Abe's Grocery Tips
Proven secrets to save you 30% to 50% on your weekly groceries

Grocery Store Coupons

Cut out all the coupons you find. If you don't think you will use the item, cut it out anyway because it may be traded for coupons you will use or it may be a coupon that will ultimately get you the item free. (I will get into that more under 'coupon compounding' later). If you already have a lot of a particular coupon, cut it out anyway. It's a great feeling when an item you use goes on sale and you have ten coupons for it. It is a great time to stock you pantry!

Your Grocery Coupon Box
Your first step is to start collecting coupons and get yourself a way to store these coupons. I use an index card file box, small enough to carry easily but large enough to hold all of the couopons I collect. My coupon box is approximately 3 x 4 x 4. Whatever box you choose, it should be easy to carry and able to sit in the seat of your grocery cart. In the box, place some dividers with tabs on top. I made mine out of very thin cardboard such as filing folders. (My office had SO many extra ones!). You could also purchase files dividers at any office supply store.

Add categories to the tabs. The categories should be easy for you to remember when you are at the store so you can find the needed coupons easily. I am constatnly adding new categories or dividing some into two separate categories. I keep a "triple coupons" and my "coupons for this trip" right in the front. Everything else I have in the order of most frequented store isles. (You could also alphabetize the categories). I try to keep my coupons sorted by expiration date so I can use the ones that will expire first. This is done by adding your newest coupons to the back of the category.

Just as a side note, I try to show courtesy to my fellow shoppers by leaving coupons I know I won't be using on the shelf next to the item for someone that WILL use the item.

These are the categories I currently have in my grocery coupon box...

I also keep a pencil and some scrap paper in the front of my box in case i need to jot down which items are free (see free items) or notes on new ways of saving, items I want coupons for, new categories for my coupon box, which items will need a rain check, etc..

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
Put you name and your phone number on the outside of your coupon box. If you forget it in your grocery cart, you want to make sure it finds its way back to you!

(Read More: Grocery Coupon Compounding)