Here is part 2 of the organizing your coupons series. We have a little technical troubles in getting this second vlog up but it should be working perfectly now.
This video basically just walks you though the process of assembling a coupon binder.
Here are a few of the products I mentioned in the video:
The video should give you a great idea of how to set the binder up but you will still need to manage your coupon inserts. Some people like to cut every last coupon out of the inserts and file each one in their binder just to be totally sure they never miss a thing. Others might want to just cut up what you really want and then save the inserts in case a deal comes along and you decide to refer back to get the coupon.
Here is another vlog on coupon organization. I actually have two videos for you. This first one is geared more toward people that want to spend the least amount of time possible organizing coupons.
This is actually the method that I use to organize coupons and you will be able to see how to organize your inserts, organize your cut/printed coupons and get ready for grocery shopping.
This method is perfect for those that are very limited in time and that typically stick to a shopping list and know what they want ahead of time.
This is the easiest and fastest method you will find and hopefully you can take some of the tips from the video and figure out the best method for you.
The second vlog (coming tomorrow) will be how to organize a coupon binder and that method is really better suited to those that want to carry a lot of coupons around with them and for those that love hunting around on clearance aisles. It can also be the best method for those that shop grocery stores like Walmart and Winco that don’t do a big weekly ad letting you plan out in advance what you want to buy or those that only go to the store every so often.
You will trade off a little more of a time investment in organizing coupons for the ability to carry more around with you and to be prepared for those unadvertised deals.
Hopefully this video helps to explain how the entire process works! If you have trouble viewing this video, you can find my You Tube Channel here.
Here is a little vlog I did on how you can do price matching at Walmart. The major advantages to price matching include:
1. One stop shopping (saving time and money)
2. Cherry Pick the best deals from a variety of stores.
3. Shop at your convenience without worrying about inventory issues and out of stocks.
4. Walmart’s policy is to give overage on all coupons, so you might be able to get overage on a coupon rather than having it adjusted down.
The major disadvantages to price matching at Walmart include:
1. Employees that are not trained properly on the policies.
2. Not finding identical items to what you want to match.
Hopefully this video helps to explain how the entire process works! If you have trouble viewing this video, you can find my You Tube Channel here.
I haven’t done a vlog in ages so here is one with more details on how I go about menu planning each week.
The gist of the video is that I try to plan the entire week’s meals in advance. I create one shopping list with everything I need and that seems to help me to stick to my budget by avoiding last minute trips to the store.
I also find that it helps to have a plan in place at the start of the week to make dinnertime run so much more smoothly.
Here are a few of the things that work for me:
I always focus on using the products that we already have on hand.
I try to forecast what the week has in store (as far as our family schedule, activities etc..) and adjust the menu accordingly.
I usually try to make fairly simple meals based on recipes found online or in magazines.
And I attempt to make one meal for the entire family, with slight variations to accommodate different tastes.
One thing I did make note of in the vlog is that I do regularly buy extra proteins in particular when the prices are really low. By buying a little extra each week and popping it in the freezer, I have found I almost always have a variety of proteins to choose from when I create my menus. That is really the only way I am able to stick to my $50/week budget.
Also, my apologies for the noise you hear in the background. I was sneaking this vlog in during dinnertime and those are veggies you hear sauteing (and subsequently burning since I tend to ramble).
Here is a vlog for new couponers on how to get your hands on the best coupons. If everyone can politely pretend they don’t see the crayon on the back of the door that would be lovely.
Here are the basics:
* Newspaper Subscriptions. This is the best way to get coupons. Usually these are found in the Sunday paper but you might check your local newspaper 7 days a week just to see. In my area, the coupons are available in the Thursday paper which is .50- so much cheaper than buying extra copies of the Sunday paper!
You can also get a better deal on Sunday papers by checking your local Dollar Store or discount store (like a Big Lots etc..) You might make a phone call and see if they sell discounted Sunday papers.
* Internet Coupons. I mentioned coupons.com, Smart Source and Red Plum – these are usually the best resources for coupons and I keep you updated on new ones that come out.
* Magazines! I post the All You coupons each month so you know exactly what to expect. Otherwise I mentioned Babytalk and American Baby which are free right now. I post other free magazines regularly but they tend to go very quickly.
* Go Direct. Check the web sites for brands you like- they often have great coupons. You can also subscribe to newsletters and like them on Facebook since they might also release coupons that way. You can call or email companies as well and they might send you some great coupons! I posted a list of companies to get started with HERE.
Feel free to leave any great tips you have for finding coupons in the comments below!
This is the 1st vlog in a 3 part series I want to do that focuses on showing you how to really start saving at the grocery store every week. This vlog is really for beginners to teach you about:
1. Sales Cycles
2. Price Books
3. When to use coupons
And as I mention in the vlog- here is my price book. I would encourage you to create one for your family as well!
You can also see my stock up prices for proteins HERE and drugstore items HERE.
Now this does not include any fresh produce. To get the best prices on your weekly produce you just want to stick with items that are in season. I typically go through my weekly grocery store ad to get an idea of what is reasonably priced and the menus are typically created around that.
Stay tuned because I have 2 more vlogs planned in a series for beginners to really get started with saving big bucks at the grocery store.
I wanted to do a vlog for those of you that may not have registered for U Promise or might be confused about the program. We should see a good Huggies deal next week at CVS so if you are interested in that deal you definitely want to register for U Promise now. You can get up to $5 in your account by simply purchasing Huggies diapers at CVS- when there will be a great deal anyway!
U-Promise is simple- just click HERE to register your grocery cards (like CVS, Safeway, Kroger etc..) and your debit/card cards. U-Promise will track your spending and when you buy participating items you will get a credit in your account. The account can be added to a 529 account, used to pay off existing loans, or you can get a check to pay for school related expenses! I am using my account to save a little extra for my girl’s college accounts.
If you have family members you can link their cards to your account and you get the credit for the items they purchase! This is a super easy way to basically get free money every month on items you probably already buy.
You can also add the e-coupons every month to your card and when you buy one of those items, the value of the coupon is added to your account! I typically add every coupon to my card at the start of the month and I usually have $3-10 in my account for purchasing items I would have bought anyway. This is what the e-coupons look like and there are usually numerous ones to choose from. You simply click to add them and in seconds you are done.
Remember to add all those coupons to your account after you register! I will let you know when the new coupons are released- the coupons rotate every 30 days.
You can also add the e-coupons every month to your card and when you buy one of those items, the value of the coupon is added to your account! I typically add every coupon to my card at the start of the month and I usually have $3-10 in my account for purchasing items I would have bought anyway. This is what the e-coupons look like and there are usually numerous ones to choose from. You simply click to add them and in seconds you are done.
