Coupon Tutorial
You wouldn't think you would need a tutorial on how to cut out a coupon, and then use it! But you do, so here you are!
Picture it: you've gotten your Sunday paper, you've looked through your coupons, cut the ones you want and thrown the rest away. What you have left is a pile of coupons that are either 1. Things you don't really want, or 2. Coupons that save you a whopping $0.35 on a $5.00 product. How does that save you money? The answer is...it doesn't. So you go to the store and save that $0.35! Hey, its better than nothing right? No, its really not. The secret to saving big with coupons is to Clip, Organize and Strategize. Learn the store's coupon policies, know what you can and cannot do. You really can save 50-90% or more on everyday things....then spend the extra money on what you want!
Here's a no nonsense guide to Clip, Organize and Strategize!
To Clip Or Not to Clip....that is the question!
The Binder Method:
1. Purchase a 3" binder
2. Purchase a set of Baseball Card Inserts (found by the trading cards at many stores. I bought mine at Target and Walmart)
3. Purchase Dividers (The plastic pocket kind work best for me! Durable and Provide Storage!)
4. You will need a pair of scissors, pens, highlighters, and paper in your binder! (just like school...hmmm)
Once you've assembled your binder, labeled the binder (we'll discuss this below) and placed your items inside, you're ready to fill it with coupons!
Labeling The Binder:
There are many ways to label the binder. Some like to label it by what's on the aisles in the Grocery stores, some label it in categories of items (like Dairy, Cereal etc). You must decide what works best for you and it might take several trial runs before you get it the way you want it. My binder is labeled, roughly, by the items that are in certain sections, not by aisle. So some of my categories are: baking, cereal and breakfast, meats, produce, dairy/refrigerated, chips/soda, frozen, etc. I find that all grocery stores are different and sometimes the meat section might be on the opposite side of the store as dairy. Any way YOU choose to do it is the right way!
Filling the Binder
When you're ready to put your coupons in, cut and organized them, then insert them in the baseball card sleeves. I like to fold them so I can see 1. the item and 2. the expiration date (nothing worse than getting excited about a deal then handing the cashier an expired coupon!). Some coupons will fit and you won't have to fold.
The "No Cut" Method
Some do not use the binder method at all. Rather, they use the "No Cut" method. This method uses the whole coupon insert and users do not cut their coupons. What?? You say. Yes, they leave it whole. The couponer takes the whole insert, labels it with the date, then files it in a file box with all of the other coupon inserts from several weeks/months. They then use internet coupon sites to find the deals, go to the appropriate insert, find and clip the coupon. When the couponer decides to round up their deals for the week they simply go to the insert, clip the needed coupons and head to the store.
The "Old School" Method
When I say "Old School" method, I mean the old accordian style folders that sort coupons like a mini file. This is still certainly useable, and usually categorized like the binder method. This method will require you to sift though a little pile of coupons, but if you know what's in there it might be easier for you. I usually use this when I've sorted my deals by store, and place the coupons for each store in a separate pocket. Sometimes I don't feel like taking the whole binder in, but just want to get a few deals I know are viable.
So Which Method is Best??
In my opinion neither method is better than the other. Both methods have their good points. With the binder method your coupons are right there, displayed and ready to go. When you go in the store, you can find many deals that are not listed on the coupon sites because the deals were not in the weekly ad. Other deals you may find are clearance finds that are not consistently at every store. With the "No Cut" method you can see what coupons you've used by looking at the still assembled coupon insert. I use the "No Cut" method at times, only for the apparent deals that I get from other sites, or what's in the ad. Finding coupons for clearance items is more difficult with this method because couponers don't typically lug a giant file into the store and sift through a ton of inserts to find a coupon that may or may not work.
The best approach is to find what method works for you, or use both methods. You can also find your own method! Leave a comment and let us know what you like to do!
Picture it: you've gotten your Sunday paper, you've looked through your coupons, cut the ones you want and thrown the rest away. What you have left is a pile of coupons that are either 1. Things you don't really want, or 2. Coupons that save you a whopping $0.35 on a $5.00 product. How does that save you money? The answer is...it doesn't. So you go to the store and save that $0.35! Hey, its better than nothing right? No, its really not. The secret to saving big with coupons is to Clip, Organize and Strategize. Learn the store's coupon policies, know what you can and cannot do. You really can save 50-90% or more on everyday things....then spend the extra money on what you want!
Here's a no nonsense guide to Clip, Organize and Strategize!
To Clip Or Not to Clip....that is the question!
The Binder Method:
1. Purchase a 3" binder
2. Purchase a set of Baseball Card Inserts (found by the trading cards at many stores. I bought mine at Target and Walmart)
3. Purchase Dividers (The plastic pocket kind work best for me! Durable and Provide Storage!)
4. You will need a pair of scissors, pens, highlighters, and paper in your binder! (just like school...hmmm)
Once you've assembled your binder, labeled the binder (we'll discuss this below) and placed your items inside, you're ready to fill it with coupons!
Labeling The Binder:
There are many ways to label the binder. Some like to label it by what's on the aisles in the Grocery stores, some label it in categories of items (like Dairy, Cereal etc). You must decide what works best for you and it might take several trial runs before you get it the way you want it. My binder is labeled, roughly, by the items that are in certain sections, not by aisle. So some of my categories are: baking, cereal and breakfast, meats, produce, dairy/refrigerated, chips/soda, frozen, etc. I find that all grocery stores are different and sometimes the meat section might be on the opposite side of the store as dairy. Any way YOU choose to do it is the right way!
Filling the Binder
When you're ready to put your coupons in, cut and organized them, then insert them in the baseball card sleeves. I like to fold them so I can see 1. the item and 2. the expiration date (nothing worse than getting excited about a deal then handing the cashier an expired coupon!). Some coupons will fit and you won't have to fold.
The "No Cut" Method
Some do not use the binder method at all. Rather, they use the "No Cut" method. This method uses the whole coupon insert and users do not cut their coupons. What?? You say. Yes, they leave it whole. The couponer takes the whole insert, labels it with the date, then files it in a file box with all of the other coupon inserts from several weeks/months. They then use internet coupon sites to find the deals, go to the appropriate insert, find and clip the coupon. When the couponer decides to round up their deals for the week they simply go to the insert, clip the needed coupons and head to the store.
The "Old School" Method
When I say "Old School" method, I mean the old accordian style folders that sort coupons like a mini file. This is still certainly useable, and usually categorized like the binder method. This method will require you to sift though a little pile of coupons, but if you know what's in there it might be easier for you. I usually use this when I've sorted my deals by store, and place the coupons for each store in a separate pocket. Sometimes I don't feel like taking the whole binder in, but just want to get a few deals I know are viable.
So Which Method is Best??
In my opinion neither method is better than the other. Both methods have their good points. With the binder method your coupons are right there, displayed and ready to go. When you go in the store, you can find many deals that are not listed on the coupon sites because the deals were not in the weekly ad. Other deals you may find are clearance finds that are not consistently at every store. With the "No Cut" method you can see what coupons you've used by looking at the still assembled coupon insert. I use the "No Cut" method at times, only for the apparent deals that I get from other sites, or what's in the ad. Finding coupons for clearance items is more difficult with this method because couponers don't typically lug a giant file into the store and sift through a ton of inserts to find a coupon that may or may not work.
The best approach is to find what method works for you, or use both methods. You can also find your own method! Leave a comment and let us know what you like to do!
