Sunday, April 25, 2010

New To Coupons Series Post #3



New To Couponing Series Post # 3

Are you new to couponing? I remember when I started I was VERY overwhelmed! It seemed like I never had the right coupons, I couldn’t figure out the lingo or my store was out of the products. When I first started couponing, it wasn’t fun, it seemed like a second job and honestly I was about to give up until someone passed on some really great tips. Here are the ones that have stuck with me!

1. Start Small-- Do one transaction for one or two items that will earn you Extra Care Bucks at CVS or Register Rewards at Walgreens. If you start off small you can get the hang of it sooner and become more adventurous as you learn the ropes. You might pay out of pocket at first but eventually you will start rolling your ECB’s and RR’s
Here is what I would do this week

Walgreens- Buy Skintimate shaving cream $2.99
Buy Tone Body Wash $3.99
Use $1.00 off 1 Tone Body Wash
Pay $5.98 out of pocket and earn $6.00 in Register Rewards
(Save the $6.00 RR to use next week)

CVS- Buy 2 CVS 2oz sun blocks for $2.19 each
Pay $4.38 for two and get back $5.00 in Extra Care Bucks
Save the $5.00 in ECB’s for next week

2. Start Collecting Coupons NOW! Read my post here to learn various places to get coupons. When I started, I would clip the coupons from the Sunday flyer and rush out and use them that week, this was totally wrong. The key is to hold onto them until there is a sale that you can pair them with to get a great deal.

3. Stock Pile I told you in a previous post that I have not paid more than .25 for shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, etc in the past year and I usually get it for free. The way I am able to do this is that I have created a stock pile in my linen closet. See the photo above. I have several products on hand so I never have to rush out and buy a product at full price. I save my coupons, wait for an awesome sale and shop, picking up the products at a fraction of the retail price. I also have a food stock pile that I will discuss in a future post.

Was this helpful? Leave me comments or ask me questions. Look for my next post tomorrow on “ECB? What the heck is that, and other Coupon Lingo”

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