Coupon 101 - How to Get Started

What’s the easiest way for a new couponer to get started?

The quickest and easiest way is to buy multiple copies of the paper every Sunday and save the inserts. Also ask friends, family members, neighbors or co-workers for extra copies.  Hit your local Starbucks, Panera Bread or wherever people like to read the Sunday paper and leave extra inserts laying around. Write the date on the outside of insert and save the entire thing. Why? Because if you clip only what you think you’ll need you’ll miss out on some great deals or freebies later on down the road.

Every Sunday paper you will generally find 2- 5 inserts (except major holidays, there are no coupons!). The main inserts every week are Red Plum (RP) and SmartSource (SS). Once to twice a month you will find a Proctor & Gamble insert (P&G) and ocassionaly a Unilever insert.

Check this site for weekly deals! Every week we will be posting the best deals for all the Charlotte area grocery stores. When you see a deal, pull out your inserts, clip the coupons you need and head to the stores!

Don’t be brand loyal - pretty much all toothpastes, deodorant, pasta, condiments, etc work the same or taste the same. A smart couponer knows to get maximum savings you buy what is free or on sale. There are very few things the Cheapskate Chicks are brand loyal to!

When there is a sale - stock up - also known as stockpiling. This is where multiple copies of inserts come in handy. If the deal is free or near free buy as much as your family can use before the item expires. It even pays to buy coupons! Our favorite sites for buying extra coupons include:

The Coupon Clippers
Ebay
The Coupon Master

Why buy coupons? Because different areas of the country get different values. This may make for a freebie or very cheap item during regular doubles or triples. For example Charlotte typically gets .40/1 Viva paper towel but other areas get a .85/1. Viva are $2.59 at HT so during triples they’d be .04 with the .85/1. Generally never pay more than 10% of the value for a coupon, EXCEPT for hot coupons like the .85/1 Viva- they might go for as much as 20 to 25% of face value. Also keep in the mind the Charlotte Observer is now $2 for a Sunday paper. Unless the paper has lots of coupons you need, it may be cheaper in the long run to buy 1-2 papers and then buy additional coupons when the sales ads come out that week.

To get the best deals every week you may have to shop more than 1 store. The Cheapskate Chicks love an excuse to go shopping so in general we shop the deals at 1-3 stores a week.

Where else can I find coupons?
Coupons are everywhere if you keep an eye out. Here are some of our favorite places to find coupons:

Internet Printables - most sites will allow 2 prints per computer
Coupons.com
Smartsource.com
Red Plum
Eat Better America
Betty Crocker
Pillsbury

Call or email manufacturer’s with a compliment - most of the time they will send coupons, you don’t even have to ask!

Inside product packages - check before you toss!

Tearpads - every time you see one of those cardboard displays in a store check it out. You may find a tearpad of coupons.

Blinkies - remember those annoying little black blinking boxes you see stuck on asile shelves? Those are referred to as blinkies. Grab a few and save them for future deals!

Hangtags - coupons you will find hanging off the neck of a product

Peelies - a coupon sticker stuck on a product. Some couponers believe it is OK to take them and use them on a future sale others believe you should only take them if you are buying that product right then and there. Do what is comfortable to you!

Catalinas - these print out at the register. People often leave them in grocery carts or toss them on the ground. Grab them!

Mambo Sprouts booklet - this is a great resource for organic coupons. The only place I have seen this booklet locally is Earthfare. They are usually laying out at the front of the store by customer service. Go in and grab a few!

Don’t blow your budget
The first few weeks people start couponing they may go overboard and try to chase every deal at every store. Our advice it to pick 1 or 2 stores, get to know the coupon lingo and their coupon policies and stock up on the good deal items and/or freebies that week plus your regular grocery shopping. This way you will slowly build a stockpile over the course of several months without blowing your budget. Remember the same deal always comes around again, sometimes better than the last time. So if you miss a deal don’t worry!

What items can I typically get for free to .50 here in Charlotte?
Between doubles everyday and triple coupons you’ll see these deals come up again and again at area grocery stores:

toothpaste
toothbrushes
dental floss
pasta/noodles
rice
boxed potatoes
instant potatoes
Duke’s Mayo
French’s yellow mustard, spicy or honey mustard
BBQ sauce
salsa
Kraft salad dressing
Daisy sour cream
single serve yogurts
microwave popcorn
hot sauce
relish/pickles
boxed side dishes
chicken broth
canned veggies
frozen veggies
shampoo & conditioner
hair spray, mousse or gel
deoderant
shave cream
panty liners
maxi pads
tampons
toilet cleaner
Windex/Glass Plus
Scrubbing Bubbles
all purpose cleaners - 409, Fantastik
sponges
paper towels
Quaker Old Fashion Oats
Eggo products
applesauce
candy bars
energy bars - Luna bars, Zone bars etc
gum
Excederin
soap - bar soap and liquid soap like SoftSoap
tuna
Muir Glen Tomatoes
Muir Glen Tomato Paste
Muir Glen Tomato Sauce
Old El Paso & Oretega refried beans, enchilada and taco sauce, taco/fajita seasoning
soup
Pillsbury cressent rolls/biscuits/cinnamon buns
brownie/cake/cookie mix
frosting
sugar
brown & confectioner’s sugar
tea bags
Smart Water/Life Water/Gatorade/Powerade
dish detergent
dish washing liquid
plastic baggies