I don’t coupon because I’m broke. I do it because I’m smart. Who’s smarter; the one who pays $1.99 for an item or the one who pays $0.50 for the same item?



…And it’s true. I’ve always been pretty savvy when it came to “couponing”…then the show hit, “Extreme Couponing”, and everyone and their mother wanted to do the same thing.

Living in New Jersey (close to NYC), it’s difficult to come close to anything you might have seen on this show. This is because prices differ by region, and, not all stores can be found where you may live. For instance, a Stop-N-Shop in my area may be the equivalent of a Wegmans near you. Everyone and every area is different. This won’t matter so much for our purposes, but it’s worth mentioning if you think reading this is going to enable you to be anything like those featured on the show. Don’t be disappointed!

Savings requires a keen eye and some diligence on your part to match items according to coupons found. When you do, the results will translate to major savings at check-out which translates to less money debited from your bank account per purchase.

For the beginner, couponing can be broken down in this way:

Shoprite will advertise Maybelline cosmetics priced at $2.99 on one particular week, which reflects a markdown from the usual price of $5.99 per item (estimated). In the Sunday paper, a coupon booklet is available every other week, and this week there happens to be a coupon for $0.75 OFF any Maybelline product. So what do we do? Clip those coupons!

This is how your coupon will translate at check-out:

$2.99 (sale price) – $0.75 x 2 = $1.49 (after coupons)

You see, all coupons double automatically when they’re scanned at the register. So, train your eyes from here on out to identify coupons for their TRUE values. While some people are quick to throw a coupon for $0.50 off in the trash, I am that crazy coupon lady who will rapidly scoop that paper up, because to me, that coupon is worth $1.00. ALL COUPONS DOUBLE, AND EVEN TRIPLE (WHEN ADVERTISED).



At times, when products are on sale for $1.00 (which household products and even some clearance cosmetics often are), these become FREE with the use of a $0.50 coupon which will then double to $1.00. If you’re lucky and have a coupon for $0.75 off and said item is on sale for $1.00, that overage amount, will be credited to your total after all items have been scanned.



For instance, $1.00 (sale price) – $0.75 x 2 = an overage of $0.50

This overage acts as a credit to your total balance which will further reduce your amount owed! Get it?

The process will be difficult to conceptualize at first but the key remains that every coupon should be automatically doubled in your calculations prior to hitting the store. Do this and I can guarantee super savings in your future!

Now where to find the BEST DEALS for the BEST products? Read below for my two FAVORITE savings sites!

I’m an online shopping guru. That’s what I do. Lines annoy me, stores can smell strange depending on whether the maximum person capacity has been met, and I have no patience for “browsing” aisles, etc. I’m a New Yorker at heart – we wait for no one. So, the safest way to shop for myself and those around me (I am noticably annoyed, sue me!) is to shop online. Years ago, this would have seemed strange, maybe even anti-social…no more! In fact, coupons are found more often online than in store circulars and/or newspaper ads. This is a GREAT thing!

One of the BEST places to go for online coupon codes is RetailMeNot. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Maybe not? Either way, it’s an excellent resource to navigate your way through the crazy amount of coupons available online (and there are many!). Here you will find coupon codes and user reviews of them. Reviews come in handy if for some reason codes have expired, are inoperable, or if some other issue has occurred when they’ve been tried. Also, many stores have hidden codes which can only be found here. So for instance, you’re shopping on a site for something, you can enter a code and get a free kit, sample, or “other something” all because of what you’ve entered! It’s really that easy to save and get the most out of your money.

Another resource I frequently use is called ShopAtHome. Heard of it? ShopAtHome allows you to make money back on all of your online purchases. Sign up and search through their engine for the store/retailer of your choice. You’ll be navigated to a page as requested and be able to view what percentage of your purchases will be routed back to your ShopAtHome savings account. Once your account hits $20.00 a check will be mailed to your home. Just be sure to always shop through the ShopAtHome engine, otherwise the payback will not apply! I’ve been using this tool for years and have made back a significant amount of money as a result. Often, I will use both sites; receiving not only my order but some free items plus cash back on my purchases! That’s what I call coupon combinations. 🙂

Looking for some deals in particular? Have questions, comments, or suggestions for a blog? Let me know! I absolutely LOVE your feedback!

oxo