LLBean – Order by tomorrow 12/21 at noon ET – Also $10 gift card with $50 purchase!

National Geographic – Unique Gifts and pay standard shipping charges to get your item in time for Christmas if you ORDER TODAY – 12/20!

Best Buy – Check if your products can be picked up at the store for FREE

For last-minute gifts, buy online as late as 3 p.m. local time, December 24, when you use store pickup.

$110 off Philips – Android Connect 16GB MP3 Player – Now $109.99, originally $219.99

Printable coupons. Online coupons.  Grocery coupons.  Buy 1 get 1 free coupons. Double coupons. Triple coupons.  They are everywhere and we love to use them, but, at times, trying to figure them out, or even finding them, can be a little overwhelming.  I’ve been told by some that they don’t use coupons because it’s too complicated. 

My job for the past 4 years has been finding the best deals and coupons out there so, to me, it’s very easy to navigate through the world of coupons both online and in store. To others, it’s like stepping off the plane in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language.  I’ve learned that we all want to save money and one of the biggest ways to save is to use coupons.  So, let’s roll up our sleeves and tackle some of the confusion together so you can start making the most out of your coupons.

Finding Coupons

In order to use a coupon you must have one.  Where to find them?  If you’re looking for grocery coupons you’ll find a large selection in the Sunday paper, in the grocery store (coupon sharing bins by the registers, catalina coupons that are included with your receipt or on store shelves beside products), online coupon sites that provide printable coupons and magazines.

Some people tend to shrug off the coupons that only offer $.025 or $0.50 off.  What’s the big deal right?  Well, let’s do the math.  You’ve got 10 coupons for $0.50 off and another 10 for $0.25.  That’s $7.50 off your grocery total.  If you were to have the same amount of those coupons every week you’d save $30.00 a month which totals to $360.00 a year on groceries.  Visit a grocery store that doubles your coupons and that’s a savings of $720.00 a year.  A store that triples your coupons and now you’re up to $1,080 a year.  Those $0.25 coupons don’t look so shabby now do they?

Locating online coupons for online purchases is much easier.  You can surf over 3500 stores that DealTaker offers or Google search coupons by store name.  Most online stores have coupons.  The most important thing is to check back every few days because coupons often have a high turnover rate.  One of the great features about DealTaker is that you can sign up to receive coupon alerts from each of your favorite stores. When a new coupon is posted you’ll receive an alert in your inbox.

Another way to receive notifications is to sign up for store email newsletters.  I get hundreds of emails a day and over 50% of them have a coupon code for additional savings.  Also, check the catalogs that you receive in the mail.  Stores like Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Oriental Trading, Terrys Village and Lands End will have a coupon within the catalog for you to use either instore or online.

Deciphering Coupons

Okay, you’ve got some coupons.  Now what?  The first thing you need to do for any coupon is read the fine print and, with some, there’s lots of it.  Most fine print will tell you coupon exclusions.  With a lot of online coupons clearance and/or outlet items are excluded along with specific merchandise and brands.  One of the most frustrating things is taking the time to shop, making your selections and THEN discovering that your coupon isn’t valid on those items.  The other things to check for are expiration dates, minimum purchase requirements, brand specific coupons and that you’re shopping at the right store.  Don’t laugh…I’ve done that.

Now…the grocery coupons.  Definitely check the expiration date, but also look for minimum purchase requirements.  Some coupons might say $2.00 off the purchase of 2 or more.  Before using your grocery coupons, call a few grocery stores to see if they offer double or triple coupon days.  This is when you can maximize your coupon savings and sometimes get an item for free.  If you have a $1.00 off coupon for a bag of $2.99 frozen french fries and buy them on a triple coupon day…yep, you guessed right.  Those bag of frozen fries are free…and, we love free.

Other things that you need to know before you shop with grocery coupons are limit restrictions.  Some grocery stores might limit how many coupons you can use for your total order or a specific item.  If you’re shopping at a store that offers double or triple coupon days, some stores won’t allow a coupon to be doubled or tripled if it’s more than $1.00 or the doubled savings can’t be greater than $1.00 or more.

The key to getting the best deal with double coupons is to get an amount off that’s closest to the price of the item.  Some stores won’t allow the amount of a coupon to exceed the price of an item.  Keep in mind too that some items are taxable and figure that into your total price as well.  Like online coupons, there are exclusions to doubling or tripling your coupons.  The most common exclusions are coupons for alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, select brand names, clearance items or travel sizes.

If you are going to use an in-store coupon for apparel, shoes, home goods, etc, it’s just as important to read the fine print.  Last month I had a $10.00 off $20.00 coupon for a clothing store.  I shopped for an hour and selected $25.00 worth of clearance items.  I had 3 shirts and 2 skirts.  What a deal!  All that for $15.00.  Wrong!  The fine print specifically stated that the coupon could not be used on clearance items.  I’ve run into this problem at JC Penney too.  I’ve had a killer coupon and chose merchandise that was on the exclusions.

Using A Coupon & Becoming A Pro

Now you know how and where to find them and you’ve figured out how to decipher them.  Now…you need to use them, save, practice and become a pro!  For step by step guidelines on using online coupons click here.  For you die hard coupon clippers, here is some Coupon Clipping 101 advice.

You don’t have to spend a great deal of time finding and clipping coupons.  A half hour to an hour a week is usually enough.  Take advantage of signing up for store email newsletters and and coupon alerts for your favorite stores on DealTaker.  Doing that will save you a ton of time and you won’t miss those really great coupons that are “one day only.”  Old Navy and Aeropostale are famous for killer coupons that are only valid for a day or two.

If you’re clipping coupons, invest in one of those folder type organizers.  Put tabs at the top to categorize coupons.  It’s helpful to have a slot for coupons that are expiring soon.  Don’t hesitate to call stores to ask about their coupon policies.  Making a trip to a store and finding out after you’ve done your shopping that you can’t use half your coupons is a waste of time and money.

Another thing to remember when planning out your shopping trip is that you’re not the only coupon shopper in town.  You’ll probably have to compete with some extreme couponing peeps.  If you are able to, shop early.  If an item isn’t in stock check to see if the store offers rain checks.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy and you’re going to be saving money left and right.  Challenge yourself to save more money each time you go to the grocery store or start a notebook and tally up your savings with purchases you’ve used coupons for.  Add up how much you’ve saved for a month at a time and you’d be surprised what that total is for a year’s time.  It adds up!

The first handwritten coupon was distributed in 1887 by the Coca Cola Company.  It was to market the tonic and coupons for complimentary beverages were sent to potential customers and printed in magazines.  The Coca Cola Company gave soda fountains free syrup to cover the cost of the free drinks.  It was a brilliant way to market the new tonic and between 1894 and 1913 an estimated total of 8,500,000 free drinks had been redeemed.

In 1998 September was officially deemed as National Coupon Month and, to date, coupon distribution and redemption is at it’s highest.  The results from a recent poll are astounding.  96% of you said that you would still use coupons if you won the lottery.  91% of you would give up purchasing a piece of clothing if it wasn’t on sale.  And, 92% of shoppers are most interested in finding deals and coupons for grocery items.  Those numbers are high!  We are a coupon based society and more than ever people are taking coupon clipping very seriously.

The amount of time that people spend clipping coupons varies.  You have those that spend anywhere up to an hour skimming the coupon pages and cutting out a few.  On the other end of the stick you have extreme coupon enthusiasts who devote a great deal of time to this art.  Their stories usually make headlines.  They are the men and women that can walk out of a grocery store with $300 worth of groceries for under $50.

On average, if you can devote 20 minutes to an hour a week clipping coupons, you could save over $1,000 a year.  You don’t have to be a genius to spend less and get more.

*Grocery stores are always moving prices up and down on products.  Get familiar with the pricing on things that you typically buy and when price changes go into effect.  When the price drops then whip out those coupons.

*Invest in a cheap coupon organizer and use it!  Organize coupons by product and date.  Once a week check for expired coupons and pull out the ones that you are going to use that week to keep up front.  Nothing is more aggravating than having to search for a coupon or realizing the one you want to use is expired.

*Make a list and check it twice.  Plan out your meals for a week or two, make a list to accommodate the menu and pull out any coupons that you’ll use to purchase these items.  If you’re on a budget and sticking to the list is a must, leave the rest of your coupons at home to resist impulse purchases.

*Be selective when you receive a coupon to try a new product.  Often times the price on that particular brand is higher than generic or older brands even when you factor in the savings from the coupon.  Bring a calculator and do the math.

*Although it’s the most popular, the Sunday paper isn’t the only place to find coupons.  The internet is also a great source for printable grocery coupons.  Other places to find stashes are coupon machines on grocery store shelves, the checkout area (I spotted 4 shelves of bins filled with coupons the other day.  It’s a coupon sharing program that our local grocery store offers), the strips of coupons that are included with your receipt and on the pages of your favorite magazine.

*If you’re in the mood to haggle, ask for discounts on products that are damaged or close to expiration dates.  It doesn’t hurt to ask.

*If you’ve got the time, send out emails to various companies to let them know how much you love their product.  Most of the time companies are bombarded by emails filled with complaints.  They love to get letters praising their products and they often will send you an envelope stuffed with coupons for future purchases.  I’ve done this a few times and it’s been a success.

*Clipping coupons can become tiresome.  When these moments hit make it into a game.  Keep track of how much you saved with coupons the week before and try to exceed that.  Make it a challenge to be one of those that walk out of the grocery store paying only $50 for $300 worth of groceries.  With enough practice it’s possible!

I have fond memories of my mom sitting at the kitchen table clipping grocery coupons from newspaper inserts .  That’s how it had to be done back then.  Yes, I’m old enough to say that. Clipping coupons was an art.  There was an intricate process that surrounded this operation of sorts.  It was serious business.  I knew not to disturb her when she was sitting at the table with the mountain of coupons and her grocery list. 

A few decades later (I’m old enough to say that too) people still take couponing seriously.  I think it’s safe to say that couponing will never fall into the dying trend category.  I’ve inherited my mom’s savvy love for coupons.  I’m addicted.  I still do that little jump for joy when I come across one of those jaw dropping coupons.  My excitement that it’s National Coupon Month…you can’t even imagine.  I live in the world of coupons and deals…literally.  It’s my life and my job.

Thanks to modern technology getting your hands (or cursor) on a coupon is a cinch.  It takes only seconds.  The days of spending an entire week cutting out coupons are over.  There are endless ways to get your hands on coupons for just about everything.  Companies know that people are bragging about how much they saved…not how much they’ve spent and they want to be a part of that in a big way.  Curious now?  Want to get your hands on some?

1.  If you’re an online shopper, like myself, there are several ways to get a hold of some online coupons.  You can check DealTaker’s Store Directory to see if your favorite stores are among our growing list of over 2500 stores.  We make it easy to receive the most recent coupons for your favorite stores.  Simply find your store/s, subscribe to that particular store and when a new coupon is posted, you’ll be immediately contacted via email.  You can also sign up for email newsletters on the store site.  Google is another great avenue to travel when searching for coupons.

2.  Online grocery coupons is a growing and popular means to get a hold of some serious savings.   Saving money with printable grocery coupons is simple, it saves you time and it only takes a couple of clicks.  There are also sites like Drugstore.com and Soap.com that have instant coupons that you can apply to your purchase.  There are pages of coupons available for products on their site.  You can purchase anything from laundry soap to band aids.

3.  Keep your eyes peeled in the grocery store.  Just recently, while on vacation, I had put 3 things in my cart that had coupons attached to the product.  Thankfully the checkout clerk noticed them.  I saved almost $10 on my purchase.  You can also take advantage of the coupons in those small pop out machines by certain products or the ones given to you with your receipt.

4.  If you clip coupons, find others that share the same interest and start a coupon train.  It’s simple.  Place your unwanted coupons in a large envelope and send to the next person on the list.  They will go through the coupons, take out the ones they want, add more and send to the next person.  It’s a fun way to get your hands on some valuable coupons.

5.  I used to get irritated when stores like Fashion Bug or Bath and Body Works asked me for my email address.  I no longer frown on that.  They send me coupons via email and regular mail all the time and I use most of them.  Just recently I got one for $10 off a $20 in store purchase.  Give them the information they ask for.  It only takes a minute and it’s well worth it.

6.  Take advantage of coupon books like Entertainment.  They are packed with 50% off and 2 for 1 discount coupons for dining, shopping, services, movie tickets, groceries and more.  The 2012 Entertainment Book is available now and shipping is only $0.99.  Use a few coupons and the book pays for itself.

7.  I used to think my mother’s obsession with reward cards was crazy…up until a few weeks ago when we ate at one of our favorite restaurants.  They handed her a $10 coupon when we left to use the next time she ate there. A week ago she ordered a pizza and got $5 off her order when she gave them her reward card number. These reward cards are great and the points will earn you coupons and free stuff.  All you have to do is present the card when you make a purchase.

Coupons are everywhere!  All you have to do is take a few minutes to search, click, cut, or print and you’re well on your way to saving some cash.  Who doesn’t love to save money.  Happy couponing!

Mex Grocer is your one stop shop for authentic Mexican food, Mexican recipes, snacks, spices & herbs, tortillas, tamales, cookbooks, cooking tips and utensils.  They provide more than 3,000 Mexican and Latin products.

Mex Grocer carries all of your favorites from brands that you love including Aguta Fruta, Beny Dulces Mexicanos, Charras Tostadas, Herdez Mexican Food Products, Japon Cacahuates, Rogelio Bueno Mole, Ricolina and many more.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Mex Grocer is offering 20% off your $35+ order through May 5th with coupon!

For others, like myself, mom lives miles away.  Taking her out to dinner and treating her to a pedicure is not an option.  So…the big question is what do I do?  It’s simple.  I send her a gift card to one of her favorite stores and a bouquet of beautiful flowers from 1-800-Flowers.

Sending flowers can be a little on the expensive side, but with 1-800-Flowers they keep the cost down AND you can save $10 off with at $49.99 DealTaker Exclusive coupon.  You can be assured that only the freshest flowers will be delivered and you can also choose from a huge selection of other gifts including plants, gift baskets and gourmet foods.

For a limited time at Oneida you can scoop up this Sassafras Kids Ice Cream Sundae Kit for only $16.99!  That’s a 66% savings off the original price of $50.00.  Get some ice cream, grab the kids and make some fun and delicious memories.  This deal expires May 4th so hurry!

Don’t forget Mother’s Day is May 8th!  This is the perfect time to snag a restaurant gift card on the cheap!  Impress Mom and save money!

At 1-800-Flowers you’ll find the freshest and most beautiful flowers along with a huge selection of plants, gift baskets and gourmet food.  Whether it’s for a birthday, holiday, anniversary or just because, you’ll find the perfect gift at 1-800-Flowers.

For Mother’s Day you can take advantage of some great savings with Dealtaker Exclusive coupons including $10 off $49!  Gifts start at only $19.99.  Choose from Harry London Spring Chocolate Truffles, Mommy & Me Gift Set or a beautiful bouquet of Tulips.

Stocking up on all your favorites doesn’t have to send you into a money burning tizzy.  Like most Bath & Body Works addicts, I stock up when they have their buy 3 get 3 free sales…AND it’s going on right now for a limited time!  Stock up and save up to $88.50!  Choose from body sprays, lotions and shower gels.  To sweeten the deal you can take an additional 20% off your entire order with a Bath & Body Works online coupon.