The store weekly ads are your bestfriend. This is the best place to do your research. Compare sales between stores. These come in the mail &/or in the newspaper. If you don't get them, you can always find them online on the store's website.
When looking at the weekly ads, don't forget to check out the store coupons. Sometimes a store will have a sale on a product, & also have an additional coupon in the ad to get an extra discount. Example: Sale 2 for $1, limit 4, (2) $1 off 2 coupon= 4 cans FREE!-->
The weekly ads will also tell you what extra rewards you can get for purchasing certain products. (CVS= Extra Bucks & Gas Cards, Rite Aid= +Up Rewards, Single Check Rebates, & Video Values available, Walgreens= Register Rewards)
Where do I get all my coupons? Online and the newspaper. Check out my list of websites with printable coupons. I subscribe to 2 newspapers, The San Francisco Chronicle and The San Jose Mercury News.
There are usually 1-3 inserts in a newspaper. The regulars are SmartSource and Redplum. Every now and then you'll get a P&G Brandsaver.
A quick note about printing coupons...You can only print 2 copies of a coupon per computer. Print them both! A lot of times sales are BOGO or 2 for a discounted price. But make sure you're aware of the individual store's coupon policy in the BOGO cases.
What coupons do you clip? Any & all that you could ever possibly use. You can't be too picky with brand names. Obviously don't keep cat food coupons if you don't have a cat...BUT there are coupon trading blogs where people will trade you for the coupons they need for the ones you want. I haven't gone that far yet, but who knows how crazy my coupon obsession will get.
When do you use your coupons? Don't use a coupon just because you have it, unless you really need to buy that item at that moment. Try and wait for a good sale. Pairing sales with your coupons is when you will save the most money.
Money Makers happen when you combine a sale, a coupon, and rewards... and MAKE $! Remember, the rewards that you get for purchasing certain products are basically like cash in that store.
Don't be embarrassed of standing there doing multiple transactions. I was a little weird about it at first but then the money you save overpowers that feeling. Why pay a lump sum out of pocket when you can use rewards from purchases instead?
Sales come in cycles. A sale will usually circle back around every 3 months. So stock up when you get a great deal. Hint- stock up on school and office supplies during the beginning of the school year sales. You may not need a bazillion pens right now but why not stock up when they're free?
Try and remember or write down some of the deals you get on regular products that you buy. The deal price will give you a good way to judge current sales.
