Comments on: The One Month Coupon Strategy: A Really Clever Way to Make Coupons Worthwhile

By: Voucher Codes

Voucher Codes — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:24:08 +0000

And as others said, it doesn’t take a lot of time. I separated the coupons from the Sunday paper, tossed them in a file folder labeled with the week, and then clipped just before shopping. It took no more than 20 minutes, maybe 40 if I had a lot to buy.

By: Hot Coupons

Hot Coupons — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 09:11:32 +0000

very good articles. I have used coupons for many years. Every time, when i do shopping online , I will search coupon on google. I visited many coupon websites to compare which coupon is best. There are a lot of coupon sites so you can get many coupons.

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:12:51 +0000

Great article. I’ve been also using coupons for years and it is worth the time to clip them and look through the store ads to match items. I have saved lots of money doing this.

By: Monroe on a Budget

Monroe on a Budget — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:18:59 +0000

This concept works pretty well as a general rule… however, Rite Aid and CVS are both known for booking certain sales the same week a coupon is released.

Watch the drugstore fliers for those details. Both stores will actually give you that information from time to time.

By: Vickey

Vickey — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:11:29 +0000

@ fran fire: couponpromotions.com looks like an advertising-only site. What is your relationship with that site, please? You wouldn’t be astro-turfing (or whatever the current term is), would you?

By: fran fire

fran fire — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:24:46 +0000

You can definitely save a lot of money at your local grocery store by clipping coupons from the Sunday paper. The thing is, what if you want to save money on an internet purchase?

The solution:
I found an amazing coupon site called http://www.couponpromotions.com that lets you save money on internet purchases!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:28:56 +0000

How do I find out if and when my grocery store has double coupon days?

By: JennysMom

JennysMom — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:51:45 +0000

Come join us grocery hounds over on MSN’s message boards,on WIR (Women In Red). The thread is called, The Grocery Challenge. But we lovingly call it, the Pound! I first posted with Message # 26 and have been addicted every since. There’s now more than 25,500 messsage posts. It’s the longest-running thread (now up to 2,139 pages)and will go on hopefully forever, cuz all of us have saved so much money by knowing the 12-week sales cycle, stockpiling and using coupons when possible. It’s the NEW gravy train for the 21st Century!We are fans of many sites, including couponmom.com and hotcoupon world (HCW).
We call ourselves hounds (sniffin’ for deals in Grocery Land, we are!), call coupons, woofies, and talk about a lot of great deals, we find with exact info and prices. We’re from all over the country, from big families to small, from the East Coast to the West Coasties and anywhere in between. We can be different in our choices of what food we buy, but we have one thing in common: We want to save a bunch of money when we walk into any grocery store. And we do!
And puh-leeze don’t be afraid of the over 2,000 pages! We love “new pups” and us pack of hounds promise NOT to bite. If you’re a little apprehensive ‘cuz of the # of pages, check out my posts on Page 1605 that I posted in early May. Pictures really are worth a 1,000 words! 5,000 “dog biscuits” in an online savings account getting 3.50% is something to bark about! And I’ve added more biscuits twice since May!So just introduce yourself and you become a lovable Pound Puppy!
And I’m a natural/organic grocery hound, and don’t even use that many coupons. Although I did find Go-Organic coupon booklets (Google it!) which don’t expire ’till 8-31-08 to be my newest best friend. Com’on give us a woof over on the MSN message boards! We also send coupons to each other and have a grocery hound coupon club and ask for coupons from each other that we may need week by week. That way, we can help each other “find good homes” for “woofies”… um, coupons!
We’ve leave the light on… Can’t wait to WOOF in greeting when YOU introduce yourself! You will be amazed how being a grocery hound changes your entire life–and not just financial. Thanks for reading my ridiculously long post! But I wanted to bark out to those who hadn’t heard of The Grocery Challenge on MSN.

By: UrbanFrugal

UrbanFrugal — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:05:22 +0000

Clipping coupons can be a pain if you don’t have a strategy. Lately, though I have noticed that many coupons have been synching up with the sales for the same week. So, by combining the sale price with a coupon or a store coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon I save big.

For me signing up for email lists is worth it when companies send me coupons for $1 or $2 off of one item that I actually use.

http://www.urbanfrugal.com

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:26:46 +0000

I forgot to add, like that post wasn’t long enough, that we have a yard service, order in and still eat out. I CAN cut deep if I have to but we have found a level of frugality and simplicity that works for us.

We are container gardening this summer to learn how to grow our own veggies, that will save even more money!

We all have to find that point and relax into it…as long as we know HOW to deeply cut the fat when we have too.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:20:07 +0000

I started off with the Grocery Game then began doing it myself once I got the hang of it. At the big Couponing weekends I’d buy several hundred dollars in foods, HBA, etc. to stockpile and rarely spend over $10.

I regularly save 50% off the grocery bill with out couponing and generally save/stockpile 75% off the bill with coupons. The kind of money I save for a family of 4 big adults is amazing! We could easily make payments on a new Honda with the money saved. Debt is a four letter word to us and we will never again not pay cash. We plowed the money saved into a lifestyle of less stress.

I don’t clip anymore, but I used to. Now I make use of coupon brokers who clip for me and mail the coupons, I just slip them in my purse size leaflet and review the adds online to all the stores in my area. Then make my meal plan and grocery list. I only order the coupons I KNOW I’ll use. No cookies, or snack items.

For less than a quarter and mostly for free I get:
toothpaste, toothbrushes, ketchup, bbq sauce, mustard, instant potatoes, soap, air freshners, pasta. After that I save no less than .75 on every coupon I use because my stores will triple up to .39 and double up to .50. When albertsons was having their big triples up to .75 I was getting savings in the high 90%.

For those who prefer a greener way to live or have allergies, like the lady who can only use a certain toothpaste, then I suggest using baking soda a couple times a day for toothpaste….vinegar is also good for cleaning kitchen counters and alcohol is good for mirrors and glass.

You can make your own laundry soap too.

I also have a method of cooking that eliminates tired after-work drops by the fast food joints. Yes, it takes a little more time but knowing HOW to do these things, practicing for a month at a time so you can learn how to do them effectively can prepare you for when you don’t have a choice or you are paying off debt. For us it got my husband out of a Corporate Rat Race job with an hour commute into a job that pays half, has VERY little stress and I don’t have to work past about 1 hour a week on saving money.

He did have to get another degree, took 18 months. but now he commutes 12 minutes, I don’t ‘work’ and we have no debt, ‘cept mortgage. He works overtime once a month to pad our emergency fund and pay off the house.

We paid ZERO in taxes, got one stimulus check, and live in the suburbs in a nice neighborhood well above the median price of homes in our zip code.

There is a better way! And couponing is part of it.

By: Alexia

Alexia — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:36:04 +0000

Hi, love your site! We usually just plan the menu around the sales and price match at the Walmart… I was telling DH about this technique and he asked a great question! =)

Don’t they say right on the coupon that you can’t use it in conjunction with any other sale????

Help! =)I really, really, would love to save another $30 or so a week. It’s better than a part time job IMHO cuz no babysitter! =)

By: Jacinta

Jacinta — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:44:11 +0000

I don’t think the coupon thing is done in Australia, and I don’t really understand how it works. Do coupons come with barcodes, or do you put the coupons with each applicable product and let the sales clerk work it out? I would expect this would make the people waiting in line behind you very grumpy.

The best piece of advice I can give though, is to get to know your grocery store’s habits. In Melbourne, Australia, most grocery stores do their restock on Thursday night/Friday morning. Which means all the items which have a 1 week expiry date are marked as discounted for quick sale on Wednesday night/Thursday morning. Thus it’s easy to buy things like pre-sliced mushrooms, and other “prepared” vegetables and fruits, yoghurt, fresh juice, etc for up to 50% off. Sure you need to use it very soon, but I find that I can buy a fridge worth of these things, cook up a feast on the weekend, and have several days worth of food for much less than regular costs.

By: DeLaina

DeLaina — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:50:41 +0000

Saturday I went shopping @ Krogers. Poured over their weekly ad for about 2 hours and got my coupons together. I had at least 1 coupon for almost everything item I bought. Krogers was also having a deal where you bought 10 for 10, you also saved another $5 on each 10 items, up to $15 per transaction. On top of this, I had a $20 prescription transfer coupon and $3 off my order from a previous trip. By the end of the trip, I had saved over $200 in store/mfg/bonus coupons. I spent a total of $150 dollars for a well mounded cart and the bottom full as well. I saved 57% on my bill that day plus got $.10 off 4 fill ups in May. I did have a problem checking out though. Since I had over $200 in coupons & my bill was $150 (originally over $350), the computer thought the store owed ME $50. Had to have someone from the cash office come and override the transaction so I could leave the store!

By: couponlady

couponlady — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:25:28 +0000

Wow, there are so many comments here I could spend all day in response! I realize everyone has differnt needs and lifestyles so I won’t touch on that one.

I will talk a little about any family that is looking to put good food on the table and still save for college and retirement. CLIP THOSE COUPONS!!! This is what I got this past weekend for under $10.00 out of pocket.

Venus Razor (2) Colgate Toothpaset (2) Crest Pro Health Mouth Wash (4) Oral B Toothbrush (4) Garnier Shampoo/conditioner/styling products (total of 4 assorted) Treats for my cat (6) Cat food (8 cans), Dole Salad Mix (2) Tyson Chicken Breast 5 lbs and today I am going back to CVS to get my FREE jelly beans-plastic easter eggs and Hershey Pot of Gold Chocolates. Oh, and I got a raincheck on Saturday for Campbells cream of mushroom soup (40cents each after sale and coupon) and Swansons Chicken broth (also 40 cents each after sale and coupon).

My average now is 78% savings on all HABA that I purchase and 67% on all food that comes into our house. I don’t know exactly what my % is on cleaning supplies but if I had to guess I think it would be about 80%.

I have helped many of the women in my church to save using very simple tools. I would be happy to help you as well, just email me @ coupn_gal@yahoo.com

Tonia/Va

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:12:53 +0000

Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!!!!! Wait a whole month to use coupons?! That is FUNNY. Why would I wait 4 weeks to save 30-40% when this week I could get it for free? It’s called watching the ads people (and it doesn’t take much time to do). I use some coupons right away and others I use weeks down the road. It all depends on the sales at the 3 major grocery stores in my area. I always save 75-90% on my grocery bill and that wouldn’t happen doing it this way. That guy at Hy-vee is yanking your chain.

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:49:16 +0000

If I didn’t even go through my coupon inserts when I got them, I’d miss out on many sales and clearance deals! What happens when a sale for a product comes out at a store, and I have the coupon but just don’t know it? Then I’m twice as disappointed if I clipped the coupons weeks later, just to find that A) I missed a deal, or B) the coupon’s now expired.

I don’t clip every coupon insert I get, as I usually get free multiples every week by going to gas stations at midnight Sunday night, and asking for their unsold papers. I store my inserts in a plastic container with drawers, but I definitely go through each insert and clip the ones I can use immediately. I also clip the coupons I know I will use. But I’ve learned not to throw away the ones I think I’ll never use. I either find a great sale or clearance on those items, and try them, or trade those coupons to someone else who needs them.

By: Dee

Dee — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:55:51 +0000

A couple of comments:
DO buy your Sunday paper at the local ‘Dollar’ store.
DO ask people for their coupon inserts if you know they don’t use them (friends, family, co-workers, etc).
DON’T wait 4 weeks to use coupons – many times coupons are released the same week there is a big promotion at major chain grocery stores or drug stores (CVS, Walgreens, etc)
DO take the time to read the grocery ads and match them up to the coupons you have. The grocery game costs money, and coupon mom doesn’t cover every part of the country. I would recommend a site like http://www.hotcouponworld.com. They have forums tailored to specific chains and specific parts of the country, and it is free.
It may take even a couple of hours a week to get your stockpile set up, but I figure I save our family way more than I’d make in a part-time job. There are many items we never pay for, and we even manage to donate several bags of (free to us) food and health/beauty items to our food bank every month. Generics are fine if there are no coupons for an item you need, but I can’t remember the last time I actually needed to buy a generic item. We also don’t belong to a warehouse club – just shop where the sales (and rebates, and savings cards) are.

By: sam

sam — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:25:57 +0000

I no longer eat carbs. I also can not have toothpaste or breath mints with sorbital in them. Because of my medical condition, I have to eat certain things everyday. And this causes my grocery bill to be more than I’d like it to be. I have never seen a coupon for Tom’s of Maine toothpaste (Retail $3.98). I seem to never clip coupons anymore. If you can help me save on my grocery bill I’d truly appreciate it. I can no longer go into a store and buy whatever’s on sale. I’m forced to buy what I must have, no matter what the price. If I knew of coupons for these items I’d save them. Thank you for sharing this information.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 15:42:10 +0000

I found another site at http://CrazyBargain.com that is rather interesting, although I’m not sure how useful to everyone. It contains a random selection of links to other coupon type sites. Every once in a while, I check it out to see the new coupon links.