COupon Queens....

[AlternateEgo]

where do you get your coupons?

And how on earth do you organize them (and remember what you have?)

I only use the coupons that are glued to the products I buy & even then I forget those 1/2 the time!

I'm thinking of trying to use them more often - but I'm not sold on the idea yet - so I'm just looking for your info...

I get my coupons from the Sunday paper. I look at the coupon preview to decide if I will purchase 1 or 3. Our local Dollar Tree carries the Sunday paper for $1 rather than $1.50 at the gas station. If I find a really good coupon that I know will net a lot of free/cheap items I trade with others or purchase them off ebay. You can also print out coupons on various websites. www.alternateego-insight.blogspot.com is my blog and I have a few coupon resources available as well.

I organize my coupon using the binder method. This is very time consuming, so I am currently trying out a new method. Basically with the binder, you go to Walmart and purchase baseball card holders and you cut out all the coupons (never throw a coupon away unless you know you wont use it- and have no desire to try it) then you basically place them into the clear pockets and go through the binder as you shop. This has always worked wonders for me (3 years couponing) but I often get backed up clipping all those coupons.
Pros - You always have your coupons with you
Cons - Time consumed by clipping

I am currently trying out a new system, in which I keep all my inserts filed away and pull them out to match with current sales.
Pros - Dont have to cut all my coupons
Cons - Never have my coupons cut out to look through while shopping.

And if you are planning to use them, I would be more than happy to assist you. I was once in your place, but I guarantee once you take that first shopping trip and see just how much you saved on your receipt, the adrenaline will keep you hooked.

Again, please, if you need help, you can contact me via PM on here, or I have a contacts page listed on my blog.

 

[Chicago526]

While I do clip from newspapers, I find the best coupons online. In another thread I posted how I got 15 cans of Progresso soup for a net cost of $1.85 after I used a bunch of internet coupons combined with a good sale price and a promotion that if you spent $30 on Progresso soup (based on regular price, not sale price!) you got $15 in catalinas towards you next shoping trip (catalinas, or cats for short, are those coupons that print at check out).

But, I only find useful (to me and my family) deals like that once every few months. The rest of the time I use coupons when I can, but since we eat a lot of organic and I cook a lot from scratch, I just stick to a lot of store bands to keep costs down.