Still Couponing, Back to the Binder and no more Coupon Mom

Yes, I am still couponing! But I am back to using the binder, did I already tell you that? For a while I was dating and filing my inserts, than checking the couponmom website for sales & lists of the coupons to clip. However, after a few frustrating months of searching through my inserts and not finding the coupons that were listed, I gave up that system.

Suddenly most of the coupons listed were not in my insert! I believe my local inserts or those where the couponmom site comes from have changed and are just different now. I tried to find another site I liked, but none were as easy to use or gave me what I needed. Plus, I was wasting valuable coupons that I would have used had I known I had them!! So something had to change. I went back to the binder.

I collect my inserts, usually have about three or four of each one. I take one stack of the same date and type at a time and separate each page into it's own pile. Then clip, so that I am clipping all the same coupons at once. I put the clipped coupons into piles per category and once all the pages are clipped, I file them into my binder. I only clip the coupons I know I will use and some I would use if the sale was good enough. Saves me from clipping all coupons and having to clean so much from my binder later.

I know some extreme couponers are cringing that I throw away so many unused because they might get a deal and make money off them, but here in California we don't have double coupon days, there is almost never a chance to make a profit. Even if there were, it's so slim, it's not worth my valuable time.

Before each shopping trip, I look through my sale flyers to find who has the best sales for the items I need. I pull my coupons & put them into a wallet size organizer. If I'm going to Safeway I also click on coupons and deals on their just4u website. They have some great deals! I also still love taking advantage of RiteAid and CVS's rewards programs!

I don't look over the sale flyers every week. Only when I need something. I know I may miss a great sale, but I spend less if I just don't go after sales when I don't need to. I could probably save more money, but I am saving much more than I used to, so I'm very happy with that!

Great Site for Begining Couponers

A friend referred me to this site and I love the step by step info for beginners: www.thekrazycouponlady.com.

I watched the new episode of Extreme couponing on TLC Wed, and was annoyed that every person they showed got to double their coupons. No stores do that where I live! It's so unfair! Can I really save enough money in my everyday shopping to make this worth while?

We shall see.

Best Site Ever! and What's a Coupon Data Base?

I think I just found the best site ever!
I was checking out the P&G website, www.pgeverydaysolutions.com, looks like their coupon book is coming out in the June 5th Sunday paper. Woohoo! (oh, the things I'm excited about these days!) And I came across a tutorial video from www.couponmom.com. I went there and am so upset I did not know about this site from the beginning! How to coupon, info on stores, what deals are going on... Plus a coupon database! I didn't have any clue what that was, so I watched a tutorial video on it. It's a list of ALL the coupons that have come out and where to find them! You can search by item, brand, date it came out, expiration date, and even by locality. OMG! I can't wait to get started! This will make my searching and matching up SO much easier. I did like the site I mentioned before for matching up and store info, but I don't think they had a database. And this site has so much more info and seems easy to find everything. Love it!

Week 1 of Couponing

Where to start? It seems to me, from what I've gleaned from the Extreme Couponing show on TLC (I'm not an avid watcher, but have seen two or three episodes), in order to save the most, you need multiple coupons for one item and the item needs to be on sale. I don't have room to stock up like they do, but maybe I could get a few if I have enough coupons for the same item.

First step: I need coupons! I don't get the paper, but I do get the Smart Saver coupons in the mail. I normally toss them in the recycle bin without hardly looking at them, but not this time! I saved them. I also went and bought three Sunday newspapers! Wow, didn't know they cost so much now. I'll have to look into a subscription, but I really don't want a whole paper, just for the inserts. Maybe I can find someone who doesn't use them to let me have the inserts...

For this to work I've realized I need to not be choosy about brands. If I can find deoderant coupons and find it for sale, I should use them. I'll have deoderant, though it's not the brand I'm used to buying.  I cut out all the coupons I found that I could possibly use and for now threw them in a little box. Not the best idea, but I'm not going to buy a bunch of organizational stuff for this project till I know it's worth it!

Next: I browsed online to get advice. The first useful sites I came to were: http://www.weusecoupons.com/ and http://www.myfrugaladventures.com/ . I found they do matchups for you so you don't have to search every add to match up your coupons, they tell you where to find coupons, info on store policies, and tons of other great advice! I'll be going back again and again to these sites!

I need more coupons, so I created a new email account just for couponing. I then signed up with some coupons sites: http://www.coupons.com/, http://www.couponnetwork.com/, http://www.shopathome.com/, all my local stores and drug store (they'll email me coupons & deals, plus I made sure I had a store card for each). I signed up for a few brands I use regularly, such as http://www.generalmills.com/, http://www.kellogs.com/, and  http://www.earthsbest.com/.

This is just scratching the surface. The wheels in my head are now turning of all the places I can sign up & get coupons & deals from! But this is more than enough for now. I shouldn't overwhelm myself with emails!! If I haven't already! I can see how this can get addicting. I've begun to dream of coupons and I haven't even had my first shopping trip! Oh no, maybe I will become the that crazy coupon lady?! I even asked my husband if he would be embarrased if I did, and he said no, he thinks it's great if we're saving money. Yay for a supportive husband!

I can also see how this can get some people into trouble. You see all the great deals and want to jump on them while you can! Luckly I am the type of person who sticks to my list and always just get what I need. I won't get carried away buying just because it's on sale.

I don't need a lot right now because I just spent my grocery budget at Costco, but some things I still need that I couldn't get there, or didn't want in bulk.

I looked through the store sales flyers that were in the paper or came in the mail. This is a first for me! I found quite a few things on the Rite Aid flyer for sale that I needed and also that matched up with my coupons! The cereal prices were awesome, 2 for $4.88 (with your Wellness+ card) for certain brands and they were even some I liked! Even without a coupon that's a great deal! I searched online for more coupons and found some for what I wanted and printed them out.

MY MISSION: match up coupons for things I need or will use in the near future with the sale items at Rite Aid this week. Currently I need cereal, deoderant, Shout stain remover (some things I will not sacrifice for other brands!), diaper cream, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.