Diary of an Extreme Couponer
My friends are constantly badgering me to teach them my ways when it comes to couponing. They explain how hard-pressed they are to stretch every dollar they have, to cover tuition, textbooks, rent, food and countless other expenses. So for the first time since I started my couponing addiction in late October, I will be laying all the cards on the table – teaching all you collegiates how to extreme coupon!
Step (1): Find the coupons
I know this sounds like a ridiculous first step but you’d be surprised at all the places you can find coupons. Red Plum and SmartSource are two companies that regularly put out small flyers with coupons in them (inserts), in weekend editions of the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Sun. These “inserts” carry coupons for everything from hygiene products to grocery items. You can find the dates for when these inserts will be issued, below:
http://www.mrsjanuary.com/cana…
http://www.mrsjanuary.com/cana…
Websites are also a great way to receive coupons. All you have to do is create an account, select the coupons you want (they add two or three new ones every week) and they are mailed to your address or you can even print them out at home! The websites below are the ones I trust the most and use the most frequently:
www.gocoupons.ca
www.websaver.ca
www.save.ca
www.brandsaver.ca
www.smartsource.ca
Stores such as Metro, Food Basics, and Shoppers Drug Mart (especially these ones) usually keep tear pads of coupons in their aisles which customers can take and use whenever they like. Where you’re in the aisles, try to look for products that have coupons on them for even more savings! (But only if you needed these items in the first place.)
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Step (2): Organize the coupons
Keep all of your coupons in a binder: organize them by the types of products, such as grocery, beauty and cleaning supplies. It makes organizing a couponing trip that much easier!
Step (3): Going shopping
Planning your trip:
Wal-Mart and Real Canadian Superstore both price match which means if you bring a current flyer in from another store, and an item is better priced in the flyer, they will give you the same product in their store for the competitor’s price. From personal experience, I prefer price-matching and using free product coupons at Real Canadian Superstore since there are screens at every cash register through which you can monitor your transaction.
Cashing out:
Make sure that you organize your grocery order before you go to cash. Nothing is more annoying for the cashier and the people behind you then when you’re fumbling through your backpack, trying to find your coupons. Also, politely let people behind you in line know that your order may take a couple extra minutes, and that way they can decide whether to go to another cash register if they are in a hurry or to stay and wait patiently.
Make sure you always check your receipt before leaving the store. Cashiers make mistakes all the time. Heck, the cash register even makes mistake sometimes. Fix the problem while you’re still in the store – if a price scans at the wrong price, under the Scanning Code of Conduct, you are eligible to get that product for free (if it’s under 10$). Enjoy your savings!
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Sources:
http://couponchristine.com/wp-…