Couponing Basics Part 5 - Planning to Use Coupons

You're stocked up with coupons, have them organized, and feel ready to go. You could jump in the car right now, head to the store, and use those coupons right away to save you money off of full retail prices. Reaping the full savings benefits of coupons, though, takes a little more forethought and planning.

In my opinion, it's easiest to begin couponing by selecting one store to shop. For this post, let's pick Harris Teeter (grocery store).

To maximize savings when using coupons, your goal is to pair coupons with a store sale. It's important to recognize when a sale combined with a coupon will create a price low enough that you should buy more than one of that item (stock pile). By doing so, you'll already have the item in your home, bought at a low price, when prices are higher down the road. I keep a copy of The Krazy Coupon Lady stock pile price sheet inside of my coupon binder. I can reference this sheet when I'm at a store and unsure about a price. A number of coupon websites, like Southern Savers, will also tell you when an item is considered to be at a rock bottom price.

So you've picked a store (Harris Teeter), and you know you're looking for good sale price. Now what?

Check the weekly store ad for sale items that match your coupons...or....save yourself some time and effort by visiting websites like Southern Savers, The Krazy Coupon Lady, or my own little blog, Allison's Durham Deals, which find these deals and their matching coupons for you. You can see my list of Harris Teeter matchups here.

Below, you'll see an example of a matchup list for this week's Harris Teeter Ad. These matchups usually show you the sale price, using a store card, as well as any coupons needed. They will then show you the final price you would pay after store card and coupons.

Centrum Pro Nutrients Omega 3 - $9.03

- $5/1 coupon (1/8 insert) or $5/1 printable (click health care)

- $5 e-vic coupon  (add to your store card)

= $0.97 Money Maker

Nivea Lip Replenishing - $1.50

- $3/2 Nivea Lip Care (1/1 Red Plum insert)

= two for FREE

Starkist Tuna Pouches - $1.00

- $0.50/1 printable x 2 = FREE

Colgate Toothpaste - (BOGO - rings up half price) - $.149

- $0.75/1 coupon (1/1 Smart Source insert) x 2 = FREE

General Mills Milk 'n Cereal Bars - $2.00

- $0.60 printable x 2 = $0.80

Next, it's time to look at the match ups and think about which items you'd like to buy. When doing this, it's necessary to be open to trying new brands and varieties of products. I take notice of the coupons needed for the deals. I check to see which coupons I have (you won't always have the ones listed), as well as which items I can still get coupons for by printing them, like the Starkist and cereal bars above. I also check if there are any electronic coupons that I will need to add to my store card before I shop, like the e-vic coupon for the Centrum Supplement.

While I look at the coupon match ups, I make a list of items I'm interested in buying. I record the sale price,  coupon value, and final price for each item (just my preference). After, I look through my coupon binder and pull out the coupons I will need for these items. If there are printable coupons I don't already have, I print them at that time. I also visit the store websites and add any e-coupons I still need.

When my list is finished, I put all of the coupons I've pulled, along with the list, inside of an envelope, which I place in a pocket inside my coupon binder. The list and envelope help keep me organized later when I'm shopping. I'll know exactly which items I'm looking for, and all of the necessary coupons will be right in front of me.

Quick Review:

1. Check coupon matchups
2. Identify items you'd like to buy
3. Make list of items and coupons you'll need
4. Find and pull or print needed coupons, add e-coupons to store card
5. Put coupons and list in a spot that is separate from the rest of your coupons

Reader Response: You're almost ready to shop! Do you have any questions about planning for coupon shopping??

Couponing Basics Part 3: Understanding Coupon Fine Print

I've quickly come to understand that the couponing world is full of rules, both written and unwritten. As the coupon gurus have taught me, one of the most important rules is carefully reading and adhering to the fine print on coupons, so before we get into coupon planning and shopping trips, let's talk a little about coupon fine print. 

Things You Might Notice...

• Expiration Date -  This tells you the last possible date you are able to use this coupon in stores. After that date, it will no longer be accepted by retailers. You'll find the expiration date at the top of the coupon.
• Do Not Double or Triple - Some grocery stores will "double" a coupon by matching the discount amount. Some coupons, though, specifically state that the store should not double the coupon. If you have a coupon for $0.40 that states, "Do Not Double," and you bring it to a store like Kroger where they double up to $0.50, don't expect the extra savings, though sometimes, these coupons will automatically double anyway.

This coupon specifically states that retailers should not double it. It expires on 1/31/2012.

• Limit of ____ Like Coupons Per Shopping Trip - Read this number carefully. Procter & Gamble coupons almost always state a limit of 4 like coupons per trip. This rule is in place to limit hoarders, who would come with dozens of like coupons in hand, ready to clear a shelf of sale items. If you want to use more than four of the same exact coupon, you'll have to go to another store or come back another time.
• Limit One Coupon Per Purchase - This DOES NOT mean that you can only use one coupon for your entire cart or basket. This wording means that you may have one coupon per item (purchase). If I am buying two bottles of the same shampoo (two purchases), I am allowed one coupon for each bottle. If I am only buying one bottle, I may not use two manufacturer coupons.
• Limit Open Coupon Per Transction - This statement means that you may only use ONE of the coupon each time you pay. If you want to use more, you will have to pay and ring up a separate transaction. I have seen limits like this when using Target store coupons.

• Words indicating the number and type of product that must be purchased - Some coupons will, for example, specify that the coupon is for $1.00 off two or three of the same product. When using such a coupon, be sure to buy the stated number of products, or the coupon will not go through.

This coupon indicates that you must buy two boxes to save $0.75.

• Exclusions - The coupon might state specific items that cannot be discounted using the coupon. A common exclusion is trial sized items. It seems that many companies have become privy to the fact that shoppers were scoring tons of free items by using $1 and $2 off coupons on trial sized items, like toothpaste, shampoo, and laundry detergent. If a coupon does not state a size restriction, you can technically use the discount on any size product. 

If you look carefully at the bottom right corner , you'll see that this coupon excludes trial size items. Funny thing is, I found this image on a site that was telling readers to use it to score a free trial size lotion. Tisk, tisk. :)

Some of these rules might seem a bit ridiculous, but misuse of coupons is a major reason many stores are cracking down and limiting coupon use. If you want to continue (or start) saving, it would be best to be a rule follower! :)

Coupon Basics Part 1: Intro to Coupons

I feel like I'm about to revisit September 2011 and eat my blogging words.

When I started this blog, I was pretty positive that it wasn't going to be a how to coupon tutorial. It was meant to be a place where I would simply share a few good deals that I thought others might like to know about.

I am so pleased with the positive feedback I've received about the blog from so many of you, through comments, e-mails, and conversations. It seems like the information has helped some of you save money, if even in a small way. I'm realizing, though, that many of you are just starting out with your own money saving adventure, and that at least a basic coupon tutorial might be helpful, so for the new year, I'm beginning a multi-post series about the general ins and outs of couponing.

Todays topic: Intro to Coupons

What are coupons??

• Simply put, coupons are discounts offered by manufacturers and stores, that can be redeemed by consumers for money off products and services. When the coupon, either paper or electronic, is redeemed by a shopper, the company that has offered the coupon discount is responsible for paying the coupon amount. For example, when a customer shops at Kroger and presents a coupon for $0.25 off Kraft Mac & Cheese, it is Kraft that is responsible for paying Kroger the $0.25 difference in price.

Why do companies offer coupons?

• By offering coupons, companies are banking on some predictable consumer habits. The typical coupon user receives an insert of coupons and clips just a handful of them, those for products he already buys or for new products he hasn't seen before. This typical shopper will head to the store and redeem the coupon without waiting for a sale, happy with a small discount. He is very likely to keep buying the same product at full price, not using coupons or discounts in the future. The company wins because they have a loyal, full-price paying customer. A savvy coupon user shops differently, though (that's what we're learning about :) ). 

Are stores getting ripped off when you use coupons?

• Absolutely not! When coupons are used correctly by shoppers (more on this another time), stores are reimbursed for the full value of a coupon by the product's manufacturer. This is the case even when a shopper gets a product for free using a coupon. If a product costs $1.00, and you correctly use a legitimate coupon for $1.00 off, the store WILL NOT lose money. 
• But what about doubling coupons?? When a store, like Kroger, offers to double a coupon, the doubled amount is a discount that is covered by the store instead of the manufacturer. This is a marketing idea the store has implemented as a shopper incentive. This is not taking advantage of the store.

Next Lesson: Where to Find Coupons