I've been getting some great coupon questions lately and I wanted to address them in a post so that everyone can learn how to do certain things to make coupon use more effective.
"How do I get more than one of the same coupon? Do I have to buy more newspapers?"
This is a great question! If there's a great coupon in the paper you'd like to have several of, you can always buy more papers or you can use a coupon clipping service. A coupon clipping service clips coupons and offers them for sale for a very nominal fee (typically pennies each). You'll pay for the coupon and the shipping, but if you only need extras of one or two coupons you might consider this option. I use several, but my favorite by far is couponclippingcrew. There's also thecouponclippers and collectablecoupons. If there's lots of great coupons you need, I'd suggest just buying more papers.
"How do I build a coupon stash if I'm just beginning to use coupons?"
You can build a nice folder of coupons in many different ways. The Sunday newspaper is usually filled with great coupons to get you started, and I would suggest buying several papers each week for the first few months. This will allow you a chance to stock up on great buys in order to build a stockpile of non-perishable, frequently used items. Another source of coupons is coupons.com, redplum.com, and smartsource.com - these sites offer a large variety of printable coupons that update daily. You'll also find coupons in the grocery store in those little blinkie machines or you can peel them off packages or tearpads in-store. You can also ask your local grocer if they have any store coupons available - if they're store coupons you can stack them with manufacturers coupons for extra savings! If you start looking, you'll find coupons just about everywhere - just grab 'em and stash 'em!
"Why do I need a stockpile of anything?"
This is a good question and one of my favorite ones to answer. Having a stockpile of items ensures you will never (or hardly ever) again pay full price for items you use frequently.
For instance, with 7 people in our household we tend to use alot of razors. I'm not too keen on razor-burned legs, so I buy the nicer quality razors that tend to be pretty expensive. I used to spend about $7.00 - $10.00 per package of razors for each of us, and would only go buy more when absolutely necessary due to the cost. When I did that, it didn't matter if they were on sale or if I had a coupon - I needed them, so I paid dearly for them!
Now, I buy as many razors as I have coupons for when they're on sale. I used to buy 10 papers each week (only until I built a nice stockpile of items!), so I had 10 B1G1F Bic Soleil razor coupons. Well, they went on sale B1G1F at Kroger, so my coupons ended up getting me 20 packages FREE! I won't need razors for months now, so I'll just replenish what I've used when the next great sale comes along.
This concept has worked for me on soooo many things. I am embarrased to admit it, but I have 15, 18 gallon tubs filled with extra stuff! I have toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, razors, shampoo, conditioner, lip care, canned foods, crackers, rice cakes, cookies, and so much more. Now when I need something, I just grab it from my stash instead of running to the store and paying full price. This will save you HUNDREDS of dollars a month, I promise!
"How can I get items free if there's a buy one get one free sale and I have a buy one get one free coupon?"
As in the razor example above, a B1G1F coupon can be used with a store B1G1F sale to get both items free. The store sponsors the B1G1F sale, while the manufacturer is responsible for the B1G1F coupon. Think of it this way - the item the store makes you "buy" is the one the manufacturer gives you free. The item the manufacturer makes you "buy" is the one the store gives you free - they cancel each other out!
"Can I use a coupon on a free item?"
Yes and no. If the store is running the B1G1F sale, you can absolutely use 2 coupons (1 for the item you buy, and 1 for the item you get free)! If you have a coupon from the manufacturer for a B1G1F item, you can use a money-off coupon on the item you have to buy, but you cannot use 2 money-off coupons since they would both be manufacturer coupons and they won't let you use two coupons per item, only one. That was confusing, sorry! Here's an example of the manufacturer B1G1F deal (I did this just last week, so I know it works!):
Venus Embrace razors - $8.99, get $4 Walgreens register reward
Use with $2.00/1 razor from P&G 2/7 AND buy razor, get Olay body wash free from P&G 2/7
Final price: $2.99 for both items
An example of the store sponsored B1G1F deal (also done last week):
Hefty One Zip bags - B1G1F at $3.29
Use with $1.00/2 (note I have to "buy" 2 items to get the $1.00 off)
Final price: $2.29 for both
"What if there's a good sale this week and I don't have enough of the coupon I need?"
Here's where the coupon clipping service I talked about above really comes in handy! If you order your coupons right away, you should have no trouble getting your coupons in on time. Most services ship same-day, so your chances are great for getting them very quickly. I haven't had a shipment arrive late YET, so chances are good.
"How do people make money using coupons?"
I get asked this all the time, and I'm here to tell you it's not an "income", it's just enough to help pay for other items! Here's an example of a money-maker deal I did recently:
Benefiber stick packs - $5.00 each, get $10 Walgreens register rewards when you buy 6
Buy 6, use 6 x $2.00/1 Benfiber coupons (I had a mixture of printable Benefiber coupons and coupons from the newspaper)
Stack with $2.00/1 Walgreens store coupon (will deduct $2.00 EACH BOX)
Final price out of pocket: $6.00 ($5 x 6 = $30, minus $12.00 manufacturer coupons, minus $12.00 Walgreens coupons = $6.00)
Register reward: $10.00, for a money-maker of $4.00!
Walgreens is a great place to do the money-maker deals because they offer a monthly coupon booklet, but stores that double and triple manufacturer coupons can give you the same deal if you watch the sales carefully.
"What about brand loyalty?"
Brand loyalty is up to you, but I tend to buy the items I can get at the best price. I recently stocked up on Kotex pads because I got them for $.05 a pack! I prefer Always because that's what my mom bought me, but I realized they're just as good and they were on sale. I stock up on my favorite brands when they're really cheap, but I'm happy to substitute if the price justifies the switch. Same thing with razors - I love Intuition razors, but the Bic Soleil razors work great and they were FREE!
This should be enough for now, but I am MORE than happy to answer any questions that come my way. Please leave a comment on any post you have a question about, or you can email me at erica@5reasons2save.com.
This was great Erica! It helped alot! :) Thanks
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