Coupon 101: Q&A

Hey! And welcome all new readers since the mention on 11Alive. If you are new- go to Couponing 101, go to the very first posts and I will walk you through these processes. The feedback I get from readers from all over the country is how simple the site is, my explanations are easy to read and follow; and I show how I use these great systems plus my own tricks of the trade. I also do product reviews on new products or those that you can get at heavy discount or free.

I got some great questions today from several on southerncouponbelle@comcast.net!
Instead of answering directly- I want to share my answers with everyone.

1. Why are the printable coupons pretty much the same ones over and over?
My answer and I will admit- I'm not an expert on internet printables. I weigh the cost of the ink, the constantly changing policies on them and I normally just rely on other sources. However- IPs do refresh the first of each month on all the sites and yes- they tend to be the same each month. These companies are paying to be on these sites so you are going to typically see the same coupons on the "official" printable coupon sites each month. But it's still worth putting on your Coupon 1st of the Month To Do list to go check these sites out and see what's being offered.

Here's how to possibly get around it. I have mentioned before that if you pay attention to commercials and ads- most companies are offering coupons on their websites for their products.
If there is an item you like, want to try or need- go to the companies' website. If there aren't printables available, sign up for email newsletters, clubs etc and see what is sent to your email. Of course- I will tell you when I find these deals. Another way- call the company. Tell them you LOVE their product, want to tell your friends about it, TRY their product and see if they have coupons available. Most companies do and with the economy plus couponing popular again- I'm sure you could score some great coupons!

2. What is the limit for printing coupons online?
Typically, it is 1 or 2 per IP address. Some sites will allow more but unfortunately there are some people in the coupon game that just can't help themselves and abuse the systems. These people are one of the reasons that IPs can be hard to use and companies are really setting tight policies on them. Great example was the Cottonelle Toilet Paper for free. Print your coupons and if it's a product you need or really like- see if a friend or family member will print more for you. But be fair to everyone- don't use them all at once because the stores get freaky and just remember that if everyone buys 20 packs of TP for FREE a month- the coupon and in this case- the product will go away and everyone loses out.

3. Stacking Coupons- If I have a coupon from SmartSource and one from Red Plum or P&G for the same product... can I use them together on one item? I heard you can use a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon but I don't come across that very often.
Great question and honest... after almost 9 years doing this- you aren't going to find coupons for the same product in multiple inserts. I know it seems like you can but certain companies only advertise in certain inserts. Proctor & Gamble will normally only advertise their products in their monthly insert. What you may find is coupons in different dated inserts but in the same sections like SmartSource or RedPlum. That's the tip I just gave on the blog about using the CouponMOM coupon database to see if you have multiple coupons from different weeks for the same product that hasn't expired yet.

Where can you stack?
Usually the drugstores like Walgreens and combine their rebate book coupons, in-ad coupons plus the manufacturer coupons. Or using the e-load coupons from Kroger or your chain loyalty card and paper coupons.

Keep reading the blog and I will always show you how to stack and get the best deal, staying "legal" and how to save the most each week! Trust me, my simple blog, email for help and I'm here 24/7. Thanks for all the great emails, questions and letting me know how great you are doing!