Each Week....

I know that finding the best savings when you first get started can be overwhelming and confusing.  You may see some of the deals I put together and wonder how in the world I was able to do that!  You try and copy it and get to the store only to feel confused or unsure.  Don’t feel defeated!  Learning to play the game takes time!  It won’t be long before you get the hang of it yourself!

For those of you wondering what my system is I thought I’d give you a quick run through of what I do to prepare each week.

1.  First things first…START COLLECTING THOSE COUPONS!  Most of the deals I put together from week to week involve coupons from inserts from previous weeks.  So hold on to those!  I encourage you to get your hands on at least two sets of inserts as a lot of times good deals are best in sets of two…and it will allow you to stock up on your favorite items each week.

2.  Once I get my coupons each week I DON’T cut them.  Nope, instead I have accordion files that are labeled by date.  I simply slip that weeks inserts into the correct date and wait until I need them.

3.  I prepare to shop.  I do this as far in advance of the sale as I can.  For drug stores like Rite Aid and Walgreens I can do this a couple weeks ahead of time.  The website www.iheartriteaid.com  and www.iheartwags.com have photos of the upcoming sale ads!  This way I can preview it before it arrives in the paper.  I like to try and look about two weeks ahead of time just to get a general idea of what sales are coming up.  If I see something really awesome this gives me time to find coupons for that item or to order coupons from a clipping service.  
For grocery stores it is a little more difficult to know what’s coming ahead of time but usually I scan the ads when they arrive in the mail Tuesday afternoon.  This is usually the same day I will look at the drugstore ads online.

4.  While I am scanning the ads I am looking for two things…..#1. Items that are priced so good that I know I can’t pass up the deal and #2.  Items I know I’m low on or that I know I will need soon.

I am paying close attention to any register rewards or Ups these items may be generating, giving me even better prices.

I keep a notebook nearby and  I write down the name of each store and I will start making a list of items I’m interested in….this doesn’t mean I am definitely going to buy this item.  I usually have about 5-10 things from each store that have caught my interest.  I write down the name of the item, the sale price and if it will generate any additional savings.  Then I will go to a blog and see if I see any “talk” of things I may have overlooked.

5.  Once I have the items I’m interested in I go to an online coupon data base like www.afullcup.com and I will enter in the item so I can see if there are any coupons available on top of the sale price.  So if I see Ragu pasta sauce is on sale at Rite Aid 2/$3 AND I will get 1 UP back for ever two I purchase, I want to know if I can make that an even sweeter deal.  I got to the data base and type in Ragu….it is going to tell me if there are any coupons available, where to find them, what their value is and when they expire.  Once I find out where the coupon is located (let’s say it told me to look in the 2/13 Redplum) I move on to the next step.

6.  I get out that accordion file I mentioned earlier, go to the date and pull the insert.  I start going through the insert until I find that coupon.   This is when I actually clip the coupon.  I then refile the insert until the next time I need it.

7.  Once my coupon is clipped I have a small accordion file  that I keep in my purse.  It is divided by store.  So if the Ragu is on sale at Rite Aid, I’m going to slip that coupon and any others for Rite Aid into that section.  Now when I go to the store I have all my coupons for that trip in one place.  I will then put my shopping list in that same little folder.  All of this allows me to shop without carrying around a huge bulky binder full of coupons.  Sometimes this system of NOT carrying around ALL my coupons at once means I miss a few surprise deals that I may run into in the store….like a clearance item or something I forgot I needed and I see is a good price and I KNOW I have a coupon at home.  For these items I keep a notepad in my purse so that I can write it down and find the coupon for it.  It means an extra trip to the store that week but I’d rather do that than carry around a huge binder with me….you may decide you’d rather have the binder than make any additional trips.

8.  I go to the store, make my purchases and pull my coupons from my mini file.  When my transaction is over I put any coupons, Ups or register rewards that have generated back under that store’s file to use as cash on my next visit to that store.  

9.  Sometimes I get to the store and for some reason I’m unable to use one of my coupons.  This may happen because they are out of a product or I simply have changed my mind.  I then come home and file these into a binder I have.  The binder is divided into sections….breakfast, frozen, drinks, oral care, etc.  In each section are some baseball card holders.  I will put my coupons in these holders so I can easily see them for when I’m ready to use them.  I can also put any coupons I have printed from the Internet into this folder.  I use this system mostly for the grocery store.  If I know I need cereal but haven’t seen any good sales I still want to get the best deal I can so I will go to the breakfast section and pull some coupons I might be interested in using.  

Really, this process though it sounds involved really isn’t that complicated once you get the hang of it.  I don’t spend very much time cutting or sorting coupons at all.  

One last thing….BLOGS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!!!!    If there is a store you really like shopping at find a blog for it.  They are going to tell you all the great upcoming and current deals!  Do not ignore these great resources.  If you need help finding a blog let me know and I will help you find one that fits your needs!  Blogs are what will help you minimize your time looking for the perfect deal so follow a couple and you will be well on your way to saving tons of money and having stockpiles that look like this:

 

And then there is all of my personal care items, refrigerated and freezer items, and all the household items not pictured here.