Coupons 101

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Coupons 101
by Diane Rosener - apnnysvd@juno.com

Description: Hints for shopping with coupons.

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Say the word "coupons" to people and you get a variety of reactions. Some think they are great if you have ten kids. Some think they are too much work. Some think coupons are complicated creatures that they'll never understand. Even others think that coupons are beneath them. And then there are those who think that coupons are only for the grocery store.

But savvy savers know the truth. The truth is, coupons are a simple way to save money. And the best part? You don't pay taxes on that money. Here are some easy tips to help you get the most out of coupons.

COUPONS ARE EVERYWHERE!

It's usually easy to find coupons. Many can be found just by looking in the newspaper. Besides Sunday inserts, try finding coupons at the following:

Local Coupons

Trade coupons with friends and neighbors.
Call manufacturers' toll-free customer service numbers to request coupons. They are usually happy to comply. Find their toll-free numbers on product packaging or call 1-800-555-1212.
Buy the local Sunday newspaper when traveling. If you're traveling mid week, find the local newspaper office to buy a Sunday paper. (Ask for a paper with all the ads and inserts.)

Coupons on the Internet

There are numerous places to find coupons on the Internet. Many of them are free, but some sites do charge a fee to send you groups of coupons. Here are some sites to get you started:

http://www.valpak.com
http://www.coolsavings.com

When you have time, do a search with your favorite search engine. Try typing: Internet coupons, free coupons, grocery coupons, or manufacturers coupons in the search box.

ORGANIZATION IS THE KEY

Having handfuls of unorganized coupons won't help you save money. Instead, you are likely to become frustrated and give up on coupons altogether. To organize, find a filing system that works for you--it may be a series of envelopes, an inexpensive coupon keeper (you can usually find them in discount and dollar stores), or even a shoebox--and use it.

Once you've decided on the type of holder, you need to categorize the coupons. Actual coupon keepers usually have dividers for categories; if your system doesn't, make dividers from old file folders or pieces of thin cardboard.

There are several ways to file your coupons; you can file them by expiration date, store aisles, or foods. I've found it easiest to divide my coupons by food categories. For instance, I have dividers for: beverages; pet food; snacks; meat and dairy; and so on. In each divided category, I sort by expiration date, with the coupons about to expire in front where I can easily find them.

SETTING UP A SYSTEM THAT WORKS

Okay, you've cut your coupons, and filed them in your shiny, new coupon keeper. Is that all there is to it? Not quite. Next you plan your shopping trip.

Here's how:

Gather the weekly grocery circulars.
Go through each ad, making a list of the items in that circular that you're interested in.
If there isn't a store in your area that accepts the ads of other stores, choose which store(s) you want to visit that week. Decide this by seeing who has the most items on your sale list.
Next, go through your coupons, matching the highest value coupons to the items on sale that you've listed.
On your grocery list, write down all the items for which you have coupons. Sometimes it helps to put the coupon amount or even a "c" next to the item to remind you to use the coupons. Keep the coupons you intend to use with your list.
Bring your coupon keeper to the store so you're ready if you see an unadvertised special.

SHOPPING SAVVY

Employ grocery-shopping savvy by:

Taking a list and sticking to it.
Shopping where the grocer accepts other stores circulars.
Watching for loss-leader items and stocking up on them when you have coupons.

COUPON DO'S:

Let the coupon expire if you don't need the item or you can't find it at a good price.
Use the largest dollar amount coupon on the smallest size item.
If a coupon has space requesting your name and address, take the time to fill out this information. You will usually be put on a mailing list to receive more coupons and special offers in the future.

COUPON DON'TS:

Don't be misled by double and triple coupon promotions. Many times stores offering to double or triple coupon values maintain higher prices to compensate for the amount they are losing.
Don't be discouraged by so-called coupon queens who are on television touting savings of 95% or more. Yes, you can do this, but only occasionally. More often than not, you will save anywhere from 15% to 30% with consistent use of coupons.
Don't be "brand loyal". Cut coupons for several brands on items you use and purchase the item that works out to be the best deal.

There you have it, coupons made simple. There are many more tips for using coupons, but this should give you a head start on saving money with coupons.

If you want to learn more, including more sources for coupons and more do's and don'ts about coupon usage, order our brand new pamphlet, Coupons 101. You can get it for half the regular price of $4.00 by mentioning Creative Homemaking. Send $2 plus 55 cents postage, your name and address, and where you read this to: A Penny Saved, Dept. Coupon, PO Box 3471, Omaha, NE 68103-0471. As a bonus, we will send you $3.00 worth of coupons with your order!