Bargain Blessings

A very important aspect of using coupons is making sure you are using them ethically. Manufacturers provide us with the privilege (yes, privilege) of using coupons to save money on their products. When these coupons are not used as they were intended not only do the stores suffer (because they will not be reimbursed for the coupon), but the manufacturer and the consumers suffer as well. The more fraudulent coupon use there is the less coupons we will see. There are a few important items I want to highlight that relate to ethical coupon use:

1. Only use a coupon on the product it was intended for. This not only includes just the product type, but also the size and specific type of product. If the coupon says it is good on Huggies diapers, it is not ok to use it on Pampers diapers. If the coupon says it is good for a 24oz bottle of ketchup, it is not ok to use it on a 16oz bottle of ketchup. If a coupon says it is good on Honey Nut Cheerios, it is not ok to use it on Regular Cheerios. If a coupon says it is good on 2 products it is not ok to use it on just one product. Manufacturers issue coupons for products to attract consumers to those specific products. Just because a coupon will scan for an item, that does not mean it is ok to use it on anything other than what it was intended for.

2. Expired coupons are just that, expired. Just as coupons are issued for specific products, they are also issued for specific ranges of time. When you use a coupon outside of its expiration date, it is considered fraudulent coupon use. Remember, you can always donate your expired coupons to overseas military families!

3. Follow store coupon policies. Yes, I know some of them do not make much sense, but the store has the prerogative to make their policy whatever they want. Keep in mind that items one and two above play a strong roll in stores cracking down on coupon use! I would also like to mention that I am a big advocate of communicating with your store manager. For example, some King Soopers stores have a policy against using more than three of the same coupons in one transaction. I was able to talk to my store manager and get approval to use more than the three coupon limit. Also, I am not talking about “cashier coupon policies” here. If you run in to a cashier that seems to be making up their own policy as they go, that is a much different story. Always go by the store’s printed coupon policy.

4. Know what a fraudulent coupon looks like. A few of you have recently e-mailed me the PDF coupon pictured above. It is fraudulent, so don’t use it. You can read more about this specific coupon over on Frito Lay’s website. The bottom line is that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. PDF coupons for FREE items are almost always fraudulent. If you ever have a question on a coupon’s legitimacy, feel free to e-mail me.

5. Making copies of internet printable coupons is illegal. This is one of the most frequent newbie couponer mistakes out there. You printed it out in black and white on normal printer paper, so you should be able to make a few copies…right? Nope! Most printable coupons are available in limited quantities. If a manufacturer only releases 10,000 coupons, but they get 30,000 turned in from stores, guess what…those stores are out that money for those extra 20,000 coupons. If that is not enough to stop you from copying coupons, you might like to know that printable coupons contain unique identifying information that can track that coupon right back to your computer. There have been cases of people getting arrested and prosecuted for making copies of coupons. I don’t say that to scare you, but to make you aware of the potential consequences participating in this illegal practice. It isn’t worth it. Enough said.

As couponers, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are participating in honest coupon use. I hope that this post has helped to shed some light on some areas that you may have been confused about. Also, I want to add that I was confused about some of these items when I first started to coupon, so if you’ve made one of these mistakes don’t be too hard on yourself!

Please do keep in mind that I will be deleting any comments that suggest using coupons fraudulently.

Some internet browsers come with auto-fill capabilities built in, and others (like Internet Explorer) do not. I did some research on a universal resource that would work well with all browsers and the best option I found was the Google Toolbar. Once you've downloaded the Google Toolbar, you will need to complete your AutoFill profile with as much or as little information that you would like to be automatically filled in on your forms. I suggest just doing your name, address, phone number and possibly your birth date (or the birth date you use to request samples and such). After your profile is complete, all you need to do is click on the AutoFill button in your toolbar and *BAM* all your info will be filled out for you!

You can get the Google Toolbar by going HERE and can read more about the Auto-fill capabilities of the Google Toolbar by going HERE.

Keep in mind that no AutoFill program is perfect and it can get a little confused on some forms, but in my opinion it is so worth it to have to correct one or two items rather than having to fill out the entire form from scratch.

There are many other AutoFill programs and add-on's out there. If you have found one that you like, please let us know!

1. Prepare for your trip before going to the store

This is something I have had to learn the hard way. When I first started couponing I would drag every last one of my coupons to the store and hope for the best. It usually resulted in hours of flipping through my binder in the middle of the store. By the time I got up to the register to check-out I was overwhelmed and exhausted.

What I’ve learned is that it is much easier to do all of this work before heading off to the store. I look at the write-up for the store that I am planning to visit, select the deals I would like to do, and clip and print all my coupons right in the comfort of my own home. It is much less stressful and I can take a break if I want too. Now, I do still bring all my coupons to the store on occasion when I think there might be some good clearance deals, but it is much easier to pull coupons for a few items rather than my entire shopping list!

2. Do Cashier Recon

Let’s face it, some cashiers admire our shopping savvyness and others make it their own personal mission to reject any and all coupons possible. A friendly cashier can make all the difference in the world for us couponers. There is nothing worse than getting up to the register to find a grouch who is going to question every coupon you hand over.

Sometimes there are not many options, like in drugstores, but if you are shopping at Target, Wal-Mart, or your local grocery store there are usually a few different cashiers to choose from. Before you pick and isle and start unloading pause and take a good look around. How are the cashiers interacting with the other customers? Do they have a smile on their face? Do they look happy to be doing their job?

I promise that those 20 seconds that you take doing "cashier recon" will be well worth it! After you find a good cashier make sure to look for them next time you’re shopping and strike up a friendly conversation. A little bit of nice can really help to brighten up someone’s day and in return it will help the process of checking out to go much smoother.

3. Be prepared before you get to the register

You’ve just spent an hour filling your cart with all your wonderful deals and you are more than ready to get out of the store and take them all home…I hear ya! Before you rush up to the counter to check-out go through your mental “check-out time” list and get organized! It is frustrating for everyone when you’re having to dig through the bottom of your purse to find that one last coupon that you “swear is there somewhere”. I’ve been there, done that…and it is no fun.

Here is my mental check-list before a approach my check-out lane:

-Are all your coupons in your hand and ready to give to the cashier?
-Did you forget anything?
-Do you have your shopper’s card out?
-Is your form of payment easily accessible for when it comes time to pay?
-Do you have your reusable bags ready to give to the bagger?
-Do I know how many coupons I have so I can make sure they all came off?

Once I’ve gone through that list I can walk up to the check-out line with a calm cool and collected attitude. It’s Show Time baby…time to watch that total drop-drop-drop!

4. Keep coupon policies handy

If it has not happened to you already, you will likely be the victim of poor training at some point in your "couponing career". There are many cashiers that seem to have no clue what their store's coupon policy is. Sometimes this can be nice for us couponers because it means a quick and easy check-out, but other times "Suzy Cashier" might decide to disregard the store's coupon policy all together and try to enforce the "Suzy Cashier" coupon policy. In order to be prepared to these types of situations, it will be to your advantage to have the store coupon policy with you. That way any confusion or disagreements can be trumped by what the policy states and it makes it much easier on everyone.

You can find all of our local coupon policies on Bargain Blessings under Store Coupon Policies found in the Information Center in the sidebar.

5. Know when to walk away

When all else fails it is so important to be ok about walking away from a deal. After you’ve been couponing for a while you will realize that they next big deal is just around the corner. Sometimes it just isn’t worth it to go round and round and round with a cashier or manager trying to prove your point. If you do so and get the deal that is great, but you really have to consider if it is worth it if it is going to stress you out and put you in a bad mood for the rest of the day. In my opinion it just isn’t worth it.

It also helps to always keep your original reasons for couponing in mind. If your goal is to provide for your family it probably isn’t accomplishing much if you got that box of cereal for free, but it took you an hour of arguing to do so and it ruins the rest of your day. I coupon because I have a fun time doing it. The moment it starts to be not fun I have to step back, ask myself why, and reassess the situation from the point of view. Yes, sometimes that means leaving that free product behind, but I’m ok with that!

If you really feel strongly about a deal and are getting nowhere with the cashier or manager I have found that it is easier to leave the store and place a call to the store manager the following day. This way it gives you some time to gather your thoughts and calmly discuss the situation.

1. Register Rewards are manufacturer coupons that can then be used to purchase anything in any Walgreens store. So, if you are purchasing an item for $5 and you are using a $3 RR to pay for it, it will then only be $2 that you pay out of pocket. They expire in about two weeks after they are issued, so make sure to keep an eye on those expiration dates.

2. Your total has to be over the amount of the RR. So, you cannot use a $3 RR to buy three times that are .99 each, because your total would go negative. In this case, your RR would beep at the register and the cashier will not accept it. A good solution to this is to purchase a filler item. Filler items are very inexpensive items (.01-.25) that can be used to make sure your total doesn't go negative. Make sure to check out the clearance section for fillers and the seasonal section for things like pencils. So now, you could by your three .99 items, plus one .05 filler and pay for all these with a $3RR and your total will be .02 plus tax.

3. You can only earn one of the same RR in a transaction. So, you cannot purchase five packs of Huggies and expect to get five RRs back. You will only get one. To get around this, you can do five separate transactions. Make sure to be courteous and go to the end of the line for each transaction.

4. You cannot use a Register Reward earned from an item to purchase that same item and expect to get another RR. For example, if you had already done the Huggies transaction once, you cannot use the $3 RR you earned to pay for your next transaction. If you were to do that, your new $3 RR would not print. You can however, use a RR from another product to purchase a different product that will produce a RR. So, for example this week Dove Men's Body Wash is $5.99 with a $6 RR making it FREE after the RR. You could purchase the Huggies first, and then purchase the Dove and use the Huggies RR to pay for the dove, so your out of pocket cost for the Dove would only be $2.99 before any other coupons and tax, and you would earn a $6 RR back. This concept is called rolling Register Rewards.

5. You can use multiple RRs in one transaction. For example, if you are buying a $25 item, you could purchase that with five $5 RRs as long as you added four filler items to satisfy the coupon to item ratio which I discuss below.


There you go! Now you are all ready to go out and get that Walgreens deal. You can do it! Now is the perfect time to give Walgreens a try, and the only way you are ever going to learn is by getting out there and doing it. Check out all this week's Walgreen's deals HERE. And make sure to give yourself some grace for mistakes, trust me I've made my fair share of mistakes at Walgreens and it was never something that couldn't be fixed.

So, what are you waiting for? Go go go and get those Huggies before they are all gone! I would try to go early in the day today if possible. I have never seen a price as low as this on diapers, so they are likely to get snatched up quickly. Be sure to ask if they have more in the back if they do not have any on the shelf.

If you Walgreens vets have anything to add to this for first time WAGers, please leave a comment!

After you start gathering your coupons the very next thing you'll want to do is to find a coupon organization method. I cannot stress enough how important this step is. It will help keep you sane throughout your couponing journey! There are lots of different methods that can be used. First, I'm going to introduce you to the method that Alyssa and I use....

You might be a little shocked by this next statement, but here it goes...

I hate clipping coupons!

I know what you're thinking....How in the world can you be a couponer and not clip coupons?!?! Let me tell you...

Newspaper Inserts




Newspaper inserts are typically our #1 souce for coupons. Many couponers spend a lot of time clipping out the coupons they need. Insead, we flip through the inserts and enter them on our coupon spreadsheet. The spreadsheet includes the following columns:

Coupon Name (ex. Tide-any product)
Value (ex. $1)
Qualtity (ex. 2)
Insert Date (ex. 12/1/09)
Insert (ex. SS, RP, P&G)
Expiration Date (ex. 12/31/10)
Product Type (ex. dairy)

After the insert is entered on our spreadsheet, we write the date on the front of the insert (in black permanent marker, so it is easy to read) and we put them in an expandable file which is organized by date (shown in picture below). When we first started couponing we kept all of our inserts (and our other coupons) in a binder. Any time we need to find a coupon all we have to do is search for it on our spreadsheet and it tells us which insert it is in. At that point, we will pull that insert out and clip only the coupon we need.


The spreadsheet allows us to sort our coupons by name, value, expiration date, or product type! We can also very easily search for a coupon by using excel's search function. This makes it very easy for us to remove my expired coupons...all we have to do is sort by expiration date and then remove those coupons from the spreadsheet. Once an insert is no longer on our spreadsheet we can take it out of our files.

This method should work great for our readers since we tell you exactly which insert to find the coupons we referance. For example, if we tell you something is in the December 27th P&G insert (12/27 PG), all you need to do is pull out that insert and clip the coupon!


Printables, Blikies, and Peelies...Oh My!
In addition to the newspaper inserts that are included on our spreadsheets Alyssa and I add any other coupons we may have accumulated (printables, blinkies, home mailers etc.). These then get organized in my green organizer. This folder is organized by numbered sections. I then mark on my spreadsheet which section I can find the coupon in.

My Little Blue Guy
While I'm preparing for a shopping trip I pull the coupons that I plan on using and then put them into this little blue guy which is organized by store. I also keep Free item coupons in here, and my register rewards/gift cards. I bring this little organizer everywhere with me, that way if I happen to be driving by a store, I have those coupons with me and I can make a quick trip in and out.


Some Options for You
1. The Bargain Blessings Coupon Spreadsheet

Beginning next week, Alyssa and I will be offering to e-mail the typed up coupon inserts to anyone who would like them. Keep in mind that coupons do vary by region, so this option will work best for those of you who are in Colorado. If you would like to receive the Bargain Blessings Coupon Spreadsheet e-mailed to you each week, please send us an e-mail at bargainblessings @ gamil .com (take the spaces out). Our goal is to have this spreadsheet sent out by Wednesday of each week.

2. Hot Coupon World's Coupon Database


This is another great resource that will allow you to search for coupons on a particular product. Just type in what you are looking for in the search box and it will tell you all the coupons that are available for that product. The only downside to this is that coupons vary by region, so the results may not be accurate for the coupons you have.

3. Other Coupon Organization Options

Baseball Card Holders in a Binder
Another popular organization method is organizing your coupons in a binder that is separtated by department (Dairy, Canned Goods, Household etc.). For this method you will need a sturdy binder and the plastic sheets that are intended to hold baseball cards. next, separate your binder by department (canned good, dairy, frozen, household etc.) For this method, I suggest finding a good balance between complicated and simple categories. You want to make sure your coupons are easy to find for you, so you don't want too many or too little.

Box Method
The Box method is just like the above method except your coupons are held in a little box instead of a binder. I saw some great little boxes that would work great for this method at Staples last week.

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Alyssa and I have tried many different methods before we settled on the one we use currently. There is no right or wrong when it comes to coupon organization. Regardless of what method you use, just make sure it works for you!

For our more experienced readers, please leave a comment if you have a suggestion on another coupon organization method that you use!

As a continuation to yesterday’s post on Where to Find Coupons, here are even more resources to build up your coupon stock! I also wanted to emphasize that building your coupon stock pile is key to being a successful couponer. Even if you see a coupon that is for a product that are are not buying during that particular shopping trip, make sure to grab one or two, becuase you never know when the next great deal is going to come around the corner!

Blinkies are found in stores are dispensed out of the little red boxes with the red blinking light.


Hangtags can be found hanging off of a product, around a dressing bottle’s neck for example.

Peelies are found on products in the store. They are not always on the product they are intended for and are often used by manufactrers to encourage consumers to purchase complimentary products. For example, a Prego sauce peelie found on a box of spaghetti noodles.

Magazines are a great resource for coupons! My favorite is All You Magazine. All You is a fantastic magazine that comes packed full of coupons in every issue. I've been getting it for around 6 months now and I love it! I honestly didn't even get it to read, but now I look forward to getting it for more than just the coupons…there are lots of money saving articles and tips inside.

Make sure to keep an eye out for coupons that can be found inside packages. Sometimes these can be found inside little plastic packages inside the product, or they also may be printed on the inside of the box.

Home Mailers are sent in the mail to you by manufacturers or by stores. We will let you know when new mailers are available to request online. Here are some of the booklets you can currently request:


$15 P&G Booklet from Save-A-Lot
Conagra Foods Booklet
Home Made Simple

Quick Tip: Make sure that your local grocery stores have your current mailing information so you will receive the Home Mailers that they send out. I am constantly receiving coupons from King Soopers in the mail…and a lot of times they include FREE items!


We post a lot of FREE samples on our site. Something I don't mention a lot is that often the best part about getting the samples is that they can come with some great coupons!

Manufacturers’ are always looking for our (the consumer’s) feedback on their products and believe it or not they really do appreciate it when we contact them with our thoughts on their products. Sending e-mails to manufacturers is one of my favorite ways to gather high value and FREE item coupons! All of the coupons shown in the above picture are coupons I received from e-mailing manufacturers! I challenge you to pick two products a day, look up that product’s website and let them know what you think about their product! I guarantee you it will make checking your mail a lot more exciting!

Catalinas are coupons that print out at the register when you check-out. Some people thing these are random, but they are actually not random-they are dependant upon the products that you purchase.

Sometimes catalinas can be for another product (like the one pictured above) and sometimes they can be for an amount off of your order. Although most catalinas say manufacturer coupons at the top they can usually only be used at the store you received them at. Catalinas make for some of the best deals for us couponers.


So are you guys getting anything out of these Couponing 101 post so far? Let me know if you have any questions or if you would like any additional information!

One of the first things you will need to do if you are just getting started couponing is to build your coupon stock! Here is a summary of the many resources you can use to to do just that!


One of the most well known resources for coupons are the inserts you can find in your Newspaper. These inserts include hundreds of coupons and will be your biggest resource for coupons.


There are three primary Newspaper insert types that we see on a regular basis:








Occasionally we will see a few other inserts included in the paper. Some of these are:
Kellogs “K”, General Mills “GM” and Betty Crocker “BC”

If you do not have a subscription to the Newspaper yet, you’ll want to get one. Most major metropolitan newspapers include coupon inserts.

*If you are in the Denver Metro area you go can HERE to get a subscription to the Denver Post. It is currently cheapest to get the Saturday-Sunday subscription…just .63 per week! This is a smokin’ deal in itself considering you are getting hundreds of dollars of coupons delivered right to your doorstep each week!

Quick Tip: If you are like me and you only get the paper for the coupons, make sure to put your paper on hold for those weeks that we are not expecting any coupons. We will remind you to do this throughout the year as these weeks approach!

Another fantastic way to build up your coupon stock is to use Internet Printables. There are various websites that will allow you to print coupons right from your computer! Make sure to check the Coupons.com bar on the right side of the page and Coupons Section of Bargain Blessings for our updates on the best printables that we see!

Coupons.com
Smartsource
Red Plum
Betty Crocker
Eat Better America
Ever Save
Boxtops 4 Education
Mambosprouts (All Natural and Organic Foods)
Manufacturer Websites


Here are a few tips on Internet Printables:

Most Internet Printables have print limit of two coupons per computer. After printing your first coupon (or set of coupons) just hit the back button on your browser to print another coupon. You might need to click refresh after clicking back.

Don’t make the same mistake I did! When I first started couponing I went through every site I could find and printed every coupon I could find. Ink costs money and if all you are doing is spending money on ink you are defeating the purpose of printing the coupons. With that said, there are still a ton of coupons that are worth printing! Just make sure the answer to at least one of these questions is yes:

1. Will I use this coupon?
2. Is it a high-value coupon?
3. Is there an upcoming deal for this coupon?
4. Is the coupon for a product I will use or I can donate?

Coupon Printing Software: Most Internet Printing websites will require you to download their coupon printing software. Don’t be afraid. If you are on a legit coupon printing website (all of those listed above) it will not harm your computer. There are thousands of people all over the country who use these websites to print coupons…they are safe!

Store Coupons are great because they can be combined with manufacturer coupons (at most stores) to make for some sweet deals. Store Coupons will state the store name at the top of the coupon instead of Manufacturer coupon, so for example Target store coupons say "Target Coupon" at teh top.You can find store coupons in a variety of places including:

◦ Newspaper Inserts
◦ Store Ads
◦ In stores
◦ Home Mailers
◦ Online

eCoupons are also great because they can be stacked on top of Manufacturer and Store coupons! They just get loaded right on to your store savings card-costing you no ink and hardly any time! Then when you check out at the store the coupons are automatically get deducted from your total! Here are some resources for eCoupons:

◦ Shortcuts
◦ Cellfire
◦ P&G eSaver

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of Where to Find Coupons and on Monday we will start Coupon Organization!

So this is where it all starts for us couponers...the COUPON! I think it is important for us all to understand a little bit about those precious slips of paper we so cherish!


Here is the dictionary's definition:
coupon [koo-pon, kyoo-] -noun
a portion of a certificate, ticket, label, advertisement, or the like, set off from the main body by dotted lines or the like to emphasize its separability, entitling the holder to something, as a gift r discount, or for use as an order blank, a contest entry form, etc.


And here is a couponer's definition:
coupon [koo-pon, kyoo-] -noun
CASH



That's right.... coupons equal cash. The more you use, the more cash stays in your pocket! This might seem really basic, but I have to admit that before I started this all I really didn't understand the true value of the coupon.

When I go to the grocery store and my total drops from $106 to $45 after coupons that is $61 back in my familie's pocket! $61 that we can use to take a fun outing for the day, deposit into our savings account, or make an extra payment on our mortgage! Had I not handed over that little stack of coupons that $61 would belong to the store and be forever gone from our bank account!


So here are what all those little numbers mean on your coupon...

(5)- This number will always be a 5 or a 9. A 5 means that the coupon can be doubled and a 9 means that it cannot be doubled.

(12345)- This is the Manufacturer Code that determines which products a coupon may be used for.

(678)- This is the Family Code and determines which grouping of products a coupon may be use for.

(90)- This is the Value Code that tells the register how much to deduct from your total. There is a chart that these numbers correspond to. For example this "90" means that the coupon has a value of .90. A coupon with a Value Code of 74 is worth $5.

(0)- This is a calculated number used by the manufacturer. It has no real relevance to us couponers.


Note: The above is informational purposes only and should not be used to circumvent the text ($1 off a Jumbo Pack of Huggies) in any way. Couponers should always be ethical and use coupons only as they are intended to be used.

Did you know that there is a whole process that the coupon goes through before and after you hand it over to the cashier?



First, the marketing department at a manufacturer decides that they would like to run a coupon campaign for one or many of their products. They then contact a coupon distributor such as Coupons.com or SmartSource (newspaper insert) and arrange to have the coupon available to consumers. That is how the coupon ends up in our hands!



After you give the coupon over to the store they will send it to a Clearing House which sorts through the millions of coupons to ultimately determine how much is due to the store from each manufacturer. That report then gets sent to the manufacturers who cut a check to the store for the coupons that they submitted.

This is the one thing I wish more cashiers were more educated on! They often do not understand that the company they are working for (The Store) will ultimately be reimbursed for the coupons. I will save more on this for the dealing with difficult cashiers portion of Couponing 201!


Do you know who the first company to issue coupons was?



Yep! It was Coca-Cola back in the late 1800's! Couponing sure has come a long way since then!

That is it for today's Couponing 101 Post...I hope you learned something! Come back for tomorrows post on Where to Find Coupons!

As you can see from yesterday's Couponing 101 Post it is truly incredible what is possible. Another question we seem to get a lot is if it is all too good to be true. Could there really be hobby that costs me nothing and saves me thousands? YES! Just a little effort can add up to a lot of savings! I have cut my food and grocery budget from $550 per month down to $150 per month since the beginning of 2009!



We NEVER pay for items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, lotion or shavers (among many other things)! Imagine if all you did was cut these five items out of your budget!


And that is just for a family of two!

The blessings of this hobby/lifestyle has allowed us to do the following just during the past year alone:


◦ Create an Emergency Fund
◦ Pay off our car loan
◦ Pay for all our Christmas gifts
◦ Save enough to re-carpet our house
◦ Significantly increase our ability to give to friends and family in need

Alyssa and I were just talking last night about how blessed we are to have found such a great way to help provide for our families. It took so much stress out of Christmas this year and now we are able to stock of on post-Christmas sales for Christmas 2010 without reservation due to budget constraints. Even if all couponing did for us was to take the stress out of the Holidays...it would be worth it!

My hope is that our story will inspire you to give couponing a try this year. Even if all you do is one deal per week, I promise, it will be worth it!

In tomorrow's Couponing 101 Post I will discuss "The Coupon"!

When Alyssa and I talk to people about our love of couponing we sometimes get asked if it is really worth it. My answer? Without a doubt...YES!

Another common quesiton is if we are getting things we really need or just a bunch of junk food. For today’s Couponing 101 Post I wanted to share with you a few of our successful shopping trips over the past few months to debunk the "coupons are only for junk food" myth. As you can see from the pictures below, everything we get are products that our families will use or we can donate!

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I'll break our savings down into actual dollars!

In response to some great e-mails that we’ve received from some of our readers, we are starting a Couponing 101 post series. You will be able to reference back to these posts in the Couponing 101 in the Information Center.


So, starting from the most basic, I’d like to share with you the real reason why I do what I do every day…the reason why we started this website and the reason why I choose to live the frugal lifestyle!


The Bible talks a lot about money and how we are to view and use it. Here are some of my favorites:

Matthew 6:31-32 Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat' or 'What will we drink ' or 'What will we wear for clothing ' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Philippians 4:11-13 For I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances may be. I know now how to live when things are difficult and I know how to live when things are prosperous. In general and in particular I have learned the secret of eating well or going hungry of facing either plenty of poverty. I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives within me.

Proverbs 27:12 A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks, and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 24:3-4 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed

Here are some of the subjects we are going to be covering as a part of Couponing 101:

• Examples of What Couponing Can Do for Your Family
• Life of a Coupon
• Coupon Types and Sources
• Coupon Organization
• Speaking the Couponing Language
• Thinking Like a Couponer
• How to Save on Your Bills

After we complete Couponing 101 we will start Couponing 201 in which we will review how to coupon at specific stores (Walgreens, Rite Aid, Grocery Stores).


If there is anything else you would like for us to cover in this series please post a comment to let us know!