Steph is a dear friend of mine who makes and sells the most deliciously adorable clothes, aprons, bags, and more. She sells them over at Mada’s Place and Mada’s Place Baby. They’re not your average flowers and puppies patterned items- she uses bright and sassy fabrics that will make your heart skip a beat. Steph also blogs and believe it or not, was one of my very first inspirations for saving money, and well, this blog. She has started a new blog feature, Money Saving Mondays and has allowed me to post her intro to couponing over here!
Intro to Couponing
It’s no secret that clipping coupons can save you money. However, for the longest time, I was doing it all wrong.
Huh? What does that mean exactly? Well, I’d read my Sunday paper, and then I’d flip through the coupon inserts, clip out the coupons I was interested in, stuff them in an envelope, and promptly forget to take them with me to the store. Eventually, I’d fish the crumpled envelope out from a kitchen drawer or beneath a couch cushion and discover all my beautiful coupons were long past their expiration date.
Clearly, I have organization issues that I am still working through with my therapist.
I kid about the therapist part, but I’m not kidding when I say that the method I used for clipping coupons was all wrong. I’d see a woman in the grocery store hand over a fistful of coupons and all of the sudden her bill would go from $100 to $10. I’d fork over my stack of coupons and only have a paltry $3 taken off my total, and I would wonder “How did she do that?”
When I found out the right way to make coupons work for me, a little lightbulb went off in my head. Ready to see how I make couponing work for me? Here goes: 
This is my coupon box. It’s a file box. I used to have one of those wimpy little accordion files that tucked neatly into my purse, but I’ve discovered a system that works a little more efficiently for me. Let’s peek inside the coupon box, shall we? 
Here it is, in all its glory- my coupon stash. Now, it’s looking a little skimpy these days. I fell off the couponing wagon a few months ago at the height of craft show season, but I’m ready to commit myself to couponing again.
This is my coupon box. It’s a file box. I used to have one of those wimpy little accordion files that tucked neatly into my purse, but I’ve discovered a system that works a little more efficiently for me. Let’s peek inside the coupon box, shall we? 
Here it is, in all its glory- my coupon stash. Now, it’s looking a little skimpy these days. I fell off the couponing wagon a few months ago at the height of craft show season, but I’m ready to commit myself to couponing again. I know, you’re wondering when I’m going to get to the good stuff. Patience grasshopper.
So inside the box are a couple file folders. I have mine labeled by month, plus one for magazines. The red three ring binder is what took the place of the aforementioned accordion file. Have I lost you yet? Here’s where it starts to make sense. 
When my Sunday paper arrives with a satisfying THWAP on my porch, I pull my coupon inserts out, write the date on them, and file them away. This is mostly so my destructive toddler can not destroy them.
When my Sunday paper arrives with a satisfying THWAP on my porch, I pull my coupon inserts out, write the date on them, and file them away. This is mostly so my destructive toddler can not destroy them.You may be scratching your head and saying “What? I don’t get it.”
This is very important. Write it down on the palm of your hand if you need to. Don’t cut up your inserts and throw them out. Don’t cut out coupons and file them in your wimpy coupon accordion file or white envelope or the bottom of your purse. Don’t do it. I mean it. Don’t do it.
Now, here’s where we get by with a little help from out friends…. friends like Mama Cheaps. There are lots of fabulous ladies out there in blogger land who go through grocery ads and coupon fliers and match up coupons with sales. Matching up coupons with sales is the best way to maximize your savings. Don’t use a coupon just because you have it. Hang on to it, and wait for the item to go on sale.
I’m going to touch on another important concept behind couponing: stockpiling. I personally buy three or four newspapers a week, just for the coupons. When I can get something for just a few pennies, or even free, I stock up. Case in point- last fall I snagged boxes of Cheerios for 17 cents each. I bought five. Did I need five right then? Nope. But I knew it was something I would need to buy again in a few short weeks, so I stocked up. Stocking up on staples allows me to be cost effective when I am planning meals. Instead of making a long list of things I have to buy at the store to prepare a weeks worth of meals, I can shop my pantry. More often than not, I really only need to fill in with meats and fresh produce.
Back on track- each week, these fabulous bloggers update with the best deals at area grocery stores. You might see a little something that looks like this:
Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup: 10/$10 $.50/2 SS 12/6
Let’s decipher. The store is offering 10 Progresso Vegetable Classics Soups for $10. Great deal! You can make it an even better deal by clipping a $0.50 off 2 soups from the Smart Source insert from the 12/6 newspaper.
A HA! This is why you do not want to clip your coupons. Wait until you make your weekly list of great deals, then go back through your inserts and clip the coupons you need. Another important point: don’t buy something just because you have a coupon. Here’s a hint: many things show up monthly in coupon fliers! It’s okay not to use a coupon. Wait for the best deals, then stock up. 
The red binder is for loose coupons that I clip from magazines or find in those little coupon dispensers at the store. (They’re called blinkies, by the way!) The plastic inserts in my binder are postcard sized pockets, and I have labeled them by department- baked goods, boxed meals, etc., etc.
The red binder is for loose coupons that I clip from magazines or find in those little coupon dispensers at the store. (They’re called blinkies, by the way!) The plastic inserts in my binder are postcard sized pockets, and I have labeled them by department- baked goods, boxed meals, etc., etc.Well written, Steph! and p.s. this is totally how I stockpile my coupons, thanks to you! You taught me well- and this is the method that works best for me.
