Do you have a coupon/sale ad plan of attack?

[Buc-O-Mama]

How do you get the most bang for your buck when you coupon? Do you have a system?

There is no such thing as a double coupon in my area. I've clipped coupons for years, but you all seem to be way more succesful at turning them into savings then I have ever been. Thanks, Erika

[sdrjeolsen]

I clip off and on. I wish I were more consistant. I'm sure many here have a better system than I do, but anyhow....

I use a shoebox and have about 50 catagories breakdowns, Ex: cereals to brand, hot cereals, breakfast bars, instant breakfasts, etc, through the entire store.

Some recommend saving the whole coupon insert intact (btw, the date is usually on the side) because many sites reference the coupon by the date of the insert it was in. I clip mine because I like to take my box in with me for unadvertised sales, clearance items, etc.

[coup]

Here's my 2 cents:

Does your local paper have decent coupons? I quit couponing when my local paper would only carry 1 insert which usualy only had 1-2 coupons that I would use. You may need to purchase a different Sunday paper.

My coupon organization system: I use a three ring binder and plastic 3 1/2 x 5 inch photo page inserts to hold the coupons. I made up categories and sort them by expiration within each category. Categories include: laundry, batteries, tp, dental, hair related, cereal, other breakfast food, canned items, boxed items, meats, etc.

Good luck! The other thing I have learned is it is okay to take a break from couponing. I shopped before work this morning and didn't take a single coupon with me. Other times, I'm in the store (that doubles up to a dollar) for over an hour finding deals!

[leezza]

I live in an area that doesn't double either, darn it!

1. have to buy the big city newspaper for a better/bigger batch of coupons, (local paper doesn't carry as many)

2. Clip all coupons on Sunday morning take what I think I will use and pass the rest along to others. (this takes about 20 minutes or so)

3. I use a plastic accordian style pocket book that I got at Office depot on sale for $2......I file by my own catagories and also by exp. date.

4. I keep my coupon pocket in my car so that no matter where I stop I always have it ready.

5. I try to take my coupon pocket with me no matter what store I am in, in case I see a sale or something I can't pass up.

6. I try to match coupons to sales, this is still a work in progress for me, (although I do carry my Safeway flyer in my purse with me, it has come in handy a few times to get rainchecks and replacement items when they run out of whats on sale).

This is all I can think of right now.

leezza

[frugalfriend]

(btw, the date is usually on the side) because many sites reference the coupon by the date of the insert it was in.

Thanks!! I NEVER noticed the date was printed real tiny on the side!!
Sometimes I have forgotton to write the date on the top and it has been frustrating because I do the "save the whole insert" method. LOL!

[Jill B.]

I just use a small accordion file that I got at Target in the office supply area a few years ago. I sit with my coffee on Sat. morning and gothrough the 3 grocery stores I shop at. I circle the things that are on sale that I need and that are a good sale. Then, I use pencil and paper and make a list for each store and match up coupons with sales. I usually go to 2 stores a week. Usually the 3rd store doesn't have much or I can send DH when he is driving there to get the 2 specials I want.

[Jenna_Army_Wife]

Also, the 3 biggest sources I have for getting multiples of coupons are:

1) Trading.

2) Going to my local gas stations on Sunday nights just before midnight, and asking if I can have leftover papers for free. Many say yes, and I get a lot!

3) Ebay. I occasionally buy 20 of a certain coupon if I know it's going to get me a great deal.

[Jskell911]

I sign up for the online ads for the grocery stores near me. I also use HCW all the time. I love that others post their deals. Sometimes it alerts me to the fact that I missed that item and do have the coupon for it.

They also have a coupon database so you can check where to find the coupons.

I use the 3 ring binder method myself. I also have sections for store specific coupons.

I have recently started doing some rebates as well. Hoping to get better at finding these.

[lindsey02]

I am in Clearwater Florida and maybe some of the things I do will be helpful.
I do most of my shopping at publix because they take all competitors coupons. Every once in a while publix will have a $5 off $50 in the Sunday paper. Albertsons also has them every few weeks in the ads that come in the mail on Tuesdays. I also buy multiple copies of the Entertainment Book for the Tampa Bay area. (right now walgreens have them $10 off, so they come out to $15 each. Publix has 4 $5 off coupons and towards the end of the book there is another small grocrey chain ( i forget the name of) with 12 $5 off coupons. publix will let you combine. So if you spend $100 you can use 2 and save $10. This is how I save the most money. I hold onto the whole incert for sundays paper because I have noticed that about a week or two after a coupon runs in the paper publix puts the item buy one get one free. Some grocery stores have a system that stops you from being able to use more than one coupon per item but publix has no real scanning system. They always let me use multiples as long as they are not the exact same coupon. so I may have one for $1 off and another for $.50 off and they will accept both. They also honor coupons printed out from the internet.
I hope some off this helps.