Couponing Reviewed by Mom Style!

You all know I love a good bargain which is why I am such a faithful coupon clipper.  I have always clipped coupons but last year I really ramped it up.  I am so glad I have done this because my savings has been STAGGERING!  I save an average of 50% each time I hit the stores and I am building a healthy "stash" of non perishables which allows me to skip impulse shopping tips.  Couponing is, hands down, the best way to start saving money right away.  People ask me all the time how I manage to save so much and, I promise you, it is not tough. A few small changes has allowed me to save big...it is worth it!  I have compiled a list of how I prepare and organize before I hit the stores and I hope you will find some useful tips before you hit the stores.  You may have to tweak things for your lifestyle but I think you will find this mostly "no clip"method to be an easy way to save.

 

1. Get Your Coupons. Your Sunday paper has the biggest stash of coupons so be sure you are picking at least one copy up each week. I actually buy 2 papers (my savings more than covers the price) and I have family members save me their extras. You can also find free printable coupons in my Coupons & Freebies section.

2. Make a Plan. This was a hard one for me. I think we all get into the habit of just going to the store and throwing things in the cart but that is when the totals really start getting out of control. Before you hit the stores check out the sales flyers and look at your coupons as you make your list. I try and always buy products that are on sale AND have a coupon. When I have a really great deal I stock up on those items and stash the extras for when I run out. There are some wonderful sites that can help you with your “coupon match-ups” (lists of sale items by store matched with available coupons) and I highly recommend We Use Coupons. You should also find a local deal blogger to follow because they are generally right on top of the deals around town. Beginning on Thursday I will be doing Shaws matchups here for the week along with links to any printable coupons so be sure to come back here if you are a Shaws shopper.

3. Get Organized. You will not use your coupons if they floating around on the floor of your car or mangled at the bottom of your purse (trust me I know this from experience!).  I have a two part system for organization.  The bulk of my coupons are "no clip" which means I take the circulars from the Sunday papers and I file them away.  I use standard letter sized file pockets like these....

 

 and I label them by date.  When I check out the matchups (see above) I will know what files to grab to clip the coupons.  As I normally have several of each circular, I can easily find all the coupons I need in one spot.  Easy!  I never, ever, clip coupons the "old school" way by clipping all for use later because there are simply too  many for me to stay organized with.  For internet coupons and coupons I find in outside of the circulars (in stores, in packages etc...).   I use a check organizer that I picked up from Staples for $6....

 

 It has 20 different slots which I label by section of the store (dairy, snacks, beauty etc...) and I put my clipped coupons in the appropriate slot. I use the front pocket for my shopping list and the coupons I am planning on using for my current shopping trip.

4. Shop outside the box. Places like Staples and Home Depot take coupons too. I recently purchased paper towels for $.20 at Home Depot and scored some free sandwich bags from Staples using my coupons. When you are out and about bring those coupons with you…you never know!

5. Don’t go (too) bananas. I am not out to buy 672 bottles of aspirin just because it is free (although I would imagine the adrenaline rush would be quite something at the checkout line!). I am realistic. My family needs milk and produce and those essentials are almost never free. I do my best to spend as little as possible on the other items like snacks and cleaning items so my overall bill shows a savings of at least 50%. I am almost always able to do this by shopping smarter and you can do it too. If you do find yourself in flurry of overbuying because something is free (I recently did this with salad dressing!) your local food pantry will be more than happy to take the extras off your hands and you can feel even better about your savings.

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