Well, this would be the best place to start because without coupons you simply can not save money on groceries. For those of you that are new to coupon shopping, this would be the time for you to purchase more than 1 newspaper. I get 4 newspapers every weekend plus I print coupons off the internet. You are allowed 2 prints per item. I try to print 4 of each if I can ( I have 2 computers).  There are also a few other ways you can get your coupons besides just buying newspapers. There are many sites that offer printable coupons. Some of them are as follows:

One of the most frequently asked questions is how do I get started using coupons and saving money.  When I talk to people about how to use coupons and save I usually get things like, oh, “they never have coupons for the stuff I buy”, “it takes too much time” or “it’s just too confusing”. I just shake my head and say no, no, no.  These are just excuses pure and simple.  Anyone can save even a little bit and it’s easier then you think.  Here are ways to get it going:

1. Have an open mind!This is the most important part of saving money.  Without an open mind, it’s just not going to happen.  You must be open to trying new products and new brands.  Throw your brand loyalty out the window.  Trust me on this one.  Let yourself go for a couple of weeks to just try it.  It will work but only if you let it.

2. Change the Way You Shop: You will no longer be shopping for the week,  you will now be shopping to stock up.Throw out the thought of clipping your coupons from the Sunday insert and taking those newly clipped coupons to the store to shop.  You are just not going to save money that way.  You are  now going to shop the circular.  Look for the best sale prices on an item and match a coupon to score them at the lowest price.Once an item is available at a super low price, it’s time to stock up.  Buy 4 or 6 of the item so you have enough until the next time the price drops low.  This simple money saving technique is referred to as stockpiling and it is the key to saving money.

3. Start Small: Don’t try to become the coupon queen or king overnight.Taking on too much too soon can overwhelm you and burn you out very quickly.  Trying to master 3 drugstores, a grocery store and a bunch of catalina deals in a month is only going to have you seeing stars.  Don’t do it.  Start small with 1 drugstore first, learn how the deals work at that store and get the best deals there.  Then move onto another store.

The best place to start CVS

It’s simple, easy and the deals are basic.  You can build up your stockpile of health and beauty aid products fairly quickly (and food too).  And, while you are doing it, you will be learning and gaining more confidence that will help you to conquer another store.

4. Gather Your Coupons, because without coupons,  none of this works.

The first few weeks as a new couponer, you will come across a few deals that you just don’t have the coupons for yet.  Maybe they were from an older insert or they were printable coupons that are not available any longer.  Don’t worry about missing out on some deals.  Know that there are plenty of them.  So, just concentrate on using the coupons you have and organizing them.  In no time, you’ll have enough coupons to wallpaper your kitchen.

5. Stacking Coupons

There are two types of coupons – a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. You may use one manufacturer coupon per item. However, to maximize your savings, you can use both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on one item. This is referred to as coupon stacking. Coupon stacking is one of most effective ways to save money.

Coupon stacking is not to be confused with doubling coupons. Doubling coupons means the store will take the value of your coupon and double it. Coupon stacking means using two coupons on one item.

Each store has its on policy on whether they allow stacking. If they do permit stacking, this will allow one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon per item. Remember, you have to determine if your coupon is a store or manufacturer coupon before you try to stack. Just because a coupon has a store logo on it, it does not automatically make it a store coupon. You will want to check to make sure it is a true store coupon and not a manufacturer coupon.

Some of you have looked at the verbiage on the coupon that says that you may not use the coupon with another offer. When you see this verbiage, it means you may not use two manufacturer offers or two store offers together. It does not mean you cannot use a store coupon and manufacturer coupon together.

It is important to know your stores policy. Here are some common stacking policies:

Rite Aid

Rite Aid actually allows 3 coupon per item. Per their policy you may use one manufacturer coupon, one Rite Aid RC48 coupon and one Rite Aid RC49 coupon. To determine what the RC code is, look at the 4 four digits of the coupon. Regardless of the source, you may only use one of each type per item.

Target

Target allows one manufacturer coupon and one Target Store coupon per item. Target Store coupons include those found instore, online and in newspapers. Regardless of source, you may only use one Target Store coupon per item.

CVS

CVS allows one manufacturer coupon and one CVS coupon per item.

Walgreens

When purchasing a single item, Walgreens accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable Walgreens coupon(s) for the purchase of a single item. The only caveat at Walgreens is – The number of manufacturer coupons, including Register Rewards manufacturer coupons, may not exceed the number of items in the transaction.

Remember, not all stores allow coupon stacking. Some stores do not offer store coupons at all. Please check with your store to see what your stores policy is.

Stockpiling

When we are able to purchase products for free or at a very low price we purchase multiple items of it. Sales of products go in cycles. What is on sale at a great price this week may not be on sale again for another 8 – 12 weeks. We need to have a supply on hand that will at least take us through that time period so we do not have to purchase the item(s) at full price before the next sale.Looking for sales + manufactures coupons + store coupons is how we build our stockpile. Finding the great match ups is the key to you getting your stockpile to a point where you only need to go out every week and buy the items that are rock bottom prices as well as produce, milk, etc that are needed on a weekly basis. The bigger your stockpilegets, the less money you will be spending each week.What are the items you should put in your stockpile? The list is long but here are some:Condiments (BBQ Sauce, steak sauce, mustard, ketcup, mayo)
Rice & Pasta
Snacks (crackers, nachos, salsa, popcorn)
Canned goods (tomatoes, sauce, soups, vegetables)
Cereals
Cleaning supplies (cleaners, garbage bags, laundry)
Drinks (water, soda, iced tea, coffee, tea, juice)
Dairy (butter, creamers)
Meats & Fish (keep frozen)
Health & Beauty Products (band aids, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, etc)Start your stockpile slowly only looking fBreads (keep frozen)
or those items that are cheap or free. Within 4 weeks of starting your stockpile you can start to see approximately $50 knocked off your grocery bill. Within 8 weeks you can get to as much as $100 or even more off your weekly bill.