Clip, file, shop with coupons for fun and savings

BY Tammy Macias

Tammy Macias

Coupon shopping is still a lot of fun for me, especially when I can save money and bring home some great bargains.

I miss the time when Ralph’s and Von’s would double their coupons. It was a lot more fun then and easier to shop and save.

But the savings and bargains are still out there; you just need to have a different approach.

I picked up my coupon organizer again recently and started shopping more with my coupons, and I have been glad I did because I have found some great bargains and have had a lot of fun stocking up on some products.

The best way to find the deals is right from home. Start by saving all the coupon inserts from Sunday’s newspaper.

Tip: have friends and neighbors save their unwanted coupons for you too so you can enjoy a bargain more than once.

While shopping with her coupons, Tammy recently ran across these “Star Wars” themed boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

Wednesday is the day the grocery store advertisements come in the mail. This is when you can shop from home by matching their individual sale items to your coupons to see the deal. Last week I received Pantene shampoos and conditioners for 20 cents each. I was lucky to have extra coupons so I stocked up. (Pantene isn’t my preferred brand of shampoo, but for 20 cents we will use a few bottles!)

When a grocery store offers a store coupon in their advertisements, you may redeem that coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon as well, giving you that extra savings. If there are items for pennies or free, and I do not use those items, I will save them for gifts.

For example, I collect shavers with deodorant and cologne samples and place them in a small travel bag I find for a bargain. That can make a nice man gift; or, placed in a plastic zip bag, it can be given to those who are homeless instead of giving them money.

One great tip I learned over the years is to pay attention to the seasons. For example, in the summer, there are a lot of coupons for barbecue sauces, salad dressings, condiments and ice creams, etc. In the winter you will find a lot of coupons for soups, medicines and candy for Halloween, etc. This is good to remember so you can stock up on those items.

Another option to save even more is to search for coupons online. Each grocery store has a website that lets you clip coupons and print or save them to your store card. If you have not already, make sure you sign up for each store’s reward card to save even more. You can even go directly to your favorite products’ websites and request coupons.

There are many opportunities online to gain extra manufacturer’s coupons, but I find it too overwhelming and time-consuming. So I stick to my Sunday coupon inserts as my favorite source and enjoy matching up the savings when I browse through the grocery stores or Target or Walmart.

There are deals out there for 25 to 99 percent savings. Simply collect coupons, clip, save and file them and have them ready for when the bargain becomes available.

I love when I run into a bargain that becomes one of my favorite things. I found the most delicious tortilla chips at Winco: Juanita’s Fiesta. They’re so delicious and highly recommended. At Target, I discovered a cookie called Tim Tams – they are yummy.

I also enjoyed the new Kraft macaroni and cheese boxes with “Star Wars” character-shaped pasta. (We love Star Wars – only four months left until episode 7, yay!)

I encourage you to collect coupons, clip, file and shop for bargains it’s a rewarding experience and, with the money you save, you can go play! Remember $aving money makes cent$.

Have a bargain to share? I always enjoy hearing about it at tammystips@ hotmail.com. Have a great weekend!