Couponing 101

cou·pon·ing  (kpnng, ky-)

n.

The sending out or turning in of coupons, 

especially the regular redemption 

of a manufacturer's coupon for cash.

A couple weeks ago I saw a especial on TLC about couponing called Extreme Couponing. I was shocked. I couldn't believe why and how I was missing out on this! The people shown on the program, were slightly extreme - no pun intended, which I have no plans on becoming, but still - we can save a LOT of money couponing.

So when I wrote up my resolutions for this year, I decided I would learn how to be a couponer. And get really good at it. Though you will not see me dumpster diving or walking aroung the neighborhood collecting coupons daily I am totally serious about this.

I'm still learning. Researching and trying to understand the jargon of it all. There are lots and lots of sites out there that explain everything there is to know about couponing. My favorite so far: The Krazy Coupong Lady.

The concept is simple. You gather as many coupons as you can and then combine them with a store's sale to get a crazy discount. The trick is just getting all the coupons, getting all the sales and being smart!

Right now I'm focusing on Albertson's. They always have great sales and so it's easy to coupon there. However, Walmart now is not only matching prices, but also matching coupons. So you can take a Target or Walgreens Only coupon to Walmart and they will accept it.

Here is an example. Last week, Albertsons had a General Mills Cereal Sale - 2 for $4. Pretty good right?! Well, I combined a $1 off two GM Cereals that I had, and ended up only paying $1.50 each. Really good right?! However, every once in a while, Albertsons will have these crazy sales where cereal is only 89 cents a box... so combine that with a coupon like the one I had and you end up only paying 39 cents a box - CRAZY!!!

So if anyone out there is interested, I'll starting sharing my findings, tips and discoveries here.

And if anyone has any tips - please share!