Clip Coupons Like a Pro

Looking to cut costs on groceries and household supplies? Besides sticking to a strict shopping list when you’re at the store, the best thing you can do is to start clipping and using coupons! New to the process? Here’s a beginner’s guide to help you get started.

Where to Look

Newspapers
The best coupons show up in the Sunday papers, so start there. Instead of paying for a paper you might not read, try heading to your local coffee shop and grabbing the coupons from someone else’s paper – many people simply throw these away.

Magazines
Some magazines will have manufacture’s coupons, especially those like Good Housekeeping and Women’s Day. If you already have subscriptions you’re set. If not, try clipping them from your doctor’s waiting room!

Your Mailbox
All that junk mail you always throw away usually contains a set of coupons. With a little bit of savvy, you don’t even have to leave your home to find the bargains!

In Stores
You often find coupons in the aisles of your grocery stores, or at the front entrances of other retail outlets. Make a habit of looking for more in-store deals, as these can often save you additional dollars as you’re headed to the checkout lines.

Online
Once you’ve exhausted all of the above locations, try one of the many free coupon sites online. Boodle.com is one of the most user-friendly I’ve seen, and allows you to enter your zip code for access to local deals. Is there an item you love but don’t want to splurge on? Try visiting the manufacturer’s site to see if they have any special coupons available there.

Organizing

Now that you have all these coupons, it may seem a little unwieldy and hard to find what you need when you need it. Some tactics to keep you organized and to prevent coupon overflow are here to help!

Try clipping on an as-needed basis, leaving your weekly pile of coupon booklets intact so they are easier to sift through. Or try clipping everything that interests you and keeping them sorted by type of product or perhaps alphabetically. Find a filing system that works for you and stick to it.

Expired coupons won’t save you any money and will just add to the clutter. Ensure that you are throwing away unused coupons as they expire.

With these tips, you should be able to save at least $5 every time you head to the store. That adds up, so happy saving, intrepid shopper!