Crazy Couponing: Coupon Blogs and Blog Readers

I believe a few of you have decided to become couponers...yeah!! Keep asking questions as you have them. I'd love to help however I can.

One of the best places besides couponmom.com that I use to find out about deals across the internet and in my local stores is by reading coupon blogs. These blogs are dedicated to posting about all sorts of deals across the country. There are many of them out there. I read a couple of them and will share them with you. If you search online, I'm sure you can find many more.

1. A Thrifty Mom
2. Money Saving Maine-iac
3. Money Saving Mom

These blogs are awesome and share many freebies, great internet deals, grocery deals, restaurant coupons/deals and so much more. They also often show what THEY purchase with coupons and the exact coupons they used. They share the cost out-of-pocket and how much they were able to save. A Thrifty Mom usually saves about 90% off what she buys during a month. Crazy huh?

Blog Readers

"Have trouble keeping up with the sites you visit? Read them in one place with Google Reader, where keeping up with your favorite websites is as easy as checking your email."-Google Reader

Each coupon blog I use posts many posts each day (approximately 30 give or take). That takes a lot of time to have to read through all of their posts and isn't very time effective to do so, especially when I might want to read only about 5% of all of their deals. (They post deals for many grocery chains and stores that are not found in CO.) Many of you may know how to use a blog reader but I'm sure some of you have never used one. I didn't start using a blog reader until my brother-in-law showed me how to set it up. It will save you so much time in reading not only coupon blogs but any other blogs you might follow as well.

A blog reader allows you to see what new posts a blog author has posted to their blog. It will show you each new post in bold whether there are two or fifty-two. I believe there are multiple blog readers but I'll just introduce you to the one I use, google reader

Just type in "reader.google.com" and it will take you to the sign-in page for the Google reader. If you have a gmail account, you can use that email and password to log in, if not, just create one. Once you log-in, just start adding subscriptions in the top left box. Pretty soon, you'll be able to read all the websites you enjoy reading in one place. Follow some coupon blogs and pretty-soon, you'll be finding out about so many deals that you had no idea existed.

Just remember, less is more so only buy what you need when you coupon! Don't get sucked into buying items you don't need just because there's an awesome sale!

Crazy Couponing: Items That Should Be Free

Top Ten Items You Shouldn’t Have to Pay for

1 Toothpaste

2 Toothbrushes

3 Dental Floss

4 Razors (the really good quality $10 razors!)

5 Air Fresheners—aerosol, plug-ins, candles, battery operated…you name it

6 Shampoo—Garnier, Pantene, and Suave seem to be the most popular brand names that you can get for free (7,8,9)

7 Conditioner

8 Hair Stylers—gels etc.

9 Makeup—Covergirl is the key brand name here. 

10 Condiments

Honorable Mentions. Items to keep your eyes on

11 Kotex Panty Liners—Sold at Walmart for $1 (small boxes).

12 Johnson & Johnson First Aid Kits Sold in the trial section of many stores.

13 Maruchan Yakisoba Noodles (like Ramen noodles but better)

14 Muir Glen Tomato Sauce—Muir Glenn releases $1/1 coupons online which makes them free at most stores.

15 Johnson’s Buddies—kid’s bath soap

16 BBQ Sauce

17 Salad dressing

18 Deodorant

19 Hot sauce

20 Contact Solution

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing: Double Coupons and More

Double Coupons?

Some stores double or even triple coupons.

My local grocery chains double coupons up to $0.50.

–        If you have a coupon for $0.50 off an item, you will actually save $1.00

–        If you have a coupon for $0.35 off an item, they will double it to $0.70

–        A $0.75 coupon will save you $1.00

–        A $1.00 coupon will not double

Find out When Your Store Deals Begin:

At my local Colorado stores (City Market & Safeway) the new advertisement with weekly deals comes out each Wednesday. New deals run from Wednesday through the next Tuesday.

At Rite-Aid deals run from Sunday through Saturday. It's important to know when the deals start and end so you don't plan all your couponing on Tuesday night only to find that the deals are different when you go to shop on Wednesday morning.

Coupon Tips:

On a holiday weekend, there are often NO coupon booklets in the newspapers. However, they will often double up on the coupon booklets the following week.

Occasionally, there are more than one RP’s or SS's in one week. They’ll then be labeled something like: 10-18 RP1 or 10-18 RP2.

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing: Coupon Terminology

Coupon Terminology

•         BOGO-Buy One Get One Free

–        If you combine a BOGO coupon with a BOGO deal going on in the store, you will actually get two items for free.

–        If a store has a BOGO free sale and you have two coupons for that product, you can use both coupons. One coupon for the free product and one for the full-price product.

•         Stacking Coupons

–        Stacking is when you can use more than one coupon per item. This occurs when you have a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. At Target you can use a Target coupon and a Manufacturer coupon. You can do the same at Rite-Aid, Safeway, City Market and many other stores. Occasionally, you will run across a clerk who doesn’t understand this but most of them know how it works. If you know the store allows coupons to be stacked but the cashier doesn't want to scan both, ask to speak with the manager. Also, if you carry the coupon policy for the store with you, you can pull it out and show them their store policy.

•         Rebates--Rite-Aid has a wonderful Rebate program where you can get many items each month for free if you register your receipt online. Sign up for their Reward card. It’s free and it WILL save you money there! I'll be doing a future post on the value of shopping at Rite-Aid.

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing: Does Couponing Only Work for Junk Food?

My friend, Jana, just left the following comment that I'd love to address:

Megan, great posts on coupons! I am so very interested in doing this. However, when I look through the flyers in Sunday's paper (NE PA) and on these sites you've posted, I am not finding much that I even buy. Is is me? or the area I live? Maybe you or some of your readers would post a grocery list of what they are actually getting and saving?!? Just an idea and thanks again! 

Jana, GREAT question and one that I have dealt with in the past. There are TONS of coupons that I DON'T use! We try to eat healthy and make homemade meals. I don't buy pre-made cookie dough, lots of chips,  medicine or tons of other coupon items. However, by couponing, I find what is on sale (with and without coupons) and save money buying the items we DO use with coupons. I'll paste my grocery list from this week below. It's pretty random but remember that I buy everything at it's lowest price point so I have items that I will use WITH the items I purchase this week to make meals etc. When I walked out of the grocery store today, I had a savings of 43%. I spent about $25 and saved approx $18.00.

I didn't buy the "I can't Believe it's not butter" because the coupon comes out in Sunday's paper. Personally, I like real butter but this works in baking and recipes where you can't tell the difference...and FREE, can't beat that!
I did purchase the Navel oranges but not the organic ones. I found that I could get 6 for $2 (not organic) or 2 for $2 (organic) so I went with the better deal.
The Quaker Quakes I actually had a rain check for an old advertised price of $0.88. With the discount, it made them $0.33/bag. I bought 6 bags at that price.
I decided I didn't really need the canned veggies in the store. I usually only use canned corn as I don't really like canned veggies so I didn't buy the Del Monte veggies.
I also skipped out on buying the pears as I didn't see them in the store and really didn't need them with the other fruit I purchased.

Click on the below graphic to make it readable. Are these things that you might use?

The key is to use multiple coupons to purchase things you WILL use at the lowest price possible. Do you use:
Toilet paper, paper towels, evaporated milk, shampoo, razors, deoderant, ketchup, mustard, mayo, mandarin oranges, hot sauce, croutons, bread, lunchmeat, cheese, eggs, yogurt? The list goes on and on. Just because there may only be 2-4 items in one insert that you will use, if you START couponing, you'll find that you will save money on everyday items all the time!

Give it a try!! I'd be happy to share more of my grocery weeks if you'd like a better idea of how it looks over time. Just let me know. Thanks for the great question Jana!

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing: Electronic & Printable Coupon Links

Electronic Coupons

Load electronic coupons onto your City Market and Safeway cards. The stores allow you to use an electronic coupon along with your paper coupon so you can actually double or triple* your savings on some items.

–        Shortcuts.com—in-store savings

–        Cellfire.com—in-store savings

–        PGesaver.com—in-store savings

–        Upromise.com—money goes into savings account for your kids education.

* You get triple savings if you double your paper coupon and add an electronic coupon

Printable Coupons

–        Print high-value coupons at home from many different websites. Most coupons have a limit of two prints per computer. Many of the following sites have the exact same coupons on them and can tell if you've already printed your two copies from another website. With certain Target coupons, you can print as many as you’d like.

–        Swagbucks.com—earn 10 swagbucks for every coupon you use

–        Coupons.com

–        Afullcup.com *Target coupon generator*

–        Smartsource.com

–        Mypoints.com—earn points for every coupon you use

–        Redplum.com

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing: Questions and Answers

One of my readers, Brigitte, has been asking me some great questions that I’m guessing some others might have as well. I’ve tried to answer her questions as best as I can. If anyone else has questions, please feel free to ask away. I’ll do my best to answer them if I can.

When you lived in Southern CA what paper did you get?

Well, I didn’t actually start really couponing until I moved to Colorado; and even then, I ordered the paper, gave up and canceled it and then found couponmom.com and tried again and succeeded in becoming a couponer.

The following link has a list of newspapers and the inserts they carry. The newspapers are added by individuals so it’s not a comprehensive list. I actually just added one of the papers in my area.

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/newspapers-inserts/

How do I find out what coupon packet/booklets come in the paper?

I don’t personally worry about what is coming out each week. I just get my paper and save all the inserts, however many there are. If you choose not to subscribe and just purchase the paper weekly at the store (which will cost a LOT more than a subscription), this might help you out.

The following website will tell you how many of what inserts will be in the papers each week of the year.

http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/2011-sunday-coupon-insert-schedule/

And to go a step further, the same website above, different link, will tell you what coupons are scheduled to come out in the upcoming weeks inserts.

http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/

If I have to print off coupons, like target, RP or SS. how do you know when to do that? How do you know when to check. Is it just on sundays?

Well, RP & SS generally aren’t printable coupons, they’re clip-able from the newspaper. There is a RedPlum website to print from but many of the coupons there are duplicates of other printable websites.

I don’t spend lots of time going through printable coupons because I don’t like spending money on the ink to print coupons I may or may not end up using. I read some couponing blogs that have specific deals at Target, Wal-mart, Rite-Aid and different grocery chains. They will do match-ups and tell you when you can print a coupon to match with a deal. At THIS point, I will usually print the coupon because it goes with a deal that makes the item free or close to free. Sometimes, I scan through the printable coupons to see if there’s anything I would use. Most of the time though, I don’t print coupons unless one of the coupon blogs shows me how to get the item for dirt cheap and I need the printable to get the deal. I’ll be sharing my favorite coupon blogs in a future post. To get you started though, check out http://athriftymom.com/ and http://moneysavingmom.com/ . If you have an RSS reader, it makes it MUCh easier to keep up with these type of blogs. They generally post 20-30 deals a day and I definitely don’t have time to read all of them. With my RSS reader, I scan through the titles and just read articles that appeal to me.

Again, I hope this information helps!!! If it generates further questions all you have to do is ask!!

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

If you're just joining us, you may want to read up on the first few Crazy Couponing posts before you continue:

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

You have a few different options for what you can do with your clipped coupons. If you just clip a few right before going to the store, you can stick them in an envelope and then use them at the store. However, once you begin couponing, you'll find that you clip coupons you may not use right away, you'll find coupons on items or in the store that you'll want to save or you may clip coupons that you hope to use and need a method to organize them. The two most popular methods used are the binder method and the envelope method. 

The Binder Method

The binder method is very popular with people who are very visual. It involves purchasing a large binder and filling it with clear plastic baseball type holder sleeves. It is then divided up into a number of categories such as Dairy, Bread, Cleaning etc. When coupons are clipped, they are filed in like groups under the category they fall under. They can also be organized by date so you use the ones that expire first. Personally, this method seems a little too time-consuming for me although I haven't actually tried it. If you'd like to see a post from someone who uses a coupon binder, you can check out the following post at Utah Deal Diva.

The Envelope Method

My coupon box

This is the method that I use and it works for me. I have a plastic box that I purchased at Wal-Mart. Inside, I have my envelope system arranged in alphabetical order. My envelopes are labeled with labels that work for me. I based it on a system I saw online and modified it to use words that I'll remember when I want to look up an item. I also have an envelope for each store I use coupons at.

When I am going to make a trip to City Market, I put all the coupons I am planning on using in the City Market envelope. When I am actually in the store, I look at the item I am planning on buying with a coupon. If the store deal matches up with the information I found online and my coupon works with it (it's the right size or whatever), I will then put the item in my grocery cart and move the coupon from the City Market envelope to a "Will Use" envelope. By the time I am ready to check-out, I have an envelope with coupons in it that match items that are actually in my cart. My City-Market envelope usually still has coupons that I chose not to use for one reason or another. I might leave them in that envelope for next time or refile them under the category envelope they belong in. 

I always keep scissors inside

I also try to always bring my coupon box into the store with me. If I come across an item on clearance or on sale that I know I have a coupon for but wasn't expecting to purchase, I can then go to the envelope it is in and use it to get that item for a great price. If I had just brought the coupons I expected to use, I could still buy that item on sale but it wouldn't be as great of a deal. 

I am pretty slow about cleaning out expired coupons. Every few months I sit down and clean out my whole box. Typically though, if I'm looking for a yogurt coupon, I'll pull out my yogurt envelope and pull out all the coupons in it. I'll then discard the expired coupons to the back of my box, select a current coupon and refile the rest. This keeps my coupon box fairly organized and up-to-date. 

When you're actually in the store and beginning to use coupons, you'll find it's a lot to juggle. I would definitely recommend trying to coupon shop without children if at all possible. Try going in the evenings when your spouse is home and the kids are in bed. It's MUCh easier than trying to learn how to coupon and dealing with the chaos that shopping with kids can be. 

For those of you interested in trying the envelope method, here's a basic list to get you started. Remember to modify it in a way that works for you. Add/delete categories you need or won't use. I’ve used many categories on this list and added other categories as needed. Make it your own and use terminology that you’ll be able to remember when you go to file/find a coupon.

Baking (mixes, oil/sugar, syrup)
Batteries, film
Beverages
Bread
Candy
Canned (meat, soup, vegetables, fruit)
Cereal (envelopes for each brand)
Cleaner (all purpose, bathroom, dish detergent, disinfectant, laundry, furniture polish, floor, glass)
Condiments
Crackers
Dairy (beverage, cheese, sour cream/cream cheese/butter, snacks,)

Dairy (Yogurt)

Diapers (baby related items)
Frozen (beverage, bread, ice cream, meat, snacks, vegetables/fruit/potatoes)
Hygiene (band-aids, deodorant, face, feminine, hair, lotion, medicine/vitamins, shaving, soap)
Jelly, Peanut Butter
Meat
Mexican/Asian
Office Supplies
Paper Products (facial tissue, cups/plates, toilet tissue, towels/napkins)
Pasta & Pasta Sauce  Salad Dressing
Sauce (pasta, BBQ)

Scented Products (Glade, Febreze)
Seasonings
Snacks
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes

Toys 

This post will wrap up my official coupon series. Hopefully, it's enough to get your feet wet. I will continue posting couponing tips under the Crazy Coupon category so please look to learn more about couponing in the coming days and weeks. If you start couponing and have questions or run into problems that I can help with, please feel free to email me at simplythriftymom@gmail.com and I will either write you back directly or post a response on Simply Thrifty. 

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

 

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

On Crazy Couponing Part 2 we learned where to get our coupons from and how to order the local newspaper. Now that you have the newspaper coming, it's time to learn what to do with all of those coupon inserts!


There are a few different coupon organization methods that are widely used by individuals who coupon. I'll mention a few but go into detail on the method I use.
* File the coupon inserts and only clip coupons at a later date when you find ones you want to use on a website like couponmom.com.
* Clip coupons you think you'll use and file them right away.
* Clip ALL of the coupons and file all of them in case you're able to get an item for free that you wouldn't normally buy.


All of these methods can work. Personally, I usually use a combination of the first two but usually only have time to file the coupon inserts when I get them and then clip coupons I'll use at a later time.


Filing Coupon Inserts

Arrow is pointing to the date printed on the spine in fine print.

When the newspaper arrives and I pull out the coupon booklets inside, there are usually at least two booklets; sometimes more, sometimes less. Let's think ahead to tomorrow's newspaper that will be issued on 1/23/11. Pull out the Smart Source coupon booklet. On the spine in very tiny print, you will see the date. On the front of your coupon booklet, you want to write 1-23 SS. This code means that it's the Smart Source from January 23rd. This code will later be used to help you easily find the coupons you want to clip. On the Red Plum write 1-23 RP.

My PG coupons from 1/16 are on top.

I have a box to file my coupon inserts. In the box, I keep manila file folders which I write the date on with pencil. I then file all of the coupon inserts for that week in that file. If I need coupon 1-9 RP, I just go to the file with that date and pull out the Red Plum issue and flip through it until I find the coupon I'm looking for. I do the same with all of the coupons I need each time I go shopping. Once you figure out your method, it usually only takes a few minutes to select and clip coupons you will use.


Selecting & Clipping Coupons
Coupon Mom has made couponing worth my time. This website helps me find all the sale prices for the week and what coupons match up with many of the sales. Matching sales with coupons is how I am able to save 50-70% on a regular basis. It's all about getting an item on sale WITH a coupon. Let's check out the website and how I use it.

Couponmom.com

•          You will need to register with an email address. It is completely free to use this site.

•          Read their online free booklet or watch their free video to better understand how the system works. I know they can explain it much better than I can.

–        Website is designed to match up sales in the stores with coupons you have from the newspaper

–        The three links I use most often on couponmom website.

•          Grocery Deals by State (For where I am in Colorado I use--CO-Kroger/City Market, CO-Safeway, Rite-Aid, Target & Walmart)

•          Grocery Coupon Database: helps you look-up coupons for items you need to buy that may not be on sale.

•          Printable Grocery Coupons  Allows you to print coupons you need for certain items. *Be sure to check out swagbucks.com too as you're able to earn points using their printable coupons.

Each week, before I go grocery shopping or to Rite-Aid, here's what I start off with:
1. Click on Grocery Deals by State

2. Select CO-King Soopers (or whatever store I'm going to)

3. Click on the Down Arrow in "% Saved" category to organize deals by the best down to the lowest

4. Select the deals that you might want to purchase that week

5. Click on “Display Selected Deals” at the bottom of the page. Print. 

I then look at the list I printed and go clip the coupons I plan on using.

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

•      The Sunday Paper is my primary source for coupons. My Sunday paper, the Denver Post, contains the Smart Source (SS), Red Plum (RP), General Mills (GM) and Proctor & Gamble (PG).  The SS and RP are usually printed weekly. PG is only printed once per month. GM appears at random times. Different papers carry different coupons. You want to make sure it has the coupon booklets above.

•          Swagbucks.com—printable coupons (earn 10 swagbucks per coupon you use)

•          Blinkies—the little boxes that distribute coupons in the grocery stores

•          Peelies—coupons that come stuck to products you buy

•          Catalinas—coupons that print at the grocery checkout

•          Mail—Sign up online to receive free products and with the free products, they often send high-value coupons

•          Directly from companies—Write to companies whose products you use and often they will send free item coupons or high-value coupons

Where Do I Begin?

•          Order your local paper that has coupons & ask friends and family for their coupon booklets if they don’t use them. Try to get one copy of the paper for each person in your household.

•          If you live near a restaurant or shop that gets the Sunday paper, ask them if they can save the coupons for you. The local library is another great resource. They often get the paper and just throw away the coupons on Monday when they open. 

•          To order your paper weekly, go to: discountednewspapers.com (also found on couponmom.com)

–        I usually look at the newspaper prices listed on the website and then call the newspaper directly to see if they can beat the price I find online.

–        I currently pay $4.33/month for the Sunday paper. If I were to buy it at the grocery store, it costs me $2.50 for one paper.

–        Check to see if it's cheaper getting the Saturday/Sunday delivery. In the last town I lived in (just 8 miles away) I paid $3.25/month for the Saturday & Sunday paper.

–        Getting multiple copies of the paper is key in couponing! If a good deal comes along and you're only able to get one item at that price, it's probably not going to last you until that item comes on sale again. If you're able to get 3 or 4 items at that price, you will probably be able to wait until the next good deal before you have to purchase it again.

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

I tried couponing a number of times over the years while I was in college and as a young newlywed. It never worked for me and I always ended up giving up after a week or two of trying. It wasn't until about 2 years ago when my friend, Michaela, directed me to Couponmom.com that the pieces started falling into place for me. I found a method that worked for me and I now regularly save between 50-75% of my grocery bill. Groceries!! and I'm not talking about junk food and all the stuff you can buy that you don't need and won't use. I'm talking about food that we EAT and USE on a regular basis. I also get many items for free and often even make money purchasing an item that I can then roll over to an item I need that I don't have coupons for. I'm going to try to share the basics of how I coupon over the next few days in a multi-part series. 

If you're new to couponing, please don't expect to save 50-70% the first week. Give yourself a smaller goal to start with. Couponing can be a bit confusing at first and will take you much longer in the beginning than it will later. Set a small goal such as to save $10-20 per week on your grocery shopping.

It's also pretty easy to actually SPEND MORE when you start couponing because you want to stock-up. It's exciting to find so many great deals and it's easy to overspend and buy more than you need or items you don't need because they're such great deals. Don't feel like you need to purchase every deal you find. Give yourself a budget and stick to it. Purchase what you and your family need for the week and then buy a few items at a time to begin to stock up. Eventually, you'll be able to buy most of what you need at the lowest price point and your grocery bill will decrease.


Couponing is not always the easiest thing to do but if you have the time, it can save you LOTS of money on your household items and groceries. Couponing is second nature to me now so if I don't explain something clearly or organize my thoughts in a way that makes sense to you, please let me know in the comments. Ask questions! I'd love to answer them.

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons