Coupons!!

So I've gotten swept into the world of couponing. I know what you're thinking..."Oh you're one of those annoying people that always seem to be in front of me fumbling through their coupons and none of them seem to scan correctly and it takes FOREVER for you people to check out".

Guilty!

Haha, ok well I try not to tie up the line and normally, my coupons do scan just fine and I don't need to fumble through them because I'd like to think I'm pretty organized. Below are some pictures of my notebook I have in my car at all times.
This is in the very front of my notebook. I have my calculator because I'm pretty needy in the area of math as well as my pen and a pair of scissors for any impromptu coupon clipping.


I have several clear sheets to store other important items. Here I keep my grocery list as well as any coupons (mostly store or competitor coupons) that I want to make sure I use before the expiration date.

Here's what the inside looks like. I have tabs separating each category and have kept grocery and non-grocery items together. I use both sides of baseball card protectors for my coupons. It took a while to get it put together but now it's so much easier for me to keep track of everything.

Many grocery stores will double manufacturer coupons every day. Bilo will double up to 55 cents every day and Publix will double up to 50 cents every day. Most will also take other store coupons but I'd check with your specific store as this may vary. AND, this week, Kmart is doing double coupons - which they do periodically - up to $2.00!!! That's right, so any coupon with a face value of $2.00 and below, they will double! Plus if you sign up to receive emails on their website, they'll automatically send you $10 worth in coupons. Here is their weekly add and here is where you can sign up for coupons via email.

Just an example of how helpful couponing can be to your finances, I have listed what I got this past weekend at Bloom during their triple coupon weekend. Any coupon that has a face value of 99 cents or below, they will triple - it's fantastic! They do this about once a month.

First trip - Friday, January 9th:

3 packs of Kraft shredded cheese
6 cups of Yoplait yogurt
1 tub of Smart Balance butter spread
10 cans of Campbells Select soup
1 box of Luzianne tea bags
Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting
2 canisters of Quaker Instant Oats
2 boxes of Pillsbury Toaster Strudels
2 tubes of Crest toothpaste
2 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal

Paid - $24.79
Saved - $44.98 - this includes sale prices Bloom already had


Second trip - Sunday, January 11th:

Palmolive dish soap
Dawn dish soap
2 tubes Colgate toothpaste
2 boxes of Pillsbury Savorings - LOVE these! :)
1 bag frozen Pillsbury biscuits
Coffee Mate creamer
2 jars Smuckers all-natural peanut butter
2 jars Frank's hot sauce
Johnsonville turkey sausage
Bisquick pancake mix
6 cans Chef Boyardee canned pastas - takes me back to middle school days
2 six packs of Jello pudding
1 gallon of milk
2 jugs of Juicy Juice
1 bag Green Giant vegetable steamer

Paid - $25.12
Saved - $40.25

If you wanna learn more about how to do couponing, there are several websites. One I check regularly is www.couponmom.com and I'm a member of www.upstatecouponers.com - they are VERY helpful and have classes sometimes to help newbies learn. It's free to join and I highly recommend it! :)

Places to find coupons:

• Sunday newspaper (majority of coupons found here)

• "blinkies" in stores (those automatic coupon dispensers that blink)

• "peelies" (the manufacture coupons taped to products - most you don't have to buy the product to get the coupon. For example, there might be a coupon for kielbasa on a can of sauerkraut. You don't have to buy one to get the other unless the coupon indicates you do.)

• catelinas - the coupon strips that print out at the register when you pay. As long as it has "manufacture coupon" on it, you can use it at any store although some stores to also take competitor coupons so you could use a Food Lion store coupon at Publix.

• flyers in the store - Publix has a lot of these as you walk in, there's a turn-table with various publications that many times will have coupons

• wine tags - draped over bottles of wine but be sure you don't have to purchase the wine to get the coupon...these are hard to find!

• tear pads - on outside of display for product

Once you start keepin your eyes peeled for coupons, you'd be surprised at how many you can find. And if any of you are reading this and live close by and don't use your coupons - esp Sunday paper coupons - please allow me to take them off your hands...any or all you don't use!! :)