Couponing 101: Saving Money Clipping Coupons

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Couponing 101: Saving Money Clipping Coupons

Look over your empty canned goods labels and boxed food items before throwing them in the trash. Usually you can find a toll-free number to call (see above) on the package. Some packages also adorn their own coupons good on their next purchase. And many companies are now participating in Boxtops for Education and Campbell's Labels for Education, so take a second to cut out the little symbol for the school of your choice. Those 10¢ add up fast when many people save, and all schools, public and private alike, appreciate them.

Also look for "hang-tags" on items in the store. Some will say "Save $$$ now" and if you read the print, it does not have to be used on only that certain item. Look for hangtags on wine, as some offer $$$ off soda, meat or produce, with NO alcohol purchase required.

Another plan to acquire coupons is to beg, borrow or steal from other couponers. Ok, maybe not steal. Barter. If you don't know any coupon locales, you can meet them through Refund/Coupons Magazines and Internet Chat Boards. It is prohibited to actually sell coupons, but you can "purchase" coupons from Coupon Services who charge a "handling fee" per coupon (for their time to cut, sort and mail). You can even bid on coupons on Ebay!

The newest way to add coupons to your collection is to print them directly from the Internet to your printer! Some stores have yet to accept these thinking they are counterfeit. But printable coupons are definitely the wave of the future. Many sites make you register first, and your name may even appear on the coupon or are bar-coded with your information. Others may only let you print one or two of the same coupon before you get a "Sorry you've already printed your quota for that coupon" message.

Once you have your coupons, it is best to have some rhyme or reason to them, so it is easier to find the coupon you want when you need it. You can use a simple recipe box with dividers, a three ring binder with divided pages (like for baseball cards), or you can even buy a "real" coupon organizer.

Then you need to categorize your coupons within your organizer. There are several ways people sort theirs. The simplest way is to organize by generic classifications (i.e. Baby, Pet, Frozen Foods, Dairy, Paper Products, Health & Beauty, etc). Another way to sort is by expiration date. Couponers with thousands of coupons file the full inserts by the name of the insert (SmartSource, Valassis, Proctor & Gamble) and the date that it came out. Click to Continue...

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