Free 3 month membership to Pink Palace Museum!

I don't know how often you all travel to Memphis, but I'm pretty excited about this deal! The Pink Palace is offering a FREE 3-month trial (expires August 17, 2009).  With this membership, you receive unlimited visits to the Pink Palace, the Planetarium, and the Lichterman Nature Center. What a sweet deal!  You can't beat free air conditioned entertainment for the summer, and this deal is fabulous for both kids and adults!  Check out the link here.

Hurry-you must sign up by May 31st to participate in the offer!

How do you keep those things organized, anyways?

If you're just beginning couponing, you may be wondering: How on earth do I keep track of all of these little pieces of paper?  I thought the same thing when I began! The best method I have discovered is a coupon notebook, with baseball card holders as inserts (my first card pages were ones that my husband and I found while going through his childhood things).

I organize each page by category (food, cleaning, bathroom, razors, etc).  As you begin to collect more and more coupons, the categories can become more specific.  I've found it's also nice to try to group pages by shopping aisle; it saves you so much time when flipping through your pages!

I do indeed bring my coupon notebook with me to shop, and I wear it proudly-couponing is something to be very proud of, especially when you appear organized.  My first couponing trips I was too scared to bring in my notebook-I thought people would laugh-so I stuffed my coupons into my wallet and hoped for the best. 

My first couponing trip was to CVS in Starkville, MS.  Not only was it a successful trip in that I walked away with two bottles of free All Small and Mighty detergent (I started out small, and worked my way up!), but I also learned an invaluable lesson.  By not bringing my full notebook with me, I wasn't able to price check items that weren't on my shopping list at the time (and therefore, the coupons were not in my wallet).  You should always check clearance prices and have your coupons ready to go-you never know what stellar deals you'll find.  As I was leaving CVS that day I saw another woman with a bulging coupon binder taking her time walking up and down the aisles, comparing prices.  I was so excited to see a fellow couponer-and she proudly displayed her coupons!  And THAT is when I decided that there was no reason not to always have my notebook in tote.

Shopping for groceries, shopping for cashiers

Do you ever have trouble using coupons?  I have occasionally run into this problem at Kroger, and for the most part, the issue has been with their coupon doubling policy.

I have dealt with some cashiers who practically get out the magnifying glass and latex gloves to scrutinize my coupons...or worse....look at me in an exasperated way when I pull out my coupon stack.  For example, I went to Kroger today to purchase Vitamin 10 water (not such a big fan myself, but my husband likes it).  Kroger had Vitamin water on sale for $1/each, and I had five coupons for $0.50 off Vitamin 10 water (making them FREE, with Kroger's coupon doubling policy!)  After having my items scanned, I handed over my coupons.  After scrutinizing my coupons, the cashier informed me would have to talk to her manager about the coupons, because they would make the water free.  (And I thought, "Well, isn't that the point?!") After an extensive conversation with her manager, she half-heartedly agreed to scan them.  (And yes, I did get my five Vitamin 10 waters for free!)

This is why you want a WIZARD cashier-someone who, at least outwardly, looks like they are in a pleasant mood.  It may sound silly, but your cashier can make or break your shopping trip, and I suggest that you scope out the checkout aisles before deciding!  I have yet to leave the grocery store unsuccessful, and you won't either if you choose your cashier wisely!

Later I'll post how manufacturer coupons work and how stores get reimbursed for them.

Square Share

Telling you all about my savings is one thing, but showing you is quite different! Square Share helps me stay organized on my savings, as well!  These pictures will keep you up to date on my savings; I invite you to share your own pictures as well!

Kroger

Total before coupons: $56.14

Total after coupons: $15.63

Savings: $40.51

Wal-Mart

Total before coupons: $63.96

Total after coupons: $37.24

Savings: $26.72

What is all of this lingo, anyway?

Coupon jargon can get very confusing if you're not familiar with the terminology.  So here it goes, Couponing 101...

• B1G1F: buy one get one free
• CAT: catalina coupon (manufacturer coupon printed at the checkout register and triggered by certain purchased items)
• CPN (also, Q): coupon
• OOP: out of pocket expense
• Peelies: sticker coupons you sometimes find on a product in-store
• SP: stock pile...aka get this deal while it's hot!
• UPC: universal product code (black barcode with numbers)

• P&G: Proctor and Gamble
  
• SS: SmartSource coupon
  
• RP: Red Plum coupon
  
• RR: register reward (Walgreen's)
• Wizard: the cashier you want (someone who does not outwardly exhibit signs of a bad mood or grimace when you hand them your extensive stack of coupons)

Sunday 5/17 Coupon Preview

Looks like this Sunday we'll receive 1 P&G, 1 Red Plum, and 2 SmartSource coupon inserts.  Load up on this Sunday's papers (more than just 2 or 3) because next week is Memorial Day weekend, which means no inserts! 

Remember: If you have a subscription to the Sunday paper, you have the option of canceling it for Memorial weekend Sunday (5/23) and getting them to extend one week!

To view the entire list of upcoming coupons, click here