5 Tips to Clipping Coupons Like an Expert

Like most of my fellow stay at home Mom's.... I've become accustomed to clipping coupons to save on things that my family needs on a regular basis! I have not become a 'super saver' yet, but I am working on it and tend to save $30-$50 every time I go to the store right now, for me that's a HUGE accomplishment.

I recently read this article and wanted to share these tips with my blog readers and fellow coupon clippers...

We all hear of miracle stories of coupon mavens feeding their families on $10 a week, and although it's impressive, it's not always realistic for the rest of us. If you aren’t able to clip coupons like it’s your job, read some of these tips by Nancy Cook, one of the vice presidents of coupon provider Valpak:

• Decide what you need to buy. Nancy says that she looks "for specific deals on something that I’m going to go specifically buy . . . The coupons very much have to fit into my lifestyle." Don't clip coupons just because you think it's a good deal or it'll be harder to organize. Figure out what you need, and pick coupons based on that.
• Store it. Pick a spot in the house to put your coupons, whether it be a kitchen drawer or a special accordion folder designated to coupons. Don't get overwhelmed with a pile of growing coupons.
• Stick it in your wallet. When Nancy goes shopping, she leaves the coupons in her wallet so that she'll remember to use it. If you leave it in your purse or a in a separate envelope, it might get lost and forgotten among your things so try to stick it in your wallet. You'll be reminded to use it right before you're about to pay for a purchase, which is perfect timing!
• Go online. Before a shopping trip at a store, Nancy goes on the web to scour for coupons from the retail shops. There are plenty of coupon sites like retailmenot.com that have a large directory of coupons to make finding coupons a breeze.
  
• Stay loyal to brands. If you stay loyal to a brand, it will make it easier to follow up with special deals they are having. You will more likely be able to remember what specials are going on and when they end if you have a few key stores that you're following. You'll also probably receive paper mail and email from the stores, which will help you to keep track of sales. Being loyal to a few stores will also cut down on your web search time online.

Tips on Saving at the Grocery Store

Dairy:

• Make ends meet. Look for leftover cheese ends (or ask at the deli counter). Most grocery stores sell them at a discount. Use the pieces to make a delicious sauce for broccoli or to liven up your favorite mac and cheese recipe!
• Skip buttermilk. Don’t buy buttermilk if you need only 1 cup. Instead, mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, shake, and you’re all set!

Produce:

• Go big. Found a large bag of vegetables on sale? Grab it, even if it’s more than you need. Use the extras to make soups, stews or chop and freeze in airtight bags.
• Swap colors. Orange and yellow bell peppers are significantly cheaper than their red cousins, and they’re only slightly less sweet. If you’re making a recipe that calls for red bell peppers, save some money and go with a different hue.
• Stay clean. Visit foodnews.org for the updated Clean 15 list of produce with the lowest levels of pesticides. You can save money by buying non-organic versions of those.

Bread:

• Get creative. Add crumbled bread to burgers and meatloaf. You can save money by using less meat, but without skimping on flavor.
• Go stale. Ask for day-old bread at the bakery counter to make your own bread crumbs or croutons, or to treat your family to french toast!
  
• Save on snacks. Pick up inexpensive corn or flour tortillas and turn them into chips. Crisp up the tortillas in the oven and sprinkle on sea salt and chili powder for a delicious, savory treat. Or try brushing them with butter and tossing with cinnamon and sugar before baking for a sweet, crunchy ice cream topping.

Meat:

• Beware of boneless. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts can be high-priced. Try buying bone-in chicken instead; they’re much cheaper.
• Speak up. Found a cut of meat on sale that doesn’t look familiar? Ask the store’s butcher about it. He or she should be able to recommend the best way to prepare it, which means you’ll get a deal and add a recipe to your collection.
• Hit the deli. Don’t buy packaged, pre-sliced cold cuts—you’re paying for convenience. Instead, spend a few extra minutes at the deli counter and have meat sliced. Savings bonus: You can buy as much or as little as you need.

Freezer:

• Sip for less. Ounce for ounce, fruit juice made from frozen concentrate costs less than the bottled variety. You also can use it to replace sweeteners, like sugar or maple syrup, in most baking recipes.
• Catch a bargain. Choose frozen fish instead of fresh—it’s almost always a better deal, and it tastes just as good. (Besides, fresh fish at the grocery store was likely frozen at some point.)
• Snap up organics. Head to the freezer aisle for frozen organic berries and other vegetables. They great and will keep for much longer.

Coupons for the Troops!

It’s almost the end of the month and that means we have a ton of expired coupons to get rid of.

Don’t worry about having expired coupons, it means you played the game right. You didn’t run out and grab something that wasn’t on sale. You waited and the sale didn’t come, but we’ll see those coupons again. In the mean time it’s time to send your coupons onto a better place…

Send them to those who sacrifice for us everyday: our troops around the world. The military and their families are able to use manufacturer coupons up to 6 months after their expiration dates at their Commissaries if they are stationed abroad. There are a lot of bases that can use these coupons.

How do you get started:
Honestly the easiest way for you to get started is to pick a base. Then check out their mailing hints and tips. You send these straight to the base you pick in a priority mail envelope (you don’t have to pay overseas shipping!).

Note: This site has a great list and tips but you don’t really need to inform them that you are adopting a base or tally anything and send it in. The more work you put on yourself the least likely you are going to stick with it. Just shove them in an envelope and head to the post office!!

What are you waiting for::
Grab all your coupons that are expiring 7/30 then round up a few friends and send them over. This is a great thing to do once a month. Have coffee together, chat and package coupons!

If in the past you were mailing your coupons straight to me, I have to kindly ask that you now start to send them yourself. Things got a little out of hand and I don’t really have time to process all of this :)

Pick a Base here: http://www.ocpnet.org/Base%20List/BaseList1.htm
Mailing Hints here: http://www.ocpnet.org/Hints/hints1.htm