Couponing 101 (Start Here)

There are some fundamentals that are crucial to the survival of all couponers, from beginner to extremist, and while we will all differ on the specifics about  them, the generalities all apply.

I’ve broken them out as follows:

 

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Questions...

1.) Coupon Craze – Why are you here?

I’m guessing that you’ve seen a commercial or a TV show, found a Facebook friend that showed off their “stock pile” or have a relative that is telling you unendingly that they are getting groceries for pennies on the dollar (or even better, getting PAID to shop) and you’ve decided to visit (maybe through skepticism …

2.) Coupon Collection – Where do you find them all?

One of the most commonly asked questions by people that see me in a check out aisle is, “so where do you get all your coupons“?

The most honest I can give is…”everywhere“.

But seriously, I have a single newspaper delivered on Sunday, I find various coupons through corporate Facebook pages, and then I …

PileOfCoupons

3.) Coupon Organization – How do I sort through this pile?

This is a source of contention that I personally have with many of the ultra-extreme couponers that I’ve personally seen on TV and so my advice here will be COMPLETELY on personal preference more so than anything else.  Everyone will have their own strategy so mine is by no means “the gospel” but what …

CouponLingo

4.) Coupon Lingo – What are you talking about?

Couponers have a language all their own, and unless you are equipped to handle the translations, you will be quickly confused, you head spinning out of control and your ability to determine if you’re saving money or losing it quickly coming into question.  What I’ve tried to do here is provide you an abbreviated …

ShoppingFun

5.) Coupon Lifestyle – Rethinking how you shop

I don’t want to burden you with a million things at once, as that would be overwhelming, but I will share some very basic ideals about shopping and how you MUST change your mindset if you want to see the type of gains that you’re expecting to get out of couponing.

In the beginning …

StockpileNotHoarding

6.) Coupon Stockpile – Am I hoarding…

There is a fine line between building a reasonable stockpile of items that will help save your family money while providing you the security in knowing your covered in case of emergency as well as, God willing, provide you the ability to donate to local causes to help “pay it forward” and say…acquiring so …

7.) Shopping vertically instead of horizontally

So what does it mean to “Shop Vertically“?

Before the notion of couponing came to pass, we all went grocery shopping with our weekly grocery list, picking up those things that we needed that week only, and only those things that we were looking to use / eat for the upcoming week.  When you …

8.) Shopping Cycles

Do items and stores…”cycle“?

Another key to taking advantage of deals is to know when they are coming BEFORE you are hit with them…for example – if you know that each January, diet foods are going to be advertised and promoted, if you’re a fan of South Beach and Lean Cuisine meals, you can …

9.) Expired Coupons – What now?!?

If you’re like me, then a great many of your coupons go unused and end up getting thrown away…

Did you know that our overseas soldiers are able to use those expired coupons for up to 6 months beyond the expiration date????

CouponsToTroops (www.facebook.com/couponstotroops) is looking to spread awareness about overseas military families being …

10.) Advice from the field…

Who better to help out that those that have worked through the same hurdles you may be facing as a beginner, unsure of where to begin or how to get started.  Anxious to save money but discouraged because you aren’t making the type of savings that you may be seeing on TV.  I posed …

2 comments

    • Patricia on July 12, 2011 at 1:26 pm
    • Reply

    This is exactly what I have told my husband. At first he was great with couponing- “save a few dollars” and all that. This month I have a lot of coupons that expire- all for things I use- laundry detergent, storage bags, toilet paper, and a bunch of other stuff with long shelf lives. So I have really been buying things as they go on sale. But I had to make room for all of it and now I do have a stockpile. But he doesn’t understand that I don’t need to buy any of this stuff for several months. He thinks if you don’t need it now- do you really need to buy it? This explained my mindset perfectly. I really appreciate all the hardwork you do, and your blog on facebook.

    I did try to teach my daughters (age 15 and 7) about couponing- my son is 18- he thinks he knows it all- he is next. I sent the 15 y.o. in with $5 and 4 coupons for simply lemonade- I told her to keep the change. She came out with $4.90 and a confused look on her face. I just smiled. At Target I asked her to calculate how much I saved iwth coupons only and she could divide it with her sister- it was $76.00 and I got 6 gift cards also. Then she smiled. My youngest is already hooked.

    1. That’s AWESOME Patricia…and thank you.

      My kids (10 & 8 ) are already talking about how they can’t wait to see how they can save. I remember when I was a kid talking about how i looked forward to saving money in the future so it’s great to see the kids starting young. It’s always good to get the kids to understand the importance of saving money…regardless the age.

      WAY TO GO!!!
      The “Coupon Hubby”

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