Couponing 101 Part 1

This is going to be the first of possibly a few posts trying to inform you of everything you need to successfully coupon.

Let's start with some coupon lingo.  When talking about coupons to use and where to find that coupon:
Sunday insert coupons
PG = Procter and Gamble
RP = Red Plum
S = Smart Source

Sometimes you may see
RP 1
RP 2
S1
S2

On a week that there is more than one Red Plum or Smart Source insert in the newspaper in order to distinguish the writer of the deal will label the inserts 1 and 2.  You will not find the numbers 1 and 2 on the outer spine of the insert anywhere.

Procter and Gamble inserts come out only once a month.  For example yesterday was 8/31/14 in yesterday's paper there was the September PG insert.  However sometimes the insert is in the first Sunday's paper of the month they are for.  The majority of the coupons in the insert are good all month long.  A few I saw with a September 14th expiration date so be sure to check the dates on the coupons and plan on using them accordingly.

Since I'm talking about coupons you can only use coupons that have not expired.  Yes an expired one might scan, but you are misusing that coupon if you are using it after the stated date.

You can use coupons just about anywhere.  You can use coupons at Big Y, BJ's, CVS, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Krogers, Shaws, Shop Rite, Stop and Shop, Target, X-Pect, Walgreen's, Walmart, Whole Foods

I know I am probably missing stores.  If you are unsure if the store you shop at accepts coupons google the stores name and Couponing Policy.

Actually you should google the stores you frequent Coupon Policy (You can find the link to some of the stores policies on the left hand side of my page under Coupon Policies).  Familiarize yourself with it.  Print it out and keep it in your binder.  These policies are set out by corporate as a guideline, but each store has the right to limit the amount of coupons you can use per transaction or per day and more.

Read your coupons carefully.  There are product exclusions, size restrictions, limits on the amount of coupons you can use in a transaction right on the coupon set out by the manufacturer.  

Grocery Stores like Big Y, Shaws, Shop Rite and Stop and Shop all double a coupons value.  Before you get too happy let me explain this some more.  If you are purchasing something for .99 and you are using a .50 coupon.  Depending on the store they will take off the .50 and then either another .50 or just .49 which would be the cost of the item.

Stores only double coupons use face value is .99 or less.  So a .75 coupon will take off .75 then another .75. For a total of $1.50 off.

Stores do not double coupons which has a face value of .99 or less that clearly state on them DO NOT Double.  The manufacturer of that coupon is telling the store I only want the face value of the coupon taken off and nothing more.

Coupon $1.00 or higher do not get doubled at all.

So taking a look at this receipt you will see I had 1 .50 cent off LOL coupon.  Under that you will see Multiplied Coupon that coupon was able to be doubled and took a total of $1.00 off.  However if you look down a few more lines you will see the MSS AP FRSH coupon only took off .50 once this is because the coupon stated DO NOT DOUBLE on it.  

I hope I explained that all to your understanding.  Please ask questions if you have them.  I have been couponing for a while now and some things are just automatic for me that I might assume everyone knows it.