Couponing 101 Part 3

This is the 3rd post in my Couponing 101 series. 

In case you didn't read the first and second post here is the links. Check it out especially if you are new to couponing. It will be informative and helpful.

http://livinglifeasafife.blogspot.com/2014/01/couponing-101-part-1.html

http://livinglifeasafife.blogspot.com/2014/01/couponing-101-part-2.html

In the first 2 blogs I explained why to saving coupon inserts and where to buy coupons online. In this post I am going to explain how you find the deals or as couponers call it the coupon match-ups. The abbreviations can be confusing so I will also give a little cheat sheet to what they mean on the match-up forums. I will also give all of the websites I use to find the coupon match-ups.

I use websites with the coupon lists because it saves time. I don't match up the deals with coupons myself I just use a few different websites. I check each of those websites and decide what deals interest me. As I explained in the previous post it is important to check different sites.

There is something you must do before you go shopping with your coupons.

 ***Go onto the website for the store and read the coupon policy. They vary so much from store to store you need to know what kind of coupons your store takes meaning do they accept competitors coupons or printable coupons? Is there a limit to how many of the same coupon you can use per tranaction or day? Does the store double coupons is that everyday or only certain days during the week? Will the store price match? These are things you want to know before you set out with a list and stack of coupon match-ups.  

Before you go to the forums here is a cheat sheet to what the abbreviations mean. 

MM = Money Maker this is one of the best abbreviations to see. Everyone loves a deal that makes them money.

SS = Smart Source coupon insert

RP = Red Plum coupon insert

PG = P&G coupon insert

Q's = coupons

NLA = No Longer Available this is usually stated about a printable coupon.

Now on to the forums I use. I always visit more than one site. There is always something one site will have that another will not. 

Here is an example from A Full Cup forum. 

Yoplait yogurt cups 20/$10               So this means depending on which coupon you use you 
$0.50/8 coupon 1/5SS                     can get 8 Yoplait yogurts if you use the coupon from the
$0.40/6 coupon 1/5SS                     January 5th Smart Source insert for $.50 off of 8 Yoplait  
Total: 8/$3 or 6/$2.20                     yogurts. You would end up paying $3 for those 8 yogurts

Kellogg's Special K cereal 4/$10        (This means that Special K cereal is on sale 4 for $10. 
$1/3 coupon 1/5 RP                         There is a coupon in the January 5th Red Plum insert for 
Total: 3/$6.50                                $1.00 off of 3 boxes of cereal. If you use that coupon you                                                    could get 3 boxes of Special K cereal for $6.50

Now onto the websites to find the deals. 

These are my 2 favorite sites.

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/store-deals/

On this site you can pick your store and I am sure it is on the list. There are grocery stores, drug stores, toy stores and office supple stores. I use this site for my grocery stores and drug store match ups. 

The next site I like is A Full Cup and here is the link. 

http://www.afullcup.com/forums/index.php

Scroll down to see links to all of the stores you are looking for. 

Now some stores have coupon match-up sites of their own. Example

Walgreens = http://www.iheartwags.com/

CVS = http://www.iheartcvs.com/  

Rite Aid = http://www.iheartriteaid.com/

Target = http://www.ihearttarget.net/

Walmart = http://www.iheartthemart.com/

Remember to always check at more than one site because you could miss out on a great deal. I hope this blog post helped explain couponing a little more. 

Thanks for stopping by. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments section. 

Mrs. Fife