Ann Rajkovich, Centerville
I am a die-hard couponer. I started couponing a few months ago in preparation for leaving my job to work from home for my husband’s business. I typically get household and personal items for about 70 percent to 80 percent off retail. On groceries, I don’t do as well because I’m a vegan and we eat mostly organic — and organic produce is often not on sale.
Here are some of my couponing tips:
Combine manufacturers coupons with store coupons/sales for bigger savings.
Stock up on things you use regularly when they are on sale and you have a coupon for them. That way, when you need them, you won’t have to pay full price for them!
Only buy things you need. Just because you have a coupon for something doesn’t mean you need it!
Have a plan. Always review store circulars for their current sales and then match them up with coupons you have. Make a list so you don’t end up buying things you don’t need or that you didn’t plan to spend money on.
Keep your coupons organized so you can access them easily — and always bring them with you when you shop so you don’t miss an unadvertised deal!
Don’t pay more than a dollar or two for household items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, shampoo and conditioner or cleaning products! You can get these items very inexpensively by combining manufacturers coupons and store coupons/sales!
Own it. Don’t feel guilty or embarrassed that you have a stack of coupons at the register — saving money rocks!
Alicyn Fischetti, Springboro
I am a big coupon user every week. I do save a lot and I wish we had coupon clubs here in Dayton, like, if you had extra coupons or needed some.
I also know lots of people that use their friends to get extra stuff for them and then sell them at the flea market. I use all my extras and then I donate stuff to people I know that need them.
Judy Davis, Dayton
I really like that I’ve been able to stay home with my kids and still pull my own weight around here. It’s my contribution to our household — saving as much of my husband’s paycheck as possible. I love never having to worry about how we’re going to feed our family for any given amount of time. We could live off of our stockpile if things got tough around here, and we’d be just fine. It’s my most favorite hobby of everything I’ve ever done.... And most of all, I love seeing my percentage of savings each week.
Here are some couponing tips:
You need at least two copies of the Sunday paper for double the coupons.
Set your print settings to gray scale so when printing coupons from the internet you are not using all your color ink, but the barcode will print correctly.
Don’t wait till the end of a sales week to do your shopping, by then all of us couponers have been there and taken all the deals.
Only stockpile an item if you’re finding it for around 75 percent off after coupons.
Don’t be a hoarder! Lots of us couponing gals want the deals, too, so never, never wipe a shelf out.
Don’t forget to donate to your local food banks and our military families overseas.
Send all your expired coupons to overseas military families as they can use them up to 6 months past the expiration date.
Jaime Eberhardt, Centerville
I do not consider myself an extreme couponer, but I am pretty good — 25 to 33 percent of grocery bills are saved. We also participate in rebates. Also I go through the Walgreen’s and CVS coupons when I get them in the Sunday paper and see what I can get for free. I never pay anything for body soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.
Sometimes I even make money!
Carol Gasho, Yellow Springs
In 2009, I saved $3,000 just in coupons! However, I learned how to play the “drugstore game” in 2010 and saved $8,000 in coupons.
My best couponing tip is to shop the drug stores: CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. They each have different programs, and you have to learn the way each store does its rewards programs. CVS has what is called “Extra Care Bucks” or ECBs, and you can earn these on different items each week. For example, if shampoo is priced at $2.99 and has an ECB worth $2.99, you pay for the item up front and then you go get an ECB printed on your receipt for $2.99 to use toward your next purchase. Walgreens does something similar but it’s called Register Rewards. You pay for your item out of pocket but then you get a coupon (a catalina) at the end of your purchase at the register. Rite Aid also has rewards. You can also use coupons on these items and sometimes it becomes a moneymaker! Using my CVS example, if I had a coupon for the shampoo for $1 off I could use that and then receive my ECB for $2.99 on my next purchase. Excellent! I just MADE $1 buying my shampoo.
Michelle Reed, Miamisburg
I only started couponing a few months ago, but I have saved my family hundreds of dollars. I also have a decent stockpile — about $450-$500 worth of stuff that I paid maybe $150 for.
My tips:
The best way to save is to combine coupons with store sales.
The rule is when it goes on sale dirt cheap, stock up for three months cause that is usually the sale cycle.
If the coupon says “any” on it, that means if you find it in travel size, you will probably get it free or for pennies. Recently, I had $2 off any Dial body wash and WalMart had a travel size for $1. That means for each one I bought with the coupon, I made $1!
Most stores won’t give you cash back, but they will give you a gift card.
Drugstores have great programs with extra bucks.
I do a lot of searching online also and use many coupon sites.
I buy up to five newspapers on Sundays, depending on how good coupons are. I have family members give me coupons, plus I print coupons.
Monica Segura, Hamilton