There are necessary grocery purchases where you have little control over the prices that are posted for the week – such as milk and meat. But you can cut your grocery bill quite a bit by taking advantage of manufacturer grocery coupons on brand name pantry and frozen products.

Many years ago, I assembled and stocked up a coupon box for a young bride. I can’t do that for all of you, but I can explain how it’s done.

1. Subscribe to the home delivery edition of at least one Sunday newspaper. Now, you all know I work as a newspaper reporter. Maybe you didn’t know that I also worked as a newspaper carrier when I was a teen-ager. But regardless of how I have made my living, if you are a smart coupon shopper, you will more than earn the cost of that newspaper subscription back whether you are a weekend-only subscriber or a seven-day subscriber. For coupon shopping reasons, home delivery has an advantage over news stand or vending machine purchases because the advertising inserts are often keyed to specific zip codes or delivery districts.
2. Watching for additional sources of coupons. Your grocery store might issue coupons with cash register receipts. There are Internet sites where you can sign up for printable coupons. If you join a consumer survey organization, the perks often include coupons. Look in your women’s or food magazines for coupons. Some people subscribe to coupon-clipping services. You might live in an area where newspaper circulation districts overlap so you can purchase more than one Sunday paper and therefore get more than packet of coupons. (You may laugh, but my parents get home delivery of three different newspapers.)
3. Swap coupons with friends and relatives. This works really well when you have swappers who get coupons from different sources or are at different stages in their life. For example, I have no need for diaper coupons and baby products. I give those coupons to one of my sisters.
4. Make it part of your weekly routine to clip and sort those grocery coupons. I cut coupons while watching TV. My mother turned clipping coupons into an “extra money” chore for us children by paying 1 cent for any useful coupon. (For example: No payment for dog food coupons, because we didn’t have a dog).
5. Save every coupon for a product or brand that you might purchase during the next few weeks. If you have no use for a product – such as dog food when you don’t have a dog, well, then don’t clip it. But I am not picky about what brand of dryer sheets we use, so I save all available coupons for that product.
6. Get a sturdy box or packet to hold your coupons. The ideal one is large enough to hold your entire stash of coupons, but small enough to sit in a grocery cart’s front compartment, to tuck in your purse or be held by a child who goes shopping with you. My mother used a small shoe box. I use a 4 by 6 index card box.
7. Create dividers for your coupon box. I use index cards. At the top of each divider, write category names that help you find individual coupons quickly when you are at the supermarket. Examples: Baking Supplies, Breakfast, Dairy, Medicine, Paper Products, Refunds. (Yes, I sort my grocery categories alphabetically. My mother sorted her coupons by the rows in her favorite grocery store. Maybe you want to sort by expiration date.)
8. Sort your coupons into the dividers. I find it helpful if I keep identical coupons for the same product together, so I can stock up if prices are really good.
9. Learn what the discount policies are at your area supermarkets. For example: Do you need a shopping card to get the best prices? Will coupon values be doubled at that store and what is the limit? Are there restrictions on how many coupons you can use for multiple purchases of the same product? Are there weekly specials that start on Monday, but competitors who start on Sunday?
10. Read the fliers for all the supermarkets that are close to home or work before you prepare your shopping list. That way, you can change your shopping routine during a week the competition has a better sale. When you see a product in the sales flier that can be matched up with your coupon collection, circle the item on that flier, highlight that item on your shopping list or put it on a separate side of the grocery list so you remember there is a coupon with that product.
11. Do the math on weird pricing structures before you add in the coupon value. I finally taped into the lid of my coupon box a list of common pricing formulas such as 3 for $5, 3 for $7, etc. You may find the per-unit price is still too expensive even with a coupon.
12. Take the entire coupon box with you to the grocery store. Why? You might find a sale that isn’t in the sales flier. This fall, I purchased two jars of brand name peanut butter for 20 cents each on an unadvertised special combined with double coupon. You might also discover that the brand you wanted is sold out and will have to make another choice if you need that product right away.
13. Put the coupons you are using in a designated place when you make the selection, so the coupons are ready to go at checkout time. I stuff my coupons in the front section of my coupon box. You could also use your checkbook folder or a purse pocket.
14. If you find that generic products or another brand without a coupon is cheaper on a particular day, that’s OK! Coupons are a method to save money. Use alternate methods when they work better.
15. During the middle and end of the month, sort through that coupon box and throw out the expired coupons. Most expiration dates fall on the 15^th or 30^th. The clerk will check for expiration dates, so don’t embarrass yourself at the checkout with a coupon that’s no good.