29 Days of Couponing Tips Day 24: Learn How To Do Coupon Match-Ups {part 2}

Day 1: Coupon Inserts 101
Day 2: Printable Coupons
Day 3: eCoupons
Day 4: Coupon Clipping Services
Day 5: More Ways to Find Coupons
Day 6: How to Organize Your Coupons
Day 7: How to Quickly and Easily Clip Your Coupons
Day 8: How to Purge Expired Coupons
Day 9: Know Your Coupons {What does the fine print mean?}
Day 10: Coupon Rules & Tips Every Couponer Needs To Know
Day 11: Know Your Store's Coupon Policies!
Day 12: Know Coupon Lingo & Abbreviations
Day 13: Stacking Coupons
Day 14: Save Money With Coupons, Know When To Shop
Day 15: Get Organized With a Plan, Before You Hit The Store!
Day 16: Don't Be Brand Loyal
Day 17: Stockpiling Part 1 (What is it?)
Day 18: Stockpiling Tips Part 2
Day 19: Understanding Sales Cycles
Day 20: How to Read a Sales Ad
Day 21: How to Make a Price Book
Day 22: Rock-Bottom Prices & Sales Cycles
Day 23: Finding Coupon Match-Ups and Deals (part 1)
Day 24: Learn How to do Coupon Match-ups (part 2)

Yesterday, we talked about How to find coupon match-ups and deals. Today I wanted to talk about How to do your own coupon match-ups!

Why would I want to do my own coupon match-ups?

Here are a few possible reasons why you would want to know how to do your own coupon match-ups:

1. Because you can't find a blog that does coupon match-ups for the store that you want to shop at.
2. Because you can't find coupon match-ups for the items that you want to buy.
3. Because (gasp!) I don't post the deals that you are looking for, and I might miss some great deal. The truth is, there are a lot of deals available out there, and it is very hard for me to keep up with all of them. I try my best to keep up with this blog, but between being a momma of three kiddo's, keeping up with my housework, and everything else that comes up in real life - the truth is that I try my best, but I'm human!

Honestly, Coupon Match-Ups are pretty easy, they just take a bit of time. I'm going to share with you  5 easy steps (plus other tips) that I've found to be the easiest way for me to do coupon match-ups, but don't feel like this is the absolute only way to do it. Do whatever works best for you.

Step 1:

Get your weekly ad. You can have the actual ad in your hand, or go directly to the store's online site to view it, or print it off. Now, you will first look through the ad and circle the deals that look like exceptional prices to you. Make sure to pay special attention to the front and back of the ad, where most of the best sale prices should be listed. There are also sales in the inside to, so don't overlook them. Next, go through and circle, or note any special promotions, such as "Buy 10, Get $5 off instantly" type of sales. Third, go through and circle any items that you were planning on buying anyway, that your family needs, such as milk ect. I usually also have a notepad and pen nearby, and I will start writing my shopping list.

Step 2:

Check out these Internet printable coupon sites to see if there are any available coupons that you need for the items you circled, or for any other needs. (Go here for more info about printable coupons)
Coupons.com
Coupon Network
Red Plum
Smart Source
Step 3:

Check for any eCoupons that you might need. (Go here for more info about eCoupons)
Cellfire
Shortcuts
Kroger eCoupons
P&G eSavers
Meijer mPerks
Upromise
Saving Star


Step 4:

Next, you will need to open up a Coupon Database. I usually use the WUC Coupon Database. It is very easy to use. In the search bar, just type in and search for all of the items that you have circled from the ad, or for items that you need. If there is a coupon available for the item that you searched for, then write it down next to the item on your list, or on the ad next to the item that you circled.

Step 5:

Subtract the amount of the coupon from the price in the ad and voila! You have your final price! If it a price that you feel comfortable with paying and it is a product that you need then go for it. You can always refer to your "Price Book" to see if it is a good price or not. Now, you will just need to clip the coupons that you need from your coupon inserts, or pull them out of your coupon binder.

That is all there is to it. Just remember, don't just buy something just because it is on sale, or because there is a coupon for it! Timing is everything!

I know that this post is starting to get long, but just one more thing....

All you has a great feature called, grocery circular roundup. This might be something that you might find as a helpful resource.

Here's How:

Step #1:

First, Go Here and type in your zip code, to pull up all of the stores in your area that are in their database.

Step #2:

You can browse each stores circular (also known as sales ad's). You can also search by the items that you need, by brand or type, to see which store has the items that you need for the best price, or to see if the item is on sale at any of the stores. Plus, you can make your shopping list, and it's even available on your mobile phone.

This is a nice feature, but it does not include coupon match-ups. Therefore, you will still need to continue on with Step #2 - #5 as listed above. It will help you with price comparisons by store if you are looking for certain items.

I know that this is a lot of information to take in! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Did I miss any tips? Please share by leaving a comment!

What's coming up?
Tomorrow we will talk about tracking your coupon savings. Then we move on to menu planning, and why we should do it to save time and money!

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