Okay- I am so excited about this series…

That’s right, it is time to commit ladies (and gentlemen). It may not be today, but I’m going to have all of you- nervous, overwhelmed and dedicated fence-sitters converted to the KCL way in 10 days (or less)…The First Step to becoming a KCL is to CHANGE THE WAY YOU SHOP!!!

-No more running to the store at 3:00pm everyday to buy what you need for dinner.
-No more making one list every week to buy the five meals you are going to cook- regardless of the price.
-No more HUGE monthly shopping trip where you spend who knows how much…
-No more running to the store because you are out of toothpaste and Q-tips

- You will be going to the store a lot, and you will most likely have a very intimate relationship with certain stores and the checkers who are employed there.
- You will have a Year Supply of Toothpaste, Soap, Razors, and Lysol Wipes (among other things) before you can blink!!
- Before you know it you will be saving between 50-90% at the grocery store!
- It’s all about shopping with coupons while a product is on sale- and STOCKING UP so you don’t have to buy something when it’s not cheap or free.

So, are you feeling it? Are you ready to commit? Check back in a couple days for the next topic… “Where to Find all the Coupons you need to Cash in!!”

Ever seen something like this on KCL-B1G1 w/$2/1 from (3/15RP) & earn RR, then submit MIR (YMMV)

It’s almost laughable how ridiculous the code of couponers is!!
Once you figure it out though, it’s a piece of cake!

$/# – This means that you get $ off for every # you buy. Example: $1/2 would mean that you get $1 off every 2 that you buy. You will see this a lot on KCL when we are breaking down Store Ad’s.

B1G1 = Buy One Get One Free (B1G2 is Buy One Get Two Free etc.)

Blinkie = A coupon that prints out at a machine in the store. They are located by the product associated with that particular coupon.

BOGO = Buy One Get One Free

CAT = Catalina. A coupon that prints out at the register that is either $$ off your next purchase or $$ off a certain product They are usually manufacturer coupons, not store coupons. Note: These are sometimes delayed in printing so wait a minute before walking away from the register. If you think you were supposed to get one and didn’t, talk to the cashier/manager and explain…

Coupon Insert – These are “packets” of coupons found in Sunday papers and also sometimes in the ads mailed to you during the week. The companies that put them out include Smart Source (SS or S), Red Plum (RP) and Proctor & Gamble (PG) They are also referred to as just inserts.

Double Coupons = This is the term used when stores will double a coupon’s value. Some stores do this every coupon months, some never do it, and in some regions stores will pick a day a week to double. In Idaho, Albertson’s and Kmart are the stores that will double occasionally. Some stores may also set a maximum value limit. Example, no coupons over $2 and only 10 per transaction/day.

EXP = Expires or Expiration Date

FAR = Free After Rebate

Internet Printable = A coupon that can be printed online.

IP = Internet Printable Coupon

IVC = Instant Value Coupon. These are found at Walgreen s in their weekly ads.

MIR= Mail in Rebate

MFR = Manufacturer

MQ = Manufacturer Coupon

OOP = Out-of-Pocket. This is the amount of money that you pay for with cash- so after instant coupons- but before Catalina’s received and Mail in Rebates.

OYNO = On Your Next Order. Often, Albertson’s will run a promo where you spend $25 (or some amount) and then you get a Catalina for $10 Off On Your Next Order.

Peelie = Coupons found on products in the store. Often, there are good on a range of products, not just what it is stuck to.

Q = Coupon

Raincheck = A slip you can ask for in the store when an item’s on sale and out-of-stock.

Register Rewards or RR = Exclusive to Walgreen’s. They work like cash on your next order.

Rolling Catalinas – This means that you can use a Catalina as payment on another transaction of equal merchandise and another Catalina will still print. Example, if you buy 4 “Kraft Cheese Bricks,” a $5 Catalina will print. If you then buy another 4 Kraft Cheese Bricks you can use the previous Catalina you received as payment towards the order and another $5 Catalina will print.

Stacking Coupons = This is the term used when stores will let you use their own in store coupons along with a manufacturer’s coupon for the same item. Example: Most Albertson’s will let you do this.

Tear Pad = A pad of coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display

WAGS = Abbreviation for Walgreen’s

WYB = When You Buy

YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary

Okay Ladies… We are half way there! Are all you coupon virgins feeling inspired? Have you signed up for a newspaper subscription? Only a few more days before we will need a full on commitment!

While we disagree with how to put our coupons in a binder, Joanie and I both use a Binder.

Heather’s Method:

-I like to call it the “Less Time Up Front, More Time Getting Ready to Shop” Way
-I really really hate getting my coupons ready every Sunday.. (or Saturday- don’t judge), so to make that process quicker, I organize by date. I don’t clip any of my coupons until I use them. I have heard reports that the average krazy couponer will only use 50% (or less) of their coupons, so I am all about not clipping coupons I am just going to toss. Call me Lazy if you want, I call me Efficient.
- I use sheet protectors to put each insert page into it’s own page- for easy access.
- I also print the Coupon List from Pinching Your Pennies (which gives me an alphabetical list of all the coupons that are out for Idaho- they also have other states)- so that if I run into a clearanced item- I can find what week the coupon is from and flip right to it
- Another tip if you are going to try out my method, is to write the date (that the coupon came out) on each set- so that if it comes out of the sheet protector you can find it’s home again.

While we disagree about the category/date method- we both start our organizing for the week the same. See the pictures below… as we walk you through the process.
1. Tear the inserts apart, careful not to ruin barcodes
2. We get multiple copies of each insert, so we lay the entire insert out on the table, Soon we have 10 copies of the 1st page in a pile, 10 of the 2nd page in a pile, ect.
3. Next, we staple all 10 of the 1st page together, and on down the pages…
4. Then, I write the date on each stapled set And Joanie gets to clippin’

I have said it before and I will say it again! I would not coupon if I couldn’t get multiple items. This is why we tell you to get 4-6 copies of the paper. If you are going to go through all the trouble of this- you should be building a stockpile.

As you coupon longer- you will have an idea of when you should stock up- and when you should buy only a few to get you by until a better sale. Here’s an example I have shared a few times: When I first started couponing I found toothpaste for $1/tube. I thought I was going to die! I was shocked that I had found such a screamin’ deal! So- of course I bought like 20. Little did I know that toothpaste is under $.50 ALL THE TIME! There will be a learning curve as you figure out a price list. I keep mine in my head, others have a written list of their Top 20 Items and the Rock Bottom Price.

I have heard people say that the Sales and Coupons are on a 3-4 Month Cycle. I keep this in mind when stockpiling things that have an expiration date. But on things that won’t expire- I get more than a 4 month supply. For example I have a year (plus) supply of cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper plates.

Also, It’s Best to Not be Brand Specific. Your couponing efforts will be much more successful if you can buy whatever brand is cheapest. My husband refuses to use anything but the nicest thickest softest Charmin Toilet Paper- so when I find that Cheap- I go KRAZY because I don’t see it at a rock bottom price very often. Also, if there is something you are loyal to, consider buying extra coupons on ebay so you can stock up!

One last thing I wanted to touch one- was making a list of your Top 20 (or however many) Meals and their Ingredients- And then working on a stockpile of those ingredients. I will go into depth about this- when I talk all about cooking as a kcl.

When I first started couponing I was so excited about all the money I was saving- that I thought I needed to cash in on EVERY deal at EVERY store! I was shopping at Albertson’s, Walgreen’s, Walmart, Target and occasionally K-Mart. And this was on a weekly basis. Obviously, it didn’t take long before I was completely burnt out. Not to mention my kids would spot the Big Red Bullseye and burst into tears. (Okay, I may be exaggerating- but you get the point)

I quickly had to choose just one store that I would focus my efforts on. My choice was Albertson’s- because it’s the only store with in about 25 minutes of my house. (If I were closer I would probably focus on 2 stores.) I still occasionally go to Target and Walmart- but it is not a weekly occurrence anymore.

Also, it’s best for you coupon virgins to learn 1 store at a time. You will get WAY too overwhelmed if you are trying to learn every policy all at once. I think the easiest way to choose a store is to just pick what is closest to your house. You will be wanting to go often, so it makes sense to not have to travel very far.

Another key to finding balance in couponing- is to remind yourself that this most likely isn’t the last time you will see products at this price! When I was a newby- I didn’t realize that the prices I was seeing were more than Once In a Lifetime Sales!! The industry standard for coupon and sale cycles is 3-4 months- but on a lot of products, like Kraft and General Mills, it’s more often than that!

You are probably sick of our mantra, Buy Before You Need while it’s CHEAP or FREE, and avoid having to buy it at FULL PRICE when you absolutely need it!!

At the Grocery Store this line of thinking works very well. We are all on our way to creating a stock pile that will support our families (and friends, and neighbors, and subdivisions and towns!!:) should we ever need to cut back on our spending. If you have been doing this long, you are spending LESS at the grocery store and accumulating MORE! It’s a wonderful thing.

Create a Stock Pile of Kids Clothes-
I like to have a basic supply of clothes for my kids in 2 sizes bigger than they are in. My son is in 4T currently, and I am working on buying enough 5T and 6T clothes to get us by, just in case we aren’t able to buy them in the future. I shop Second Hand, Garage Sales and Clearance Sections of my favorite stores. My new favorite way to accumulate kids clothes for cheap is to stack an Old Navy Sale or Clearance item with an Old Navy Weekly Coupon.