First things first, where and how are you going to get your coupons? Here are a few option for you: (1) Buy them on Sunday from a local grocery store or gas station, (2) Subscribe to either the “Times” or your local newspaper to get 1-5 delivered to your house, (3) Ask your family and friends if they would be able to give you their inserts if they are not going to use them! Now that you know your options for getting your Sunday papers, there are many other ways to find coupons, tear pads, peelies (please do not take these off a product unless you are buying the product), internet printable coupons, and you can register to have coupons delivered to your home through various websites.
Ok, so now you know how to get your coupons….now where are you going to keep them? What sort of organization do you want to use? There are many different theories as to how to sort and organize your coupons; there is the box, binder, folder system and more. I personally use a coupon binder and a filing system. I clip about 5 sets of inserts on Sunday and put them in my binder. If I have more newspaper inserts left to clip I file them by date. This way I am not separating and clipping for as long and if there is an excellent deal on something later on I can just go back to my file and clip more of that specific coupon! Now you can’t just put your coupons in a binder without anything to put them in! So I recommend using baseball card invisible/clear sheets (ebay, Target, Walmart…).
Now you have your coupons, you have them sorted and put away where you can easily find them again, it’s time to find the deals!!!! This is where I can help you the most!!! Find several local blogs that you can follow (check out daily). Let me do the work for you!!! All you have to do is find what stores you are planning to shop at and copy the deals of the blog and voila its time to score some deals!!!
Just remember it is not going be a walk in the park the first time out…it is gonna take time and energy to get started. You are going to mess up (yep I made many mistakes as a beginner couponer), you are going to miss deals (I miss them all of the time!), and you are going to get confused. You do not need 20+ inserts a week…you can build a stockpile with 5 to 10 Sunday inserts easily! Just remember to be respectful to your cashiers, kind to other shoppers and try not to clear the shelves! If there is an awesome stock up deal try to special order or get a rain check!!!
Good luck! Have fun! And do forget that I am here to answer all your questions!
Here are some more Educational Topics!!!
Beginners Tip: Coupon Policies
Sale Cycles: How to be an Extreme Couponer!!!
What do I do if my Catalina/Reward doesn’t print?
Couponing 101: The 10 Most Important Facts A Beginner Should Know
How to be a working mom (dad) and an Extreme Couponer!
