Couponing 101 – How to Videos

Posted by My Coupon Expert on April 10, 2016 at 3:30 pm

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If you are new to couponing, check out our videos below to help you get started!  We will be adding more videos as we go along so check back often and subscribe to our YouTube channel too!!

 

NEWBIE VIDEO:  Where to find coupons

How to use a B1G1 Free coupon with a BOGO Sale

How to stack a STORE COUPON with a MFG COUPON

 

 

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Make sure you check in on our facebook fan page or our facebook chat page or on our Instagram Page to say hi and hang out with all of your coupon freak friends! We are having a blast over there!

 

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Caroline’s Coupon Tips: How to use a B1G1 Free coupon with a BOGO Sale

Posted by My Coupon Expert on January 15, 2016 at 1:28 am

All posts may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content. Please see Full Disclosure Policy for more information.


Caroline’s Coupon Tips:
Using a B1G1 Free coupon on a B1G1 Free Sale… how does that work??

how does it work B1G1 free

This was one of the hardest things for me to wrap my brain around when I first started couponing.  In Florida, if you have a Buy One Get One Free sale and a B1G1 free coupon you get BOTH items for free!!

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:

“True BOGO” states are those that ring up one item at full price and the second item free on a buy one get one free sale. Florida is a true BOGO state but some other states are not. If you are not in a true BOGO state, each item will ring up half price.

When you are in a “true BOGO” state and you have a B1G1 free coupon, you will get both items free.

**EXAMPLE: Cheese is on sale BOGO – $1.00**
Item #1 will ring up for $1.00, Item #2 will ring up ZERO. When you present your B1G1 free coupon, it will take off the price of ONE item which is $1.00 so you will get BOTH FREE!

In states that are NOT “true BOGO” and you have a B1G1 free coupon with a B1G1 free sale, you will pay half price. This is what it looks like:

**EXAMPLE: Cheese is on sale BOGO – $1.00**
Item #1 will ring up for $.50 and Item #2 will ring up for $.50. When you present your B1G1 free coupon, it will take off the price of ONE of those items ($.50) so you will pay a total of $.50 and get two items.

 

Click here to download a FREE printable Cheat Sheet to help you out at the store!!

Coupon Cheat Sheet Printable JPEG

Thanks to the girls over at FabulessLife for the chart inspiration!

I hope this helps! I will post additional tips including using a B1G1 free coupon with a B2G1 free sale later!!

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Filed Under: Coupon Tips, Newbie Information Tagged With: ,


Caroline’s Coupon Tips – Acronyms and Abbreviations

Posted by My Coupon Expert on January 15, 2016 at 12:03 am

All posts may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content. Please see Full Disclosure Policy for more information.


 

coupon tips

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS – What do they stand for???

When you first start couponing, you will notice that most coupon blogs or experienced couponers use abbreviations often.   It is easier to just type out the abbreviation for frequently used terms so everyone does it.  However, if you are new, it is very confusing to try to figure out what OOP, SS, RP, BOGO stands for.  It took me a couple of months to realize that OOP was “Out of Pocket”, I had a few different ideas that I made up in my head, but it was nice to finally figure out what it actually meant.   This cheat sheet will give you a quick rundown of most of the acronyms and abbreviations that you will see on this website and most other coupon websites.

 

BOGO & B1G1 or B1G2 = Buy one Get one free (or two free)

IP = Internet Printable Coupon

ISO =  Couponer term for In Search Of (when trading coupons)

FLIP = Food Lion Internet Printable

GM – General Mills Insert

MFR = Manufacturers

OOP = Out of Pocket

OYNO = On your next order

P&G = Proctor and Gamble Insert

PQ = Publix Coupon

Q = Coupon

RP = Red Plum Insert

SS = Smart Source Insert

SQ = Store Coupon

TQ = Target Coupon

WT = Wine Tag or Hang Tag (hangs over neck of product)

WYB = When you Buy

UFT = Up for trade

DIFFERENT TYPES OF COUPONS

You will notice that we refer to various different types of coupons in our matchups.
Here is  basic description of those coupons:

Blinkies:

Pull these coupons from the “blinking” machines at grocery stores. Blinking boxes are found hanging off the shelf in front of various products.

Coupon Booklet:

These are booklets usually found in a particular store that will have either manufacturers coupons or store coupons or even a combination of both.  We will usually reference which store the booklet was found.   Coupon booklets can be found in different areas of the store and are usually found on a cardboard display.   At times customer service will keep the booklets behind the counter so always ask.

Peelies:

Coupons found attached to a product. You have to peel them off the product.  If you look closely there is usually an arrow on one corner where you can pull the coupon off the sticky material attached to the product.

Tear pads:

Pads of coupons typically found in front of specific products like cookies, crackers and snacks.  These are usually high value coupons so when you see them, grab them!

Hang Tags or Wine Tags:

This is a coupon that is hanging over the neck of the product.  You will find both manufacturers coupons and store coupons.

Advantage Flyers:

Advantage Flyers are slick sales flyers that a store will put out to advertise certain products that are on sale and coupons that they want to get out to the consumer.   Publix will have two different advantage flyers per month, a health & beauty and a grocery advantage.  You will usually find these at the front of the store near the regular sales ads.

That’s it for today!  Join me each week as I discuss different topics regarding couponing!  If you have a particular question or would like for me to address a specific topic, please message me and  I will add it to my schedule.

 

In the meantime, join us on our Facebook Fan page, or our Facebook Chat Page, we are all here for each other and would be glad to answer any questions that you might have.  Everyone is great and helps each other so join in on the fun!

Filed Under: Coupon Tips, Newbie Information Tagged With: , ,



A BIG Welcome to all of our new coupon friends!

Posted by My Coupon Expert on January 14, 2015 at 10:49 pm

All posts may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content. Please see Full Disclosure Policy for more information.



welcome smiley


I want to personally welcome all of the new Coupon Freaks to our website and give you a few tips that will help you get started quickly!

I know it seems overwhelming at first, but while you are all pumped up and ready to start saving big, now is the time to join in on some of the fun!  We have a GREAT support system in place on our facebook fan Page and on our CHAT PAGE.  We are on our page every day to answer questions and help you get started.  The best part is that you will make some awesome new friends on our page too!  Many have taken our class in the past and are more than glad to share their knowledge or jump right in if you have a question.  They are an AMAZING group of  “Coupon Freaks” which is why our facebook page is one of the most active coupon pages out there!

*You will also notice that we have some MyCouponExpert Helpers on our page as well.  These are some of our more advanced couponers who jump in to share deals answer questions or post links to great deals. 

You will find the STORE MATCHUPS by clicking on the buttons at the top of this page under Publix, Grocery Store Deals and so forth.

ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW SO YOU NEVER MISS A DEAL!

There are a few articles on our blog that I think you will find useful.  You can always come back to this blog post to check them out later when you have questions:

  • CLICK HERE to read about Organizing Your Coupons
  • CLICK HERE for information about store programs to sign up for
  • CLICK HERE for Coupon Tips and other useful information
  • CLICK HERE for a list of Acronyms and Abbreviations
  • CLICK HERE for information on Swagbucks and how you can get FREE stuff from Amazon and other places!



IMPORTANT LINKS AND SITES


As I mentioned in class, below are some of the coupon printing sites that we spoke of as well as other important links to bookmark:

The majority of printable coupons will come from this site, you will frequent it regularly and I will post some of the best coupons when they pop up.  You always want to print your coupons before the end of the month since they reset at midnight on the last day of the month:

 

The MyCouponExpert.com COUPON DATABASE

We have our own Database!  You will want to bookmark this page for SURE.  If you are looking for a particular coupon or wondering if one is available for your favorite product, just key it into our database and all coupons out there will pop up including printable coupons!  You will love it!

Click below to check out our database:

 

coupon database MCE final

 

SWAGBUCKS!!

This is the site that I mentioned about where you earn ‘bucks’ for surfing the internet just like you always do.  I wrote a blog post about it here if you would like to read more.  Now is the time to start building up your bucks to buy amazon cards for free Christmas Presents!  Jump on board, you will love it!


SIGN UP FOR PUBLIX PROGRAMS!

This is one of the most important things for you to do right away.  Make sure that you sign up for all Publix rewards / specialty programs.  Below is a list of the one’s that you definitely will want to check out:

Publix Pet Club– Register now to receive tips, valuable coupons and advance notice of special events


Publix Baby Club – recieve money saving coupons (including free items) ranging from baby needs to fresh fruit and veggies. Also parenting and other books and info.

Publix Preschool Pals – specific program for children between the ages of 2 and 4.  Receive activity books, information, B-day cards and other items.

Publix Family Style Magazine – These magazines are the same as offered in store however the ones you
receive in the mail typically extra pages of coupons
attached.

Publix Greenwise Market Magazine – This magazine is on the Publix Greenwise and organic
products and meats. You can also find this magazine in store minus the
extra pages of coupon inserts

While you’re at it, don’t forget about these too:

Winn-Dixie Programs:

Winn Dixie Customer Reward Card – Your Customer Reward Card allows you to get instant discounts on hundreds of items, specially marked through the store. And, you can still use manufacturers’ coupons.  They also print $$ off coupons sometimes too.

Winn-Dixie Baby Club – Receive awesome coupons (including freebies) and perks for purchasing items in the store.  Great program and a MUST for couponers.

Winn-Dixie Fuel Perks Program:  Not available in all areas yet but a great program to sign up for where you will save $ on gas by making purchases at Winn-Dixie.

Winn-Dixie Upromise program: Get 1% to 5% back when you buy any participating Upromise grocery items.
Simply register your Winn-Dixie Customer Reward Card and start saving
for college every time you shop at Winn-Dixie!

Save-A-Lot email club:
Smart Shopper Club:
Sign up and receive a $5.00/$25.00 coupon just for signing up!  Receive
special coupon notifications and sales from Save-A-Lot via email.


CVS Extra Care Bucks Program:

Register your CVS Extra Care Card
online or sign up for a new one.  Great program to maximize your
savings and you will get a $4.00/$20.00 coupon when you register your
email and link it to your extra care card!


Take it easy when you first get started and try to pace yourself
I always suggest that you start out by selecting a few of the cheap or free items that require printable coupons or coupons from the inserts this Sunday and go to one or two deals just to get a feel for it.  Once you see how it works with a couple of small deals it will all click and you will see the big picture!  Its so much fun!

Remember, hop on over to our facebook chat page and join in on the fun.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions or jump in on a conversation.  Everyone is really awesome on our page and we LOVE new coupon friends!

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Filed Under: Coupon Tips, Newbie Information Tagged With: , , , , , ,


This is about a LOT more than coupons… here is my story, what’s yours?

Posted by My Coupon Expert on January 8, 2015 at 5:00 pm

All posts may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content. Please see Full Disclosure Policy for more information.


inspire hope

 

My husband and I owned a mortgage company when the real estate market crashed.  Our mission for many years was to “Inspire and Help Families in our community to own their own home”.  We kept our business small and worked directly with our local community rather than reaching out to other markets because that is where our heart has always been.

In our area, a large percentage of employment was directly related to the real estate industry, most people were either in the construction field or some form of real estate since we were just coming out of a period of rapid growth in our area.   Many of us (including me and my family) went from working long hours with regular paychecks to having absolutely no work and no income coming in.  Since I was self employed, I did not have the option of unemployment, but even for those that did, it wasn’t anywhere near what they were making prior to the market crashing.  Families were REALLY struggling to make ends meet and keep food on the table.  It was the worst that I have ever seen the economy and for a time it appeared that there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

My step daughter and her husband had just adopted two little girls and both had recently taken a substantial pay cut, my best friend who worked for a local developer took a major cut in her pay as well.   We were all struggling BIG TIME.  I had heard of this lady that bought $200 in groceries and only paid $20 after coupons and although it seemed impossible to be real, we decided to investigate this and figure out HOW to do this!

We dug deep into the resources online, called corporate offices of the local grocery stores to totally familiarize ourselves with their coupon policies and how to use coupons effectively to maximize our savings.  Together we researched how to coupon extensively and had our deals carefully planned.  We were BEYOND nervous to try it out since we were all flat broke at the time and if the coupons weren’t accepted it would be extremely embarrassing.   On our first shopping trip with coupons my step daughter Erica was able to buy $236 worth of groceries for $12.36 out of pocket and I purchased $210 worth of groceries for a little over $20.00!   We could NOT believe it!  Very quickly we were able to fill our pantries and freezers and it became very clear that we could also help others at the same time.  We went from feeling like we didn’t have enough to having more than enough and even enough to share with others that were struggling too.   We had a renewed hop to our step and a feeling of hope and excitement which we hadn’t felt for months.   At the time, we knew of NO ONE in our area that was couponing on this level.

I felt inspired to show others how to save money for their families and starting telling anyone who would listen.  Since this was so new and the coupon craze hadn’t hit the nation in full force yet, people had no idea what I was talking about.  After encouragement from a close friend to hold a class, we set up a makeshift meeting room in a vacant building using lawn chairs for seating and put out word that I would be teaching people how to coupon.   We had 21 people show up at the first class and mid way through the class two ladies began crying when it “clicked” and they realized that it WAS possible to do this and that they felt that  they would be able to afford groceries to feed their families.   It was at that moment that I realized that this was about A LOT MORE than coupons, it was about inspiring hope, encouraging others to persevere and also to create a community of those that can then reach out and help others once they were in a position to do so.

Our original meeting place could only hold 25 people, we were holding classes three times per week at our small little meeting place and couldn’t keep up with the number of people wanting to learn.   I was approached by a local church to hold a class for their congregation to help them learn to coupon for their families but also to fill their church pantries so that they could help families in need as well.   We expected a crowd of approximately 50 and had over 100 show up!  Within three days two grocery carts full of groceries were brought to their church pantry by those that had taken the class and were donating to stock the pantry!  That class led me to teaching at other Churches and schools in the area in an effort to fill up the local pantries and teach others how to help families that were struggling.

Left and right people jumped on board to walk along side of me, a teacher wanted a class for her friends, a weight watchers coach wanted to spread the word to those at her meetings,  a mommy group leader wanted to teach new mothers how to save on baby items, a local home for unwed teen mothers wanted to teach the young ladies skills to succeed and things began to flow.  Before I knew it, we had crowds of over 200 at our classes held at churches, I was traveling throughout Florida and people were pumped up, getting deals for their families and GENEROUSLY sharing with those in need, it was incredible and inspiring!

Early on I knew that it was necessary to create some form of support for everyone once they learned how to coupon so I created MyCouponExpert.com.  The site was a place that I could post easy to understand breakdowns on how to do each deal, where to find the coupons and exactly what to do to make it super easy.  Once that was up and running we needed an area that we could communicate with one another, ask questions, cheer for each others deals and inspire each other to make a difference in our community where so many were hurting financially.    That is how our facebook page and chat page started.  It grew rapidly as a place that we could all unite and work together!  As people gained knowledge and experience they would then help those coming up behind them who were just learning and this AMAZING community of giving people emerged!   Time and time again, people whom I had never met in person would step up and offer to help, jump in when someone needed help or to explain a deal, together we were making a difference and it was FUN!  Since we were all in the same boat financially, we all felt the same inspiration to help others that needed help too and united together to make a difference.  It has been nothing short of one of the most surreal experiences of my life, I am still in awe at the incredible giving spirits of so many and have seen that in ALL OF US, we have the deep rooted desire to help each other.   I have seen people come to the page with very little food in their homes and depressed who are uplifted by others and encouraged that it will get better, taught little by little how to save with coupons and before I know it, that same person is on the page pumped up and helping someone else.  It is amazing to watch and an honor to be a part of.

So here we are nearly seven years later and MyCouponExpert.com has grown by leaps and bounds.  We have people from many others states in our group and the excitement level each day on our facebook chat page is off the chain!  Our page is one of the most positive and uplifting coupon pages on the internet and I am approached regularly by large bloggers asking me how I keep the page so positive and drama free.  I have found that when people unite with a similar goal in mind and are encouraged to then share that knowledge with others and make a difference in their corner of the world people will naturally step up and do it without hesitation!   I am SO thankful for each and every one of you, together we CAN make a difference!

It truly is about a LOT more than just coupons.  Thank you all for being a part of it :)

Come on over to our facebook chat page or check out our facebook fan page and join in on the fun if you haven’t already.  I would love to hear about your story and when you started couponing.  How did you find MyCouponExpert?  Let’s talk!

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Filed Under: Coupon Tips, Inspirational Ideas Tagged With:


Coupon Organization System Review and BIG GIVEAWAY!! You will LOVE this!!!

Posted by My Coupon Expert on August 11, 2013 at 3:00 pm

All posts may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content. Please see Full Disclosure Policy for more information.


 

 

my coupon keeper logo

OH EM GEEEEE!!! I have been BURSTING AT THE SEAMS wanting to tell you about the new coupon organization system that I have been using, but we were waiting for their new shipment to arrive before I could tell you about it since they were completely sold out!

I LOVE My Coupon Keeper box!  So far, it has been the easiest system that I have used!!

As many of you know, I have used the binder system and the filing system (you can read about those methods here) and I am constantly looking for ways to make things easier and keep my coupons tidy around the house.  The newest trend is the coupon box method and honestly, I can see how this really does make a difference!  I was looking for the most convenient and ready to go system on the market and I found this with the My Coupon Keeper System!   The last time that I mentioned this system was when I was thinking about trying it out myself.  We were discussing it on our coupon chat page  and within an hour or so they sold COMPLETELY out!  If you are thinking about switching to the box method for organizing your coupons, this is the one that I personally recommend.

You can also get 10% off your order by using the coupon code MyCouponExpert (all one word) at check out here.

NOTE:  After inquiring about their product, the awesome people over at My Coupon Keeper sent me one of their Deluxe Systems to try free of charge to allow me to properly review the product and let you all know what I thought about their product.   I did not receive any other compensation for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own (Melissa & Ellie’s thoughts are below as well). 

Let me show you what the My Coupon Keeper system looks like and how it works:

deluxe system

My Coupon Keeper  is basically a box that holds all of your coupons.

Before you let your mind go nuts about how you can make your own and the ins and outs of switching to the box method, let me tell you what it comes with and how to use it.   To me, this system has been carefully thought out and the designer took into consideration pretty much every detail that we as couponers would be looking for.

The box holds up to 1800 coupons, so there is plenty of room to store all of your coupons.  I personally get SIX sets of coupon inserts per week so I needed something big enough to hold all of my coupons.  I like to keep my stuff as organized as possible because it will drive me NUTS if I have coupons everywhere.   This system helps me do that and has cleaned up a LOT of space in my house where coupon inserts used to be.

Here is how it works:

Each week, I gather my inserts and lay each page out stacking like pages on top of one another, so there will be SIX of each page in each pile.   I then STAPLE each coupon (still on the sheets), I have stapled the in the middle of each coupon but find it easier to staple closer to the top of each coupon.  Then I simply CLIP each set out while they are all stapled together.

What I will end up with are stacks of six of the exact same coupons already stapled together.

Once they are clipped, I will simply plop it right into the box behind the category that it goes.  Simple! They wont slip away from each other or shimmy and fold and will look neat and tidy.  This eliminates several steps if you are using the binder method currently.  Here is a photo of what it looks like set up as I am putting a batch of coupons in their place.

coupon keeper 2

The system comes with a shopping folder for organization too!

When I am making my shopping list, I will simply go to that category and pull out an already stapled stack of the coupons that I plan to use.  I then take those coupons and put them with my list on the LEFT SIDE of the purse size folder that is included with the Deluxe System.  Once I locate the item in the store, I pull off however many coupons I will be using and move the coupons over to the RIGHT SIDE of the folder and put the rest of them (still stapled) back into my box!  This is so simple and clean!  In the past I had issues with pulling coupons that I planned on using, not finding the item in the store and ended up not putting my coupons back into my binder and having a  big mess.  This completely eliminates that problem.

This is a visual of how you would use the system:

how coupon box works

What the My Coupon Keeper Deluxe system comes with:

The deluxe box is super durable and is divided into two parts, it comes with 48 PVC grade dividers / coupon guides and 55 pre-printed category labels.  It also comes with THREE purse folders that you will move your coupons to when you are shopping before checking out (see photo below).  The deluxe system also comes with reuseable grocery bag so you could carry your system in if you choose (more about that later).    I like how it comes completely ready to go with a full system idea so we don’t have to even think about it.  You get the box, put your labels that they give you on the cards, clip your coupons, put them in the box and go shopping!  That is my kind of system!  It is HANDS DOWN the easiest system to transition into if you are currently doing the binder or file method of coupon organization.  I LOVE IT!

How to carry your coupon box around:

The entire system is really designed to have everything set up where you make your list, pull your coupons, put them in the folder and go shopping.  However, I personally like to take ALL of my coupons with me when I shop just in case an unexpected deal pops up.  I know that most of you do too, so I want to talk about some options.  The box is very transportable as it comes since it has a lock down top and is easy to manage.   The Deluxe System comes with a reuseable grocery bag which you could also use to carry your box around, however, I found the grocery bag to be a little too tall and not quite as manageable as I would like.  I had a tote at my house that my box fit into perfectly that I have been using since I got my box.  I have been looking around for something really special since my coupon binder was like my baby and my coupon keeper has turned out to be my new and improved baby.  After looking around, I have decided that I am ordering a sweet 31 utility tote from a friend of mine who is a 31 consultant.  I think that it will work perfect with the huge pockets on the sides.  This is the bag that I will be ordering and of course I will put “Ima Coupon Freak” on the outside as my embroidery choice 🙂

organizer tote

 

If you are interested in purchasing a My Coupon Keeper system you have a couple of options, the regular and the deluxe, you can check them both out by clicking here.  Remember, they sold out SUPER FAST the last time we were talking about this, so if you want to grab one now is the time.   If you decide to buy now you can use the coupon code MyCouponExpert (all one word) to get 10% off your order!!

**GIVEAWAY ENTRIES CLOSED**

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

 

snap its giveaway time

I was SUPER STOKED when the girls over at My Coupon Keeper told me that they were allowing me to do a GIVEAWAY of ONE MyCouponKeeper Deluxe System!  You will definitely want to enter this contest for SURE!!!

TO ENTER:

My Coupon Keeper is giving away (1) MyCouponKeeper Deluxe System to (1) Lucky Reader! The giveaway ends on 8/11/13 at midnight EST and is open to US residents ages 18+.

To enter this giveaway:

Visit My Coupon Keeper and come back here to comment and tell us your favorite feature.

For bonus methods of entry:

Like My Coupon Keeper and MyCouponExpert on facebook.  Make a comment that you did.

Follow My Coupon Keeper and MyCouponExpert on twitter.  Make a comment that you did.

“Like” this post! Make a comment that you did.

Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook (CLICK SHARE under the post on our facebook page) and then come back and let us know that you did.

Come Back Daily and say “I want to organize my coupons” in the COMMENT SECTION of this post on our website for a Daily Method of Entry!


You do not have to be a fan of MyCouponExpert on Facebook to enter this giveaway. This promotion is in NO way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. The information is being collected by MyCouponExpert (for giveaway only) and not by Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by MyCouponExpert and MyCouponKeeper and no comments on Facebook will count as method of entry.

 

I can’t wait to hear how much you LOVE your MyCouponKeeper if you decide to order too!!  Remember that you can get 10% off your order by using the discount code MyCouponExpert at checkout when you order from here.

 

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

 

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CLICK READ MORE (below) to check out Melissa and Ellie’s reviews also!!!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: ALERTS and SUPER DEALS, Coupon Tips, Organizing your coupons Tagged With: , , , ,