How to make Couponing Less Stressful

When I first started couponing I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of things that were out there. All these different stores had different coupon policies and the sales were forever changing. I had never gotten the Sunday paper and I didn’t know how people had 20 copies or where they found them. And I worked full time. How was I going to spend the amount of time I needed to on this and where did I start?

By taking a deep breath.

There is no wrong way to coupon as long as you’re saving money. You also don’t have to do it any which way. There’s not a “best” or “worst” way to coupon. Whatever way you decide and whatever way you have time for is the right way!

Now that we’ve gotten the pep talk in, let’s talk about some real action steps.

Pick ONE store

Just one! I know everyone shops at multiple stores but you really only want to focus on one at a time. My first store I focused on was Walgreens. It does not have to be a grocery store. I love Walgreens for the variety of things they sell and it’s always my after work stop. Wine, snacks, make-up. Can’t go wrong with Walgreens.

Read the Coupon Policy

Most standard coupon policies are that you can use one coupon per item. You cannot combine coupons. Sometimes, you can use a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on the same item. But you cannot combine two manufacturer coupons or two store coupons. You can combine a sale item and a coupon. Most coupon policies will be listed right on your store’s website, usually at the bottom of the webpage. If you can’t find it you can call customer service and ask them.

Sign Up for the Online Account for the Store

This is where you’ll “clip” digital coupons, manage your orders, and most stores usually have some kind of rewards program through the account. You probably already have one for most grocery stores. This is the account hooked up to your phone number you enter at checkout. If you’re having issues trying to log in I’ve found that most stores have pretty good account customer service.

Make a Shopping List

Make your regular shopping list that you would if you weren’t couponing. Don’t look at sales or coupons. Just write down what you need to buy at the store. We will get to the saving money bit next.

Look Through the Weekly Ad for the Store

The weekly ad can be found right on the website. If you’re more of a paper person, the weekly ads are available right at the front of the stores in those newspaper racks. The weekly ad is where all the sales are going to be listed. Sometimes for grocery stores there are store coupons you can either cut out if you have the paper copy or digitally clip if you’re looking at it online. These coupons will also be available in the digital coupon section of your store account if you don’t want to clip it directly from the weekly ad. If you see something on your list that is on sale – highlight it or write it down so you remember to pick up that specific item. If you need hamburger buns but aren’t married to a certain brand there will generally be some kind of bun that is on sale. I find that at Safeway the Signature Select buns are on sale for $1.25 so I pick those up. I don’t have a favorite hamburger bun brand and I like the Signature Select ones we’ve been getting.

Go Through Digital Coupons on Your Account

The digital coupons can be located pretty easily. They are either going to be on the top of the website or inside your account. You just want to make sure you log in before “clipping” these. When you enter your phone number linked to the account at check-out, all of the digital coupons are going to load onto your transaction. I like to highlight the product on my list a certain color if it has a coupon if I’m shopping in store. When you start using digital coupons more, your account will start pulling coupons curated to your shopping habits to the top of your coupon page. Since I primarily order groceries for pickup I find that I have a lot of coupons for things I normally buy.

Shop like Normal

Shop through your list like you weren’t couponing. You made the list and need the stuff anyway.

Now that you’ve gone through your shopping trip – were you able to save any money? If that answer is yes then awesome! You’re a couponer now. I don’t care if you only saved $2.50. A win is a win. It’s $2.50 you wouldn’t have saved! As you start going through the weekly ads and coupons more, you’ll start to see what’s on sale more and you can start planning your list around those items. This was the first step to couponing and I am proud of you!


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How to keep your Grocery Budget Low