Coupon Basics

To make the most out of your coupons, there are a few basic tips and tricks to keep in mind:

• Develop a system, stay organized
  What good is a coupon if you can’t find it when you need it? The hardest thing about couponing is staying organized. Develop a system – I use an envelope system that files my coupons alphabetically. Some people use a binder method, which files coupons in baseball card pages. Find a system that works for you and keep it up – this means taking some time each week for maintenance. I promise, you won’t be wasting your time.
• Don’t clip them, ’til you need ‘em
  You could spend your Sunday mornings clipping those coupons – but if you don’t need them just yet, why waste the time or energy? File your coupons by date and when you need a coupon, go back and clip it. There are coupon databases available that will tell you which date the coupon was in the paper – so you don’t even have to remember.
• If you don’t need it – don’t buy it!
  A lot of new couponers will be so excited to redeem a coupon that they will buy a product they don’t need, just because they’ll save 50 cents and it’s a good deal. It’s not a good deal if you don’t need it. I only buy items that I need. If the item is free, I always get it – because if I can’t use it, a friend, family or food bank, probably will.

There are so many coupon trips and tricks out there. If you want to get started, take a coupon class!