Group 14: 21 Things to be an Epic Couponer (FULL)

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

Hello all! I posted a thread in the General Discussion area but I will post here as well...

I'm taking a mini break from SC... life has just gotten kind of crazy. Not all of it is bad... some, in fact, is very good I will continue to participate here as I made a commitment and I plan on sticking to it. I'm not abandoning you Darlene!!! lol

[DeeBuck]

Sheets I hope everything in your life is managable for you. I hope you have strength and love to support you through any challanges life throws at you. I hope you find happieness wherever you can.

[Giving-Small]

Sheets - you put yourself first. I'm sure the other group members will help out and chime in. This is a pretty motivated group.

[Giving-Small]

Angela asked a great question. I made couponing a habit. It's what I do.

Decide your coupon strategy (for now).

Pick one
A.
__ Couponing to save money for my household
__ Couponing for my family and my extended family
__ Other ________________

B. If there's a good deal on things we use, I'll buy X months worth.

__ Just one
__ As many as we can use before the item expires
__ what's needed

C. I'll get coupons by:

__ Just what I see/collect
__ Trading
__ Trains
__ Coupon swaps


In some ways, what you choose in A will dictate C. It's hard to get lots of products for family(s) unless you trade or ride trains or go an extra mile for coupons.

Here's what I do.

I gather mostly for my family and for the charity (AIDS Saskatoon for HIV positive people and families: health and hygiene items year round, hampers at Xmas).

Part 1: Collecting coupons.

Daily:

1. Logon to Smart Canucks - look at the freebies and coupons thread, so I can order what is new. Coupons go out of stock quickly and freebies are gone fast too Why freebies? They often come with coupons.

2. Watch the thread: SC Scan coupon zone (look here if you search The shameless coupon skank!!!) so I can see what new coupons are out in the stores so I can watch for them and/or add to my wishlist.


Weekly:

1. I read the Air Miles thread because I collect those quite a bit and combine it with donations: Safeway's Sweet AirMiles Deals

2. I watch the coupon threads to see what inserts will be in the paper, the list of coupons in the inserts, and when to watch.

3. When I do my shopping, I browse up and down the shelves for coupons.


Whenever new stuff is added:

I read these threads -- I use the "subscribe to this thread" under Thread Tools (upper right when I'm reading it).

List of Magazine Issues with Coupons
Add to list of items with FREE product cpns on/in Boxes, or good CPN offer.

I try to keep the coupons I know for sure I'll use filed into a lunchbox (most people use binders) sorted into categories. The categories I use are: fpc envelope, food, beauty, household, health, pet.

I try to keep the other coupons roughly sorted into the same groups so if I need to I can grab something that gets posted that I never thought of. I don't cut most of the items out of the inserts. Just the ones I think I'll use.

I have asked several co-workers and neighbors to save inserts for me so I get multiples.


Using Coupons

1. I watch this thread faithfully The Official Hot Deals And Coupons To Use With Flyers Thread Sept 2nd - Sept 8th

and I browse the flyers online before I get some of them in my mailbox when there's something important happenning: ie. 20x points at Shoppers etc.

2. I make a list of items I'll be buying with coupons, what store, and if it's a price match, I clip the coupons to the flyer and note about the page of the item.



We'll have a interview on preparing to shop coming up.

to be honest, my main problem is that i never get disciplined about couponing. I'm really curious how some of you guys became disciplined and started couponing like it was a job? I'll clip the occasional coupon here and there but i never carry a big portfolio of stuff. I'm really curious about this haha. Thanks

[Giving-Small]

We're off to an awesome start.

We have a ton of name suggestions -- can someone in the group summarize, and help us pick one?

In preparing slideshows for 21 Things, I decided that finding coupons and using Smart Canucks to do that (where/what threads) is a fundamental EPIC couponer skill.

If you just know how to do that, you're 90% of the way to being EPIC. Sweet !

It's amazing what this community of volunteers creates and maintains to help us all find and use coupons and deals.

So a big thank you to all the folks who maintain the threads mentioned in this new slide cast.


Link to the show with an audio track:


http://www.slideshare.net/GivingSmal...s-part-1/1/yes ( if you don't have audio, try the 2nd link)

For some reason slideshare has a glitch and the slidecasts don't work all the time. Grrr.
However if you post them on a site or blog, they'll play so giving this a try.

http://www.lights.ca/how-to/couponing/



Your Activities:

1. Share one thing that was new (or not - don't be shy to say you had this section covered) from this slide show

2. Find a thread where people are discussing coupon etiquette that you found useful e.g. is it Okay or not Okay to print lots, take 1/2 a pad of coupons from the store, etc. Post the link here to the thread.

TIP: How do you make a link in a your post to the thread you like? See next post for "how to" make a link.

3. Tell us what your favourite coupon is so far.

[Giving-Small]

How to Make a Link in a Post?

1. You write some words for your link such as This is my first link.
2. You copy the URL from the page you want to go to ie. http://www.smartcanucks.ca/ etc etc.
3. You highlight This is my first link with your mouse.
   
4. Click on the blue globe icon with a link of a chain over it - see red arrow in the image just above.
   
5. It'll pop up a box for you to fill in the URL.
   
6. Paste the URL into the box making sure there is ONLY ONE http:// at the beginning.
7. Click okay.
8. Save your post.
9. To test, click on your link, hopefully it'll go where you intended.

If not, ask us to help. We're here to practice on, help each other.

.

[Giving-Small]

http://www.slideshare.net/GivingSmal...dingcouponspt2- - this is a slidecast so you should hear audio

Try this 2nd Link if audio doesn't work above:



Thing 3: Activity

1. Where have you found the most coupons so far?


2. Where else can you find coupons?

• Can you spot a couple of "big" ways I left out? Clue - think of things on SC
  
• Share other ideas that you have for finding coupons

3. Go out and find a coupon (or plan to find) with one of these new methods and tell us what it is and where you found it.

If you have a camera and are able to add a photo (to another site or to your gallery on SmartCanucks), share a photo. No worries if doing photos is not your thing, just share what you find and where.

Never posted a photo on Smart Canucks or the Internet. Here's your chance to practice.

SC Tip: How to Post photos that you take with your camera on Smart Canucks. (this is posted in Group 2's thread)


Looking forward to your answers / discussion.


P.S. To Peel or Not to Peel?

We've touched on this topic already but just a couple of points to mention.

When it comes to peelies, one couponer had a major issue with a cashier who said if it's off, you can't use it. The person had the box and the peelie in hand, which she had simply peeled off to help collect all the coupons together to hand to the cashier. So YMMV (your mileage may very) -- but this is the only time I've heard of this issue.

Peelies are a hot topic that pops up on SC lots of times with a variety of opinions (sometimes heated).

[geniemom]

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/233340-...-candy-canada/

[geniemom]

Sorry I guess i should have wrote my blurb first....... I was talking awhile ago about posting pics so here they are hope you like and this was my first ime posting a link thanks for the instructions. I suck on computers, not my fortee oh well Enjoy!

[DeeBuck]

Your Activities:

1. Coupons in flyers?!? Why didn't I think of that. I have always just shopped at the local discount stores and never even look at anyone else flyer.

2. coupon etiquette it has a lot of common sense which isn't really common anymore. But I still use my own moral compass, because I am really the only person who has to answer for my own actions,


3. My fav coupon so far? Diapers! I got a $7 off big pack pampers swadlers diapers, I should have taken a picture cause its long gone!

[Giving-Small]

Great stockpile .. wish I had that much tp stocked up.

And great work on posting a link.

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/233340-...-candy-canada/

[FriendlyManitoba]

1. Share one thing that was new (or not - don't be shy to say you had this section covered) from this slide show

2. Find a thread where people are discussing coupon etiquette that you found useful e.g. is it Okay or not Okay to print lots, take 1/2 a pad of coupons from the store, etc. Post the link here to the thread.

TIP: How do you make a link in a your post to the thread you like? See next post for "how to" make a link.

3. Tell us what your favourite coupon is so far.

One thing I noticed from the slideshow was about peelies and bottle top coupons. I've seen the occassional one in stores, but I usually just buy the product and never end up using the coupon and when I do remember a coupon is on it, it's usually expired!

Here's a link to an interesting discussion about walmart's coupon policy...

So far, my favourite coupon is anything that saves me 50% on an item! I've lucked out and occasionally used coupons on sale items that save me money, but I've yet to find a coupon I could really feel great about.

Thing 3 Activity
I've found the most coupons at the couponzone in Superstore, as well as the online bulk coupon sites.

You can also find coupons by asking the manufacturers as well as in newspapers. I find coupons for staying at hotels in the U.S. in the Free Press.

Instead of posting a picture, it's neat because they have these coupons online! Here's the site, and here's the PDF.

[Giving-Small]

Neat site - never knew about this one. You could save a lot of money when you go to the US using the coupons.

[DeeBuck]

1. Where have you found the most coupons so far?
RCSS but you can only use them there.
2. Where else can you find coupons?

I get a lot of coupons of other food packaging ie janes burgers
3. Go out and find a coupon (or plan to find) with one of these new methods and tell us what it is and where you found it.
I plan to go to independent, rumor is they have a coupon board.

[bgheuchert]

One New Thing - just plain old phoning in or emailing the companies, some are super generous! WHO KNEW!
Coupon Etiquette - actually posted this one myself http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/234885-...y-brag-canada/
My Fav Coupon so far - $3.00 of Woolite, I LOVE LOVE LOVE WOOLITE!
Where have I found the most coupons so far - online, mostly through the printables thread (I live in the counrty and can't get into the city to hunt them out except when I am already there).
Where Else to Find Coupons? - love finding them through tradzies
Go out and Find a Coupon - I have some coupon trading partners in mind that I will be pming this week!