I wanted to share something that I used to do, which is do grocery couponing on a large scale. If you put the effort into it, it can net you LOTS of items for free or cheap. You can build your food & staple items stash from this. Alternately you can use the money savings to buy better stuff for your stash.
First off, I will warn you that it takes hours per week to do this. I'd say, at least 10 hours a week. This is why I quit, it just got to be too much. But I might do it again, you certainly do get a LOT in return just for your work, and almost no money up front. If you can get the family's help then it might get pretty easy then.
I'm going to explain my method, and once the main idea is clear then you folks can change it and do however you want. I'm not going to address coupon trading because I never did that, I didn't think it was worth my time, although if you manage it and get a good system down you can save a whole lot MORE money that way. See, up here in New England stores tend to double coupons that are under 99 cents. Consequently, the coupons that appear in the inserts are almost always "$1 off 2" and such. However in other parts of the country they DON'T double coupons so often, so the inserts will have different values such as "50 cents off one" and more. So it is worth it to trade if you can make it worth your time and effort and postage.
Now, online coupons, I don't bother with those either. It costs at least 25 cents per page in ink to print them plus wear and tear on the printer, and the hassle involved in finding them and convincing the store to redeem them- so I don't bother. Other people might have more success so more power to you if you can.
You need a source for coupons. You need at least 10 sets of coupon inserts, but the more the better. It is not cost effective to buy the papers, you need a free source. Try this site http://www.hotcouponworld.com/ and look at the forums where people talk about where to get coupons. I'm blessed in that in my town, the recycling center (which you literally have to be a resident of the town to have access) has a large shipping container that is used for newspapers. People put their papers into paper bags and stack them into the shipping container. I am able to get the inserts, as many as I want. You will have to find your own source- maybe a newspaper delivery person, or a store that sells newspapers, recycling center, get creative.
You will need a filing system, I use hanging folders in stacking plastic file crates.
You need an accordion-pleated divider thing for the coupons you actually take with you to the store. Different people use different things. I got a box that had accordion-pleated sections, used for photos. I like to label the sections strictly alphabetically. So- "K" has Kraft mac & cheese, Kraft item b, Kraft item c, any brand name starting with K. Just seems simpler to me than wondering if an item belongs in the "junk food" category or some other category and which I put it in. But other people do differently.
It would be a good idea to have a rubber mat like quilters use and an exacto knife. Cutting with scissors gets real old and hard on the hands. Other people use those paper cutters with the handle that comes down but it needs to be a heavy-duty one, and those are expensive, if you don't already have one.
You need a standard size (pref. heavy duty) stapler, paper clips, 3-ring binder, and ability to use a computer database (even just a text document will do fine. You want to be able to search for coupons is all.)
O.k., here's the method.
First go through your insert stack. Try to keep the inserts intact. Stack the inserts by date and by type, as in, Valpack, Sunday Saver, Proctor & Gambel, etc. Put all the loose ones that you don't know where they go into a separate pile. DO NOT CUT ANYTHING. File them in the hanging files according to date and then according to type. The date and type is written in very small type on the spine of the insert.
Then go to this site: http://www.taylortownpreview.com/index.htm. Look up that week's inserts. Take out a whole insert that is the same. I wouldn't say copy and paste the information from the site because that site is copyrighted-![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
but use it as a guide to get the information into your text document on your computer or your database. You are going to have to alter a lot because this site is based somewhere else in the country- some values will be different, and more importantly, local coupons will be different. So you will be adding local coupons (like for Tim's chips or something) and deleting what are local coupons for her. Just go page by page and it will become obvious. What you want is manufacturer (ex., Kraft), Item, amount coupon is for, and expiration date.
A person could conceivably buy a barcode scanner and build a computer program to automatically catalog this stuff- the person that does it will have my eternal blessings.
So- now you have a master list of the coupons you have. It takes maybe an hour or two I think, only once a week. But it is vital.
Now, spend a little time on this site, particularly the forums: http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/index.php People will tell what the good deals are at the various stores, and tell how they manage, and give good advise, and so on. They will point out the free deals you can get with your coupons- this is important till you learn to do it yourself.
So find the deals and make your grocery list. You are going to go to the websites for each of the stores you visit, and look up that week's circular. For example, this one: http://www.stopandshop.com/savings/circular.htm?linkid=H Go page by page. Eventually your memory should be good enough that you will see "ah, X on sale this week, I just saw a coupon for that." Sales often match what coupons come out, they do that on purpose. But that is what the database is for- you go to your computer and do control-F and "find" whatever items you want to buy, hopefully you will have a coupon listed for it.
Write down the item and write down the coupon, AND what insert and insert date you are getting it from. Here's a few tips. Coupons are seasonal. Buy enough of item X to last the whole year until the cycle comes round again. Next week do the same with a different item. If you're getting it for cheap or free with coupons you can do this kind of thing.
NOW- you go and clip your coupons. Do one coupon at a time (more if you get practiced, from one insert type at a time)- say you want a coupon for Charmin toilet paper found in this week's Proctor & Gamble insert. Look in your file (organized by date and by insert type) and grab the stack of inserts. Go through the top one and find the page the coupon is on. Take the page out and set it aside. Do that through the whole stack of inserts. Grab your stapler and staple through the whole set of pages you set aside, right in the corner of the coupon you want. Cutting through the entire set at once, cut your coupon out. Put the pages back in the folder with the inserts, you might want those other coupons later. (You can staple all of them on that page at once and cut them out as long as you have it all out- but that might be a waste of time/effort if you never use them.)
So, you see, you only clip out the exact coupons you want that week. If you tried to clip every coupon you have you'd quickly go insane.
You want the three ring binder to put in things like printouts of the rules for coupons that the grocery stores you go to have (each store is a little different, it can make a big difference), and your coupon master lists, and printouts of the guidelines for what goes on sale when through the year. Some people also chart how much things sell for from store to store, I don't.
That is about all I can think of for now. I hope it helps![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
First off, I will warn you that it takes hours per week to do this. I'd say, at least 10 hours a week. This is why I quit, it just got to be too much. But I might do it again, you certainly do get a LOT in return just for your work, and almost no money up front. If you can get the family's help then it might get pretty easy then.
I'm going to explain my method, and once the main idea is clear then you folks can change it and do however you want. I'm not going to address coupon trading because I never did that, I didn't think it was worth my time, although if you manage it and get a good system down you can save a whole lot MORE money that way. See, up here in New England stores tend to double coupons that are under 99 cents. Consequently, the coupons that appear in the inserts are almost always "$1 off 2" and such. However in other parts of the country they DON'T double coupons so often, so the inserts will have different values such as "50 cents off one" and more. So it is worth it to trade if you can make it worth your time and effort and postage.
Now, online coupons, I don't bother with those either. It costs at least 25 cents per page in ink to print them plus wear and tear on the printer, and the hassle involved in finding them and convincing the store to redeem them- so I don't bother. Other people might have more success so more power to you if you can.
You need a source for coupons. You need at least 10 sets of coupon inserts, but the more the better. It is not cost effective to buy the papers, you need a free source. Try this site http://www.hotcouponworld.com/ and look at the forums where people talk about where to get coupons. I'm blessed in that in my town, the recycling center (which you literally have to be a resident of the town to have access) has a large shipping container that is used for newspapers. People put their papers into paper bags and stack them into the shipping container. I am able to get the inserts, as many as I want. You will have to find your own source- maybe a newspaper delivery person, or a store that sells newspapers, recycling center, get creative.
You will need a filing system, I use hanging folders in stacking plastic file crates.
You need an accordion-pleated divider thing for the coupons you actually take with you to the store. Different people use different things. I got a box that had accordion-pleated sections, used for photos. I like to label the sections strictly alphabetically. So- "K" has Kraft mac & cheese, Kraft item b, Kraft item c, any brand name starting with K. Just seems simpler to me than wondering if an item belongs in the "junk food" category or some other category and which I put it in. But other people do differently.
It would be a good idea to have a rubber mat like quilters use and an exacto knife. Cutting with scissors gets real old and hard on the hands. Other people use those paper cutters with the handle that comes down but it needs to be a heavy-duty one, and those are expensive, if you don't already have one.
You need a standard size (pref. heavy duty) stapler, paper clips, 3-ring binder, and ability to use a computer database (even just a text document will do fine. You want to be able to search for coupons is all.)
O.k., here's the method.
First go through your insert stack. Try to keep the inserts intact. Stack the inserts by date and by type, as in, Valpack, Sunday Saver, Proctor & Gambel, etc. Put all the loose ones that you don't know where they go into a separate pile. DO NOT CUT ANYTHING. File them in the hanging files according to date and then according to type. The date and type is written in very small type on the spine of the insert.
Then go to this site: http://www.taylortownpreview.com/index.htm. Look up that week's inserts. Take out a whole insert that is the same. I wouldn't say copy and paste the information from the site because that site is copyrighted-
but use it as a guide to get the information into your text document on your computer or your database. You are going to have to alter a lot because this site is based somewhere else in the country- some values will be different, and more importantly, local coupons will be different. So you will be adding local coupons (like for Tim's chips or something) and deleting what are local coupons for her. Just go page by page and it will become obvious. What you want is manufacturer (ex., Kraft), Item, amount coupon is for, and expiration date. A person could conceivably buy a barcode scanner and build a computer program to automatically catalog this stuff- the person that does it will have my eternal blessings.
So- now you have a master list of the coupons you have. It takes maybe an hour or two I think, only once a week. But it is vital.
Now, spend a little time on this site, particularly the forums: http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/index.php People will tell what the good deals are at the various stores, and tell how they manage, and give good advise, and so on. They will point out the free deals you can get with your coupons- this is important till you learn to do it yourself.
So find the deals and make your grocery list. You are going to go to the websites for each of the stores you visit, and look up that week's circular. For example, this one: http://www.stopandshop.com/savings/circular.htm?linkid=H Go page by page. Eventually your memory should be good enough that you will see "ah, X on sale this week, I just saw a coupon for that." Sales often match what coupons come out, they do that on purpose. But that is what the database is for- you go to your computer and do control-F and "find" whatever items you want to buy, hopefully you will have a coupon listed for it.
Write down the item and write down the coupon, AND what insert and insert date you are getting it from. Here's a few tips. Coupons are seasonal. Buy enough of item X to last the whole year until the cycle comes round again. Next week do the same with a different item. If you're getting it for cheap or free with coupons you can do this kind of thing.
NOW- you go and clip your coupons. Do one coupon at a time (more if you get practiced, from one insert type at a time)- say you want a coupon for Charmin toilet paper found in this week's Proctor & Gamble insert. Look in your file (organized by date and by insert type) and grab the stack of inserts. Go through the top one and find the page the coupon is on. Take the page out and set it aside. Do that through the whole stack of inserts. Grab your stapler and staple through the whole set of pages you set aside, right in the corner of the coupon you want. Cutting through the entire set at once, cut your coupon out. Put the pages back in the folder with the inserts, you might want those other coupons later. (You can staple all of them on that page at once and cut them out as long as you have it all out- but that might be a waste of time/effort if you never use them.)
So, you see, you only clip out the exact coupons you want that week. If you tried to clip every coupon you have you'd quickly go insane.
You want the three ring binder to put in things like printouts of the rules for coupons that the grocery stores you go to have (each store is a little different, it can make a big difference), and your coupon master lists, and printouts of the guidelines for what goes on sale when through the year. Some people also chart how much things sell for from store to store, I don't.
That is about all I can think of for now. I hope it helps
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