How to Save Money Using Coupons

My favorite way to save money and make ends meet is using coupons. I buy the Sunday paper when I know there are going to be high end coupons (save $1 or more) or when they offer free product coupons, or buy 1 get 1 free. I love to stock up on groceries, pet food and health and beauty items. The best way to use coupons is when you go through the sale ads and match up your coupons for products you use. I've gotten so many items low cost or just paid tax for them, it has become a way of life for me and I always like to see the cash tape showing how much I saved, yes it makes me smile, more money in my pocket. Some people think that clipping coupons and using them is waste of time, but if you shop wisely the savings really adds up and I save a huge amount of money each year using coupons.

Here's some examples:
I picked up packages of instant potatoes at the store, I had a manufacturer coupon for buy 1 get 1 free, and Jewel had a sale buy 1 get 1 free so I ended up getting 2 bags free with each coupon I used and just paid the tax. I walked away with 18 packages of instant potatoes. I've also stocked up on cat food using buy 1 get 1 free and also using free product coupons and have enough dry cat food stored to last me a year.

Also my favorite store is CVS, I signed up for the reward card program and I have them scan it every time I make a purchase, I have gotten attached to my register tape $5 off $20 on purchase and also b1g1f coupons or high end coupons that I can use. Also there reward program offers ecb bucks back on purchases you make, kind of like a refund program but your ecb bucks will print 2 days after your purchases so you can use them right away. Their reward program is definitely worth looking into, you can look on their web site to get more information on how the reward programs works and what items you can purchase using your ecb bucks.

There are several great coupon web sites that post the sales papers for the week a couple days in advance before the Sunday paper comes out so you get a heads up on everything and can decide if you need the paper that week or not. Some sites also offer coupon trading and many of the gals give help tips on the best way to get the most out of your coupons matched with sales.

The best advice I can give is it is a must to organize your coupons so that you know exactly what you have to work with, I organize mine in a zippered CD case, I use to use a photo album with the plastic sleeves and those work well also. I organize my coupons in groups like pet food, health and beauty, and also put the one's that expire first on the top so they get used first. Experiment a little and figure out a system that works best for you.

Where can you find coupons? Here's some ideas listed below.
There are coupons web sites where you can pick and choose the ones you want and buy them.

You can ask your local gas station or small mom and pop store if you can have the Sunday inserts after the weekend is over, I have a couple places that will give them to me for free as they would be tossed out anyway.

You can join a coupon web site and trade coupons 1 for 1 or they might charge a small handling fee to ship them to you.

The blinkies in the store aisle's often have coupons in them. Blinkies are little red boxes that are attached to the store shelves and they hold coupons in them.

Freebie sites- People post company web sites that offer cents off or sometimes free product coupons when they are coming out with new products they want consumers to try.

Once you use coupons a couple times you will be hooked, yes it does take time to organize coupons, go through sale ads and match up stuff, but the savings in the long run is well worth the work, the stuff I have gotten for cheap or paid tax only. I am able to help my family members out and give them some of my groceries and am also able to help a local food pantry out with a couple bags of groceries as well.