachel
Rory at The Tourist Baby says
March 3, 2012 at 9:05 pmI love CVS and their Extrabucks Program – they seem to have great deals almost every week! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Christy Kramer says
March 3, 2012 at 9:34 pmGreat tips! I’m a fellow coupon-lover and I follow your advice already. I typically save about 50% on an average week but I would love to find a way to bring that number higher. We just don’t have a whole lot of options in my area and I don’t want to spend the gas to travel way out of town for the big stores.
Christy
http://www.alivinghomeschool.com
Pam@behealthybehappywellness says
March 3, 2012 at 9:44 pmgreat tips – coupons can save a lot of money if you use them wisely.
I love that your post is so relevant to your site – great job!
Jenni & Jody says
March 4, 2012 at 7:06 amGreat post! My husband has been saying that we need to coupon again. Your post gave me the extra push of inspiration.
Honey says
March 4, 2012 at 10:24 amGreat tips! I like to use coupons, but it is time consuming. I do try, and do better with it when I’m not working. I don’t think we have any stores that do triple coupons. Lucky you!
Donna McDine says
March 4, 2012 at 2:17 pmGreat tips. I especially like the one that don’t feel you need to use all your coupons. It definitely is more important to purchase what you truly need.
shelly says
March 4, 2012 at 3:13 pmI like to coupon, but certainly still have a lot to learn. Thanks for your tips and reminders. The one about not using a coupon just because I have it is a great ‘money saving’ tip to remember! 😉
JulieK says
March 4, 2012 at 4:58 pmI have made the mistake of buying things just because I have a coupon. I need to look more into using those coupon buying service things to take advantage of big sales!
Staci says
March 4, 2012 at 5:20 pmGreat post! Good advice “just because you have a coupon doesn’t mean you need to use it”. I have made that mistake by buying things I didn’t use.
Lanell aka New Jack Sweetie says
March 4, 2012 at 6:18 pmI have to definitely get on the ball with coupons. Thank you for sharing these very useful tips!
Prodigals Mom says
March 4, 2012 at 8:43 pmThis is a great article with many useful tips. I look forward to trying them.
Julie@teachinggoodeaters says
March 4, 2012 at 8:53 pmI definitely agree with the tip about not using a coupon just because you have it. When I started coupling, sometimes I got so caught upon how much I was saving, that I was then surprised by how much I was spending… I was buying things I wouldn’t normally buy because they were such a “deal.”
Sparta Savings says
March 4, 2012 at 9:21 pmAlthough I do most of these things regularly, it never hurts to read through this great list as a reminder. I hadn’t thought about buying coupons for awhile, so thanks for the reminder. I got all my Easter candy for free last year buying coupons for the candy!
Tami @ ThisMomsDelight.com says
March 4, 2012 at 9:45 pmI’m hit and miss with coupons. I cut them out, let them expire, then resolve to do better next time. These tips would actually help me save a few dollars.
Michelle Pegram says
March 5, 2012 at 1:52 pmGreat post and list of ways to help save money! It’s really amazing just how much money you can save overall adding all of these up.
Ashley L says
March 5, 2012 at 2:06 pmAny information I can collect for couponing is extremely valuable for me. Among the many things I hope to help save money, couponing is one of them and so far, I have failed at this. I will clip coupons here and there and then I ALWAYS forget to take them to the store. I will have to check out the services you mentioned that allow you to load the coupons on to a store’s loyalty card- that will remedy my forgetfulness! Thanks for the information!
Kari Cu says
March 5, 2012 at 7:12 pmGreat Post, I like Number 11 I think sometimes we buy stuff just because we have a coupon and not that we need it. I am a coupon blogger myself and abide by most of these rules.
Cambria says
March 5, 2012 at 10:11 pmGreat list! There is no Rite Aid or CVS around here, but I need to start trying out the Walgreens stuff. Thanks for boosting my courage!
Susan says
March 6, 2012 at 1:10 pmGreat tips. I’ll have to take note of some of the above you mentioned.
isis says
March 6, 2012 at 6:09 pmThanks for the tips here! I’ve been couponing for a year now and I must say that saving money is such hard work here in California but with all the tips I get from coupon blogs, I get by just fine. 🙂
Jenny says
March 6, 2012 at 8:01 pmOne of my biggest problems with printable coupons, is that I print them out knowing the deal that I want to purchase and then I get to the store and all of that item is gone and before I can get back to the store to see if the said item has been stocked, they have expired and I wasted not only paper, but ink. So annoying sometimes! LOL
Stacy King says
March 6, 2012 at 8:29 pmThese are all great tips. Thanks for putting together such an informative and thorough post.
Mona says
March 6, 2012 at 9:13 pmGreat tips! I watched Extreme Couponing a few times and it was so unrealistic that I quit watching it. #11 is s true. It doesn’t matter how great of a deal it is, if you don’t need it, don’t buy it!
Caroline says
March 6, 2012 at 10:11 pmI love to coupon but go through seasons where I really work on it hard and others I hardly use a coupon for months. I definitely want to get back into the habit of it. I have a few sites I use to print coupons from or to look for deals. I will be checking back in with you!
Betsy @ Romance on a Dime says
March 6, 2012 at 10:51 pmI love your first 3 ways. I use those a lot! I great a buy-price list – a list that gives the maximum amount I want to spend on groceries. I don’t buy if it’s not at it’s buy-price list.
I have not really taken advantage of mail-in rebates. Thanks for mentioning it. I’ll have to check it out!
Dawn says
March 6, 2012 at 11:03 pmGreat Tips!! Thank you for sharing these helpful tips.
Elizabeth says
March 7, 2012 at 2:10 pmThese are such helpful, money-saving tips. And I also agree that just because we have a coupon doesn’t mean we should use it.
Single Gal says
March 7, 2012 at 2:25 pmI love your advice about the mail-in rebate coupons! Definitely going to have remember that tip.
Angela says
March 7, 2012 at 8:32 pmI have always used coupons here and there, on shampoo, hair products and few others. Lately I have started cutting all of the ones out in the paper that we will use. It amazes me when I read on a blog that they got $100 worth of products for around $25-$30. How do they do it?? This is a great list that you have put together. I need to get serious about coupons. After all who doesn’t want to save money!
Katy says
March 7, 2012 at 8:49 pmWonderful tips! I used to be the master of coupons and savings, and still use a lot of coupons for household goods. I have been rather absent from couponing for groceries though. Last year I went through seveal health issues after having my son and decided regardless of what caused the issues, that my husband and I should make some changes in what types of food we eat. I’ve noticed that although there are some coupons and deals for organic/whole foods, it is very hard to save money when living on a 90% organic lifestyle. Have you come across any great resources for saving money on organic food? I shop at Whole Foods right now, which is ridiculously expensive, but the only other store even remotely close to me that carries organic food doesn’t carry much fresh organic produce which we eat a lot of. Whole Foods has coupons, but they usually are for things I don’t buy so I probably only save about $10-12 a month with coupons compared to the $15 a week that I used to save. Any suggestions would be AWESOME!
Stephanie says
March 7, 2012 at 8:59 pmGet coupon tips. I am not good at couponing but could find a way to incorporate into my routine with these tips.
Stephanie
http://www.royalmajestea.com/blog
Vivian Kirkfield says
March 7, 2012 at 11:09 pmYou have put together an amazing tutorial on couponing…thank you so much for all of the tips. It motivates me to get started again and save some money!
Please visit my blog: http://www.viviankirkfield.wordpress.com
Jess says
March 7, 2012 at 11:53 pmI have failed so many attempts to coupon my way to saving money. I think I get too ambitious and try everything at once, get overwhelmed and give up. These are wonderful, solid tips. I’ll take it slow this time, incorporating 1 or just a few at a time until I have a routine and then add some more. Thank you for reinspiring me to save!
Gina H says
March 8, 2012 at 2:25 amGreat tips! I wish we had a number 9. I tell my readers when starting out, that as long as they are saving that’s what matters and not to get discouraged with all that they can do with coupons, just to take it one step at a time.
Lori@Mothering Matters says
March 8, 2012 at 7:37 amI LOVE couponing! Ok . . . I don’t always love clipping and organizing the coupons (I should hire my daughter to do that) -but I do like the money saved – or the extra things we can get instead! We have 5 kids – so they are thrilled that I’m couponing – because I’ve been able to buy some of the fun snack things I normally wouldn’t buy at regular prices. 🙂 We’ve saved some money – but I think the first several months of couponing – we didn’t spend less – we just had 4 times as much food! 🙂
Thanks for your post and putting some great tips in an organized fashion!
Blessings!
Healthy Frugalista says
March 8, 2012 at 11:37 amThanks for the coupon friendly brand list. I saw a few i could use.
Lisa @ Fat Chick Fed Up says
March 8, 2012 at 12:28 pmGreat tips, thank you!!!
Stacy says
March 8, 2012 at 7:15 pmGreat tips! I also follow the sale cycles to get better savings.
Nicole @ MamaNYC says
March 8, 2012 at 9:58 pmExcellent tips! My pet peeve is hearing about people buying stuff JUST BECAUSE they have a coupon. That isn’t saving money at all! 🙂
– Nicole @ MamaNYC
http://www.MamaNYC.net
callie says
March 9, 2012 at 8:08 amGreat tips! I get emails on a daily basis asking these kinds of questions! What great information for the couponing newbie!
Wichita on the Cheap says
May 6, 2012 at 1:27 pmThis is a great, concise list of tips for anyone who needs an introduction to using coupons. Thank you!