We all need to eat, to buy food for sustenance.  We also need to purchase non-consumables such as toothpaste and clothing.  Couponing may work for one person but not for another.  

In essence, it is a time verses money equation.  If you have the time, you can spend it by searching for and using coupons.  If you do not have the time for coupons, then you end up spending a bit more money for your groceries.  But what is couponing really all about?

According to the Coupon Divas, there are nine different types of coupons and where to find them:

1. Manufacturer’s Coupons: Usually found in the coupon excerpts in a newspaper or in your mailbox on Wednesdays.
2. Catalina’s: These are handed to you when you are at the checkout of your grocery store, when your receipt is handed to you.
3. Store Coupons: These coupons would be found in (usually) Wednesday newspapers if the store has an advertisement insert.  Or they can be found within the newspaper itself as part of an advertisement.
4. Blinkies: These are also found on the shelves of your grocery store.  They are usually a black box that has a red blinking light which holds manufacturers coupons for products in the area where they are found.
5. Peelies: These are manufacturer’s coupons that are affixed directly to products.  You peel them off of the product and use them when you checkout.
6. Hangtags: Usually manufacturer’s coupons (though stores could potentially use them, too) which offer either an amount or percentage off of that product and/or offer a free product if you purchase the one with the hangtag on it.
7. eCoupons: These coupons are found online and are usually associated a store’s loyalty cards.  You download the coupon to your loyalty card and use them when you go to that specific store.
8. Internet Coupons: These are also found online and can either be store-specific or manufacturer’s coupons that you print from your computer and take to the store.
9. Tearpads:  These are found near products the store while they are trying to get you to purchase particular products while giving you a price break.  Watch for them as they also may work at some competitor’s store if they accept coupons from competitors. A word of warning regarding stores that accept a competitor’s coupons.  A major (unnamed) discount store will accept competitor’s coupons but only those found in newspapers and not the ones a competitive store offer via tearpads.  Always check with a store’s policies before planning to use your competitor’s coupons at any particular store.
   
   

Now that you know most of the ways to find coupons, then what?  Let’s talk about coupon usage:

• Extreme Couponing: There are a number of online and offline groups who practice extreme couponing.  They collect every single manufacturer’s (and sometimes their local store’s) coupons.  Then they organize them in some type of folio to be used when planning a shopping excursion.  For offline groups, they may have weekly or monthly get-togethers where they exchange coupons back and forth with others who may need the products that someone else has coupons for.  Offline groups may also bring their products that they obtained for the price of the sales tax to meetings and barter with others to exchange products that they will actually use.  All of this couponing takes a tremendous amount of time to get to the level known as extreme couponing.
• Weekly Couponing: This is usually an individual or two who plans their shopping around the coupons they have.  For instance, they have made a list from various stores’ coupons from their newspapers and visit each store where the coupons and/or prices can bring them the most rewards.  Then they may also have some manufacturer’s coupons and they carry them to the stores, making sure to find the best-priced items that will bring added savings with their coupon. 
• Shopping Couponing: This is more of a casual coupon user.  They do not go out of their way to obtain coupons but they will use them, in whatever form they are offered at their stores, if they want/need those products.

There are also variations of any of the three types of coupon users, as well.  It’s up to you, and your budget, which way using coupons would work best for your income and expenses, time and money.