by Sunshine Simmons

Created on: January 15, 2010   Last Updated: January 16, 2010

There are three kinds of shoppers:

1. People who don’t care that they are spending 75% more than they should on average.

2. People who clip coupons with good intentions, and forget to bring them to the store.

3. Coupon Divas, or people who study the store ads, clip coupons, print coupons, organize,  and feed their family on practically nothing.

Becoming a Coupon Diva takes practice, education, and trial-and-error.  Here are some general tips to help you get started:

*Stacking coupons-Did you know that you can use a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on the same item?  Believe it!  I know it sounds crazy, but let’s pretend your favorite local store has an in-store coupon in their ad for Ritz crackers, 2 for $4, and you have 2 coupons for $1 off Ritz Crackers.  If you use the in-store coupon with the manufacturer’s coupon, you’ve just purchased 2 boxes of Ritz crackers for $2, making them a buck each.  It feels like stealing, but it’s not.  The store is still getting paid on those coupons, and many manufacturers even give them spiffs for the amount they sell.

*Organize your coupons-Everyone has the perfect way to organize coupons.  How you do it is up to you.  If you want to retro fit all of those coupons to a baseball card binder insert, have at it.  I clip them and organize them in an accordion check file.   In the file are alphabetically arranged envelopes in sections, such as food, bathroom, paper products, and so on.  The key is to know where your coupons are so that you can access them easily when comparing to store ads.

*Store ads-Study them every week.  Most papers have them on Tuesdays and Sundays.  Don't use your clipped coupons on anything that isn't already on sale.  One big change to get used to is basing your weekly menu on sales and coupons rather than what you want.  Organize the coupons you want to use in each store.  Watch for double coupons in ads from stores like Safeway and Albertsons.  Safeway’s are up to fifty cents, and Albertson’s are up to $1.  Let’s think back to the Ritz crackers.  If you had an Albertsons double coupon for each of your manufacturer’s coupons, your crackers would be free.  Yes, you can use an in-store coupon, a manufacturer’s coupon, and a double coupon all on the same item.

*Printable coupons-register with sites that offer printable coupons. 

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