Quick Tip!

I have been told that when you first start using coupons in the store it can be a little overwhelming. Especially if you take your kids. I remember feeling this way as well, so I developed a way to make life a little easier. This is what I do.

When I plan on going to the store, I usually have at least 2 or 3 transactions I plan on doing. If you had no way of organizing this mess you would have a hand full of coupons, and your work cut out for you when you got to the register.

I separate my transactions into Ziploc baggies. I take a strip of masking tap, stick it on the front with a number.( I use the masking tape so that I can reuse my baggies if I need to change the number.) I give every DIFFERENT transaction their own number. So lets say I am going to do 3 transactions. I would number them 1-3.

In each bag I put all the coupons I will need for that transaction. On my shopping list I give each transaction the same corresponding number.
So when I put my groceries on the belt with the separator bars in between, I also set my little baggie sets with each separator purchase. No thinking or hassle necessary. The checker knows which set of coupons go with what. Easy...

OK there is one more detail to this system. It's not completely necessary for the system to still function, but I like it this way personally. I hope I haven't lost you yet.
Let's say I am planning on doing 5 transactions at Albertson's.
I am using doubler coupons (for an explanation of doubler's look to my past blogs) so I must do multiple transactions to get the same products for free, just over and over.
The first 3 transactions are IDENTICAL. I number Identical transactions the same. So my numbering system on my baggies for this set of transactions at Albertson's will be...
1,1,1,2,3. Because it doesn't matter which one comes first, they are exactly the same.

So in conclusion, I like this system because when you get to the store you just put your items in the cart, put them on the belt with the separator sticks, and their baggies on top. The checker does the rest. Woo Hoo!