7 Tips for becoming a couponer

GET IN A SET ROUTINE.
Most of what we do in our lives is done out of routine. Whether it is brushing our teeth, watching television or driving to work, we do most of our everyday activities without giving them a lot of thought. In fact, I have often driven to work without consciously knowing how I got there that day. To be a successful couponer, couponing will need to take its place in your life to that same extent—i.e. you will do it without having to give it 100% of your conscious attention. That is not to say you have to work at it on a daily basis but, rather, it has to become such a part of your life that you do it automatically. Integrating couponing into your life to the extent that it becomes part of your routine will almost certainly assure that couponing is not abandoned like most New Year’s resolutions.

GET ORGANIZED.
Couponing is simple when you are organized. Not only that but you will find that you save more money when you are organized. The purpose of being organized is to allow you identify what coupons you have so that you can take maximum advantage of them. You need to set up a system for adding new coupons, removing old coupons and storing your coupons. There are many ways to do this but the key is to set up a system you will actually use.

To set up a system you will need to:
1) Decide what storage system you will use. Several options for storage are accordion files, coupon boxes, notebook binders and envelopes.
2) Decide whether you will cut out your coupons as you obtain them or cut the coupons only as you need them.
3) Decide how you are going to file your coupons. You can sort by product category (cereal, cleaning supplies, etc); you can sort by store aisle (this method works best if you shop mostly at one store); you can sort by the coupon's issue date or by its expiration date or; you can sort by source (such as Smartsource insert or Redplum insert or P&G insert) here).
4) Establish a set routine for removing the expired coupons.

COMBINE COUPONS WITH SALES.
Anybody can use a coupon at the store. A true couponer will make the most of a coupon by combining the coupon with a sale price.Using your coupons when the product is already on sale results in maximum savings. To take advantage of this, you must either learn your stores sales cycle (by keeping a price book) or by finding a website devoted to the store you shop at where they track this for you. There are many sites devoted to specific stores that will tell you when a product is on sale, if there is a coupon or coupons for that product and if the combination of the sale and the coupon(s) make the price low enough you should stock up.

MAKE USE OF ONLINE COUPON SITES.
Sites for general advice. There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of websites that will help you become a better couponer. Review as many as you can. If you only pick up one nugget of information from each one, you will be a better couponer for it. Some sites are better at conveying information than other sites. Some sites have better information. Find several you really enjoy and refer to them often. Not only will these sites educate you, they will also offer you encouragement and motivation.
Sites for specific store coupon information. There are many sites that take all the guess work out of using your coupons to their fullest advantage. These sites review the advertised (and sometimes the unadvertised) sales prices at specific stores and tell you if there are store or manufacturer's coupons that can be used on those products. If you are store loyal, these types of sites are a must to use. Find the ones for your favorite store and use them weekly.
FREE online printable coupon sites. There are several sites on the internet where you can print out free grocery coupons. For example, we have printable coupons on our site, www.extendmydollar.com as well as links to printable coupons. Many sites require personal information before they allow you to print the coupons. Our site does not require any information from you. Also, almost every printable coupon site limits you to printing two coupons per product per computer. As it is clearly easier to print the same coupon from multiple sites than it is to use multiple computers to print the coupons, we suggest that you bookmark as many free printable coupon sites as you can find for those times when you need multiple coupons to add product to your stockpile. If the site is truly free to use, you should bookmark it and use it regularly.

STOCKPILE.
As discussed above, the best way to save money using your coupons is to combine a coupon (or coupons) with a sales price. When you find an item on sale at its lowest price (again use the websites that do this research for you or consult the price book you created) you will want to buy as many of that product as you need to last you until the product hits its lowest price again (usually once every 12 weeks for most stores). There is little in the world of couponing that is more encouraging than looking at the groceries you have stockpiled knowing you bought the product at 70% to 100% off. (Yes, you truly can get many items for free if you combine a coupon with the products lowest sales price).

PLAN MENUS AROUND SALES.
If you plan your menus around the items that are on sale, you will realize a much greater reduction in your food budget than if you plan a menu and then look for coupons or sales. More savings equals greater satisfaction which equals a greater likelihood that couponing will move from chore to way of life.

DON'T GET DISCOURAGED.
Give it time. Becoming a successful couponer takes time for most people. Don't let the unrealistic expectations created by Extreme Couponing get you discouraged. Within a month or so, you should be seeing your grocery bills cut by 30% to 50%. After you have established your routine, and begun building your grocery stockpile, you should easily see savings of 50% to 65%. Finding a local group or a friend to coupon with you also helps keep you encouraged.

Please check out our website at www.extendmydollar.com for more information on couponing.