part two: the shopping list
I know you’ve all been on pins and needles, anxiously awaiting this week’s edition of my beginner’s guide to coupons series. Well my friends, the wait is over. Today’s topic? Your first shopping list.
(And if you are new to my blog and new to coupons, I strongly urge you to read part one: how to start before going any further. It will all make a lot more sense that way!)
Trying to use coupons without a game plan is a little like taking a cross-country road trip without a map. You may get to your destination eventually, and you might even see a few interesting sites along the way, but you will certainly add a whole lot of time and excess frustration to your journey.
So it is with coupons. If you simply show up at the store with a pile of coupons and attempt to “wing it,” you may eventually find a few good deals, but the amount of time you spend and frustration you incur may make you never want to see another coupon again.
Granted, there are a few people who swear by their haphazard “go-with-the-flow” method of couponing. I am not that person, and you won’t find that advice here. Instead, I’ll let you know what works for me, and if you check out my shopping results, you will see it works consistently, week after week.
I explained in Part One that to save, really save, with coupons, you have to change your old way thinking. Instead of making a list for the things you need or want each week, and then buying them regardless of whether they are on sale or you have a coupon, you buy ONLY what’s on sale (and lots of it.)
Once again, Extreme Couponing is a cumulative process, not an instant magic formula.
This week you are going to work on your first coupon shopping list. It is important to keep in mind that this list will be little more than a practice list intended to get your feet wet.
You will still end up with some great deals on food that you can either eat right away or use to start building your stockpile, but unless you already have a fridge and pantry full of groceries, you will still need to make a separate trip to the store. Remember, this is the non-overwhelming baby step program!
This is only week two, so unless you have been collecting newspaper inserts for some time, you won’t have a large coupon supply built up yet. That’s okay! If you followed last week’s assignment, you should have at least one computer available to print coupons from. (If not, go back and complete last week’s assignment before moving on!)
So grab yourself a glass of wine, have a seat, and let’s get started!
week two assignment:
1. Determine which stores are in your area to shop at.
Here in SW Florida, the main grocery stores are Publix and Winn-Dixie. When I lived in the Seattle area, I did most of my coupon shopping at Safeway & Albertsons, and occasionally Fred Meyer. I have a couponing friend in upstate New York who swears by PriceChopper. There are SuperTarget & Super WalMart stores almost everywhere.
The thing to remember with coupon shopping is that the stores that have the lowest overall prices don’t usually have the best “loss leader” sales. They rely on their everyday low prices to entice shoppers.
The opposite is true of the stores with higher prices. They rely on their sales to entice shoppers, knowing that the vast majority will end up buying plenty of non-sale items as well.
Part of the trick to using coupons effectively is to beat the system by a.) stockpiling and b.) shopping at multiple stores.
2. Pick a coupon shopping website to help you make your list.
There are some amazing coupon resources available on the internet, and you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration by using them.
If you can, I recommend using my sister matchup site, SavingWellSpendingLess.com, which covers some of the largest national and regional chains nationwide. It is a very user friendly site with a great bonus feature–printable shopping lists!
Once you figure out which of these websites matches the stores in your area, bookmark it and then spend some time exploring the site to see where everything is. (For help with acronyms, use the Coupon Lingo Guide)
3. Find this week’s post for your stores.
Once you’ve decided on your site, click on this week’s ad for the store you would like to shop at.
Read through it completely. Make some mental notes:
- Check the final price after coupons.
- Are there any items that look like a great deal?
- Are there any items that you or your family want/or need?
- Which items require coupons from newspaper inserts?
- Which ones match up with printable coupons?
- Are there links to those printable coupons?
Repeat this exercise for one more store in your area. Which store has better deals this week? Which store has more items you would want to purchase?
4. Make your list.
Based on the exercise you just did, pick ONE of your two stores to make a list from. For the sake of this exercise, pick NO MORE than 3 items. Remember, this is the non- overwhelming baby-steps method of learning how to use coupons!
At some point you will easily head to the grocery store with a list of 30 items and 50 coupons in your hand. But for now, let’s take it slow. Trust me, you will thank me when you get to the checkout line!
If you are using SavingWellSpendingLess.com, simply click on the 3 items that you choose and then print your list. If you are writing out your list by hand, be sure to include the exact brand and size of the item, the sale price, and the coupon you will be using.
Finally, choose items that fit ALL of the following criteria:
- After coupons, it is more than a 60% savings off the regular price?
(For example, if Hamburger Helper is normally $1.99 a box, and they are on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, that will make them 50% off. That’s not good enough. However, if there is also a $1 off 2 boxes coupon available, your final price will be $0.50 a box, a savings of 75%. That is good enough to make the list!)
2. The coupon required for the savings is a printable coupon that is still available.
(To find out if the printable coupon is still available just click the link and try to print. If you get a message that says “no more prints available” or “you have already printed this coupon the max amount of times,” there are no prints left.)
3. The item is something you or your family would use.
(It doesn’t have to be something you always buy, just something that you might like to try or something that you think your family might like if they tried it. Part of the fun of coupon shopping is that you get to expand your horizons and try new things!)
4. Gather your coupons.
Using the links provided on the site you are using, print as many coupons as allowed. (Usually 2 per computer.) If the coupon happens to be a PDF file (rare, but it does happen occasionally), it is helpful to save the coupon on your computer rather than print immediately to use again at a future date.
- If you have more than one computer, use it to print additional copies of your coupons.
- Once you have printed (then trimmed) all the coupons for the 3 items on your list, determine how many of each item you will be able to buy.
- Remember, if an item is on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, you will be able to use 2 coupons, one for the paid item and one for the free item.
- On your list, note how many of each item you will buy based on how many coupons you have.
5. Go shopping!
Isn’t this exciting? Your first trip to the store. Be sure to buy ONLY what is on your list. (Make a separate trip for other items–the goal is to focus and learn without getting overwhelmed or distracted.)
- Before you get to the checkout, double check your coupons to make sure the quantities are correct.
- When you get to the checkout line, be sure to tell the cashier that you have several coupons, and ask whether he/she would prefer them ahead of time or with the items.
- Be friendly and courteous and confident, and pay close attention to the coupons as they are scanned to make sure that none get skipped or forgotten (easier to do when you are only purchasing a few items.) I promise any apprehension you may feel will disappear the moment you see your receipt!
And that’s it for this week. Just to review: Decide which stores are available in your area, go to www.SavingWellSpendingLess.com (or other coupon matchup site) to help you make your list, then review the weekly ad posts for your top 2 stores. Pick one store and choose no more than 3 items to put on your list, based on the criteria above.
Once you’ve gathered your coupons, head to the store for your first extreme couponing adventure. Once again, it might not seem like much, and after your first trip to the store, you might be eager to grab some more bargains. If so feel free to repeat the list-making process for another store (or even the same store), but be sure to keep your list down to only a few items.
If you are not too overwhelmed at this point, (and if you are using a B&W laser printer), it is also a good idea to begin checking www.printhotcoupons.com daily in order to build up a good coupon supply. The more coupons you have, the easier you will be able to match them to a great sale!
{ 103 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Ruth! I just discovered your website! I’m taking your 8 week course over Coupons..so far so good!
Just one question..I understand everything you are saying but the thing that is overwhelming me the most is the language on the coupons. I simply don’t understand it.
Example: Insert coupon says BOGO and a manufacturers coupon also says BOGO..does that mean the item is free when matched up? Is there a spot on your website that breaks down the language and what it means? help!!!
Yes, generally if you can match up a BOGO store coupon to a BOGO manufacturer’s coupon, the item will be free. The exception to this is stores that advertise BOGO items, but really place them on sale for half off (meaning you can buy 1 at half price instead of needing to buy two.) In that case, you would end up paying half the regular price for two items, or 75% off.
I have a coupon lingo guide found under coupons 101 above. Here is the link:
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/beginners-guide-to-coupons/coupon-lingo/
Emily, BOGO means “Buy One Get One”.
I just discovered your website and I must say that it is truly a dream come true. It’s incredibly organized, and easy to follow. Thank-you!
You’re welcome!
Most coupons that I’ve seen always say only 1 coupon per household, and cannot be combined with any other offer. How is it that your able to use multiple coupons on your purchases?
Thanks for your help!
Are you talking about any specific coupons in particular? Most coupons specify “1 per purchase,” which really means “1 per item (or 2 items if the coupon is for $ off 2)” Unless a coupon specifies “1 per transaction” or “1 per person per day,” you can generally use as many coupons as you want.
SSooo, couponing definitely does work. I started the 8 week plan. Today was my shopping day. I spent $55.28 on $135.20 worth of groceries. It is my first time doing it the “right” way, so I am sure within a month or two I will be spending way less money. Still, 59% off my total is not bad at all.. Thank you ssooo much. I will keep you updated on future purchases.
Great job Toniann! Thanks for sharing!
Amazing site! I have a quick question- is it possible to use self check out for this? or do some coupons need to be put in manually?
I’ve used coupons on the self check but last time I had a coupon for Buy a certian dog treat get another kind free and it didn’t work so I had to have the person who watches over the self checkouts fix it for me. She had to manually input the discounted amount….but i stood my ground even though it was only a dollar. My puppies thanked me :0)
I just started your 8 week start up and today was my first shopping day. I tried to only put a few things on the list but I can’t skip buying milk while I am there. The question I have is, when will I start saving almost 90% on the bill? Will it be once I have a huge pile of coupons? I saved 33% which isn’t bad but I feel like it should be better after reading your site. Am I doing something wrong?
You’re definitely not doing anything wrong. The biggest reason I recommend splitting up your shopping trips the first week is so that you can really see the results of shopping with coupons. Just a few non-sale items will bring your percentages down really fast, so 33% on your total order is still really great. The reason I save 80-90% every week is because I have been using coupons for a long time. I have a stockpile at home with a huge variety of items, so I almost never have to buy things that aren’t on sale. For milk, eggs, & butter I often use my Register Rewards or Extra Care Bucks at Walgreens & CVS, but since you are only on week two, you’re not quite there yet.
It is definitely a cumulative process. I promise that if you are committed to buying sale items and following the steps, you will get there eventually, but it won’t happen overnight. Try not to get discouraged. Any savings is better than none!
Ruth,
My husband and I are new to couponing, and we cannot thank you enough. Your web site is beautiful and you are so kind to offer your assistance to everyone! This is truly what the spirit of couponing is all about. You can help yourself, and help others too. We have plans to help our family and friends through couponing. My husband even had a great idea about trying to start a food/household pantry at our church to help others in need. If we can get it for FREE, than why not help out someone else who might really need it.
Blessings to you and “Trouble”
Barb & Thomas
Just started your couponing course and I’m currently on week 2. So I went to the store with just 1 item in mind to try it out. I couldn’t believe it. I purchased 3 of those items and I saved 91%. I am hooked! Getting ready to start week 3. Thanks for all your great advice
Ruth,
I have a question.. I have 3 different coupons that I was wondering if I can use together to optimize savings. The coupons I have are for air wick refills and warmer.
Coupon 1 says get any warmer free when you buy favorite air wick scented oil refill
Coupon 2 says $1.00 off any air wick scented oil twin refill or 2 (two) single refills
Coupon 3 $2.00 off any 1 air wick freshmatic odor detector starter kit
I am incredibly new to couponing and have no idea if I can use all 3
Hi Ruth! I have done a lot of research over the past week on couponing. I must say your website is the best! It’s beautiful and uncluttered (which I love!). I had to quit my full time job when my husband and I had our third child in December. I was always used to spending the money without much thought because we had it. Needless to say, without that second income I have REALLY struggled. I am committed to couponing so that I can continue to give my family the things we love. I just have a quick question that I can’t seem to get straight in my own head. I know that many stores will except multiple coupons. I am confused as to what constitutes a “store coupon”. This weekend I went and bought the papers and clipped the insert Q’s (which are the MF Q’s right?!!). I feel like it is a silly question but where are these “store” Q’s? Also, if I can find matchable Q’s between the newspaper inserts and the printable Q’s on line-will the stores take them both (if they are different)? I hope these questions make sense. I really appreciate any help you can give. Thanks again!
Rebecca,
The store coupons are the ones that have the store name on it and cannot be used at other stores unless tbe store take competitor coupons on it! It’s not a silly question! Its confusing at first! I hope that helps tho!
Sorry should have checked it before I posted it! My phone added some words! Lol. I meant to say that the store coupons have that stores name on it and connot be used at other stores unless they take competitors coupons!
Hi Ruth!
You are an amazing writer. I have enjoyed reading your steps, which have been very helpful and easy to follow. I have one question about doubling coupons. My local grocery store doubles coupons up to 99 cents. My question is, do I have to bring two of those coupons in order for the cashier to double the coupon for one item, or will the cashier automatically scan one coupon twice? I want to make sure I have the right amount of coupons before doing my first trip. Again, thank you so much for all of your advice. You are wonderful!
Heather,
Normally from what I have observed from personal experience if I have had a coupon that i used and it was automatically doubled. The register knows up to what amount to double the coupons to. I hope this helps and is accurate
Heather,
When a store doubles coupons, you only need ONE coupon and the computer will automatically double it once its scanned as long as the coupon is 99 cents or less. However, sometimes you will notice that this does not happen automatically and the cashier will manually have to override the system. Thats why it is very important to watch every single item that is scanned and every single coupon that is scanned because one error can ruin all your planning. Hope this helps!
Leslie and Kim,
Thank you so much for your advice! You have been very helpful and I appreciate it:) I am learning more and more every day. Thanks again!
Ruth Tammy again, can you explain what you said in step two.
~However, if there is also a $1 off 2 boxes coupon available, your final price will be $0.50 a box, a savings of 75%. That is good enough to make the list!)
Hamburger helper is 1.99 and the coupon is for 1 off 2 boxes. Thats is two boxes is 3.98 and a dollar off is 2.98 which makes it 1.49 a piece. How do you get .50 a piece? I actually have a college degree but sometimes the simplest things are difficult to catch on. sorry.
In my example they are on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, which makes the sale price $1.00 a box, or $1.99 for 2 boxes. Combining the sale price with the $1 off 2 coupon makes them $0.50 a box.
Here is another way to look at it:
2 boxes @ 1.99 = $3.98
$3.98 – $1.99 (free box) = $1.99
$1.99-$1.00 (coupon) = $0.99 for 2 boxes, or $0.50 each
Does that help?
Ahhhh, you have a store sale buy one get the other free, yes it makes sense. One more question, you said that if a store is offering buy one get one free, that you can use two coupon, one for the one you have to pay for and the other for the free one. Is this legal or should I say acceptable?
Thanks
It is definitely legal. Most stores allow it but there are a few that don’t. Check the coupon policy for your stores’ specific policy. I’m glad I could help!
Hello Ruth
my name is Ruby i have been reading about your saving i would like to do the same i just
dont know how to start. i bought four news papers to get the coupons they had no coupons
and i also tride oline and didnt work out for me where do i start????
Ruth,
WOW! I am brand new to the concept of using coupons. I honestly didnt think you could save enough money to be worth the time and effort of clipping. Then I found you!!! I am ready and willing. I went on my first shopping trip today. I went to two stores bc they are right next to eachother. My total came out to $58.10 before any cupons…after cupons my total was $21.04. BUT…I also have $9.54 on my EBC.
It feels really good to know I saved my family money. I am taking baby steps but I am hooked. I want to learn more and save more. I would love to get to the point where I can get things for really cheap or free bc I would like to have a stockpile for hurricane season. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Robin
I am still not completely understanding the multiple coupon deal. I have a coupon for Hamburger Helper, save $0.75 on 3 boxes, does that mean I can actually get 3 boxes from the store, use 3 coupons (1 coupon for each box) and if each box was $1.00, I would then end up paying only $0.75 total or $0.25 per box?
yes Kendra!!!!! you got it
From my experience, no. If a coupon says u have to buy 3 then that 1 coupon counts for all 3. U may want to ask the store what they allow. I know CVS does not allow that.
Hi Ruth, I’m so happy I found your website! I did go shopping today after accumulating some coupons for a while and matched them up with store coupons and sales. It was awesome! Spent about $50 total at 2 different stores on what normally would have cost about $100. Very exciting! What I am confused about is the other website I went to (savingwellspendingless) had all the matchups and deals from different stores but I don’t really understand it. It looks like you are able to use multiple manufacture coupons for one single item which I always thought you couldn’t do. Help?
On SWSL I list all the coupons that are available for a particular product so that you have as many options as possible for finding the coupon. However you can only use ONE manufacturer’s coupon per product. If one of the coupons is a store coupon, it will say the name of the store next to where to find the Q. Generally you are allowed to stack one store coupon with one MQ per product. Hope that helps!
Yes it does. I just have one more question….If for example at rite aid garnier fructis products are on sale for 2/5. If I have 2 MQ of $1 off one product, can I use both if I buy 2 of them? I’m also a little confused about what “fillers” are also.
Yes, you can use both. Fillers are just inexpensive items that you can use to “fill in” if you are trying to get your total up to a certain amount in order to use a coupon. Fillers are mostly necessary just at Walgreens because RRs are considered MQs, and you can’t have more MQs than number of items in a transaction.
Hey Ruth,
I was wondering if that is how you choose which items to buy. By looking at the weekly ad. Is that how you get the best deals?And 1 more……. I have been couponing for a short time and have used my coupons before, but even if I am using a maifactures coupon and a store coupon, I can never seem to ge anything for free. How do you do it sooo easily?
I have always just used a matchup site like http://www.savingwellspendingless.com to choose my items. Just keep at it. Being able to spot the great deals (and having a good supply of coupons to take advantage of them when they come along) comes with time. Trust me, you’ll get there!
Hey Ruth,
Sorry to bother you but I have two more questions for you. 1. How do you find coupons for specific items? 2. I have two coupons and am sure if I can use them together. The first coupon says Buy one Gillette body wash and get a Gillette deoderant free. The other one says the opposite. Buy one Gillette deoderant and get one Gillette body wash free. Does that make both items free? P.S. Thank you sooo much. You are taking me in the right direction that I have been trying to do for some time
Thnx, lena
To find Qs for specific items you can use the database on http://www.savingwellspendingless.com. Just go to the home page and click the big green button at the top of the left hand column. As far as the B1G1 coupon, you would only be able to use both if one was a store coupon and one was a manufacturer’s coupon. If so, then yes, they would both be free (same as if you paired a store BOGO sale with a BOGO coupon.) However, if they are both MQs, you would only be able to use one. (At least I think so…I’ve never had that specific scenario come up.)
Hey Ruth,
I went to savingwellspendingless.com and clicked on the green button.I found many coupons that would fit my needs but could not find a way to print them.I then clicked the “Print” button and a list of stores came up. I went to my store and found none of the coupons that I found on the search or that was on my list. I need help.
Thnx,lena
Weird question, but is there ever a time when there are little to no match ups in a given week?
Sales definitely vary and some weeks will be absolutely fabulous; others, not so much. Once you have established a stockpile you will be able to “ride out” the slow weeks and really go gung ho on the great weeks.
Hey Ruth,
I finally completed this weeks assignment, but at the store I ran into some problems. At my local store I was told that they exept 1 manufacturers coupon and 1 store coupon. As the cashier scanned my coupons she denied the manufacturers coupons that already had a store coupon loaded on that item.But even with out the secondary coupons I saved $15.00 and my total was $3.81.Despite the issue at the counter, I still saved money. Thanks to you. Time to get started on week 3. Thank you!!
lena
Ruth,
If Bi-lo doubles coupons up to 50 cents and I have a coupon for 1.00 off, will I only get 1.00 off or will I get 1.50 off?
Christy
No, just $1.00
omg i’ve been following your steps im on step 2 going on step 3. i love this site…. its helped my family of 3 so much….. at first my husband didnt want me to coupon but now that he saw what they can do he loves it along with me
I’m glad it is going well for you Adry!
thanks alot for your advise…Ive been trying to do alot of printable coupons.Ive found a few good sites but I need more.most of them will send you thru 1 million things to fill out or it allows pop ups then I have 31 open explorers open.I want to get in & get right to it.I know I have to search for the ones I want but I dont want to fill out this & fill out that.alot ask for your email addy but them your inbox is full of 3,000 spams.I have chose to open a couponing email addy.
Opening a separate email account is a great idea. I know it can be annoying to fill out the forms, but sometimes you just have to jump through a few hoops to get the good results at the end.
Ruth- You freakin’ ROCK; Gurl!!!!
I’m just say’in. Plus…. (yeah… hang on, this is going to be longwinded, which is my nature so starting with that I am just going to say “thank you so much for simplifying this for my over complicated and cluttered brain”
I have done SO much research on couponing, not only via your video’s on youtube, coupon policies per store, limitations, quanitities, allowances, blah, blah, blah…. this is a lot of Math for a creative mind like my (A.D.D.) self…. LOL….
You are a wonderful and brilliant blessing to those of us “simple-minded-break-it-down-for-me-in-a-nutschell” people. Every family can benefit from your experience & wisdom and I thank God daily for a co-worker who gave me the information about your website. My family and I have not only benefitted from; but also greatly appreciate your candor, sense of humor, and all around “human-ness.” (if that’s a word in Webster’s these days….)
I am sure many millions of providers for their families feel the same as well. You truly have a gift. I am so greatful to be introduced to something that I know as a single mom with 2 disabled kids, a cat, multiple fish and dog… has be able to support/provide a somewhat more comfortably and stress free lifestyle.
I have so many questions that I’d love to ask but I will save them for when you start you’re online classes in which I have replied to earlier this evening. I hope you have me on your enrollement list and let me know the times/$$$ involved so I can arrange to be there. I want to learn from the pro! Thank you so much for helping so many in this Florida economy right now. My boyfriend has been looking for employment here for over 3 years diligently while I am working part time to try to make ends meet. I am following every letter of your words to the T and praying for the best for not only my family but the millions of others who are suffering from this economic down turn. My current occupation by day is helping homeowners avoid foreclosure via mortgage modifications; ironically enough;– my very own house (which I regretably aquired during a divorce) has been blown down twice in hurricanes, and currently is in the foreclosure process as well. I completely empathize with the people I am trying to help. While my home is a total loss, I also recognize the need for stability, “a back up plan”, “food storage” during times of financial hardship; and basically enstilling in my children that no matter WHAT…”Mommy is always here and God will provide. ”
Mom is there…. yet Mom sometimes cries in her pillow at night how she or God will provide. Walking by faith alone, we get up each day and do the best we can. I listen to many, many, many, families different hardships that have a common ring-tone yet different attributes. I feel for each and every one and pray for them by name every night. Having been homeless in Florida due to Hurricane’s twice; I am skeptical about stockpiling and trying to overcome that fear. My house is not well insulated. My foreclosure has started and my bankruptcy case is underway. I am letting go of a past life and starting a new one what feels like a young mom, yet 1/2 way through my life. It’s scary. And as you said before, “Starting anything new isn’t easy”… I look forward to your online class in which I responded to earlier today in your website livingwellspendingless.com and hope that you and your family greatly benefit from the blessings that you have enabled not only our families but many others who read daily about your generous nature and patience in our learning from your experience. Thank you for being patient and ever vigilant in helping those of us find our way to financial relief.
Sincerely,
Erin
Erin, thank you for your sweet words. It sounds like this has been a very difficult time for your family, and I truly hope that LWSL and using coupons will be able to help you improve your situation. I am hoping to start my online class sometime later this summer or early fall. I will let you know the details when I do. In the mean time, following the steps in the LWSL Beginner’s Guide to Coupons should hopefully start helping you save!
Hi Ruth! Thank you so much for the “baby steps”. I have took your advice and started off slow. My first coupon shopping list only consisted of the wisk laundry soap. I found that to be the only good bargan for the amount of coupons I have collected. I walked out the store not paying anything from the insert coupon, facebook coupon, and my $1 off next shopping trip they gave me at the register last visit. My collected has progressed and have printed many coupons this week. I am so excited about tomorrow sale adds in the Sunday paper. Thank you for helping us all save money!!!
Your website is awesome! It is very easy to navigate and very well written (and designed)! I have used coupons forever, but I am new to the “extreme couponing” and look forward to start saving even more! Thanks for all your information that you have provided from your expertise – it really can get confusing but you made it easier to understand.
Thanks Susan. I hope it helps you save lots of money!
Thank you so much for all the info. I did my first trip to the store with my coupons and saved 74% on things I buy every week for a family of 7. I am addicted to couponing!!
I’ve been reading your beginner’s guide and finding im having some trouble finding a good website for Alaska. I looked at the website you use, saving well spending less and its amazing! but i seem to not be able to find a good website for my area. Would you reccommend any for people who live in Alaska? Thanks so much! Great work!!
ok so when its buy one get one it was said that you can use two coupons one for the bought item and one for the free item so my question is how does that work? if its free what is the coupon going to do???
The coupon will just take the $ off your total as a whole. Even though it is “free,” it is still considered a purchase, which means you can use a coupon.
ok i have my 2nd trip planned out but my first one planned based on the couponing 101 steps. One question for my Target trip, I have a target coupon and I also have a mfgr coupon can I use both on 1 item or is it one coupon per item? fingers crossed for my first semi big coupon trip! I have 4 items at one store and 3 at the other………results to come, thank you for the coupon tips!!!!
hi, i got confused afte i made me 3 item list. after i make my list according to what’s on sale(like buy one get one free),do i go searching for coupons of the 3 items i have on my list? is that how i get to save atleast 60% ?
Hi, I got confused after I made my 3 item list which was buy one get one free. So do I search different sites for additional coupons to reach my goal to save atleast 60%? Thank u sooo much for the step by step help. This have helped me ALOT
Hi Ruth,
I have been trying to do reasearch on couponing since I saw ‘that’ show (I dare not speak its name, haha) but it was very confusing as to how to go about it. It just seemed as though everything was so brief, nothing went into details so I was left with TONS of questions after reading. Luckily I found myself at your site (after about a week of torturing research) and was so stoked to have so much information at my fingertips and also extreamly happy to see that you really do try to respond to all questions and concerns. Any way, I’m not like most 21 year olds I have always looked for sales with my frugal father ever since I was a little girl but never with coupons. I just want to say thank you for giving me and my father another thing we can do together and of coarse thanks for helping us save money. I love being able to teach my father a few things. Once again thanks for a successful 2 weeks on to week 3 woop woop!
Seamo
ok so its the night before my first big trip, and i saw a new sale for what i had already planned for another store……i have a $1 off coupon for 2 pkgs of sausages and there is a sale for 4 for $5 so how would i do the couponing with a sale like that or would it even be worth it. originally i figured $1 off 2 pkgs at $2.50 for 2 so i am not that good at math and NEED HELP!!! im stuck
Hi
I decided after watching that show and leaving my job after my 5th baby was born that I should change my lifestyle. I clipped and printed a million coupons and got the binder. I check sale ads all week every week. Walmart now price matches on identical products so I have taken all my piles of ads to the store AND tried to use coupons. My savings have been decent, but I would like to know if there is a site I can go to where I can literally put MY shopping list in that will just print the best current coupons available taylored to my list. If not you should make cuz u rock.
Hi Ruth,
I left the comment on June 5th and I wanted to ask if there is a site you know of where I can put my zipcode and the item I want and see what store offers that item for the best price. I would love to put in “orange juice” and have Pay Low, Meijer, Strack and Van Til prices all come up simulaneously with the best price listed at the top with oj coupons links included. Does a site like that exist? I love your site but several of my stores around here arent on your site. Thank you so much for your help.
Hello I found your website yesterday and I have fallen in love, I’ve been looking non stop for a website that tells you step by step how to coupon, thank you…
I have a question and I have asked many people and i get so many i don’t knows….
what does this mean…… limit one coupon per purchase of products and quantities stated… Limit of 4 like coupons in same shopping trip.?
if you can help with that answer i would extremly appreciate it..
I was just reading through and no I’m not Ruth but I figured I would answer you anyway. One coupon per purchase means you can use 1 coupon per item and if you have a limit of 4 like coupons that means you can only use 4 of the same coupons for a total of 4 items. Think of purchase as an item not a transaction. So if you have 4 of the same coupons then you can get 4 of the same item. I hope that helps.
Hello, thank you so much for these posts! I had no clue I could save so much until I stumbled across one of your video yesterday. I went on my fist couponing trip this afternoon, you can see my results here: http://journalsofabetterme.blogspot.com/2011/06/extreme-couponing.html! Now I can’t wait until next week, I’m hooked
but I wanted to say thank you for all the hard work you have put into this site!
ok so this week i found out a new way for me to get a bundle of coupons! at the end of evening on sunday go inside any liquor store or gas station and ask if they wouldnt mind letting you take the coupon inserts out of the left over papers……sooo awesome! thank you so much I would have never figured couponing like this without your site and step by step advice.
Hi Ruth, do you know if grocery stores will accept expired coupons? I was just wondering because how do you decide when to use the coupons, do you know when they go on sale? What if I had a coupon for makeup and it isn’t on sale for the next couple weeks do I just throw away my coupons? And can I use two of the same coupons on the same product?
Hi ruth, first of all I love love love this site!I’d like to sugest one thing though, as a new couponer I’ve found its uber important to read and know ur stores coupon policy before u make a shopping plan. For example, my store only allows 12 MF Qs per like item per transaction. Also they only except three printed Qs per transaction, and they don’t double them. No printable bogos or Qs over $3 either. Not knowing that kind of info could really throw a wrench into someones carefully laid plans, and that would be a major bummer!
I am following your baby steps to couponing. Yesterday was my shopping day. I know I was supposed to only pick one store, but I had a GREAT coupon that was about to expire at Rite Aid. I went to Rite Aid and got a box of Zantac 50. Regular price is $7.99. I used a $2 off store coupon and a $5 off manufacturer coupon making the item $0.99+tax. I also got $2 back on my rewards card and used that to buy 4 bottles of Rite Aid hand sanitizer that was on sale BOGO. Then I went to Publix. I got 4 cans of Meow Mix cat food and 4 jars of French’s mustard. I don’t remember exactly what my coupons were but my grand total was $2.16.
I have to brag a little – I am on week 2 of the baby steps program and I did what you advised : picked 3 items and went on shopping. My total savings were – 70%!!!!!!!! Very Excited!
Ruth,
I have been couponing for a while but have never gotten it down to a science. I found your site tonight as I was looking for a store to double my coupons. I’m excited to take the 8 week course. I do have one question though. When you say on items like at Winn Dixie, you should use 2 coupons, I wasn’t sure it made a difference because you are getting one free. So why waste that other coupon, or does it take the money off first? Do you give coupons first before you use your rewards card?
Thank you for your help.
Melisa
Oops, Ruth, I mean on the buy one get one free items. Why use two coupons?
Melisa,The reason you use two coupons is because the dollar amount of both coupons are taken off the total for the transaction. Scenario- Noxema Razors $4.99 BOGO FREE. Use 2 $2/1 Mfq qpons bringing the total to $.99 because the $4 went to the purchase item being that the second item was free. I’ve done this transaction often at Walgreens & CVS. Does it make sense now. It was confusing for me too at first. Print and read the stores qpon policy and don’t be afraid or embarres to ask Cashiers,most of them will be happy to assist you and explain coupon acceptance policy. Good luck.
Ruth,
I’m trying to get coupons online to add to my manufacturer coupons but I can’t seem to find how. I tried to print some from Albertsons but I only received a list. I remember reading about downloading something to be able to get coupons, so I did that. But the list just keeps coming out.. Do not all printers support the codes from coupons? I even tried printing Target coupons but they never printed. I’m so frustrated.
I have a question. If you have 2 coupons that are $1/2 can you use them both to get $2/2? I didn’t know if you had to get 4 items or if you could use one of the $1/2 for the first item and the other for the second.
Hi guys,
I’m comment #63 & 64 up there and I still haven’t gotten a response. Will it come to my e-mail or is the reply somwhere else? Don’t mean to be impatient, but you guys seem to know the answers I need and no-one else around me coupons. Thanks so much!!!
I had my first real couponing haul today. I bought $249.00 worth of groceries, cleaning supplies, etc. I paid $120. and some odd cents. My daughters came over to see all the stuff I’d bought. I pulled things out of the sack, flashed it at them, did a little jiggle dance and would say, “$2.50 paid .47 cents. Yogurt, .65 cents paid .12.” They laughed all evening at me.
I live in Queens NY and I want to explore couponing. I really like your site and can learn a lot from you,but the stores that you list on your sister site are not in my area I shop at Pathmark and Trader Joes and sometimes the stop and shop. If you can do you think you can help me out in my area. I am a stay at home mom and looking to save as much as u are. Thank you so much in advance.
Hello Ruth! I am commencing my journey with in extreme couponing but I did have a question. For instance if I buy 5 Scott paper towels on sale for 6.99 and I am only able to print 1 manufacturer coupon would I be able to use that same coupon 5 times or would I have to have 5 separate coupons for each item I am to buy?
If you have 5 packs of paper towels and there’s a manufacturer coupon for $1/1, you would need five coupons — except for those monthly coupon booklets you find at Walgreens by the circulars (or the store coupons within their ads), you can’t scan just one coupon and have it apply to all 5 packs of paper towels. If the coupon was for $1/2, you’d need a 6th pack of paper towels and then would use three coupons. Make sense?
ok, so i am very confuse about one thing. if the coupon says save $1 on any 3 does that mean i could buy like 9 and save $3, because the coupon says save $1 on any 3 but im actually buying 9
You could buy 9 and save $3, but only if you had 3 coupons.
Ruth,
Someone may have asked this question already,but if I have a coupon that says save 40 cents on two items , does that mean you buy 1 item at regular price and they take 40 cents off the other? For example Totinos pizza rolls are on sale 10/10 and my coupons says save 40 cents on two, will I be paying the $1.60 for two instead of the two dollars for two? or is it 40 cents off of each item purchased?
Also, can I use more than one coupon for these items in the same transaction?
Sounds like you’ve pretty much got it! If the coupon is for 40 cents off two items, you’re buying two items and then saving 20 cents on each one. If the item is on sale at $10/10, you’re paying $1 each before coupons and then 80 cents each (or like you said, $1.60 for two) afterward. If the coupon you have is for 40 cents off two, you’ll need a total of five of those coupons for a 10-item transaction. As long as the coupon isn’t restricted, such as the 4-identical-coupons-per-transaction limit printed in red type on P&G coupons, or the official store policy doesn’t limit you to a certain number, you can use as many coupons as you have matching items in your cart.
Just to clarify, you can only use one manufacturer coupon per item — that’s what the “one per purchase” language at the bottom of the coupon means.
Great Site! I used to watch my parents clip coupons when I was younger, but as I got older and us kids started having so many activities, my parents stopped seriously couponing (they’d still try to use coupons for the purchases, but didn’t go out of their way to match coupons with other sales, etc.) But after reading your site, I think I may try to start the more serious stuff.
One tip that I haven’t seen mentioned on this site yet… For printable coupons, you may want to consider joining some Get-Paid-To (GPT) site that gives you credit each time you use a coupon. For example, I am a member of InboxDollars and they have a coupon section powered by Coupons.com where I can get 10-cents for each coupon that I print through the site and redeem at the store. The 10-cents gets put into the InboxDollars account, which I won’t be able to cash out until I reach $30 threshold, so you don’t get to see the savings immediately, but as you’ve noted before, this is a process so every little bit helps. SendEarnings (InboxDollars sister site) and MyPoints are a few other GPT sites that have this coupon section.
Hi Ruth-
I am on step two in the beginners guide and beginning to look for coupons online. Quick question, is it worth it to print a coupon that expires in a month? From what I have read most items go on sale every six months??
Thanks,
Molly
For example, if Hamburger Helper is normally $1.99 a box, and they are on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, that will make them 50% off. That’s not good enough. However, if there is also a $1 off 2 boxes coupon available, your final price will be $0.50 a box, a savings of 75%. That is good enough to make the list!) i dont get this with a $1 off wouldn’t be 99cent? and i have been watching it on tv and how do they use a coupon and get it all free for that item just because they got more of that one item?
I did my first coupon trips to CVS and Rite Aid. I collected coupons, tried for 60% off, and with trepidation my husband and I jumped in. After coming home we can see two register mistakes we can resolve tomorrow. We spent $140 out of pocket and used a bit over $165 in coupons and savings (huge for us), this is before seeing what happens when my entered receipt goes through in Rite Aid. Here is the thing… Why do I feel down? Is this ok? are my expectations to unrealistic for watching Extreme couponing? The goods will last us a few months (and we did buy a couple things not in saving we needed like medicine). We got hand soap, dish soap, and tissues for free (actually a tiny overage), and the rest all discounted, and all stuff we use. I hope we did not do too badly.
If target had a deal 2 for $5 on ziploc bags and i had a coupon save $1 off any 2 ziploc brand bags, would i end up paying $4 plus tax or could i use another coupon? How does that really work when the coupon says to purchase a quantity like 2 or 3 items in order to save some cents or more? Is it even worth it? or is it better to get the coupound where you save on single items, coupon per purchase . OR SAVE 50¢KRAFTon any TWO (2) KRAFT Natural Shredded Cheese products (8oz. or larger)
can I use more coupons like manufacture coupons or its not worth buying?
Thank you for the great advice.
I especially like how you broke it down into bite-sized baby steps.
Starting slowly and forming good habits is critical.
Hi Ruth I like how u divided into steps I havent go shopping but when I do i’ll keep u updated. Thanx
hello in this weeks lesson it says that if an item is on sale for bogo. u can use two coupons one for the paid item and one for thr free item can u explain this to me and how it is possible??
is there a cheat sheet available for crazy scenarios like buy 3 for $5 ,buy 4 for $5 and etc. to help braek things down a little while your looking at the coupon trying to see how much you would save? and how much it averages out to befor the coupon. my problem is math and its VERY discouraging
I would say the best plan of action would be to get a little calculator and run thru these. Example: 3 for $5= enter 5, divide (/) by 3 =$1.67. After a $1 off of 3 or 3 for $4, (same method as before) = $1.33. It just gets a little complicated when you have those 3 for $5 sales and you have a store coupon that is BOGO and two MQ for $.40 off 1 and your store doubles coupons under $.50. So the answer would be 7cents plus tax for two of them. (i think) good luck, everyone!
Hi Ruth,
I found your website and this is awesome. Very organized and layed out correctly.. however I do not seem to get how everyone organizes their coupons… i have a little accordian folder and graduated to a larger one for a little more organization.. but when I read the paper vs what coupons I have.. i never know what coupons i have for what or the item is never on sale.. Also.. i have heard about getting diapers for free…. i do not understand how someone can get a larger priced item like diapers for free. I understand getting toothpaste and pantyliners and little stuff like that for free because it costs about $1… but what about diapers or wipes that cost $4+
Thanks for the help
Also, I tried to use (2) B1G1 free coupons on playtex tampons for 2 boxes like I understood in the previous postings you could get it free or 75% off depending on the store.. tried it at Walgreens & CVS and they both denied it. said I could only use one coupon thats B1G1 for 2 products. Can you please clarify? Thanks so much for your help!!!!
BTW, even tho I still didnt get both free.. I paid $37 and the total came to $71
Pretty good savings if you ask me
Hi Ruth! I’m am sooo overwelmed already, I can’t seem to wrap my head around this whole thing yet, I have all day to learn, cause I am home all day long, everyday. I got a binder ( I can file with it and do the baseball card method too ), my husband bought me a printer, and we collected a whole bunch of coupons. I just don’t know what to do now.. So is this I should do? Find out what’s on sale and match it with a coupon? Thanks.
You can do it Brooke! Just remember that you don’t have to do all the work yourself. Take advantage of the shopping lists over at http://www.SavingWellSpendingLess.com to easily find out what is on sale and what coupons match up to that sale. And start SLOW. Don’t take on too much too soon!
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