How to Coupon - It Really Works!
Coupon Power
Coupon Lady
You have seen the “coupon ladies” in the grocery store, pouring over their thick binders full of page after page of coupons. You probably have been behind one in the check-out lane and wondered what the hype is all about. Does couponing really save you that much money? What type of time commitment do you have to put in to get a payoff?
It is true! Yes, couponing really works. It will save you hundreds of dollars every month, and every week for larger families. I save between 65% to 85% on every grocery bill. The more organized you are, the less time you spend preparing for your shopping. I only spend about one hour a week making a shopping plan and organizing coupons. Contrary to what you may have heard, you do not have to buy dozens of newspapers; purchase coupons on Ebay; spend hours clipping and filing coupons; or drive all over town to shop at multiple stores. It does not have to be that complicated.
Power of a Coupon
When Do I Use the Coupon?
What you may not know is that it is not all about the coupon. To maximize savings, you will need to follow sales ads and buy items when they are on sale. Using a coupon is the second half of the strategy. And that little $.75 coupon can work wonders, especially if your store doubles coupons. For example, say a $4 box of crackers is on sale for Buy 1 Get 1 Free, making it $2. You have a $.75 coupon that doubles, for a savings of $1.50. You get the crackers for $.50, a savings of more than 85%. You can’t beat that!
Stacking coupons
Does it Matter Where I Shop?
There are two schools of thought on which types of stores to shop for the most savings. Some people believe they can save more overall if they go to super centers like WalMart and Super Target. This may be true if you don’t plan to follow sales ads and instead just buy what you need week to week. The biggest savings, though, come when you shop grocery stores, buy what is on sale, and use coupons. You will find that Walmart and Target do not double coupons, but a lot of grocery stores do. Some grocery stores will also let you “stack” coupons, which means you can use a regular manufacturer's coupon in combination with a store coupon on the same item.
The Pantry
Stockpiling?
No, you do not have to stockpile food the way you may have seen or heard about on television reality shows. You do not have to turn your basement into a mini-mart, and you don’t have to store paper towels under your child’s bed! When you find a good deal, you should buy the amount your family will use in the next month or two. The item will go back on sale, so there is never a need to buy 100 jars of mustard or 75 bottles of juice! I rarely ever buy more than three or four of one item for my family of four. We have a small closet pantry (not walk-in) and everything I buy fits. I keep extras on the very top and bottom shelves - ideally, with cans on bottom and the lighter boxes on top. We do have a deep freezer in the garage, which is a plus for storing meat. If I find a good sale on chicken or beef, I buy three or four packs and freeze them. When you buy multiples of one item, be sure to check expiration dates!
Having many food items on hand makes meal planning easy. If you are always stocked up on staples and meat, then you just need to fill in the fresh fruits and vegetables. I usually only buy what produce is on sale at the grocery store, but another option is to shop your local farmer’s market. There is no need to get too extreme about this, though. If you really want to make a broccoli casserole this week and the broccoli is not on sale, don’t worry about it. You are still saving tons on the rest of your bill.
Grocery Store Weekly Flyer
Matching Coupons to Sale Items
The easy way to find the coupon matches for sale items is by using a good website that does just that, for free! I am a Southern gal, and I faithfully use only one site, southernsavers.com. It matches sales and coupons for every store in my area. It is as simple as clicking on the store, checking desired items off of the sales list, and printing a grocery list. All the possible coupon matches are listed along with the items. There are many other such websites out there. I suggest you look into a few that feature stores in your area and see which one works for you.
Another way to make the match is to check out the weekly ad yourself. Grocery store weekly ads can be found in your local paper, in the store, and sometimes on the store's website. This could work if you just shop one store and you have a little more time to browse. The coupon matching websites typically list the best sales, but not everything in the ad. I do spend about five to ten minutes flipping through the weekly ads just to make sure I don't miss anything.
A Couponing System That Works
When you first start couponing, you will spend more time as you collect coupon inserts and learn the ropes. To start, you will need to focus on one grocery store and learn their coupon policy. They are all different. Some double coupons, some don’t. Some put limits on how many coupons you can use for one item. Some limit how many of a sale item you can buy. Get a copy of the coupon policy from your store and become familiar with it.
Every Sunday, I get a copy of the local newspaper which contains coupon inserts. If there are three or more different inserts that week, I will buy one or two additional papers. I spend about 20 minutes browsing the inserts, dating them, and filing them away. If I see a coupon for a product we use a lot, I will go ahead and clip it and file it in my binder. For tips on how to organize your coupon binder, see my article - How to Organize Your Grocery Coupons.
In my area, grocery store sales start every Wednesday. On the day before, southernsavers.com has the grocery lists available. It takes about 30 minutes for me to make my checklists and pull coupons. I usually only visit one store - Publix, but I occasionally shop Bi-Lo and Harris Teeter if they have a great sale on items I need. Shopping time for me is 45 minutes at Publix and about 20 minutes if I stop at one of the other two. I only shop stores that are on my way in the morning.
I do my shopping on the first day of the sale, mainly because of local incentives, but also to make sure I get the items that may be free or near free - those go fast! Check your store for special day discounts such as Mystery Penny Item or senior discount.
Ready, Set, Shop!
The biggest time commitment for successful couponing is when you are first getting started. You will spend time collecting coupons, getting organized, navigating coupon-matching websites and looking into your grocery store's coupon policy. Once you are organized and have developed a strategy, though, it will become a short and easy task each week. The payoff will be huge savings!
Related Articles
Comments
This is my second read of Couponing, I was reading over the latest comments from other hubbers. I noticed someone stated they saved over 800 dollars, and someone else only paid the taxes. I am going to have start saving coupons again!
Awesome. I do the coupon thing and sometimes I just pay tax on items and get them almost free. Nice Hub.
- AUTHOR
DIY, come on down and we will hit Publix and Harris Teeter!
Congratulations on 100 Hubs!
CS,I need to drive down to Charleston and shop with you one day. I've been wanting to try couponing for quite a while, but like most things have been looking for that "roundtoit". You may gave just given me a kickstart! Thanks!
- AUTHOR
Hi, Green Art
I am beginning to think we have a lot in common! CVS is my first choice on the drugstores, but I will hop over to Walgreens or Riteaid in a minute if there is a good deal! Thanks for commenting.
The first two months I started using coupons in a serious way I saved just over $800 dollars. I only bought items I normally buy, on sale and with a coupon. I often stack coupons at CVS and Walgreens. Instead of shopping at just one store I match ads with my coupons too. Like you I don't have a huge stock of any one item, just what I need for my family.
I also by generic and store brands on many items as well to keep costs down. Great Hub!!
- AUTHOR
Thank you, crewman6, for checking back and for sharing this hub with your wife.
Thanks to Blond Logic, Cathi, serendipity, uninvited and Rochelle for your comments.
Lots of good points. Matching that coupon to the sale gets the best price and almost always beats store brand price. Stay away from the junk food/unhealthy food coupons! If your store does not double coupons, see if they accept competitors coupons, or if they allow stacking.
Rochelle, I still participate in rebates which may be similar to what you mentioned. Takes some time to collect labels, receipts, etc., but hey, it is money back!
- AUTHOR
Thanks for stopping by R.G.! See you soon and maybe we can have a coupon lesson or trade!
I have done it to some extent at different times.
The biggest problem I see is that coupons for food are usually on those products that are highly advertised, processed, and full of questionable additives.
It used to be that you could get 'refunds' by gathering proofs along with certificates. I used to do spot drawings for a refunder magazine and the editor would send me 'complete deals to send in for cash or coupons for free products as payment.
I think you have to be careful, but there are some real deals to be found.
I am by no means an extreme couponer but I have been getting into it more and more. For the first time last week I got money back from a coupon. I had a $2 off coupon for bread if I bought two, well that exact bread was on sale for 99 cents each, so I got 2 cents back. I also was thrilled yesterday when I save 30% on my grocery bill just with 3 coupons...of course one was for free bacon which I got on Facebook :) I can see it could be addictive.
Most times, though. I find stuff cheaper than the ones I have coupons for.
Good job! That was a really great article, ill definitely mak my mom read that. Now i know where i get my love for writing from! Ill see you at the next family gethering. And again, it was a really great article, now my mom and I can save lots!
We cut out coupons consistently. Sometimes store brands are cheaper than buying name brands with a coupon. A lot of time goes into purchases. Use clipped coupons mostly
when the item(s) are on a good sale.
I was planning to start couponing. No stores anywhere near us double coupons.
I used to coupon a lot and felt like I was making a significant impact on our family's finances. I always looked forward to receiving the paper. Scissors in one hand and paper in the other.
Then I moved to Britain and there were very few which was a shame. It was something I enjoyed doing.
Congratulations on HOTD.
I showed your excellent hub to my wife, she likes your hybrid approach to filing. She wasn't sure if she preferred pre-clipping, or filing now, clipping at need... but your method of pre-clipping things you know you'll need, and filing the rest for later, is a great approach. Thanks!
- AUTHOR
Thank you for your comments!
genupher, give it a shot and don't be discouraged if you make a few mistakes at first - it happens!
JW, I am putting Aldi and Costco on my new years resolutions list to try out since so many people rave about them.
adrienne, what made you stop cutting coupons?
Crewman, I applaud your teamwork approach! That is really cool. Yes, many people believe those reality shows and want to know how they too can get 100 salad dressings for free. So easy to get carried away.
Great hub, and right on target. My wife organizes the trips, then sends me out armed with coupons. It's easier on both of us. I also work at a newspaper, and its' funny to see how many people come in believing those 'reality shows' are normal. When appropriate, I try to give encouraging advice about couponing for normal folk... :^)
I really enjoyed reading, excellent hub and an obvious choice for hub of the day.
Hi Chaplin, I use to cut coupons all the time. Your article was good, and informational. voted up!
Love the photos in this article! And kudos for saving money.
I prefer to shop discount grocery chains such as Aldi & membership clubs such as Costco. No coupons, but I still get great prices. I don't use a lot of what I see coupons for (convenience foods). But I do use coupons for things like shampoo & deodorant. I still buy name brand on those.
Great hub! I have been meaning to get into couponing but sometimes it just seems so intimidating ... with the assumed time consumption. You have helped to ease that fear. Thanks!
- AUTHOR
Thank you for your comments and the Hubnugget nomination!
As a few mentioned, it is easy to fall into the trap of buying items you don't need, just to "get the deal." I have been there many times, but now have a different mindset. It really is a science, and as sgbrown said, you can even create a spreadsheet to follow the sale cycle of items you buy. After a while, you just know it -those .39/lb bananas at WalMart are a good deal!
I think I will check out Aldi across town since I have heard good things from Victoria and others. I do visit Trader Joe's for some specialty items, but I thought they did have sales. Not true, arusho?
Although it seems somewhat ridiculous, it can really leave to tremendous savings. Good hub!
This is a timely hub and awesomely written! My problem with coupons and purchasing on the cheap is I still end up paying $200, but with loads more fancy stuff that I bought because I was getting a good deal on toothpaste!
Great hub! I have been couponing for years...one more thing you might try...I have an excel spreadsheet where I list the price at which I purchased an item along with the date and the store. This way I know what is really on sale! Voted up and following!
Well written, i have seen people with the coupon book similar to your first picture at stores, and its made me wonder if it was worth it.
great hub of the day! Unfortunately, I shop at Trader Joe's and they don't do coupons or sales.
Great hub! I am a light couponer, that is I try to keep my eyes open for good ones. But you have great and easy tips here that make me want to step it up a little. Voted up!
Congratulations on Hub of the Day! I haven't taken the time to sit down with flyers and cut coupons, but we have started checking the coupon board in the store we shop at. If there is something that we know we will use we take a coupon and buy it. It is a good habit to get into, as saving money on groceries leaves a little more for other things.
You have gone into great detail laying out the facts about couponing...thank you!
I always tell myself that I should be more intentional about using coupons. I'll clip them and stack them...and then forget them on the counter when I go shopping. Then...I watch one of those Super Couponer shows...you know, the ones were they get $1000.00 worth of stuff for 75 cents and get all pumped up to do it again. lol I think I just need to organize myself better and learn how to shop when I'm feeling patient! Great hub Chaplin Speaks! Congrats on the hubnuggets nomination too!!
(We don't shop at WalMart--their so-called "lower prices every day" are actually higher than WinCo Foods!)
We don't have a lot of these in our country and I find this to be very interesting. Just like anything, we should learn and find strategies on how it can work the best for us. This is really a great help and thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on your Hubnuggets nomination Chaplin. To read and vote, this way please: http://redelf.hubpages.com/hubnuggets6/hub/How-To-... Cheers to being hub of the day plus a Hubnugget nominee!
I love the wit and reality you added to your hub. I have seen the show "Extreme Couponing" and said, "That is just ridiculous. While I love my coupons and a good sale, you are right, I am not going to stockpile 80 bottles of juice. There is a system to when things go on sale. So, patience is key for someone who does not want to stock up like they are preparing for the end of the world. Great hub!
I'm so spoiled by my local Aldi store that I don't use coupons very often. I occasionally get the Sunday paper, but find that most of those products are more expensive even with the coupon than at Aldi. Still, I occasionally take advantage of a coupon on a particular brand item I really like. Very well-written hub, as it explains couponing very well. Voted up!
VERY useful & wise information. Congratulations on this being the hub of the day. I certainly enjoyed it, and find it to be relative. I, too, am a couponer. I tend to stockpile as well. I'm still "learning the ropes" as you put it, and definitely use any advice handed down, such as this hub! Thanks for sharing!
I have tried this. I have tried to create a system. I have failed. I have tried to buy only what is on sale and cooke a meal. I find i can't do that because I don't like to eat what is on sale. I wish they had better prices on fruit, veggies and meats. I can live without all the chips and cookies. I liked you hub. Very helpful for many!
Congratulations on having the hub of the day! Great information.
Great article.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, wordscribe!
Once you get a system, it will all fall into place. Some people despise the coupon binder, but mine goes with me everywhere. Couponing is actually fun!
Alright, alright... you've re-inspired me. I got fed up with the hassle for a long time. I have some friends who are hard-core couponers and they just keep telling me I need "a system." That's where I fail. I need a handy coupon book plus I need to remind myself saving money just requires a little bit of time and planning. I used to have the right mindset, I'd think the time I was investing in couponing was actually like a paying job. I know it really doesn't take that long, but I just get so darn lazy. Anyway, thanks for motivating me. I voted for this hub in the Hubnuggets contest, btw. Good luck!
- AUTHOR
Thank you for your comments! It is very interesting to hear the different experiences and perspectives. Everyone can stand to save some money these days.
my_girl_sara, Harris Teeter doubles .75 coupons, and even has Super Double and Triple coupons occasionally. Bi-Lo is another that doubles over .50 as well.
DzyMsLizzy - sounds like you have figured out the best strategy for your area. I have shopped WalMart, but the overall discounted prices do not come close to the savings I get using the sales\couponing method. As you noted, it will depend on where you live and which stores are available.
Pamela N Red, good point. The produce coupons are harder to find, and it is easy for couponers to get carried away and buy a bunch of junk food. When I buy meat, I buy it on sale, use a dollar-off-total coupon, like $10 off $40, and freeze it. That ends up being at least 50% off all meat. Frozen veggie coupons are out there, for example Green Giant and Cascade Farms. Healthy food couponing can be done!
Most coupons are on ready made foods that aren't healthy. Most of the foods I buy are in the produce, frozen and meat department and there are no coupons for those items.
Years a go I tried using coupons but found it was more trouble than it's worth. I sometimes use them on cleaning products if I'm going to buy them anyway but other than that I don't mess with them.
Nice info. I work at a grocery store so I know firsthand how couponing helps people save money. I think what people have to be careful about though is buying things they don't need just because they have a coupon for it. I mean sure you'll save money on those chips but you would have saved even more if you hadn't bought them at all. With that said, people should definitely take advantage of coupons when they can. Voting up :)
Congratulations on HOTD
You explained it well enough, but for some, the whole concept just doesn't work. We are on a fixed income, and must shop at THE cheapest store. In our area, that is WinCo Foods. They have overall lower prices than any of the other stores in the area, and, even when those stores have sales, their prices don't beat WinCo's.
We save every penny we possibly can, everywhere we can. That means we do not buy newspapers, don't have cell phones, and got rid of cable and satellite TV. WinCo doesn't have sales, although their prices can and do fluctuate...but overall, I've found that coupons are rarely offered for things I actually need or use. I stick with house brands, and they don't offer coupons.
You can see the rest of my take in my pair of hubs on brand-name foods.
I know couponing is very popular, and you did a great job with your article--it just isn't for me. Cheers!
Yes, I enjoy couponing as well. It's become a game for me. What I want to know is which store doubles a $.75 coupon? You have a Publix flyer in your blog but to my knowledge none of the stores here double more than $.50. Thanks!
I just started couponing back in May but it has helped our family save so much money. I easily save $50 a week at the grocery store. It does take time to cut and organize the coupons into your binder but it is well worth it. Congrats on your hub of the day - voted up, useful and awesome! Great job!
looking at this topic in a new light
thanks for more information. I have a website with online coupon codes and printable coupons also if anyone would like to check it out. Thanks for the great hub!
www.extremeonlinecouponing.com
good money saving tips !!
Congrats on the hub of the day! I wish stores in my area would double coupons. I try to cut coupons when I can. Great hub!
I'm becoming better and better at Super Couponing, though I did mess up recently on double coupon day, when I didn't look at the expiries of my coupons. I ended up removing a ton of stuff from my cart as a result, which took me below the $25 minimum purchase amount for double coupons. Grr!
Congratulations on Hub of the Day. I like to save money anyway I can and this is one way to do it.
Congratulations on Hub of the Day. A very useful Hub, indeed - I know that sometimes couponers get a negative reputation, but saving money is ALWAYS cool! :)
Congratulations on Hub of the Day. This is a well-deserved accolade - lots of great ideas and nice details. I really like to use coupons too, and save hundreds, like you do.
This definitely deserves hub of the day! Great content and a wonderful idea for a hub. I oftened wondered if the time was worth it and I learn about a couple of new ways of doing things. Like the website that matches coupons with the sales of the week. That takes a lot of the work out of it for you! Thanks for writing!
Chaplin Speaks: Great hub...absolutely the couponing is worth it...I rarely shop without some....a great little underused money saver. Congrats on hub of the day...well deserved!!!
Coupons are always worth it. Even the time you have to put in to cut them out or search for them because they are always helping you save and keep you smiling when you get your total.
Good hub and lots of useful information. Very well organized and congratulation for being "Hub of the Day."
- AUTHOR
tlpoague, Yes, unfortunately the savings are not quite as awesome in smaller towns with fewer grocery stores. You still can save with coupons, though, especially by following the sales ads and buying products when they are on sale. I do know people who make a monthly hour drive for shopping trips to bigger cities. Might be worth looking into.
- AUTHOR
Wow! What a nice surprise this morning! Thank you all for your encouraging comments!
WibMagli, the new restrictions I have seen since Extreme Couponing aired has been aimed at people who clear shelves or abuse coupons, so not much effect on the average couponer. (mainly limits on how many of one item you can buy or how many like coupons you can use)
Sammythrone, your comment put me up to a challenge! I checked my savings last month and compared that to the 4-5 hours per month I spend organizing coupons and making shopping lists. I'm making about $250 an hour!
This is one of the best pieces I've ever read on the topic. I may give couponing a second look. Congrats on a well-earned Hub of the Day! Voted up.
Great useful content! Thanks.
Nice, common sense approach to coupons. Good information and I like the part about how you don't have to buy 100 of something to save money.
My wife does this and it does take a little time but the effort pays off. Great hub.
Good information. Have the grocery stores' coupon policies become more restrictive since the extreme couponing shows have aired on television? Thanks. Voted up!
I would think that gathering the coupons take up more time than the money you saved. Think about your cost per hour and the cost needed to gather the coupons. You save by not doing it.
congrats on getting to the hub of the day but i cannot really help but admit you deserve it. This hub is really well written and filled with relevant details on couponing
thumbs up
Very helpful couponing information. You have inspired me to give it another try, especially after reading your other hub on how to organize the coupons. I only wish our stores doubled the coupons, but they don't. Congrats on hub of the day.
Congrats on being hub of the day! This is well written and well-researched. Thanks for sharing. Voted up across the board!
Great hub and it deserves hub of the day. Well written and very interesting subject matter, which in these times is very important subject matter! I haven't really paid all that much attention to coupons, I'm not sure if they are as common in the UK but I'm going to have to investigate to see if there are big savings to be had here too. Thank you for giving me food for thought.
Congrats on getting hub of the day! I have tried this in the past, but where I live, it is more of a hassle than a benefit. Small towns here do not seem to see the savings that some other places may get. I try to use them if I have them, but most of the time I either find a better buy or my family doesn't eat it. I think it is great that other people can use them to help themselves out during these tough times. Great hub! You delivered terrific information.
You've made a believer out of me! I've been pretty negligent about taking advantage of coupons up to this point, but I think I'll give it a go now. Thanks for the great Hub!
I am certainly a coupon lady but I have been behind ones that put me to shame, yeah, lol. Usually a proud husband beside them...unlike mine who leaves. But I don't care!
I lived in Goose Creek years ago. Great place but wow the summer heat!
Great hub on couponing. It gives me inspiration to do more with coupons. Thanks for sharing!
73