Boy did she open up a can of worms :)
I could talk about couponing until I turn blue.
But I won't.
Not this time.
It did occur to me however that not everyone is like me and has been doing this for years. Many people are just now starting out on their couponing adventures...like my sister! Hi Lacey!!!
The way that I coupon has to do with two puzzle pieces and then putting them together. Here we go:
*Piece #1
The first puzzle piece is Manufacturing Coupons.
Smart Source This is a coupon distributor. If you get coupons in your newspaper, a good chance is they are from Smart Source.
Red Plum This is another coupon distributor. They have coupons in the newspaper.
Coupons.com This is one of the biggest couponing sites and is a great place to start out.
TIP:
Most couponing websites will ask for your zipcode. A tip for you is to change up the zipcode. Usually California residents are offered more coupons than other areas in the country. One of the zipcodes I use is "90210". :) Now go and watch reruns of the show and feel like your in high school.
TIP:
Other good places to get coupons are directly from Manufacturer's websites. Think of the brands you like and who makes them. Land-o-lakes, Proctor and Gamble, Kraft, Nestle, etc, etc. And whatever you like google search for it with the words "printable coupon" This is a great way to expand your horizons regarding helpful sites.
*#2
The second puzzle piece is Store Coupons.
The second place to look for coupons is at the websites of the stores you shop. Where do you plan to spend money and to look for bargains? One of my favorites is Target. Others include Meijer, Kroger (Jewel), and other grocers across the nation including Publix, IGA, etc. Wherever you shop, make sure you get on their websites and check out what type of coupons they offer. Not all coupons are store coupons, many are manufacturer's but regardless, there are coupons!
TIP:
While at the store's website, be sure to look at their coupon policy. Some stores have a very specific policy and others are more lenient. I know a lot of couponers go so far as to print off the stores coupon policy in case there is a discrepency in using their coupons. While I think this is a good idea, I personally have never printed any off and I've never had a need to.
*#3
Now the next step is to put the puzzle pieces together. Most stores that offer store coupons will allow you to use both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon together, making for a lot of money to be saved on your end! For maximum savings, pairing the coupons with sale events, makes for some pretty cheap items. Sometimes even free people!
For example:
Sunday in your slippies you get the ad and notice that the 'ol Pantene is on sale for $4.00, down from $6.99!
You go to Proctor and Gamble's website and find $1.00 manufacturer coupon.
You then go to Target.com and find $1.00 store coupon.
You can use them both for a total of $2.00 off of the $4.00 sale price making the price $2.00 for a total savings of $4.99! You can use that nice 5 bucks in your pocket for a Starbucks latte or something :)
Anyway, piecing store and manufacturer coupons together is a lot of work!
And there are some amazing ladies with some pretty, darn amazing websites that match coupons and let you know the deals...it's amazing!
Here are some of my absolute fave's:
Hip2Save
Money Saving Mom
Krazy Coupon Lady
Totally Target
There are thousands and thousands of these websites. This isn't a comprehensive list by any means, these are just a few of my absolutel favorites. And if you have any more questions, most of these websites has a beginner's handbook of sorts, which explains couponing for beginners.
So there ya go. A few pointers on how to get started with couponing. Just a warning though...it can become highly addictive! No matter how much money you have, it's nice to keep that money in your pocket. And to me, that's what couponing does. A $1.00 coupon means I get to keep a $1.00 of mine and not give it to the store.
Easy-peasy.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can help at all! And if you are a couponer already feel free to leave comments regarding where you like to get your online coupons!!! :) So newbies make sure you read the comments too to see where else to look!
Good luck and happy couponing! :)
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