Frugal Coupon Living

Mastering the basics of frugal coupon living can help you get the most from your money.

Coupons are all around you, so the first step in frugal coupon living is training yourself to constantly be on the lookout for these savings offers. You can find coupons in:

• Your Sunday newspaper
• Store flyers
• E-mail newsletters for your favorite Web sites or products
• Printable coupon databases, such as Coupons.com and Smart Source
• Women's magazines, such as All You
• The boxes of products you've previously purchased
• Receipts offering rewards for completing a customer satisfaction survey

If you're new to the idea of using coupons to save money, you may be wondering what kinds of coupons are the most useful.

When it comes to grocery shopping, you'll need to let your family's taste preferences be the deciding factor. As a general rule, however, many people interested in frugal coupon living like to look for deals on the following:

• Cereal
• Canned soup
• Microwave popcorn
• Granola bars and other on-the-go snacks
• Cake mix and frosting for making quick birthday treats or cupcakes for the school bake sale
• Frozen meals or simple boxed dinners for nights when meals are needed in a hurry

Coupons for personal care and household supplies are also quite useful, especially if you're not loyal to any particular brand. Coupons can often be found for:

• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Soap or shower gel
• Deodorant
• Foundation, lipstick, and other commonly used cosmetics
• Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and other over-the-counter medications your family uses regularly
• Laundry detergent
• Multipurpose household cleaner
• Light bulbs
• Batteries

Although not too common, you can sometimes find coupons for items to keep on hand for last minute gifts. For example:

• Board games
• Cookbooks, trivia books, and books of poetry or quotes
• Crayons, markers, coloring books, and other children's art supplies
• Scented candles
• DVDs

Even if you're naturally neat and tidy, keeping track of a pile of coupons can be quite a challenge. However, the job will be easier if you remember the following tips:

• Purchase a small accordion file to keep your coupons organized.
• To keep yourself from getting overwhelmed, stick to coupons for at least $1 off an item unless it's for a product you know you'll use fairly quickly or you have a store in your area that will allow for double coupons.
• Write your shopping list on the back of an envelope, circling the items that need to be purchased with a coupon. Tuck all of the coupons into the envelope before heading off to the store.
• Take 15-20 minutes at the end of each month to sort through your coupons and toss expired offers or coupons for products you've decided you no longer need.
• If possible, plan to use your coupons during a shopping trip by yourself. Watching small children while comparing prices and double checking expiration dates just creates unnecessary stress.
• When using coupons, remember that this is one time buying in bulk doesn't pay. If a coupon doesn't require purchasing a specific product size, you'll typically get the greatest savings by purchasing the smallest item.
• Remember that many stores will allow you to stack a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon together. For example, you could purchase a $3.50 box of cereal at Target for just $1.00 if you combined a $1.00 coupon from the Target Web site with a $1.50 coupon from your Sunday newspaper.

It's not uncommon for people who enjoy clipping coupons to end up with a stockpile of items. If you get to the point where you have more bargains than storage space, consider donating some of your excess to the local food bank or a nearby homeless shelter.

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