The best place to get coupons is from your Sunday newspaper. Coupons come in inserts in your Sunday papers. There are Procter and Gamble (P&G), Red Plum (RP) and SmartSource(SS) inserts. Not all of those inserts come in the paper every week, and there are some weeks that don't have any, so be sure to watch that. I will post the coupon insert schedule below. The coupons for the most part are the same everywhere, but they do vary by region. There may be a few coupons that only certain regions get, and sometimes the prices on the coupons vary, as well. If you live in a smaller town, I really recommend you get more of a larger city/metro paper. For example, we live in Port Charlotte. While the Port Charlotte paper does have the coupon inserts, the Sarasota (a larger city that's close to us) paper has more. I've recently found that the Fort Myers (an even larger city) paper is even better.
You can also get them online at places like coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com, and many manufacturer's websites have them. Have a specific product you absolutely love? Find their website and see if you can find coupons on there. A lot of times people have some luck by writing those companies and telling them how much they love their product and 9 times out of 10, they find a special surprise in their mailbox a couple weeks later with some sort of coupon. Not ALL manufacturers do this, but many do!
Another great option if you want to get coupons, without buying the inserts (especially if you want large quantities of them) would be looking to buy* them on ebay or trying a coupon site like
where you can order specific coupons with specific quantities. Your other option is trading on sites like afullcup.com. They have a specific section in their forum where you can buy, sell or trade your coupons. So take all those that you don't like or wouldn't use and trade them for ones you would!
*Keep in mind that when you "buy" coupons online, you are not paying for the actual coupon, as those cannot be sold. You are actually paying for the time it took to cut the coupons out.
*Keep in mind that when you "buy" coupons online, you are not paying for the actual coupon, as those cannot be sold. You are actually paying for the time it took to cut the coupons out.
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT COUPON INSERTS ARE GOING TO BE IN THE PAPER?
2010 Coupon Insert Schedule
January
3 – (3) Smart Source & (2) RedPlum
10 – Smart Source & RedPlum
17 – Smart Source & Procter and Gamble
24 – Smart Source & RedPlum
31 – Smart Source & RedPlum
February
7 – Smart Source & Red Plum
14 – Red Plum
21 – (2) Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble28 – Smart Source
March
7 – Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
14 – Smart Source & RedPlum
21 – (2) Smart Source & RedPlum
28 – (2) Smart Source & RedPlum
April
4 – Procter and Gamble
11 – Smart Source & RedPlum
18 – Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
25 – Smart Source & (2) RedPlum
May
2 – Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter &Gamble
9 – Smart Source
16 – Smart Source & RedPlum
23 – Smart Source & RedPlum
30 – No Inserts
June
6 – (2) Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
13 – Smart Source
20 – (2) Smart Source & RedPlum
27 – Smart Source & RedPlum
July
4 – Procter and Gamble
11 – Smart Source & RedPlum
18 – Smart Source
25 – Smart Source & RedPlum
August
1 – Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
8 – (2) Smart Source & RedPlum
15 – Smart Source & RedPlum
22 – (2) Smart Source
29 – Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
September
5 – No Inserts
12 – Smart Source & 2 RedPlum
19 – Smart Source & RedPlum
26 – Smart Source & RedPlum
October
3 – Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
10 – Smart Source & RedPlum
17 – Smart Source & RedPlum
24 – Smart Source & RedPlum
31 – Smart Source & RedPlum
November
7 – (2) Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
14 – Smart Source & RedPlum
21 – Smart Source
28 – No Inserts
December
5 – Smart Source & RedPlum & Procter and Gamble
12 – Smart Source & RedPlum
19 – No Inserts
26- No Inserts
IF YOU HAVE TO "BUY*" COUPONS, DOESN'T THAT DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF SAVING MONEY?
Actually, no. Especially if you can get a great deal on them. For example, a year ago there were coupons for $4 off men's Schick razors, and the store I shopped at then (the commissary) had them on sale for only $2.99 each. So I actually would make overage (I'll explain that soon) on each razor I bought. I could "buy*" coupons for 8 cents each. So I bought 100 coupons, and spent $8. Now while I spent that $8, I also got 100 razors for free, and actually made $101 in overage. Well worth that initial $8, right?
*When you "buy" coupons online, you are not paying for the actual coupon, as those cannot be sold. You are actually paying for the time it took to cut the coupons out.
HOW MANY NEWSPAPERS DO YOU BUY?
I usually buy 2. Down here in Florida, the main store I shop at - PUBLIX - has great Buy One Get One (BOGO) free deals, and having 2 of each coupon is needed for these sales. Once in awhile, if I know the coupon inserts are going to have some great coupons, I will buy 4.
HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE YOUR COUPONS?
There are several ways to organize your coupons, and really it's your own preference on what's easiest for you. Here are the most common methods:
ENVELOPE METHOD - You just use a simple ordinary envelope to put your coupons in. This is great to use if you don't have many coupons, or you're getting just specific items and want to take just those coupons in.
COUPON ACCORDION FILE METHOD - A lot of people have seen these. They're little, almost wallet-sized, accordion files that you use to separate your coupons into specific categories such as "Dairy", "Frozen", "Meat", etc. This is another great method if you don't have a huge amount of coupons. For me, it got to the point where that method wasn't easy for me to use. It got way too thick and I hated having to stand in the aisles sifting through every coupon trying to find the one I wanted.
COUPON BINDER METHOD - This is the method I use, and the one I find easiest. This is great for people who use coupons a lot and have a lot of them. Basically you use a 3 ring binder (I prefer a zippered one so coupons don't fall out)
And then use the tabbed dividers and divide into your preferred categories:
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO ORGANIZE YOUR COUPONS AND PLAN YOUR SHOPPING TRIPS?
While couponing can be very simple, it does take some time each week to organize and plan. On an average week I will spend an hour or so cutting out that week's coupons and putting them in my coupon binder, along with pulling out the expired ones as I go. The shopping planning time really depends on how many stores you go to and what all you're getting. I will admit it takes me a couple hours to plan everything out before I venture out to get my deals. The good thing about the internet now-a-days is that there are so many blogs (mine included) that will actually do all the hard work for you and will list the sales of the week, along with what coupons to use (and what inserts they're from or if they are a printable, will provide you with the link). All you have to do is get the coupons you need. The more organized your coupons are, the quicker it will be to plan your shopping trip.
On top of my weekly shopping trips, I also keep an eye out for deals posted online all throughout the day. There are many blogs that post giveaways, freebies, samples, and great deals (online, in stores, restaurants, etc.). I will update the blog as often as possible to share these great deals with all of you!
ALL THE COUPONS I FIND ARE FOR PROCESSED FOODS THAT I WON'T BUY. WHAT DO I DO?
You'd actually be surprised at the amount of things you can get with coupons without it being the unhealthy, processed items. I try not to buy too much of that as I try to feed my family healthy foods and almost all are homemade. I will admit that there are the occasional frozen chicken nuggets or frozen pizza, which is a rare thing, but nice to have on hand when I'm not feeling well or we're super busy and don't have much time to start from scratch. I do buy the jars of spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, tortillas, cereals, and stuff like that, though. But, you'd be surprised at how many organic or healthy things you can get now with coupons! If you're completely looking for ALL organic, ALL raw, couponing will be difficult for you when it comes to food products.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of coupons out there for products other than food - such as medicines, paper products, and toiletries. It's been well over a year since I've spent any money on toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, body wash, or shampoo. Now if you're extremely picky on your brands, it may not work as easily (although there are a lot of name brand items you can get for free), but if overall you just want to save money couponing is a great option!
HOW DO YOU SAVE MONEY ON ITEMS THAT DON'T HAVE COUPONS, SUCH AS MILK, EGGS, BAKING ITEMS, AND PRODUCE?
For these items, the best thing to do is to shop the sales. If milk is a great price, you can actually stock up on it and freeze it! Just be sure to pour some out before freezing so it doesn't overflow when freezing! Another thing I stock up on is bread. When it's a great price I will buy several loaves and freeze them. Check your local Dollar Tree. There is one down here that sells bread for only $1 (the good stuff, too - Nature's Own, etc.). Eggs and baking products are just some of those items I get without a sale (they rarely go on sale and it's difficult to find coupons for them), but I usually buy them in the large sizes, which saves a small percentage.
Produce is another one of those items that there aren't coupons for, BUT they do go on sale. A lot of times I choose my meals based on what produce is on sale that week. If I had green beans on the menu, but they're not on sale, I'll substitute it for something else that is. Your other option is to get it locally through a farmer's market or farm stand. A lot of times you're able to get organic produce at a much cheaper cost than in your grocery store.
IF YOU STOCK UP ON A LOT OF PERISHABLE FOODS, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT SO IT DOESN'T ALL GO BAD?
You'd be surprised at how many products freeze well. If you want to get into major couponing, a deep freezer is almost a must, in order to really stock up! I freeze just about anything from meals (casseroles and soups freeze wonderfully), milk, cheese, coffee creamer, any meats (including lunch meats), and even veggies. It's a great idea when you get veggies for a super great price to wash and cut them and put them in freezer bags to save for use later. You can do this with onions and peppers and it saves you on a lot of preparation time for later! If you have any questions on if an item freezes well, Google is your friend! :)
I'VE HEARD YOU MENTION STOCKPILE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHY SHOULD I DO THAT?
Stockpiling is where instead of just getting one item, you get as many as you can with the coupons you have. A lot of times when I can get items for free or next to nothing, I will "stock up" on that item. No, I may not NEED 6 bottles of shampoo right then, but if I don't have to pay anything for it, why not? It won't go bad and I WILL use it. I'd much rather have a whole closet full of toiletry items that I can go to when I need it, rather than have to go out and pay full price for that item. Same goes for food items, specifically non-perishables.
I CAN'T GET A BUNCH OF ITEMS. MY COUPON SAYS "ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE." HOW DO YOU GET MORE THAN ONE ITEM?
A lot of people get confused about wording on a coupon, and many think that if the coupon says one coupon per purchase, that means you can only use one. Actually, with those coupons, you can use as many of them as you want, as long as you're getting the same amount of items as the coupons you have. "One coupon per purchase" actually means "one coupon per item you purchase" NOT "one coupon per transaction". I can use 3 of the same coupons on 3 items, but I cannot use 3 of the same coupons on one item.
SOMETIMES IT'S CHEAPER TO BUY THE STORE BRAND ITEM, RATHER THAN A NAME BRAND WITH A COUPON. HOW DO YOU SAVE SO MUCH MONEY?
I used to buy store brand items all the time, because even with a coupon, sometimes the name brand was still more expensive. Now I rarely buy store brand, and when I do it's for staple items, like flour, milk, sugar, etc. The key to saving money with coupons is not to go out and buy an item because you have a coupon. A lot of times, you're actually wasting money when you do that. The key is to save your coupons and pair the coupon up with a sale.
For example, say you have a box of Cheerios for $3.99. You have a coupon for $1/1. Even if you used that on your cereal, it'd still be $3 (which in my opinion is way too much to spend on cereal!). If you wait until it goes on sale, like a BOGO (Buy One Get One free), then you get 2 boxes of Cheerios for $3.99. Most stores let you use a coupon on each item, so you are actually taking $2 off in coupons. Your total price would be $1.99 for two boxes of cereal (or 99cents each). See how big of a difference it makes to wait to use your coupons for sale items?
WHAT ARE THE BEST PLACES TO SHOP AT?
Honestly, this is a difficult question because it really varies on region. For grocery stores, here in Florida (and some other southern states), I would say the #1 grocery store would be Publix. In Eastern NC (where I've lived before) it would be Harris Teeter or Food Lion. In Indiana, Meijer is a great place. If you are curious on the best stores to shop at, feel free to ask and either someone else will reply with where they shop or I will personally do some research and find the best stores for you. :)
Other stores, the best places would be Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid (regional).
On this blog we will only be highlighting the best deals at Publix, Target, Walgreens, and CVS (along with other daily deals not relating to stores). A great site to check out for deals specifically to stores around you is A Full Cup. They have a forum area with individual forums for all sorts of stores!
WHAT ARE ALL THESE ACRONYMS AND COUPON LINGO?
B1G1, BOGO, B1G1F – Buy One Get One Free
.50/1 - Fifty cents off one item
.50/3 - Fifty cents off 3 items
Blinkies - Coupon dispensed near product, in the store (usually from a “blinking” red box) Catalina - Coupon dispensed at the register at the time of purchase (on separate paper)
Peelie - Coupon that you peel off the package
Tearpad - Pad of refund forms or coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display
IP - Internet Printable (a coupon you print off the internet)
MFR - Manufacturer
MQ - Manufacturer coupon
MIR - Mail in Rebate
OOP - Out Of Pocket
YMMV- Your Mileage May Vary (you may find the item priced differently or it may not work for you the same)
PG - Proctor & Gamble Sunday insert coupons
RP - Red Plum Sunday insert coupons
SS - Smartsource Sunday insert coupons
UPC - “Universal Product Code”. It is that box of black lines that the checker passes over the scanner at the checkout.
WYB - When You Buy
ECB - Extra Care Buck (CVS)
ESR - Easy Saver Rebate (Walgreens)
IVC - Instant Value Coupon (Walgreens store coupon, found in Walgreens Easy Saver Catalog and on in store tear pads)
RR - Register Rewards (these are the Catalinas that print out at Walgreens)
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD THEM BELOW IN A COMMENT AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO EITHER PERSONALLY RESPOND TO YOU OR ADD YOUR QUESTION TO THE FAQ LIST ABOVE. THANK YOU!
