Hey Guys! Are you ready to learn how to use Coupons to SAVE BIG on your groceries, health and beauty items and more? I am so excited that you are joining me and I’m going to jump right in and get to the details so we don’t waste any time! I’m going to give you 5 steps to getting started with couponing fast! It’s really a lot easier than you think!
Step 1: Pick One Store to Get Started with
I recommend CVS or Target if you have one near you because they are the easiest to learn and they have amazing deals every week. If you don’t have one of those stores, don’t stress! You can still apply all of the same principles at other grocery stores and drugstores, just pick one to start out with because that will help you keep from getting confused. Once you learn the system at one store you can start adding in other stores in your area!
Here are links to these 2 stores pages where you can see all the deals, these are great links to bookmark so you can quickly find the deals!
Step 2: Collect and Organize Your Coupons
The first thing you want to do is start collecting and organizing your coupons. There are 3 different kinds of coupons out there, Printable Coupons, Newspaper Coupons and Digital Coupons.
The first of the month and the beginning of each week is typically the best time to print out new coupons, this is when new printable coupons are released on our website. Printable coupons often have print limits meaning once they are printed say 5,000 or 20,000 times they are no longer available so you don’t want to wait to print a high value coupon that you know you will use. Our Coupon Club Group on Facebook is a great way to stay up to date on the best new printable coupons each day. You can also click on the Coupons Tab at the bottom of the Passion For Savings App, or click on Coupons on the top of our website to scroll through all of the new coupons available.
Newspaper Coupons come in your local sunday paper, these coupons can vary a little by region but there are 3 main inserts that are available. I recommend writing the date they were in the paper on the front of each insert with a Sharpie, then you can easily go back and find a coupon by using our coupon database, or looking at the online matchups on PassionForSavings.com.
We use this format to list out Newspaper Coupons, When you see this on the website you’ll know that was a coupon from a recent insert:
$2.00/1 Tide or Gain Detergent – 4-2-17 PG; (exp 04/15/17)
The first date is the date the coupon was found in the newspaper (That’s why it’s important to sharpie the date on the front of each insert when you pull it out of your paper), the second date is the last day the coupon can be used in stores, or the expiration date.
The 2 letter abbreviation “PG” in this example identifies which insert the coupon was found in, there are 3 main inserts. The name of the insert is written on the front cover.
PG = Procter & Gamble Insert
SS = Smart Source Insert
RP = Red Plum Insert
Using this information you can quickly go back to your inserts and find the correct date, then the right insert, and locate any coupon quickly.
Digital Coupons are often located online or in a Stores Smartphone App, Stores like Walgreens, Kroger, CVS, & Target all have apps that allow you to Load Coupons to your account or store loyalty card. Download the app for the stores where you shop because there are often great additional savings located in the app.
Step 3: Make Your Shopping List
Once you have a good understanding of the different types of coupons you’re ready to start making your shopping list! My website PassionForSavings.com makes this really simple, Each week we post full lists of “Matchups” letting you know what the best deals are in each of the National Retail and Drug Stores. A “Matchup” is a list of items on sale that week along with any coupons or rewards available on that item and the final price.
I recommend going through the list of deals on the store page for the stores that you have in your area, that way you are only seeing Target Deals or only CVS Deals, etc. It’s less confusing that way and lets you build a list quickly without wasting a lot of extra time.
Getting organized before you go to the store will save you a lot of time, here are a few tips for getting started.
- Make a list of 2 or 3 deals you want to grab, I don’t recommend starting with more than this in the beginning, work your way up to larger transactions.
- Print Out any coupons you need, or look them up in your inserts and cut them out.
- Shop early in the week for the best selections, Grab the items you need. Look for the smallest size item that your coupon applies to, that will give you the biggest savings.
Step 4: Stack Your Coupons with In Store Promotions
To Maximize Your Savings you want to combine your coupons with In Store Promotions, Store Coupons and Sales for the biggest savings. This is where the couponing gets EXTREME and the Savings are BIG!
Step 1: Look for items on sale in the weekly ad, or featured with signs throughout the store. Each week we post a preview of the sales for the upcoming week so you can be ready.
Step 2: Add on any Store Coupons & Manufacturer Coupons you have, most stores allow you to stack one manufacturer coupon with one in store coupon. CVS has store coupons that print from the coupon center when you walk in the front of the store. Target has store coupons available via text or in the Target Cartwheel App.
Step 3: Earn Rewards! CVS has something called Extra Care Bucks, these are rewards that print after checkout, Target often has Gift Card Deals available for buying selected items. Stacking coupons with sales and rewards is one of the best ways to maximize your savings!
Step 4: Use Rebate Apps
Last but not least, you can use Rebate Apps to get even more savings on top of using coupons and rewards.
Two of my favorite rebate apps are Ibotta & Checkout51.
Ibotta offers cashback on hundreds of items at local grocery and retail stores. They also have great bonus offers all the time so make sure you check your account frequently for bonus offers and new rebates.
Checkout 51 issues new rebates every Thursday, these often have a limit of more than one so make sure you pay attention to the details.
Using Rebates Apps is a great way to stack the savings and save even more each and every week! The rewards add up and you can cash out for things like Pay Pal Cash, Starbucks or even Amazon Gift Cards! I am always amazed just how fast these savings add up!
Each and every day we post new deals at all of your favorite stores, these deals often combine all of these strategies and savings tips that we have covered today so make sure that you’re checking out our nightly email round-up and also that you download the Passion For Savings App so you can be alerted when new hot deals and coupons are available!
If you want to learn more about using coupons and saving money make sure you check out our Online Coupon Classes and Workshops! I’ll make sure I include more information for you below! I’d love to have you join me!
I hope you have a great day! Thank you so much for joining me!
I’m so glad I found your site! I am a coupon lover and highly motivated to learn as much as I can. Thank you so much!!!!
great tips thank you very much!