|  Getting
Started
If
you have not yet taken a Super-Couponing®
workshop, it's the best way to learn how to
cut your grocery bill dramatically with coupons!
In
just one hour, I'll teach you exactly
how to match coupons to sales, know what coupons
to use, and only cut the coupons you need.
View
my live workshop schedule,
or purchase
the workshop on DVD
and learn at home, at your own
pace! Have you ever seen a coupon pro on television
cutting their grocery bill dramatically and
wondered "How do they do that?" I'll
teach you how!
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With Super-Couponing,
you'll learn...
-
Secrets
of the couponing pros
-
The
number one mistake most couponers
make
-
What
products you'll never have to pay
for again
-
How
to "stack" coupons for bigger
savings
-
Why
the Internet has made couponing easier
-
How
to get the store to "pay you"
to shop!
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Want
to save even more money?
With Super-Couponing 2,
you'll learn...
|
Order
your Super-Couponing®
DVD now!
Now
that you've taken my live or DVD workshop, you're
ready to get started!
With
my Super-Couponing®
system,
you're only going to cut the coupons you need
for this week's shopping trip, and the rest
stay in the newspaper insert that they came
in. This "clipless" system is designed
to do just that... you will clip less!
Step-by
step instructions:
Step
1: Save your inserts and organize them
When
your coupon inserts arrive in your weekly newspaper,
keep all of them. Write the date on the front
of each one large enough that you can read it.
Then, keep the inserts in an expandable accordion
file.
I
am a big fan of the "split" accordion
file, which has both large, letter-size pockets
and a smaller, lower set of half-size pockets.
You can find these at office supply stores.
(You can also purchase
a split accordion file right here at Super-Couponing.com.)
Use
the upper, large pockets of the split accordion
file for your newspaper coupon inserts. I
file my inserts in reverse order, newest to
oldest. All of the inserts from this current
month go in the front pocket. The previous month's
inserts are filed in the next pocket. Two months'
ago behind that, and so on:
As
you're planning your weekly shopping trips using
the online coupon tools that I'll show in Step
2, simply pull the corresponding insert from
the file, cut just the coupon(s) that your online
tools are calling for, then return the insert
to the accordion file.
Use
the lower, small pockets of the split accordion
file for loose coupons. This is a great
place to store all of the loose coupons that
you may be picking up at the store (Catalinas
that print at the register, coupons from tearpads
or "blinkie" dispensers,) any coupons
that you might find in another product (a coupon
found inside a cereal box or on a product's
packaging.) This is also a great place to file
any printable coupons that you printed to hold
onto for a future sale. File these loose coupons
by your choice of categories:
Now,
as I'm planning my shopping trips, it's easy
to quickly flip through these loose coupons
and see if any of them line up to this week's
sales as well.
An
alternate method for multiple inserts: A file
crate
If
you're crazy for coupons and enjoy getting multiple
newspapers and inserts each week, you may find
that your library of coupons will eventually
exceed the capacity of an accordion file. Using
hanging file folders and a file crate or box
is another low-cost option for organizing many
inserts.
File
crates or boxes have parallel rails on each
side to support hanging file folders. Use one
folder for each month, keeping each month's
inserts together -- and you'll have plenty of
room for storing multiple copies of inserts
each week.
Then,
just use a free-standing coupon wallet or check
file to hold the loose coupons that were previously
kept in the lower, small pockets of the split
accordion file.
 Step
2: Grocery List Matchup Sites and Coupon Lookup
Now,
as you plan your weekly shopping trip, let
one of many popular coupon sites help you
by matching these coupons to the sales
at your store:
Easiest
sites for beginners:
- Savings
Angel -
even assigns you an "angel" who
you can speak with on the phone to help you
get started to make sure you understand exactly
how to use a matchup list!
- Coupon
Mom
- Grocery
Game
Additional
matchup sites:
All
of these sites refer to your inserts by an abbreviation
that indicates the date and name of the insert.
So, if the coupon you need is in the March 1st
Procter & Gamble insert, the site will say
"3/1 PG."
Insert
Abbreviations:
| PG
|
=
Procter & Gamble |
| SS |
=
SmartSource |
| RP |
= RedPlum |
| KL |
=
Kellogg's |
| GM
|
=
General Mills |
| AY |
=
All
You Magazine |
Again,
you'll only cut the coupons you need
for this week's trip, so there's no
need to carry all of your coupons to the store
with you. Everything else stays in the insert,
and the inserts stay organized in your file,
ready for when you plan next week's trip!
Grocery
List Matchup sites give you lists each week
that match current coupons to your area stores'
sales. Here's an example from SavingsAngel.com:
Here's
how to read the list. (The actual list has hundreds
of items to choose from each week.)
The
"Store" column shows
that this list is for Walgreens.
The "Product" column
shows the item on sale.
The "Available Coupons"
column shows all current coupons for this item,
inserts, printable, and electronic coupons.
The "Prices" column
shows the regular price, sale price, and post-coupon
price.
The "Amount Saved"
column shows the percentage saved off the original
price. My rule of thumb is that anything 50%
or better, if you need that item, is a "buy!"
The "Add to List"
column has a checkbox. If you wish to buy this
item and add it to your printed shopping list,
click the box.
So,
in looking at the first item on this list, Ajax
cleanser is on sale at Walgreens for .33 a can.
There is a $1-off-2 coupon in the February 27th
SmartSource coupon insert. As it's only .33
a can, but the coupon takes .50 off two items,
we'll get two cans free.
No
matter which grocery list matchup site you use,
the list is read in the same way. Click what
you want, cut the corresponding coupons, and
head to the store! This is the fastest, easiest
way to match coupons to sales in as little time
as possible.
Coupon
Lookup: Find specific coupons that you need
Use
a free Coupon
Lookup if you need to look up a
specific coupon by typing a brand, like "Pillsbury,"
or a product type, like "toothpaste."
This
is a great tool for finding specific coupons
for items that you need to buy right now. It's
also a quick and easy way to match coupons to
sales at any store, even a smaller, local chain
that perhaps one of the larger grocery list
matchup sites does not follow. Grab your flyer,
circle the products that you want to buy, then
look up the corresponding coupons. I write the
coupon references right on the flyer ("3/1
PG") and then head to your coupon file.
Cut those coupons, and you're off to the store.
Step
3: Carry only the coupons you need to the store:
Because
we're not taking a large amount of coupons to
the store each time, it's not necessary to use
anything special to carry coupons in! Many people
simply carry them in an envelope or sandwich
bag. A small coupon wallet is another great
way to carry coupons:
This
coupon wallet has pockets labeled with the names
of stores frequented, as well as a pocket to
hold all coupons for FREE items. It also contains
a small front pocket to hold shoppers' discount
cards for various stores, and a large front
pocket to hold the coupons that will be taken
to the register.
As
you go through the store and add an item to
the shopping cart, it's easy to remove the corresponding
coupon from that store's pocket (i.e. "Target,")
and place it in the front pocket of the wallet.
Then,
when you arrive at the register, simply take
the stack of coupons from the front pocket,
along with your shopper's card, and hand it
to the cashier. This is a much easier, less
labor-intensive method than most people have
traditionally used to organize coupons.
The
"old" way? Cutting and organizing
every single coupon received in the newspaper
each week, and carrying all of them to the store
for every shopping trip in a large binder. With
this method, we only cut the coupons we need
for this trip, and each shopping trip can be
planned in about a half-hour to an hour.
Another
tip if you choose to use a wallet: Rainchecks!
If your store is out of an item this
week, leave that coupon in the corresponding
store's pocket. This will remind you what
you need to get rainchecks for before you leave
the store. Keep the raincheck in the same pocket
as your unused coupons, and the next time you
visit the store, the coupon and raincheck are
right there, ready to redeem.
Step
4: Printable and electronic coupons... and more
Printable
coupons:
There
are many places to print coupons online. Always
stick to reputable sites and manufacturer's own
sites -- sites offering "free" coupons
that want you to pay for access to them are scams.
You should NEVER have to pay to print a coupon
from a legitimate site.
All
of these sites are free to use and none require
registration! Remember, most printable coupons
have a print limit of two, so always go back
and try to print again until you receive the
message that your print limit has been reached.
My
strategy for printables is this: I do NOT print
every coupon I see -- this wastes paper and
ink if you ultimately won't use them. I simply
print anything that this week's grocery list
is calling for (the matchup and lookups shown
above will also tell you where many of the best
printable coupons are for the current week)
and I also print anything I'd consider to be
high-value ($1.00 or more) for a product that
I know that I'll use and buy. If I'm
using a printable this week, it goes right into
my coupon wallet. If not, I will put it in the
front part of the accordion file, with the "loose"
coupons, for a future sale.
Electronic
coupons:
 In
addition to the coupons we find in our newspaper
inserts and online, many stores are also offering
electronic coupons as well! These coupons can
be loaded onto your shopper's card for your
store, and you automatically receive the savings
at checkout.
Electronic
coupons on individual stores' sites
If
your local store doesn't participate in any
of these programs, make sure to check the store's
website as they may offer their own electronic
coupons there, like these offered at my local
supermarket:
 All
You - A Coupon Magazine!
Have
you heard of All
You Magazine? It's an inexpensive ($2.49/issue)
magazine devoted to enjoying life "for
less!" Not only does it have great articles
devoted to saving money and living well, it
is also filled with manufacturer coupons!
Each month, an issue of All You typically
contains $50-$100 worth of manufacturer coupons
inside. It truly pays for itself
if you use just a couple of them.
Many
of the coupon tools I show above (Grocery
List Matchups, Coupon Lookup) also include
the All You coupons in their lists, because
there are so many of them.
And,
All You is really a bargain if you subscribe
to it! Subscribe for one year and pay less
than for 12 issues - that's about $1.67
a month.
Still
have questions? I have a detailed
Frequently
Asked Questions section on my blog, written
specifically for new coupon shoppers. Take a
look!
Note:
Keep in mind that I blog daily at www.jillcataldo.com
too, offering news, articles and tips, posting
"Deals of the Week" writeups of everything
free and cheap with coupons, and answering
questions from readers. Join me on my blog and
learn more great ways to save!
-
Jill
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