I forgot to buy the newspaper last week. And darn it, I REALLY wanted to have that $1/2 Kraft Cheese coupon to supplement my cheese addiction.  Well, today I went on CouponClippers and ordered 5 of those coupons for 50¢ total.  In fact, I also ordered:

• Snag coupons you missed out on, especially if your region gets lower value/lower number of coupons than some other regions.
• Snag MORE coupons for items you really like!
• Whenever you see a “Sneak Peek” for a grocery store/drug store, you can just order your coupons ahead of time and wait for them to arrive in time for the big sale!

You might be wondering why I ordered so many Hefty, McCormick, and Barilla coupons.  Well, starting on TOMORROW at Bi-Lo Hefty plates, cups and baggies will be BOGO, McCormick seasonings will be BOGO, and Barilla pasta will be on “Price Lock” for $1.

How do you know what next week’s deals will be? 
HotCouponWorld, SlickDeals and AFullCup post previews when readers get hold of an early ad.  Use them as an ordering guide
So now you know why some savvy shoppers are able to score great deals in bulk while you are left holding a small handful of coupons.  Here’s a quick How-To-Guide:

1) Go HERE and click on HOT COUPONS over on the left.  You want to see these first, because these are the coupons everyone’s interested in and therefore the supply will run out fast.  Order those first!

 2) Once you’ve checked on those, click on COUPONS at the top.  You can look at them by alphabetical order, or just type in the name of the product.  You will notice several abbreviations around the coupons description.  (See what they mean in the FAQ section.)  DND = “Do Not Double”
DNT = Do Not Triple
9 or 5 = Let’s you know if the barcode starts w/ a 5 (will probably double in a computerized doubling system) or 9 (will not)

3) Interested in tearpads, blinkies, or store coupons that you can never get your hands on?  They have those too!  At the top, where it says Non-SS (= Non Sunday Supplement) you will find random special coupons.  This is one of my favorite parts!

Have you ever wondered how some couponers get REALLY great coupons for products?  Well – I’m here to tell you one way to score amazingly high-value coupons, or even coupons for FREE products just by CONTACTING THE COMPANY.

In fact, just calling a company to say “I LIKE your product – it’s awesome!  Can you send me any coupons for it?” will often get you a surprise in your mailbox.  Here’s how to go about it:

See? Easy as pie! Writing/emailing companies is also a great way to get coupons sent to you -for a long list of companies worth contacting, and their responses, check out the “4-A-Day Campaign”: a series of posts HERE on CouponingtoDisney!

I got a comment today from reader Emily, who was feeling frustrated and confused after coming up short, coupon-wise.  Here’s what she had to say:

“I think I’m missing something – I can’t find several of the listed coupons in the Red Plum or SS circulars. For example – I don’t see the Emerald Nuts coupon from 11/8 SS and there have been several others that aren’t in my circulars.  Help!! I’ve just spent an hour going through coupons and have about 3 things to buy at 2 different stores.”

Emily, I know EXACTLY how you are feeling right now.  When I started out, I would get so excited, only to feel deflated when I realized I didn’t have many of the coupons listed.
The reason for this, is that coupons & inserts vary GREATLY depending on how “Big” your paper is.  The bigger the city you live in, the better your coupons will be.  Always buy the biggest paper around you- to make sure you get the best selection of coupons.

✮ – Order from Ebay or TheCouponClippers the moment you find something you want/need that you don’t have the coupons for.  In most cases, these will get to you within 3-4 days, plenty of time to use them! (If the items are sold out by then, just grab a raincheck!)

 ✮ – Be vigilant at grocery, gas stations, chain stores, etc.. for coupon books, tearpads and blinkies.  (The other day I scored Nesquik & Coke coupons from a tearpad at the Shell station!)
 

✮ – If you have relatives or friends in large cities, ask them if they would mind mailing you their inserts (or, offer to pay them to buy a couple just for you).  My Papaw loves to cut coupons, but doesn’t do much of his own shopping anymore.  He sends me an envelope of coupons once in awhile, and in return, I send him my best brag-receipts!  It gives him a sense of pride to know that his cheap-ness was passed down to someone in the family….

✮ – Find a local coupon-swap group! What others don’t need (baby coupons, pet coupons) you may find to be a Godsend, and vice-versa!! (If you live in Cleveland, go HERE to get updates on a local coupon group!)

✮ – Sign up for all the coupon booklets and mailers you possibly can!  Even samples usually come with coupons.  Plus, who doesn’t like finding a little freebie in their mailbox a couple times a week?

✮ – Last but not least, print out new coupons as soon as they come available- the good coupons go fast, and they’re often high-value!  We’ll try to keep you abreast of all the best new printables, so you don’t miss out!

Emily, I hope that helps a little- and just remember: Deals come and go, and if you miss out on a few this time, there will be more just around the corner!  Between Bi-Lo, Publix, and the others, there is never a long gap in great bargains!