Alright, So you want to coupon, but just don't know where to begin? This is where Couponing 101 helps YOU!
I will layout step by step what to do and how to do it!
Couponing can be easy and fun!
Step-1: Invest. Invest some money into either a binder or an accordion folder where you are able to keep your coupons, so that you don't have them laying all over the place or in an envelope. Remember organization is the key to couponing! You must be organized and have a strategy if you plan on saving some massive cheese!
Step-2: Organization. How do I organize my coupons into my coupon binder? (If you decide to go with the binder method) SIMPLE! You will also have to invest into some baseball or business card holders (I, personally, have baseball card holders and love it!) Once you have purchased your card holder the next step is easy as pie.
Step-3: Divide. Yes, you'll need dividers if you plan on having an organized binder where you will be able to find your coupons fast, instead of having to take all of them out of an envelope and might drop them..COUPONS ARE LIKE THE HOLY GRAIL-THEY'RE SACRED!. Once you get dividers you may label them into categories that you know you'll need. i.e. "Snacks, Drinks, Paper Products & Cleaning Solutions, Refigeration, Frozen Foods, etc"
Here is a list of how my coupon binder is divided. Ready?
*Salty Snacks *Baking
*Breakfast *Prepared Sides
*Condiments *Drinks
*Refigerated *Frozen Foods
*Paper Products *Surface Cleaners
*Laundry & Dish Washing *Air Freshners
*Medicine/Vitamins *Oral & Hair Care
*Beauty & Shaving *Feminine Hygiene
You can also add extra dividers such as "Pet, Candy, Lotion, etc"
Step-4: The Real Deal.Here is the part where it all goes down! COUPONS...Buy around 2 or 3 Sunday Papers (Montgomery Advertiser if you're in the Tri-county area). Look at your coupons, Clip the ones you like on products that you use. Every week tons of coupons are printed, so choose the ones that you like, Clip them, sort them into your ORGANIZED binder. Once you've had some time couponing and you think you can handle a big shopping trip, then decide whether you would like to stick with 2/3 papers or would rather buy 4/5 Sunday Newspapers.
Step-5: WAITING. Yes, do not assume that just because you have a coupon you can use it....I mean, you can, but you want to wait on deals on items that are absolutely ROCK BOTTOM prices to use your coupons, that's how you usually get things for free...and don't we all love FREE?? So, hold on to your coupons and wait for those deals to start rolling out! You want to match your coupons to sales!
Step-6: PLAN. Before you even decide to go couponing, you must plan your shopping trip and match up your coupons to sale items that you want or need. Impulse buying is what can leave you money-less. So, sit down one day before your shopping trip, look through all of the ads and choose the items you need and match your coupons, OR, if you're like me, I go one day before a big shopping trip that involves ACTUAL groceries, I go to the grocery store, walk around, right down the prices for the items I am needing, come home, compare & match, write down how much it'll be without coupons, then add in your coupons, and calculate how much it'll be WITH your coupons. That way, you're not suprised at the register :)
Step-7: GLOAT...gloat all you want, cause you know the items you just purchased were dirt cheap or free and your friends and family are still paying an ish load of money for the same items...so gloat in your triumph!!
