First off, I do NOT have a massive coupon binder that I lug back and forth from store to store with me. I don’t know about you, but the thought and the act of clipping every coupon I get and then sorting them into a binder that I have to keep cleaned out just seems like way too much of an effort. Instead, I have a bankers’ box of sorts. It’s plastic and has just enough room for me to keep all my in date coupons as whole inserts, filed by date into manila folders that are also filed into hanging file folders for ease of movement. To me, this is the easiest way because coupon databases and most blogs use the dates of the inserts (found along the spine of the inserts) as a way for you to identify the coupon they are talking about in your own coupons. For example:
Kraft Cheese Singles $0.50/1 11/24/10 SS
That means there is a Kraft Cheese Single coupon in the value of $0.50 off one in the 11/24/10 SmartSource coupon insert.
Now, if you have your coupons in a binder, you have to rely on you to know where those coupons are.
Secondly, to keep my coupon policies, shopping list and rebate forms organized, I keep a small binder with tab dividers labeled accordingly with every page in a sheet protector. Trust me, this binder gets used A LOT and sheet protectors are a must. This binder does go with me while I shop, that way I don’t have to go empty-handed up against the cashier should a problem arise.
In addition to the binder, I also take my couponing envelopes with me to the stores I’m going to. Since I don’t lug around my coupon inserts, I clip the coupons I need at home and sort them into labeled envelopes for each store I plan on going to within my trip. So for each store I go into I only bring in my policy binder and the envelope of coupons for that store.
On the more radical side of couponing, I “dumpster dive” to get multiples of coupon inserts. Well, let me rephrase that. I recycling bin dive at my local recycling center. The up side is that no trash is mixed in with the newspapers and it’s a generally clean job. The down side, it’s still considered “dumpster diving”, I’m sure. However, it doesn’t bother me. It’s almost the only way I can get many multiples. I buy four newspapers every Saturday to make sure I’m supplied and I request coupons from my family members, but it’s hard for them to remember all the time. Recycling bin diving is how I get my fix.
If you happen to have a family member or friend who works in a grocery store such as Kroger or Food Lion where coupons practically print out every transaction, consider asking them to bring you home leftover printouts that people don’t want or forget. My sister does this for me and every week I look forward to the high values she brings home to me. (Last week I happened to get a $1.50 off one Mello Yello 12pk coupon!)
I’m not sure what tip we’re on, but I feel like I’m on a roll! Being young (or quite possibly just lazy), when I find a way to cut my work, I take up on the opportunity. Ebay is a great way to find the multiples you actually want. Wait. Buy coupons? Didn’t you just say that was illegal. Well, yes, I did say selling and buying coupons was illegal. Now I’m not condoning any illegal activity because in every coupon listing I get my hands on clearly states something to the effect of “these coupons are free, you are paying for my time to clip, sort and ship them”. So legally, we’re all clear. However, if that’s something your uncomfortable with, just don’t do it.
One that I have never come across anywhere on a coupon site is that you CANNOT print coupons from the internet on scrap or used paper. They will not scan and most stores will not accept them if they don’t scan. I actually had someone at Walmart explain that the manufacturer does not accept them if they have print on the back of them because they think they’re copies. Now that doesn’t explain why they won’t scan, but they won’t.
Lastly, help your cashier! If they don’t understand their coupon policy, school them! Thank them! And last of all congratulate them on a job well done at dealing with your coupon craziness!
What are your best couponing tips? I’d love to hear! Post down in the comments to let everyone know!
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