Experts offer guidance in coupon world

The seminar, hosted by the Arizona Daily Star, was announced in a recent Sunday edition of the paper. By noon the next day all 140 slots had been filled.

Amber Flores, a hospice nurse and mother of four, says she and her husband began couponing in 2007 but took a break for a few years while they were living in an apartment without room to store a lot of items. They got back into couponing when they moved into a new house last year and now try to save 90 percent on their shopping trips.

Here are a few of Amber Flores' tips for the novice couponer (more are on her website, cutclipsave.com):

Know your store's coupon policy

Being well-versed in what coupons your store will accept and what policies it has about using them is what Flores calls the golden rule of couponing.

Cashiers may not always be familiar with their store's policy, she says, which means the customer may not always get the best deal. Flores prints out the policies of the stores where she shops and carries them with her. "Don't be afraid to pull out your printed policy," she says.

Ad match-ups are your best friend

"It's the easiest way to find out what deals you're going to get," says Flores, referring to the online lists created by coupon dynamos who break down the best deals on products at different stores using various combinations of coupons, store sales and product promotions. All the legwork has been done for you, she says; you just have to find what you want.

To find them, search online for "coupon ad match-ups."

Know the lingo

Not sure what a peelie is or what BOGO means? To brave the coupon waters, you'll have to talk the talk.

"A lot of coupon bloggers all use the same lingo," she says. "When searching for your ad matches and your deals, that lingo is going to be used through it all."

BOGO, by the way, means "by one, get one." For the definition of peelie and other coupon lingo, see the box that accompanies this story.

Start small

Flores encourages newbies to do a coupon test run, a small shopping trip so you can see where items are, learn the store's policies and get comfortable using coupons. "If you're going on a really big trip for your first trip, there are a lot of things that can go really haywire," she says.

Keep an open mind

To save the most money, you have to be open to using products you might not typically buy.

"You have to not be so loyal to certain brands," Flores said. "You're going to have to be flexible in what you will buy. The brand you like might not be on sale or might not be on sale frequently."

Be honest

Use coupons only for what they were intended - don't commit coupon fraud by altering or copying a coupon. And be nice - try not to clear shelves of a certain product.

"We don't want to give couponers a bad name," she says.

Extreme coupon cutter lingo

Devotees of extreme couponing have their own lingo:

• Peelies: Peel-off coupons stuck on products at the grocery store.

• Blinkies: Coupon machines in the grocery store aisles that have blinking lights to grab shoppers' attention.

• Catalinas: A printable coupon handed out with a receipt at check-out.

• Stacking: Using two coupons, one from the store and one from the manufacturer, to get an extra-big discount on a product.

Source: www.fabulesslyfrugal.com