For My Coupon Craving Friends

I've had several of my friends interested in learning coupon techniques - and there is nothing I'd love to do more than to teach people how to save money.  I think I'm starting to rub off on certain people...for example, I encouraged my husband to use a coupon on Saturday to receive an amazing deal -- a Let's Rock Elmo for $12.12 at Target (a retail of around $60).  Not only did I get 1, but I got 2 because of my slyness and coaxing to get my husband to grab that very last Elmo.  So, I thought I'd share some of my weekly deals with my loyal blog readers to encourage you to go save a buck yourself!  Seriously, there is so much stuff you can get basically free!!  My favorite places are CVS and Walgreens.  Lately, I've started to get really excited about Target because they have some great coupons on their site you can stack with manufacturer coupons.  Okay, okay so it's like I'm talking a foreign language right?  Well, let's start at the basics for you.  The lingo goes like this:

• Manufacturer coupons are coupons you get from your local paper or mail, like SmartSource or Red Plum.  You can use these at any store that accepts coupons.  Many stores, like Meijer and Marsh, will double these coupons if they are 50 cents or less.  (That means you can save up to $1 off of certain products!)
• Store coupons are store specific coupons.  You can get these straight off of their websites usually, like on Target and Wal-Mart.  These coupons you can only use at the specific store but you can stack them with a manufacturer coupon for more savings!
• Stacking Coupons - To stack coupons means to take a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon to combine them and double your savings.  For example, today at Target I went to their website and got a $2 off Playtex sippy cup coupon.  I also had a $2 off manufacturer coupon off any Playtex item.  So I got $4 off a set of sippy cups!  What was even better was the sale on sippy cups this week at Target - buy 1 get 1 50% off.  It's always a better deal when you can stack your coupons on store sales!

So, how can you get started?  Well, for me organization is the key.  The more organized you are, the easier it will be for you to sort your coupons and save!

• Get a binder (preferably 3 inch to start off).  
• Purchase a couple of packages of plastic sleeves to hold your coupons.  You can find these pretty inexpensive by the baseball cards.  Then you can organize based on categories that fit your needs.
• Finally, get your coupon inserts by purchasing a Sunday paper and looking in the mail.  The Red Plum inserts are delivered to our neighborhood in our regular U.S. mail - so look through your "junk" mail before you pitch it!

I'll post my weekly deals for you later so you can try them on your own! BUT be on the lookout because my friend Michele and I are going to start a website here soon to post our deals and savers!  Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as it's up and kickin'!

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