This is more of a question/idea than a rant...

[saveysaver2012]

I have never used this part of SC before but I have been thinking about changing the way I coupon for the last couple of weeks and would like to know what other SC's think

I have only been couponing for a few months and though I love it, I think I may not have been doing it in the best way.Here are the things I think I do wrong:

1. Spend so much time trying to get coupons that I get to many and do not use them all.

2. Get way too many of one coupon and miss out on other deals. For example, I recently traded for about 120 Campbell's $1 WUB 4 because I really think it would be a great deal when Campbell's soups go on for $0.59.However, I have yet to purchase any Campbells and have been scrambling to use coupons from inserts( I had to throw alot out because they expired).

3.I am not really waiting for rock bottom prices. The reason for this is I never really see any on food items. Plus coupons ( inserts/websaver/save.ca) have very short expiry dates. Not all of the coupons just some.

4. One of my last and probably biggest problems ( and this one is really all my fault) but I really hate folding tear pad coupons and putting them in my binder ( in the baseball card holders). Not because I care about folding the coupon..I just find the coupon slides out when I fold it. So most of the time my tear pad coupons are in an envelope in my desk and never really get taken to the store unless I know about a sale. This hasn't really hurt me deal wise yet but I have a feeling it is going to bite me in the butt soon!


Now ways that I think may resolve my issues:

1. Make sure to keep my coupons organized/clipped and in my binder when I get them. Also maybe keeping note on what coupons I really really get use of.This may keep me from making impulse trades.Also,maybe keep a small journal and mark the sale price/item/date down on products that I use a lot in my home. That way I know when the last time the item was on sale and after awhile I can possibly catch a pattern of when that product goes on sale and how long before it possibly goes on sale again.

2. I am not sure if the best idea would be to focus on one deal ( ex. using all 119 campbell's coupons = 476 cans) or maybe make a maximum amount of coupons that I will allowed myself to have per item.

3.I guess I just have to start forcing myself to save for rock bottom prices..

4.The only thing I can think of for this one is to buy the currency protectors and put my tear pads in there.I find them somewhat expensive and unnecessary considering it is really just a pet peeve and not a most needed.


Any advice/ comments would be great !

Thanks for letting me think out loud ( sort of lol)
saveysaver

[Minou]

Okay... breathe....

Sit back and watch the sales for a while. Knowing your prices is the best way to save money. Make a list of the items you use regularly, and how often you need to buy them. That will give you a good idea of how many coupons you really need. Focus on the things you use a whole lot of, as well as items that are normally very expensive. For me, shoes, children's clothing, pasta, tomato sauce, detergent, hair gel, shampoo, deodorant, diapers, formula, and wipes are really worth saving on. I worry less about grocery coupons, though I'll certainly use special HV store coupon offers, as well as FPCs from cereal boxes!

Certain times of year offer better for deals than others. September is a good time for sales on household items like cleaners, detergent, toilet paper, and diapers, February is good for clearance toys, and July is best for sales on clothing. Most years, November brings higher grocery prices, and they don't go down again until January. In September, there is usually a P&G insert as well as a large number of tearpads and booklets out in stores.

There's no need to do everything by "couponer rote" if it's not working for you. You don't need to carry a binder. I just put my coupons by category into a small softcover photo album and put it in my purse. Cut out the coupons for things you use, and put them in that. If you're really worried about missing a deal, put the remainder of the coupon inserts into a ziploc bag uncut and put them in your trunk so you can retrieve them if you ever need to. If you're planning a shopping trip and have a bunch of coupons you plan to use, put them in an envelope and write your list on it.

119 Campbell's coupons is sheer madness unless you're buying for multiple households. I think we only use a can a week of Campbell's soup around here!

[Minou]

Sometimes the 12-packs of Campbell's soup go on a great sale. The lowest I've seen was $4.50 for 12, making them about $0.38 each. With the coupon you mentioned, buying in 4's at $0.59 would make them $0.34 -- not really a huge saving for the extra work you're doing, especially when you factor in the cost of trading for coupons and having them mailed to you.

A common sale price for a 12-pack of Campbells is $4.99 The $0.42 a can you'd be paying there isn't bad, either.

Focus on the big fish!

[saveysaver2012]

hmm.I never looked at it that way.. thank youu!