Coupon Class Lesson #1 with task!!

Here is part 1 out of 5 coupon "classes" with a fun task at the end.  Ill be posting pics of my coupon binder - don't laugh! :-)  Im thinking of having a "build-your-binder class" where if you're interested, we can get together and make your coupon binders!!

Coupon Class

Lesson One- Coupons

Welcome to The Savvy Chicks Online Coupon Class.
During this class you will learn the basics of couponing combined with a few savvy coupon secrets that I hope will make you become a pro at saving money!

The first lesson is all about coupons, one of the most important parts of bargain shopping. Did you know that almost every store in the world has some type of coupon? Stores need coupons to survive! It is our job to FIND THEM and USE THEM!

1. Get your coupons.
There are many ways to get coupons.
* You can buy a Sunday newspaper. Sunday Telegram and Sun Journal have the coupon books.  

*You can print coupons online. Target.com has online coupons and the web site www.afullcup.com has the Target Coupon Generator on the left had side of their web page. Using the generator, you can type in the number of coupons you need. Another place to find manufacturer’s coupons online is www.smartsource.com .

*You can get coupons at the register with your receipt when you check out at a store. These coupons are known as Catalina coupons. They are called this because the name of the company that makes the machine is named Catalina. Catalina coupons are manufacturer’s coupons. The company pays the Catalina company to print them on their machine based on what you purchase during your order. This invites you to buy something or purchase a competitors item it you chose to use the coupon on the next visit.

2. Organize and store your coupons.
You can use many different ways to store your coupons. I recommend three based on your personality. You can use envelopes, a storage box or the binder method to organize your coupons.

The storage Box Method is good if you are somewhat organized. It is a huge box with labels. You can find them at Wal-Mart or you can purchase one online. A great place to find one on line is at http://www.refundcents.com/ . You may not want to use this method if you have kids who might want to dump your coupons out. Unfortunately, this method is not very kid friendly. However, it can work well and it works great for a friend of mine. Label the labels on the box dividers by food category; frozen, dairy, meat, snacks, baby.

*If you are extremely organized, The Binder Method is for you! It does take extra time as well, so it you don’t have more than one hour a week to spend putting it together, you might want to try something else. Here is how it works. First, go to the store and buy baseball card holders (they usually come in packs of 10 sheets) and a binder. You can usually find baseball card holders at Wal-Mart or the Dollar Tree. You can find tabs to label each page or use address labels. Place all your diary together on one page. You will use each pocket to hold the same like coupon. So if you have 5 coupons for Hunt’s Ketchup, all 5 will go in the same spot. The first one will show and the other 4 will be behind it. The binder method can save you money and extra time in the store because you can find coupons quickly for items on sale. Time Saving Tip for cutting coupons: Get a cool Fiskars scrapbook cutter Stampin Up (I also sell these). Place up to 4 of the same coupon inserts from the paper and stack them together. By doing this you can cut the same coupon 4 times in one motion.

3. Learn how to use your coupons.
There are many types of coupons. There are manufacture’s coupons, store coupons, Catalina coupons and competitor’s coupons. A store should take a store coupon along with a manufacture’s coupon. For example, if you print an online coupon from Target.com, you should also be allowed to use that coupon, plus a manufacture’s coupon (from the newspaper) to purchase an item. This is stated in their coupon policy. How can stores afford this? Here’s how; the manufacture will reimburse the store for the manufacture’s coupon and corporate will reimburse the store for the store coupon. This can easily allow you to get an item for free.
Here is an example of how you can get a free item.
There are on-line printable Target coupons for 75 cents off French’s mustard. There is also a manufacture’s coupon for $.30 cents off. The mustard is on sale at Target for $.94 - .75- .30 = (-11) making it FREE. Target won’t give you money back, instead they will adjust the Target coupon to make the item free. (Tom Thumb has actually given me money back on occasion!)
You have now completed your first course of our coupon class! Congratulations!

Task: 1. Start collecting coupons. Buy a Sunday Newspaper or order coupons online. I purchase between 4-10 papers depending on the inserts.  I would start out with 2-4. Decide which way you would like to store your coupons and grab one at the store if you don’t already have something.