Hello from The Blade's Coupon Queen!
7/21/2011Hello and welcome to my first post as The Blade’s Coupon Queen! I am here to help you save MONEY! I personally look at using coupons as an easy way to put extra money into my bank account.
Many people are inspired to use coupons, determined to try it out but then get stuck on where to begin. I will start from the beginning and guide you through the basics of how to use coupons and how to save money on just about everything! Each week I will be discussing a new topic and helping you learn how to coupon like a pro. Then on Sunday mornings, you will find a few of my favorite coupon matchups for the week.
To save money with coupons, you need coupons. The easiest way to get coupons is through a home subscription to The Blade. I personally pick up at least 4 copies of The Blade each Sunday. It may seem strange at first, but to save a lot of money with coupons you will probably want to get multiple copies of the paper. Quite often I will give you deals that require you to have 2 of the same coupon. Hint Hint…. This Sunday will be one of those times.
So, are you ready to begin this couponing adventure?
Lesson #1: What is a Manufacturer Coupon?
If you want to become successful in couponing, you must first understand what a coupon is and how it works. Manufacturer coupons are the coupons that come in the Sunday paper. These coupons are made by the manufacturer of the product and will say “manufacturer coupon” on the coupon. Only one manufacturer coupon is allowed per item. Now let’s look at the anatomy of the coupon.
Barcode
A manufacturer coupon will always have a barcode that is scannable. The barcode will either start with a 5 or a 9. If your coupon does not start with a 5 or a 9, chances are it is not a manufacturer coupon.
The barcode tells the register what item is required to purchase in order to redeem the coupon. At some point you will run into the register beeping when the coupon is scanned. Don’t worry, this does not mean you are doing something wrong! Barcodes can sometimes be miscoded or a product can be miscoded in the Grocery Store computer.
Expiration Date
The expiration date is the final day you can use the manufacturer coupon. If the coupon expiration date is 8/1/2011, the coupon can be used until 11:59 pm on August 1st.
Redemption Value and Terms
The Values and Terms will tell you the number of items and the size that you must purchase in order for the coupon to be valid. This area may also include exclusions such as types, sizes or colors.
Other Terms
Here are just a few of the most common Consumer Terms:
One coupon per transaction – this means you may use one like coupon per transaction. If you want to purchase 2 of these items, you will need to complete 2 different transactions.
One coupon per purchase – this means one coupon per item purchased not per transaction. If you want to purchase 10 items you can use 10 manufacturer coupons.
Congratulations! You made it through the first lesson! Next week we will discuss Coupon Organization.
Make sure to check back on Sunday for the coupon Match-Ups. Here are just a few of the deals that you will find.
FREE Irish Spring Deodorant
Toothbrushes as low as $0.20
FREE Toothpaste
Make sure to check out www.savingmoneyintoledo.com for additional money saving tips!!