Coupon Tips!

I am so excited to have this HUGE list of over 100 Coupon tips for new users! I posted a question on Facebook asking for people’s favorite coupon tips for new couponers and below are their responses! Thank you everyone for giving a tip or two. 😉

So, when you get some time, take a little bit out to read the list below.

• Cynthia SandiferPatience and persistence.

• Damara Jones Jennings: It is ok if coupons expire! Do not buy just because you do not want to waste a coupon!

• Kimberly Smoker: Read everything before you sign up for it!!! Make sure you are not being scammed !!!!

• Angela Fracassa Ward: Don’t clip the coupons when you get ads. Just cut out what you need when you are going to use it for a trip.

• Karina Christopher: Organize, research and have fun

• Tina Barnes: Start with ONE drug store and ONE grocery store. I was overwhelmed with Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS deals, so stuck with just CVS until I got good at it. Same with grocery stores. I just do Publix B1G1s now and PM at Walmart for other stuff.

• Christina Ferris: Dont try to go on a shopping trip with your coupons shoved in your purse lol.

• Tesa Marie Howard Blanchard: make sure you read each coupon and sale for fine print!

• Kiley Lee: Don’t expect to go to the store and only spend a few dollars like they doon tlc…. that is not normal shopping.

• Melissa Sanders Mostiler: Start with no more than one grocery store and one drug store. Trying to get to every store within a week can be overwhelming!

• Heather Nebel: Don’t get discouraged if you don’t save a ton of money on some trips. Sometimes you come across really great deals and the savings are amazing and then other times it might just be a few things. The key is just to save money when you can and not over do it. Don’t ever buy something _just_ because you have a coupon. And most importantly, make it fun! I love seeing my total on the register go down, down, down after I hand over my coupons.

• Melanie Menikheim: just because a coupon is expiring doesn’t mean you have to use it. no pressure. there will be another coupon and another sale. it’s all about timing!

• Angel Brown: Start slow, and if any friends coupon, go along…don’t buy…just watch and listen

• April Kidd Presley: Don’t let the show “Extreme Couponing” prevent you from trying to save money. (I for one recommend not watching it)

• Jill Ivie: Do not do double coupon Tuesdays at Walmart. Not worth the extra savings of a few dollars.

• Emily Anne Duncan: don’t use coupons because they are a good deal, use them only on items you’ll actually use, and be patient, try to match coupons with store sales in your area.

• Melissa Moreno: Stay organized…get a binder!

• Theresa Gonzalez: Be patient… do research and get organized… start small!
• Cassandra Colvin Weaver Don’t buy something that is a great deal unless you actually will use it! Its great to donate but sometimes that .50 could have been spent better elsewhere!

• Mary Lynn Hagwood I love the buy one get one free deal + add two coupons to that deal = nice savings…I’m fairly new at this too and wonder why I did not do it along time ago!

• Yvette Rupp I agree- Don’t feel like you HAVE to get any and every deal. Only buy what you will use. When you find some good coupons that still have some life to them before they expire, sometimes sitting on them for a week or two will score you a GREAT deal. just because you have a good coupon doesn’t mean we have to run out the door that day. LOL. I would also find a way to organize your coupons. Whatever works for you. By type, alphabetical, in a binder, in an envelope. There is no right or wrong way, its what works best for you.

• Cristina Krasienko Do not shop with kids! Lol they will try to buy everything other than what you went for!

• Jane Marie Buy only what you need. If you throw it out or have to give it away, you’re wasting money. Factor in the cost of newspapers, gas etc into your savings. If you have to drive 20 miles to save a $1 you’re losing money.

• Kelly M Giles get organized! I made my own coupon binder with my kids leftover stuff! I only spend 75 cents and now I know where they all are so I can use them effectivly!!!

• MOMS who Love to SAVE Be proud of yourself! Every little bit of SAVINGS counts….

• Tina Wright Horn if its somthing you dont use , need or want, its NOT a deal..its a waste of money and or the item.. unless you are donating it.

• Nichole Walling Don’t expect to save 99% on your very first trip… The average fist -timer saves around 35%. Try not to go overboard for the first trip anyways. It can get stressful. It gets easy with practice.

• Casey McCraw Don’t be afraid of the coupons or the cashiers, if the cashier acts confused with the coupons she’s probably as new as you are to the game. If they insist that you can’t use the coupon, either go to their management or just ask them to remove it off the bill.

• Cynthia Sandifer Be nice to your cashier.

• Melissa Griffin I started buying only with what we needed that was on sale and had a coupon, Im still new but so far that is what has helped me the most. START SLOW

• Ryna Edwards start with one store like target or walgreens

• Nichole Walling Oh, and do your homework! I researched couponing for 15 days before my very first trip! (and my savings were 34%)

• Ashlee Linnea If you are getting this stuff to sell be reasonable everyone wants a good deal. I went to a yard sale and I knew she couponed it was obvious. The stuff there was as much or a few pennies less than full price in the store. I told her about it, she said she was doing an act of service to people who dont have time to coupon. Nope not even close, she was being greedy.

• Shonna Lovett Mackelprang DONT BE A SHELF CLEANER!! THESE PEOPLE ARE THE WORST AND THEY RUIN IT FOR THAT AVERAGE SHOPPER. Extreme couponing is only useful is you intend to help others. NO ONE needs 100 boxes of pasta in your pantry just because you CAN get it for 5 dollars. If you have reached the point where you are shopping for a family the size of the Duggars, but you are only a family with 1 or 2 kids, then you might want to dial it down a bit. Saving money is great, but lets keep things in perspective and give every one else a chance to reap the benefits of couponing.

• Jenny Cupp when I started, I would only purchase things I could get free or almost free that I really needed because of lack of money…however I got my mom into couponing and she supplies my papers every sunday, so in return I find all the deals and get the coupons together before we get to the store and we split the cost making the cost for both families hardly nothing!! Most times the cost is so little she buys mine just for helping her save so much money 🙂

• Jessica Bloom I haven’t been using coupons for long, but if you are not brand conscious, determine the price of the item with the coupon and compare that to other brands of the same item. I’ve found cheaper deals a few times by just comparing brands.

• Rhonda Forgey Collins Learn store policies so that you don’t find yourself not getting the deals that you went to get. Every store is different, so look up their policy it will save you a headache and heartache later. Also, always read the small print on coupons, to find out if there is a limit or etc.

• Shonna Lovett Mackelprang Also remember that regardless of how good the deal seems, MOST of the time you are spending money to use a coupon. If you dont really need it, dont feel obligated to use the coupon.

• Melissa Moreno Sounds funny, but at bigger stores, like Walmart or Target, I try to scope out my cashier…grouchy cashiers are the worst. Male cashiers are usually the best in my experience!

• Brandie Gossett ‎Amanda Newsomeke sure you start out at one store!!! Don’t try to go to multiple stores. Take a “test” run at a store that is easy to get used to like “KROGER”. GREAT store for first timers. I Mastered a store then moved to the next. I have been going hard for 2 months and only have 3 stores under my belt!!! IF it is Easy for everyone else it “may not be easy for you too”. Don’t get discouraged. If you fall get up and try again!!

• Andrea Malm Howard like raining hot coupons on FB (I like this one Andrea! =) )

• MOMS who Love to SAVE KNOW YOUR STORE COUPON POLICY! Make a list of the food you want to buy and the coupons you have…this way you don’t get frustrated at the register (like I have!) ;o)

• Stephanie Kennison Know how much you’ll realistically use. Don’t clear shelves. I doubt you really need to take the last 20 toothpastes. Even if they are free.

• Joann Wendelken Phelps Tried couponing for the first time the other day..I saved about $11.00..Not much but it was items I used daily so i figured I did alright. Thanks for the tips!

• Karen Brown Sweeney Choose your level of insanity (Jenny taught me that) and don’t beat yourself up cause you miss a deal others get… be happy for the deals you do get. Don’t hoard… be polite… share (donate)… learn then teach, don’t try to explain everything to somebody until you get a handle on it!!!

• Lilly Hill team up with your family and make it fun filled saving.

• Trisha Bice Pick a few items that you know you family uses, get an idea of how much your family uses of that on a monthly bases, I started with Ragu, it goes on sale about every 4-6 weeks and there always seems to be a coupon, I’ve learned to by 6 each time eventhoug i have coupons enough for 12. By the time i need more they will be on sale again, saves me $ for that trip and space in my pantry and nothing expires

• Crazy Coupon Clipping Deal* is… My idea of a good deal changed drastically when I started couponing. I rarely pay over $1 or $2 for anything I know I have a coupon for.

• Nancy Ponder Evans Don’t be in a rush to run out and use your coupon. Usually on the first day the shelves are probably already bare. Wait a few days the shelves will be restocked

• Grace Knapp only print or clip coupons unless its something you know you will use start small get a binder so you can organize your coupons and shopping list organization is key to a successful shopping trip

• Jennifer Trent Find a coupon buddy and team up. Always easier to hand over a stack of coupons with your buddy behind you and not some mother of 4 screaming children waiting for you to “hurry up”. And help each other out, share deals and trade coupons.

• Barbarann Fernandez Make lists, write down what’s on sale at which store and attach the corresponding coupon to that list. If you do all the prep work at home, you will be less to miss out on a deal or coupon.

• Cassandra Lovelady If youre abiding by that stores coupon policy there is nothing wrong with how many coupons you’re using, whether it’s 5 or 50 (or more). Hold your head up high and be proud that you’re saving yourself/your family money. Dont let some bitter cashiers or customers discourage you!

• Barbara Boarman Set a budget. It doesn’t take long to over spend when you are buying multiple items of everything you need.

• Nancy Ponder Evans And don’t forget to price match and still use your coupon. Makes for more savings

• Meg McAdams Coyne Don’t panic when your family actually starts using your stock 🙂 I’m by no means a “shelf cleaner” but I do get excited when I have bags of cookies, pop-tarts, cereal, etc. on standby and I must admit I used to get sad to see them dwindle. Now I realize the deals will come around again.

• Susan McCarter Combs Know you’re cost after the coupon! Budget, budget, budget!

• Patti Goldman Gleason I only use coupons on sale items, and my main use for them is to save money on items I use or maybe to try out something new. I have cut my grocery bill in half just by using coupons. My suggestion….don’t hoard. Don’t but 550 bottle of bbq sauce or croutons if you will not use them. Stock up on the things that your family uses a lot or needs if you can get them cheap!

• Keri Hemmerling Hold on to coupons if the deal isn’t that good… Either it is a rare coupon you must use, or a coupon you will see a lot!

• Jackie Carr McHargue Make it a habit to only go to the store when you have your binder…..this alone saves us a fortune (no more wasteful grabby trips), plus you get in the habit of always looking to see if you have a coupon foe an item.

• Julie McGuire Don’t buy something just because you have a coupon.

• Jean Crosby I started with shampoo, bath soap, toothpaste and toilet paper so my grocery money is now spent on groceries.

• Christina Marie Le Hew Do a spread sheet for your first month of couponing. Show what was out of pocket and what your savings were. Have it auto tabulate so you physically see your first months savings. Do this for a few months to track your progress and share the info with family. Its a real boost to continue. 🙂

• Cecilia White Be disciplined. It’s easy to be tempted to buy things when you’re at the store so often. Buy what you planned on unless there’s an unadvertised super low sale or clearance.

• Amanda Bass Ross Keep in mind the shelf life of the products, When I first started years ago I’d have things go past their shelf life before we used them.. Only buy what you know you will use by the use by dates..

• Jackie Ellis Organization from day one

• Brandon-Sally Cox Please don’t buy too many toothpastes. Lol! Its cool if you donate some but not very many people realize they expire and usually expires before you get a chance to use them all.

• Bethany Sellers Evans DON’T TAKE YOUR COUPONS AND SALES ADS TO THE STORE ON SATURDAY WHEN THE SALE DOESN’T START TIL SUNDAY. lol

• Ellyn Harrer For me Walgreens is the worst, so take in a copy of their coupon policy, they are THE biggest coupon police.

• Laurel Briggs Lela Mittie Peaveler, I think with WalMart and Smiths you have two good stores, I shop Smith’s alot since they are part of Kroger, they don’t always have the same sales as Kroger, but I still have found some awesome deals. I’m not a fan of WalMart, but I still go there cuz they also have great deals. Make a price book on the stuff you normally buy, get to know your “good deals” so you can compare.

• Megan Reynolds If you live in a small town, that doesn’t have a store ie: Walgreens, CVS, price match at Walmart!! I do it every week, but make sure to take the add with you. Also print out the store coupon policies, it can help when the cashier is confused!!

• Penny M. Roberts Hyde As a first time couponer, my advice is to be prepared! I spent two weeks deciding which coupons I needed, preparing my binder and ten going to town. All said and done, deals, coupons and freebies, I saved $173. I am anxious to see how much actual time weekly it will take for upkeep and planning. If 3 hours or less, definitely worth my time!!!!! such fun, too!

• Rebecca Anderson I live in a small town and get the local paper as well as a metro area paper. Usually the coupons are different. I meet my parents or sister in a bigger town an hour away about once a month. I will start planning trips to some of the stores in that town that I don’t have where I live. You can also get people to mail you their coupons or sales ads. Another thing that helps is having someone else encouraging you and couponing too. At work we go through sales ads and coupons together at lunch and share stories of how much we saved.

• Carol Scoble Cowart To begin with, I say this: #1) start with one genre of products (hygiene, canned goods, etc…) #2) pick one or two stores to start with AND #3) get organized.

• Nicia Villanueva-Whitney READ THE COUPONS!

• Angie VanderLeest I only use a coupon with items that are on sale (unless we really need the item right away)…you’ll get a bigger savings that way.

• Lisa Langley Seriously think about HOW MUCH you will use. It WILL go on sale again. When I first started over 8 months ago, cereal and poptarts went on sale and were like under a dollar a box. I went nuts…We have 3 kids + 2 adults in the house. I bought like 10 boxes of cereal and 10 boxes of poptarts. I seriously thought we needed that much. Turns out, I’m now still finding boxes of cereal from that first weekend. And most of them are expiring or already are expired! It’s NOT worth it EVEN IF it is FREE if you are hoarding it and throwing it away! Not to mention, you are keeping someone else’s family from being able to get what they NEEDED.

• Melanie Baxter My biggest tip is to make “friends” with at least one cashier at the store, it makes it easier when the cashier thinks what you are doing is cool and not a pain. Also try not to anger the managers… they can be the bane of your existence.

• Tamelia Tumlin If you want to get a deal at the drug stores (Walgreens, Rite Aid). Get there by 8:00 on the first day of the sale. Otherwise you can pretty much hang it up. They NEVER have very much stock (maybe 10 if you are lucky of any sale item). Really, they shouldn’t even bother with a week long sale. More like a Two hour sale! 🙁 I get so frustrated with those stores. We live 30 minutes away and can’t get there on Sunday mornings cause church starts for us at 9:00. By lunch (or sooner) almost everything is GONE! Then they have 6 more days of a sale with NO STOCK! 🙁 Ridiculous!

• Christy Fontaine Stay organized! Keep your to “coupon”items when shopping and gtryto avoid too many “extras” (non coupon items), Keep your eyes peeled for deals, and you coupons on you at all times! It is addicting to save $$… so go in it with good thoughts, and it will all fall in place!

• Patty Barbour Burton Make a list of only what u things u need not want…your point is to save money I see tons of people going over budget for stupid items..then learn your store prices on all those needed items..so u know what’s a sale n what isn’t.

• Cory Reed Don’t forget rain checks! Easy way to extend a sale and get the popular items that are gone before u get there!

• Lisa Olivier Galleguillos Start small, maybe start with a drugstore, where the savings can be so much higher than the grocery stores. And the drugstores often have great deals on non-persishable food items as well as non-food items.

• Julianne Drexler Donate ALL your expired manufacturer coupons to COUPS FOR TROOPS!!!!

• Crazy Coupon Clipping Know that everyone’s idea of a good deal is different… And that the more you coupon the more your idea of a good deal will change. I rarely pay more then $1 or $2 for anything that I know I can find a coupon on.

• Crazy Coupon Clipping Bring your coupons with you EVERY time you leave the house, you never know when you’ll find a good deal.

• Jaime Putnam read the coupons and the ad for sizes, lot of times i get my coupons ready for the items on sale and find out it was for the a diff size…

• Missie Purgason Cummings don’t expect to walk out of the store without spending ANY money.

• Gloria Acevedo Keep your coupon binder in your car for those last minute trips…while you’re there, go to the back of the store and look at the great deals on the reduced rack…everything in giant here in Pa is marked down anywhere from 33% to 75%! A little dent in a can or box equals big savings (you can pair these with coupons also!)

• Missie Purgason Cummings oh, oh, and DON’T take your 7 and 5 year old with you!!! LoL

• Jennifer Bocuzzo Dont buy the item just because you have a coupon for it. Most of the time, the generic brand is cheaper. The only time i buy name brand is if the coupon makes it cheaper than generic :o) extreme couponing is a bunch of crap & full of crap! It’s 200% false!! I hope it doesn’t air ever again!

• Hot Stuff Shopping Organize, Organize, Organize! Keep a list and stick to it!!! 😉

• Angela Howard be courteous to the cashiers and do everything you can to help them in processing your order!

• Shirlene McGuire I am from a small town also and broke both my legs this year which is what got me into searching sites for sales to make things easier for my husband since he was doing it all. Now I search facebook and other sites for free product coupons. Have had several shampoo/conditioners then wait for that buy one get one sale. I have always been a good shopper so I had enough soap for clothes, dishes, shower gel and TP. I don’t believe in hoarder mentality either so I work at the items that will not go bad for real stock. We also torn out our kitchen before I had my accident so I was low on most other things due to lack of space and was buying as I go. So I watch for coupons to eat out on. This month we have had at least 10 free dinners. So keep eye out for those too!

• Nita Frazier Experiment until you find the right storage system for you – the binder system works best for me.

• Sylvia Rinck My biggest tip is to not feel embarrassed about using coupons! There will always be people who look at you a little funny… they’re just curious and some are probably jealous!

• Christina Mahesse pick one store to start out with… mine was walgreens 🙂

• Miss Coupon Find a system that works for you and keep up with it! If you have all these great deals & can’t find the coupons… what’s the point? Know where you need to go to find all your coupons 🙂 Also, even though your getting all this stuff for free, remember you have to pay tax. That can add up too! Alot of people see FREE FREE FREE and forget tax.

• Jackie Carr McHargue ALWAYS check your newspaper before you buy it….last 2 weeks someone has taken the coupons out of mine…grr…shoot for a home delivery deal (scored mine today!)

• Shannon Layfield Always go for bogo and try to match with coupon. I do my best savings that way.