Catagories for your binder

I have had many questions about what exactly are my catagories in my binder. So, I am going to share them with you. BUT just remember we all think and organize differently, so this will hopefully help you get started!!


Yogurt/Dips
Icecream
Milk/eggs/cheese
Biscuits (frozen or frig)
Drinks
Crackers
Snacks - ( fruit snacks, chex mix, nuts etc...)
Candy/Cookies
Popcorn/Chips
Granola Bars/Poptarts
Deli ( hotdogs, coldcuts etc..)
Refrigerator Entrees
Freezer Products
Frozen Pizza
Frozen Veggies
Canned Soup
Canned Fruit
Canned Beans
Kelloggs Cereal
General Mills Cereal
Post Cereal
Boxed/Jar Foods
Bread/Condiments
Baking
BodyWash
Makeup
Lotion
Deodorant
Hair Products
Razors
Toothpaste
Household cleaning supplies
Laundry Supplies
Dish Soap
Toliet Paper/Paper Towels/Wipes
TrashBags/Ziploc
Candles/Air Freshners
Cold Medicine
Vitamins
Antacid
Contact Solution
Pain Medicine
Bandages
Female Products
Target Coupons
Pet Supplies
Misc...

Coupons: The FINE Print

The wording on coupons can be very confusing to a new couponer or even someone who has been couponing for awhile.  I have received many emails about the FINE PRINT on a coupon so I have decided to go over a coupons FINE PRINT

Limit 1 coupon per Transaction
For an example: The $5/1 Similac coupon said "Limit 1 Per Transaction" .  If you had 2 $5/1 Similac coupons you would NOT be able to use both coupons in ONE transaction.  You would have to do a 2nd transaction. 

Limit of 4 Like Coupons in same shopping trip
The P&G coupons have this on all their coupons.  Which is great!  BECAUSE you can buy 4 of the same items in one transaction!   I buy 4 papers a week so this is perfect!

Limit One Coupon per Purchase
This means that you can use one coupon per item you are purchasing.  Or if you have a coupon for $1/2 boxes of cereal, that coupon is attached to 2 boxes of cereal, so you can only use the $1/2.

How to start couponing

For new people to couponing sometimes you wonder just how do I get started? Well, I am going to tell you the best way. It takes several weeks and months of collecting coupons to be any good at it. Don't get frustrated! Just start collecting those coupons and the savings will begin rolling in

1. Start collecting coupons.
Our local paper the St. Louis Post Dispatch has the coupon inserts for our area in the Sunday paper. I usually buy the Southeast Missourian for the sale bills.

Also printing online coupons, I have links to the redplum, smartsource, coupons.com on my blog.
Other printable coupons that come up I will have links on my blog for you to print.

I usually buy 4 post dispatch because I like getting several coupons.

Family & Friends = Ask your family & friends to save the Sunday inserts for you. No sense in throwing money away!

Magazines = A lot of magazines have coupons inside, so be sure to tear them out before recycling. All You is a great source for coupons and can be found at Wal-Mart

2. When to use the coupons.
Knowing WHEN to use your coupon is the KEY in couponing!! You wait until the item is at it's lowest price point and use the coupon then. Now you can use the coupon during other times but, your saving will not be as great. When do you know when the lowest price point is, you ask.
Will that is where my blog will help you put deals together and get the BEST saving!!!

3. Know what stores double coupons
In our local Cape Girardeau and Jackson area, the store that double coupons up to .50 are
Schnucks, Food Giant and Country Mart in Jackson. They double coupons EVERYDAY!

4. How to use STORE coupons with MANUFACTURER coupons
Some store have "store coupons" example Target has TARGET coupons on their website you can print off. Instead of saying Manufacturer coupon it says TARGET coupon.
Example: you have a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off box of General Mills Cereal, you also have a Target coupons for a $1.00 General Mills Cereal. You can use BOTH coupons for 1 Box of General Mills cereal. You will get $2.00 off the cereal.
You can stack a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon.
Target and Walgreens is the only stores I have found that has store coupons.

You might have seen coupons in the Walgreens ad, well you can use that walgreens coupon and a manufacturer coupon on that one item!!

If you have 2 manufacturer coupons say of toothpaste and walgreens has a coupon in it's ad for .99 toothpaste, you give them your 2 manufacturer coupons first, then let then scan the Walgreens coupon in the ad and the price will adjust for 2 tubes of toothpaste. You don't have to have multiple walgreens coupons.

5. How to organize your coupons
Organizing your coupons is going to be different from person to person. I started out with a small binder with dividers but, soon I had too many coupons for it. I now have a white box with envelopes in it. I have then labeled accordingly. Here is a few of my labels...
Baking, Canned, Candy, Frozen Bread,Frozen , Frozen Veggie, etc. I have about 28 envelopes in my box. I like having many catagories so I can find a coupon quickly. So find a great way FOR YOU to organize your coupons. If you don't organize them, then you probably won't stick with couponing because you will get discouraged.

Remember, always be polite to the cashiers. Some cashiers are not always polite and that can get difficult. You can always ask for a manager.

I am God's child and I will remember who I represent.