YOU In Bloom: Answer Questions & Possibly Win an Amazon e-Card in Return!
Thanks to all the amazing participation in the original “Clip it to the Bank” Q&A post I have quite a few follow-up questions that I’m hoping you can all help me to answer. I want to make this extra fun for you guys, so I’ve decided to give away 20 $5 Amazon e-cards! How do you win? Here’s the deal – I have chosen 20 random numbers (1-1000) shown below. If your comment ends up being any of the 20 pre-selected numbers below, then you will win a $5 Amazon e-card. Please remember that your comment is only valid if it is an original comment (NOT a response to another reader’s comment) and if your comment is an ANSWER to one or more of the questions posted below. Please note that you do not have to answer all of the questions below…if you only want to answer one question, that is fine! Thanks!
Winning Comment numbers:
47, 80, 120, 164, 232, 276, 313, 390, 423, 459, 519, 572, 632, 661, 749, 787, 845, 860, 915, 995
Calling All Couponers – Beginners want to know…
1)How do you decide which coupons to print out and which ones to avoid?
2)How long does it REALLY take to get to a point where you feel like you know what you are doing?
3)How much time do you seriously invest in the process of organizing your grocery list, coupons, stores sales, etc. before you head out the door to go shopping?
4)How can you fit couponing into healthy meal planning?
5)What/where can you find the best deals for summer traveling?
6)What are the pros/cons of your coupon organization method?
7)How do you get the maximum use of coupons before the expiration date?
8)How do you determine if it’s worth the extra trips (gas money, time) to special stores?
As always, thanks for your input and good luck! 🙂
Answering question 7: It takes a little bit of time, but after i clip and before I file I sit down with the stack and enter them all into an excel spreadsheet. I am then able to sort it by expiration date, type of coupon, etc. I print it out and it’s easy to see what i have at a glance instead of standing in the aisles digging through my coupon file. And I have a way to see quickly which coupons are expiring that need to be used. It’s also handy for a reference to which coupons need to be pulled out because they’ve already expired.
I spend about 30 minutes writing out my list, and organizing coupons prior to making a shopping trip for the grocery store or rite aid.
7. I don’t even try. If a deal hasn’t come along, it’s not meant to be.
When planning a vacation I usually try to rent a condo from an owner rather than stay in a hote. YOu have more space and a kitchen. The price is usually comprable to staying at a hotel and you can save buy preparing meals. I will often cook and freeze somethings the week before we go. Then when we’re away we don’t have to eat out every meal and I don’t have to cook. Think foil disposable pans and you don’t have to clean up and lug stuff home with you either. I have found some great deals for condos in the white mountains NH http://www.craigslist.com Click on the area of the country you are traveling and there is a tab for vacation/seasonal rentals. Check there for a place to stay.
#4 couponing and meal planning. There are some meals I will plan based on what I have in my stockpile. Then there are other meals that I plan based on what’s on sale a particular week. This week purdue oven stuffer roasters were .89/pound. I put it in the crockpot and we had a chicken dinner one night. The next night I shredded the chicken and we had chicken quesadillas. Two meals from a $7 chicken – not too bad.
#6 I’ve been using the binder, but I also have a plastic bag thing up front where I put the coupons I don’t think I’ll really use but hate to throw out just in case a SUPER deal might come up. It is time consuming to stuff them all in those little slots only to pull them out when they expire. I’m now contemplating some method where I might keep them organized by date of the insert. I might keep putting food items in the binder and then all household items in folders by date of the inserts. The household things I usually buy when Collin has great deals that list out what coupon from what insert to use. Grocery items I like to see because sometimes there are great food item deals that you just come across and food items is the area that I’m having the hardest time saving with.
#1 I print out the coupons that hardly ever come around that I know for a FACT I will need. The coupons that the websites have over and over I skip until I need them. There are just some coupons on the websites (red plum, smartsource, coupons.com) that are usually always there and never seem to run out of prints before I can print them.
7. Don’t try–you’ll just end up spending a bunch of money trying save money.
I probably spend too much time couponing, but I end up saving so much money!!
1. If it’s not a coupon that i know i’m going to use, i normally don’t print it unless it’s something i can use to get something super cheap and get a register reward, ecb or something similar back after purchase
#3 – because I live so far away from everything, I try to get all of my shopping done in one shot. I usually invest 2-3 hours one afternoon (while the little one is asleep) and get everything together, working out every little scenario to get the best deal and seperate all of my shopping piles for Sunday’s shopping.
6. I only cut out what I think I will use. The con part is: if I find an unadvertised deal and I know there’s a coupon, but I don’t have it with me because I didn’t cut out ALL coupons.
#6 – I use the binder method which I like better than the envelope/container method. I like that I can see EVERY coupon I have and when it expires, the only con I can find is taking the time to cut out the coupons and filing them away to fit in the little pockets. But if I find something on clearance or an unadvertised sale, I have the coupons there, they aren’t at home in inserts and then I have to go back to the store later on to get the deal.
I use the binder method plus a small according file too. I always have my small children with me and so the binder takes too much but the small file doesn’t hold alot. I organize my coupons for the trip to the stores I am going to in the small file but take the binder in my car in case I find a unadvertised sale. Than it is just a quick trip to the car to get the coupons I want. It does take more time and effort but it works for me. I only print coupons if I know I will use them soon or if it is a really high value one of something I want to try. I spend about two hours a week organizing my coupons but could do way more but I try to limit myself or I go OVERBOARD! I have been couponing for almost a year and most days feel like I have the hang of it all and then I mess it up by using a wrong coupon or forgetting something! All part of the process. Thanks for making it easier!
1)How do you decide which coupons to print out and which ones to avoid?
Assuming the printables are not things I know will be used for a big sale coming up, I print coupons for every day things I may not have a stock pile for. I try to hold on to those coupons and wait for a sale but if I’m out, I think a coupon off the regular price is better than just the regular price. I use the same method for purchasing coupons from the coupon clippers. If it’s something I regularly use (especially a preferred brand), has a long expiration or a rather high value for the product then I buy a bunch of them and hope for a sale.
2)How long does it REALLY take to get to a point where you feel like you know what you are doing?
Ummmm….not sure. I feel more confident (about 5mos in) but I still miss things which is why it’s great to scour hip2save. Collin never misses a deal!
3)How much time do you seriously invest in the process of organizing your grocery list, coupons, stores sales, etc. before you head out the door to go shopping? I spend about an hour, 2 tops making lists and pulling sales. I get grocery ads on Tuesdays and then the big box stores and drug stores on Sundays. I make my meal plan for the week based on the perishables that are on sale.
4)How can you fit couponing into healthy meal planning? Unless my coupon excludes it, always go for the low fat/low sugar/low sodium option if it’s available. I try not to buy too many really junky junk foods. Frozen vegtables are a great option as they last longer and are cheaper than fresh. I’m not hung up on organic so it hasn’t been an issue for me. I’ve always been a pantry cook.
5)What/where can you find the best deals for summer traveling? The best deal we get every year is we borrow my aunt’s beach house for a week.
6)What are the pros/cons of your coupon organization method? I use the binder with the baseball card holders. The pros are that I can actually see all the coupons and it’s very portable so I always have it with me. The cons are it’s time consuming to flip through and put away coupons, you have to pull out the expired ones and you have to clip everything.
7)How do you get the maximum use of coupons before the expiration date? To get the maximum use out of my coupons I always try to use high value coupons on things I use regularly. However I have learned to let go if a coupon is going to expire and I haven’t found much of a deal for it. It’s not really saving you anything if you’re spending more than you want to using coupons up before they expire when you don’t need the stuff. I treat high dollar coupons differntly though. For instance the contact solution I use is pricey (can’t use another kind) and almost never goes on sale. When it does it’s not an item I can get for free or for pennies. So when I get the $3 off coupons, if they’re expiring and I haven’t found a good deal, I go ahead and use them. The 25 cent charmin coupon on the other hand, I just toss.
8)How do you determine if it’s worth the extra trips (gas money, time) to special stores?
I don’t often make extra or special trips unless it’s a hot item that I know is going to be gone. I make a list of things I want to pick up from each store. As I’m out and about during the week shuffling kids, getting groceries, etc. I’ll make a quick stop when I’m in the area of that store. If something I use is going to be free at Wags or a good money maker (like dulcolax a few weeks ago) I will drag myself out on Sunday morning to get before they are gone.
#6The pros and cons of the coupon binder are:
Pros: Can see all the coupons nicely organized, easy to carry around.
Cons:Takes sooo much time organizing and stuffing in the little slots.
For my coupon method, I use the envelope method. The best part about the envelope method is that it fits into my purse so all I have to do is lug my big purse around. Another pro is that nobody can tell that I’m a couponer so I like not letting everyone know that I’m one of the couponers. The con of using the envelope method is that I have to cut out and organize my coupons every week and if I get behind then it takes hours to catch up.
6. I used a binder method for a short time, but found that I was spending too much time doing this. I also had a difficult time with expiration dates and keeping it updated. I have recently been keeping categories separated by plastic bag (so not organized). So I will have a bag for food, toiletries, and household items. Then each time I go to the store I go through the bag to pick out the items I will get. Or if I see a good deal on one of the online blogs like Hip2Save, I will look through my bags and pick out the one I want. I am only shopping for myself, so I am not goign to the store often unless there is a good deal. So this works for me for now.
1. I always print the high dollar coupons.
2. It took me about 4 months to get couponing down good.
#3: I don’t spend hardly anytime planning my grocery shopping/coupons. AND I WISH I DID!
I’m working on it. 😉
1)How do you decide which coupons to print out and which ones to avoid?
I always see if it is a product that I regularly use…if not, I won’t clip it (good deal or not).
1. I always print coupons for things we use regularly. If it’s something we might like I usually print them too. Many times I feel like I miss a “deal” but I don’t like to throw away alot of printed coupons either.
7)How do you get the maximum use of coupons before the expiration date?
When I cut out and organize my coupons each week, I take note of the coupons that will be expiring soon. I usually remember them in my head, but sometimes also make a list. So right now the coupons to note that will expire are the ones expiring 5/31. If it’s a great coupon, then make sure you write it on a list so that when you are out shopping you make sure to use it. Generally, make a list of coupons that you want to use that expire in the middle of the month (15th) and at the end of the month (31st) so when it gets near those dates you know that you need to go use them at the store.
7. I use the coupons that I use and then I throw them out once they’re expired. I don’t pay much attention. If I am going to the store near the end of hte month, I may take coupons that will expire soon along with me to check the prices.
In response to #7 I try to go through my coupon stash when I put the new coupons in and notice which ones are expiring.
#2 – I have been couponing for a little over a year and I would say about 2 months ago I started feeling like I am really getting to know what I’m doing, however, I still don’t always see all of the deals right away and that’s why I turn to the blogs.
I usually save all coupons that I think I might be able to use. I also use the 3 ring binder to put my coupons in. It takes a lot of time to set it up at first, but if you put your new coupons in it every time you get more, it doesn’t take that long. I have only been couponing for a couple of months, but love it. I love to tell my family how much I saved when I come home from the grocery store. Lots of luck!
2)How long does it REALLY take to get to a point where you feel like you know what you are doing?
I’ve been doing it for a year and sometimes I feel great at it and sometimes I feel terrible. So it changes day to day for me which I feel is probably common? But I always save more than if I wasn’t doing it, so I focus on that 🙂
5) For the best hotel deals, you can’t beat Priceline!!!
#1
I only print things that I know I will use. If it is for a great deal on something and/or if we use it all the time – definitely print it.
I really only print what I know I will use or give to my daughter.
#7 – Well, I start checking the drug store “I heart” sites to help prepare for my coupon use and that helps to decide whether I use most of my coupons before they expire. However, many times the coupons will expire before I can use some of them. If there’s no sale, then I don’t use the coupons…otherwise, you don’t get the lowest price for the items you need.
8)How do you determine if it’s worth the extra trips (gas money, time) to special stores?
I only go to places close by, but I have a lot of options close by so it isn’t very difficult. II go out for extra trips when there are free or nearly free items.
2. I am 5 months in and I finally feel like I get it!!
#2
I have been doing this for almost a year and I am still learning LOTS of new things. I was really into it the first few months (trying to get EVERY deal) and after about month 3 or 4 learned how to really make couponing fit in our life and absolutely LOVE it!!
1) I save on printing and reuse paper. Or use backs of printed paper.
I sometimes decide too if it’s worth going to a store if there are at least 3-5 items that are great deals or 1-2 super fabulous steals. If they are just ok deals that I don’t really need, I usually will wait until more deals arise throughout the week.
3. I usually go through different blogs daily and write down the good sale items I want to purchase. I then match my coupons and put them with my grocery list. I usually shop about twice a week
It depends on how good the deal is if the extra gas is worth it. If you will save quite a bit more than spend on the gas go for it if it’s pretty even or not saving don’t bother.
8. If it makes me a good amount of money, I am definitely making the trip!
In answer to #8, I combine trips (do a loop) and only go to stores near me. Thankfully I’ve got a lot of places to shop right around the corner.
I spend probably more time than I should on couponing, reading deal blogs, etc., but I consider it my part-time job in addition to being a full-time mom. And the savings are adding up to be MUCH more than a part-time job would pay!!!
#8 – in determining the extra money, it has to be something I really need and I have to be able to get a lot of products out of the deal, like diapers, I used to run out for every tube of toothpaste I could get…but like most of us, I’ve gotten out of that.
#1 – I only print/cut out coupons that I know I’m going to use or a friend can use. If I’m not familiar with the product, I usually pass unless it’s a really good deal and I know I’ll at least try it.
How much time do you seriously invest in the process of organizing your grocery list, coupons, stores sales, etc. before you head out the door to go shopping?
About an hour and 1/2 every two weeks.
(3) I usually book through the main websites. I can’t wait to read what others do to save money traveling.
1)How do you decide which coupons to print out and which ones to avoid? Right now I’m just trying to print the really high dollar coupons and any coupons for what we actually use. I’m still learning 🙂
3)How much time do you seriously invest in the process of organizing your grocery list, coupons, stores sales, etc. before you head out the door to go shopping?
about an hour before i go to the grocery store. 20 minutes every sunday cutting them out
congrats! 🙂
4: I fit healthy eating into my life by using the deals to help save more room in my budget for fresh fruits and veggies. Also there are healthy coupons available for healthy everyday goods like oatmeal, tuna, yogurt, etc. I also stock up on healthy natural ingredients and prepare my own healthy freezer foods. Like yummy homemade burritos and garlic bread. No processed foods for my family!
it has taken me about 6 months to really get the hang of all the stores CVS WALGREENS TARGET and all the policys.. RR and extra bux lingo.. I love it tho!
3) I use hip2save to set up my best bets for the week