The Art of Coupons

A Beginner's Guide

With rising food costs, it seems almost impossible to feed a family on a limited budget. However, there are many people who have mastered the art of couponing and save a lot of money on groceries each month. With some advanced planning, organization, and creative storage you, too, can avoid paying full price at the register.

To maximize your savings, a good collection of coupons is essential. Try to get extra newspaper inserts from family and friends, buy an extra paper (or two), take them from recycling bins, or even order them online from a clipping service. The more coupons you gather, the more you will save. Next, find an organizational system that works for you. Many beginners start with a basic coupon organizer. With multiple sets, you will probably need something larger, such as a file folder, briefcase, or three-ring binder with baseball card holders. You can organize alphabetically or by type of coupon.

We all know a little planning can go a long way. Most people believe the best way to save money on groceries is simply to make a list and stick to it. The avid couponer takes it a bit further. Begin by looking through the weekly sales circulars for stores in your area. Include drug stores and stores you may not normally frequent because of their seemingly higher prices. Quite often these stores will have better sales than other stores because they have a higher profit margin. Most stores will have "loss leaders" advertised. These are items that are marked down to the store's cost or below for the sole purpose of getting customers in the door. Make a list of the loss leaders for the week and check to see if there are any coupons available for the same items. Often, by combining sales with coupons, particularly if you have a store that doubles coupons, you will be able to get these items for free or for only pennies.