As I mentioned on Christmas Day, one of my many fantastic gifts was a printer for my laptop. Sure, many people can’t wait to start printing their own photos or coloring pages, or whatever. I’m looking forward to being able to print out grocery store coupons.
This of course can turn into an embarrassing endeavor for a newbie like myself. Imagine googling for coupons and printing out a ream of paper, only to find out at the check out that all you have is a big stack of useless scrap paper. I don’t know if that really happens, but I’m guessing you have to at least do a little research before you get to printing. So, after perusing and googling, I’ve come up with these tips for preparing to use coupons, kind of the before you even think about it list:
What Do I Need?
The problem I have the most with coupons of any kind is buying stuff I wouldn’t normally buy or spending money on something I don’t need simply because I have a coupon. This practice of course doesn’t save anyone money. I’m guessing that a full scale grocery/household list is a good place to start. List everything you need in your home, from laundry detergent to green beans. Somewhere out there…there’s a coupon for that.
Fancy Schmancy Coupon Organizer
I don’t actually think I need one, I’m just going to start using a regular white envelope and see how that works. You have to have the coupons organized somehow or you’ll end up with a mess in your purse of wrinkled pieces of paper…true story, by the way. Maybe if I save a ton of money with the coupons, I’ll invest in one of those alphabetical accordion clasp coupon organizers with my name stenciled on the front. Okay, never mind. I don’t see myself ever doing that.
Check Retail Stores Online
This is of course way after you know what you need, otherwise there’s a good chance you (read: I) will end up browsing and surfing and finding a ton of stuff you don’t really need and of course in the meanwhile, forgetting that you were looking for coupons. Sometimes you can catch some great sales or coupons on specific items by going straight to the manufacturer as well. It’s worth taking a few minutes to check out. I’ve read that it’s also a good idea to be added to the email list or newsletters for the stores or manufacturers, but I’m not sure if I’m that hardcore yet.
Check the Store Policy
You may want to call the store you are shopping at in advance to make sure they accept internet coupons/printable coupons. There seems to be some confusion as to whether Walmart accepts them, but I did find this store policy which says they do. I also read that if the cashier gives you a hard time to show them the printed version of the store policy and they have to accept the coupon. I think I’ll call my local Walmart, Walgreens and Cub Foods/Coborn’s grocery stores.
Another thing to keep in mind is making sure that your coupons are printed out clearly with barcodes. Imagine you are a cashier and someone hands you a coupon that looks like it had been made in art class. It would be the same as handing them a trillion dollar bill…I’m guessing. Suspicious to say the least. If the coupon is printed and neat, you’ll have less of a problem (if any). It is also recommended to keep the entire page because the website will be printed on it in case you need verification. This could be the downside of printable coupons, in that it costs money for ink and paper–make sure you only print coupons you know you will use, and of course make sure you look for coupons for ink and paper.
I am starting my coupon project now so I can use them on the next grocery shopping trip. Looking at my cupboards, it could be sooner than I had planned. Let me know if you have any coupon tips and wish me luck!