Buy Your Sunday Newspapers
This can involve a weekly cost, if you just want to buy the papers that have the best coupons for you. You can preview each weeks coupon inserts at Sunday Preview. This is the method I used while doing my RiteAid tests last fall.
Whenever I could, I got the Smart Source inserts from the TriCounty Record, or other local papers that I found to have them for FREE. I only purchased the Sunday paper when I saw a lot of coupons that I wanted.
The other option is to purchase a subscription to the Sunday Newspaper. If you really want to get into doing all the scenarios, you will definitely want to go this route. It makes it easier on you. You don’t need to decide if you want the paper that week, or go and buy it. It is nice to have it delivered directly to your door!
Clipping and Filing Coupons
After a few weeks you get pretty used to an organized system that works for you. For me, I file the inserts from each week in a manilla folder, with the date written on the tab. I also include what inserts I have and how many of each.
It might look like this: 1/9 2SS, 1RP, 1GM.
I clip a few that I know are used in scenarios often, or of items that I will be buying on my grocery shopping trips, so that I have them on hand and can use them immediately when I see a deal.
The rest of the coupon inserts, I just keep filed and clip as I need them. Most scenarios and coupon match-ups include the coupon and the source (either the printable link, newspaper issue, or magazine issue).
I also recommend that you make use of the coupon databases available online. They make it very easy to search for a product coupon that you need. If it tells me the coupon was in the December 19 Smart Source insert, then I go to that file, and clip the coupon!
Watch for my next post here on Frugal Lancaster, when I will explain how to map out scenarios and have an effective backup plan.
To see the other posts, please go to Ways to Save and visit Playing the Drugstore Game.
