What a mess!

Q: What do you do when everyone you know is giving you their extra coupons?

A:  Say THANK YOU!

(and then get organized!!!  I'll update with a visual of my organization method to give you ideas on what might work for you.  Stay tuned!)

Coupon Strategy v3.0

For me, the coupon insert preview helps to determine 2 things:

#1  How many newspapers will I buy on Sunday?

#2  Are there any specific coupons I will want multiples of (beyond my # of inserts)

#1  The size of your family and your progress in stocking piling your favorite goods will determine the number of newspapers (coupon inserts) you will want to purchase (or dumpster dive for, etc lol.)  Some say the general rule of thumb is one per person in your family.

Personally:  If there is a P&G insert, I will automatically buy 4 papers.  If there are just 2 inserts, I only buy 2 papers unless there are specific coupons I want, then I buy 4.

#2  Sometimes there are coupons I know will be great doublers or will work great on a BOGO sale at my favorite drugstore.  I will want more than 4 of these coupons.  For example, Schick Intuition razors/refills often go BOGO at Rite Aid when there are $4 coupons available.  I always want at least 8 of these coupons because they're my favorite razor and I want them FREE!

In this case, I will order those specific additional coupons from The Coupon Clippers.  It is inexpensive and shipping is cheap & quick.  I've always been happy with my orders!  Go HERE to see the selection. 

*This is also a great option if you don't get inserts (my dad doesn't get them in Tucson) or if you don't have time to buy/clip inserts!

More Coupon Strategy

Ok, I'm not going to bore you to death with pictures of every single one of my shopping trips.  However, this particular transaction illustrates a very important coupon strategy.

In 11-1 PG coupon insert, there is a $3 coupon for the Oral B CrossAction Power Toothbrush (which is FREE at Rite Aid this week after coupon and Single Check Rebate.) There is also a $1 coupon for the $6.99  2-pk replacements heads for this toothbrush.  It's obvious the better deal is to buy multiples of the single toothbrush!  In this transaction, I got the equivalent of a 3-pk for just $1.57!

This is a common phenomenon in spending coupons.  Manufacturers get you to try a new product and make it free/cheap with coupons and promotions, but the refill products remain to be quite spendy!  (This is often true for razors and refill cartridges, too.)

For me personally, there is one negative side-effect to using this saving strategy:  waste!  I sometimes feel guilty for wasting so much packaging and product (buying 3 toothbrushes vs. 1 pkg of refills.)  How do you justify this for yourself?

*In case you're wondering, my OOP for the above transaction ($41.94 retail) was $3.07.  I purchased the Oral B Crossaction yesterday to submit for my SCR and I loved it!  So, I went back today to spend the rest of my coupons and stock up!

Coupon Strategy

If your brain doesn't remember product prices (best sale prices, prices at each store, etc) like mine does (I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse,) you may want to keep a small notepad for this purpose.  It will help you make the best buying decisions.  Here's an example:

Rite Aid this week:

Febreze Air Effects $2.49 sale price

Use $1 coupon from 11-1 PG

Submit $1 SCR # 53

Final Price $0.49

Family Fare doubles event:
Febreze Air Effects $3.19 reg. price
Use $1 coupon from 11-1 PG
(Coupon Doubles)
Final Price $1.19

Ok, it's a small example with small savings, but it can make a significant impact on your budget when you're purchasing dozens of items over the course of the year.

This does open a can of worms on coupon strategy.  IF I did not have plans to shop at Rite Aid this week, I would simply purchase the Febreze at Family Fare to save myself time because I'd still get that item at a decent savings.  Don't make yourself crazy running all over town trying to get the best deal.  Do what works best for you.  I know this sounds like common sense, but just wait until the coupon bug bites you! ;-)

Your own time is valuable, but on the same token, your time is an investment when it comes to saving money!  Even after I saved $104 at Family Fare last night, my cashier (a VERY sweet girl) remarked that she is just to busy to clip coupons.  (Those of you that know me personally know I'm just as busy as the rest of you!)  The 30 minutes it took me to get organized to go to Family Fare last night paid me $104 in savings!  In my opinion, that's time well spent.  What is your strategy?

My Big EXCITING News!

I'll do my very best to make a long story short...

Six months ago, I was invited to a "coupon class."  Unfortunately, I didn't make it a priority to go.  I thought coupons were trivial.  I thought they were for items I never use and couldn't understand how they would even come close to making a dent in my weekly budget.  I was SOOOO wrong (and I would like to explain just how wrong... in another post.) 

Anyway, I eventually caught on to this whole "couponing" thing and discovered my brain totally gets it and my personality totally digs it.  Let me tell you, I like nice things (unfortunately another "personality thing") and coupons afford me my nice things FREE or really super cheap!

So... fast-forward to now.  Shannon at For the Mommas is awesome and she suggested I apply to be a Savings.com DealPro.  This is a DealPro:

A DealPro is someone who is passionate about finding deals and coupons. Their money-saving advice is sought after by their friends and family. A DealPro thrives off sharing their saving savvy with with others. Does this sound like you? If so, you’re who we’re looking for.

I knew I was/am pretty good at Savvy Shopping, but was I good enough to be considered for one of 30 DealPro spots?  The answer is "YES!"  So, on November 5, I will be attending Savings.com's Save Up Event in San Francisco.  I will learn to be better at bringing you the best deals!
 

So... STAY TUNED.  You should see some improvements in the blog and the deals when I return!  WOO HOO :-)

The Lingo

Here's a quick run down of the abbreviations and lingo you'll see here:

BOGO - buy one, get one
DND - do not double (coupon)

ETS - excludes trial size
FAR - free after rebate
IP - internet printable coupon
MIR - mail in rebate
MQ - manufacturer coupon
MM - money maker
OOP - out of pocket
RAVV - Rite Aid Video Values
RR - Register Rewards (Walgreens)
SCR - Single Check Rebates (Rite Aid)
WAGS - Walgreens
WYB - when you buy
YMMV - your mileage may vary (the deal may be different for you depending on your particular store or scenario)

Coupon Inserts:
PG - P & G
SS - Smart Source 
RP - Red Plum

Let's Do This!

I LOVE being frugal.  It's a fantastic, entertaining game for me.  Now I'm sharing my secrets!  This blog will bring you all my savvy scenarios (and money makers!) as well as the best deals from the web. 

There are so many great bloggers from all over the country, but sometimes I feel like West Michigan is such an anomaly.  Our grocery stores' coupon acceptance and our shorter drug store ads are different from the rest of the country and even the east side of the state.  I'd like to make your life easier by bringing you deals for the stores in our area.  Plan on a super-savvy ride!