People will give different answers if you say the word "coupons" to them. Different people treat coupons in different ways: some think they are great if you have ten kids, the others are convinced that they are too much work; some think coupons are very complicated and hard to understand, the others think that coupons are beneath them, or that they are only for a grocery store.
However, the truth is that coupons are a simple way to save money. Two major sources of coupons are newspapers and the Internet. Newspapers coupons are free, while some sites charge a fee to send you groups of coupons. You can start with these sites: http://www.valpak.com , http://www.coolsavings.com .
Nevertheless, if you are not organized with your coupons, they can become your nightmare. The 'Golden Rule' about saving with coupons is organization.
If you want to keep your coupons in order, make sure you have only those coupons you really need. To avoid the 'coupon' mess follow these simple tips:
•Choose only the coupons for items and brands you will definitely use. If you do not have a dog, do not bother with dog food coupons. You will not need them; thus, ignore them! If you are loyal to one brand of ice cream, do not clip the coupons for another brand.
•Also, pay attention to expiration dates. If a coupon for paper towels expires in three weeks, but you have a year's worth of paper towels in storage, do not keep that coupon "just in case."
When you know what you need and have cut all your coupons (it is better to do the cutting on something like a kitchen table or a breakfast counter, not in bed, unless you like waking up with some ice cream advert stuck to your cheek), you should select a filing system that will work for you. It can be a series of envelopes, coupon keepers or even a shoebox - anything that will do the job.
The next step is categorizing the coupons. All coupon keepers have dividers for categories. That is the reason why organization with coupon keepers is the best. Some people use the following categories: beverages, bread and snacks, canned goods, cleaning, dairy, frozen, health and beauty, meat and poultry, paper goods, pet supplies, rice and pasta, and spices and sauces; the others have dividers for: beverages; pet food; snacks; meat and dairy; and so on.
Nonetheless, keeping coupons organised with coupon keepers or with anything else is not enough. You should do your shopping properly: take a list and stick to it; shop where a grocer accepts other stores circulars, etc.
Like any other organisation, coupons have their dos and don'ts. You should let the coupon expire if you do not need the item; use the largest dollar amount coupon on the smallest size item. You should not be misled by double and triple coupon promotions; be discouraged by so-called coupon queens, who are on television touting savings of ninety five percent or more. There are many more tips for using coupons.
In fact, you should organise your coupons (using coupon keepers or something else) as you do it with your keys (you surely use key accessories, don't you?).