Using Coupons - Best Deals

• Be flexible regarding brands. 

• Collect at least 5 coupons of each for stockpiling when items are at their rock bottom price.

• Wait for sales, don't use them just because you have one.  Be patient, save the coupons because about 2 to 6 weeks after the coupon comes out, the product usually goes on sale and that is when you want to buy for greater savings.

• B1G1- Buy one get one free.  You can use two coupons, one for each product even though they are the same and one is free.  When you use manufacturers coupons with this deal you end up with free or nearly free items.  This is by far your best deal.

• Learn to stack coupons.  This is using a store coupon in their ad along with a manufacturer's coupon on the same product.   This also may end up being free or nearly free.  Another great deal. 

• Don't bulk buy.  Purchase instead the smaller size product to get the best savings from your coupon.  This includes trial size unless the coupon specifically states not for trial sizes.

• Products that have rebates used in conjunction with a manufacturers coupon may end up being free or nearly free in the long run.

• Shop at stores that double coupon values or willing to match other store ads.  Bring your ads with you and you may be able to do all your shopping at one store, thus saving you time and gas.

• At CVS and Walgreens, purchase  items that give you Extra Care Bucks or Registrar Rewards.  You may even do this on items you wouldn't normally purchase because in the end the product you get is free and you have free money towards your next purchase.  The items you don't use or want can either be used to make gift baskets for holidays/birthdays or Donate.  Think of the savings you will have with the gift baskets.  

• Give coupons to the clerk in the correct order to maximize your savings.  Store coupons that are like $2 off on $20 should be presented first, then the store coupons printed in their ads and finally the manufacturers coupons.  

• If the product is unavailable, ask for Rain Checks for the maximum number.  You can always buy less later if you choose.  

Learn to plan your menus around the foods you are able to buy that week.  Use sites like recipematcher.com that show you recipes to cook according to the items you have on hand.  During the weekend, take an inventory of ingredients in the home and add them to My ePantry.  Next, check out different recipes by cuisine or look at all recipes at once by selecting "All Cuisines".  Select the recipes that sound the best and also have a short list of ingredients I will need to buy. I will need to select 5 recipes for the week (Mon - Fri).  Add your selected recipes to "My Favorites" for future reference.  When cooking, keep in mind that the leftovers from the night before will be your lunch, so make sure you make enough of each recipe.  Another good site for this is supercook.com.  Try both to see which would be your favorite.

Be patient for it will take awhile for you to get an inventory of products together and then you will begin to see the savings.  If you are persistent you will eventually have the stockpile and the savings will  then finally be evident.   It may take two to three months see big differences.