Smart Q-Pon Clips
  • DEALS!!!!!!!!
  • TOPS
    • TOPS UNADVERTISED GOODIES!!!!
    • Running Catalinas at Tops

Couponing 101 - Getting Started - The Basics

2/7/2017

2 Comments

 
There are so many ways to get started! I think a lot of it depends on how you learn.

Self-Taught: Get some newspapers/inserts and dig in! Follow Facebook groups  and blogs (like this one), clip coupons and scour ads, and RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! Figure out how you want to organize your coupons (see below). Start small...such as with one store. All stores have their own policies, rewards programs, etc. Learning the ropes at one store will help when you want to move on to another store. Trying to learn too many stores at once will likely confuse you. Another piece of advice: there is no need to "chase deals" all over town. This will lead to burnout. The same deals come along on a regular basis. No need to run to WalMart 7 times in one week just to try to find that one freebie.
 
Hands-On: Still having trouble grasping the concepts? Many commuties offer coupon classes. You can also try to find a "coupon buddy" in your area who will bring you on a shopping trip or two so you can shadow the deals.
 


Getting Coupons
There are several ways to get coupons:

Sunday Newspaper inserts
Typically the Sunday newspaper comes with at least one insert of coupons. (Some Sundays around certain holidays do not have any inserts...always check before you buy!). In your paper, there may be a SmartSource (SS), RedPlum (RP), and/or Proctor & Gamble (P&G).

  • You can purchase your newspapers at most grocery and/or convenience stores
  • Some Dollar Tree locations sell newspapers (get there early!)
  • Local and Online Sellers (full inserts and clipped coupons)
  • Ask family and friends who get the newspaper if you can have their unused coupons
  • Some libraries will have a box with inserts in it that you can clip what you want
  • NOTE: Insert coupons vary by newspaper and by region

Online coupon printing sites
  • www.smartqponclips.com (coupons.com printing center) 
  • www.smartsource.com
  • www.redplum.com
  • www.hopster.com

​Other resources
  • Sending emails/letters to companies, commenting on their products, asking for coupons
  • Buying/Selling/Trading with other couponers
  • Use a coupon database to find out where a particular coupon is

Organizing Your Coupons
This is one of those things that you will have to figure out what works for you.

Binder Method
Clip all your coupons every week and keep them in a binder, divided by product type, typically slipped into baseball card protection sleeves. The benefit of this method is that you are better prepared for clearance finds and sales.

CLICK HERE for an article I wrote about the binder I use and how I keep it organized! 


File Method
Keep all your inserts intact, filed by date, only clipping the ones you KNOW you will use, and then clipping specific coupons when a known deal comes along. The benefit of this method is you don't spend nearly as much time organizing your coupons.
 
 
Online Resources

www.smartqponclips.com - all the late deals for all your favorite stores!

www.iheartcvs.com - preview upcoming and current CVS ads

www.iheartwags.com - preview upcoming and current Walgreens ads

www.iheartriteaid.com - preview upcoming and current Rite Aid ads


BOGO coupons and BOGO sales
Most stores allow you to use a man-q on each item in a BOGO sale. So if your store is selling an item BOGO, and you get two items, you can use two coupons - one for each item.

If you have a BOGO coupon, that coupon attaches itself to both items. Per the coupon, you are required to purchase two items in order to use the coupon. So that coupon is attached to both items; therefore, no additional man-q's can be used on those two items. There are a few blogs out there that condone and encourage use of additional man-q's when you are already using a BOGO q. This is unethical and it constitutes fraud, as this is NOT proper use of the coupons, per the manufactuturer who puts the coupon out and PAYS the merchant for the coupon. This group does not condone this type of misuse.

What if you have a BOGO coupon and the store is having a BOGO sale? This can be very confusing.
  • To maximize savings, find the lowest number that the two sales have in common and buy that many items (may need mulitple coupons). For example, if the store is having a B2G1 sale and you have a B1G1 coupon, you will maximize savings by purchasing SIX items (since the sale requires multiples of TWO and the q requires multiples of THREE)...you will need 3 coupons, and you will only pay for ONE of the six items.
  • Once you figure out how many items you are going to purchase, first figure out how much the store is going to charge you for those items. (Example: store is having a B2G1 sale, price is $2.50; if you buy six, the store is going to charge you $10). THEN, deduct the value of your coupons. (Example: you have 3 B1G1 coupons...so deduct $7.50 from that total, since each q is worth $2.50; final price $2.50 for 6 items). This method can be used for every BOGO scenario.
 
Double Coupons
Many grocery stores will double manufacturer coupons. 

What does this mean? This means that they take the face value of your coupon and "double" ones that have a value at or under a certain amount. For example, if the store "doubles coupons up to and including $.50", then any coupon you have that is $.50 or under will be worth twice that amount. Coupons over $.50 will be at face value.
  • Tops Markets - doubles up to and including $.99 (occasionally they offer doubles on $1 coupons - but only during certain weeks)
  • Wegmans - doubles up to and including $.99


Glossary of Terms
$/$$ - Purchase-based coupons (you must spend a certain amount to use the q)

$1/1 - $1 off 1 product
$1/2 - $1 off 2 products

Blinkie - A coupon found in store, usually attached to the shelf, inside a box that usually has a blinking light on it, and you can only pull one coupon out at a time

BOGO - Buy One Get One Free
B2G1 - Buy Two, Get One Free

BR - Balance Rewards (rewards at Walgreens)

CRT - "Cash Register Tape" - term used to refer to store coupons from CVS that print from their coupon center when you scan your card

CTC - Click to Card coupon (Tops)

DD - Double Dip (when purchasing an item gets you two or more rewards); can also mean Dead Deal

ECB - Extra Care Bucks (rewards at CVS)

Exp - Expiration Date

L2C - Link to Card coupon (Rite Aid)

MQ, Man-Q - Manufacturer's Coupon

NLA - No Longer Available

OOP - Out of Pocket

ONYO - On Your Next Order

P&G - Proctor & Gamble (coupon insert name - comes out on the last Sunday of the month)

Peelie - A coupon found attached to a product in store

PP - Plenti Points (rewards at Rite Aid)

Q - Coupon

RA - Rite Aid

RP - RedPlum (coupon insert name)

RR - Register Rewards (rewards at Walgreens)

SS - SmartSource (coupon insert name)

SQ - Store Coupon

Tearpad - a pad of coupons found in store, usually on a display of the product

TQ - Target Coupon

Wags - Walgreens

WYB - When You Buy

WYS - When You Spend

Couponing for Beginners:

  • Couponing at CVS 101 click here
  • Couponing at Target 101 click here
  • Couponing at Walgreens 101 click here
  • Couponing at Rite Aid 101 click here​

Post by Kim Meroney
2 Comments
Catherine Newman
7/29/2017 11:47:39 pm

Reply
Domenica Anzaldua
11/24/2017 01:00:39 pm

I'm new to couponing

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe to Smart Q-Pon Clips - DEALS!!!!!!!! by Email

    Click Here to Download the Coupons.com App

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    $1 And Under
    Ad Scan
    Contest
    Coupon Preview
    CVS
    DIGITAL DEAL
    Dollar General
    Dollar Tree
    Doubler Week Deals
    FAMILY DOLLAR
    FREEBIES
    GIVEAWAY
    GLITCH
    Healthy Deals
    Ibotta
    Kelloggs Rewards
    My Grocery Trips
    NEW QPONS
    ONLINE DEALS
    Recipe
    Rite Aid
    Rite Aid Monthly Deals
    Save A Lot
    Target
    Tops Markets
    Valu
    Walgreens
    Walmart
    Wegmans

    Google
    Flag Counter

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2023
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

 If you click on an ad or link and print a coupon it is free for you but I may receive an affiliate commission also if you click a link and purchase an item I may also receive a affiliate commission it doesn't mean you pay any more for the item it just keeps this blog running I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions's 16 CFR, Part 255: *Guides concerning the use of endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising  for full disclosure and disclaimer click here also use of coupon printables now requires use of third party cookies and similar technologies specifically where it comes to coupons dot com prints now Quotient CLICK HERE for they're sites full details
Proudly powered by Weebly
Picture
Picture
Picture