Couponing Tips

Sometimes the thought of couponing can seem overwhelming but as long as you stay organized then it really becomes easy.  First you need to get yourself an organizer for your coupons.  I have found the best thing to use is a 3-ring binder and plastic baseball card sheets.  I organize by product type for each page in my binder.  For example I have a page for paper products, frozen foods, canned goods, cereals, etc.  Next I take all my coupons for one item and organize them by expiration date.  I place the coupon that will expire first on the top of the pile and then place the stack into one pocket of the sheet.  This way I don't let coupons expire and waste good savings.  Now you need to get a good amount of coupons in your binder so you can start getting good deals.  Make sure to buy more then one Sunday paper and if possible buy different papers because they will have different coupons in them.  In our area the two top papers are Asbury Park Press and Star Ledger.  Also don't forget to utilize online coupons that you can print at home.
Now that you have your binder and a good supply of coupons you need to develop a system to use them in the store.  I use the online circulars to compare deals between grocery stores and make my shopping list.  After I have made my lists for both Shoprite and Stop and Shop then I get out my binder and start pulling coupons.  I use two white envelopes to hold my coupons for the trip to the store.  I will pull out all the coupons I intend to use at each store and put them into envelopes I have labeled Stop and Shop and Shoprite.  Don't forget to take your shopping lists with you to the store and stick to your list!  Also take your binder to the store just in case you find a deal that was not advertised.  Remember the weekly circular announces new sales but older sales almost always last for more than one week so you never want to pay more for a product when you have a coupon for it at home.
When you checkout always check your coupons one last time before you head to the counter.  This way you know you have purchased exactly what you intended and all of your coupons are accounted for and there will be no surprises when the cashier starts scanning.  Lastly make sure you get all your savings before you leave the store.  Look for coupons that should have doubled, deals where you get a dollar amount off at checkout for buying a group of items, coupons that print at checkout for buying certain items, reusable bag discounts, and of course price checking.  If you find a mistake in your receipt make sure to go straight to customer service and have it rectified.  Remember you are in charge of your coupons and savings so be proactive about it and don't let things slip past you that can affect your savings.