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Couponing 101: 10 Ways to Find Coupons for Products You Actually Use

March 3, 2015 By Sarah Roe 3 Comments

We have a Couponing 101 page on this site and it will house all the information you need to cut your grocery bill by 80% or more! For those of you just getting started, I wanted to help you out with a few tips and ways to find great coupons:

1. The Newspaper: If you live in Oklahoma, I would suggest you pick up The Oklahoman (the OKC paper) which typically has more coupons than the other newspapers. Coupons are regional so even though your local paper may not have great coupons another city paper may be packed with great deals. In order to find out what coupons will be in your newspaper, visit SundayCouponPreview.comeach week.

2. Visit Manufacturer Websites: Go right to the source. If you’re all about Arm & Hammer detergent then check out ArmandHammer.com for coupons. Sign up for their newsletter and print coupons right from their website. You can do this for almost any major brands. Think outside the box on this one too and visit produce and meat websites like GoldnPlump.com! 

3. Printable Coupons: Visit printable coupon websites such as Coupons.com, Smartsource.com,Redplum.com and SuperTarget.com. Each will land you great coupons. Be sure to print the ones you like right away as most do have print limits and check back, new coupons are posted each month.

4. Use the Coupon Database: Did you know we have our own Coupon Database? You can search it for any coupon you’d like and if there is one available the database will let you know where to print it or what newspaper it came out in.

5. Pick up Magazines: You know those $5 magazine subscriptions we’re always talking about on here? Well, it’s not only for the content of the magazine but the coupons as well. Many magazines have coupons in them so be sure to keep an eye out for FREE subscriptions or cheap subscriptions. Of course, All You , is the couponer’s favorite. Pick it up at Walmart or subscribe to All You .

6. Buy Coupons Online: Yep, it’s legal. The reason why this is such a great option is because you can pick up those coupons that are not in your newspaper. Since coupons are regional, you’re more likely to find the coupons for the products you want by using a coupon clipping service. I do this all the time for my son’s specialty foods (allergy free & organic), I hardly ever find those coupons in our newspaper but I can get them from these services. I use Coupons and Things by Dede most often, but you can also check out TheCouponClippers.com as well.

7. Peelies, Blinkies and Tearpads: Peelies are the sticker-like coupons stuck on the products themselves. Blinkies are coupons from Smartsource machines (red boxes) usually found in cereal aisles. Tearpads are usually found on product shelves or displays. Companies are trying to get you to see that their product is cheaper by offering you one last savings method right there in the store. Tearpads and Blinkies can be taken right there in the store and used on a later trip for a better deal. Peelies, however, are literally for the product you are purchasing. So please resist the temptation to peel the stickers off the products that you are not buying.

8. Catalina Coupons: These are the cash register tape coupons that print out after you’ve bought a product. They’re usually red and come out with your receipt. Many are thrown away, however, be aware these coupons have been much better lately than ever before. And, most are manufacturer coupons that can be used anywhere. They are triggered by the purchase you make at the store and can be a great way to save.

9. Store Coupons: Walgreens, CVS and Target have store coupons which can be combined with manufacturer coupons. You can find these in their ads, at the store website or in the store itself. For Walgreens, they offer a coupon book the second you walk into the store right by the sales ads. CVS offers coupons via e-mail and also with your CVS card (you can scan it under the coupon machine in the store). Target offers coupons on SuperTarget.com and they’ll mail them to you too every once in awhile. These are some of my favorite coupons!

10. Recycle Bins: Well, if you saw Extreme Couponing on TLC you likely saw this. I wouldn’t recommend jumping in the dumpster in fact, I’m pretty sure most places will stop you from doing that. And for those of you sticking your children in the bins, totally not cool. Remember, what you see on TV is in fact, for TV.

In our area, our recycle bins have doors on the side that you can open, stick your hand in and get the coupons. However, it is recommend that you ask permission before doing so. I know many of our readers volunteer at recycling centers in order to get early dibs on the coupons too.

Want to learn even more? Be sure to check out The Power of Coupons: 13 Ways to Save. 

Disclosure: Affiliate links in post.

Filed Under: Financial Planning, Frugal Living, Printable Coupons Tagged With: couponing 101, coupons, frugal living, how to find coupons

Couponing 101: Making a Coupon Binder

March 2, 2015 By Sarah Roe 17 Comments

Couponing 101

Do your coupons expire before you ever remember to use them? That’s likely because of organization. Keep in mind, I’m a throw-it-in-a-box person but with coupons, organization is the key to savings. The most popular way of organizing coupons is by using the coupon binder.

1. Use a 3-ring binder: You can start with a 1″ then work your way up if need be. You can also use the old school Trapper Keeper’s too.

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2. Baseball Card Holders: Baseball card dividers can be picked up at most hobby stores, Walmart, Target and Kmart. I love these on Amazon, they’re sturdy and perfect for multiple coupons. This is what you’re seeing in the picture on top. Honestly, this is the best way to organize your coupons in a way you can actually see them. Just fold them and tuck them in. You can stack them pretty deep too.

3. Section Dividers: You’ll need to divide each section to make it easier to find. If you only shop at one store, you can set up the dividers to be each individual aisle at that store. However in my case, I have them divided up by the following sections (in any order you’d like):

Baby Items
Baking Products
Beverages
Breakfast Foods/ Cereals
Canned Goods
Condiments/ Dressings
Cleaning Products
Cooking Items
Dairy
Drug Items
Frozen Foods
Meat
Paper Goods
Pasta/ Rice
Pet Items
Sauces/ Seasonings
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You can add a calculator, scissors or anything else you’d prefer as well. Really, great organization is very personal, it’s all about what works for you. I’ve found this to be the most popular method and certainly the easiest one for me.

Coupon binders make it EASY to save money! Be sure to check out Favado and learn how to save on the go too! Favado is a new app complete with coupon matchups and coupons to your favorite stores.
Bookmark our Coupon Matchup page as well for the BEST deals every single week!

Filed Under: Financial Planning, Frugal Living, Printable Coupons Tagged With: coupon binder, couponing 101, DIY, frugal living, making your own coupon binder

Couponing 101: 5 Ways to Save at Sam’s Club

March 2, 2015 By Sarah Roe Leave a Comment

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Here’s another question from one of our FB readers:

Is buying in bulk (i.e. Sam’s Club, Costco) really saving you money?

Answer:

Sam’s Club is typically the store that draws the most confusion when it comes to searching out good deals. After all, 500 Ziploc bags for $8.99 doesn’t sound bad at all, does it? But then there’s the $40 membership fee that has to be taken into account as well.  The truth of the matter is Sam’s Club does not take coupons. In the case of the Ziploc bags, you could have actually purchased them individually with a coupon at Walmart for less.

As far as normal grocery shopping goes, I would suggest using coupons and following store sales at ‘traditional’ grocery stores is a much better option. In saying that, below are 5 Ways You Can Save Money at Sam’s Club:

1. Discount Meat: Typically, Sam’s will clearance out meat in the mornings. You may find yesterday’s fresh cuts or meat they are trying to move off the shelf before another truck come in. Most of this is packaged in bulk which makes it easy to stock up on. Remember, you can ask them to cut it anyway you’d like as well. If you find a good deal on steak, they can cut it in half which will give you twice as much.

2. Produce: While not Aldi prices, Sam’s Club prices on produce are pretty incredible. I bought 2 pounds of grapes for under $4 while the same amount would have been nearly $7 at my local Walmart store.

3. Ready Made Meals: Alright, I confess, I am addicted to these. In the meat department, you’ll find fresh, ready made meals for less than $12 each. In fact, the Stuffed Shells above cost only $8. Could I make it cheaper with coupons? Possibly. Did it save me an incredible amount of time that was worth the price? Yes. The good part about these is that they are fresh (and certainly taste better than my cooking), the meals containing chicken are usually made from the leftover Rotisserie chickens. While I wouldn’t recommend purchasing these for all of your meals, in a pinch, these are great and not so hard on the wallet.

4. Clearance Sales: Have you shopped clearance at Sam’s? You’ll probably find it hidden in the back of the store so you have to keep your eyes peeled. My dining room table was $250 but I grabbed it for only $50 on clearance. Sam’s is great about clearancing out displays, I found the table and sat my niece on it to hold it for me while I called my husband to bring the truck. That was a few years ago and we still use the table today!

5. Try It Out First: Many times you can ask for a guest pass and get a free trial at Sam’s Club just to see if you like it. You may decide it is not right for you or you may decide it’s a great buy. This will give you a chance to check it out before you buy. You can also go with a friend if they have a membership…the Sam’s Club Policy states this “Our Members are welcome to bring their children and up to two guests to Sam’s Club. A Member must accompany children and guests – at all times. Only a Member may purchase items.”

The Queen’s opinion: I do like Sam’s for the reasons above, and on occasion, I will purchase bulk items such as plastic cups or utensils for parties. Is it worth the $40 fee? I let my membership go over a year ago and didn’t miss it. If you know your prices per ounce then you could really save a ton of money. I found a Pantene deal at Sam’s that would have saved me $30 if I would have bought it. Seriously, that’s a steal!

What is your favorite thing about shopping at Sam’s?

Filed Under: Coupon Matchups, Financial Planning, Frugal Living, Printable Coupons Tagged With: buy in bulk, couponing 101, sam's club, sam's club deals, save at sam's club

Couponing 101: How Do I Get Started?

February 16, 2015 By Sarah Roe 5 Comments

How do IFor those of you visiting MoneySavingQueen.com, I want to take the time to say, “Welcome!” I promise, saving money is easy and you won’t have to stockpile 50 packages of bacon in your bathtub to do it!

Every single week, we post coupon matchups and printable coupons that will help you save BIG. But, if coupons are not your thing, we’re all about frugal living too. Take the time to look around a bit and check out the articles below to kick off your money saving adventure!

Check out the links below and start cutting hundreds of dollars a month off your grocery bill:

The Beginner’s Guide to Coupon Usage

Find Coupons for Products You Actually Use

10 Ways to Eat Healthy and Save Money 

Purchase Coupons Online

Shop Smart with the Free App Favado

How Double Coupons Really Work

Learn Store Coupon Policies

Stockpiling Vs. Hoarding

Make a Coupon Binder

How to Use Double Coupons

Learn How to Price Match

Cut Your Grocery Bill with Coupon Matchups (What is a Matchup?)

Buying Groceries on Amazon.com & Saving Money

Send Expired Coupons to the Military

Print Coupons on Facebook without Sharing Personal Information

As you can see, you can jump start your couponing easily and start saving thousands of dollars a year right away. Want to learn in person? Check out my EVENTS page for a workshop near you!

Need an extra boost? I wrote this ebook a few years ago and it will teach you how to cut your grocery bill by 80% or more!

Filed Under: Coupon Matchups, Financial Planning, Frugal Living, Printable Coupons Tagged With: couponing, couponing how to, frugal groceries shopping, how to start couponing

Couponing 101: Quick Tip for Pantry Organization

February 16, 2015 By Sarah Roe 3 Comments

*Please Note: This post has been updated.

Couponing 101: 

A friend of mine came to my house and organized my pantry, she’s a professional organizer with the BEST tips! The most life changing tip she gave was to purchase an over the door shoe holder and use it to store snacks and other items that don’t necessarily need to be kept in their boxes. Sometimes all those boxes take up way too much space so this solution was easy and pretty cheap.

Shoe Organizer for the Pantry

Just a side note, for those of you with small kiddos, keep the healthy snacks towards the bottom and they’ll be more likely to reach for those when they get a craving. What you’re seeing in the picture above is towards the top of the door and my kids cannot reach it. Plus, these organizers are CHEAP! Check out this one on Amazon for only $8.49 plus free shipping with Prime.

 

Shoe Organizer for the Pantry

I also want to introduce the idea of using a shoe organizer not just for snacks (see above) but also throughout the house because I actually do this and it works.

I absolutely love using these, I picked this organizer up at Walmart and it works great. You can use them for household cleaners, craft supplies, snacks or just about anything else.

Shoe Organizer

I do believe using the clear organizer is the best simply so you can see what is inside the organizer especially if it is for kiddos. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Coupon Matchups, Financial Planning, Frugal Living, Printable Coupons Tagged With: frugal living, pantry ideas, pantry organization

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