Frugal Fort Wayne Coupon Class!

Frugal Fort Wayne is now offering a Couponing Basics class through New Haven Parks & Recreation!  We will take you start to finish from collecting and organizing your coupons to using them and saving money!  Choose from two sessions, October 5th or November 12th.  This class is available to all area residents regardless of whether or not you live in New Haven.  Sign up here.   

We also host private Couponing Basics classes to church groups, work colleagues, nonprofit organizations, or even just groups of friends and family.  For more information, please email frugalfortwayne @ gmail dot com (omit spaces) with particulars such as the name of your group and how many you think would attend.  This type of class would be practical entertainment at your next baby or bridal shower.

Couponing Series: Recap

I've heard couponing (and frugality for that matter) described as 'stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.'  Yes, couponing requires spending large amounts of time to save a little amount of money.  But, that money adds up quickly.  As someone who is a wife and mother, works part-time and babysits nieces and nephews, and tries to provide meaningful content to ya'll, I don't have a ton of time to go around starting multi-million dollar companies to try to make more money.  But, I do have some time in which I can devote to couponing where I can save more money.  Any time I get down because I don't have an awesome big-city marketing job, my husband reminds me of the equally important job that I do have of saving money and reducing costs.

The following is a recap of the Couponing Series.  If there is an aspect of couponing that eludes you or requires further explanation, please leave a comment or email us at frugalfortwayne @ gmail dot com (omit spaces).  We are in the process of putting together a coupon class.  We'd love to hear your thoughts on what is important to you or which part of couponing you need help mastering.  Happy Saving!

Couponing Series Part I:  Getting Started
Couponing Series Part II:  Finding Coupons 
Couponing Series Part III:  Coupons in Action
Couponing Series Part IV:  Maintaining Your Coupons
Couponing Series Part V:  Enjoying the Rewards

Couponing Series Part V: Enjoying the Rewards

You must be tired...you've been working hard at couponing!  You've gotten your coupon folder, clipped/printed tons of coupons, used them and kept them maintained!  That is very hard work.  You may be beginning to ask yourself, "Self, is it really worth all of this time and effort to save a few pennies here are there?"  There is an easy self-test to see if couponing is worth your time. 

I have a confession to make on behalf of myself and my Frugal Fort Wayne sister.  We are NOT extreme couponers.  Those women on that TV show put us to shame.  We love couponing, but it is a part-time job for us as opposed to the full-time commitment that is required of the women on TV.  Aside from being unable to devote 25 hours a week to clipping coupons, the Fort Wayne area does not always receive the amazing coupons that are given to larger areas such as Indy.

That being said, I do devote about 2 hours total each week to couponing.  These two hours includes going through the store circulars, searching online for coupons, maintaining my coupons, assessing my grocery needs, planning my weekly meals, making my grocery list and determining what stores I will be going to this week.  Rarely do I have a solid two-hour block to accomplish this all at once.  That only happens after the gremlins are in bed.  Instead, I just keep my ads, coupon folder, and planner in a handy place where I can grab it when I find a few minutes to work on it.  I find my opportune times are when I can sit on the floor by the baby, when the big gremlins (2 and 4 yrs old) are doing puzzles or while having a light conversation (as in I can multitask without fear of not paying attention) with my husband.

To decide whether couponing is worth your time you should consider your dollar amount saved using sales and coupons as well as your % saved.  When I run home from a store after getting some great deals, I will quiz my husband, "Guess how much I saved today?!?"  He promptly deflates my ballooned coupon-ego by saying, "I don't care how much you saved, tell me how much you spent."  Although I hate to admit it, he has a point.  Who cares if I saved $20 with coupons if I had to spend $500 to do it.  On the other hand, if you are consistently redeeming only a couple bucks worth of coupons for larger grocery orders and it is taking you a few hours to get a few coupons together, then maybe it is not worth your time.

In the past couple weeks, I went to a few stores with coupons in hand to take advantage of some sales.  I went to Walgreens where my original bill would have been approx $12.40.  After $9.80 in coupons, my out of pocket total was around $2.40.  It probably took me 10 minutes to get the coupons together for this trip.  Therefore, I am willing to 'be compensated' almost $10 for 10 minutes worth of work.  I went to Target where my pre-coupon total was approx $16.50, but I only paid about $6 after redeeming about $10.50 in coupons.  That $10.50 was also worthy of 10 minutes of my time.  At Meijer, I spent about $72, after saving $55 by using coupons, ad-matching, purchasing sale items and taking advantage of Meijer promotions.  I consider that savings worth my time.  You need to decide how much savings is and is not worth your time.

One thing that is very important to remember is that there is a learning curve that must be taken into consideration when diving into couponing.  In the beginning, you will not save 50% of your total bill or redeem $50 of coupons for a couple hours of work.  It may take you 4 hours instead.  Let me assure you practice will lead to improvement!  The more you do it, the more efficient you will become.  Then, you can sit back and enjoy your new money-saving part-time job!   

Couponing Series Part IV: Maintaining Your Coupons

You've gotten your coupon folder, clipped/printed tons of coupons and used them!  Yes, you've done it!  Congrats!  Eventually though, expiration dates will come and go.  Or, you go through your coupons and notice some for products you will never in a million years use.  Here are a few tips for maintaining that beautiful stash of coupons you've worked so hard to accumulate.

To clip or not to clip. 

• When I first began couponing, I would cut out anything that was inside of a dotted line rectangle.  Now that I am more discerning with my time and the products I purchase, I am more selective when it comes to cutting out coupons.  For example, no one in my immediate family wears dentures or is going through menopause.  I do not buy baby formula or frozen White Castle burgers.  Therefore, I do not cut out those coupons.
• That being said, I do cut out coupons for products that I might or might not ever use.  If it is not a definitive 'I will never use this product even if it showed up at my front door free, gift wrapped, and swimming in a pool of chocolate', then I cut it out.  These random coupons are useful to have on hand when going through the clearance tables and bins at Kroger.  Sometimes you get lucky and have a coupon for a Managers Special item enabling you to get a steal of a deal.
• I always cut out coupons valued at $0.50 or less.  A $0.50 off coupon translates to an instant $1.50 off the product price when tripled at Kroger.  Or, it means a $1.00 off when doubled at Meijer.  Sometimes, when paired with a sale, a  fifty cent coupon tripled to $1.50 off will get you free product.

Purge expired coupons in a timely manner.

• It is important to me to stay on top of purging expired coupons.  My coupon folder gets cleaned out about once every 30 days, usually around the beginning of the month.  I get frustrated when I can't find coupons if my folder is stuffed with expired paper.  This task is easily accomplished while watching TV, while watching your kid at practice or when sitting with your 8-month old gremlin who cries every time you leave the room.  Simply recycle the old coupons or let your children play 'grocery' with them. Or even better, consider sending expired coupons to military families.   

Enlist the help of family members.

• Ask younger children to help cut out coupons. When my four year old gremlin 'helps' me cut out coupons, I have to remind her to place her incisions OUTSIDE of the dotted lines and take care to avoid the numbers at the top and bottom.  She does a decent job, and I just try to casually mention to the cashier that the shark-tooth edges of my coupons and taped-on expiration dates were created by my daughter...not me.
• Ask older children to help weed out expired coupons.  This exercise can provide practice to a child working on their chronology or calendar skills.  Or, use this task as a punishment for leaving their room a mess.
• Have your spouse help you with either of these tasks during commercials of the football game or Grey's Anatomy.

All of this sounds like a lot of work and it is.  But as you are cutting, filing and sorting out expired coupons, you will be reminded of the coupons you have on hand.  By having top of mind awareness of the coupons you have in your stash, you will know instantly when you have a coupon for that next great deal.

Couponing Series Part III: Coupons In Action

You are en route to the grocery store, and your pristine coupon folder which is stuffed to the gills with valuable pieces of barcoded paper winks at you from the passenger seat.  Your heart races at the mere thought of slashing your grocery bill in half or more by handing over your carefully organized coupons.  I know, I feel the same way.  Let us pause for a brief moment to review store policies and the best places/ways to use your coupons to maximize your savings.

MAKING YOUR LIST

• Notice the products being advertised and know to look out for sales and coupons.  Companies will often conduct a marketing/advertising blitz for a new product or product line extension, so you might see a commercial on TV for Widgets,  open your Meijer ad and find Widgets on sale and discover a coupon for Widgets in the SmartSource insert...all in the same week.
• Always use the store circular/advertisements when planning your shopping list.  You will often find items on sale for which you have coupons.  
• Know your stock up prices (this topic discussed in detail in future post).  Keep a mental or physical list of 'good deal' prices.  It is imperative for the consumer to know that even if an item is on 'sale', that doesn't always mean it is a good deal.  I've seen countless items in the '10 for $10 Sales' that are regularly priced under a dollar.
• Similarly, coupons do not always make the product a good deal.  You may have a coupon for brand name Yoplait yogurt, but check to see if the store brand yogurt is less expensive than the Yoplait after coupon price.

KROGER HIGHLIGHTS

• Review previously mentioned Kroger policies.
• Kroger triples coupons up to and including $0.50.  Even if it is for a product I don't think I would normally buy, I will cut out a coupon of 50 cent value.  That coupon would immediate shave $1.50 off the price.  If you can use it with a sale, depending on the product, you can get many items free or drastically reduced.
• Managers Special markdowns.  Those yellow/orange price stickers should act as a red flag, reminding you to stop to check your coupon folder.  Do you have a coupon for any of these products?  Unfortunately after the merger of two Scotts/Kroger stores near me, I have noticed far fewer manager special markdowns.
• Kroger Mega Events.  Look closely for these types of 'events' where you buy a certain number of items and get $$ off instantly.  If you have coupons for these sale items, you can score some great deals.

MEIJER HIGHLIGHTS

• Review previously mentioned Meijer policies here and here.
• DISCONTINUED AD MATCHING MAY 1, 2011.  Sad, sad.
• Meijer doubles coupons up to $0.50.
• Instant Savings.  Meijer in the past few weeks has begun to dabble in the buy X number of items, get $X instantly off your bill.  Again, look for coupons for these items to maximize your savings.
• Meijer Mealbox and MPerks.  Pair manufacturer coupons with store coupons for twice the savings.

WALMART HIGHLIGHTS

• Review previously mentioned Walmart policies here and here.
• Ad matching.  You no longer have to bring in the competitor ad, just ask for the lower price.  Pair coupons with ad-matched items.

TARGET HIGHLIGHTS

• Review previously mentioned Target policies.
• Ad matching.  I have never actually ad-matched at Target.  I have heard it is a pain and you have to go to the service desk to do it.  Now, that Meijer will not be ad-matching much longer, I might just have to give it a try.  Pair coupons with ad-matched items.
• Target Store Coupons.  Pair manufacturer coupons with store coupons for twice the savings.

Couponing Series Part II: Finding Coupons

Now that you have your coupon folder or system neatly labeled and organized, it is time to fill it up with savings!  There are soooooooooooooo many places to find coupons.  Lets explore, shall we?

• Sunday Newspapers
• Inserts:  RedPlum, SmartSource and P&G have shiny, slippery inserts in almost every Sunday paper. 
• Parade/USA Today Inserts:  They usually have one, maybe two coupons in these entertainment inserts.
• Online:  There are so many places to get online coupons.  Below are just a few of the best.
• Redplum.com
• Coupons.com
• Smartsource.com
• Coolsavings.com
• Commonsensewithmoney.com
• Printablecouponsanddeals.com
• Coupon Databases:  You can actually search these databases by product to see if there are any coupons out there for your specific item.
• Crazycouponlady.com
• Moneysavingmom.com
• eCoupons:  These electronic coupons can be loaded onto your Kroger Card.
• Cellfire.com
• PGeSaver.com
• Shortcuts.com
• Facebook:  FB users are often rewarded for 'liking' companies with high-value coupons.
• In-Store
• Service Desk:  Swing by the service desk to see if there are any coupons sitting out.
• Peelies:  Look closely at products to see if there are coupons that you can peel off the front of the product.
• Blinkies:  Look for those red dispensers that spit coupons out when you walk past.
• Catalinas:  These coupons are the ones that print out at the register during your transaction.
• On-the-shelf:  The Coupon Fairy will sometimes leave the gift of savings next to the very item you need.
• Walmart Coupon Basket:  The Walmart on Maysville has a little basket of coupons in the entryway that you can sift through.
• Mail
• Loyalty/Rewards Cards:  I have received promotional mailings from Target, Kroger and Meijer due to using shopper cards and signing up for their mailing lists.
• Free Samples:  Make sure you look closely at your free sample mailing as coupons often come with these goodies.
• Vocalpoint:  Look for coupons with these mailings.
• Kraft FirstTaste:  This program usual sends its coupon offerings through the mail.
• Junk Mail:  Sometimes free product coupons come with the junk.

Hopefully, this little list will keep you and your coupon organizer busy for a bit.  Don't worry if it seems to be a bit overwhelming, and don't worry if your stash doesn't immediately resemble that of the ladies who hold up check-out lines.  Just remember to keep your eyes peeled.  Whenever you stumble across a good coupon or find a new coupon source, please send us an email or comment to let us know!

Couponing Series Part I: Getting Started

The concept of coupons seem so easy.  You give the cashier a piece of paper, and they take money off your total bill.  Easy peasy, right?  Not so much.  Using coupons can be very rewarding, but there is a learning curve associated with their use.  It has taken me some time to be able to spout off each store's coupon policy, know the best stores to use a certain coupon to maximize savings and accumulate a stash of the little bar-coded rectangles.  The Couponing Series will attempt to help you get started on your own quest for coupons.

Before you even begin to accumulate coupons, it is important you have a organizational system in place to store your savings.  There are TONS of coupon storage methods out there such as using a recipe box, baseball card holder or photo album.  I use the tried and true accordion coupon folder storage method.  I am not overly in love with this method.  I do find that I sometimes overlook high-value coupons or miss some deals because I just can't find the one I am looking for.  While this situation can be frustrating, the according coupon folder is one of the easiest ways to get started couponing.  Keep in mind, the following system works for me, but if you have a system that works better for you, then great!

I found my coupon folder in the Target Dollar Bins years ago.  You can surely find these at any store in the office supply section.  Look for one that is nice and wide so you can avoid stuffing your coupons in. 

My folder has 12 tabs which have the following labels:  cereal, snacks, canned/boxed, freezer, fridge, lady/pharm (feminine hygiene and medicine items), baby, paper (disposable paper and plastic goods), clean (cleaning products and laundry detergent), hair/body, face/shave and miscellaneous.  I decided on these labels myself.  Use labels that will work for you and the products you buy most frequently.  The front space before the first tab is reserved for free product coupons, rainchecks and other must-not-forget coupons.  I never want to forget to use a free product coupon.  Talk about coupon rage. 

As soon as I print or come across a coupon, I either file it or simply tuck it under the front flap if I don't have time to organize it that very second.  If it makes it to the flap, then I know it will make it in there sometime.  Organizing those accumulated coupons is easy to do when you have a few minutes while talking on the phone or watching TV.

I also use my coupon folder to keep my grocery list and store ads all together.  I write my grocery list on those business reply envelopes that come with credit card applications.  I put my coupons for that grocery trip inside the envelope.  I tuck that envelope and folded up store ads under the front flap of the coupon organizer.  This trick helps me keep my coupons together for the trip and keeps my ads on hand if I need to refer to them while at the store or if I plan to ad-match at Meijer or Walmart. 

Keeping your coupons organized and at the ready is the first step in maximizing your coupon savings.