Coupon Class - Lessons

Just to start off with ~ I am a SAHM of 4 great kids ages 12, 11 , 9 and 6. I've been married for 13 years to a great man and I homeschool the kids. That's us in a quick little nutshell.

I've been couponing for several years now and I love it. I used to have tons of excuses of why I couldn't do it, but now I know better. I'm currently down to $300.00 a month. Yes, for everything. Sounds nuts right? But it's very possible.

Let's start off this class with a few things I want you to think over.

Lesson #1
Do you have the mindset?

Coupons and frugality really go hand in hand. Using coupons is a great way to get started in your frugal journey; however it needs to be paired with budgeting, meal planning, stockpiling, and various other sources. We all like to learn new ways to save money, but the truth is that if you develop a frugal mindset, you will find yourself applying frugality in your everyday life and it will become a habit in everything you do.

When you start out with using coupons you might feel uncomfortable. Don’t be surprised if you initially feel self-conscious, uncomfortable, or even guilty “taking advantage” of the deals available to you. After all, the store or manufacturer is losing money, aren’t they? Not really. These coupons are also carefully coordinated with retailers to maximize sales without loss in profits. The industries are looking out for themselves. It’s up to you to look out for yourself, and your family, in protecting your precious financial resources. To do this, you need to put yourself in the right mindset.

Things to consider:

**Stores are FULLY reimbursed for the face value PLUS 8cents for each coupon you use. Ignore cashiers that say your stealing money from the store. It’s not the truth.

**Understand that using a coupon does not mean you are cheap, poor, or unable to pay full price for an item.

** Being frugal shows that you care about your finances. It shows that you are a contentious, well informed consumer.

** Becoming frugal is a journey that you will never regret taking. It will transform your life and your family for the better.


Giving Yourself Time

The overall goal is to team up the sales, promotions, coupons, and rebates, to reap the highest possible savings. Sound overwhelming? It can be at first. You have to give yourself time to learn how to do this well. Your savings at first may not be huge, but over time they will increase if you are diligent. There is a lot to learn, including tricks of the trade, so don’t psych yourself out as you get started. Just stop, think, and remember: it’s a marathon, not a sprint.


So I'm leaving you with these thoughts. Think them over and ask yourself if you're up for the long haul ~ ask questions if you want to.

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Lesson # 2
Menu Planning and Budgeting

Have you ever gone to the grocery store and left $100.00 dollars lighter with only two bags? You get home and wonder “What did I spend all that cash on?” It happened for years in our house. We were always out of something so we’d run to the store. While at the store we’re always see things we “needed.” Which of course we really didn’t need.

Then I saw the light. I was introduced to couponing and meal planning by a friend of mine. From there it’s become a complete lifestyle change for the good. I used to spend $750 - $800 a month on groceries and household items for my family of 6. Now I only spend $350 – $400 a month. It didn’t happen overnight, but with time and planning you too can do it.

I speak with people all the time that are trying to cope with rising gas and food prices. They’re desperate for some relief. Obviously prices aren’t going back down. Making changes to their lifestyle is a must for many. Couponing itself isn’t the end all though, it needs to be paired with budgeting, meal planning, and stockpiling to maximize your savings

Here are the tips I suggest to start you off ~


Budgeting:

1. Set a budget

• Keep receipts for one month
• Set a realistic budget
• Don’t just cut your budget in half overnight. Slowly reduce your budget over a few months
• Sit down with your spouse in agreement on what you spend

2. Switch to cash only

• Don’t use your debit card or checkbook to pay for your groceries. Period. If you find that hard to do, then leave your debit card at home (or in your car) while you are shopping. This will help break your dependence on it.
• You will spend less when you use only cash
• A cash only system helps with making you think harder about impulse purchasing.


Basic Menu Planning:

1. Take inventory of what you have in your pantry

• Go through your freezer, frig, and pantry and write down what you have on hand
• Knowing what you have on hand ensures that you buy only things you need
• Use your inventory when making your menu and grocery list

2. Before you get started

• Check with family to see if there is anything they want to eat
• Write a list of family favorite meals that you eat pretty frequently
• Plan all meals and snacks

3. Planning the meals

• Start planning one week worth of meals. You can work your way to more than one week, but start out small
• Make sure when you plan your meals that you plan easier meals on days when you are busy. Crockpot meals are perfect for those busy days. This will help you not to be tempted to just pick up takeout because you don’t have time to cook
• Base your meals around what you have in your house.
• Your goal is to use what you have at home and just shop for fillers
• Make a grocery list off of what you need
• Go shopping. Remember to use cash only! Resist the impulse to buy things not on your list.


And I think this is a good place to stop for today. It can be alot of information to process at once. If anyone wants to do a little homework now would be a great time to clean out your freezeer/refrigerator and cabinets. Don't be scared! you have to know what's in there to make it work for you! Also ~ sit down and make a list of all your favorite meals. You'll be amazed at how many things you can come up with!

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Lesson # 3

So how did everyone do on their homework? Did you figure out what was hiding in your cabinets?

Now ~ onto our next topic.

Price Books

To go along with menu planning and budgeting we need to talk about how to know when something is really on sale and when it's a good stockpile price.

Do you really know what you're spending on certain items? You probably think you do, but will be surprised when you start to break it down

One of the best ways to accomplish this would be to create a price book.

A price book is simply a list of the items you use regularly and the best prices they sell for at certain stores. It is a great tool for tracking prices, sales and stockpile opportunities. Prices in a price book should be listed by cost per unit so you can easily compare different size packages from different stores. When you see a deal in the flyer or in the store, you will know instantly if it is really a good deal. Just because an item is on sale doesn’t make it a good buy. The regular price at some stores may be less than the sale price at others.

Your price book is invaluable when it comes to determining if a sale is really a good deal.

It won't be as hard as you think. Look at your receipts or in your cabinet to figure out what you buy often and start with those items.

Things to note when creating a price book:
Date
Store
Item
Brand
Size
Price
Price per unit
(IE - yogurt in a 6 pack is 2.00. Divide 2.00 by 6 = 34 cents each)

So - this week buy yourself a new notebook (if you're a scribbler like me) or you can always google grocery store price book and find some examples of excel spreadsheets.



Next up: Advanced Meal Planning

Shopping the sales and loss leaders

• To plan a menu and stay under your budget it helps to plan your meals around the sales
• The stores have great sales each week that are called “loss leaders”. Those are rock bottom prices on a few items that draw people to the store.
• To save money you would plan more meals that use chicken breasts
• Only buy meat when it’s on sale
• The point is just to shop the loss leaders. Don’t go in a buy extra things. You won’t save money.
• You can price match at Wal-Mart


Stockpiling

• I mentioned earlier that your goal is to shop just for fillers. To do this you need to stockpile
• Try to save at least some money out of your budget to spend on stockpiling
• Stockpiling things that you routinely use is when you start really seeing the savings
• Ex. Several weeks ago at Winn Dixie there is a sale on Green Giant Steamers 10/$10. There are $1.00 coupons so that would make them free.
• Ex. Albertson’s had a mega sale last week. Bird’s Eye veggies are $.50 ea. There are $1.00/3 coupons. That would make them right about $.17 each.
• Use your coupons on top of the loss leaders to get items for pennies or even free. Stock up when you see these deals.


So this week when you get your sales papers in the mail DON'T THROW THEM AWAY!!! You need them to make your meal planning with.

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Lesson # 4
All right ~ now onto couponing!!

This will be broken down into several topics. Starting out with how to keep them organized and knowing the lingo. Both being very important topics.

Putting it together!

Easier said than done right?

Organization is key for using your qs wisely. Before I organized mine I would continually buy things and then later "discover" I had a q for it or miss good (almost free) deals because I didn't carry them with me, etc.

No more! There are several different ways you can clip and organize your qs. Below I've listed some tips for you:


Cutting Coupons

*Try to clip your qs the same time each week. That way you'll have a routine. I like to do mine either on Sunday night after the kids go to bed or on Monday first thing in the morning. Then I'm ready for the new week’s deals.

3 ways to clip:

* Clip them all out. I know, I know you're thinking - but maybe I won't use it. You never know (especially if you CVS - lol!) This is a great job for one of your children to do - teach scissor use right? Later, you can sort out which coupons you need to keep and which coupons you can share. I like to file the ones I know I'll use and put the rest in a ziploc for sharing, plus if I find I need it it's still there.

* Clip out only the coupons you know you will use. Then you can store the remaining inserts for giving away or accessing later.

* Don't clip anything. Instead just save the whole insert and file in date order. I don't like this method, but some do. Too much junk in the flyers for me. Plus you're always flipping thru the entire insert before you go to the store.


Filing Coupons

*There are plenty of coupon organizers out there but all you really need is a simple basket or box with some index cards for dividers. Or if you're really organized you can go the binder route.

Boxes with dividers: Just about any type of large index cards or heavy paper will do. Make a list of the coupon categories you’d like to have in your coupon file, such as breakfast, health, beauty, frozen stuff, etc… Preferably in alphabetical order. Label your dividers with those categories.

Binder: My preferred method of madness. I picked up a binder from Office Depot on clearance and bought dividers and baseball inserts. It's the same basic principal as a box with dividers, but you can just flip thru the pages and see everything.

Organizing your coupons should only take an hour or so, but it will help you save time and money every week. I like to multi task ~ I clip and file mine during Dancing with the Stars on Monday usually

You'll feel great knowing you pulled it all together!!


Lingo

It's like a secret society full of code names and acronyms. We could be the government - hahaha!! I’ve noticed that when “seasoned” couponers get together they start talking in code. To help the newbies out here’s a list that’s very helpful.

Q: coupon

CRT: cash register tape

DCRT: dated cash register tape. Must show the date of purchase on the tape.

NED: No Expiration Date

OAS: "one any size" Some coupons specifically state on them that they can be used on any size product.

POP: Proof of Purchase. This is the upc symbol on the package.

P/H: postage and handling

SAE: self addressed envelope

SASE: self addressed stamped envelope

SMP: specially marked package, meaning a package you find in the store that has been printed with a refund offer on it.

TRU: ToysRUs

UPC: "Universal Product Code". It is that box of black lines that the checker passes over the scanner at the checkout.

WSL: while supply lasts

Blinkies: coupon dispersed from an in-store Smart Source coupon machine (usually with a blinking light)

BOGO or B1G1F: Buy one, get one free

BTFE: Box Tops for Education

BTW: By the way

Catalina or Cat: Catalina Category Marketing (CCM) rewards purchases of promoted products with “catalinas”, also known as “check-out coupons”.

DND: Do Not Double

Double coupon: coupon that a grocery store matches to “double” the value to the consumer

ECB: CVS Extra Care Bucks earned for purchases

RR: Register Reward from Walgreens (prints in a cat style)

WAGS: Walgreens

FAR: Free After Rebate

HBA: health and beauty aid

ISO: In Search Of

IDSO: In Desperate Search Of

IVC: Walgreen’s Instant Value Coupon

IVDSO: In Very Desperate Search Of

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Lesson # 5
Where to Find It

Where do you get your coupons? This is the most common question I get. My answer- they are out there you just have to go find them. Once you do it's like a goldmine!

I've created my Top 10 places to find them for ya'll!

Top places to find coupons:

1. Sunday Paper Inserts
*Put out every Sunday in the Sunday paper. Check http://www.taylortownpreview.com/ for a list of upcoming inserts.
P & G – Procter and Gamble
SS – Smart Source
RP – Red Plum
V - Valassis

2. Snail Mail – keep an eye out for flyers, etc.
*Valu-Pak frequestly has great local coupons

3. Entertainment Book
*Great freebies this year there.

4. In packages – always look inside!

5. Online – Internet printables (IP’s)
**Don’t worry ~ the next section will focus on these! There are million and one questions that go with online prinables.

6. E-mail newsletters
Kraft, Betty Crocker, etc. Sign up for newsletters! Not only do they come with great recipes, but they let you know when the new Qs come out on their site.

7. Peelies and Blinkies
*Blinkies: commonly found in grocery stores. These are usually manufacturer coupons. They can be taken and used at any store before the expiration date.
*Peelies: refers to the little sticky coupons that can be found on products.

8. Magazines – Especially the All You found at Wal Mart


9. Coupon buying sites – http://www.thecouponclippers.com/
*Fast shipping ~ 3.00 minimum.

10.Ebay – of course!!
*Most are legit, but be cautious.



List of Sites

I've also compiled a list of al the sites I like to surf when looking for a Q. Most sites have a max print limit of two. You will be asked to download two different print programs.

http://www.couponforum.com/
http://www.afullcup.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.redplum.com/
http://www.boodle.com/
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.couponbar.com/
http://www.coolsavings.com/
http://www.couponbug.com/
http://www.couponloop.com/

Target printables – generators on

http://www.afullcup.com/
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/

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Lesson # 6
Internet Printable Guidelines

IP’s are a great way to get coupons. Here are a few questions I get about them:

*How often can I print them? Should I print them as soon as I find them or wait until I need them.

When I first started printing coupons I would print everything thinking that if I found a sale it would be nice to have them. Some times they would expire before I could use them. Then when a sale pops up and I want to print those coupons, I can't because I already printed them. It is very frustrating.

What I didn't know is that while most printable coupons limit you to two prints, for some sites that is 2 prints ever, some it is 2 prints in a month, and next month if they still have them you can print 2 more.

So – don’t print printable coupons until you need them unless you know the site is one that allows you to print them again next month. For those, it is often good to print the ones you may need near the end of the month so if there is a sale you have 2 from last month and 2 from this month.


The following sites reset your printing limits every month.
www.coupons.com
www.boodle.com
www.BettyCrocker.com
BoxTops4Education.com
Pillsbury.com
most of the sites that have lots of coupons from different companies



When I try to print a coupon that I know I haven't printed before, why do I sometimes get a message telling me that I've already printed the maximum number allowed?

Couple of possible reasons. Sometimes a link gets posted with an embedded code that is meant for a particular individual, and once the maximum is printed, it will give you the error message.

Another possibility is if the limit has been met for the campaign. If they have set the limit at 1,000, when they get to 1,001 you get the message.



Can IP's be printed out in black & white or do they have to be in color?

Most IPs say they are valid if printed in color OR black & white. Normally it doesn’t ake a difference.


What is a rolling expiration date?

It means that the expiration date will depend on the date it was printed.
IE: a coupon printed on May 1st with a 30 day rolling expiration will expire on May 31st. The same coupon printed tomorrow will expire on June 1st.



What are Coupon Printers and why are they needed?

Most printable coupons require a small Active X browser plug-in to be installed. These programs assist in generating the individual coupon codes and monitoring the number of prints. A number of sites use their own printing program, so downloading one from one site does not necessarily allow you to print coupons from other sites.

How do I know an IP is legit? I got a printable coupon in a trade and want to verify it.

There is a website allows you to enter the code of your internet printable coupon to verify if it is legitimate or not. There is also a place that you can notify them of stores that are giving you a hard time about internet printed coupons and they will send the store information so they can better understand how internet printables work!

http://www.couponsinc.com/crc/index.asp


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Lesson # 7
Back to Basics

When you first begin to use coupons to save money on your grocery shopping, it helps if you know some fundamental basics which can go a long way to increasing the amount you save. I've listed some for you below.

1. Know your store policies

3. One coupon per item. (except for stores that stack)

4. Know who stacks and who doubles to maximize your qs.
Stacking is defined like this: some stores will allow you to ‘stack’ their store coupons (Target, Rite-Aide, etc.) with your manufacturer coupons! These store coupons usually come from the web, email, snail mail, store ads, and flyers.

5. Read the fine print of your Qs.
IE: One per item, one per household, one per purchase, one per
transaction.

6. Save your store flyers and actually read them (focus on matching deals)
Your goal is to match the weekly sales with the coupons in your
possession. You will spend less if you have a plan.

7. Brand loyalty goes out the window for serious couponers! Buy what is on sale!

8. If a store has something on sale: # for $xx, you are not obligated to buy the full number to get the sale price… unless the ad says so! Something that is 10/$10.00 is actually “each item is $1”.

9. Don’t buy everything at one store just because it is more convenient. Remember, the store offers sales, loss leaders, promotions to get you into the store. It is their goal for you to then do all of your purchasing there, so they can maximize their profits. It is your goal to maximize your savings.
**However remember that you can tweak this if you don't mind paying a little more to save time. Depends on your circumstances.

Dealing with Employees

Ok - we all know coupons and cashiers are hit and miss as some of you may have already found out.

I've come up with a few "rules" for dealing with employees.


1. Don’t offer too much info (it overwhelms some of them)

2. Knowledge is power, but share it nicely

3. Sometimes cashiers are clueless to coupons, but try to be nice to them.

4. Stand your ground politely - no one likes to be yelled at or talked down to.

5. Know when to cut your losses. If you know you are using your coupons correctly, but the cashier and/or manager does not understand ~ just leave. There are other stores in town. It’s not worth getting totally stressed out over.

6. On the occasion when you run across a dishonest or extremely rude cashier - call for a manager. Get names and call corporate! You can only be nice to a point.


Note: It there is a major question about your Qs, DON"T get ugly. Decide if you should just pass on the deal and take your Q else where or if it needs to be escalated to a manager. If your stores are very Q friendly the only way to keep them like that is to be nice and play fair. Read your Q's fine print and when in doubt ask a manager. Most managers understand that you're looking for a good deal and will help you out when you are upfront and nice to them.

I hope this helps next time you're dealing with a bad situation.

Just remember, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar!

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Lesson # 8