Couponing 101

I started watching Extreme Couponing when it came on Netflix. I LOVED it and really wished I 1) had the time and 2) had the same skills/ knowhow as these people to match up sales and coupons.

I would go through a phase after watching it that I would print coupons of items I needed/ used. I would sale .50 cents here and there, nothing big.

Then someone I know had a couponing class. I was sick that day, but still was determined to go and find out the “secrets” to couponing. I knew before I went that the #1 thing was getting the newspaper with coupons in it. I am such a frugal person that even spending $20 a year on the newspaper, to save money, doesn’t appeal to me. I want to coupon without having to spend any $ (other than printer ink).

Well, I learned about this website that matches up sales and coupons and tells you when to buy a certain item at extreme savings.
http://grocerysmarts.com/

It gets 100% credit for my couponing! I am a busy working mom and don’t have time to invest hardly anytime into couponing. I spend about 1 hour a week on it! I check on Sunday (the day Walgreens sales changes) and again on Wednesday (when Smith’s sales changes).

Take a guess at how much I spent on all these items...


I made, yes made, not spent, $4! All the items were free and I made $1 on every pack of toothbrushes I bought! HOW? GrocerySmarts. They did all the hard work for me. They told me where to find the coupons and when items were on sale at stores. They were on sale for $1 and there was an online coupon for $2 off, so I profited $1 a pack!

More Tips:
The #1 tip I have heard and I stick to- DO NOT buy something just because it is on sale or you have a coupon. If it is something your family won’t use, don’t buy it. I will print coupons even if I’m only saving .50 cents out of $5 if it is an item we use/ need. However, if an item is free or there is an overage on it (you make money) why not get it! You will know someone who would use it/ need it or you can give it to a homeless shelter or food pantry.

Sometimes I will find coupons for free items or really cheap items and I cannot find the product anywhere! It has happened to me 3 or 4 times now.

Wal-Mart price matches, just bring in the ad with you (most of the time they don’t even ask me to see it). Before they ring up the item just let them know, it is on sale at this store for this price.

If you have coupons for free (or you make money on them), Wal-Mart is the best place to go. If you have an overage (where the store owes you money) they will give it to you unlike other places like Walgreens or Smith’s.

You cannot get 100% free everything at Walgreens. Because their system makes you owe more money then you sale, you have to buy something. For example: I have 2 coupons for $1 off any Butterball product. Walgreens had Butterball turkey bacon on sale for $1. I got the 2 packs of bacon and nothing else. The first coupon worked fine, because I still owed them $1. But my second one didn’t work because I wouldn’t owe them anything, so I got a pack of gum for .50 cents and my coupon for free bacon worked!