So You Think You Can Coupon- Some Tips For Shopping Prep

To have a really successful shopping trip requires a bit of pre-planning. This does not need to take a lot of time. Once you are familiar with planning trips, your weekly shopping list will only take about 15 to 20 minutes to compile. Here are a few tips I have picked up-

Be familiar with the staples you have on hand and don't buy anything you won't use. If you have 2 boxes of Hamburger Helper in the pantry and a coupon that will get you 2 more, but your family refuses to eat Hamburger Helper, ultimately you won't save anything. If you have coupons for stuff you won't use or need, you can use them to swap with other couponers, buy goods that you intend to donate to a food bank or shelter, or just pass them on to someone who might be able to use them.

Identify the stores that will double coupon and find out when they will be offering it. Any manager should be able to let you know. Be extra nice to managers and sometimes they will offer to give you a call, at the very least they will have your back when it comes to redeeming coupons or getting rain checks.

If you are not picky about generic brands versus name brands, do not get seduced by a coupon for the name brand item. For example- if Kraft Mac N' Cheese is 1.89 and you have a .50 coupon, the box is 1.39. If the generic brand box is 1.19, you really aren't saving anything. But if the store will double the coupon, giving you $1 off, bringing the name brand box down to .89, then get the name brand.

Stockpile coupons you will use. Trade for them, use coupon clipping sites, etc to build up your stash. Often a coupon will run several weeks in a row in a coupon guide, with the expiration date slightly later each time. This gives you multiple opportunities to stock pile certain items.

I hate to suggest anything that costs money when it comes to couponing, but consider getting a subscription to "All You" magazine. It is a magazine geared towards couponers. Do not buy it off the newstand. Commit to getting a subscription for savings over the year. It often has high dollar coupons that can give you big savings.

That's all for now- more later. Feel free to send comments, favorite links or questions for me to post!