The Coupon Nurse

At the Grocery Store

2010-03-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

The shopping list is completed. What's next??

I always eat before I shop for groceries. A quick snack is needed to prevent my "hunger pains" from creating "desires" in the grocery aisles!!! I organize my coupons and shop based on the floor layout of the grocery store. I shop only on the aisles I am making selections. I avoid the displays unless there are coupons offered or special deals.

I only shop from my printed list. This is the second most difficult aspect of shopping with coupons. You are likely to pick up a few items that are not on your list. Please try to resist putting items in your cart that are not on your list. Avoid the long slow strolls through all the aisles. Only shop on the aisles that have the items on your list.

I have shopped with others who compare my method to an "executioner." My grocery shopping is very precise. I do not sip coffee and stroll down all the aisles looking at groceries. I do collect coupons from offers, tearpads, displays and blinkie as I shop.

Once I have all of my items in the cart, I go to the cashier. I have my coupons organized: internet printables, store coupons, clipped, peelie and blinkie coupons. If I have coupons for free items, I present the coupons with the free items.

After I have paid for my groceries and get my receipt, I review my receipt for errors. Also, I take the time to admire my savings.

Preparing Your Shopping List

2010-02-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

Preparing the shopping list is one of the most confusing tasks for the novice coupon shopper. We're accustomed to preparing a shopping list just as our mothers did in the past. Typically, the list is made of the items that you would like to have in your pantry or refrigerator. We have seen our mothers and fathers do this for many years. We are simply following the actions of our parents.

With couponing, a shopping list is prepared based on the items that are for sale and not on the items you want to consume the following week. Your shopping list will be based on sale items and sale items purchased with coupons. As a beginner, you will not have coupons for every item that you purchase. To establish a pattern of savings, you will need to learn to to purchase only the sale items. As you learn to review your grocery receipt, you will soon learn the majority of your savings are from store specials and not coupons. The coupons combined with store specials increase your savings. If you decide that you no longer want to use coupons, you will see savings by purchasing only the sale items.

I begin preparing my shopping list one week from the day that I am actually going to the store. It is less of a task if I am working 10 to 15 minutes each night preparing my shopping list and gathering applicable coupons. One deterrent from using coupons is waiting for your shopping day to prepare your lists and search for coupons. I prepare my shopping list using the couponmom website. I search for the grocery bills by state to find my favorite grocery store. I select my grocery items and print the list. This website provides a chronological listing of the grocery items so that you can gather your coupons by date. I check this grocery list against a shopping list at hotcouponworld. This website provides a community based database of grocery items. When I search for my favorite grocery store on this site, I review my shopping list. I crosscheck my list to be certain I have not ommitted any published coupons or printable coupon offers. During the week I clip coupons and print coupons for my shopping list. On my predetermined shopping day, I am ready to go shopping without any last-minute scurrying for coupons.

If you wait until your shopping day to gather your coupons, you are likely miss savings and eventually stop using coupons. Again, this is my area of expertise. This is a mistake I made many times. Using coupons for groceries and non-groceries has become a habit for me.

Collecting/Obtaining Your Coupons

2010-02-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

I know I talked about organizing your coupons before I explained how you should obtain your coupons. Even though this may seem odd, this is the best way to get started with your coupon collection process. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to correctly build your foundation for collecting coupons. One of the main reasons people stop using coupons at the grocery store is the process of gathering the needed coupons for your grocery list. If you cannot find them, you will not use them.

When you decided which blog or website you going to use to print your grocery list, you will need to retrieve your actual coupons based on that blog site. One of the first sources for collecting your coupons is the Sunday edition of your local newspaper. The Sunday paper will have all of the circulars and coupons. The coupon inserts in the Sunday edition are Red Plum, smart source and Procter & Gamble. For some shoppers, this is the only source for coupons, this is the only source for coupons.

Once I have retrieved the coupon inserts from the newspaper, I write the published date of the coupon insert on the front of the circular. Sometimes I purchased as many as 4 to 5 newspapers. I removed all of the coupon inserts and date them. Next, I make a file based on the published date of the coupon inserts. I do not clip coupons at this time. This may seem strange to the new couponer; however, this method saves a lot of time. I only cut coupons when it is time for me to go shopping. You can file your folders as you would any other office file. Currently I have two file boxes: one labeled SmartSource and the other labeled Red Plum. I make a folder for Procter & Gamble and place that in one of the two file boxes.

One of the best places to get coupons outside of the Sunday circulars is the "All You" magazine. I do not clip coupons from the magazine either until it is time for me to go shopping. The great thing about this magazine is the coupon index located at the front of the magazine. The Index provides the name of the coupon alphabetically and the page number. I have a separate file box these magazines. Their other magazines that have coupons but I prefer this publication as it has the most coupons and coupon shopping tips.

Coupons are often located on the actual merchandise itself. They can be in the forms of cutouts or adhered coupons. Most grocery stores have smart source coupon boxes that are located in front of various merchandise. The boxes have a blinking red light. Blogs shopping list often refer to these coupons as "blinkies." While I'm shopping, I collect these coupons. Some stores offer various publications to promote sale items and offer coupons to the shoppers. Sometimes, they are located at the front of the store and throughout the store at various displays.

I have only listed a few places where to begin your coupon gathering; however, you will begin to notice coupons and places you never thought to look. It is exciting to find new locations for coupons. One of the new stars on the block for coupons is the Internet. If you search the Internet for food manufacturers, you'll often find promotions utilizing coupons. When you register at the sites, you will begin to receive newsletters and promotional coupons. Some of the advertisements on this site promote some of the best sites to obtain your Internet coupons.

My Internet printable coupons are the only coupons I actually clip and organize. I place these coupons in the clutch organizer. I also file my "blinkies" and coupons from store tearpads in my coupon clutch organizer. I realize some shoppers for to clip coupons every week from the newspaper. Filing is quicker and easier. I never said couponing was easy. If you make the process of collecting and organizing your coupons tedious, you will eventually stop collecting coupons and using them at the store.

Next, I'll begin to give you some very simple instructions on obtaining your shopping list and organizing your coupons.

Organizing Your Coupons

2009-11-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

Now that you know the orgin of coupons, learn how to organize your coupons. Organizing your coupons is the foundation to couponing. Without this foundation, your couponing experience will be a temporary experience. If you do not organize, you house will be filled with individual coupons.

I no longer organize by item categories. I only use the coupon organizer for non published coupons. I bought cardboard filing storage boxes as I did not own a filing cabinet. I labeled one box "Redplum" and the other was labeled "Smartsource." I placed multiple hanging file folders in each box. I placed standard size files in the hanging folders. Each week as I buy multiple Sunday newspapers, I separate the Smartsource from Redplum and file by date. Each of my files are dated based on the publication date of the insert(found on the bound edge of the insert). For example, I may date a file 11/22RP. I include the publication abbreviation after the date. The reason I include the abbreviation because when I am returning files I won't mix the Redplum files with the Smarsource files. I do not cut the coupons until I am preparing to shop for groceries. Also, I create files for each grocery store, P &G and for printable coupons.

The clutch coupon organizers can be purchased at any chain office supply stores. I use this organizer for blinkies, purchased coupons and other non-published coupons.

History of Coupons

2009-11-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

I am sure you are wondering when coupon redemption began. Below is a timeline of the history of coupons:

1894: The year that coupons were born. After purchasing the formula for Coca-Cola for $2,300, Asa Candler creates and distributes hand written tickets for a free glass of his new fountain drink.
1895: The year the first grocery coupon is born. C.W. Post creates and distributes a one-cent coupon for his new health cereal, Grape Nuts.
1930’s: Coupons come into their own as many households look to save money any way they can during the Great Depression.
1940’s: Supermarkets come on the scene. Coupons make the jump from neighborhood grocery stores to these new regional grocery stores.
1957: Coupons create a new industry as the Nielsen Coupon Clearing House becomes the first company devoted to coupon redemption.
1965: It is estimated that 50% of all Americans use coupons.
1975: Over 35 billion coupons are distributed and the number of households that use coupons rised to an estimated 65%.
1995: The first coupons appear on the Internet.
1998: America celebrates the first National Coupon Month.
2002: Shoppers save and estimated $3 billion dollars by redeeming some 3.8 billion coupons.
2003: The number of households estimated using coupons stands at 77%.

printed from Grocery Coupon Guide 1/31/2008

Step 1: Obtaining and Registering Your Shoppers Card

2009-10-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

The first step to savings is obtaining your grocery store savings card. Your Kroger(and Kroger family) card or your shopper's card is one of your most valuable cards. You can obtain your Kroger Card or any other grocery store card within minutes at the customer service desk of the store. DO NOT combine this task with a grocery shopping trip. Your grocery shopper's card enables you to get the sale prices on the advertised items as well as any other specially priced items.

Complete the following tasks:

1) Once you return home, access the internet. Go to kroger. Register your new Kroger card. Once registered, you will receive special promotions by mail ($5.00 off coupons and various other incentives). If your store does not have a shopper's card, sign up for publications on your store's website.

2) Next, register your Kroger card at PGesaver and shortcuts. Once registered at each of these sites, you can download e-coupons for the items you would like or normally purchase on to your Kroger card. E-coupons can be used with paper coupons even on the same items (the savings are growing). PGesaver is for Proctor and Gamble products and shortcuts has Kroger brand and national brand products. Revisit PGesavers monthly to add new e-coupons. Revisit shortcuts weekly to update. Shortcuts limits the amount of non redeemed coupons to 50.
Go to cellfire and register your Kroger card and download the savings. You will note with this site, you can register other savings on to your cell phone for various savings at establishments throughout Atlanta or wherever you live. I STRONGLY recommend downloading grocery coupons for Kroger onto the card. Use the cell phone savings for the other merchants listed on cellfire. Check my site weekly for new items for cellfire items

There are seasonal sites for Kroger. Click here for fall savings that can be downloaded to your Kroger card. I do not have an expiration date for this site.

For other stores (non-Kroger family), please obtain your savings card and register on the store website if available. If your store does not have a shopper's card, please register on the store website to obtain savings.

Next post, I will continue to talk about coupons:electronic and paper.

Before We Get Started: Helpful Tips

2009-10-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

There are a few tips I offer new couponers:

1) Your first trip to the grocery store with coupons will only be a few items from the coupon list and many items from their regular shopping list. You are buying what you need and buying the sale items with coupons. As time progresses, your shopping trips will include more sale items with coupons as your needed items have been puchased on sale. ( I hope this makes sense). Your first trip is not likely going to be 90% savings. Do not get discouraged during this phase. Eventually, you will achieve this amount of savings.

2) You are not going to clip coupons until we need them. If you do not know how to file, you may want to become familiar with this task. You are going to need file folders!!!

3) Let's face it, you have been buying the same items for years. Using coupons and buying sale items will give you the opportunity to think "outside the box" and try new or different items. You will have items that you will not compromise on brand; however, you will try different brands on other items.

4) Invest in a printer that has refillable cartridges or a printer with inexpensive refill cartridges. There are alot of printable coupons available online.

5) Obtain another email account. You will need to register on various sites to receive coupon offers. You will receive hundreds of offers. Please do not use your personal email account.

6) If you do not have a separate freezer, you may want to begin the search for a energy efficient freezer. Try craigslist and garage or estate sales before you buy retail.

7) More tips to come :)

Commitment and Motivation

2009-10-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

It is exciting to see the shoppers on TV and via the various websites and blogs saving money with coupons. The savings ignites frugal shoppers to begin couponing.

Before you begin to take on the coupon craze, there are a few important facts I would like to share. I unsuccessfully tried to shop with coupons for 15 years before finding true success. The reason I could not master it earlier was related to my level of commitment and motivation. When my 11 year old asked me if we were "poor", I found my primary motivating reason. Secondly, gas prices skyrocketed to $4/gallon in metro Atlanta. My fuel costs exceeded $100 per week. I am part of the working middle class whose budget is adversely affected by rising consumer prices. Though I did not consider myself to be "poor," I was not able to fill my pantry or refrigerator. It hurt my feelings for my child to assume we were poor.

I had no choice regarding commitment. I did not have family in the Atlanta area to help with groceries. I had reduced expenses in every aspect of my family budget. There were no Saturday shopping trips to the mall or movie night at the theatre. Significantly reducing expenditures on food was a great way to add money back to the budget.

When I analyzed my budget, my family ate at restaurants more than 5 times a week. Most of the meals cooked at home were convenience meals. I spent an average of $300 every 2 weeks on restaurant meals and convenience foods. This amount seems low; however, we were eating out at fast food type restaurants. It is cheaper to eat unhealthy than healthy.

In summary, my financial situation warranted an injection of cash as well as an overhaul of my diet. I was motivated and I had to commit. I had a few options but I chose grocery coupons.

Teenagers and Coupons

2009-10-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

I tried a new approach to couponing. I decided to let my teenager EARN her allowance. Her responsibilities would include purging old inserts, making new file folders and retrieving inserts for my weekly savings. If she wanted extra money, she would clip the coupons based on my shopping list. Initially, my angel helped for free. I got better results when she worked for free. Once the allowance started, the quality went out the window. When I got to the register, my savings were a mere 48%. I was quite upset. Some of my coupons were not in the envelope. Her explanation was the coupon insert was not in the file box. I knew I purchased every Sunday paper as well as the weekly neighborhood papers!

I resumed my duties of maintaining my coupon files. There were several inserts in the wrong date as well as SmartSource inserts with Red Plum inserts. I would like for her to learn the skills as this will help while in college and the rest of her life. For now, she assists. My most recent shopping trip I was able to achieve my 65% savings. I am still in the recovery phase from my summer hiatus. I hope to be back at 80-90% savings. I developed a new tool to help me achieve these results. I will reveal the details later.

Glad to be Back!!

2009-10-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

I tried other options to reach America but I realized as a busy mother of two teenagers, this is my best venue to reach consumers. What I do best is teach others how to effectively use grocery coupons.. I am going back to my roots of teaching others.

In the past 9 months, some things have changed with coupons; but, the principal skills remain the same. I still shop between two major grocery stores, Walgreen's and CVS. I will admit that I don't always make it to Walgreen's and CVS every week.

Since I last blogged, I moved to a different house. During the move over the summer months, I did not purchase groceries for 2.5 months. I never realized how much food I had stored. I certainly did not want to pack and unpack food. We lived the summer months eating my hoarded items; however, I continued to collect my coupons and file. I continue to follow my 7 steps to savings.

Types of Coupons

2009-10-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

There are various type of coupons. Whenever I refer to published coupons, I am referring to Smartsource(SS), Redplum(RP) and Proctor and Gamble (P&G). Smartsource and Redplum are published weekly according to a schedule. Click here for the schedule. Proctor and Gamble is published monthly and is included with the weekend newspaper. General Mills(GM) and Target have inserts that appear in major Sunday newspapers. I consider coupons found in magazines as published too. I do not cut these coupons until I am preparing my shopping list.

Printable coupons are printed from the internet from various websites. Please look at the right margin of this blogsite and at the bottom: PPGazette and Coupons, Inc. These are the types of sites that offer internet printable coupons. Various food manufacturers have special coupon offers and make their coupons available on their websites.

Electronic coupons or e-coupons are available. They can be downloaded to your shoppers card or your I-phone. Cellfire, Shortcuts and PGesaver are the main e-coupons for Kroger stores and Kroger family stores. Click on the cellfire ad listed in the right margin to enroll. Enrollment can be processed on my website. Also, Kroger offers other sites for various seasonal e-coupons.

While grocery shopping, you will see blinking boxes by Smartsource. These coupon boxes are referred to as "blinkies." Collect these coupons while shopping. Sometimes the value of these coupons are better than published coupons. Tearpads are as stated. They are coupons on a pad that can be torn off individually. Peelies are coupons found on the product. They have to be "peeled" off to redeem. Also, there are coupons found on "specially marked" packages of the product. These coupons can be retrieved once the package is opened at home. Hangtags are coupons usually found are the neck of bottled products such as colas, wines, juices, etc.

These are the major coupon types I have encountered. I am sure as you become a coupon savvy shopper you began to notice all the sources of coupons. You will need to become familiar with these terms as they will appear on published shopping lists.