My Step By Step Process Before I Hit The Store!

This is MY personal step by step process that I use when I coupon. Please remember that this is my way and feel free to adapt this to fit your couponing needs. One you get the hang of this you may find a better system. Go for it! There is no right or wrong when it comes to couponing. Everyone’s a winner when you save $$$!

1.       SHOP THE SALES

Please, please, PLEASE do not spend another day aimlessly wandering the grocery aisles at Wal-Mart with a list that you haphazardly threw together 5 minutes before leaving the house. Pick a favorite grocery store, mine is ShopRite, and get you a sale circular for that week. The sale cycle with most grocery stores is Sunday- Saturday. Use these, love these, these are going to become your BESTFRIENDS! Sometimes we even get COUPONS in these sale circulars! FREE COUPONS, can you believe it! Plan your weekly meals around what is on sale for that week. I usually jot down certain things that catch my eye for the week. These things usually include any sales on juices, deli meat, produce, crackers, and diapers. These are things that are STAPLES in our household. Once I know what is on sale, I start to do a little homework….

2.       COMBINE THE SALE PRICE WITH A COUPON FOR MAXIMUM SAVINGS

Sounds too good to be true? It isn’t! Once I have a rough list of things that catch my eye from the circular, I start to do a little research. I always go to the same two sites. Livingrichwithcoupons.com and Thekrazycouponlady.com these are MY go to sites, you may have completely different ones that you like better and that’s great!

Once on Livingrichwithcoupons.com I go to their ShopRite weekly matchup’s page. Something magical then happens….THEY DO ALL THE WORK FOR ME! I just scroll down their list and all the sale items that have a coupon are listed for me. They even put a little green check mark next to the items that are rock bottom prices. If the coupon is from an insert, they give you the name and date of the insert. If the coupon is an IP or internet printout coupon they give you the direct link so you can print it right out. Simple! Easy! Fast! It’s like couponing by numbers. No work needed!

3.       I PROCEED TO CLIP, PRINT AND ORGANIZE MY COUPONS

This is the fun part! I look through my inserts and find the coupons that I want to use. I print out all of the coupons from the internet I want to use. I make a list and I double check my coupons before leaving the house. Usually I just paperclip them along with my list and hit the store! Next thing I know I am saving lots of money. I try to aim for a 50-75% savings every time. This is MY personal goal. Even saving 5 bucks is a good start!