I showed last time that all my inserts go together into a big accordion file. I clip what I know I will use right away and the rest as I need it. Everything I have clipped goes into a simple coupon organizer that I buy at Dollar Tree. I have a big one for all my needs and a small one that I keep the coupons in for Katie's special foods. I used my label maker to label the files in a way that works good for me.
Before I head out shopping, I pull the coupons I need for each store and put them in an envelope labeled for that store. My shopping list (when I have one) is usually really short because I use the sorted coupons as my list. I bring my organizer with me as well so that way if I see a deal, I can pull coupons from it as needed.
I know lots of couponers focus on getting whatever they can for free, which is awesome and fun to do. However, we do have some brands and products we prefer, so while I do have to pay more for them, I always make sure I have a coupon. I try very hard to save my coupons for sales and have a coupon for every single item I purchase. Even if I'm only saving .25 off my box of Puffs Plus, that adds up in the long run. You don't have to be a super couponer to save money!
Different stores have different coupon policies. Some people visit that store's website and print out said policy to carry with them in the event they are hassled about their coupons (and that does happen).
I never used to shop at Walgreen's because it's more expensive. Since I've started watching the ad and using more coupons, I get tons of stuff at a great price or even free!! Walgreens will let you use 1 Walgreens store coupon and 1 manufacturer's coupon per item. They also have register rewards, which is basically a manufacturer coupon for $$ off your next purchase. Walgreen's main rule...you can't have more manufacturer coupons than items. Couponing101 has a great post about using coupons at Walgreens. Be sure and check it out!
Once again, products are commonly more expensive, but not when you shop sales and use coupons! The thing I love about my Dillons is that they double coupons up to $1, as many as you have, every single day! There are commonly promotions when you buy x number of a certain list of items and save x amount of $$. These promotions typically yield lots of very inexpensive or free items when paired with coupons. To benefit from this you need to have a Plus Card, which will also get you fuel points to save money on gas. I'm also particularly fond of our new Dillon's Marketplace because of their large health food (gluten free) selection. It's typically less expensive than a health food store and the coupons double!
Target is also awesome in that you can use 1 Target coupon and 1 manufacturer coupon per item. Stacking coupons is a great way to get free items. Target is also constantly running promotions where you buy x amount of a certain item and get a $5 gift card for doing so. If you use a coupon to buy those items, you can often come out ahead on promotions like this. Target is my favorite place to buy Kashi for super cheap and sometimes free!
Walmart is where I used to do all my shopping. They have nearly everything and at nearly the lowest price. When we're needing stuff that I haven't been able to get super cheap elsewhere, I buy it at Walmart with a coupon. When I'm in a hurry or if I don't have a coupon for something, I typically shop at Walmart. Using coupons at Walmart is pretty cut and dry, they don't double, they don't have store coupons, but the register will require a CSM override if you use more than 40 coupons in one transaction. Walmart will also price match if an item is available at a different store for a lower price.
Using coupons takes a little work and some extra time, but it's totally worth it in the end. Because of coupons, we have more fun money, more money in savings and are able to give more generously than would otherwise be possible!
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