Extreme Couponing . . . or not.

Hello Fellow Broke Galaxians,

We’ve all heard the stories about people who use so many coupons that they only pay $10 for $200 worth of groceries. I have never had the ability or patience to go to extremes, but I have saved quite a lot of money with coupons.

For one thing, I use a list when I go to the store. Finding a coupon for specific items on my list is difficult. Am I truly saving money by couponing? Yes, it takes time to coupon. However, if you’re like me and have time but no money, this is a perfect trade off. Searching for each individual coupon may be worth it.

Before you do anything, create a list of items you will need for upcoming meals. Some people shop every two weeks. I find it easier to make a weekly shopping trip. On Tuesday evenings, we sit down as a family and create a menu for the week. Why Tuesdays? We go to town and shop on Wednesdays. Everyone is different and will have their own way of doing things. Bottom line—we start with a list of ingredients needed for each meal.

Now that you know what you need, search the area store circulars for “loss leader items.” These are sale items that are designed to lure you into the store with hopes that you will purchase other items not on sale.

If possible, find coupons for those loss leaders to save the most money. Find out if the store will let you double your coupon or even Stacking Coupons. When you combine manufacturer coupons with store coupons, this is called stacking.

Where do you find coupons?

Newspaper circulars. Since I don’t buy the paper, I am sometimes able to find extra circulars at the recycling depot or friends who will contribute to my cause.

Store Internet Coupons. Most stores will have internet circulars that will be sent to your personal email.

Internet Coupon Sites. The Blog site, “The Well Kept Wallet,” by Laurie Blank, has a wonderful list of internet sites that I have never considered. You can find her at
https://wellkeptwallet.com/best-coupon-sites/. However, I have used www.coupons.com and www.coolsavings.com with success.

Other sites include:
www.coupons-grabber.com
www.befrugal.com
https://thekrazycouponlady.com
www.passionforsavings.com
www.grocerycouponnetwork.com
www.couponmom.com
https://hip2save.com/grocery-coupon-network

Coupon Apps will provide cash back for some items you buy. Some App sites are Snap by Groupon, CartSmart, Ibotta, Checkout51, SavingStar. Passion for Savings App. Downloading Apps from grocery stores where you shop can help.

USPS Mail. Sometimes, you can receive coupons from companies that you contact.
Sign up for Store Rewards Programs. Some stores will offer discounts and specialized coupons depending on your purchases. It pays to sign up for these.

Rebates. Be sure to save your receipts for rebates. You may not find a rebate when you bought the item, but it may be available a few weeks later.

When you find a good deal of products you use on a regular basis, make multiple purchases.

After you start collecting coupons, organize them. I used to use an index card box with dividers. You will be able to create a system that works for you.

The next step is to search weekly store circulars for sale items. Circle them and then find a coupon, if available, to go with that item. If you don’t have a coupon for that particular item, enter that particular item on a search engine and you may be able to find one.

It’s easy to get carried away, buying a lot of different grocery items you may not need. Stick with your list. You won’t save money if you’re buying a lot of unneeded things.

So, go forth and save $$$.

Peace Peeps,

Broke Girl