Couponing 101
2 TYPES OF COUPONS
1. Manufacturer Coupons- Manufacturer on top, manufacturer’s address in fine print, barcode usually begins with 5 or 9
2. Store Coupons- Store name on coupon
MANUFACTURER COUPONS
Where do you find Manufacturer Coupons?
1. Newspaper Inserts Manufacturer Coupons
3 Main Inserts:
SmartSource
Red Plum
Procter Gamble
*Collect more than one set of inserts-from family and friends! Get the largest paper available to you (Atlanta has GREAT coupons!)
2. Magazines
Best Coupon Magazine – ALL YOU (WalMart only)
3. Online
*Top Sources for Internet Printable Manufacturer coupons:
Usually you can print the above coupons twice by simply hitting the back button.
*Purchasing Coupons on Ebay, etc…
4. Peelies, Blinkies, tear pads
5. Request manufacturer coupons from a company
*GREAT way to get coupons for the brands you love!
*Request online under contact us, 1800 numbers on item.
*Often times receive cents off(.50/1) and even FREE product coupons
STORE COUPONS
Where do you find Store Coupons?
1. In store
Publix – usually in front of store.
Walgreens special ads(ex. Back to School Savings)
2. Internet Printable/Online
3. Store Mail Publications
Publix – Baby Club, Grape, etc…Register for Clubs and Programs at www.publix.com (very bottom of site)
Target – Mailings, ads in paper
ORGANIZING COUPONS:
There are 3 common ways to organize coupons:
1. Clipping & Sorting (using an accordion filer/or box): Clip all coupons and sort in a accordion filer/box. Can sort alphabetically or by product category. When I first started coupons, I sorted using product categories and sub divided categories using envelopes.
PROS: Easy to find coupons. Easy to carry into a store. Great with a small supply.
CONS: Tedious clipping/sorting.
2. Filing Whole Inserts/Clipless: Filing entire inserts according to date and type.
PROS: Easy, quick to sort. No clipping. Easy to find coupons when matching up from a list.
CONS: Must search database to find coupons on unplanned purchases. Can make finding coupons take longer. Almost impossible to take into a store.
3. Binder Method: Clipping coupons and sorting in plastic baseball card/photo holders. Can sort alphabetically or by product category.
PROS: Easy to carry into a store. Makes finding a coupon for an unplanned item easy.
CONS: Time consuming, to clip/sort/clean out.
Keep in mind that each system has pros and cons. You must find the system that works best for you. You may find that you change the way you organize your coupons as you get more of them.
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Great info!!! Thank you for sharing!
I file my inserts whole, but get frustrated when I can’t find a coupon through someone else’s matchups or even after using the database. I understand that the coupons are different in the newspapers across the country, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time leafing through the inserts and not find what I want. Any ideas?
You could always clip and file….binder method.