Inserts : Coupon Inserts from your Sunday newspaper are the bread and butter of your coupon collection. Each Sunday paper has coupon inserts holding tons of coupons for various products. Products that with the right timing you can get for almost nothing!
Each week the Sunday paper will contain at least one coupon insert. Holiday weekends are the exception. It will normally state on the first page of the paper if there aren't any coupons in that paper. The most common inserts are Proctor & Gamble, Red Plum and Smart Source. Proctor & Gamble only come out at the first of the month but the other two come out almost weekly. The key to building your stock pile and also for getting the big savings is to have 5-6 of these papers. Contact your paper's circulatory department and see what specials they have. You should be able to get a "Sunday Only" subscription. You should be able to find this deal for either around or under a $1 a paper. Don't pay over $2 a paper. You can go to the gas station and find them for that!
Also start telling friends and family members about your new hobby and if they don't want their coupons, send them your way! Before long you'll have tons of inserts to use!
Buying Coupons Online : I know this sounds nuts but you can actually buy pre-cut coupons! If you just don't have the time to cut out 6 subscriptions or it isn't in the budget this option might be for you! Coupons generally sell for a handling fee of $0.05 - $0.20 each, and the values are about 10 times that much. Buying pre-cut manufacturer coupons online is an effective way to build your stockpile quickly.
Try to time getting your coupons with the sales that the stores in your area are having to maximize your savings. To be successful, you'll have to stay on top or ahead of the stores sales. Normally you will get the sales ad's on Sunday or sometimes Wednesday. Find the coupons you want to use online to coordinate with the sales and order them quickly so that you don't miss the sale! With a little planning and forethought getting coupons online can be fun and easy!
A couple of sites offering clipped coupons are TheCouponClippers.com or CouponsThingsByDede.com. You can also just google "coupon clipping service " and you can find a ton of sites that offer it. These websites clearly state that you are paying for the time and handling of the coupons so as not to breach the legal verbiage on the coupon that states "may not be transferred".
1) You will need to download the software to be able to print the bar code and so on. It's a one time thing and totally safe.
2) You can only print two (2) of the same coupon. Unless you print from a different computer. It doesn't matter on the printer just the computer.
If you can gain access to some different computers then you can get more of the same coupon. Normally printable coupons coincide with ones you received in the paper so you can add to your supply.
eCoupons are nice because you can load them straight to your store loyalty card. eCoupons are manufacturer coupons and cannot be used with other manufacturer coupons, but can be used with store coupons. There are two different types of eCoupons on the market right now, Save to Card Coupons and Mobile Coupons. Save to card coupons are the most common way to save at the grocery store. The newest way is Mobile coupons where you register and then the company sends you a text that the checker then scans at check out!
Catalina's : Never heard of a Catalina? Well neither had I before I started couponing! Catalina machines are the little grey box connected to the scanner at the checkout stand. They print out coupons based on the items you buy. How smart is that? These machines are present in over 23,000 stores and 200 different grocery chains.
Types of Catalina's :
1. STORE COUPONS : Save $2 off purchase of any fresh "store brand" meat.
This is considered a store coupon and can only be redeemed at the the same store (or another location of the same chain). These may be used along with manufacturer coupons. Other examples of store Catalina's :
$3 off your next produce purchase of $10 or more
2. "COURTESY OF" MANUFACTURER COUPON : Save $5 off your next shopping order courtesy of General Mills
These Catalina manufacturer coupons are good on your next shopping order of $5 or more. You'll receive this Catalina by purchasing a minimum dollar amount of specific products. These Catalina's may only be redeemed at the store where they printed out or another store in that chain. These Catalina's can be used on almost any purchase. Catalina exclusions may included: dairy, tobacco, lottery items etc.
3. PRODUCT SPECIFIC MANUFACTURER COUPON: Save $2 on any Listerine product. Redeem at Walgreens.
Oddly enough, the Catalina's that name a single product and say"redeem at Walgreens" (or another store) are actually the only ones that may be used at other stores, including Wal Mart. You must check your individual store policy, but many stores that accept competitors coupons will accept these product-specific manufacturer coupons.
How to use Catalina's to your advantage : Catalina's provide a straight dollar amount off your next purchase. There is a technique called Rolling Catalina's which I will try to illustrate here. Say the store promotions says "Spend $25 on any combination of these 5 products and receive a Catalina good for $10 off your next shopping order." I could get $100 worth of products but instead of buying them all in one transaction, I buy them $25 worth of items at a time. After my first transaction , I use the "$10 off" Catalina to offset the cost of my next transaction. Then another Catalina prints and I can repeat the process. This is called "Rolling Catalina's". I end up getting $40 off of $100 worth of items!
Blinkies : Ok well blinkies are just that :) They are little machines set up in your grocer's aisle that dispense free coupons! Although they are tough to find in my part of the woods they may be prevalent in your area! If you think you will use them before they expire then go ahead and take a couple, that's what they are there for!
Tearpads : Tearpads are just like blinkies! I have noticed these increasing in my area from everything to Hallmark Cards to Cold meds! They work the same way as any other coupon!
Peelies: Peelies are the little incentives to buy products right on top! Read the fine print on these sometimes you maybe able to use them for the same brand but a different product! Remember though that they are manufacturer coupons and cannot be used with other manufacturer coupons.
Store Coupons : Most stores will have their own coupons. Store often publish coupons in their weekly ads. Look through your ads when you get them to see if you see any coupons. You can also visit the stores website to see what coupons they have at the moment. Again you can go to TheKrazyCouponLady.com where they have printable store coupons! Just remember, as long as it doesn't say "manufacturer coupon" on the top then it's a store coupon! Remember also that you can use a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on an item!!
There you have it! That is the low down on most coupons you'll find along the way!! Good luck!
