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Couponing Tutorials
Coupon Basics: What Every Couponer Needs to Know
Have you ever used a coupon before? I remember what it was like the first time I used a coupon – I was very nervous! Would the cashier refuse it? When do I give them the coupon? Am I doing this right?
Sometimes I forget that a lot of my readers are brand new couponers! Here are some coupon basics that will hopefully ease the coupon panic on your first couponing trip!
A manufacturer’s coupon is a piece of paper with a discount for a specified product printed on it. The coupon can be used at most stores that carry the specified product. To receive your discount you must purchase the product and give the cashier the coupon. The cashier will scan the coupon and the coupon amount will be deducted from your purchase. You then pay for the remainder of the purchase.
Coupons may only be used once. You may not buy ten boxes of cereal and scan the coupon for $1 off cereal ten times. The store will only be reimbursed for the single coupon you scanned – they will then lose $9 for the nine additional times you scanned the coupon.
You may use one coupon per indicated items purchased. If you have two coupons to save $1 on one box of cereal, you can buy two boxes and use both coupons. The coupon will say “one coupon per purchase.” This means you may not use both $1 coupons on one box. If you purchase two boxes then you may use two coupons.
You may not use two coupons on one item. You may not buy one package of diapers and use ten coupons on it. You may only use one of your coupons on the diapers. You may, however, use one store coupon and one manufacturer coupon on one item.
Coupons may not be copied. Copying coupons is illegal. You can obtain multiples of coupons in legal ways like buying multiple newspapers or printing from different computers.
Read the wording of the coupon and ignore the picture!Manufacturer’s usually put a picture of their most expensive product on the coupon to make you think that is what you have to buy. If you actually read the terms of the coupon, it will usually say “save on ANY brand xyz product.” That means you can buy even the least expensive product and still save with the coupon!
You can use a coupon on an item that is on sale or clearance too!Occasionally I will have a store clerk tell me otherwise, but it is usually cleared up with a chat with a manager or a call to corporate.
If a product rings up higher than advertised or they miss one of your coupons, let them know! I always read over my receipt before I leave the storeto make sure everything is correct. Any mistakes over $1 are pointed out to customer service. You may be thinking that $1 does not seem like much, but let me put it in perspective. If you visit 3 stores per week and each store overcharges you “just $1″ at each visit then you are being overcharged $156 per year (that’s 3 weeks worth of groceries for some people!). It is usually more than $1 though, and rarely takes more than a minute at customer service.
Stand up for yourself! If you are using coupons correctly then shop with confidence. Many times the cashiers are just misinformed. Be calm and confident when you explain why you CAN use the coupon. If the cashier still doesn’t accept it, ask nicely to speak to a manager. It is your money and you should not feel bad about being a smart shopper!
Beginner’s Guide to Couponing
Get some coupons!
- The Sunday newspaper is a great source of coupons. Buy the newspaper with the largest circulation in order to get the best coupons. You can sometimes get them cheaper by buying a double pack. I find that a good rule of thumb is to purchase one newspaper per family member.
- Ask your friends and family for coupons. If they get a newspaper but usually throw out the coupons then they’ll probably be happy to give them to you.
- Browse the Internet. There are many great online printable coupons to be found! You can find a list of coupon printables at the top of this page.
- Use a clipping service. If there is a great coupon that you would like to have multiples of then you might consider ordering the coupons from a clipping service like The Coupon Clippers.
- Check the store. There are many varieties of coupons that you can find in the store.
Organize your coupons!
- Envelopes. You can start by clipping and putting them all in an envelope or check file. But, once you’ve been couponing for a few weeks you will need something bigger.
- File by insert. With this method you just file your inserts by date in a box and use an online coupon database to find the coupon you need. This method doesn’t require much work but you might miss out on unadvertised deals by not having all of your coupons with you at the store.
- Coupon Binder. With this method you would clip all of your coupons and file them in baseball card holders in a three-ring binder. With this method you can carry your binder to the store and have all your coupons with you while you shop.
Know your store’s coupon policy!
- Loyalty Cards. If your store offers a loyalty card then make sure to get one. Some stores only give the sale prices to card-holders. Loyalty cards are Free!
- Double/Triple coupons. Double/triple coupons is when the store will take your 50¢ coupon and double it making it $1. This is done automatically at the register, you do not have to do anything to take part in this promotion. First, find out if your store doubles/triples coupons. If they do then find out the maximum double/triple value and how many they will double/triple. My Albertson’s will triple up to 35¢ and double up to 50¢. That means my coupons that are 35¢ and under will triple and 50¢ and under coupons will double. So, at Albertson’s my 50¢ coupon is actually worth $1. And they will only double/triple the first four like coupons. So, if I have 10 coupons for 50¢ off of shampoo, only the first four will double.
- Stacking coupons. Some stores will allow you to use one store coupon (the discount is provided by the store) and one manufacturer coupon (the discount is provided by the manufacturer) per item.
- Internet coupons. Find out if your store accepts Internet coupons.
- Competitor coupons. Some stores will accept competitors coupons.
- Expired coupons. Some stores will accept expired coupons!
Make a plan!
- Weekly Ads. Read the weekly store ads to see what is on sale and which stores have the best prices on the items you need. If you don’t get the weekly ads delivered you can usually view them on the store’s website.
- Coupon Matchups. See if you can match coupons to the sale items to get an even better deal! Some websites do this for you. Couponing 101 provides weekly coupon matchups for CVS, Walgreens, Albertson’s, Brookshire’s, andKroger.
- Pricematch. Some stores, like Walmart, will pricematch. This means that if grapes are on sale for 99¢/lb at Kroger, you can take the ad to Walmart and at checkout tell the cashier that you would like to pricematch the grapes. Show them the ad and they will sell you the grapes for 99¢/lb versus their higher price.
- Make a List! Don’t go to the store without a list. Lists remind you what you came for and keep you from buying items you don’t need.
- Rainchecks. If your store is out of the sale item, get a raincheck! Go to customer service and ask for a raincheck for the item you wanted. They will fill out a piece of paper with the item details and price. Then you can come back another day (usually no more than 30 days) and buy that item at the sale price by giving the cashier the raincheck. This also gives you more time to gather coupons for the item! You can still use a coupon if you are using a raincheck.
Don’t be fooled!
- 10/$10 promotions. You do not have to buy 10 items to get the $1 price! The only exception to this rule is if the ad states that you must! Those times are rare and are usually for items that are buy x get y free, final price 2/$5, etc.
- Rock-bottom prices. Don’t go out and use your coupon immediately! If you use that 25¢ off toilet paper right away when it’s not on sale you aren’t reaching your saving potential! Wait until toilet paper goes on sale for $1 then use the coupon. If your store triples coupons then you could get the toilet paper for only 25¢! Matching sales with coupons is getting a great price. Combining sales plus coupons plus another promotion (rebates, double coupons, store coupons) is getting the best price!
- “One per Purchase.” I’ve heard this so many times! Most coupons say “one coupon per purchase” somewhere in the fine print. Cashiers will try to tell you that that means you can only use one coupon per transaction/day. This is NOT true! One per purchase means that you can only use one coupon per item purchased! So if you are buying 10 items and have 10 coupons then you can use them all!
- Leave the kids at home! Shopping with kids will distract you and cause you to buy items not on your list!
- Make a Pricebook. Start paying attention to prices and keep a list of items you regularly buy with the best and regular prices for those items. This will help you when you see that canned veggies are on “sale” for 10/$10 but the regular price is actually 99¢!
- Limits. Stores will sometimes put limits on the item to make you think it’s a great price! If cereal is just on sale 2/$4 you might not even notice it. But if it’s on sale 2/$4, limit 2! then you will likely think it’s a great price since they had to put a limit on it!
- Shop early. If you have couponers in your area then it’s best to get to the store as early in the sale as you can!
- “Bigger is better.” The cost per unit of the bigger box of cereal may be less than the smaller one but with coupons and sales the smaller box is likely a better deal.
- Watch the cashier. When checking out pay close attention to the price screen to make sure everything rings up at the correct price. Also, make sure that the cashier scans all of your coupons. Coupons sometimes stick together or get dropped or the cashier will scan the coupon but not realize that it didn’t go through. Kindly point out that they missed one and they will correct it.
- Check your receipt. BEFORE leaving the store look over your receipt to make sure everything rang up correctly and all of your coupons were scanned. If there is a problem take it to customer service immediately so they can fix it. If you leave the store and come back at another time then it might not be fixable. If the cashier missed a coupon and you notice right away it’s easy to see the mistake. But, if you come back later after several other coupons have been added to the cashier’s stack or the stack is gone then there is no way to prove that they missed a coupon.
Build your stockpile!
- Start slowly. Don’t buy a ton of everything as soon as you get started or you will blow your budget! A stockpile takes time. Set aside a part of your weekly grocery money for stockpiling and do what you can with what you have.
- Buy for the future. If an item goes on sale for a great price (or free!) then buy more than you need for just the week. Typically sales go in 12 week cycles so you only need to buy enough for 12 weeks. So, if you eat 1 box of cereal per week then when you find cereal at a rock-bottom price then you should buy 12 boxes. This way you have cheap cereal that will last you until you can buy it at a rock-bottom price again.
- Know how much you use. Start paying attention to how many bottles of shampoo, packs of diapers, boxes of cereal, etc. you use. This will help you to have a better idea of how much you should buy and to not go overboard! If you only eat 1 box of cereal a month then there is really no need to buy more than a few boxes or they will just go to waste.
- Donate it. Every couponer will eventually go overboard and buy too much of something. If there is no way you will use it before it expires then consider donating the item to a shelter or food pantry.
Coupon lingo can get pretty confusing! Here is a list of commonly used terms and abbreviations on most couponing sites
BLINKIES = In-store coupons near product, usually from a red blinking box.
BOGO or B1G1F or B1G1 Free = Buy One Get One Free.
CAT or CATALINA = Coupon that prints at the register after purchase.
CRT = Cash register tape, coupon that prints in store.
DOUBLE COUPON = Coupon that a grocery store doubles in value.
ECB = CVS Extra Care Bucks earned for purchases.
FREE ITEM COUPON = A coupon that allows you to get the product completely free.
IVC = Walgreen’s Instant Value Coupon ( Found in the monthy EasySaver Catalog ).
IP = Internet Printable Coupon.
MFG = Manufacturer’s Coupon.
MIR = Mail In Rebate.
NED = No expiration date.
OOP = Out of Pocket, in reference to how much “real money” you will pay at the register.
OYNO = On your next order.
P&G = Proctor & Gamble Coupon Insert found in the Sunday newspaper.
PEELIE = Coupon that you peel off the package.
PSA = Prices Starting At.
Q = Coupon.
RP = Red Plum Coupon Insert found in the Sunday newspaper.
RR = Register Rewards.
SS = Smart Source coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper.
STACKING = Using a store specific coupon with a manufacturer coupon (most stores allow this).
TEARPAD = A pad of refund forms or coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display.
TRIPLE COUPON = A coupon that a grocery store triples in value.
WYB = When You Buy.
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary (success of the attempt may vary at your store).
BOGO or B1G1F or B1G1 Free = Buy One Get One Free.
CAT or CATALINA = Coupon that prints at the register after purchase.
CRT = Cash register tape, coupon that prints in store.
DOUBLE COUPON = Coupon that a grocery store doubles in value.
ECB = CVS Extra Care Bucks earned for purchases.
FREE ITEM COUPON = A coupon that allows you to get the product completely free.
IVC = Walgreen’s Instant Value Coupon ( Found in the monthy EasySaver Catalog ).
IP = Internet Printable Coupon.
MFG = Manufacturer’s Coupon.
MIR = Mail In Rebate.
NED = No expiration date.
OOP = Out of Pocket, in reference to how much “real money” you will pay at the register.
OYNO = On your next order.
P&G = Proctor & Gamble Coupon Insert found in the Sunday newspaper.
PEELIE = Coupon that you peel off the package.
PSA = Prices Starting At.
Q = Coupon.
RP = Red Plum Coupon Insert found in the Sunday newspaper.
RR = Register Rewards.
SS = Smart Source coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper.
STACKING = Using a store specific coupon with a manufacturer coupon (most stores allow this).
TEARPAD = A pad of refund forms or coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display.
TRIPLE COUPON = A coupon that a grocery store triples in value.
WYB = When You Buy.
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary (success of the attempt may vary at your store).
The number 1 place to go to get your coupons is the Sunday's newspaper. My Sunday's Newpaper is the "Charlotte Observer" These newspapers are $2.00 so you can just get $10 worth of newspapers starting off. Think of it as paying $10 to save you hundreds of dollars. With this thought in your head you may wanna even pick up $20 lol!! You do need to make sure you get them early b/c now when I go to the store to get my newspaper one rack is completely cleared out so I thank God they have 2 racks.
Also I did notice this the other day, you can actually google newspaper inserts and found sites that sell just the Sunday newspaper inserts. I think I may go this way sooner or later. I saw one that sold the inserts for as cheap as $0.30.
Blinkies: Pull these coupons from the “blinking” machines at the grocery store
Peelies: Coupons that are stuck to the actual product
Tearpads: Pads of coupons typically found on special displays at the store, tear off one or two or three…
Winetags: Coupons that hang on the neck of a bottle of wine, they may or may not require a purchase of wine to use the coupon
Home Mailers: Coupons that are sent directly to your mailbox
Internet Printables (IPs): Coupons that are printed from the internet – not all stores accept these
You can also find coupons in magazines. All You is a magazine sold only at Walmart and it almost always has great coupons in it.
Questions about how many coupons you can use are some of the most frequently asked questions here on Couponing 101, so I decided it was time to address the topic!
Can I use more than one coupon per item?
You can only use ONE manufacturer coupon per item. All manufacturer coupons will say “manufacturer coupon” somewhere along the top of the coupon. A store coupon is different and I will talk more about that type of coupon below.
If I have a coupon for $0.50 off one Kraft cheese and a coupon for $1 off two Kraft cheeses, can I buy two Kraft cheeses and use both coupons?
No. Even though the values of the coupons are different, you would still be using two coupons on one item, which is not allowed.
If I have a $0.50 off one Kraft cheese coupon from the Sunday newspaper and a $0.50 off one Kraft cheese coupon that I printed from the internet, can I use both on one Kraft cheese?
No. Even if the coupons come from different sources, you cannot use two coupons on the same item.
If I have a $0.50 off one Kraft cheese coupon and a Buy One Get One Free (B1G1) Kraft cheese coupon, can I buy two cheeses and use both coupons?
No. The B1G1 coupon applies to both items (basically the same as a $1 off two applies to both items), so using an additional $0.50 coupon would not be allowed.
If I have a $0.50 off one Kraft cheese coupon and a $0.50 off one Kraft cheese STORE coupon, can I buy one Kraft cheese and use both coupons?
Yes! You can use one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon per item. This is allowed because with the manufacturer’s coupon the manufacturer is providing the discount, but with a store coupon the store is providing the discount.
If I have a $0.50 off one Kraft cheese coupon and a $0.50 off one Kraft cheese eCoupon that I’ve loaded onto my store’s shopping card, can I use both?
No. Most stores will not allow you to use an eCoupon and a paper coupon on the same item because they consider eCoupons to be manufacturer coupons.
If Kraft cheese is on sale Buy One Get One Free and I have two $0.50 off one Kraft cheese coupons, can I use both coupons?
Yes! Most stores will allow you to use a coupon on the “free” item because you are still “purchasing” the item, even though the selling price is $0.
If Kraft cheese is on sale Buy One Get One Free and I have a Buy One Get One Free coupon, how would this work?
You would buy two Kraft cheeses. The first one would be free with the sale, the second would be free with the coupon, making both free (not all stores will allow this).
For many, the word “stockpiling” means buying lots of bottled water, batteries, and canned food in preparation for a snow storm or natural disaster. For couponers, it means never having to pay full price again.
stock·pile – A supply stored for future use, usually carefully accrued and maintained.
A stockpile is simply buying more than what you need for immediate use when prices are extremely low, so that you do not have to pay full price in the future. A stockpile can be a key part of saving money!
Here are my tips for stockpiling:
Buy Multiples
To start a stockpile you will need multiple coupons. In order to get multiple coupons, you will need to buy multiple Sunday newspapers, or collect coupons from your friends and family. Four of each coupon is a good place to start, but you can do more in the beginning when building your stockpile.
Wait for Sales
When items go on sale at a deep discount, that is when you want to use all your coupons. Say, for instance, that pasta has gone on sale for $1 and you have a $0.25 coupon and your store will triple coupons. That makes the pasta just $0.25, which is a great price. So, if you have four $0.25 coupons then you could buy four boxes and pay just $0.25 per box! Of course, you may not need all four boxes this week or even next week, but if you eat pasta regularly then you will use them eventually. This way, you get to pay a rock bottom price for pasta andyou won’t have to pay full price for it the next time you need it. You have enough to last you until the next time it goes on sale.
Sales Cycles
Stores run sales in cycles. Everything typically goes on sale about every 8 – 12 weeks. If you buy 8 – 12 weeks worth of everything when it goes on sale, then you will have enough to last you until the next time it goes on sale. If your family eats one box of cereal per week, then go ahead and buy several boxes. If your family only eats one box a month, then maybe just buy a couple boxes.
Buy Only What You Like
It is very important that you only stockpile foods and products that you know your family will actually use. Don’t buy 10 boxes of cereal that your family has never tried before or it may never get eaten. If your husband does not like a certain brand of deodorant, don’t stockpile that brand, even if it’s FREE. Yes, I just told you not to get something if it’s free. If you won’t use it, what’s the point? By buying it you are just preventing someone who could actually use it from buying it and taking up valuable storage space in your home.
Watch Expiration Dates
You have to keep an eye on expiration dates when you stockpile. It is very important to rotate your stockpile. That means you need to put the new items you purchase at the back and keep the oldest products at the front where you can get to them. Keep in mind that even toothpaste expires! It takes a long time, but if you look at the tube, there actually is an expiration date on there!
Don’t Go Overboard
It’s very tempting to buy tons and tons of products – especially when they’re free. Please remember the 8 – 12 week sales cycle. It WILL go on sale again! You don’t have to buy 50 tubes of toothpaste right now. Buy a few now, then buy a few again the next time it goes on sale. If you realize you’ve accumulated too many tubes, skip a few sales. Save your gas, energy, space, and time instead.
If you build a stockpile and carefully maintain it you can save a lot of money and always have your favorite products on hand! No more running to the store at 10 pm because you’ve run out of diapers!
Free Coupon Inserts
These are places you can check in your city to find free coupon inserts.
Coffee Shops
One of my all time favorite methods to score FREE coupon inserts is to hit my local Starbucks on Sunday. Many customers leave their Sunday paper on the table when they are finished for others to read. In fact, some Starbucks locations have a little recycling box for customers to throw their paper in when they are done. If you feel weird about taking the coupon inserts, ask the manager if it’s alright that you to take them. Chances are they won’t care either way.
One of my all time favorite methods to score FREE coupon inserts is to hit my local Starbucks on Sunday. Many customers leave their Sunday paper on the table when they are finished for others to read. In fact, some Starbucks locations have a little recycling box for customers to throw their paper in when they are done. If you feel weird about taking the coupon inserts, ask the manager if it’s alright that you to take them. Chances are they won’t care either way.
Dumpster Dive
If you want to get really crazy – and I’ve thought about this but have yet to get the guts to do it (people already think my coupon obsession is crazy) – is to “dumpster dive”. Now, I’m not saying dig in the trash. That’s gross! Stop by your local recycling center & see if they have a paper section you can snoop in. Make sure you bring gloves & some hand sanitizing wipes & dive on in!
If you want to get really crazy – and I’ve thought about this but have yet to get the guts to do it (people already think my coupon obsession is crazy) – is to “dumpster dive”. Now, I’m not saying dig in the trash. That’s gross! Stop by your local recycling center & see if they have a paper section you can snoop in. Make sure you bring gloves & some hand sanitizing wipes & dive on in!
Hotels
Another method I have pondered about recently – again, I haven’t tried it – but why not hit up a hotel that provides the Sunday paper to its guests? They always get so many & I’m sure it won’t hurt to ask the management if you can have any extras at the end of the day.
Another method I have pondered about recently – again, I haven’t tried it – but why not hit up a hotel that provides the Sunday paper to its guests? They always get so many & I’m sure it won’t hurt to ask the management if you can have any extras at the end of the day.
Library
Check your local library! Most libraries receive copies of the Sunday paper for their readers. Talk to your librarian to see if you can have the coupon inserts that are inside.
Check your local library! Most libraries receive copies of the Sunday paper for their readers. Talk to your librarian to see if you can have the coupon inserts that are inside.
Gas Stations
Ask your local gas station if at the end of the day you may have the extra coupon inserts in any of the remaining unsold Sunday papers. The gas station only needs to provide the newspaper carrier with the front page for their refund – the rest gets trashed! Maybe strike up a deal with them that you’ll purchase a copy each Sunday if in return they save you any extra coupon inserts. You could also offer to recycle the remaining papers for them. Try this method at your grocery store or any other location that sells the Sunday paper!
Ask your local gas station if at the end of the day you may have the extra coupon inserts in any of the remaining unsold Sunday papers. The gas station only needs to provide the newspaper carrier with the front page for their refund – the rest gets trashed! Maybe strike up a deal with them that you’ll purchase a copy each Sunday if in return they save you any extra coupon inserts. You could also offer to recycle the remaining papers for them. Try this method at your grocery store or any other location that sells the Sunday paper!
