Couponing for Beginners-Volume Two (Different Types of Coupons)

Over half the coupons in my binder and organizer are internet printable coupons. The first time you print an internet printable coupon you will be asked to download a coupon printer onto your computer. What this program does is enables your computer to print the barcodes that validate the coupons at the register. Once you download it, you shouldn't have to download it again unless you have more than one computer or delete the program from your computer. Usually internet printable coupons have a print limit per computer. Usually the limit is 2 coupons per computer. This is why sometimes it's nice if you have a desktop and a laptop to enable them both to print coupons, because then you can have four coupons if you need them. However, most of the time you will only need 2 coupons to do most of the deals that get you such good prices. :) Stores have become pretty used to accepting internet printable coupons, but some stores are still wary because unfortunately there is still quite a bit of fraud that happens with internet printable coupons that people make up and take into stores. The coupons that Hip2Save and Krazycouponlady list on their sites are, I would say, 99.9% guarantee to be valid. If you ever want to check to make sure a coupon is valid, you can go to the website that prints out on the side and enter in the UPC number and it will tell you if it isn't valid. Generally though, I have yet to come across an invalid coupon. Some stores will tell you they cannot accept them because they have no way to verify if they are real or not, but as long as you have that coupon policy with you, they can't turn them away if they say they accept them in their coupon policy. If they continue to turn them away after you've pointed to their coupon policy, you can call corporate and usually you will be compensated somehow (Target will often send you giftcards worth a few dollars, etc.)

Some stores have store specific coupons. Target has a whole area of their site that you can print coupons from. There are two different types of Target coupons. A lot of the Target coupons (most of them) are listed as Target Web coupons at the top. Some of them are manufacturer coupons with a Target logo. The Target Web coupons are my favorite, because Target's coupon policy states that you can use one Target Web coupon and one manufacturer's coupon on the same item. For instance, right now they have a Target web coupon that is for $1.00 off two Temptations cat treats. I also have a manufacturer's coupon in my binder that is for $1.00 off two Temptations cat treats. Their policy would allow me to use both coupons on the same two cat treats, so I would get $2 off cat treats instead of just $1. I love Target web coupons because you can often get products for free from Target thanks to them!
Rite Aid often has coupons in their ads that are store specific as well. Their coupon policy also states that you can use a Rite Aid coupon and a manufacturer's coupon on the same item. It works the same as the Target coupons where you can often get products for free or nearly free. Rite Aid also has Rite Aid video values coupons online. If you go to the Rite Aid website you can navigate to the Video Values section and sign up for the program. If you watch a certain number of videos (to get you 20 credits) you will get a coupon for $5 off a $20 purchase. This renews every month. I will write another note all about coupons like this, but you will come to love these coupons. :)
The other coupons you will come to love are Albertson's doublers. They come around every few weeks to every few months in the Northwest, and they let you double manufacturer's coupons that are worth up to $1.00. So, if you have a manufacturer's coupon for $1.00 off a product and you combine it with a doubler coupon, you will save $2.00 on that product instead of just $1.00. This is an amazing way to get free or nearly free groceries. :) I always use these on treats like ice cream or special snacks I wouldn't normally buy, because I often get them for free! :) You can only use three per shopping trip, but they are usually good for anywhere from a few days to up to a week, so if you get more than one copy of their ad you can save a lot of money over a few days.

Last, but not least, there are the coupons that come in the Sunday paper every week. There are three different inserts to keep your eyes peeled for, and they differ depending on what paper you buy. They are called Redplum, Smart Source, and P&G. The Redplum insert usually only comes in local papers (So around here, it comes in the Everett Herald, not in the Seattle times.) Usually if I know a Redplum insert is coming out, I will skim through an Everett Herald paper at the grocery store just to make sure it's in there and then buy it. Sometimes there is no Redplum insert, so sometimes I just buy the Seattle Times. The Seattle Times (Equivalent of the Oregonian in Oregon) usually has the Smart source inserts and the P&G inserts (P&G inserts don't come as often as smart source or Redplum). This is the paper I most commonly buy. If I know there are good inserts, I will buy more than one copy. Hip2Save usually lists the coupons that are coming out, and the inserts that will be included, so this helps me kind of foresee what I need to buy as far as the Sunday paper. Usually your internet printables will be much higher values than the coupons that come in the Sunday paper, but there are a lot of high value coupons and buy one get one coupons that come out in the Sunday paper all the time. :)