Keep the Change: Couponing Basics

(Photo Source: Office.Microsoft.com)

While most people know of coupons, pop-culture has turned super-couponing into a nightmare for many. While spending hours clipping and planning can give you a high pay-off, it’s not necessary if you’re new to couponing and just want to save a little green. Here’s how I do it.

1.       Find coupons. The newspaper is the most obvious place to look, but you can also check the internet at places like coupons.com or smartsource.com. You can also head to the websites of your favorite brands and search for coupons there (or if you’re brave, contact them directly to request coupons).

2.       Store coupons. You may have heard of the Binder – I have one, but I don’t use it as much these days. Instead, I keep 12 folders – one for every month. When I get my paper, I label each coupon insert boldly with the date and put it in its appropriate folder.

3.       Match coupons to sales. Let someone else do your work for you by checking out money-saving blogs for match-up posts. They will tell you what’s on sale and where to find coupons to match. To find these blogs, do an internet search for the name of the store you shop and the term “match-up.” Many of these sites also have great tips for using store reward programs. My favorite site for Homeland match-ups is SimpleSavingSavvy.net.  For CVS or Walgreens, I head to Hip2Save.com.  For tips on how to interpret the strange language of coupon match-ups, check out an old post of mine here.

4.       Cut/Print only the coupons you need. When I look at the match-ups for the week, I make a list of sale items I need/want and the coupons that go with them. I then print those or pull out the appropriate coupon folder with the right insert, clip the coupon I need and put the rest back.