The Art of Couponing: Coupon Lingo & Rules

Hello there fellow Coupon Queens (and Kings! we don't discriminate).  If this is your first time here, please check out the series, The Art of Couponing, to get up to snuff with all things coupon.

Get Started
Organization
Digging Deeper

This week, we are going to uncover the strange and often misunderstood world of coupon lingo.  What do all those crazy abbreviations mean?! Some are self explanatory, while others take a bit more thought.  Don't be mystified and intimidated by the language, after some time, it'll be old hat.

Coupon & Sale Lingo

BOGO or B1G1 or B1G1F - Buy one item at full price, get a second item for free.  However, if this is a store sale, most do not mandate that you must buy two items.  You can usually buy one item at 1/2 price!

B2G1, etc. - Same as B1G1, but you must purchase whatever amount is specified to get the deal.  

B1G1F - For a paper coupon, buy one item, get an item free.  Look for fine print on these, because the coupon will usually put a limit on the max. price of the free item.  Flag this item for the cashier, since they will have to write in the amount on the coupon.  

Q's - Coupons!

Cat or Catalina - Printed coupons at the register, usually from a separate machine and on receipt tape.  Can be store or manufacturer coupon.  Great for stacking!

MFG, MFR - Manufacturer coupon

SS - Smart Source insert (Sunday paper or online)

RP - Red Plum insert (Sunday paper or online)

WYB - When You Buy - Again, be careful with the fine print to make sure you are purchasing what is required to get the deal. 

GC - Gift Card deals - Target is famous for this!

ETS - Excludes Trial Size - sorry, can't get that freebie every time.

DNB - Do Not Double - sad, but true.  Many stores will double coupons under 50 or 99 cents.  However, many places are more stringent if they state DO NOT DOUBLE on the coupon.

$1/1, $2/2, etc. - $1 of 1 item, etc...

Coupon Rules

I only promote using coupons in a fair and non-scheming way.  It's not my intention to stockpile every inch of my home or clear shelves.  Sadly, when coupons are misused, stores tend to alter their rules.  That ruins it for people who are just trying to save money during their weekly shopping trips.  Nobody needs 12 jars of mustard.  Unless you have a dozen teenage boys who only consume Oscar Meyer hot dogs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Alright, even then.  Not okay.  

• Read the fine print.  
• Remember the Golden Rule. 
• Don't try to trick a cashier.  But, you might need to educate them.
• Know the store's coupon policy.  If you are unsure, carry a print out of your favorite store's policy with you in your binder.  You can find them on their web page.  Never hurts to be prepared if there is a question.
• Be considerate of the time of day you shop.  I find Friday nights are the most coupon friendly.  No crowds and I'm not holding up a line.
• Be prepared for discouragement.  If a hot freebie or deal has already been wiped out, don't fret.  Chances are, the same deal will return in a matter of days or weeks.

Next time, we'll talk about strategic shopping moves.  We'll also talk about the importance and strategy behind a detailed shopping list.  I am a lady who loves a good to-do list - are you?

Did I forget something?? Leave a comment and let me know.

P.S. - Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for more tidbits on frugal living!

Thrifty Thursday: FREE is my favorite four-letter-word!

You've heard me mention my love of getting coupons in the mail.  The love affair continued this week with all my new goodies :) 

Are you a fan of John Frieda products?  My husband and I both tame our curls with this line, and I wanted to try the new shampoo.  Maybe my roots need awakening?!  These little packets are really convenient when traveling too.

And, really, who doesn't love a free diaper?  I think this will be my emergency diaper.  I'll stow it in the car's glovebox.  Better to be prepared!

Want some love for your mail box?  Check out these links for the next available freebie!

Walmart Samples and Coupons

Target Goodies

Huggies

The Art of Couponing: Digging Deeper

Welcome back to The Art of Couponing series!  If you missed the last posts, you can check them out here and here.  We have covered where to find coupons and how to organize them without losing your mind.  Hopefully by now, you have a good stash growing and are starting to get organized.  Let's see if we can find you even more.


Sneaky Ways to Save:

Loyalty Cards

Sounds obvious, right?  Your grocery store really values you as a customer, and they need your business.  They all compete for you by advertising the best deals.  BUT, you have to use their card!  Most stores tell you how much your card saves you at the bottom of your receipt.  Don't underestimate how much these can save you.

Got Mail?

Have a favorite brand or company you love?  Tell them about it!  Write or e-mail the company and tell them how much you love their product.  Also mention you are interested in trying more, and would appreciate a coupon to try something new.  I have had luck with Applegate Farms for organic meats.  The chicken nuggets are delicious! Buitoni pasta also sent me several coupons when I had a problem accessing their online coupon system.  Most companies love to hear from their fans.  Wouldn't you?

Subscribe & Save

I suggest having at least one e-mail account solely for collecting coupons.  Many companies prefer to e-mail you their coupon, and you don't want to litter up your personal account.  You can also subscribe to newsletters and bulletins, so you can see any new deals or specials they might be running.  I LOVE checking my coupon account and finding several new gems.  Oh, the joy!

You can also register your account with your favorite grocery store chain.  If there is a big event happening, a Super Double coupon day for example, you'll be the first to know.  They also reward their loyalty card holders with online coupons and deals.  You can even charge coupons to your loyalty card (see above) to stack coupon power! (more on that later...)

Recyclebank

Recyclebank is teaching about green living and rewarding members.  Start an account and start earning points to put towards coupons, gift cards, and other deals.  You watch simple, educational commercials and complete short quizzes to earn points.  You can also pledge to recycle to earn points.  They are always unveiling new ways to earn!  I love this site's message, and I have earned several Kashi coupons and $5 off at my local grocery store.  They mail you your goodies, so it's another mailbox present.  Can you tell I love getting mail??

Facebook

Woohoo!  Facebook is really impressing me lately with all their online coupons.  "Like" a certain product or brand on FB, and print off a high value coupon.  Sometimes there are technical glitches and they do go quick.  Be on the lookout, you might be surprised what you find.

(It's funny because it's true.)

But, all the coupons I see are for junk food.  What if I want to eat healthy food?  You can't ever save on those, it's just too expensive!

In my gathering of coupons, I soon learned that certain healthy or organic products were really hard to find.  Since that is a staple in my house, I made it my mission to find them.  Here is a short list of some of my favorite brands that are very coupon friendly.  Check out their sites for coupon deals and subscriptions:

• Organic Valley
• Horizon
• Stonyfield
• Coleman 
• Kashi
• Earth's Best Organic
• Annie's
• Revolution Foods
• Mambo Sprouts

Next time, we'll talk about coupon lingo. Use 2 Qs on a BOGO! Say what!?  

The Art of Couponing: Organization

Welcome back to The Art of Couponing series.  If you missed last week, we talked about finding and gathering coupons.

Like most anything in life, there appear to be many differences when it comes to organizing coupons.  I'll talk about what has and has not worked for me, and send you in a few directions to figure out your own way.  One thing I have learned is that pre-planning and putting some time into organizing WILL help you get in and out of the store faster and more efficiently.

Go with no plan and a handful of loose coupons?  Prepare to be annoyed and lose money.  Been there.

File Method - This method has you place all of your coupon inserts into an accordion file.  With a black sharpie, you note the date on the front of each insert.  You do not clip any coupons until you are about to go grocery shopping.  Then, you simply clip what you need and go!  No need to lug anything to the store, and you just have your own list and a small bag of coupons.  Or you can tuck them in your wallet or purse. Jen at Southern Savers is amazing and notes that this is her method of choice.  She talks about it here and I count on her to do my weekly coupon matches.  More on that later.

(Note the Toy Story band-aid stolen from my daughter. Not off a booboo, but from the box. That would be mean.)

I used this method for a few months when I first started.  It was the best place to start for me, especially since I was overwhelmed with the amount of coupons I had lying around.  It got them together in one central location and initially, saved me money.

However, as I got savvier, I realized I needed to have access to my coupons all the time.  Meaning, if I saw a great deal at the store, I wanted to be able to have the coupon easily accessible.  That's harder to do with the file method.  It was also easier to forget I had certain coupons.  If I couldn't see them all, it was harder to recall what I had and had not already clipped.  I also found myself not needing a large amount of the coupons I was saving.  From each insert, I might only use half or less than half of the available coupons.  What was I supposed to do with the rest?  I'll answer that later too.

So... I moved on.

You will need: 

• one accordion file
• one sharpie
• plenty of inserts

Simple, right?

Binder Method:  The binder method is the creme de la creme of couponing.  It's where most people end up when they get really serious.  Heard of the Krazy Coupon Lady?  This is her method of choice, along with many other hard-core couponing champions.  These ladies have a great video tutorial about getting your binder organized.  I suggest starting there if you really want to use this method.  It requires more up front work than the file method.

But the payoff is sweet.  I'd say now, on a given week, I clip and organize for about an hour.  When you think about the hundreds of dollars I'm saving us, it's time well spent.  (Oh, I love a good pun!)

You will need:  

• a sturdy 3-ring zippered binder w/ pockets (this is the exact one I use)
• LOTS of top-loading card holders (something like this or this) 
• several dividers OR post-it tabs (see pic above)

Ultimately, I am saving time when I head to the store.  I have my binder organized by very general sections.  I have designated areas for baby items, home goods, pet, health/beauty, grocery, freezer/meats, dairy/misc., and store or catalinas.  I can easily flip to a section, locate the coupon I need, and move on.  I  usually pre-pull the coupons I know I will use, and keep them in a front zippered pouch in my binder.  But, I love having all of them with me (security issues? maybe) so I can use one on any other deals that pop up.  Stores are constantly changing their sales and I never want to miss out.


Combining Methods:  I mix both of these methods together and my new system seems to be working really well.  I still keep all my inserts filed in my accordion file.  Most coupons expire every 6-8 weeks, so I keep the oldest inserts in the front of the file.  Then, as they expire, I yank them out.

However, I am pre-clipping all coupons that I think I will use over the next two months.  Whenever an insert comes my way, I cruise through it quickly and clip away.  Every week I do a quick "getting to know you" with my coupons.  I pull expired ones, mourn the loss, and move on.

If I have two coupons for the same product, I keep the one that will expire first, on top.  Then, I layer additional ones behind.

I feel this is the most efficient way of handling the mountain of coupons I have now, although I am still a newbie in the coupon game.  Whatever your method, just know it will take time to work out the kinks.  You might find you hate how tedious keeping a binder can be, and may resort to just the file.  Stay on top of what coupons you do acquire, whatever way that may be.  I tend to shut down when I slack off for a couple of weeks and the pile of inserts starts to stack.  It's not pretty.

If you are curled up watching TV or a movie, just clip a few inserts and organize them.  It won't take long once you get in a routine.

Next time, we'll talk about additional places you can score coupons and websites for coupon matching.  There is no point in reinventing the wheel when it comes to coupons, there is a wealth of information out there in cyberspace.

Get organized before you hit the store.  You will be so grateful in the end.

Happy Couponing! 

The Art of Couponing: Getting Started

I have been considering starting a coupon series for awhile now, and I think I have enough experience to give it a whirl.  However, I will say that I am not an extreme coupon-er.  In fact, I would still classify myself as a newbie.  I have been doing a good deal of research for several months, and am thankful to all the wonderful ladies who work tirelessly on their coupon sites.  I would never have that kind of focus or patience!  So, with that being said, I will share my experience with the Great Art of Couponing with you.

Coupons have changed and grown our grocery budget.  The food envelope is the first one to empty in this house, and my family really enjoys eating.  We like snacks, fresh produce, and just having food in the fridge.  My husband starts to sweat if his granola bar supply runs low.  We also value eating organic when possible.  There are only three of us, and I still believe we overspend in some areas.  It's like feeding a house full of teenagers at times, I swear.

So where do you start with coupons?

Well, first, you need to FIND them.  Gather, gather, gather.  Here are some places to look.

• Sunday paper inserts - A gimme, but I get them from my parents or hubby's work.  We have not caved and bought a subscription yet.  Ask your neighbors or local businesses if you can have their inserts.  Doesn't hurt to ask!  
• All You - Do splurge on a subscription to All You magazine.  I got mine at a discount when I saw it pop up on another deal site.  This happens pretty regularly, so I would wait and get it for cheap!  It's worth it.
• Online - There are TONS of sites that allow you to print coupons.  The most popular and easy to use are Coupons.com and SmartSource.  There is the cost of keeping your printer stocked with ink and paper, but the payoff is good.  Most online coupons average $1, so you will save over time.  
• Catalinas - Catalina coupons usually spit out from a separate machine at checkout.  I always watch carefully to see which ones will pop out!  Some grocery stores even run specials with catalinas, so you can stock up when you see a good deal. 
• Binkies & Peelies - Sounds like the latest cartoon craze, right?  Blinkies are the old-fashioned coupon dispensers located around the grocery store.  Keep an eye out and grab one (not 10) when you pass by.  Peelies are sticky coupons attached to a certain product.  Be sure to buy the product if you plan on claiming the peelie.  It's so sad to see a shelf where someone helped themselves to every peelie in sight.  Play fair, people.
• Mailbox - I love getting coupons in my mailbox, it really gives me a thrill.  I can hear you rolling your eyes!  Don't automatically toss those inserts, sale ads, or booklets.  Take a peek, you might be  surprised.

Though there are more ways to gather coupons, I think it's important to start small.  I was quickly overwhelmed by the amount of coupons I gathered in a short time, and it makes you want to quit before you even get started!  Go slow, turtle.

Next time we'll talk about how to organize your coupons without losing your mind.  Nobody wants to find you huddled in the corner with paper cuts while muttering about the latest BOGO deal.  Trust me, that was almost my life.

Till next time, happy gathering!

Frugal Sites

I have found a new kind of motivation this past week.  Hence the new blog updates!  I've been reading a ton of blogs about frugal living, couponing, debt managment, etc.  It's been really uplifting since we are looking to shell out a cool $1000 in car repairs over the next month.  Wait, make that closer to $1500.  Set backs are discouraging, but I'm pulling myself up by the metaphorical boot straps.  (weird visual, huh?)

Here are some fantastic blogs I've been following:

Frugal Dad - This blogger is a Dave Ramsey follower as well, and he has great information and uplifting articles about beating debt.  He really forces you to "man up" as DR would say :)

Money Saving Mom - She has a great blog series about becoming a work-at-home Mom that has been really educational.  I'm signing up to be a mystery shopper this week (no scams, promise!) and preparing to sell some old text books online.

Coupon Challenge - A VA local who coupon matches for Farm Fresh. You know I love my www.southersavers.com, but she doesn't match FF for me.  Thanks Dana for keeping me in the know!

Last night I stumbled on a link to make your own foaming hand soap at www.liverenewed.com using castile soap.  I think I might pick up some peppermint scented and cost compare to see how much it could save us.

Also, begging my dear friend Alexis at Dungeons and Diamonds to share her wealth of knowledge with starting container gardening.  I do NOT have a green thumb, so this might be easy enough for me to handle!

Got any frugal living tips??

Farm Fresh Score! 6/1

What a way to start off the month! I totally rocked it at Farm Fresh tonight. I just got back and demanded to take a picture of my "haul". Matt oohed and aahed at me and even took my picture. Anyway, Farm Fresh is doing Super Double Coupon Wednesdays on coupons $1 and under. Pretty sweet deal when most other grocery chains only double for 99 cents or below or not at all! Here are my stats:

Total Spent: 11.38
Total Saved: 23.05 or 68% (my best yet!)

Now, given, I did not purchase any milk or produce this time. BUT, I still was able to stock up on some cheapies. Here's what I got.




I am looking forward to cooking up the Aidell's sausages on the grill! These were not on sale, but after my $1 coupons on each (they expire on the 5th) I got them for $3.99!

Okay, I'm going to come down off my shopping high now.