Obviously I learned a lot about the 4 P's while earning my Marketing degree-Product, Place, Promotion, and Price. Stores are in the retail business to make money. The prices should be set in the sweet spot where a certain quantity sold at a certain price generates the greatest profit-->Where the difference between Total Revenue and Total Cost is the greatest-->Or where Marginal Revenue (the demand curve in a perfectly competitive industry) equals Marginal Cost. Part of being a successful firm means that you have an effective integrated Marketing plan which often includes a budget for coupons and samples to send to potential consumers in hopes that they will adopt new products or products that they wish to increase sales for.
LUCKILY you don't really need to understand all that to coupon. In a nutshell, the coupons are there for us, the consumers, to take advantage of. :)
The art of successful couponing involves matching coupons with store sales and specials, waiting for the right time to use them so you can maximize your savings. When you purchase when you have a hot sale and coupon, you can find awesome deals...stocking up when there is a great deal...and eventually work your way towards NEVER paying retail price again! It would take a significant amount of time to do that, so I recommend slowly working up to that. I am not close to being there. But I am there with baby items, toothpaste, and body wash! Especially baby items. There are enough coupons and specials available that you should NEVER have to pay full price for diapers, formula, wipes, or other baby supplies.
I really love couponing and telling people about it. I hope (as you saw on my last blog post) to eventually start a local couponing blog where I help people match up the deals and local stores with the coupons that week. I believe there is a need in this area (especially since there aren't any stores, that I'm aware of, that double coupons in this area) but I just don't have the time to do it right now.
Here are some questions I'm often asked:
Q: Where do you get your coupons?
A: In order of frequency: The Sunday paper, the internet (coupons.com and other sites), ordering free samples online (they usually come with coupons), magazines (Parents, baby talk, etc.), email newsletters from store reward programs, and Catalina coupons (the ones that print at the cash register).
Q: How do you organize your coupons?
A: I keep mine in a small accordion folder that I keep in my purse.
Q: How do you find the deals?
A: I follow blogs and websites online that help you match up the deals. I also read the ads/circulars that come in the Sunday paper that advertise the sales and in-store specials for the week. Then I review my current coupons to see if any match up. I pay attention when I clip them and I "know" my coupons. I remember which ones I have so that when I see a sale advertised, most of the time I already know if I have a coupon or not. Also, I take my time in the stores and walk around to look for unadvertised sales, specials, and clearance items. This is one of my favorite parts and I have found a lot of great deals this way.
Q: How do you get good at couponing?
A: Practice, time, and patience! You really do need to clip coupons every week to get good at collecting the 'good' coupons. That doesn't mean you have to clip every single one, though. Clip the ones you will definitely use and the ones you might use. You never know when a great deal will come along. It will take you time to get to the point where you understand the rules/store policies related to coupons and to feel confident that the price you are getting really is a good deal. Not every deal scenario will work out, but you get better as time goes on. Also, it is important to be patient and not use coupons too soon, when it is really not a very good deal. That is what the companies want you to do. But you have to be patient and take the time and effort to be the most efficient you can be. Eventually you will get to the point where you have a small stock pile and you will only buy certain products because it is a hot deal and not because you have run out. That way, you will almost never have to pay full price, and you have a stash for emergencies if needed.
Finally, here are some of the deals I am most proud of!
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Small sippy cup: FREE by redeeming Huggies reward points Potty training seat: FREE by redeeming Pampers reward points 3 Sippy cups: FREE by using a $10 off coupon for Amazon Mom. Bubble blowing maching: FREE by using a $10 off coupon for Amazon Mom. |
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Paid $5.56 and got back $6.60 in Extra Bucks to spend next time at CVS. :) Crest ProHeath toothpaste~3.29~$1 off coupon~$3.29 Extra Bucks~BETTER than FREE! Crest 3D white~$3.29~$1 off coupon~$3.29 ECB=Better than free! Colgate Clinical~Clearance $1.24/each~2 $.75 off coupons~$.49/each! Pert Plus~$1~$1 off coupon=FREE! |
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Another snag on some great deals @ HEB! Gain fabric softener~$3.57~$3 coupon~ONLY $.57! Dove deoderant~$2.50~$2 coupon~ONLY $.50! Dove body wash~ SALE $1.99~$1.25 coupon~$.74! Sanitizer~$1~COUPON buy body was get sani free~FREE! Total cost for all 4 items=$1.81!!! |
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@CVS Pampers Cruisers~$8.99~1.50 coupon~$2 Extra Bucks=$5.49! Colgate Toothpaste~On SALE for $.87~$.50 coupon~ONLY $.37!!! @HEB Dove Visible Care Body Wash on SALE (limited time only) for $1.99/ea~$1.25/ea coupon~ONLY $.74 each!!! @BRU: Fleece pullovers on sale-2 for $8 for when it gets cold NEXT year (bought 24 mo size). |
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| ***Contact solution, dish soap, laundry sample, and socks were all FREE! I need to go back and find the info on the detergent. |
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Great deals at CVS!!! 3 Dawn Olay Hand renewal dish soap: $.96/each~$1 off coupon~3 for FREE! Cascade dishpaks: On sale for $3.50~$.50 off coupon~$3 2 Head and Shoulders: On sale $5/each~Get $5 Extra Bucks when you spend $10~Like paying $5~2 $1 off coupons~Like spending $3 for both!!! |
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| FREE SAMPLE I received: Box of Mrs. Field's cookies! YUM! |
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| Free samples I have received (and there's more where that came from!). I keep these for travel, emergencies, and recently I donated a bunch to a program to send care packages to troops overseas. Didn't cost me a thing, and it benefited others! |
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Total spent on this lot: $2.29 Here's how I did it: Target brand wheat crackers~on clearance for $.88 Lysol wipes~on sale for $1.89~$1 off manf. coupon~End price=$.89 Shout spray~$1.89~$1 off Target coupon~$.55 off manf. coupon~End price=$.34 Aloe Vaseline lotion~$.97~$1 off manf. coupon~End price=FREE! |
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Small dish soaps were on sale this week at CVS for $.97. I had a coupon for $1 off Olay hand renewal Dawn, so the end cost was FREE. For the Enfamil, the reg price was $10.99. I had $5 of Extra Care bucks and a $5 Enfamil coupon, so the ending price was $.99! Woohoo! |
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Baby Wipes: Sale $1.50~$1/manf~end price: $.50 Poise pads: Sale $2.25~$2/manf~end price: $.25 Kotex pads: Sale $.97~$1/manf~end price: FREE! Enfamil: Sale $4.23/ea~$4/manf~end price: $.23 each! |
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Colgate toothpaste: On sale for $.99/ea~$.75 off coupon~Total paid: $.24/ea! Shout wipes: $.99~$1 off coupon~FREE! Rice cereal: Coupon for FREE Baby food: $60/each~$1.50off/2~FREE! |
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FREE items from buying other items @ reg. HEB price: HEB Chips, BBQ sauce, Diet DP, Cheese snacks, Rotel & Chili Other deals: Fab laundry detergent: $3.29~In-store coupon $1 off~Catalina (register coupon) $2 off~Ending price $.29 Velveeta-$1.75 each~2 catalinas $1 off~End price $.75 each Pampers diapers: $9.99~$3 off catalina~$3 off manf.~End price: $3.99 Huggies wipes: $3.26~$2 off catalina~$.75 manf.~End price: $.51 |
3 comments:
Kristen, you are amazing with the couponing! I wish I liked it! It makes me exhausted just thinking about it! I need to slowly work into it though, because it saves so much money! Definitely something I wish I were good at!
Thanks! Even if you just start couponing on toiletries and don't worry about food yet, that saves you so much! I'll bet you'd do a great job at it. :)
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