The Beginner's Guide To Couponing

It is high time I create a post on the steps a beginner couponer needs to take to seriously start couponing. It may seem overwhelming but it really comes down to buying papers/collecting coupon inserts, understanding what inserts typically come in papers, labeling and organizing said inserts, perusing couponing sites like this to find the best deals, and knowing how to read the match-ups. So let's get started!

Accumulating Inserts
Every Sunday I have one Star Tribune delivered, plus I usually purchase two additional papers. In addition, I get a Smart Source insert delivered in my free local Wednesday paper. I will also occasionally get inserts from friends and family. Now, I could easily get 5x the amount of inserts I currently get if I wanted, but I strive to be an ethical couponer. If I had more coupons I would be more likely to clear a shelf or hoard unneeded items (think "Extreme Couponing," the show). So I stick to my three papers. Now, every couponer is different and you may find that you need ten papers, or only two. It will take time to find that magic number. So start out with a few and see how it works.

Some possible sources for inserts, other than buying a paper are as follows:
-Friends/family/co-workers
-Leave notes for neighbors that you know receive papers asking for their unused coupons
-Coupon clipping services
-Ebay (be careful of this, some sell fake coupons)
-Local stores and gas stations. Most retailers just recycle any unsold papers so you should be able to find one who will give you the inserts.
-Coupon swaps

The Coupons

There are many inserts that can grace the inner pages of our newspapers. SOME of them include Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Target, and CVS. But the most common inserts that are USUALLY in the Sunday paper are Red Plum and Smart Source. Many manufacturer coupons can be found online, and allow you to print them for use at a store. MOST printable coupons allow you to print that exact coupon twice. There are also many different kinds of store coupons.These are most often found in that week's store ad or a store's coupon book or on the store's website or even a mobile coupon. And still more may be from a magazine, like All You magazine, which is a magazine all couponers must have a subscription to. I will describe how to use these coupons below, along with other coupons that you may need.

Coupon Abbreviations

The following are the most commonly used abbreviations in couponing:
MQ = Manufacturer Coupon
SQ = Store Coupon
Target Printable = Printable Target Store Coupon found on their website
Target Mobile = Target Store Coupon sent to your smart phone
RP = Red Plum insert
SS = Smart Source insert
P&G = Procter & Gamble insert
GM = General Mills insert
K = Kellogg’s Insert
Wags = Walgreens
CB = Coupon Booklet
ECB/EB = CVS Extra Care Bucks
RR = Walgreen's Register Rewards
GC = Gift Card
STACKING = Using both manufacturer’s & store coupons or rebates.
TEAR PAD = A pad of coupons or MIR near a product or on display
WYB = When You Buy
Peelie = Coupon you peel off package
MIR = Mail In Rebate
DND = Do Not Double
CATALINA = Coupon printed at register after purchased
BLINKIES = In Store Smart Source Coupons
BOGO/B1G1 = Buy One Get One


Labeling And Organizing Your Coupons
As many ways that there are to accumulate coupons, there are probably ten times that amount for options on how to organize your coupons. Some people clip their coupons and put them in binders that are sorted into categories and others keep their inserts whole and label them by date and insert name. Now, some, like me, clip their coupons, put them in envelopes, and label the envelopes according to date and insert. And when I have any loose coupons or printable coupons I am not ready to use, I put in an expandable file folder labeled by month.

Couponing Sites
This site is tiny compared to some of the other wonderful coupon match-up sites out there. My absolute favorite is Pocket Your Dollars, which is run by an angel, Carrie Rocha. She has changed my life. She does match-ups for the major Minnesota retailers, including Cub, Rainbow, Coborns, Menards, and Cash Wise. Plus, PYD does match-ups for Walgreens, CVS, Target, and Walmart. Other sites do match-ups, too. A couple of my favorites are Wild For Wags, Coupon Mom, and Totally Target. If you have a favorite store, do your research and see if you can find someone who does match-ups for it.

Another very important aspect of couponing is coupon databases. These allow the user to search for coupons on their own. I use three different databases, and they all have their pros and cons.

The main one I use is Pocket Your Dollar's Coupon Database. The positive thing about this database is it seems to have the most coupons listed. It also allows you to search for expired coupons, which is helpful if you shop at Mackenthun's or Cub. There are a few negatives about this site. They are often slow on removing expired coupon links, they list newspaper coupons that we did not receive in Minnesota, and they list a lot of different denominations for the same coupon or they list the wrong denomination for our area. What I mean by this is say Smart Source released a coupon for eggs all across the country. But, depending on the location, the amount you get off for the coupon may be different. So the egg coupon may be $0.50/1 in MN but $1/1 in California. This database will often list both the $0.50/1 AND $1/1, or it will just list the $1/1. So, I often have to go through my coupons to figure out what denomination I actually have. I do want to mention that Pocket Your Dollars does not run this database. They "rent" it from the creator, so they have no control over errors the database may have.

The second database I use is Coupon Mom's Newspaper Insert Coupon Database. I love that it allows you to choose your state, so it is much better at listing the correct denominations for your area. What I don't like is their printable coupon database. It really isn't a database at all, it just has links to some sites. Plus, Coupon Mom doesn't list expired coupons. And you must have an account with them, which is free, to use the database. Last of all, it requires you to relogin after just a few minutes and it doesn't have a "save my username and password" option, which is annoying.

The last database I use is Coupon Tom's Coupon Database. If you create an account with Coupon Tom, you can ask that they search for coupons up to one month expired. It also has an option where you can mark off what coupons you have used in your coupon collection. I don't like that it only shows one page worth of coupons and that there is no way to go to a second page. Also, they don't always have the most current printable coupons.

One last note about using coupon databases. You really need to be creative when typing in the desired item. Spelling and punctuation can make a big difference in what your search produces. And unfortunately, when the creators of the databases enter in the coupons, they often mispell the item. So I have found that the simpler the search, the more results. For example, Gold'n Plump chicken is ALWAYS misentered into the system. So, I always just search for "Plump." This usually gives me good results. Also, lets say you are looking for Birds Eye vegetables. I have seen it entered incorrectly as "Bird's Eye" or "Bird Eye." So I just search for "Bird." This will produce anything that has the letters "Bird" in it. 

How To Read The Match-Ups

Generally, the match-ups are pretty easy to decipher. Here is an example of a Target deal:

(a) Zevia All Natural Soda (6 pk.) $4.99
(b) Use $2/1 Zevia Target printable. Plus, use $1/1 Zevia printable or use $3/1 from 9/11 SS (we did not receive this coupon in Minneapolis)
(c) Final price: as low as Free

Line "a" lists the item, variety, size, and price. Line "b" lists the possible coupons you can use. Some coupons are printable, signified by an underlined link. Others are from inserts, Lastly, line "c" will list the price of the item after coupons.

Well, that's it!!!!  I hope this makes sense. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to comment!