e-coupons!

Welcome to the wonderful, convenient world of e-coupons (Ecoupons? E-coupons? ecoupons?)! Well, it won't be so wonderful for you if your store doesn't offer this service, but if it DOES, you should definitely take advantage of it and start saving even more money when you shop!

Here's how they work: You can go online to various e-coupon sites, enter your store "club card" number, and then load digital coupons onto it. The coupons are automatically applied next time you go shopping, have your card swiped, and buy the items in question. It's just too easy. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• e-coupons will expire, just like paper coupons. It's up to you to keep track of the expiration dates. (Some of the e-coupon sites will offer a printable "shopping list", showing all the coupons currently loaded onto your card. Very handy.)
• e-coupons will not double, even if your store doubles paper coupons.
• e-coupons are automatically deleted from your card when they expire or when you use them, whichever comes first. (They can't be used more than once.)
• e-coupons CAN be stacked with paper manufacturer coupons, but there is lots of controversy surrounding this. Think about it: it's not okay to stack two paper manufacturers' coupons. An e-coupon is another type of manufacturer's coupon. So is it illegal to stack e-coupons and paper coupons? This is obviously a sticky issue, especially as it involves questions of fraud, ethics, responsible couponing, etc. This is definitely something that you need to research for yourself, and then decide accordingly. Here's my feeling: these e-coupons have been presented by the manufacturers themselves to encourage consumers to buy their products. Neither the manufacturers' policies nor the providers' policies state NOT to stack their e-coupons with their paper coupons. If the manufacturers/providers decide to ban stacking (via their website, email, or some sort of "block" put on the cards), I will of course stop combining e-coupons and paper coupons immediately, but until then, I personally have no problem stacking them. (Plus, what happens if you load an e-coupon onto your card, but then find a better paper coupon later? You can't remove the e-coupon from your card, so are you supposed to NOT use the paper coupon? I think it's the e-coupon providers' job to fix this issue.) But don't misunderstand me; I think that couponing responsibly is VERY important. Trying to "rip someone off" or "get around the rules" is NOT what this is all about. It's about following all the rules laid out by manufacturers and stores, spending time finding awesome sale matchups, using our brains to work out all the math, and then saving money. So make sure that YOU feel comfortable with your couponing practices, and then continue happily saving money and getting great deals, no matter what you decide. *BH steps delicately off her soapbox*

Want to get started with e-coupons? First, grab all of your store cards. Start by heading to one of your store's websites (here are Safeway and Kroger, to start).* The Kroger site is a GREAT money-saving tool: every week, the weekly ad is posted, and there are links to printable coupons AND all of the major e-coupon sites; PLUS they've started offering their own e-coupons. Nifty.  I also use Shortcuts and Cellfire (although I don't use Cellfire's coupon-to-cell phone option). Then, start adding e-coupons to your card! Now all you have to do is keep track of the coupons, and, when you buy a participating product, check your receipt to make sure it was used on your transaction. If it did NOT come off, and if you have your list of e-coupons printed out, try heading over to Customer Service first. If that doesn't work, contact the e-coupon provider via their website.
Sweet, right? Let me know if you have any questions about e-coupons. I'll add to this post as I learn more and as questions/issues arise.
*Note: Because I no longer live in the Northwest (*tear*), I'm going to use Kroger as an example whenever I discuss e-coupons. But Safeway and other participating stores should be pretty similar.

Couponing/Freebie-Getting, BH-Style

Here are Bloomington Housewife's main couponing strategies. Aaaaand now I'm going to stop referring to myself in the third person. I've included helpful information about how to set yourself up/organize yourself for couponing, where to find coupons, and how to use coupons to your advantage. Please keep in mind that I am still fairly new to this whole thing, so my strategies are constantly evolving, and I'm learning more all the time.
Here we go!

What You Need:

• Scissors or a paper slicer (incidentally, you can find scissors for free at CVS all the time)
• Color printer (sometimes stores are more likely to take internet coupons if they're printed in color. It shouldn't make a difference, but sometimes it does, if the cashier is picky and/or dumb. The cost of printing in color on the fastest or lightest setting is tiny compared to the money I've saved with my couponing and freebie-getting, so I think it's a worthwhile expenditure)
• An envelope/box/coupon organizer, and paper clips/bulldog clips/etc. (to keep your coupons organized)

Where to Find Coupons:

• Internet (blogs, store websites, product websites, etc.)
• Sunday paper
• Store booklets
• Magazines
• With free samples
• Product packaging (e.g. cereal boxes)
• Sent from manufacturer as a result of your commenting on a particular product (by doing this, I've received coupons for FREE Bagel Bites, Skintimate Shaving Cream, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Chiquita Fruit Bites, and more)

Strategies:

• Coupons alone will save you some money if you use them for things you'd normally buy anyway. However, you can save LOTS AND LOTS of money by matching up coupons with sales and other promotions (e.g. rebates, store promos), especially if you're willing to consider brands/items you wouldn't normally buy.
• Print out/clip any and all coupons you find (unless they're for something you REALLY would never buy... I don't clip diaper coupons... ;-).
• Know when to hold on to a coupon and when to use it. Here are three different examples of this... Example 1: Betty Crocker brownie mix is something we sometimes buy, since it's usually the cheapest mix and Joel loves brownies. So I printed out a few coupons online when I came across them. Since they weren't going to expire for a month, I hung on to them to see if a good sale or promo match-up would come along. If nothing had shown up the day or two before the coupons expired, I would have gone ahead and bought the mix, using the coupons I'd found. Example 2: Dark Chocolate Chex Mix in a bag is something I'd NEVER buy, because it's so expensive. But by matching up an awesome store promo with an awesome coupon, I was able to snag a bag for around $0.25, which is way less than a candy bar, and it's about six times more snack! :-D Example 3: I had a coupon for those cute mini Haagen-Dazs ice cream cups. I kept a look-out for a great sale matchup, but as the coupon's expiration date approached, nothing presented itself. So I let the coupon expire without using it, since I couldn't justify buying one of those tiny cups for $0.75. Never use a coupon on an item "just because" you have a coupon. You won't save money that way. **NOTE: something I've thought about since letting that coupon expire: if it's a day or two before one of your coupons is set to expire, why not leave it on a store shelf next to the product in question? Maybe someone else will find it and be able to use it! COOL!
• Freebie-getting: You can find free food/household items/personal care items ALL THE TIME, if you know where to look. Example: Kashi cereal cups are something I'd never buy, because they're outrageously expensive. But I found out online that Target was selling them for $1 each, and I happened to have five coupons for $1 off any Kashi product. So I waltzed in and came out with five free cereal cups. I'll post great freebies on this blog as I find them.
• Stockpile wisely. In our tiny apartment, we don't have much room. So even if I could get, say, 100 boxes of crackers for free, I wouldn't take 100 boxes of crackers, because I have nowhere to put them. On the other hand, I could take some of them and donate them to a charity. I don't know if they'd have anywhere to put them either, though. That's kind of a lot of crackers. Maybe I could have picked a more realistic example. Anyway, if I'm able to find toothpaste for free and/or deodorant for $0.29 (both of which I have!), I go ahead and buy a couple of each, knowing that I won't be able to find that price again for quite a while, and not wanting to have to go out later and spend $5 on something I could have gotten for free. This is the whole "Spend now to save later" mentality. It is NOT the same thing as "The more you buy, the more you save!!". Don't get sucked into that. Just think ahead, carefully consider your needs, space, and the quality of the deal you're getting, and then act accordingly.

I will add to this post as I have time, and as different issues arise. In particular I'll add information about e-coupons, which are handy-dandy little digital coupons you can load onto your shopper's card (e.g. Safeway Club Card). I'll also touch on how to organize your coupons. And I'll list my very favorite couponing, freebie-getting, deal-announcing sites! woohoo!

Why I Love Couponing

1. Routinely saving 50-80% off grocery shopping transactions is absolutely exhilirating. Seeing our monthly food spending cut in half is thrilling. Walking out of the store with 15 items purchased for $0.25 total is SUCH A TRIP. Seriously. Try it. It's so much fun.

2. By matching up sales and coupons, expensive/name brand/"fancy" items become incredibly cheap, allowing us to try fun stuff and, in some cases, raise our standard of living by purchasing better-quality products. This applies to grocery store and drug store purchases, but also to purchases from "nice" clothing stores and places like The Body Shop, Victoria's Secret, and more. This way Joel and I get to have some fun, "fancy" things every once in a while without blowing our budget or encroaching on our savings.

3. It is SO FUN to get out my little scrapbooking slicey thing and cut out coupons, and then organize them and update my coupon database. It's a Type A's dream.

4. By saving so much money on household items/personal care items/food, we can afford to purchase more organic/local produce, meat and dairy products. This is awesome. And we can afford to go on fun adventures together. This is also awesome.