The Importance of Organization: Finding the Best Deals With Coupons

This is a reprint of a blog post I did a few years ago. You can find this article on Articlesbase , Go Articles and Amazines.  I had to laugh when I read my original article because I had put in the article my total at the grocery store before and after coupons . The total before coupons was $70.xx and after coupons was $45.xx and I thought that was a good deal! LOL! I think that was about 2 years ago so I’ve come a long way since then. This topic is still and important part of couponing and I thought it was worth bringing it up again.

Organization is one of the most important parts of shopping with coupons. People always say not to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. I say don’t go grocery shopping unless you and your coupons are organized!

The first thing I always do before I go shopping is start by doing a little homework. This doesn’t have to take a lot of time. I take a few minutes to skim the grocery ad and check out what is on sale. I generally jot the things done that I want to buy. Then I scan sites like AFullCup, CouponStl and WeUseCoupons to find the best deals at my local grocery stores. I have found that even though it might be on sale, if I don’t need it or won’t use it, it won’t really be a deal for me. A great feature of A Full Cup and We Use Coupons is the coupon database. You can search the database to see if there are coupons available for an item you are looking for.

I keep a list on my refrigerator, when I am out of something, I write it down so I remember to get it the next time I see it’s on sale. I try to compare this list to the sales to see if it’s time for me to stock up.

I clip coupons for the things I know I will use. I find them in the Sunday paper, print them online and sign up to have them mailed. Having your coupons organized and ready to go makes things so much easier when you are going shopping and find an unexpected deal. It’s easier to match your coupons up to the things you see in the sale ad. I recommend using a coupon binder, you can find more information on my website.

By matching the coupons you have to the items on sale, you can end up with big savings. This is generally how I do my shopping. Plus it helps me to “mix things up a little” and buy a variety of things since I’m almost always buying what is on sale. Most sales rotate every 4-6 weeks so if you miss one, don’t worry it will probably roll around again.

Keep in mind, just because an item is 3/$5 (or $1.66 each) doesn’t mean you have to buy 3 of them to get the sale price. (Check your grocery store to make sure, but many times this is the case). For example, on my last shopping trip Nestle Break and Bake cookies were 3/$6 or $2 each. I had a coupon for $1 off 1 package. I got the break and bake cookies for $1. Rinse and repeat and you’ve just shaved quite a bit off your grocery bill.

REPAEAT AFTER ME – YOU MUST GO TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH A LIST!!!

May sound very basic and you could be thinking “I don’t need a list, I have it all in my head”. Try again my friend! The grocery store is made to suck you in, with many items to choose from that will catch your eye. Without a list, it’s very easy to get sidetracked and end up adding more items to your cart than your “mental list” calls for.

The last time I was at the grocery store, I saved 97%! How’s that for organization!