Learn How to Coupon

How can you save money at the grocery store? How can I save money on diaper, deodorant, toothpaste, shower gel, etc? How can you maximize your savings with coupons? If you have asked your self these questions, then maybe it is time you learned how to coupon! Here are FOUR easy steps to get you started! Once you get these steps down you will be ready to use your coupons to save!

1. Collect Coupons

The easiest way is from your Sunday newspaper. Each weekend, there will be between 1-5 coupon inserts available, depending. Those inserts usually are the Smart Source, Red Plum, P&G (once a month), or General Mills, and sometimes the Pepsi Moments or Play Saver (with kids toys coupons). I recommend buying the paper every week. Except Holiday weekends because they will not have coupon inserts. I also recommend saving the whole coupon inserts even after you cut out the ones you want. I often find great deals on products I wouldn’t normally buy because of high prices. When there is a super great deal I go back to that insert that coupon was in, and cut them out! I do not cut all of my coupons out. I do not use all, and see no need to waste some extra time doing so! I have a family of 4 and personally purchase 2 Sunday Papers a week (I don’t buy any else where). Also be sure to ask friends, relatives, and co workers to save you the inserts if they do not use them, or when they are done with them. This is how I get so many some times.

Another way to get coupons is by printing coupons. There are a few great printable coupon sites available. Many companies release high value printable coupons on their Facebook page or direct website as well. I also post when there is great printable coupons available to print out. I will let you know on My Momma Taught Me, and often with the best deal that week when new coupons pop up.

• Coupons.com
• SmartSource
• Redplum
• Hopster
• Pillsbury
• Betty Crocker

Be on the look out for coupons in your stores as well. Often times we can find coupons right in our stores! You may often here these terms used when online.

✅ Tear Pads – refer the stacks of coupons that you can find (like image above) that you can tear the coupon off the pad to get. Often found by the products when offered.
✅ Blinkies – refer to the coupons found in the red machines that usually have a blinking red light on them. You pull the coupon from the machine and another pops out.
✅ Hang Tags – refer to the coupons that are found on the products typically on bottles where they are hanging around the top being offered on every bottle.
✅ Peelies – refers to the coupons we see attached to the products themselves like a sticker. You have to peel them off in order to use them.

The newest way to save is with digital coupons! These are wonderful because everyone can do them! They all basically work the same. Most are manufacturers offers so they cannot be stacked unless noted as a store coupon. They are coupons you load to your store account and come off when you shop either by entering your phone number or scanning your stores loyalty cards. You can learn how Tops Markets Digital Coupons work and Dollar Generals Digital Coupons work as well. Those are the two most common ones we talk about. Check your stores website to see if they offer digital coupons.

2. Organizing Your Coupons

Organization is very important when couponing. Being organized will save you time! Organize your coupons so that you can use them when you need them, and find them easily as well! There are many different ways to organize your coupons. I have a couple different ways that I’ve done it – with a coupon binder or a coupon clutch. Below are the most common.

• • • Accordion Style Clutch have many sections (recommend for beginners, if you don’t have a ton of coupons, plus it’s easy to carry in your purse)
    • Binder with baseball card separators with tabbed dividers (now you’re getting serious with tons of coupons!). You can also purchase sleeves that will hold the coupons better here. 
    • Hanging File Holder with drop in folders can help you store the inserts whole.
    • Envelopes can be used to hold categories of coupons. Or you could use them to separate the stores you shop at and the coupons you would need for them.

Keeping your coupons organized is very important. It helps you keep your sanity! LOL and make things easier in the long run for you. Also, if you happen to be out and see a clearance item you know you have a coupon for, it is easy to find.

This is how I organize mine into categories:
1- Pasta/Condiments
2- Frozen
3- Meats
4- Snacks/Breakfast
5- Baby
6- Bath/Body
7- Medicine
8- Cleaning
9- Misc.
(which all could be sub categorized even more if wanted)

I find this is simple enough and categorized according to how the items are found in the grocery store. Too many categories for me just would get me lost trying to find it all and a pain when putting them away. But you do what works for you!

* When I go into a store I always have a list of what I am buying, how much it is on sale for, and what price coupon I am using. This helps me stay focused and organized. I fold that list and put my coupons inside of it that I plan on using. Of course everyone is different. You will eventually come upon the best way that will work for you!

3. Choose Your Stores

When first starting off, you can easily get overwhelmed with coupons and all the many deals out there! I suggest picking one or two stores to shop at (particularly ones you have before). Start using some coupons there, and read up on their coupon policies. Different stores have different coupon policies and what they allow. Knowing that is half the battle!

The main stores we here at My Momma Taught Me cover are: Tops Markets, Wegmans, Dollar General, Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid.

Join our coupons groups so you can chat up with out local couponers and see what deals everyone is getting each week and learn how to coupon with confidence.

4. Follow Weekly Sales 

An easy way to get a hang of what the deals are and look like is to look through the stores weekly sales fliers and to follow coupon matchups. Currently we are only covering full coupon matchups for Tops Markets and Dollar General each week on My Momma Taught Me. You can also find deals specifically for Tops Markets on my other site Couponing at Tops and Wegmans deals on my site Couponing at Wegmans. We also share the best deals each week at the other stores we cover. The matchups are lists of sale prices and all the coupons available to use at said store. Following matchups and best deals each week will not only save you money when you shop, but time preparing your lists too! We try to help you the best we can!

Hope this Helps!
Kristy – My Momma Taught Me