HOW TO GET STARTED ON YOUR NEVER-ENDING COUPON JOURNEY!!

I have had many people ask me lately how to get started with couponing. It does seem very overwhelming at first when you begin looking at ECBs, coupons from the Sunday paper, online coupons, catalinas, instant rebates, mail-in rebates......the list could go on and on. However, if you begin with a simple approach, and gradually add in more elements as the weeks and months progress, it is much less likely that you will become burnt out with couponing, and more likely that you will not only stick with it, but truly begin to benefit from the financial blessing that it can bring.

So, I will be running a series throughout the next several days to address how to begin couponing, and how to make it manageable for your lifestyle. During this time, if you have any questions that I'm not addressing, please feel free to e-mail me, and I can address those as well.

The first step to this process is understanding how coupons work, and what the different types are. The most basic coupon is the manufacturer's coupon that most of us are accustomed to seeing in the Sunday paper inserts. These coupons are accepted at most stores (Aldi, Sam's, and Costco are exceptions in this area), and some stores double the coupons. In the tri-state area, both Kroger and Meijer double manufacturer's coupons, although their policies differ. Kroger will double every coupon that you bring in (even identical coupons), up to $.99 . So, if you have a $0.35 coupon, it will double for $0.70, clearly boosting your savings. If you have a $0.75 coupon, it will double to $1.50. Meijer also doubles coupons up to $.99, however, they will only double 2 identical coupons per transaction. After the first two, the other identical coupons will be redeemed at face value. Giant Eagle also doubles coupons up to $.99 and will only double 4-identical coupons per transaction. (I usually do multiple transactions!)

Some stores are hesitant to take internet coupons because there has been some fraudulent use of them in the past. However, according to corporate policy, Kroger, Meijer, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, and CVS will accept them. In the past, I have printed off the company's corporate policy and carried it with me. It has served me well in the rare instances that I have been questioned about these coupons.

Catalinas are the extra coupons that often print off when you check out at stores such as Meijer, Kroger, and Walgreens. These coupons vary widely, from $5 or $10 off your next order to a certain dollar amount off your next purchase of a certain item.

When utilizing coupons, it is important to know the "lingo" that manufacturers and stores use. Check out my sidebar for this list!

The next important step in beginning your couponing adventure, is accumulating a store of coupons, and subsequently organizing them. Purchasing a Sunday paper is an easy way to begin storing coupons.

There are some weeks when the coupons are especially good, such as the first weekend of the month when the P & G BrandSaver coupons are distributed. On weekends such as these, I will often buy multiple papers (6) in order to capitalize on the high value coupons that are offered. You can add the cost of these extra papers into your weekly grocery budget, in order to make sure that you don't negate the savings that you are trying to procure.

You can also ask friends and relatives who receive the Sunday paper to save the coupons that they do not want/need aside for you. Another thought is to call your local library and ask what they do with the coupons from their Sunday papers. They might be happy enough to save them aside for you to pick up on Monday morning.

Sometimes you are also able to find coupons at your local grocery stores. Many products, especially new products, have tear pads with coupons on them. There are also peelies on products which are coupons that can be used at check-out. It's important to keep your eyes open for these, as they can assist in your savings efforts.

As you clip your coupons, you will want to find a method of filing that works best for you. I file by category and then by name brand in each category. This works best for me. I label envelopes with the corresponding name under each category. (Ex: I have a file category for Laundry. In that file I have envelopes with the different brands marked on them-"Tide", "Purex", "Shout", "Spray-n-Wash", "Downey" -- This saves me time when I am pulling coupons and when I am in a store and see an unadvertised deal, I don't have to search through so many coupons!!) This task of clipping and filing is the most overwhelming for me. My advice is "Make it as simple as possible!"

I will be covering "How to shop at CVS & Walgreens" over the next few days, so stop by often!!