The Art Of Couponing

[Kimmy]

Clipping or printing coupons can be one of the easiest ways to save money, providing you limit your purchases to items you would normally buy. You can save even more by matching your coupons up with local grocery store sales.

Check the coupon policies of your local grocery stores. In my area, many of the stores double manufacturer’s coupons up to $0.99 and they accept competitor’s coupons. Every so often, one of the stores will have a coupon special where they double manufacturer’s coupons up to $1.99 or they triple manufacturer’s coupons up to $0.99. So, for me, a manufacturer’s coupon for $0.85 will often be more valuable than one for $1.00. In addition to the normal weekly circular, some grocery stores also have a flier with various coupons, recipes, and tips.

Coupons can be acquired from many different sources. One of the most convenient ways to obtain them is by printing them from your computer at home. There are several sites, both general and manufacturer, which offer a broad range of coupons to print. Most websites have a coupon limit of 2 prints of the same coupon. Manufacturer’s sites often have slightly better coupons than the general sites, usually offering an additional $0.05 or $0.10 more.

In addition to online, coupons can be found in newspapers, magazines or even attached to merchandise in the store. Certain Newman’s Own products have a coupon with no expiration date printed on the package. Cascadian Farms sometimes has coupons taped to the front of their Organic Granola Cereal and Organic Granola Bars.

[Dorian Gray]

Be aware, some stores do not take coupons printed from a computer. As kimmy says, check the stores policy.

[Songster]

Great info, Kim! I'm a coupon-clipper from way back. I even have a coupon caddy that organizes and separates them. I save an average of $10 a week by using coupons. Last year, when they opened a new Kroger, I bought $200 of groceries for $115. Buy-one/get-one-free items where you can use coupons for both items really cuts costs.There have been changes over the years - where they once offered coupons for 50 cents off the purchase of a single item, now days most manufacturers have started requiring you to purchase 2 or 3 items in order to use a 25 cent coupon.

[Kimmy]

Be aware, some stores do not take coupons printed from a computer. As kimmy says, check the stores policy.

That's true, Josh. At least one of the grocery stores around me has a policy that if the printed coupon will not scan, they will not accept it.

[Kimmy]

Great info, Kim! I'm a coupon-clipper from way back. I even have a coupon caddy that organizes and separates them. I save an average of $10 a week by using coupons. Last year, when they opened a new Kroger, I bought $200 of groceries for $115. Buy-one/get-one-free items where you can use coupons for both items really cuts costs.There have been changes over the years - where they once offered coupons for 50 cents off the purchase of a single item, now days most manufacturers have started requiring you to purchase 2 or 3 items in order to use a 25 cent coupon.

Thanks! I love matching up coupons with sales. About once a month or so, I will end up with some crazy special, where I only pay half or a third of the item's original worth. It is a great feeling, especially in this economy!

Also, I will be posting printable coupon links soon.