Just the Basics, Please!
What is Couponing?
Couponing is the art of matching up coupons and rebates to store sales to get the lowest possible price on a product and stock up on those products!
Why Coupon?
To save some of your hard earned money by stocking up on items your family needs and uses until the next time it goes on sale (about every 3 months)! No need to hoard deals come around often! Shop for your family not the whole state!! And when you have an abundance then you bless others by donating to local food banks or your neighbor in need! " Being Blessed with More for Less, While Blessing Others!!"
Where to get Coupons:
Sunday Newspaper! Coupon inserts (RP) Red Plum, (SS) Smart Source, and (P&G) Proctor & Gamble (and sometimes bonus inserts). Inserts very every week and there are a few holidays a year when there aren't any inserts (Easter, Memorial weekend, etc). Some newspapers have more inserts weekly then others. For our county, Charlotte County, the newspaper with the most inserts is the Herald Tribune. It is usually cheaper to have a subscription delivered to your home so call (941) 365-6060 to find out the specials they are running!
Coupons are EVERYWHERE, not just the newspaper! They are stuck on items in the store (peelies), they are in the isles of the grocery stores (booklets and blinkies), the are printing at the register (Catalinas)! They are in magazines, one of our favorite magazines to find them is The ALL YOU mag at Walmart!
Please show "good couponing ethics" and don't hoard all the blinkies and booklets in the store save some for the next gal/guy! And only use a peelie from a product you are buying!
Printable Coupons: you can find various coupons on the Internet! You are able to print 2 of the same coupons per computer ... so the more computers in your house the more coupons you can print! :)
*Tip: Set your default printer to gray scale to save on ink!
Again "good couponing ethics" DO NOT COPY ANY COUPON! You would NEVER copy a $1 dollar bill so don't ever copy a $1 dollar coupon!! Coupons are considered currency, copying coupons is considered money fraud and is being taken very seriously these days! None of our PRC would do that anyway but we just had to throw that out there!
Learn the Lingo:
Sunday Newspaper Insert:
SS = Smart Source
RP = Red Plum
P&G = Proctor & Gamble
GM = General Mills
More Couponing Lingo:
PRC = Peace River Couponers
MQ = Manufacturer Coupon
SQ= Store Coupon
Stacking = using both a MQ & a SQ for one item
Peelies = coupons that are stuck on grocery items
Blinkies = coupons that you grab out of those automatic machines in the grocery isles
Booklets = small booklets of coupons
Catalinas = coupons that print at the register
BOGO = Buy One Get One Free
B3G1 = Buy Three Get One Free
MM =Money Maker
OOP = Out Of Pocket
MIR = Mail In Rebate
wyb = When You Buy
RB = Rock Bottom
x = expires
v = value
Drugstore Lingo:
ECB = Extra Care Bucks (CVS reward money)
RR = Register Rewards (Walgreen reward money)
Rolling = saving the ECBs or RRs earned this week to purchase next week's deals
Store Policies
Every store is different, you need to be familiar with each store's policy! We highly suggest you print each of these and carry them with you when you shop! We have had to use them a few times, a cashier can't argue with you when you show them their own policy right there in black and white!
Walmart Corporate Coupon Policy and Walmart Ad Match Guarantee
Walgreens Coupon Policy
Target Corporate Coupon policy and Target Price Match Policy
Publix Corporate Coupon Policy
CVS Coupon Policy
How to Coupon ~ 5 Easy Steps:
1. Buy at least 2 Sunday Newspaper
You want to purchase one newspaper per person in your home and round up to an even number!
ex. 4 people = 4 papers 3 people = 4 papers
The idea is when items go on sale for BOGO you want a coupon for the item you are buying and the one you are getting for free! YES, you heard right - you can actually use a coupon on the free item!!
2. Organize your Coupons
There are as many ways to organize your coupons as there are people on this planet. What works for one person may not work for someone else.
Our Favorites are:
"Working Mom Method" (Trish's Fav)
Take Sunday inserts from multiple newspapers, staple all the like pages together and put them in a file folder with Sunday's date on it. Then stick the file folder in a file box. Clip coupons only as needed for a sale.
"Binder Method" (Tina's Fav)
Take Sunday inserts from multiple newspapers, put all the like pages together and cut them all out. Place them in a categorized binder using baseball card holders and plastic dividers. Pull them out as needed for a sale.
3. Match -up Coupons to Sales
Use peacerivercouponers.com to see the best deals! Searching a full add match-up can be VERY time consuming, so what we will have for you here at PRCs is the best of the best deals! We do all the work for you, all you have to do is print our list and pull and paper clip the coupons you have to go with each deal!! Figure out how many of each item you will need and write that number next to the item on your list. Then when you shop you know exactly how many to grab off the shelf without fumbling through your coupons to figure it out in the store.
4. Shop til you Drop
Go get your deals! You've got your list. You've got your coupons. Now go get those deals!
5. Keep a List of your "Rock Bottom" prices
This is SOOOO handy... you'll never second guess if you are getting the best deal! Try to do this as soon as you put away your groceries, while the deals are still fresh in your mind.
Keep a list of; the store, item, size and price.
*Tip: Bigger doesn't always mean better, you need to know how much you are paying per oz, load, etc. Usually the smallest size a coupon will allow the best savings you are going to get. Money Makers usually come from buying travel or trial size items, as long as the coupon says "any" and doesn't exclude travel and/or trial!
Above all else ... DON'T get discouraged if a better deal comes along next week or even that week at a different store, give yourself some slack, you're just getting started! You have a "Rock Bottom" price list and you'll know for next time!
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Coupon Insert Schedule for the rest of 2011!
This is not exact, but gives us a rough estimate on what to expect.
June5 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
12 — Smart Source
19 — Smart Source and Red Plum
26 — Smart Source and Red Plum
July
3 — No Inserts scheduled (Independence Day)
10 — Smart Source and Red Plum
17 — Smart Source
24 — Smart Source and Red Plum
31 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
August
7 — Smart Source and Red Plum
14 — Smart Source and Red Plum
21 — Smart Source and Red Plum
28 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
September
4 — No Inserts scheduled (Labor Day)
11 — Smart Source and (2) Red Plum
18 — Smart Source and Red Plum
25 — Smart Source and Red Plum
October
2 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
9 — Smart Source and Red Plum
16 — Smart Source and Red Plum
23 — Smart Source and Red Plum
30 — Smart Source and Red Plum
November
6 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
13 — Smart Source and Red Plum
20 — Smart Source and Red Plum
27 — No Inserts scheduled (Thanksgiving)
December
4 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
11 — Smart Source and Red Plum
18 — No Inserts scheduled (Christmas)
25 — Procter & Gamble
Happy Couponing! :)
