Couponing Tip - Getting Started: Coupon Inserts 101

If you are just starting out with couponing, the first thing is to start collecting coupons from the Sunday newspaper. Inside the Sunday newspaper you will find coupon inserts on mostly every Sunday, except for some Holiday weekends.




The inserts that I find regularly are:

• Red Plum (also known as RP)
• Smart Source (also known as SS)
• Proctor & Gamble or P&G brandSaver (also known as P&G)

Occasionally, companies such as General Mills, or  Kellogg's will also release special inserts as well.

You can find the name of the insert on the front cover. Please refer to the picture above.

Whenever I post or a link to a deal, I always reference a date along with the coupon insert type. Here is a helpful tip - If you look at the binding of the the coupon insert there is the date printed on it. This is VERY helpful when looking for coupons if you keep the whole insert.


For example:

 

$0.50/1 Suave Deodorant Product, exp. 2/5/12 (RP 01/08/12 R)

This is stating that this is a 50 cents off Suave Deodorant coupon, that can be found in the January 8th Red Plum Coupon Insert, and the coupon will expire on Feb.2nd, 2012.


Here are some useful tips:


Start collecting coupons by simply purchasing your Sunday newspaper, or by subscribing to have it delivered to your door. You can Order from Discounted newspapers to get 50% off of your newspaper subscription. By subscribing, it might be a lot cheaper than purchasing your papers from the store every week. And, Did you know that you can subscribe to have more than one newspaper delivered to your house every Sunday? Or you could start by having one paper delivered, then if the coupons are awesome, you can always go to the store to buy more. You can also get more coupons by ordering them from coupon clipping sites too.

Whether you are subscribing, or buying your newspaper from a store, make sure to pick up the largest paper (largest city newspaper) in your area to get the best coupons!


Sunday Coupon Insert Preview:

Every Saturday stop by Tipsfromamomof3.com! Even if you subscribe, make sure to go to the actual website every Saturday late afternoon or evening! On my Website I will share links to websites that offer the complete coupon preview. I also Highlight the coupons that I think are the best coupons. Knowing what coupons to expect each week, will help you to plan, and therefore, helping you to save more money!


All Coupons are Not created equally:

It is very important to note that even if you are checking the Sunday Coupon Insert Preview, Remember that the coupon inserts vary by region, and remember that they are not guaranteed! There is no way of knowing exactly which coupons will be in your paper until you have it in your hands


Here are some easy tips to help you decide how many newspapers to buy:

*Always get an even number of newspapers, minimum of 2 newspapers a week. This will come in handy for B1G1 free sales and deals.


*After checking the preview and expected coupons, keep a note of any coupons of items that you need or will use. For example, we buy coffee creamer on a regular basis whether there is a coupon or not. If on the preview there is a coupon for $.50 off coffee creamer than I know that that's a coupon I will use on a regular basis so I will buy extra newspapers because that is one of my favorite coupons! I will use that coupon at Meijer or Kroger because they double coupons so I will get $1 off instead of just 50 cents.


*Another way to decide on How many papers to buy - Buy 1 newspaper per person in your family. For a Family of 4, buy a minimum of 4 papers a week. If you are just starting to build a stockpile buy more papers, someone who already has a stockpile will probably buy less.


One More Tip:


If you are buying newspapers, just for the coupon inserts, make sure to flip through the newspaper to make sure that the coupon inserts are there. Trust me, I've learned the hard way! It is the worst thing when you get home, to realize that your newspaper is missing the coupon inserts that should be in it!



Next up in the 29 Days of Couponing Tips Series....Printable Coupons.


Stay tuned as I talk more tomorrow about all of the coupons that are available to print on the Internet.

Do you have additional questions about coupon inserts that I didn't answer? Please feel free to email me or post a comment.

Do you have a tip about coupon inserts that I didn't share? Please feel free to mention that as well!

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