Coupons 101

Coupons 101 was on vacation but now is back. The Fall holidays Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming so fast.

Start shopping early to save money and more important to get the gifts you want.

My plan this year is to get a good budget and stick to it. I am earning extra money selling on ebay. It is fun and helps add to my spending power.

I also give away free web sites. This is an awsome gift for a family member. It is very simple.

Go to: http://www.gotogails.com/new371934.html for all of the details. Think you could give each family member there own website for free. It can be used in many ways as you can think possible.

A personal website can be used for pictures, letters and to start a business. A business website can introduce a new product. Since the website is free, you have a great gift and it will be loved.

Next lesson coupons 101 helpful hints

Save Money-Coupons 101

Coupons 101 has many more ways to save money by saving water.

Just a word or two about outdoor water use:

1. Check soil moisture
2. Use shut-off nozzle on garden hose
3. Avoid sprinklers with fine mist
4. Use a car wash
5. Wash car on lawn
6. Don't water sidewalks
7. Water early
8. Mulch plants
9. Plant drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees
10. Raise the blade on the mower

Every drop of water that is saved is money in your pocket!

Next Lesson Coupons 101 helpful hints

Coupons 101 Saving Money by Saving Water

Just a little off the usual topic of coupons, but in my paper there was an article on how to save money by saving water use in the home.

Since this blog is mostly about saving money, I find that I am going to take these hints and use them.

We waste a lot of water, especially in the bathroom where about two-thirds of a home's water use goes down the drain. So let's start there.

1. The toilet-use the low volume ones or put a plastic bottle filled with water in the tank to reduce the amount of water used.

2. Brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your face-turn off the water.

3. Showers-cut down to 5 minutes.

4. Drastic showers-Navy style get wet, turn off water, later and scrub then turn it on and rinse.

5. Shower head-trade high-flow for a low-flow.

6. Shower-waiting for the water to get warm, place a bucket to collect the water and use it for houseplants, etc.

This is a start. I'll list more of the water saving money saving 50 hints in the future.

Next lesson Coupons 101 helpful hints on coupons and water saving

Coupons 101

Thank you someone, for leaving a coupon near the dog food treats. I picked it up and saved $1.50!

That is a good hint.

If you have a good coupon and can not use it, leave it on the shelve for another customer.

I have done that and left a coupon in the past but this was the first coupon I picked up and used!

I am sure that the store removes these free gifts when they see them. I still plan to leave a good coupon bargin for another saver!

Next lesson-helpful hints

Coupons Online-Coupons 101

Online coupons from coupons 101

As noted before, not all coupons come from the Sunday papers. Here are three good ones:

1.http://www.CouponsMom.com

2. http://www.Coupons.com

3.http://www.Kroger.com and click on P&G eSaver (if you shop at Kroger)

Next lesson helpful hints

Caregiving Coupons 101

Coupons 101 Caregivers

I have come across a list of care givers for all types of help that a family might need. I have an idea. Need a part time job? This group may be able to help?

Coupons 101-Helpful hint

Credit Card Warning Coupons 101

Credit Card Warning Signs-Coupons 101

Credit card debt has grown by 315% since 1989. If we want to save money using coupons, we do not want to lose the savings by using credit cards. Too much debt has warning signs.

1. No savings
2. Can make only minimum payment on credit card
3. Make purchases when trying to pay off credit card
4. Reached credit card limit
5. Late payments
6. Cash advances
7. Bounced checks
8. Denied credit

While times are extra hard, the use of a credit card and a growing balance is a road map for financial disaster.

Happy couponing! Save money! Put some money away!

Next lesson on Coupons 101-helpful hints

Stockpile Items-Coupons 101

To Stockpile an Item or Not-Coupons 101

If a staple item that we use is on sale and I have extra coupons, I will cash in all of the coupons and stockpile that product. At times, this can mean a savings up to 75%!

One problem in this is storage. Where to put the stockpile can be a problem no matter how much or little storage that you have. Here are some suggestions:

1. The top shelf of a cabinet in the kitchen, may be holding a large pot that is used once a year. Move the pot and use the top shelf.

2. A row of shelves in a garage, could be built for the storage.

3. The back of a coat closet, may have room.

4. Be creative! Find a place for your stockpile!

A most important thing is to rotate products that you stockpile. Cereal, cookies and crackers have dates on them. Use the oldest first. While coupons save money, expired products could ruin the savings. Of course soaps, paper products etc can be used for years.

Next lessons on Coupons 101-helpful hints

Coupons are Free Money Coupons 101

Free Money-Coupons 101

With coupons you save money. Where is that money? Let's say you have $200.00 to spend on food this week to feed the family and buy cleaning supplies, dog food and all of the things you need at the grocery.

You carefully set meal menus and select items to buy with your coupons. When you go to the store did you spend the $200.00? Or did you come in under budget? Did you spend that on a splurge item? Or did you take home the extra money?

Last week, I noted the cost of groceries and the savings the coupons brought. The grocery receipts are wonderful because they do this for us. I saved 36% on the total bill. Now since I consider this my job and income, I saved even more because I paid no income tax-federal or state or social security on this savings. This add on value is at least worth 15%.

I have made a promise to myself. I will take some of the money coupons save and put it into a special savings account. If I only take 5% to 10% of this money, I will get a bonus.

The cost of gasoline is likely to use up the wonderful savings coupons bring. I will not let that happen to my little percent that I want to save.

Next lessons on Coupons 101-helpful hints

Elixir for tough times: Coupons 101

Tough Times-Coupons 101

Newspapers have articles once a month to help consumers learn how to use coupons.

We have been suggesting most of the ways to save using coupons.

Here are some additional tips that the paper suggests while using coupons.

1. Know how your store's coupon policies work.
2. Wait till an item is on sale and add your coupon to it-it may be free!
3. Use drug store savings programs.

Next lessons on Coupons 101-helpful hints

Best Buy-Coupons 101

Best Buy-Coupons 101

Do not go to Best Buy to shop untill you check the Best Buy on line coupon site. If the item is on sale and you have a printable on line coupon, think of how much you can save.

Go to: http://www.retailmenot.com/view/bestbuy.com and check out the coupons.

Next lesson in Coupons 101 helpful hints.

Kohl's and Coupons 101

Kohl's-Coupons 101

Major sale at Kohl's and I need 3 summer things. I have a 15% off coupon on everything!

Ok, I must use the Kohl's charge card. I do one of two things.

1. Buy a Kohl's gift card using my debit card. Buy the products at a huge savings. Then take the gift card and apply it to my account. No charges!

2. Buy and pay the bill the Kohl's bill moment it arrives.

The one thing we do not want to do is to accrue trust.

Kohl's has great prices and credit cards have interest. Keeping a zero balance is not always possible. By watching their sales and adding the coupons that Kohl's mail card holders, the savings are still considerable if you watch the interest.

Next lessons in Coupons 101, helpful hints.

Dollar Store-Coupons 101

Helpful hint Coupons 101: This one comes from NBC Nightly News! The stores that feature items for a dollar have now started selling fresh produce! The bargains are wonderful.

In the past, I have found these stores to sell products that are smaller in size or quantity in order to meet the dollar price. The products are not name brands so coupons rarely work if even accepted by the store.

At this time, it could be worth your pocketbook to check out these stores to see if you would benefit. By using these store for fresh produce, maybe the groceries will lower their price.

Next lesson in Coupons 101, helpful hints.

Free Stuff-Coupons 101

Helpful hint Coupons 101: Have a coupon for FREE stuff? Redeem it. I was sure that I would never use a free can of enviga. A product by Neatea a sparkling green tea with powerful antioxidants, I took home my free can of enviga and put it in the refrigerator.

Several months later when there was no diet soda in the house, I grabbed the skinny can of enviga the calorie burner and drank it.

Within 30 minutes, I was feeling as though I could walk a mile. swim laps and ride my bike for hours. What a pickup a can of enviga drink is.

In addition, there were several added benefits for me. I am always trying to lose weight. This enviga has helped. I need to get regular bms. This enviga has helped. And all the powerful benefits of green tea and antioxidants help.

So this is about free stuff. Get it and try it. Many additional benefits may result.

Next lesson in Coupons 101, helpful hints.

Out of Stock-Coupons 101

Helpful hint Coupons 101: When the grocery store runs out of an advertised special, you may get a rain check good for another time. Watch the date on the rain check. Often the date is good for only one week. Put the rain check in the must use soon section of your coupons 101 notebook.

This week the grocery offered Coke products-2 litter bottles. The deal is 4 for $5.00 and one free. The soda are $1.79 list. Remember a few weeks ago when the list was $1.59? The jump in price is like gasoline price jumps.

Any way what the offer amounts to is one dollar a bottle saving $.79 per bottle or $3.95 all together for 5 bottles.

On my first trip to the grocery, they were out of my soda. I was fuming and in a hurry so I did not get a rain check. I returned the next day only for soda. There was plenty. I get 25 bottles of soda and go through the check out. It rang up wrong. So I asked why (with an attitude).

Well it seems that the free soda was only on the first 10 bottles unless rung up on two orders. The coupons 101 saver in me pointed out that I wanted the order re-rung. With no argument, the order was re-entered. and I saved a total of $15.80. I will make another trip today just for soda to save $7.90 more. I am a junkie for my soda and the store is only .5 miles away.

Next lesson in Coupons 101, helpful hints.

Helpful Hints Copuons 101

Coupons 101 helpful hint: when you have a coupon that is a buy one and free, you can even use another coupon for the item which is not free. So when you get 2 products, use 2 coupons. Wow! Now that's a huge savings.

I want to explain that helpful hint. I have in my hand two coupons for the same product. One is a an amount off. One is buy one get one free. So you see that each product gets a coupon and you save lots of money!

Next lesson in Coupons 101, helpful hints.

Helpful Hints Coupons 101

Coupons 101 will add one helpful hint at a time. This will allow the hint to sink in. Have you ever had some one tell you 5 good things so fast so that only one hint sticks?

Some grocery stores have double or triple coupon day. The problem is that that day is not always convenient to pay day. Plan your attack on the grocery.

Get a calendar and mark the days that the store doubles coupons. What a blessing if the store doubles coupons every day. Line up the coupons for that store and for the sale items. Set aside enough money to be able to shop on that day.

I guess this may be another hint. A calendar is good to have with your coupon tote. Days have a way of passing bye so fast. I hate wasting a good coupon because I did not realize that I had only one or two days left before the dreaded coupon expiration date.

Next lessons in Coupons 101, helpful hints.

Where to find Coupons

Lesson 2-Where to find Coupons

Part Four:

The Internet is a huge source for coupons. I googled Internet coupons and there were700,000 hits.

Some of the coupon hits are super and some a pain. Some are just lists of stores, rent a car, movie rental and so on. Now these sites are good to know about. Check www.mycoupons.com .

One http://tops.coupons.smartsource.com/Web/index.aspx?Link=DBKX2TBYRSFHI is one I use all of the time. Another is http://www.couponsurfer.com/ . There are many more and some will work for you and some will not.

It is a good idea to bookmark the online coupon sites that are the best for you and then work them to your benefit. Once you get use to using your favorite coupon sites, you will be saving lots of $$$$$!

Coupons 101 has completed Lesson 2. The 4 parts covered-newspaper supplements, bulk mail, in store discount cards and coupons and lastly on line coupons.

Next lesson in Coupons 101, helpful hints.

25 Ways to Make Quick Money

While we are saving money with coupons, AOL money and finance have an article today "25 (Uncoventional) Ways to Make Quick Money.

They share the information from WalletPop.com. I'm not sure about all of these ideas but if one or two would help go for it. Go to: http://money.aol.com/creditdebt/25-ways-to-make-quick-money?icid=100214839x1204229285x1200173927 for the complete list.

Where to find Coupons

Lesson 2-Where to find Coupons

Part Three:

Newspaper supplement sections and bulk mail coupon offers are one and two places to look. Now I'll add a third- grocery store discount cards.

Most chain grocery stores have discount cards. At first I hated the fact that they know when I shop, what I spend and what I buy. They say it is private information, no one else gets it and it allows the store to follow trends.

If you shop at a grocery without this discount card, the savings posted by each product in fine print, will not be applied to your order. I have found all of this distasteful. But I want the savings and I want store coupons.

One time I was out of town and just raced into the grocery for some supplies. I made my purchases based upon the price showing up on the little clip price card. I had no discount card, was in a hurry and did not notice the higher prices until later in the motel room. I was steaming.

Frequently, in stores, a manufacture puts coupons by the products that they represent. These coupons are an unexpected extra and often a deep discount. If you use this product, check the expiration date. Take extra coupons for later use if the date of expiration is a month or two out.

Now the grocery stores send coupons in the mail to me. I even get a cash back coupon based on the volume of groceries purchased.

It is a must to apply for and then use the discount cards provided by the stores. Keep the cards with your coupon tote bag and never leave home wihtout your coupon tote!

Part Four tomorrow.

Where to find Coupons

Lesson 2-Where to find Coupons

Part Two:

Our mail frequently includes envelopes marked -Our neighbors at: Bulk mailings full of coupons. Most of them are by local merchants looking for your business.

In the past I threw them away. Not anymore. I open all of them and scan each coupon for possible use. There are times when only two or three coupons are relevant for my family. Each one of these coupons used wisely saves us money.

It's not worth saving a coupon for roof repair, if you have a new roof, for a deck cleaning, if you have no deck and so on. But if a restaurant offers buy one meal the second is free try it.
Pizza shops, florists and so on need to get you in once to try their product.

Valpak is one of the mailings. And there are others. Scan every mail offer in case the coupon can be of use.

Part Three tomorrow.

Where to find Coupons

Lesson 2 -Where to find Coupons

Part One:

The Sunday newspapers have supplement sections chuck full of great coupons. I get the paper on Saturday evening. I cut the coupons, note the expiration date with a highlighter and file them in my coupon binder.

OK simple enough. Most Sunday papers cost $1.00 to $1.50. One or two coupons redeemed more than covers that cost. But suppose some of the coupons are great deals for you and the products you use.

You have several options for obtaining more coupons from the papers that are super deals.

1. Buy another paper (but that is additional cost).
2. Ask friends or family members for their paper (but they may learn from you and not want to give them away.
3. Dumpster dive at the recycling bins.
4. Check where the stores put their extra papers.

It always amazes me how many people throw away the coupons. So I dumpster dive. Now one could be accused of stealing when taking away from a recycle bin. To avoid that, I take papers with me to recycle. I consider it a trade. Of course I only want the coupon supplements any way, so I give more than I take.

Products have a pattern to their coupons. I see my favorite soap coupon once every 2 or 3 months. At that time, I really look for the extra coupon supplements. Of course, a great coupon for another brand of soap, is happily redeemed and the product used by us.

Notice recycle day in your area. I gather extra supplements when I take the dog for a walk. I also check the drugstores and supermarkets for extra papers on Monday and gather coupon supplements.

Part Two tomorrow.

Combating Gasoline Prices by Using Coupons

Why I became the Coupons 101 blogger.

The use of coupons in planning my purchases had been just a convenience. If I forgot a coupon and needed to purchase an item, I said, "oh well! Maybe I'll remember next time." Of course by then the coupon had expired.

As the cost of gasoline increases, my purchasing power decreases. My husband is a self employed floor installer. He travels all over the city and uses a van for business. He needs to meet with customers, give an estimate for the work and later if he gets the job drive back and do the work. His profits are down due to the increased fuel costs.

In order to compensate for this, I make hunting, organizing and using coupons a part of every day. By doing this, I have saved more money than the cost of gasoline.

I plan meals based upon the coupons I can use. I look for new recipes to match the coupons. My family is eating better than before.

To get started couponing I did several things.

1. I made a list of the foods we use every day.
2. I made a list of the health and beauty products we use everyday.
3. I made a list of the cleaning products we use everyday.
4. I made a list of the pet products we use everyday.
5. I made a list of other products that we use.
6. I made a list of products that we waste-lettuce goes bad, meat spoiled, etc.

There are reasons that I wasted coupons in the past.

1. I left them at home.
2. I let them expire.
3. I forgot I had it.
4. I could not find it.

Here is the first big secret I want to share on Coupons 101.

Get organized! There are as many ways to do this as there are people in the world. Each of us have a certain way of doing this. I have tried at least 5 ways over the years. I used a coupon saver wallet, a file box like a recipe box, a rubber band, a paper clip and so on.

Today, I use a loose leaf binder with plastic see through slots. I organize the binder with colored tabs. On the front of the binder, I put an index reminding me what coupon is behind each tab.

I have a special tote bag with my binder in it. I call it my coupon tote bag. I never leave home without the tote.

Next lesson in Coupons 101, how to find coupons.