Printable Coupons

Grocery Ads

GroupOn

Coupons with Extreme Savings

Taking the first step to extreme couponing is more than just clipping coupons. It involves forethought and planning to make sure coupons are used wisely. Here are a few tips for the coupon beginner.

Know your store - Some extreme couponers prefer to compare sales and shop at many different stores but if you are starting out it is probably best to pick one store and stick with it. That will give you the chance to understand the layout of the store, what products they carry, and what their regular and sale prices tend to be. Knowing what a good sale price is and whether or not a product is available will help you plan future shopping trips.

Learn the coupon policy - Once you have a favorite store take the time to learn the store's coupon policy. Many stores will double coupons though they may put a limit on the dollar amount to which the will double. Some stores have triple coupon days, so it pays to learn ahead of time when those days will be. With the increasing popularity of printable internet coupons many stores have special policies regarding them or may not take them at all. Since this is potentially the future of coupon distribution it pays to have a store with a lenient policy on printables.
Get more coupons - When you find a good coupon for a product you like you probably don't want to buy just one of them. But how do you get more coupons?

There are online coupon clipping services. However, if you go that route know that such services cost money and require a time investment and lots of planning. An easier way may be to just ask your neighbors for the coupon sections from their old newspapers; most people don't use coupons and will not miss them. Often public libraries and community centers will have a coupon box where patrons are free to take coupons they may want and leave those they don't need. Lastly, some stores may be willing to sell at a reduced rate (or give away) old newspapers that didn't get bought up over the weekend. This is a great source for duplicate coupons.
Plan your trip - This seems obvious, but you would be surprised at the number of people who show up to the store with no idea what they will buy. Having a list constrains your buying and inhibits impulse buys. Start with your store's weekly sales paper.

Combine sale items with coupons wherever you can. After making a basic list plan out your meals for the week based on what is on sale and then go back and add any fresh produce or perishables you might need. Remember, if a non-perishable item is on sale and you have several coupons buy as many as you can. As long as you have room for them getting a great deal will offset the cost of storing products in your home.

Organize your coupons - In order to plan your trip one of the prerequisites is to have your coupons put together in an accessible way. Everyone has their own way but you must organize coupons in a way that makes sense to you. You could do this by expiration date, category, or store aisle. Having them well organized makes it easier to find coupons when planning your trip or if you find an unadvertised sale in the store.

These are a few of the basics to couponing. Once you master these tips, you may want to move on to tracking the sales pattern of favorite products, looking up previews of Sunday coupons and sales papers or even tracking your shopping habits and coupon usage by computer. But these few tips should get you on the way to saving 10, 15, or even 20 percent on your grocery bill.