WARNING: COUPONING CAN BE IS EXTREMELY ADDICTING, KEEP READING AT YOUR OWN RISK...
Ok so 1st off. I don't claim to be the best couponer out there and I KNOW that i'm not but I do think that I have gotten pretty good (at least by my standards) & I owe it all to my bff Becky for getting me started & introducing me to Collin's site
Hip2save.com she is the only blog that I follow & check everyday so the information I am giving you I most likely learned from her, she also has videos showing you how to shop there that i will be linking :D
So as far as the stores I shop at they are, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, & I have couponed at walmart 3 times (i honestly hate that place haha) I will talk a little about each one (they all have different policies and rules) Collin EVERY saturday & Sunday (for target) will post all of the next weeks matchups she is VERY detailed in how she does it and makes it VERY easy for you to get all your coupons in order for your shopping trips. She tells you exactly where the coupons are located & if they are going to expire soon she will put that information as well. Here is a quick example from her site for the free target mac & cheese I got today.
Market Pantry Boxed Macaroni & Cheese 5.4 oz 2-serving Box for $0.42
Use the $1/1 Market Pantry Boxed Macaroni & Cheese Target store coupon found here (This coupon will auto-adjust down to $0.42 with no beepage! 
)
Final cost FREE!
**Keep in mind that whenever something is FREE you ALWAYS have to pay tax. A lot of times my subtotal will be like 3$ but after tax my OOP total is like 7$. You get taxed on the price of the product BEFORE coupons.
I will give more detailed examples later!
EASY EXPLANATION:
for EVERY store you can use 2 coupons PER item.... 1 manufacturer coupon & one store coupon.
FINE PRINT: Always read the fine print that way you KNOW that you aren't using a coupon wrong and that you are buying the right product for the coupon.
Important for 2 reasons: If it says "1$/1 8oz or larger on Chex Mix" and you try and by the individual sizes it will BEEP and obviously not work! If it says "1$/1 ANY Chex Mix" then go ahead & buy the individual size :D
Reason #2: When you read the fine print you are the one in control when the cashier tries to tell you "you can't buy this, lip gloss isn't in the picture" (i can almost guarantee you will get this at some point) You can do a few things 1) smile sweetly back & reply "It says ANY CoverGirl product, if you scan it, it will go through" (or something like that) IF they reply " no it's not in the picture" 2) Ask for a manager or 3) just take your coupon back and forget about it. I used to walk away i now ask for a manager. I know i'm not dong anything wrong and by reading the fine print i know all the limitations.
My secret weapon: lol sounds super cool huh? ok but seriously.... CASHIER SHOP! this is what I call it when i walk up and down past the cash registers and look for the best cashier. You do NOT want to go to someone who looks cranky or irritated... My favorite picks are teenage boys (they don't care & will just keep beeping those coupons no weird or annoyed looks given) OR fellow couponing cashiers, obviously you wont know until you check out but now i will go back to that same girl "Chantel" at target every time! (She shuts down her lane so i can relax and not have to worry about the dreaded check out SWEAT- ok if im being honest i still sweat every time i check out with coupons but when you have no one behind you and a smiling face who "gets it" in front of you it makes it a whole heck of a lot easier!)
I also have a few cashiers that I know by name now, (since i do the same stores almost every week) & let me tell you when you develop a "relationship" with your cashier.
WOOHOOO it's like winning the lottery, they are nice and friendly and help you out and even give your kids lollipops! :D
oh and when all else fails
BE NICE, SMILE even if i'm in a rush and just need to get out so i use the fastest line, simple conversation & smiling (you know common courtesy our moms taught us that i think a lot of the world has forgotten) makes a HUGE difference. :D
Last but not least, if you still have a bad check out experience 1st off you are NOT alone, 2nd you ARE NOT doing anything wrong!!!! Stores get paid for you to use coupons! Thats right did you hear me? Go ahead grab a coupon and read it... they get reimbursed & usually .08 cents or sometimes more PER coupon. So now you are not "stealing, or ripping the store off" or anything else you might hear. YOU are saving money for you or your family on things that you DONT need to spend extra money on in order to spend extra money where there aren't a lot of coupons or maybe any at all
EX) I coupon so i can buy TONS of fresh fruit and veggies and not feel bad or so that we can go out to eat and not break the bank (or maybe so you can get those pants you've been wanting but can't justify) well with couponing it's possible. You save money where you can so you can spend it other places OR just to plain ol' save it! Vacation? Car? Student loans?
What are you waiting for? Go get your scissors!! hehe
Where can you find coupons?
Manufacturer coupons can be found in everywhere! ;)
Sunday Newspaper- This is the best place in my opinion... Collin has the best newspaper deals posted here-
http://hip2save.com/category/online-bargains/newspaper-deals/
You will see on different blogs the different inserts labeled like this...
SS- SmartSource
RP- Red Plum-
GM = General Mills
PG = Procter and Gamble
*the date will be on the spine of the insert
Print them- Tons of places online ex)
http://www.coupons.com/ & Facebook a lot of times you "like" a page and get a nice coupon in exchange :)
Randomly under or by products in stores these are called Peelies.
You can get a coupon clipping service (ive never done this)
You can buy them off ebay (I have never done this but after talking to cristle today I think i might start)
Snail Mail- A lot of times when i sign up for a "freebie" through the mail it will come with a nice coupon making it even better then what i thought!
Coupon Lingo & Rules that I'm familiar with... (I still don't know all of it) :)
Coupon-to-item-ratio = You can only have 1 store coupon & 1 MF coupon per item therefore if you have 5 items in your cart & 6 MF coupons you will only be able to use 5 of them (This arises with B1G1 deals mostly or $/multiple product coupons)
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary – Deal works for some people but not for everyone, depending on store, clearance items, regional sale, ect.
PEELIES = The coupons that you find in isles of the store that you can "peel off" or the machine that as a kid you (or maybe just me) would always pull them out to see another one takes its place haha ;)
B1G1 & BOGO = Buy One, Get One Free
B2GI = Buy Two, Get One Free
EX = Expires On
FILLER = Item purchased in order to reach "coupon to item ratio" OR in order to use a "Total Money Off" coupon
MQ = Manufacturer’s coupon
MIR = Mail In Rebate
OOP = Out of Pocket- the money that literally is coming out of your pocket
ECB = Extra Care Bucks – CVS money
RR = Register Reward – Walgreens money
$/2 or $/3 ect coupons = When you have a "Save 1.00$ on any 4 Cans of Tuna" coupons that 1 MF coupon is "stacked" to ALL 4 Cans even though you don't have a physical coupon for each. However you can still use a STORE coupon for EACH individual box (if you have them) OR the other way around. you can have a 1$/3 STORE coupon and then use multiple MF coupons.
EX) Wishbone Salad Dressing 7 oz Spritzers $1.87
Use the $1.50/2 Wish-Bone salad dressings 7-oz. or larger Target store coupon found here
Plus, use 2 $0.50/1 coupons found in the 1/29 RP (value varies by region)
Final cost as low as $1.24 – $0.62 per dressing!
How should you organize your coupons?
That is up to YOU!
I have tried 3 ways:
Collins way: (she posts about it here http://hip2save.com/2011/03/07/coffee-with-collin-coupon-organization-part-2/
Basically you cut out all the coupons you would use, & slid them into baseball card holders organized into different dividers & into a huge binder that you take with you. (This way is GREAT for finding great deals on clearance items because you have all your coupons with you)
Cut out & stick in an accordion file or envelope- I did this at 1st but soon got too unorgaized for me when i started going to different stores but I use a form of this method now (see below)
"Clipp-less Method"- That I found out about here http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/california-insert-lists
Basically- I keep all my inserts organized my date (they are in a reusable walgreen bag right now just standing up in order oldest to newest) & when i look at the matchups on Saturday and its says
Irish Spring deodorant on clearance $0.99 – $1.04
Use the $1/1 coupon found in the 1/29 SS
Final cost as low as FREE!
I go to the 1/29 SS (Smart Source) & then cut the coupon out. So i just cut them as I need them. (This is perfect for me because I LOVE to coupon but i HATED spending 2 or more hours every sunday just cutting out coupons, wasn't worth it to me & i actually stopped couponing until i found this method)
** The very cool thing about this site http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/california-insert-lists (if you are lucky enough to be one of the places they do) they will have exactly what coupons are in that paper every sunday. Some coupons are regional and instead of going mad, flipping through page after page looking for it I can just log on there and see if we got that specific coupon in sacramento!
So the official method i use is a mixture of the 2nd & 3rd. I cut the coupons out AS i need them BUT I have them organized in an amazing mothers day present that my hubby got me that looks like this http://www.etsy.com/listing/84916941/fabric-coupon-organizer-budget-organizer?ref=sr_gallery_2&sref=&ga_search_query=coupon+organizer&ga_order=undefined&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_removeLocation=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade except instead of "soups, dry goods" I have "CVS, Target"
You could just use an accordion file they have them at dollar tree or in the dollar section at target right now. I love this one because it hooks onto the side of my cart with a button which makes it much easier to look at what coupons i brought with me & plus it's pretty (mine is a different fabric)
I also have a couple sections for coupons i cut but didn't use either because i changed my mind or they were sold out so that i can have them easily on hand OR coupons that I think i could use on clearance stuff (usually High Value coupons)
TARGET (aka Popcorn & Chocolate Milk store to Dylan) - Easiest store to shop at no restrictions (except when doing a "special purchase"
Coupons-You can use 1 store coupon & 1 manufacturer coupon PER item
Target coupons- can be found on their website
http://coupons.target.com/ & sometimes in sunday papers & sometimes randomly in the mail. There is no for sure way to get target coupons mailed to you, some people think that using your "red card" will get you coupon booklets sent to you but i have yet to receive one.
Special Purchases- Target has "special purchases" every week that change. They involve things like "Buy 3 participating vitamins get back 5$ gift card" which means you would have to buy 3 vitamins that are participating in the deal (they will be listed with the info) and once they are scanned the cashier will be triggered to give you a gift card RIGHT THEN before you finish your purchase which is SO awesome because you know right then if you bought the right ones instead of having to wait and possibly to return them.
So when you are doing these deals you CAN still use 1 target coupon & 1 manufacturer PER item & the gift-card is just an added bonus! (this is usually how I "make" money @ target)
How I shop here- I will look at Collins Matchups on Sunday to plan for the week & I will also look at /
http://www.totallytarget.com/ throughout the week, she goes to target all the time and will tell me when there are unadvertised "special purchases" & when there are new price cuts (MOST ALL price cuts are regional so sometimes my target will have the same price as her's, sometimes more expensive, & rarely but sometimes cheaper!)
I also will "roll" my giftcard deals from the previous week (or whenever i last did one) onto my purchase to lower my OOP expense.
Keep your eye peeled for cards in the target weekly ad that are for "Free 10$ gift card with a transfer or a refillable prescription or a new prescription" I always keep this around in case one of the boys get sick, last week when logan had an ear infection his medicine was 4$ & I got the 10$ gift-card & was able to use that toward buying him more ibuprofen for free.
RED CARD-I also HIGHLY recommend (if you shop at target a lot) to sign up for one of their red cards, i JUST got one a few weeks ago because I had always thought it was a credit card but come to find out they have 2 different ones. A credit card & 1 that is linked ONLY to your checking account. I handed her a check and she gave me a card so instead of using my debit card i use my "target debit card" (it comes out the SAME as a debit card, you even pick a pin number) & you get 5% off EVERY purchase & if you use target for your pharmacy (like me) then once you fill a certain number of prescriptions you get a free one (not sure how many)
You ALSO get FREE shipping online if you have a "red card"! :D
TIPS-ALWAYS hand over manufacture coupons 1st & then target store coupons when checking out. Target store coupons can automatically "adjust down" which minimizes the dreaded BEEP at the register. manufacture coupons have to be adjusted themselves which some lame cashiers will just say "sorry i can't take it, it beeped"
EX) somethings on sale for 1.75. You have TARGET coupon for 1$/1 & a MF (manufacturer coupon) 1$/1. You hand over the MF 1st, it goes through no problem now the item is .75. Then you hand over target coupon & it should automatically go down to .75 off. Target's coupon policy does NOT allow "overage" aka the extra .25 cents BUT in my experience sometimes if the coupon does beep the cashier will just "push" it through aka force it.
Use reusable bags! Target gives you .05 credit for EVERY bag you use. (I know it doesn't sound like a lot but that will add up & every penny counts!)
**A grey dot by the product information means that they are sold out of the item.
**Download the target app it's free & i love being able to check if the store has something in stock so i can decide which target to go to. Also it even tells you what isle it's on!
*Rain Checks- Usually last 45 days & you can just find anyone walking around target and ask to get a rain check for an item. A lot of the time if the item is popular there will already have a little tear sheet that you just keep
