The art & science of couponing

GET EDUCATED

Couponing has become all the rage with economic pressures and advanced online resources and tools. The first thing to realize is there are two different types of coupons: Manufacturer and store. Manufacturer coupons come from companies such as Kraft and General Mills, and, when you use them, the store gets reimbursed for face value of the coupon. Store coupons are simply those created and distributed by stores, such as Target.

Savvy shopping tip: You can use up to one store coupon and one manufacturer's coupon on each item. Many coupons don't expire for a month or more, so hold onto them until the item goes on sale to slash the price even more!

don't be BRAND LOYAL

Saving money with coupons often means ditching your favorite brands. The good part? You'll always shop name brands because store brands typically don't offer coupons. Only fair-weathered fans may survive in a coupon world, but the payoffs -- er, lack of paying -- are worth it. So you change your shampoo every couple months, but you could save enough money to buy that Coach purse you've been eyeing!

Savvy shopping tip: It's possible to get toiletries and dental hygiene products for free or at heavy discounts at pharmacies, grocery stores and discount retailers with coupons. The best sale price comes up every three to four months, so be prepared. Also look for "peelies" -- coupons located in store aisles.

GET ORGANIZED

According to Megan Banks, an administrative assistant, wife and avid couponer in Arizona, there are three ways to organize your coupons:

1. Binder

Get a three-ring binder and fill it with baseball card sleeves. Separate sections with plastic pocket folder dividers, and file away your clipped coupons by category (dental, frozen foods, meat, dairy, pasta, snacks, condiments). Use a wet-erase marker to write the expiration date on the plastic sleeve for each coupon, and keep store receipts in the divider pockets.

2. Box

This is similar to the binder method, but you use index cards as dividers and file the loose coupons.

3. Bin

Purchase a plastic box that accommodates hanging files with tabs. Assign one letter of the alphabet to each of the 26 files. If you opt to pay CouponSense.com for tracking, they will assign a unique code (for example, "H45") for each coupon to help you locate it in your bin.

Banks has been couponing for several months and says she used to spend $40 to $50 a week at the grocery store. "Now I spend $15 a month for CouponSense, $12 for newspapers and maybe $30 a month on groceries," she comments. Since Banks has stocked up on items, she also has decreased how often she goes to the grocery store and plans meals around the food she has in the pantry

Savvy shopping tip: You can find most coupons in your Sunday paper. Subscribe to an extra issue or two to clip multiple copies of the same coupon. Then, stock up when the item goes on sale so you'll have enough of the product until the next coupon is available.

GREAT RESOURCES

• Becentsable
• Common Sense with Money
• Frugal Coupon Living
• The Bargain Jargon
• I Heart CVS

Savvy shopping tip: Check blogs daily for great deals and track your savings on CouponSense.com. If you have an Android phone, Banks suggests downloading an app that scans your shopper's card for each grocery store and saves the barcode to your phone. Instead of carrying multiple cards, ask the cashier to scan the barcode that's on your phone.

More money-saving tips on SheKnows

5 Planning and budgeting tips for women

5 Rules of saving

10 Tips from the experts on saving and spending ?