Atlanta coupon sites, here I come
I have a confession to make. Although I’ve always been frugal, I’m not an avid couponer.
But I want to be. I know that if I can save as little as $10 a month on groceries, that’s $120 more a year in my pocket. I’ll probably never be one of the super couponers (see TLC’s Extreme Couponing, below) you see on TV, but I’d like to start saving some cash here and there. I hear it becomes second nature once you get going.
Savings.com sent me this creative “History of Coupons” graphic that I want to share. (I tried to put the image directly on the blog, but it’s huge! Make sure you zoom in to read all the text.) The history, appropriately for Atlanta, begins with Coca-Cola coupons and ends with a futuristic prediction for the year 2030. What do you think couponing will look like in a couple decades?
I signed up for CouponMom.com (whose column also runs in our Deal Spotter print section on Thursdays) for a little help getting started. She has a couple video tutorials that make using the site easier.
Last night on my Target run I had coupons for dish soap and hand soap. Total savings: $3.69. I know, not impressive. But I’m working on it. Plus I was proud of myself for even remembering that I had the coupons.
What coupon sites have you found helpful? What information would you give to someone who has just started couponing? On average, how much could a one-person, two-person or four-person household save?
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
See a great deal I should know about? Email me at ldavidson@ajc.com. You can also follow me on Facebook or on Twitter @atlbargains.
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21 comments Add your comment
juliehking
February 16th, 2011
5:16 am
“Printapons” is a deal-of-the-day website that is localized if a certain number of people sign up for the offer, then the deal becomes available to all; if the predetermined minimum is not met, no one gets the deal that day.
Bekah
February 16th, 2011
7:25 am
My husband and I save on average about $50 a week on groceries. However I have been able to score $100’s worth of groceries for less than $30. I love using the following sites: I Heart Publix, Hip2Save, and Southern Savers.
Kristin
February 16th, 2011
8:12 am
My mom and I are coupon queens! We rarely buy anything at full price and keep our coupons handy. On a recent Target run, I spent $50 after saving $24 with coupons and store promos. As for a helpful site, I really like http://www.southernsavers.com. Even though some of the stores featured aren’t here in Atlanta, it’s still a wealth of information.
Techmom
February 16th, 2011
8:52 am
I like http://www.southernsavers.com and http://www.iheartpublix.com since I’m a Publix-girl. I don’t have time to coupon shop at multiple stores with a full-time job and a family but I’ve found I save tons by stocking up on the items I do normally use at Publix when they are on sale and I have coupons.
AtlantaFan
February 16th, 2011
9:01 am
I’d like to learn more about couponing including the sites that you can buy/request coupons. I am not interested in being “extreme” and hoarding food like those people on TLC, but I have things that I regularly buy and watch the grocery ads for weekly deals. I admit that many times I plan my meals around the weekly grocery deals. It makes no sense to pay full price for most of the staples I uses regularly. I have enough room to store the BOGO deals from Publix or the Buy 10 get $5 off deals from Kroger. Any ideas about getting coupons would be appreciated. As info, I do not get the Sunday paper, but am thinking about it….
P F
February 16th, 2011
9:24 am
The wife does the grocery shopping. (Somehow, E.L.Fudge cookies somehow always made it into the cart when I shopped.) She buys the Sunday paper on Saturday for all of the adds and coupons. We shop at Kroger mostly (we have found over the past year they were trending cheaper than Wally World). Their plus card helps, especially when you add into the 10cents a gallon savings on gas (hint, find a Shell station next to a QT or RacTrac). We have a family of 3 (the kid is an 18 young food vaccum cleaner). Last week, with coupons and the card, she reduced a $135 receipt down to $64. We are set for the week. Once you get started clipping and using, it becomes habit. You just need to keep up with your organizer. The wife has lost 2 over the past 4 years. She now makes sure it is in her purse instead of the seat in the cart at checkout. She holds the record for a $82 savings. Mine is $62. We make it a game.
Craig
February 16th, 2011
9:28 am
The Qpon Qutie can be heard on Kicks 101.5 on the Radio, and her site is http://www.qponqutie.com. An excellent source of all things in the coupon world. She posts a lot of good things that families can do entertainment wise, and always has good updates on what will be upcoming in the Sunday AJC.
CC03
February 16th, 2011
9:38 am
I am trying to use coupons more, too. I have friends that save a lot of money, but it seems a little time consuming to me. But with only one income, it would be worth my time to clip coupons and save some money! I do use the coupons in the Sunday paper and I know several people that use the Southern Savers site that someone mentioned above. I have heard people say that they plan their shopping trips and menus around both the store sales and the coupons in order to save the most money. I figure that any amount I save (even $10 or so) is more money in my pocket.
Kat
February 16th, 2011
9:54 am
Bekah already mentioned my top 3 sites for coupons and match-ups! I have a family of five (including three teenagers) and my weekly expenses for food (which includes pet food, cleaning supplies, health & beauty items, and paper products) is around $80. I normally save at least 50% by combining paper coupons, sales, and e-coupons. And before anyone gets on the “coupons are only for junk food” kick, we eat very lean and healthy. There are tons of coupons out there for organic and fresh foods, you just have to look for them. Even if you are on some kind of special or restricted diet, you can save a ton on cosmetics, cleaners, paper products, etc. @CC03: I have actually calculated how much time I spend preparing and shopping, and for every hour I spend clipping coupons, reading the sales flyers and so forth, I save about $25 to $30. That’s a worthwhile investment for me!
cd
February 16th, 2011
10:09 am
Southern Savers and I Heart Publix are great.
Don’t get caught up on how much you’re saving – worry about how much you’re spending. I could use every single coupon in my stash and “save” hundreds of dollars on things I won’t use. Or I could use a fraction of those coupons, and spend only a fraction of the money, on things we actually will use.
Southern Savers has a great resource – a target price “buy” list, or “stockup” list. Basically, it’s the lowest price you should expect to be able to pay for an item, if you combine a coupon with the lowest sale price (sales run in cycles and are pretty predictable). By knowing that this week’s price of canned soup, for instance, is the rock-bottom price, and by using coupons with the sale to stock up with as much as you’ll need until the next rock-bottom price window . . . you’ll not only never pay full price again, but you’ll almost never have to pay more than the rock-bottom price. It’s all about stockpiling and knowing what the best-possible prices are.
Tuckergirl
February 16th, 2011
10:23 am
Well, you guys know I am a Coupon Freak. Plain and simple. The key is to find a method that works for YOU, to be involved to the point that fits your life and schedule best.
I usually devote an hour to a half hour on Sunday evening plotting my “coupon strategy” for the week. I visit Southern Savers.Com, Iheartpublix.com, iheartkroger.com, couponmom.com and totallytarget.com to see what coupons match up with that week’s sale. Those sites do the work for you so you don’t spend hours figuring it out. These sites also let you know when new Internet coupons are available http://www.coupons.com, http://www.smartsource.com and http://www.redplum.com.
I also organize my coupon inserts by date so that when a date/insert is mentioned on these sites, all I have to do is clip the coupons for that week. I do automatically clip some coupons for things I know I am going to buy. But organizing the inserts by date helps me avoid having to clip every single coupon.
Big tip: Target has coupons on their Web site. You can stack a manufacturer coupon with a Target coupon to increase your savings. You can also stake a manufacturer coupon with a Publix coupon or a Kroger coupon. Both Publix and Kroger double manufacturer coupons up to 50 cents.
This year, I started putting all my receipts on a spread sheet to see how much money we’re managing to save. So far this month, I have spent about $100 at Publix and saved $100. At Rite-Aid, I’ve spent $22 and saved $66. It really does add up!
Lisaem79
February 16th, 2011
10:32 am
I LOVE http://www.hip2save.com. I also use iheartcvs.com. I also just joined http://www.e-mealz.com – it’s $5.00 per month and each week they send you 5 meals/recipes that go along with grocery store sales. So far it’s helped. Couponing takes lots of work and knowing the prices. Items on sale usually go in a 6-8 week rotation so if you have a coupon and can wait then you will get a good deal.
CVS’ing is something to save you a ton of money – it’s great to get that receipt with amount saved on the bottom.
GOOD LUCK
TS
February 16th, 2011
10:35 am
http://www.slickdeals.net/forums
Go to “Drugstore/Supermarket discussion thread”. Regional and National chains have their circulars broken down with coupon match-ups on a weekly basis. Volunteers really keep this thing alive, and I’m partial to the Publix thread.
redhousecat
February 16th, 2011
10:37 am
I think its great that many people are able to save so much with coupons. Sometimes I wish it could work for me. We don’t eat the junk food that many coupons favor. Now, if healthy and sustainable foods would offer the savings that this country needs, we would all be in a better place! lol
Lauren Davidson
February 16th, 2011
12:52 pm
Thanks, everyone, for your input! I took some coupons to the store this week only to decide that I wouldn’t have bought the product without them, so I threw them away.
Tuckergirl
February 16th, 2011
3:46 pm
Good for you, Lauren! I only clip coupons for stuff I know I need (or want to donate to charity) or might just want to try if the deal is good enough with a coupon.
Tweets that mention Atlanta coupon sites, here I come | Atlanta Bargain Hunter -- Topsy.com
February 16th, 2011
6:33 pm
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Kat
February 17th, 2011
4:31 pm
Lauren, did not think “good for you” when I read your last comment. I thought “What a waste!” Two reasons: first, coupons are a great way to try something new without having to pay full price. Second, I often change my mind at the store and decide not to buy something, for any number of reasons…when that happens, I leave the coupon on the shelf for someone who really does want or need that item. I’t like leaving money for the next shopper. Why throw it away when you can pass it on?
Lauren Davidson
February 17th, 2011
4:43 pm
Hi, Kat! My coupons expired that day, and Target was closing as I went through the checkout line. But I’ll keep that in mind for next time. =D
Kat
February 18th, 2011
12:23 pm
OK, you’re off the hook, then! LOL
Tuckergirl
February 18th, 2011
3:27 pm
You can actually put expired coupons to use by sending them to an overseas military base. PXs and Commissaries allow families to use coupons expired up to 6 months. A group like a Girls Scout troop or a church class can often “adopt” a base to send coupons to.
Go to: http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/expiredgrocerycoupons.htm for more information.