My Favorite Online Websites

Last week I told a few people that I would do an extensive list of my favorite online sites! I listed a few coupon sources last week, but this is a complete (well BIG) list of some of my favorites! If you are just getting started then I suggest bookmarking a lot of these sites. These are the ones I frequent sometimes on a daily basis!

Word of Mouth Marketing Sites:

Vocalpoint - A great site to review and discuss products. You will also receive coupons and free products in the mail to try just for signing up!

BzzAgent - This is a great site that will send you products to try, and coupons for your friends! Just think of all the friends you could make when you start handing out high value coupons :)

Kraft First Taste - Get coupons for Free Products. You get to try new products on the market and share with you friends about what's new and upcoming!

Pssst.... By General Mills - You get to try new products and then a few weeks later fill out a survey with your opinion. I just love being a product tester, I think it's my calling in life :)

One 2 One Network is a great place to have your voice heard. This is a little different because I don't receive samples in the mail. You have to be chosen to participate in projects and you may be asked to do things such as review a CD, Post a review on your blog, or many other things. It's still a great fun company to be involved with!

Coupon Websites:

Coupons.com - You can sign up for email updates Here!

Red Plum - Has some exclusive coupons, and also lets you print most of the coupons from Coupons.com.

Sign up with Cool Savings and get access to some great coupons from Smart Source. You will also get email updates when new coupons are available.

Manufacturer Websites:

You can get great Recipe's and Coupon's from the following sites: Bisquick, Pillsbury, General Mills, Kraft Foods, and Betty Crocker.

Survey Sites:

These are my 3 Favorite Survey Sites! Hopefully you've already joined, but if you haven't here they are:

Ipsos Survey Panel
Lightspeed Panel
Send Earnings

Lists of Samples:

These sites have great lists of all the free stuff that you can sign up for around the web. You will have to join MySavings to have access to all the information, and Shop 4 Freebies is easy access with no registration!

Target Store Coupons & Coupon Databases:

A Coupon Database let's you search all available coupons including insert coupons and online coupons. I love to use the Databases on A Full Cup and on Hot Coupon World

You can print Target Coupons from both of these sites. Here are the direct links: Hot Coupon World and A Full Cup!

Other Great Deal Websites:

These are some of my favorite blogs that I follow. I can't list all of my favorites, but these are a few you might like: Hip 2 Save, Coupon Cravings, Moms By Heart, Coupon Geek, Surviving the Stores, Freebies 4 Mom, & Money Saving Mom!

What are your favorite deal websites? I am sure I forgot some of my favorites, but that's all that I can think of for right now! Have fun surfing the web on all these great sites!

Day 5: Getting Paid to Take Things Home

Well, Day 5 is a little late. I had dress rehearsal yesterday for Three Day's our church's Easter program that started this past Sunday, so needless to say it was kinda a crazy day.

If you have missed the first 4 posts and you are new to couponing, you can see all of the posts here or you can check out each day by using the links below.

Day 1 - Where to Start
Day 2 - How to find High Value Coupons
Day 3 - Where to Shop
Day 4 - How to get everyday items for FREE
Day 5 - Getting Paid to take things home

If you have been following this blog for very long, then you have seen me list items that are "money makers" When I can purchase a product and receive more than my money back I consider it the same as being paid to take an item home.

There are 4 main ways that I get Paid to take items home.

1) Combine Mail in Rebates and Coupons

Keep your eyes open for products with Try Me Free offers or Mail in Rebates. If you can find these products and combine them with coupons, most of the time they will give you a small profit. Remember that a little bit can add up quickly. Here is an example

Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookies $2.43 @ Walmart
Use $1.00/1 Printable Coupon
Look for "Try Me Free" tag on select packages, you will get a rebate for the "purchase price" or the $2.43 that the product will scan for. This will be the purchase price that you circle on your receipt.

Here's the math
$2.43-$1.00 coupon = $1.43 *what you pay at the store
$2.43 Mail in Rebate
= You got paid $1.00 to take these cookies home and try them.

Here are some other great Money Making Rebates:

Sargento Salad Finishers (aprox. $3.99)
- Use $1.00/1 Coupon from 3/15 insert
- Use Try Me Free from 3/15 insert
= $1.00 Money Maker

All Bran Products (up to $4.99)
Try Me Free Rebate Form
Combine with $1.00/2 or $0.50/1 coupon from 3/8 or 3/29 inserts
= Money Maker

Just for Men $6.99
Use $2.00/1 Printable Coupon
Use $1.50 coupon from Easy Saver Book @ Walgreens
Try Me Free Rebate here
= $3.50 Money Maker

Physicians Formula $13.99
Use $1.00/1 Coupon from 3/22 insert
Use Try Me Free Offer * Must have Tag on Package.
= $1.00 Money Maker

2) Combine B1G1 Sales with Coupons

I always save my "Free Item" coupons as long as I can. I also save B1G1 Free Coupons for when a store has a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale. You can combine them to get 2 items free. You can also use a coupon on the item you are getting free from the store. Here's how it works:

Store Sale Buy 1 Pack of Gum, Get 1 Free (Valued at $1.19)
Use $0.50/1 Coupon
Use Free Pack of Gum Coupon
=$0.50 Money Maker

Most stores will let you use 1 coupon for each item. Also, most coupons read "one coupon per purchase" Some people will say that you only "purchased" one, but technically you had to "purchase" 2 to take advantage of the sale. Honestly, I haven't ever had a problem doing this type of a transaction.

What you can't do is use a coupon for $1.00/2 and a Free product coupon or a Buy1 Get1 coupon because the $1.00/2 covers both products. You need to use two coupons that only cover a single item.

3) Combine Store Offers with Coupons

Walgreens often runs Free after Register Rewards deals. Always look to see if you have a coupon for the items that are on sale with Register Rewards. If so, you might just end up making money. Here's an example:

Next Week at Walgreens 4/5-4/11 Colgate Total will be Free after Register Rewards.

Purchase Colgate Total at $3.49
Use $0.75/1 coupon from Sunday's Insert (3/29)
Pay $2.74 plus tax ($2.99 after tax)
Get back $3.50 in register rewards
= $0.75 - $0.50 Money Maker depending on if you include tax or not.

Either way you have Free Toothpaste and More money than you paid for the product.

Target also has Gift Card promotions where if you buy 5 of an item you get a $5.00 gift card or something like that. Often you can combine these with manufacturers coupons and store coupons and pay less out of pocket than you get back in a gift card. Keep your eyes out for these offers in their weekly ad.

4) Product Testing

Ok, the last way I make money to take something home is product testing. I think this is also the most fun and easiest way to make money. If you've read this blog much you know that I love to join and participate in online surveys. Typically at the end of the survey some companies will ask if you are willing to try the product and review it.

The company sends you the product to try

After a "trial" period you get sent a survey about the product, and you get paid to complete the review survey.

You have gotten a free product and gotten paid to use it, most of the time you get to keep the product because it's too expensive to keep shipping it around. Remember that these types of surveys have really strict confidentiality agreements because they are often on new products that haven't hit the market yet.

Here are some of my favorite survey sites. I can't guarantee that you will get free product offers from them because it depends on the surveys you complete, but these are the ones I use on a daily basis. They are all completely Free and you can earn great prizes or even cash in your pay pal account from some of these.

Join Lightspeed Panel Here
Join Pro Opinion Here
Join Ipsos Surveys Here

Day 4: How to get everyday items for FREE

If you have been following this blog for very long you probably know that there are some essential every day items that you can get for FREE! Here's How:

1) Walgreens Register Rewards

Keep your eyes on the Walgreens Weekly Ad. Each week there are specific items that you can purchase that are "Free After Register Reward"

Let me explain what a Register Reward is and how to use it.

A Register Reward is a coupon off your next purchase. Register Rewards are essentially like cash off your next purchase or transaction.

For example This week Edge Shaving Gel and Chap stick are Free after Register Rewards:

Transaction 1:

Buy Chap stick for $1.99
Get a coupon (Register Rewards) for $1.99 off your next purchase

Transaction 2:

Buy Edge Shaving Gel for $2.99
Use your coupon from the Chap stick for $1.99
= Pay $1.00 for the Edge Shaving Gel
& Receive a coupon (Register Rewards) for $3.00

You have paid $2.99 total (plus tax) and still have $3.00 off your next purchase. You can use your $3.00 on something you need, or save it for next week and use it on another Register Reward item.

2) Mail In Rebates / Try Me Free

Keep your eyes open when you are shopping for "Try Me Free" offers that are attached to everyday products. You can also see a list of Mail in Rebates and Try Me Free offers at Hooray for Freebates. Here are some items that I have found recently with Try Me Free labels attached

Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough (At Walmart)

Resolve Carpet Cleaner (At Walmart)

Raisin Bran Extra

Kellogg's All Bran Products (Expires 4/30)

Physicians Formula Bronze Brighteners (At Walgreens)

Remember that most of the time you have to have the form that is attached to the product. The exception above is the Kellogg's All Bran Challenge.

Also, you will need an original receipt on these items, so only purchase one mail in rebate product per receipt.

3) FREE Samples

There are several great sites out there that list free samples. I also do a weekly round up of free stuff, or you can use the link at the top of this page to get to all the Free Stuff I have recently posted. I LOVE to get Free Samples in the mail, Pay attention to where the samples are coming from, sometimes companies offer a sample through their website, and also through Walmart.com.

I recently got 3 samples of the Always Infinity Pad (one a day for 3 days) All to the same mailing address, with the same name on it. I simply signed up on the Always site, the Walgreens site, and the Walmart site. Each one had 1 pad and a coupon with the retailers name on it.

If you figure that at $5.99/14 pads each one is worth $0.43 then I saved $1.29 just by signing up for these free samples.


FreeFly's is a great source of Free Samples. Once you register you can view lists of free samples that are available by category. They include everything from Food to Beauty, and Baby. Right now you can get samples of Total Cereal, Mary Kay Mascara, and Quaker True Delights.

Walmart has a great list of Free Samples on their website. These come very quickly, and are always from great manufacturers. Everything from Zyrtec, Jergans Natural Glow, Crest White strips, & the Always Infinity is still available.

You can also use Shop for Freebies to find great stuff.

If you are just getting started, read my post on Where to Start

Saving while couponing.

How can you save money when you are constantly buying envelopes, sending in rebates, printing coupons, and purchasing ink? Is all of that really worth the extra cost involved, are you really saving that much?

Here are a few great ways you can save this week on all the basics that you need for saving money :) You didn't think I paid full price for ink and paper did you?




I am sitting here about to send in all my rebates for March and I just wanted to share another way you can save. My husband used to always ask me if the rebates I am sending in are "Worth the Stamp" Most of the time they are, but here's a great way to get to save on postage.

With Stamps.com: Get Up to $25 in FREE Postage just for signing up for the 4 week trial membership. After 4 weeks you can cancel the membership and you keep the postage. You print the postage right from your PC so you don't have to buy any other supplies to use this service, and it's approved by the USPS.

Staples Stores have Hammermill Paper on sale B1G1 Free. The original price is $5.79 and there is an Staples Easy Saver Rebate for $3.99 when you buy 2.

Purchase 2 Reams of Paper for $5.99

Get $3.99 rebate back

= $0.90 per ream of paper!!!!

Tip: You must purchase this in the store to get the rebate. The rebate program works like Walgrens, you complete the forms online and have 60 days to submit for your rebates.

This week at Walgreens Printer Cartridge Refills are on sale for $7.50, There is also a rebate of $7.50 making this FREE AFTER REBATE. This is a great time to get your ink for free so you don't have to worry about printing all those coupons!!!

Let me know if you have found any great deals on Supplies for couponing! I also have found that August is a great month to buy supplies because there are great deals around for Back to School.

You can also check out my post on How to get Free Business Cards if you have a small business this would be another great way to save!

Day 3: Where to Shop

Welcome to Day 3 of my 5 day's of couponing series. Here is a reminder of what we will be covering during this series. If you are new to NWA Deals, please check out the great information in these posts.

Day 1 - Where to Start
Day 2 - How to find High Value Coupons
Day 3 - Where to Shop
Day 4 - How to get everyday items for FREE
Day 5 - Getting Paid to take things home

Today I am going to give you a run down of local and national stores that I shop at. I will try to cover coupon policies (To the best of my knowledge) as well as what I typically buy at these stores and my strategies for shopping and getting the best deals.

Walgreens has some great deals on Toiletries and Cleaning Supplies, I also tend to purchase any Makeup, Lotion, Shampoo or Conditioner at Walgreens. This is a great place to get things Free if you know the right strategies.

Coupon Policies: This can get really confusing but I will try my best to explain it.

You can combine 1 Walgreens Coupon with 1 Manufacturer's coupon

Walgreens Does accept Internet Coupons

You can use 1 Manufacturer's coupon or Register Rewards per item (So if you have 4 items you can have a total of 4 coupons and register rewards. The 5th coupon or register reward will not go through)

If the value of the coupon exceeds the price of an item the value of the coupon is adjusted down to the price of the item.

(This is where it get's tricky. Most store managers and cashiers will not always do this in our area, however I have emailed the District Manager and Corporate about this and have received the exact response listed here, so if you have a problem, I would contact them through the walgreens website)

You Can use a coupon to purchase an item that gives a Register Reward as long as it is not from the same deal, or the same manufacturer.

If there is a B1G1 Free Sale you can use 2 coupons because you are purchasing 2 items.

You can also use a B1G1 Free Coupon with a B1G1 Free Sale to get 2 items Free.

Register Rewards are also a great way to make money at Walgreens. If you want more information you can check out my post on Understanding Walgreens

Walmart is great because they accept most coupons. There has been some confusion in our area about Walmart accepting Internet coupons. I suggest Printing the Walmart Coupon Policy found on their website and keeping it with you in case you have a problem.

Walmart also does Price Matching so I love to do this with items listed in competitors ad's especially if I have a coupon that another store won't accept. (Typically an Internet coupon)

I buy a lot of Grocery Staples at Walmart. I keep my eyes open for Sales and try to use coupons most of what I buy. I rarely buy Health and Beauty items at Walmart unless they are on rollback or clearance, I have found I can get these items for less at Walgreens.

Target has great deals! I buy all kinds of random stuff at Target including some food and lot's of baby stuff.

One of the best ways to save is to combine Target Store Coupons with Manufacturer Coupons.

You can find Target Store Coupons Here and on Hot Coupon World

Target does accept Internet Coupons as long as they scan. If the Target Store coupons won't scan, they will type in the number and that typically works better.

I rarely shop at Kmart unless they are running Double Coupon events. Each time these run the rules change, so stay tuned for the details and upcoming events. Last weeks event went up to and including $2.00.

You can get great deals on Cleaning Supplies, Food, and Health and Beauty Items during these double coupon events. Just watch out, sometimes the prices are enough higher that even with the coupon you aren't really saving.

I always look for Free or almost Free items during these events.

Harps has a great ad every other week. You can check out great coupon match ups here on NWA Deals every other Wednesday.

In NWA: Harps Doubles Coupons up to and including $0.50

In the River Valley: Harps Doubles Coupons up to and including $0.60

Harps in NWA does accept Internet coupons as long as they scan. The only coupon policy I have found posted for harps is Here.

I only purchase items at Harps that are on sale or a great deal with a doubled coupon.

I always scan the inserts for coupons that are $0.50 and cut them out, I try to keep these together so that when I get to Harps I can check the prices on these items.

Also, Harps regularly runs specials in store that are not advertised so that makes them a great place to bring your coupon binder to.

I have found that the Harp's in NWA all run different promotions. The ones that have gas stations run promotions to save money on gas, others run promotions with catalina deals when you make a purchase and others tend to have items marked down lower.

Typically I purchase sale items, double coupon items and meat at Harps. If you go early in the morning you can find meat marked down. I always stock up when I find good deals and store this in our freezer.

Did you know CV's is the Same as Marvin's IGA in Fayetteville and Lowell? I do weekly match ups for CV'/IGA here at NWA Deals. You can get some great deals at these stores, but you have to keep your eyes open. Also, I have found some great coupons on the shelves at these stores so make sure you keep your eyes open when you are shopping, you might find something you didn't plan on buying when you walked in.

Both CV's and Marvin's IGA double coupons up to and including $0.50

CV's accepts Internet coupons, but IGA does not

I typically price match the IGA ad at Walmart if I have an internet coupon and if I have a double coupon then I run into the store when I am already shopping in the area.



Aldi's does not accept Manufacturer's Coupons. Some of my favorite things to buy at Aldi's include Fruits and Veggies. I also like to buy Milk there because it is raised without added hormones and it's always cheaper than Walmart or Target.

There are lot's of other great stores to shop at in NWA that I did not mention above. Here are some of my other favorites:

Little Debbie Store in Tontitown, Big Lots (Watch for 20% off your purchase coupons), & Dollar General (Accepts Manufacturer's coupons),

Day 2: How to find High Value Coupons

Now that you have already learned what you need to know in Day 1 to get started I am going to show you how I get High Value Coupons and save Big Money!


1) Internet Coupons - Typically Internet Coupons are a higher value than Sunday Inserts. Occasionally I will find a $4.00/1 Coupon off Razors, or $2.50/1 Electrosol in the Sunday Paper, but the best resources for High Value Coupons are online. Don't forget to check out my new link at the top of this blog directly to all the Printable Coupons I have listed.

Coupons.com - Sign up for their email. You can print directly from their site, or from my links on the right side of this blog.

Smart Source - Another great source for printable coupons, similar to Coupons.com, but they always have different coupons.

Red Plum - A newer site that has recently had some great coupons.

2) Company Websites - Typically if I know I am going to buy a product and I don't have a coupon I will check the company's website. Often companies will have a form you can fill out to gain access to some great coupons. Hint: Look for the key words: "Promotions" or "Special Offers" if you don't see a link on the homepage. Here are a few of my favorites!

Colgate/Softsoap/Palmolive
Clorox
Home Solutions - Lysol, Woolite, Spray & Wash, French's, Cattleman's
Kashi
South Beach


3) Mail In Rebates - Recently Companies started offering mail in rebates for high value coupons. For Example: If you purchase $50.00 of P&G products you could receive a book of coupons in the mail. I just got mine about 2 weeks ago and there are several $1.00 off Bounty Paper Towel coupons when the typical insert coupon is $0.25. Pepsi also had a mail in rebate at the beginning of the year. I just got coupons that will get me FREE Pepsi 12 Packs next week at Walgreens.

Gorton's has a coupon on their website for $1.00/3 AND a mail in rebate for $15.00 worth of coupons when you buy 3 items. Combine these offers for some great deals

The Real Meal Deal has a promotion for Buy 5 products get $5.00 in Coupons back.

Watch this blog for other opportunities to Save Big with Mail in Rebates.

4) Coupon Books - I received 2 different coupon books in the mail this week. I got the coupon book from Eat Better America and the Home Made Simple book I mentioned here

5) Newsletters - Typically these come with links to coupons. Here are some of the one's that always have great coupons!

You can get coupons for Betty Crocker products by signing up for the Dinner Made Easy Newsletter. Also I recommend:
Nestle Very Best of Baking
Very Best of Kids
Del Monte Dish
Right At Home
& You can get the Pillsbury Newsletter and Coupons Here

6) Sign Up for Free Stuff - Check out my Free Stuff page for a list of free offers you can sign up for. Most of the time these have great coupons included with them, and often they have a long expiration date so you can save them for a great match up.

7) Online Focus Groups - I receive product all the time from companies who want to get the word out about new products. Just this week I received a Full Size Box of Fiber One Bars with 10 High Value Coupons to pass out! You can print your $1.35/1 box of Fiber One Bars here and Sign up for these great programs:
Pssst by General Mills
Kraft First Taste
BuzzAgent

8) Free Magazines - Yesterday I posted about how you can get a $2.00/1 Coupon for Johnson's and Johnson's Baby Products by signing up for Baby Talk Magazine. Here are some other great magazines you can sign up for right now.

Working Mother Magazine
Woman's Day
Remedy Life
Also watch for Self, and Shape for great coupons! You can also check out my post on All You Magazine to get more great coupons.

9) Keep your eyes open - You can find great coupons at your local grocery store attached to end cap displays, store shelves, and in coupon dispensers located in the aisles.


10) Use a Coupon Database - A Full Cup just launched a great new site with an updated Coupon Database and Target Coupon Generator. Hot Coupon World also has a great Coupon Database.

I use a coupon database when I am planning my shopping trip. If I know I don't have a coupon for something, I simply type the product into the database to see if there are any coupons available. Sometimes I have them in an insert I saved, and other times I can simply print them. It's an easy way to make sure you aren't missing a great coupon.

I hope that helps! These are all resources I use on a daily basis and of course remember you can always check back daily for updates on the latest online coupons.

Day 1 - Where to Start

Are you new to couponing? Maybe you are new to this blog, and you love the idea of saving money but you are overwhelmed by all the deals and you simply don't know where to start. I am going to spend the next 5 days walking you through how to get set up and ready to run. We will talk about basics on how to coupon as well as strategies I used during the 5 news segment to save over $50.00 in one shopping trip.

Are you ready? Let's start saving!

Step 1 - Create an Email Account for Coupon Sites

Sign up with Gmail for a free email account so you don't have to deal with tons of newsletters coming into your personal email.

Step 2 - Sign up for a Free phone number

Sign up with Voicemail 4 Free to get a free local phone number. I use this number when signing up for offers since all I have is a cell phone number. That way I don't have to use my cell phone, and I don't have to give out all my personal information.

It only takes a second to complete (and I used my junk email when signing up)

Step 3 - Start Collecting Coupons

If you don't get the Sunday Newspaper, Stop by a gas station each Sunday and pick one up. Go for a Statewide paper (Arkansas Democrat Gazette) because these typically have all the best coupons.

Create a place on your desk where you can keep Internet Coupons that you have printed. I typically print these as I find them because they disappear fast. I put them in a pile on my desk and cut them out when I do my weekly coupon clipping.

Step 4 - Find a Place to Store your coupons.

I started with an Expanding Folder that I carried in my purse and eventually moved to a binder.
If you are using the binder system here's what you need:
Binder
Plastic Folder Dividers (The Paper ones will rip)
Trading Card Sheet Protectors

Step 5 - Organize your coupons

I sit down once a week and go through all my coupons. Here's my method:

Cut out all coupons you are going to use from the Sunday Inserts. Ask yourself: Would I want this coupon if I found a good deal on this product, if the answer is yes, then cut it out.

Cut and file all my Internet coupons at the same time.

Save all your inserts by date

File Coupons by Category:
Free Stuff
Food
Toiletries
Medicine
Beauty
Baby
Cleaning

You can find a more detailed list Here and Here

Great Couponing Resources

Since we have some new readers tonight I wanted to recap some of the best couponing resources for getting started.

Coupons.com is one of my favorites! You can use this link here or you can use the banner on my right side bar to print some of the best coupons from around the web. Also, Register with Coupons.com to get Access over $100 in printable grocery & drugstore coupons


Smartsource.com is also a great source for coupons. You can visit this site to see all their great coupons. You can also sign up with Coolsavings to get great Smart Source Coupons.

Sign up for Eat Better America for over $10.00 in coupons by mail.
Get a $1.50 off Pampers coupon in the mail when you sign up Here

Use this link for Free Recipe's and Coupons from Betty Crocker:


And this link for Free Recipe's and Coupons from Pillsbury:

Check back tomorrow as I cover how to get started saving!

Saving with Rainchecks

Most people don't ever even think about rain checks, however I have found this to be a great way to save money. Here's a great example of how to use rain checks.



1) Keep your eyes open

I was at the Target in Rogers yesterday and i noticed that the Stouffers Meals had a BIG open space. I looked at the tag and realized that the Lasagna was on sale for $3.49. The only problem was they were all gone. (This normally retails at Walmart for $7.00 for the same size)

I noted the price and size and when I went to check out asked for a rain check. You can get a rain check for up to 6 items and the rain checks are good at any Target location. They are good for up to 45 days.



2) Use at another location

The great thing about this rain check is that I can take it to a closer Target that isn't running the same new store sales and use it there. I won't have to drive as far, and since it's not on sale at my closer Target most likely it will be an in stock item.



3) Combine with Coupons
The next time you go shopping, you can pick up your product and take them to the check out. The rain check acts like a coupon, you just hand it over and the cashier scans it to automatically adjust the price.

I also have a coupon that I printed earlier that is for $1.00 off 1, so I will end up getting something that I would pay $7.00 for at Walmart for only $2.49.



4) Save for a coupon

Don't forget that Rain checks are also valuable at Walgreens. If you see an item on sale for a good price that they are out of, you can ask for a rain check.

If you don't have a coupon for that specific item you can save the rain check for a time when a coupon comes out. They will price adjust to match the rain check, and you should still be able to use your coupon!

Organizing Coupons

Rachel over at Surviving the Stores has a great post on how she organizes her coupons. This is almost the exact same method that I use, only I like to file my Internet coupons with my insert coupons so that I don't have to look two places.

If you are interested in starting a coupon binder check out her post Here

Also, don't forget to sign up for these Coupon Sites to print your Betty Crocker and Pillsbury Coupons to add to your binder for the next time you go shopping.

Coupon Strategies

What's your coupon strategy? Do you use Coupons, Sales, Multiple Stores? What strategy works best for you? Leave a comment and let me know.

Are you new to couponing and still trying to figure out your plan? I have to tell you that I have been doing this a long time now and I am still changing up my method. Here are some helpful hints to a successful shopping trip.

1) Clip Coupons Weekly.
Even if you aren't planning on shopping. Make sure that you are consistently printing or clipping coupons for things you know you will use.

I always get a Sunday paper and cut out the coupons I think I might use or the ones I know I will use. I also ALWAYS SAVE my inserts. You never know what deal might be coming that you didn't expect.

2) Print and Hold
I also print Internet coupons as I come across them. I have found that I will not remember or be able to find coupons when I need them so If I don't print them when I find them I won't use them. Coupons.com changes up their coupons frequently, so I always check their site before shopping.

Because Internet Coupons typically expire within 2 weeks to a month after the print date, some people like to print these coupons as they need them. However, the down side to this is that they sometimes reach their print limit or they are taken down before a great deal comes along.

3) Search the Ads & Match Ups
I always browse the ads the night before I go shopping. This helps me make a list of what I need as well as items that are a good price.

I also like to get online and look at match-ups for the stores I will be shopping at. I will try to provide match-up's for Harps, IGA, Walmart, and Walgreens. As well as links to other places that do these match-ups as well.

I have found that others often find deals I didn't see because it might be on a product I typically wouldn't use or maybe didn't need that specific week. I love to get other ideas as I plan.

4) Know your coupons
I always try to flip through my coupon book before I go shopping. If I know what I have coupons for then as I shop I can keep my eyes out for great deals. If I find something on an end cap or clearance that I think I might have a coupon for I will open my book and look. 9 times out of 10 I do have the coupon I am looking for.

5) Be Organized
It's overwhelming to get to a store with a child in cart and try to go up and down aisles to look for deals. I always have a list of what I need and I pre-pull all the coupons I think I will use and place them in an envelope in the front of my binder. This way I am not flipping through my binder on every aisle.

I also like to have my coupons in hand before I get to the checkout so that I don't forget to get something out at the last minute.

Remember that there is no right or wrong way to use coupons. Everyone has their style that works for them, so find the one that fits best for you!

7 Steps to Saving Even More Money at Walmart

One of the best ways to save "a little more" at Walmart is to use Price Matching. I think this is often overlooked by most money saving blogs because in Major Markets there are several competing grocery stores that provide cheaper prices and double coupons making them a better choice for stock up trips.

In Northwest Arkansas I have found that the smaller grocery store chains often don't want to accept Internet coupons, and while they typically have a few loss leaders overall their prices on food are higher than Walmart.

Price Matching is a great way to take advantage of loss leader sales at local grocery stores and still be able to use those high value coupons from the Internet.

Here is how I utilize Store Ads at Walmart:

1) Get the Local Wednesday Paper so that you have a copy of the ad's

2) Go through the ad's and look for items that are on sale where you know you have seen coupons, or check this site for match ups. ** Remember that the item must be the SAME BRAND and SAME SIZE** So look for National Name Brand Items that are on sale

3) Make a list of items you would like to price match based on the Store's Ad

4) When Shopping I keep all of my price match items in the same area of my cart.

5) Go to the Checkout with Ad's in Hand. If I don't have my ad's in my hand I forget to use them.

6) Have the Cashier ring up your price match items first. I like to tell the cashier that I have price match items and typically all you have to do is show them the ad as they ring the items up, and they will price adjust it then.

**I like to do price match items first so that i can put my ad's up and get my coupons out. Also if they adjust at the beginning when they scan the item I haven't had trouble using coupons at the end on those same items**

7) Hand over all your coupons at the end of the transaction.

This is the smoothest way I have found to use Price Matching. It's quick and surprisingly painless. Plus it saves you the time of having to go to several little stores for 1 or 2 items and it gives you the added benefit of using those Internet coupons.

How to Use Mail In Rebates

Mail in rebates are something that most people overlook when searching for a great deal. However, if you are diligent to send them in, they can be a great source for free stuff or even a money maker if you are lucky.

Here are 3 Basics to get you started with Rebates

1) Where to find Mail In Rebate (MIR) Forms:

-Keep your eyes open when you are shopping at Walmart, Walgreens and the Grocery Store. Yesterday I saw MIR's on Make Up, Shampoo, Carpet Cleaner, and Cereal

-Newspaper Inserts are another great source of MIR's. For example there was an orajel mail in rebate a couple of months ago, and one for Excedrin that both turned out to be money makers.

-Websites and Blogs often have links to MIR Forms. I typically print these out and then keep my eyes open for a great deal.


2) Types of Mail in Rebates

Cash Back - Some mail in rebates offer a set amount of cash back for purchasing the items, others offer a full refund. Read the fine print to learn if you will receive a full refund of the purchase price, or a refund for the purchase price less the coupon used.

Free Coupons/Products - Often rebates offer free products in the mail, recently there have been several coupon back offers. These require you to purchase a certain amount of products and you receive high value coupons back in the mail.

3) Tips for Using Rebates

-Remember that you typically need your original cash register receipt for a rebate. So make sure that you only purchase one mail in rebate item per transaction.

-Look for sales on rebate items, especially try me free offers. This keeps your out of pocket low and allows you to purchase more items before your rebate arrives in the mail.

-Combine Mail in Rebates with Coupons and Store Sales. With most rebates you receive the Purchase Price back. This is the price that the receipt states next to the item description. If you combine this with Register Reward Deals at Walgreens, or Manufacturer Coupons you can reduce your out of pocket expense and make a profit at the same time.

Here is an example of how you can use a Rebate to make money:

I received a coupon for a free box of Just for Men in the Mailbox about a month ago. I always sign up for offers like this because you never know when a great deal will come along. While I won't use the Just for Men. Here's how I would use this coupon and rebate together to get something I did need.

Transaction:

$6.99 Just for Men Purchase Price

$4.50 Laundry Detergent

$11.49 Total

$12.55 Total with Tax

- $6.99 Free Just For Men Product Coupon

= $5.56 Total including tax for both items.

Now I mail in the rebate form and I will receive a check back for $6.99

I will make $1.43 profit! and I have some free Laundry Detergent

Couponing 101

Wow! I can't even tell you how overwhelmed I am by all the great deals going around the web right now. Companies are really starting to fight for business which means great deals to get you in the door.

I have been asked several times this week how to get started. I know it can be overwhelming and I think my #1 piece of advice would be to START SMALL. When I first started couponing, I started with 1 item, and 1 rebate for the entire month. I am going to start trying to share deals that you can do each week to help you start to save money. Here are a few basic guidelines.

1) START SMALL
Don't think that you are going to start off and save $60.00 at Walmart your first week. That will take time, and I believe it will eventually happen, but you will have to be diligent. Instead, Determine that you will start off by using coupons on items you already buy.

Sit down each week before you go shopping and go through the newspaper inserts and clip coupons for things on your list. If you do this you can save $5.00-$10.00 on a weekly shopping trip.

2) BUY A NEWSPAPER
If you don't currently subscribe to the Sunday Paper, then make an effort to go to the gas station each Sunday and purchase a paper. Be sure to check for the inserts before you purchase it to make sure they are included. This is the easiest way to start accumulating coupons.

3) SAVE YOUR INSERTS
One of the first things I started doing was Saving my inserts in a file folder with the date on it. (The date the coupons were in the paper) Most websites will tell you the insert date when listing a coupon and if you have these saved by date you can easily go back and find the coupons you are looking for.

I have found that you can never predict what items will be on sale, and what you will be able to get for FREE if you have the right coupon. By saving inserts you will be able to get things for free or cheep that you otherwise wouldn't have gotten.

4) ASK AROUND
Many people receive the paper on a weekly basis and never use their coupons. This is an easy way to get extra inserts without having to purchase extra papers. For example, my Mother In Law gets the paper for the Sports Section. She uses a few coupons each week, and then saves the inserts for me. I file them, and I have them when I need extra coupons or find a good deal.

5) STOCKPILE 1 ITEM A WEEK
The best way to start saving money is to stockpile. The idea is that if you buy a lot of something when it's on sale you slowly reduce your weekly expenses. It's unrealistic to think you can purchase an entire stockpile in even a month. However, if you start with the best deals each week then you will slowly begin to see margin in your budget that can be used to stockpile even more until you are ahead and only purchasing perishables and great deals!

I am going to try to highlight each week the items I think you should take advantage of. This won't be all of the best deals, but it should be the ones I think are the most helpful for those of you who are beginning to stockpile.

6) USE REBATES AND COUPONS
Rebates are a great way to MAKE MONEY! That's right, you can actually make money with Mail In Rebates. If the product price is $9.99 and you have a coupon for $2.00 off then you only pay $7.99. With most Try Me Free offers, or a Mail In Rebates you will receive back the item price of $9.99 so you make $2.00!!!!

I always print try me free offers when I come across them on the web, because I often can't find them when I need them and most rebates have long expiration dates. A great example is this Just for Men Rebate (here) it doesn't expire until the end of 2009. Print it out and save it for a great deal down the road.

7) BE PATIENT

Saving Money is a process. It's something you have to commit to over time. That being said, I don't think it has to take a lot of time. Even Saving a little can add up over a long time, more than a lot saved once.

I hope this helps!!! I will be back later with a few GREAT deals you can do this week!

Leave me a comment and let me know if you have any other questions, I would love to be able to answer these for you.