A lot of people always ask me to teach them to use coupons, I’m definitely no expert but I can guarantee you’ll save some money.
I started couponing about 2 years ago, and it took me awhile to learn, especially the coupon lingo and to this day I still don’t know it all.
First, you want to get your papers on the weekends, If you can find the Harrisonburg Saturday paper that is your best bet because it is only .50-.75 cents but you have to get up super early to get those and I hardly ever get up early on Saturdays so I get The News Leader on Sundays. I was told to buy a paper for every family member in your household, for example there are 5 of us so I should buy 5 but I usually only do that if the coupons are really good. I usually buy 2-3 papers a week.
Second, you don’t have to find deals, I follow a few blogs and they post all the coupon matchups for every store so you can pick and choose which is the better deal etc. My favorite blogs to follow are: Hip2Save- www.hip2save.com For The Mommas- www.forthemommas.com Budget Savvy Diva- www.budgetsavvydiva.com Southern Savers- www.southernsavers.com and The Krazy Coupon Lady- www.thekrazycouponlady.com .
Where to get Coupons?
Newspapers, the internet- www.coupons.com is a great place to get them as well. Sign up for sites like P&G, Right at Home, and they will send coupon booklets to your mail box every 30 days for stuff like Swiffer, Dawn dish soap, laundry detergent etc. But you need to request it every 30 days. Those blogs I listed above also post all the freebies get an email account you use only for coupons and free samples that way your main email is not all clogged up.
Stores-
You have to decide what your favorite stores are. Mine are CVS, Rite Aid, Food Lion, and Martins. When I first started I only shopped at CVS and Food Lion mainly just so I could get the hang of things without feeling overwhelmed. CVS gives Extra Care Bucks but in order to get them you must have a CVS card and make sure you have a registered account online with your card number, I get at least 1-2 emails a week for 20% off your total purchase or $5 off $30. CVS has what we call a magic coupon machine, it is usually located in the front of the store, so when you walk in keep scanning your card until it says no more coupons at this time. With those coupons you can stack them with manufacturer coupons that you get from newspapers and online. For Example: The machine printed out a $1 off any crest toothpaste and I have a $.50cent off coupon for any crest, I can use them both and save $1.50. When you buy products that are on sale and are part of the ECB (ExtraCareBucks) deals, your ECB’s will print on your receipt so you are able to do multiple transactions to save the most amount of money possible.
Rite Aid is similar to CVS, you will need to sign up for a Wellness card, and they use UP Rewards instead of ECB’s. I don’t shop at Rite Aid often unless it’s a really good deal that is almost free, but only because I know CVS a little better; you just have to see which store is best for you.
Food Lion is close to my house so I grocery shop there a lot, they also have a magic coupon machine at the front of their store. Martins is close to work so I stop there often as well. Martin’s lets you double coupons, only one like coupon per transaction. Once you get the hang of it you can do several transactions, they have self-checkout so you don’t have to worry about holding up the line. Another good thing about Martin’s is their gas points, if you look in their weekly sales ads and buy a certain number of products in one category you get gas points. For every 100 gas points you earn that equals .10 cents off per gallon, it may not seem like much but it all adds up.
Those blogs I posted have articles for new couponers that teach you the coupon lingo and you can print them out and keep in your binder.I have a 1 inch 3 ring binder that I keep all my coupons in, I use the clear plastic baseball card holders to keep my coupons in, I ordered them from Amazon for super cheap. I use dividers to divide them by category like: Frozen foods, personal hygiene, canned goods etc. I keep a copy of every stores coupon policy that I shop at in my binder just in case, along with coupon lingo etc.
Where to get free full size products to test and keep?
Smiley 360- You fill out your basic info, and according to the information you provide they send out surveys to your email to determine whether you fit what they are looking for, for that particular mission.
http://smiley360.com/?refid=104929
BzzAgent- Same deal as Smiley 360
Message me with your email and I will send you an invite.
Vocal Point: Pretty much the same as the other 2.
www.vocalpoint.com
Crowdtap- They do sample and shares, and host parties where you can get free items for you as well as friends. You do what they call quick hits, which are questions about you, your family, lifestyle etc. At the end of the month they add up all your points and you get amazon gift cards.
www.crowdtap.com
Influenster- You put in all your info, they usually send out full size beauty samples.
Be A Material Girl For Free- Look her up on Facebook, she posts a lot of freebies and giveaways.
VT Freebie Girl- Find her on Facebook she posts a lot of sweepstakes and instant win games.
I’m sure I am forgetting some things but that’s all for now, you can leave questions in the comments or you can message me and we can meet up or something!
Today's Coupon Haul:
