Step 2: Find your Coupons

Of course you can't be a super couponer with no coupons. So here are a few sources to get you started.

1. Your Sunday Paper, of course!

If you get the Sunday paper delivered to your home, then you are already off to a great start. I personally do not, and use that excuse to get myself a bagel and a coffee in the morning sans husband (and son when he gets here) for a few hours of relaxing peace and quiet!

There are 3 major inserts in Sunday's news paper, and vary greatly by region.. so please make note of that when reading my blog. If you are not in central CT, then you make get something different.

The 2 major (and almost weekly) ones are Smart Source and Red Plum. I can never remember which newspapers have which insert, so I will make note this weekend for you. If you go to their websites too, you can print some coupons right from the website.

About once a month you will also see a Procter & Gamble Brand Saver... these are like gold!!! Its all P&G products and usually have awesome coupons in them!!! You will normally see it the first Sunday of the month.

2. Online sources

Coupons.com is a fantastic resource for free online coupons. Some are duplicates of the other 2 sites I just listed, but not always. You can usually print each one 2 times, and they reset every month. If you're sneaky like me, I print them from my work computer too.. so I get 4 of each if need be :)

3. Store Websites/Flyers

This is probably going to be your most valuable source. Why?? Because at a lot of stores you can STACK it with a manufacturer's coupon.

Target usually has some good coupons. If you go to their homepage, scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see a section called "Target Stores" and then click on coupons. Here is an example of how to use 2 coupons:

Huggies Jumbo Packs are $8.50 this week

I have a $3 manufacturers coupon and a $1.50 Target coupon

End price: $4 for 42 diapers (if I was buying size 2 to stock up which I am right now) = $0.095/diaper which is pretty darn good.

Target, Rite Aid and Walgreens will all take one manufacturers and one store coupon per item. Once you get good at this, you will get things free.. and a lot!!! Sometimes, you'll even get more money taken off your total than the item was (i.e. if you have a $3 item and have 2 $2 coupons... some stores won't adjust the value of the coupon and you'll get $4 off.. so you make yourself a buck!)

4. Get a sneak peek of sundays coupons!!

News flash... there is no law saying how many newspapers you can buy!!! Seriousy!!!

So here is a great website to see what will be in Sunday's paper... well before Sunday!!

If there are a TON of coupons you will use... buy a few!! They cashier at the store may look at you funny, yes... but you'll be saving lots of money in the long haul!!

So there you have it!! Explore the website of your most frequented stores.. see if they offer any kind of coupons. And tomorrow... I want everyone to go get a newspaper (or 2 or 3...) and clip away. Work on putting them in your new organizer which I know everyone went out and made for themselves!!

Next step will be learning to hold onto you coupons and NOT use them right away.. Trust me. I know its tempting to want to run out on Sunday afternoon and burn away your new coupons, but 9 times out of 10 thats not the smartest thing to do!! You will see!!

Until next time... happy clipping!

Step 1: Get Organized

And I'm not kidding. You need to think about what system will work for you before you go crazy clipping away. Otherwise, you'll have a mess on your hands.

There are a few different methods, and I think they are all fine and dandy, its all a personal preference.

First, you need to find a physical way to hold the coupons:

#1: The traditional Coupon Box

We've all seen them.. some bigger than others. But basically its a index card box with a whole bunch of dividers or an accordian file:

You can simply get a index card storage box and blank dividers at Staples, Wal Mart or the like for relatively cheap. They hold a ton of coupons and are very easily adjusted to fit your needs. The downfall that I have found is that its bulky and I personally would always be leaving it at home... which find of defeats the purpose. It can also be awkward to put larger store coupons which you print online in it (unless you are great at origami of course!)

If you want to get a little more fancy (or just want more of a ready made organizer), may I suggest this Etsy Seller:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/glowgirl16

Super cute designs, 2 sizes and relatively inexpensive. Love them! I have no personal experience but they look fantastic. And bonus... they hook ONTO the shopping cart!

#2: The Envelope System

Essentially the same concept as above.. only using envelopes. Cheap and easily replaceable once they wear out.

#3: The Binder

This is the one that is going to get you the most side eyes at the store. You might look like a weirdo, but you will be super organized. This is my personal preference and you have a whole range of simple and tiny to huge and out of control.

I love this system. Its so organized and expandable. The above photo is not my binder... I actually have a small one (5.5"x8.5") that I can keep in my purse at all times.

If you choose to use a standard binder, then you can get plastic sleeves with pockets in various sizes. You can use trading card sheets, photo sheets and even regular 8.5x11 sheet protectors for your larger coupons. You can buy a set of dividers that are color coded, or numbered, or blank so you can write in whatever you want.

For me, the smaller binder was just easier because I knew it would ALWAYS be in my purse. You can find these mini binders at Staples, and you can get mini sheet protectors as well. The downside is that I haven't found dividers or sheet protectors with multiple pockets in this size. But here is how I made my own!

• I took brightly colored paper and slipped it into the sheet protectors and used s different color for each main category. The bonus here is it doubles the capacity of each sheet protector!!
• I then had some Post-It stick on divider tabs that I used to designate those larger categories so I could easily flip to one or the other when needed.
• I then took Post-It flags and wrote more specific items on them and taped them directly onto the sheet protectors.

All together, I spent maybe $20. And I made that up in one shopping trip. I will try and take some photos tomorrow and post them.

If you google anything like "Coupon binder" or "coupon organizer" you'll find lots of ideas, photos and even people who sell hand made ones. Etsy its a great place too. But like I said, its easy to make your own and 100% personalize it!

After you figure out the physical system... you'll need to pick your categories. This is a total personal preference. You can sort by expiration date, layout of the store you frequent, alphabetical, or common categories.

Here is my category system:

• Cold/Frozen

1. Produce/Deli
2. Cheese
3. Milk/Cream/Eggs
4. Yougurt/Dips/Butter
5. Frozen Meals/Appetizers
6. Pastries/Cookies
7. Ice Cream/Desserts
8. Meats
9. Veggies

• Grocery

1. Cereal/Snack Bars
2. Snacks/Chips
3. Canned Goods
4. Condiments
5. Pastas/Sauces
6. Prepared Meals
7. Baking Supplies
8. Candy/Gum
9. Rice/Breads
10. Juice/Soda/Waters

• Cleaning/Home Needs

1. Paper Towels/Toilet Paper/Kleenex
2. Food Storage/Trash Bags
3. Bathroom/Kitchen
4. Laundry
5. Air Fresheners
6. Cat Supplies
7. Light Bulbs/Batteries
8. Office Supplies

• Personal & Baby

1. Lotion/Soap
2. Shaving/Face Wash
3. Shampoo/Hair Care
4. Deoderant/Toothpaste
5. Pain Relief/Digestive Needs
6. Cold/Flu/Allergy
7. Feminine
8. Contacts/Glasses
9. Baby Formula/Food
10. Diapers/Wipes

• Restaurants

• Crafts

• Clothing/Misc

• Store Specific Coupons

Again... its all what works for you. If you already have a stash of coupons, sort through them now and think about what would be easiest for you. A lot of people swear by the store layout method but since I shop at so many stores (and you'll learn why I promise!) it just wouldn't work for me.

I'll try to get photos up of my binder tomorrow.. and another beginner post. But for now... start thinking about how to set up your system for success!

Welcome!!

Hello world!! Welcome to my little corner of the couponing universe. Since my facebook statuses has sparked a couponing outrage amongst my facebook friends, I decided it might be a good idea to start a blog that they all can follow.. and learn from!!

I only started couponing on 1/1/10, just as a simple new years resolution. It became an obsession about a week later. With a little one on the way (we'll call him "Lil B") its great to be able to save money on everything I buy!!

It might sound crazy, but its become a game to me. Its like "How many free things can I get this week?" or "What percentage can I save this time?" Its fun!!! (And who doesn't like saving money!

So stick around.. and add me to your reader. I promise you won't be disappointed. I'll start with the basics, the things I found most helpful when I started... and build from there. I will also try to link to other blogs who have great coupon match-ups every week for the drug and grocery stores. And over course, overall good deals I find and my successes. Maybe I'll see if I can even get some give aways going on here once I get more readers (so recommend me to some of your friends and share the wealth!)