There are many different levels of couponing that you can get into. I like to think that Jackie and I are a bit further than beginners but not yet advanced. Your intensity level depends on many things. The time you have, the resources you have, your family's taste, and your desire to save money!
Please feel free to do as few or as many of the following steps as you'd like!
*Clip EVERY coupon you find, and SAVE it
This is a HUGE rule and part of couponing. The only way that I will not save a coupon is if it is something that I would never use, even if it was free. For example, I do not own cats, so I don't save any cat coupons for myself. Also, there are certain foods that my family does not eat, and I wouldn't eat even if it was free. However, if you even think for a second you might need/use it, save it. The worst that can happen is you throw them away (or donate them to the military) after they expire. I do however, clip every coupon I see because I send them to the military.
*Subscribe to Coupon Websites
Our two favorite are http://www.couponmom.com/ and http://www.coupondivas.com/. These two websites will link you to online coupons (that you can print) they will also provide you with an invaluable resource-they do coupon matchups for you! Coupon Matchups are lists of coupons that are still in circulation matched up to current weekly sales. This is the most efficiant way to coupon! Also subscribe to coupon printing sites such as http://www.redplum.com/ and company websites http://pgeverydaysolutions.com/ and http://www.scjohnson.com/. It is also wise to subscribe to websites of products you use a lot. I have an account on Pampers.com, Longhorn Steak house, Chilis, Gerber, etc. They will send you coupons right to your inbox. You can choose to use these coupons--or not! But at least you have them!
**ALSO VISIT OUR HOW TO GET COUPONS PAGE FOR MORE IDEAS**
*Set up a SEPERATE email address
Set up a seperate email address to receive all the email of the sites you subscribe too. It makes things more efficiant when checking your email and doesn't overwhelm your work or personal email accounts.
*Grab a CIRCULAR
Make sure you always have a circular from your Grocery store that is up to date. If you don't receive it at home, most can be found online.
*Find some way to organize your cut coupons
This can be as simple as an envelope (with multiple coupons seperated by paperclips) or as extenstive as a binder (with plastic sleeves for coupons). Either way, find some way that is easy for you to organize.
*Using a binder
This is the most popular way to coupon and easiest to use. It saves you time at home and at the grocery store. Our binders consist of:
*A 3" ring binder (you can start at 2", but I wouldnt go lower)
*Plastic Coupon Sleeves (commonly, baseball card holders, I find that 8 pockets works best)
*Dividers for categories
*A pencil case (or a few--I have one for gift cards, one for extra coupons (I only keep 8 coupons at a time in each plastic holder), and one for expired/coupons I wont use to send to the troops or give to friends).
*A calculator (I dont have this, but I use my cellphone one or my home calculator)
*A few page protector sheets (I keep my grocery list in one, I also keep all my reciepts so I can track my yearly savings in another)
The total investment in the binder is between $15-$40 depending on the prices you can find for your binder, pencil cases and page protectors. Mine cost about $36, however, I have a large binder, and purchase 100 coupon sleeves, dividers, and pencil cases. Alway start small, you'll see what your needs are pretty quickly.
