Help with Coupons?

[luvsJack]

Ok, I am trying to become a very frugal mom. So, I want to start using coupons. I cut some from the paper last week (will get a paper today) and printed some from coupons.com. So yesterday I sat down to make my grocery list and see whats on sale and try to use the coupons with all that.

For instance, I had .50 off bounty and WalMart had a special on bounty towels, but in the 8 roll pack (I think that is the size). So to use the coupon on a sale item it would have been .50 off a $10.00 pack of paper towels and I don't even use bounty, I use a cheaper brand that was still cheaper without the coupon.

This is the problem I always run into--the brands I usually buy are still cheaper than the brand I have the coupon for with the coupon. I did use a coupon on Dawn for .50 off and WalMart had dawn for $1.50, so that was good. And I used another .50 for toothpaste that made the tube less than 1.00. It would have been nice to have more than one of these, but I didn't know the price of the items until I got to the store (not in the ad) and not sure how to get more than one coupon. (well, i know I could buy more than one paper, but can you print more than one from the coupon sites?)

So maybe I am just going at this wrong to get started? It just seemed like a whole lot of trouble to save 1.00. Should I not use them until I get a whole bunch?

Anyone, PLEASE: tell me how to get started on using coupons???

TIA

ETA: I don't think any of the store around here double or triple coupons. So using them that way is not an option.

 

[cjnix29]

You really have to figure out what it is you buy, and what is on sale, and what you have a coupon for. Plus, check to see if your grocery stores double coupons. That is really where you can rack up the savings. It may seem weird to buy a name brand at a grocery store rather than at Walmart, but if you watch the sales, and then have double coupons, you will do better at the grocery store. The bottom line is always price. As you said, it makes no sense to spend more on an item because it is a higher brand, if you have a coupon. You should have skipped the bounty, and bought the store brand in that instance. Also, coupons a lot of times work better on smaller quantity items. Plus, also check your store's price matching policy. For example, my best days are when I can price match from a grocery store, and then get a double coupon at the store I shop at. It takes some time to get used to it all, but it really can make a big difference. Good luck! Check out websites like afullcup.com, and weusecoupons.com for some tips from the real pros.

 

[cbmstephanie]

Take a look at thegrocerygame.com. There is a fee involved, but I think you can still do a free trial. The site will list regular prices, sales prices, when there is a coupon available and the price that will be paid when utilizing the coupon. It really helps me to have someone else do the work and then I can tell at a glace if it's an item I want to buy.

 

[DMickey28]

I run into problems getting started too so I give up and then I want to start again.

I could use explainations too.

I have found a few things that help me. Usually coupons at Walmart don't do much for me. I do 90% of my shopping at Walmart but trying to stop that because it really isn't that much cheaper for me. Watching sales at the regular grocery store and using coupons there seems to be better but the GREAT deals seem to be few and far between for me.

The other thing I try to do is BJ's coupons and manu. coupons. I just ordered a bunch of Deoderant coupons that I can use at BJ's. That's my biggest coupon savings ... sad.

I really don't know how to get more into it honestly ...

 

[3boymthr]

I can do well with coupons, but there are times when I don't save much using coupons - last week it was $1 - but that's because most of what I bought was meat and produce or dairy - items for which you just don't find coupons around here.
Conversely, I went to CVS three weeks ago and with store coupons and national brand coupons I reduced my order from $174 to $80 and I walked out with $30 in store coupons good on my next purchase. These savings include a coupon for a DVD the kids wanted (I got the new Ice Age for $3), coupons for Dawn on sale for 99 cents so 79 cents after 20 cent coupon; tide stain remover on sale for $2.99 and I had a $1.50 coupon. Or at Target week before last Ritz were on sale for $2 and I had a coupon for $1 off two and a Target store coupon for $1 off 2 so I got two packages of crackers that normally sell for $3.49 for $1 each.

I buy a lot of national brands - my family just likes them better and I have a kid who can tell the difference between skippy, Jif and store brand - he only likes Jif - if I buy the others he won't eat PB until they're gone. I do have some things I will buy store brand, but not many.

If you are a family who uses 90% store brands then couponing won't work well for you. But sometimes coupons for national brands combined with a sale, combined with a store incentive program or store % off purchase coupon will make it cheaper to buy a name brand at a store.

Also, I don't shop Wal-mart. We don't have super-centers near us - and the nearest wal-mart is 1/2 hour away. Plus, plus, plus. So with the local grocery stores, it definitely pays to use coupons espcially, if I can get a sale.

Back to my grocery shopping this week so as to not get discouraged - the way you have to look at it is not meh I saved a dollar but hey I saved an extra dollar.

 

[etoiles]

I would recommend following afullcup.com and check out their forums for the stores you visit. There they will tell you how to get the best deals on everything. At first, you may not save much on everything but once you get a few good deals on certain items you should start a stockpile. I have a stockpile at home of certain items, such as toothpaste. If I need toothpase I get it from there instead of paying full price at the store if it isn't on sale that week.

I also follow moneysavingmom.com. she tells me how to get the best deals each week on certain items.

 

[denise5374]

The other thing is price matching. I don't know if it varies by store but my Walmart will price match, so if paper towels are on sale at the grocery store and not walmart take the ad with you and you will get the lower price. I haven't tried it so I don't know how easy it is.

 

[Shmily1]

My best advice is to buy everything you can at a drug store. Between CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid, you can get a lot of stuff for just a little money. I have about 11 bottles of shampoo in my cabinet right now because I can use a coupon, hit a sale, and get ECBs or RRs to get it for nothing or close to it. There is always a CVS thread on the DIS, plus I like to check iheartcvs, iheartwags, and iheartriteaid, as well as the forums for these three on weusecoupons. There are always good ideas on where to get coupons and how to combine them with the sales to get stuff really cheap. Also, if your grocery store or Walmart is listed on weusecoupons, there is good info there.

 

[lulu2]

Join the coupon train here on the Dis.

 

[NYCDiane]

I had the same problem, too. I got over it by just buying what I always buy and using coupons for those items. The only time I will buy a brand I normally won't use is if it's on sale and I can get a great bargain. I only do this with "generic" things like paper towels, toilet paper, and the like. For example, I will usually use Scott paper towels. Well, my store had the 6 pack of Viva towels on sale for $3.19 and I had several $1 off coupons, so I got a bunch of pkgs of the Viva and it turns out I actually like those more than Scott.

 

[RangerPooh]

I suggest joing a cupon train, there are a few going here on thedis. This way you can send off the couons that you either have extra of or are not using and receve coupons from others that 1. you might not have received in your paper and 2. might be of use to you. Plus the swap that I was part of allowed requests. So I knew that if person A was looking for coupn XYZ I would keep an eye open for those and then send them on to them specifically. So something like that might be helpful to you.

I know that coupons aren't always the best deal for me as I do tend to buy a fair amount of store brands, but I do look through the ads to see what is on sale. I then take a look at my coupons to see if I have any that match the desired items. Upon browsing the store I do the math to compare if the generic item is cheap or if the coupon is cheap or coupon + sale price.

Sometimes it also pays to shop around at multiple stores. I do use coupons at Walmart, but don't always shop there due to the distance. However, in the past my best Walmart coupon shopping was on Pampers and Huggies diapers and wipes. When you have a nice $2 coupon the price really goes down

My recommendation is to start saving your coupons. Buy a small accordian file or recipie box and place your coupons based upon categories

• I base mine on the store isles..baking, snacks/chips/crackers, dairy items milk/butter/cheese/yogurt/cookie dough, meat, fruit (you will occassionally find those), paper goods tp/paper towels, baby, frozen foods, dog food, bathroom products, etc)

Then start stocking up on coupons. Look in newspapers magazines, ask friends, find them in the grocery store, online printables (though not taken everywhere), even ones that can be downloaded straight to you club card. Every few weeks clean it out as some expire in a few weeks, others a few months. But after a few weeks you should start to accummulate some nice coupons that you could hopefully use on future trips to the market.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

To maximize your savings at any store, you need to have multiple copies of each coupon. Either buy 2 or 4 newspapers each week (make sure you check the papers for the inserts before buying! would hate for you to get home to find some missing) OR gather the inserts from friends/family/coworkers OR purchase only the coupons you need that weekk from one of the various coupon "clipping" websites (see hotcouponworld or a fullcup etc for recommendations). There are weeks (with 4 or 5 inserts in the paper) when I buy 10 copies of the newspaper. Other weeks I don't get any newspapers and just buy 10 or 20 of the particular coupons I need from that week.

If you have multiple stores to choose from, you may find that the coupon can be matched with a sale within the month. However it can take up to six months of coupon gathering, store circular reading, and matching sales with the coupons until you see a real difference in your pantry and in your savings. Like with any new hobby or habit, the beginning is really timeconsuming but it does pay off (literally) after time!

 

[momtosam]

Start off by focusing on CVS or Walgreens. There is an awesome thread on this board for CVS deals! Once you have their system mastered, it is easy. Yesterday at CVS I did two transactions. Transaction #1 I spent 19 cents and $4 in CVS extra care bucks (their reward money). Transaction #2 I spent 85 cents and $5 in CVS extra care bucks. I walked out with $137 in merchandise AND an additional $43 in CVS extra care bucks to spend at a later date!

 

[dhdozier]

There is a lady from Atlanta who gives very detailed info on how to save with coupons. The website is couponmom.com and it is FREE!! She has videos on how to save money, spreadsheets for different stores with what coupons to use and date they came out, just very detailed stuff that can save you $$$$. Take the time to check it out, it has really helped me.

 

[luv2nascar]

You need to stockpile when things are on sale with coupons.
I don't feel Walmart is my best savings place because they don't double coupons. Remember you will save more buying smaller packages on sale with coupons than 1 large package.

Check with your stores to see if they double coupons and how many. My Shoprite will only double 4 like coupons on one shopping order. I go back and do a second or third order to get my coupons to double.

Do you have Fred's or Kroger's stores? They should double.

 

[momtosam]

Remember you will save more buying smaller packages on sale with coupons than 1 large package.

This is a really good point. It took me forever to learn that about diapers!

 

[Jacoby 46]

Sorry, double post!

 

[Jacoby 46]

afullcup.com
weusecoupons.com
hotcouponworld.com

When I first started couponing all I did was READ, READ, READ all these sites. Go to those sites, search out the stores you shop at and read. Once you have the information (IE - Store coupons, coupon policies, ect) you will understand more. All the people on these boards are extremely helpful and they all post the deals that they find by using coupons. I have a pretty big stockpile right now of toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, paper plates and cups thanks to CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. As for food, my pantry is full of Cheerios, Red Berry Special K, some kids cereals, lots of Rice, tomato sauce, soups, hot chocolate, cake mixes, canned vegetables, ect, that I have got for pennies! It is all thanks to those boards listed above. Yes, some will say they don't eat that stuff and that is fine, couponing isn't for everyone, but there are Organic coupons floating around all the time, I have seen them.

 

[angel12]

Nice Information, I have given more information....

 

[luvsJack]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! I do have a Fred's close by I will have to check with them about doubling. For grocery stores we have Save Rite, Winn Dixie and Sunflower (but I won't shop there, FILTHY!!), Corner Market and Ramey's. Don't know how many of these are regional or local only. Ramey's is my go to place for meat--really good meat at really good prices, I will check about doubling and then check with Winn Dixie--they have a reward card program too so combining the two might work really well.

I have always just shopped WalMart and ad matched (except for meat) but if I can get the sale price and a double coupon, I won't mind going to an extra place or two!

Between now and next grocery day, I will definitely be checking out those web sites.