All About Couponing Series

Organizing My Coupons, Take Two + a Giveaway – CLOSED

by Marcy on September 14, 2009

Last month I updated and republished my All About Couponing Series, which is my attempt to share as many tips and tricks about using coupons that I can. Part of my series is Coupon Organization 101 where I share a few methods you can use for organizing your coupons. Last summer I put together a coupon binder which I loved, in theory. In reality I couldn’t seem to keep the thing updated to save my life. Instead of pulling out the expired coupons and filing the new ones, I found myself shoving coupons into a shoe box or not clipping them at all – which means I had stacks of coupon inserts cluttering my living room. As the summer has gone on my frustration level with my coupons has risen and I knew that something had to change. That’s why I was excited when Amy Bergin from the Couponizer Company contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing a Couponizer. I was willing to try just about anything at that point, so I eagerly agreed.

My Couponizer arrived within a week or so after talking with Amy, and I was excited to start using it. I admit that I had a few reservations – I wasn’t sure that the Couponizer would be large enough to store all of my coupons, nor was I sure that it would be sturdy enough to hold up to the beating it would likely take in my possession. I was also worried that it would end up being a marketing gimmick and didn’t know what I would do if I wasn’t happy with it. Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case at all!

I have been using my Couponizer for about a month now, and I’m happy to say that as of today, all of my coupons are finally in one place!

What I like about the Couponizer:

- The fact that I can keep everything in one place. Not only does the Couponizer have room for my shopping list, receipts, and a place to track my savings, but it also comes in a zippered pouch that holds my scissors, a calculator and any coupons that I have yet to file.

- It is the perfect size to throw in my bag or purse when I go shopping. It is also extremely easy to use while shopping – with pockets that hold my shopping list, coupons that I intend to use during my trip, and the coupons that I am actually going to end up using during checkout.

- Because I have a larger number of coupons in the book, I love the stretchy rubber band that holds the outside of the book together.

- The book is sturdy and appears to be well made. The pages are not flimsy at all, and so far I have not had any problems fitting all of my coupons into the folders.

Minor Annoyances with the Couponizer:

- While the coupons categories are thorough and seem to cover every type of coupon I have, I would prefer to see all of the food items together and all of the non-food items together, rather than listing the categories in alphabetical order.

- It would be nice if there was a way to stagger the folder portion of the pages so that the bottom of the book didn’t get so “fat” when full of coupons. Thankfully the rubber band holds it all together well and the shopping list and coupon tracker help to balance out the front and back of the book.

My final verdict? So far I love my Couponizer. I am really interested to see how I do at keeping it up to date, and to how long it can withstand the abuse I will likely give it. :-)

The Couponizer retails for $19.95 plus $5.75 shipping ($25.70) and comes with the following:

- 8″x5″ booklet with 20 grocery coupon pockets, 6 non grocery coupon pockets, 3 gift card/loyalty shopper card sleeves, shopping pockets
- 20 page shopping list
- CoupStacker pre-sorting mat color coded to match the system pockets
- 15 page spiral bound list pad with cardboard backing to track coupon savings
- Blunt tip Scissors
- Clear vinyl zippered carrying bag

You can read more and purchase one if interested here.

I am really excited because Amy has graciously agreed to give away a Couponizer to one of my readers!

What am I giving away?

1 winner will receive a Couponizer to organize their coupons!

How can you win? n>

You get up to 3 chances to win:

1) Leave a comment letting me know how you currently organize your coupons. (Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post and click “Post Comment”. You must be on my site – you can’t do this through a reader)

2) Subscribe to my feed or email newsletter and stay on top of all of the deals I write about each week! If you already subscribe, please leave a separate comment letting me know that you are currently a subscriber (thank you!).

3) Promote this giveaway and/or blog. If you don’t have a blog, you can Tweet about it (follow me: I’m @stretchingabuck), post about it on your favorite forum, or tell your friends about it! However you decided to promote it, be sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know how you did it.

**In order to tally your entries correctly, please include an email address or link to your (VALID) profile with your contact information. If a winner with no contact info is chosen, the next person on the list will be the winner. If you choose to leave an email address, I recommend that you use a generic email address as this info is viewable by anyone who views my comments. I strongly encourage you to create a Google profile with this info in order to better protect you.**

Who is Eligible?

You must have a valid US address to be eligible.

When does this giveaway end?

Thursday, September 17th at 10 PM, EST.

The winner will be chosen via the random number generator at random.org and will be announced no later than Monday, September 21st. Please note that if I do not hear from the winner within 4 days that another winner(s) will be chosen.

Good Luck!

Review/Giveaway Disclosure: The Couponizer Company provided the item for this giveaway. I also received a Couponizer for review purposes. No other compensation was received. You can view my full disclosure policy here.

If you find this information useful, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed or email newsletter. Also be sure to check out Stretching a Buck on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!

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All About Couponing: Lessons Learned in Couponing – My Perspective

by Marcy on August 22, 2009

Today is the 5th and final day of my All About Couponing series. It has been fun sharing this information with you, and I have even learned a few things myself!

While I have always been a coupon clipper, I didn’t learn the true value (or power) in clipping them and using them wisely until my budget required me to. I have been a “serious” couponer for about two years now, and I thought I would end the series by sharing a few lessons learned from my perspective.

* Small savings can add up – even those 25 cent coupons make a difference – especially if your store doubles coupons!

* If you need to reduce your budget, take baby steps. For example, set a goal to save just $5 this week at the grocery store pairing coupons with sales. Then increase this amount as you get the hang of it.

* Do what you can – some weeks you’ll be able to give more to planning and saving than others. Something is better than nothing!

* Treat saving money as a game. Challenge yourself and make it fun.

* Find like minded people to share your excitement , goals and progress with. It has been so fun for me to meet and become friends with other like minded women, plus it helps keep me accountable! If none of your “in real life” friends seem interested, there is a whole host of people online (blogs, forums, Twitter, Facebook) to connect with. (I’m grateful to have both!)

* Find a formula that works best for you and your family – there is no one size fits all approach to anything in life.

I hope that you have enjoyed this series! I have enjoyed your feedback and questions, and look forward to sharing additional info on various money saving topics in the coming months.

Find the entire All About Couponing Series here:

* Coupon Insert 101
* Printable Coupon 101
* eCoupon 101
* Coupon Organization 101

If you find this information useful, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed or email newsletter. Also be sure to check out Stretching a Buck on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!

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All About Couponing: Coupon Organzation 101

by Marcy on August 20, 2009

Welcome to Day 4 of my All About Couponing series! This week I have shared information with you about Coupon Inserts, Printable Coupons, and eCoupons. Today I am going to attempt to share some information with you about coupon organization. Because I am big on keeping things real around here, I have to admit that I am struggling with this a lot right now. I know what my favorite method of coupon organization is, I’m just having a hard time keeping up with it! Regardless, one thing I do know is that amassing a large quantity of coupons does little good if you don’t have a method for organizing them, so read on for a few tips to help get you started. I also provide you with step by step instructions for creating a coupon binder which happens to be my favorite organization method of the moment.

Organization Options

Thankfully there is a multitude of ways that you can organize your coupons, which means that you should have no problem finding a system that works for you. Here are a few systems that I am aware of:

1) Accordion Style Coupon File – You can find these wallet style coupon files at stores such as Walmart and Target for under $5. These files allow you to sort your coupons by the categories of your choice and are often small and easy to carry with you to the store. These work great if you don’t have a large number of coupons in your stash.

2) Coupon Box – You can make your own coupon box using a recipe box or other small storage container and your choice of dividers and/or envelopes. For more information about these, check out Crystal’s example here.

3) Professional Coupon Organizing Systems – There are several pre-packaged coupon organizing systems available online and in stores. One that I am familiar with is the Couponizer. This system comes with a spiral notebook with pockets, a coupon sorting mat, shopping lists and several other features. You can read more about it here.

4) Clip/Print As You Go – I quite possibly just made this method up, but it is exactly as it sounds. File your coupon inserts and printable coupon sheets and clip only what you need for the week. If you are utilizing blogs like this one when preparing your grocery lists each week, the location of each coupon will be spelled out for you. All that you have to do is know where to go to find the coupon. Sounds easy enough, right? :-)

5) Coupon Binder – Coupon binders are exactly as they sound…binders with page protectors that store all of your coupons in one place. I personally LOVE my coupon binder when it is up to date. The hard part for me is keeping it current. Because this is the method that I prefer, I have outlined how I put together my binder what what I would do to keep it up to date assuming that I actually do!

What (Sometimes) Works for Me

As I just mentioned, I used a regular old coupon file for several years. As my use of coupons grew, I found that I grew out of my file. It ended up being stuffed too full and started to tear. After doing some research online, I decided to give the coupon binder a try.

I went to Walmart when back to school items were on sale and purchased this binder:

I also purchased the inserts that you file baseball cards in. I had a hard time finding these in my Walmart…and I ended up finding them not in the office supplies but up in the front of the store near the registers with all of the sports memorabilia type stuff. Because these were a little pricey, I only bought one pack and decided to make it work (Note: check eBay for a better price on these). I already had regular page protectors at home, which I figured I could also use to file store coupons and other miscellaneous items.

I store my weekly store ads, extra coupon inserts, coupons that are too large to file, and a pair scissors in the front part of my binder here:

As for my pages, I do try to file like coupons on the same page, using one page per category. Here are the rough categories that I came up with for my binder, with these coupons being filed in the baseball card style pages:

- Candy/Gum
- Produce/Eggs/Staples (ex: sugar)
- Beverages
- Dairy Items (ex: cheese, yogurt)
- Meat
- Frozen Foods
- Snacks
- Boxed/Canned Goods
- Cereal/Breakfast Items
- Condiments
- Dish/Hand Soap
- Cleaning Supplies
- Miscellaneous Household (ex: batteries, lightbulbs)
- Food Storage and Trash Bags
- Laundry Supplies
- Paper Products (ex: toilet paper, paper towels)
- Lotion
- Hair Care
- Face Soap/Deodorant
- Eye Care
- Dental Items
- Make up
- Feminine Products
- Body Soap
- Vitamins
- Medicine
- First Aid
- Diapers/Wipes
- Miscellaneous Baby/Kids

You can see an example of these pages here:

Note: I do end up having to fold most of my coupons to make them fit.

Because I have more coupons than space, I reserve the baseball card pages for the coupons that I am confident I will use. For all others I either don’t clip them (and keep the full insert in the front of my binder) or I throw them in page protectors that I put in the back of my binder here:

I didn’t do anything fancy with these pages when coming up with categories. I just wrote the following on a purple post it note and threw it in with the coupons.

- Restaurant Coupons
- Store Coupons (including Catalinas)
- Miscellaneous Coupons
- “To be Filed” Coupons

In terms of keeping my binder up to date, I try to go through once a month (*cough*) and pull out the coupons that either have expired or will be expiring soon. The last week of the month is when I usually do this.

It is easier if I clip my coupons every week and file them, but that doesn’t always happen. On weeks when I am being lazy (or don’t have time) I just file my entire insert in the front of my binder and reference it whenever I need to clip a coupon before shopping. (Note: the date that the insert is in your newspaper is printed on the binding of the coupon insert. That means if you use my grocery deals posts to make your shopping list, you can easily reference your coupon inserts using the dates that I write in my store sale/coupon match up posts.)

I personally do not take my binder with me to the store. I am a planner, so I always take a detailed list to the store with me. That means I am able to pull the coupons that I plan to use for each shopping trip and I put them in an envelope (Tip: save money and use the envelopes that come with your bills if you pay bills online like me!) labeled with each store name.

Yes, that means that sometimes I don’t have a great coupon on hand if I see an unadvertised deal that I didn’t know about. But I figure that I can always go back to the store to get the item (with my coupon) if it is that great of a deal. Plus this helps me stick to my list (and budget).

I hope that this information has been helpful to you. Tomorrow I am going to wrap this series up by sharing a few lessons learned with you when it comes to my own couponing journey.

So what are your thoughts? How do you currently organize your coupons? Do you do something that I haven’t mentioned here? What have you found works (or does not work) when it comes to organizing your coupons? Do you still have questions about organizing your coupons? If so, please feel free to leave a comment or send me a note!

Find the entire All About Couponing Series here:

* Coupon Insert 101
* Printable Coupon 101
* eCoupon 101
* Coupon Organization 101

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If you find this information useful, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed or email newsletter. Also be sure to check out Stretching a Buck on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!

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All About Couponing: eCoupon 101

by Marcy on August 19, 2009

Welcome to Day 3 of my All About Couponing series! So far I have shared information with you about Coupon Inserts and Printable Coupons. Today I am going to spend some time talking about eCoupons – specifically: what they are, how you can use them, where you can find them, pros and cons, and my stance on “stacking”.

What exactly is an eCoupon?

An eCoupon is just a fancy word for an electronic coupon. These coupons can be added to your loyal customer/shoppers card via the web using your PC or phone. In my experience, only a few of the stores I shop at offer these types of coupons currently, but if I had to guess, I would say that the popularity of these types of coupons is likely to grow in the future. They save both time and paper which are both big pluses in my book!

So how do eCoupons work?

In my opinion, eCoupons are incredibly easy to use. Once you have found an eCoupon service for a store where you shop, all that you have to do is register, add your shoppers card number to your account, and review the list of available coupons. You can then choose which coupons you would like to use and add them to your card. That’s it! When you go shopping, these coupons will automatically be redeemed at check out.

Where can I find eCoupons?

The first place to look for eCoupons is on a store website. Grocery chains are especially good about highlighting all of the ways you can save at their store, and will often include links to the eCoupon service(s) that they are using.

Here is a list of eCoupon services that I am currently aware of:

* Upromise – offers eCoupons at a variety of stores: CVS, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Buehlers, and Meijer for me (this varies based on where you live). The main difference between Upromise and other eCoupon services is that the product savings is deposited into your Upromise college savings account versus coming off of your total at check out. In addition, unlike other eCoupons, Upromise coupons can be used in conjunction with manufacturer’s coupons! Upromise eCoupons are updated monthly and you can find instructions for using them in my post here.

* Cellfire.com - offers savings on shopping, entertainment and restaurants via mobile web, PLUS grocery eCoupons for Kroger & Safeway stores. These coupons are updated bi-weekly.

* Shortcuts.com – offers eCoupons for Kroger family of stores. To request that a store near you be added, read more here.

You can click on the links above to register your store card and view coupons offered by those programs.

eCoupon Pros and Cons from my Perspective

Pros

* No clipping and/or lugging coupons to the store. Once you set up your account and register your card, these services are quick and easy to use.

* You can print a shopping list from each
an class=”blsp-spelling-error” id=”SPELLING_ERROR_30″>eCoupon site letting you know what coupons you have loaded on to your card.

* Sometimes we see eCoupons for store brand products (Kroger in particular).

* If you have tried using eCoupons and have had issues, be sure to contact the eCoupon provider directly (rather than the store)…in my experience they are more than willing to help.

Cons

* You have to be extremely careful to purchase the *exact* item (size, brand etc…) specified on the e-coupon. For example, if you purchase a 6 oz. tube of Colgate Total and the e-coupon is only good for 4 ozs., the eCoupon won’t work.

* Once you have added an eCoupon to your card, you can’t remove it unless it expires or you use it.

* If you have added an eCoupon for the same product using two different services, there is no way to control which eCoupon is redeemed first. For example, if I add a $1.50/1 Huggies coupon on to my Kroger card using Cellfire.com and a $1/1 Huggies coupon on to my Kroger card using Shortcuts.com, I cannot choose which coupon is redeemed first. If I buy 2 packs of diapers in one transaction, both should be redeemed, however.

* These coupons are redeemed at face value – which means no doubling or tripling.

* There is typically a limit to how many coupons you can load on to your card (per service), and most coupons are only available for a one time download (per card #).

With all of that being said, I still think that eCoupons are a great and easy way to save!

My Stance on eCoupon and Manufacturer Coupon “Stacking”

When eCoupons first came on to the scene, it didn’t take long for consumers to realize that they could use the eCoupons loaded on to their shoppers cards in conjunction with the paper manufacturer coupons that they carried with them into the store (otherwise known as “stacking”). I used to promote this activity before I caught wind that manufacturers do not endorse (nor are happy) about this practice. That being said, as of today, the store cash registers are unable to prevent the usage of an eCoupon and a paper manufacturer coupon on one item.

So what is my stance on this issue? I do not promote the stacking of eCoupon and manufacturer coupons in my weekly sale/coupon match up posts. I feel it is up to you as the consumer to decide what you feel is fair or ethical. I will provide you with the information that I have, and it is up to you as to how you are going to use it. How’s that for attempting to avoid conflict? :-)

Do you have additional questions about eCoupons that I didn’t answer here? Do you know of any e-coupon services that I didn’t mention? Please feel free to email me or post a comment. Do you have a tip about eCoupons that I didn’t cover? Please feel free to share those as well!

Find the entire All About Couponing Series here:

* Coupon Insert 101
* Printable Coupon 101
* eCoupon 101
* Coupon Organization 101

——————————————————————
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If you find this information useful, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed or email newsletter. Also be sure to check out Stretching a Buck on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!

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All About Couponing: Printable Coupon 101

by Marcy on August 18, 2009

Yesterday I began my new and improved All About Couponing Series talking about coupon inserts. Today I want to spend some time talking about printable coupons. Specifically, what they are, how they can be used, where you can find them, how to spot a fake, and how to troubleshoot printing problems. Please note that I do not consider myself a printable coupon “expert”…these are just a few things that I have learned while using these coupons myself.

What is a Printable Coupon, anyway?

In a nut shell, printable coupons are manufacturer and store coupons that you can print off of the web. Most printable coupons can be printed twice (per computer) by either hitting “back” and “refresh” after printing the first one, or by returning to the initial page where you found your coupon and printing it again.

Sometimes you will be asked to load software on to your PC that will allow you to print coupons, but the process is typically quick and painless. This software is required by some sites so that the bar codes will print properly on the coupons.

Note: The sites that I promote on this blog are coupon sites that I have found to be trustworthy and reliable. Please be careful when downloading software from untrusted websites.

How can I use printable coupons?

Printable coupons can be used just like you use the coupons that you find in your newspaper inserts. It is important to note that not all stores accept printable coupons (this can vary widely even within the same metro area!), so be sure to check with your local stores to confirm that they do accept these coupons.

If you have ever printed a coupon off of the web, you may notice that some of them say “do not double”. It has been my experience that most stores *will* double these coupons if their store policy is to double coupons up to a certain amount. A trick that I like to use is to look at the bar code on my coupons to see if the first number (on the far left) is a 5 or a 9. Coupons with bar codes starting with 5 should double even if they state otherwise. Coupons with bar codes starting with 9 will not double. Most coupons that you come across will start with 5, with one common exception being the “blinkie” coupons that you find in the machines attached to your grocery store aisles/display cases from time to time (they almost always start with 9 and will not double).

Like the coupons found in inserts, some printable coupons are store coupons and others are manufacturer’s coupons. Most stores allow you to “stack” or use a store AND a manufacturer’s coupon on one product. For example if you print a Target store coupon for Colgate toothpaste, and have a manufacturer’s coupon from either the web or a coupon insert, you should be able to use both coupons in on one product. Again, this policy varies by store, so be sure to check with your local stores to better understand their policy. I always try to note when “stacking” should work in my weekly deals posts.

Finally, I have received questions in the past asking if you can use more than one manufacturer’s coupon on one product. Sadly, the answer is no. Meaning if you have 2 coupons for the same product (whether printable, from a coupon insert, or a combo of both), you cannot use more than one per item. The only time I am aware that you can use more than one coupon on one item is the scenario I listed above (store & manufacturer) and in the case of e-Coupons (which I will discuss tomorrow).

Where do I find printable coupons?

Printable coupons are everywhere! There are coupon services that exist solely to provide printable coupons. Several manufacturers also post printable coupons on their websites. Here are a few of my favorite (and legit!) places to print coupons:

* Coupons.com

* Smartsource.com

* RedPlum.com

And a few manufacturer’s coupon sites:

* EatBetterAmerica.com

* Pillsbury.com

* Betty Crocker.com

* Home Solution News

* Afullcup.com Target Coupon Generator (Target store coupons – which can be stacked with manufacturer’s coupons)

If you are looking for a specific printable coupon that you can’t find anywhere, always check out the manufacturer (or product) website. Most sites typically have a “special offers” or “promotions” page that sometimes contain great printable coupons!

How can I spot a fake?

This can get a little tricky, but I typically try to steer clear of coupons that are hosted on sites that I am not familiar with…especially if the coupons are on a PDF (or other type of) file. One exception I make to my “no PDF” rule is if the PDF file is hosted on the actual manufacturer’s site. Another sign that an Internet coupon might be counterfeit is if it sounds too good to be true.

In my opinion, the best way to avoid fake coupons is to stick to reputable sites (such as those listed above) when printing your coupons. When in doubt, you can always perform a simple Google search or check your favorite forum or blog to see if you can find info about the coupon in question.

tyle="font-style:italic;">Note: Each printable coupon is assigned a unique serial number. Your IP address and other information about your printing and coupon redemption habits is recorded on these coupons. If you attempt to make photo copies of these coupons you will get caught. Companies could block your IP address or take legal action, so please don’t do this!

How do I Troubleshoot Printing Problems?

Everyone seems to have trouble printing coupons on their PC from time to time. These problems can be caused by a host of issues ranging from browser incompatibility to not having the coupon printer installed properly. I have listed a few troubleshooting tips and resources below for common issues that I am aware of:

1) Bricks coupons tend to cause issues depending on the browser that you are using.

Here is an example of a bricks coupon link:

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qd2ofpe27206309&bt=vi&o=56178&c=KR&p=R6Q9AMlp

This particular coupon is configured to work for people using Internet Explorer. You can tell this by looking at the “vi” above in the URL (sometimes a “wi“). To make this link work for someone using Firefox as their browser, simply change the “vi” or “wi” to “vg” or “wg” and you should be able to print the coupon.

I try to make note of these when I can in my deals posts, but that isn’t always possible. Here is an example of what I sometimes write in my posts using the same link from above: Use $1.50/2 here (FF) or here (IE)

If you use Safari, word has it that if you change the “vi”, “vg“, “wi” or “wg” to “xs” that the coupons should print.

2) If you experience issues printing coupons on Smartsource.com, it could be due to a variety of reasons. You can find a helpful Troubleshooting Guide for Smartsource.com here.

3) If you experience issues printing coupons on Coupons.com, you can find answers to your commonly asked questions here.

4) If you experience issues printing coupons on RedPlum.com, you can find answers to your commonly asked questions here.

5) Some coupons are hosted on PDF files. You will not be able to print (or even view) these files unless you have Adobe Reader installed on your computer. You can download it for free here.

Next Up in my All About Couponing Series: e-Coupon 101

Do you have additional questions about printable coupons that I didn’t answer here? Please feel free to email me or post a comment. Do you have a tip about printable that I didn’t share? Please feel free to share those as well!

Find the entire All About Couponing Series here:

* Coupon Insert 101
* Printable Coupon 101
* eCoupon 101
* Coupon Organization 101

——————————————————————
If you find this information useful, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed or email newsletter.

If you find this information useful, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed or email newsletter. Also be sure to check out Stretching a Buck on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!

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All About Couponing: Coupon Insert 101

by Marcy on August 17, 2009

As I mentioned on Friday, this week I am going to revamp and republish my All About Couponing Series. I’ll be tackling a different topic each day, and I thought I would start off the series by talking a little bit about Coupon Inserts.

Coupon Insert 101

If you get a Sunday newspaper, you know that each week you can find coupon insert booklets like the ones in the picture above. We usually see anywhere between 1 and 3 most weeks, with some weeks bringing 4 or more.

The inserts that I regularly find in my Sunday newspaper are:

* Smart Source

* Red Plum

* Proctor and Gamble

Occasionally companies such as General Mills or Kellogg’s will release special inserts as well.

You can find the name of your coupon inserts on the front page of the insert. For example, the three inserts in the picture above are Proctor and Gamble (P&G), Red Plum, and Smart Source.

No one method of coupon organizing works for everyone, but what I like to do is to clip only the coupons I am fairly certain I will use. I then file the rest of the (unclipped) coupon insert(s) in my coupon binder, just in case I decide to pull a coupon that I didn’t expect to use.

When I write my deals posts, I always reference a date along with the insert name when listing paper coupons (see examples here). I was recently trying to come up with a method of labeling my inserts so that I knew which date they were released when I discovered something….the coupon insert has the date printed on the binding! Take a look if you haven’t already…it is there along with the newspaper name that the insert was placed in. Now I have an easy way to keep my inserts in order when filing them in my binder.

Speaking of newspapers, it is important to note that not all coupon inserts are created equal. It seems that the larger the newspaper, the better the coupon inserts. While you can view a coupon insert preview online (here, for example), there is no way of knowing exactly which coupons will be in your paper until you have it in your hands.

You always have the option of buying coupons online or subscribing to a larger newspaper if you would like to take advantage of the more robust coupon inserts. I also like to hit up my local Drug Mart to purchase extra copies of the newspaper for $0.99 when the inserts are especially good. Check around your local area for stores that sell the Sunday paper at a great price.

Thankfully there is a growing number of printable coupon resources available online which help supplement the coupons that come in the Sunday newspaper, which is great for those who don’t subscribe, or who are looking for more coupons. That brings me to the next topic in my “All About Couponing” series…you guessed it…printable coupons. Stay tuned as I talk more tomorrow about all of the coupons that are available to print on the Internet.

Do you have additional questions about coupon inserts that I didn’t answer here? Please feel free to email me or post a comment. Do you have a tip about coupon inserts that I didn’t share? Please feel free to mention that as well!

Find the entire All About Couponing Series here:

If you find this information useful, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed or email newsletter. Also be sure to check out Stretching a Buck on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!

{ 8 comments }

All About Couponing: Series Introduction

by Marcy on August 14, 2009

Recently I had the opportunity to teach an All About Couponing class based on a series that I had written in November 2008. As I read through my posts, I realized that some of the info needs to be updated. That coupled with the fact that I have gained new readers since then led me to the decision to update and republish my series.

Starting next week, I will be sharing information with you about coupon inserts, printable coupons, electronic coupons and coupon organization. My goal is to help those of you who are new(ish) to couponing learn a few tips and tricks that I have picked up over the last couple of years. I would also love for those of you who are veteran couponers to share your own tips and tricks in the comments section of these posts!

Here is a schedule of topics that I will be covering:

* Monday 8/17/09: Coupon Insert 101
* Tuesday 8/18/09: Printable Coupon 101
* Wednesday 8/19/09: Electronic Coupon 101
* Thursday 8/20/09: Coupon Organzation 101
* Friday 8/21/09: Lessons Learned in Couponing – My Perspective

I hope that you enjoy this series! And if you have additional topics that you would like to see me cover in future posts, I would love to hear those as well.

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