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The Ultimate Guide to Shopping with Coupons
Since the economy has tanked, more and more people have been looking for ways to save as much money as possible. Cutting back on luxuries like facials, eating out and nights out on the town with friends are easy ways to reign in spending – but what if you’ve already taken these steps and it still isn’t enough?
When your budget stops supporting the purchases of everyday necessities – food, clothing, gas, etc., then it’s time to get thrifty. Super thrifty. Coupons, as unglamorous as they may seem, are the key to getting the most that your money can buy. If you can master the art of shopping with coupons, you’ll be able to save hundreds of dollars each month – and you’ll even be able to get some items for FREE!
Step 1: Go on Ebay, and look up “grocery coupons”.
You’ll find that dozens of sellers specialize in selling coupons of all types, the average price being $1-$2 for 100-200 coupons. (For legal reasons, it’s important to note that you’re not purchasing the coupons themselves, but the time and effort it takes for the seller to clip them.)
Considering that you’ll get several times as many coupons this way than you would if you bought a Sunday newspaper (and you’re paying about the same price), this is definitely the way to go. In fact, you might want to cancel your newspaper subscription all together. It’ll save you money, and you can get all the news you need online (welcome to the information age!).
Step 2: Buy several packages of coupons, and be specific. Make sure you’re ordering “food only” coupons, otherwise you’ll end up with lots of coupons for baby, pet and personal items that you won’t be able to use. If you do need pet food or baby coupons, search for and purchase those separately. For a good variety, buy a package or two that do include personal items, you can use those at the drug store later.
Also, if your family uses specific brands of products, search for them. For example, if your kids go through Campbell’s soup like there’s no tomorrow, search for Campbell’s coupons. More often than not, somebody is selling a lot of 10-40 coupons of the brand you’re looking for. Don’t be stingy when buying these coupons, it’s okay to go crazy and buy several hundred at once.
Step 3: Find out which grocery stores in your area double (or even triple!) coupons. With the notable exception of “big box” retailers, most grocery stores will double manufacturer’s coupons up to 99 cents, which means that your coupons will go twice as far. It’s worth traveling a few extra miles to go to a grocery store that doubles coupons.
Step 4: Once the coupons arrive, it’s time to start sorting. Sit down at the kitchen table and go through them all – preferably with the grocery store circulars that get mailed to you. Look at which items are going on sale, and which coupons coordinate with those sales. It sounds complicated and time consuming, but it really only takes 15 minutes or so.
As you’re sorting, try to remember how much each item costs – keep the coupons that give you great deals. For example, a coupon worth 70 cents off of a bag of frozen vegetables is a great one to keep, since it takes the cost of the item down to about 50 cents. If your store doubles that coupon, it means you get the item for free. It’s like legal stealing!
On the other hand, if the coupon is for 30 cents off of (4) bags of potato chips, the deal isn’t as great. This is especially true of the coupon is for an item that you never buy. Coupons can be amazing for introducing you to new types and brands of foods, but only buy the items if the deal makes it worth it.
If you’re not sure about the coupon, keep it and then decide when you’re actually at the grocery store shopping. Chances are, you’ll have a lot that you don’t use. Give them to friends, throw them away or put them back on Ebay, depending when they expire.
Step 5: Search for printable coupons online, print and clip. This extra step can help you stretch your dollar even further. For great sources of printable coupons, check out the resources guide at the end of this section.
Again, try searching for individual brands and items. If you know you’re low in cereal, search for your favorite types. It may take a little time, but it’s well worth the extra effort to get discounts on foods you know your family loves.
Step 6: Figure out if you need to go to multiple grocery stores for different items, or if one grocery store will save you enough money. Nobody wants to make two shopping trips when one is more convenient, but the savings can really add up. If two trips save you an additional $50, make two trips.
Step 7: Organize your coupons by section, so that you don’t miss any while you’re at the store. Start with the section you usually hit first, ending with the last. Doing this before you go shopping will save you from being “that person” who stands in the middle of the aisle sorting and searching through coupons. Trust us on this one: you really don’t want to be that person.
Step 8: Go shopping! This is the fun part, because you get to play the “let me guess how much money I’m saving” game. Armed with your shopping list (you do make a list, don’t you?) and coupons, proceed to save as much money as possible.
If an item is not on your list and you don’t have coupons for it, don’t buy it. If you usually buy one brand, but you have a coupon for another, buy the brand that you have a coupon for. Most of the time, the brands are so similar that you can’t tell the difference (and you might end up liking the new brand better, anyway).
If you normally wouldn’t buy an item, but you have a coupon for it and the deal is spectacular, buy it. It’s always good to have a well-stocked pantry, and you might just discover your new favorite food.
If you have multiple coupons for the same item or brand, and the deal is really good, buy as many items as you have coupons for (especially if the item is non-perishable). If you stick to what you get a discount on, both your cart and your bank account will be full.
Step 9: Checkout! Pro tip: don’t try to go through one of the self-check lanes, or you’ll be there for an extra two hours. If the people in line behind you start giving you the shank-eye for holding up the line with your 300 coupons, pat yourself on the back – they’re probably just jealous of all the money you’re saving.
Resources:
Ebay – Where else can you get so many coupons for such little money?
The Grocery Game – This website does all the work for you. Besides being a one-stop-shop for great printable coupons, it also keeps track of ALL the sales in your area. From drug stores to mom-and-pop grocery chains, it’s got it all.
Site membership does cost money ($10 for the first store you want to track, $5 for any additional), but the site features are well worth it. In addition to tracking sales, it color codes deals on a handy printout for you to take to the store (black for good deals, red for great deals and green for the stuff you get for free with coupons).
If you don’t want to shell out the dough for the service, try it free for four weeks with no commitment.
Mommy Saves Big – A great blog that is always updated with the latest printable coupons. Everything is sorted by brand, store or and item type, so you won’t have to worry about searching through tons of coupons you don’t want.
Coupon Mom – Not only does this site have printable grocery coupons, but it also has information on how to get free samples of different products, listings of grocery deals by state and even restaurant coupons.
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kasey, November 4, 2009
Wow!who knew you could "buy" coupons off Ebay! I read this figuring I wouldn't discover anything new,but surprise surprise.
Because I love feeling efficient, another beneift of buying off ebay is the ability to specify the coupons you want. So much of the Sunday circular is junk I don't buy anyway. Thanks for the heads up!
