Master Couponer vs Newbie

[scissorbill]

Can you guys share with me your tips for becoming a master couponer versus a new couponer? I realized that paying under a dollar for example for Goldfish used to really excite me until I've been on here awhile and the masters get stuff for very little oop and otherwise it's not worth it to them. The one thing I've figured is dedication, it seems like it takes at least a year to develop a good stash of coupons even with most of them expiring in 6 weeks or less. I have some home mailer coupons that were sent to me last year and they are still good and obviously a newbie wouldn't have access to those.

[MrsPinecone]

It just happens slowly. Your buy price drops as you get better.

I suggest that you read ALL of the stickies in the Getting Started forum. Even if you read them already, you pick up more once you have been couponing for a while.

[Macaela25]

Time. Couponing is a skill, and it takes time.

Don't compare yourself to other couponers. You may be spending 50% less than you were six months ago. That in itself is a tremendous accomplishment that most of America would love to do. Why they don't is a whole 'nother thread...

[tmsmalley]

I think that the biggest thing that leads to those .02 OOP's is stockpiling so that you can afford to wait for the super-duper deal, but you also need the realization that everyone is different. For example, last year I was able to stock up on a year's worth of the only toothpaste Mr. Fussy likes for .07 per tube. That does not happen every day. It happened to line up with a sale, store coupon and manf coupon. I happened to have enough coupons to get a year's worth. I don't have stores that double. I don't have the time or inclination to drive all over town for stuff.

I also live with Mr. Fussy and the Fussettes. We do not have a huge amount of flexibility in products or brands at our house. If I could get Captain Crunch for .10 a box, it wouldn't be a deal for me because my kids and hubby won't eat it -yes, I know, what kid won't eat Captain Crunch right? Same with Hamburger Helper, Potato Buds, tuna and a million other things.

Also, I only shop every week/two weeks. I buy a basket full of stuff at a time. If I was going to the store and only getting 3 things, I might have a $1 oop too, but I don't have the time or inclination to shop that way. I won't stand in line and do 6 back to back transactions. If something is super great, I might go to the store twice over the weekend, but that's just as far as I'm willing to go.

So, stop comparing yourself to others. No matter what you're doing, you have to be saving huge amounts of money (I certainly am). It may help you to see that if you go through your receipts and log what the full price of items are versus what you paid.

Tess

[Mothernature]

IMHO, what makes a master coupon user is knowing what you need and find it at the cheapest price.

A master coupon user does not spend oodles of time in stores, fill their homes with items they do not need for minimal profit (doesn't make sense from a time cost perspective anyways), has an idea of the average prices of their family's staples, has a good idea of quantity of their stock pile, and realizes that this situation is unique from person to person. It is not a competition.

[shelleyf]

Originally Posted by Mothernature IMHO, what makes a master coupon user is knowing what you need and find it at the cheapest price. A master coupon user does not spend oodles of time in stores, fill their homes with items they do not need for minimal profit (doesn't make sense from a time cost perspective anyways), has an idea of the average prices of their family's staples, has a good idea of quantity of their stock pile, and realizes that this situation is unique from person to person. It is not a competition.

I totally agree you are so right.

[nicellis0325]

Totally doesn't take a year..Sort your coupons by insert..Don't cut them out. took me a year to figure that out lol....Just keep up on the CVS forum and this is where I have gotten almost my entire stockpile...look at the ads a week ahead of time and collect/trade coupons for the sale...start with a few ecbs and WAllah! Master Couponer :)

[Chellebelle7377]

I like all of your tips. :)

[Theresat]

I agree that when you start out, seems likeyou are spending hours a day even on blogs and clipping and hunting for deals. Then, you get a stockpile and start to relax. WARNING, the first year you probably will not relax. I started "hard core" couponing summer 2008. I had to hit every sale, every deal. Now, I might focus on Walgreens one week and go 4-5 times to stock pile something for the year (this week it was maxi pads). Then I might skip Walgreens for 2 weeks.

Once you get the stockpile built, you can relax. Also, it's like a mental thing..you'll see the coupons and know which ones to clip, order, or trade for. You'll remember summer brings amazing razor deals. You'll know when to buy 20 boxes of x, cause this is the lowest price it will be all year.

I think it's fantastic you are couponing and keep up the great work!