Posted by Terminus at 7:12pm Sep 7 '09- What grocery stores do you have in your area, and at which one[s] do you normally shop?
- For online printable coupons (often just called IPs, or Internet Printables), try coupons.com, coupons.smartsource.com. For more ones you can add to your grocery store card, try pgesaver.com
- If you get Sunday papers, collect the coupon inserts. Ask for extras from anybody you know who gets papers and doesn't use the coupons (family, neighbors, whoever).
- For all kinds of info on pretty much everything relating to coupons, try hotcouponworld.com and afullcup.com. You can find out in advance which coupons are coming out in Sunday's paper, go to forums for any specific store and find out their sales, good deals and/or freebies, see store ads weeks or sometimes months in advance to plan shopping, etc.
Find out if the stores near you ever double or triple coupons, learn their coupon policies (can you stack a store and manufacturer coupon? How many coupons can you use at once? Do they accept IPs? Etc). I have a couple stores that normally double coupons up to $0.99, and two that have a special once a month where they either have "super doubles" (double coupons up to $1.99) or triples (triple coupons up to $0.99). Double coupons means you give them a coupon for, say, $0.75 off and they actually take off $1.25 (0.75 x 2). I love these events, because $1/$1.50 off coupons become $2/$3 off during super doubles, or $0.50/$0.75 off become $1.50/$2.25 off during triples.
There are a lot of things you can buy when it's free or extremely cheap, and then just keep a few on hand. If you buy things only when you need it right now, you're not going to get the best possible price. For instance, we have 5 tubes of toothpaste now.. they were all free. If I find more for free, I will probably still get them, but donate to a local shelter. Deodorant I can usually get for $0.35 or less, and so on.
It sounds like you've already had at least one really good trip with coupons. Good job. :)
- For online printable coupons (often just called IPs, or Internet Printables), try coupons.com, coupons.smartsource.com. For more ones you can add to your grocery store card, try pgesaver.com
- If you get Sunday papers, collect the coupon inserts. Ask for extras from anybody you know who gets papers and doesn't use the coupons (family, neighbors, whoever).
- For all kinds of info on pretty much everything relating to coupons, try hotcouponworld.com and afullcup.com. You can find out in advance which coupons are coming out in Sunday's paper, go to forums for any specific store and find out their sales, good deals and/or freebies, see store ads weeks or sometimes months in advance to plan shopping, etc.
Find out if the stores near you ever double or triple coupons, learn their coupon policies (can you stack a store and manufacturer coupon? How many coupons can you use at once? Do they accept IPs? Etc). I have a couple stores that normally double coupons up to $0.99, and two that have a special once a month where they either have "super doubles" (double coupons up to $1.99) or triples (triple coupons up to $0.99). Double coupons means you give them a coupon for, say, $0.75 off and they actually take off $1.25 (0.75 x 2). I love these events, because $1/$1.50 off coupons become $2/$3 off during super doubles, or $0.50/$0.75 off become $1.50/$2.25 off during triples.
There are a lot of things you can buy when it's free or extremely cheap, and then just keep a few on hand. If you buy things only when you need it right now, you're not going to get the best possible price. For instance, we have 5 tubes of toothpaste now.. they were all free. If I find more for free, I will probably still get them, but donate to a local shelter. Deodorant I can usually get for $0.35 or less, and so on.
It sounds like you've already had at least one really good trip with coupons. Good job. :)
Okay! - Terminus