FREE FOOD: Mock service Friday, September 11th and Saturday, September 12th at the new Sugar Land location.

Stop by from 11-1pm or 5-7pm and help us train our new staff AND eat for free.

One per person please. No call-ins, fax or online orders please.

-Mission Burrito FaceBook Fan Page

I've had an overwhelming number of FreckleTown members asking questions about couponing... how to get started, what do all the abbreviations mean, where to get coupons, how to organize the coupons.

Couponing can be overwhelming but with planning and organization you can be a "Coupon Queen" or "Coupon King" in no time.

Here are some answers to a few of your questions:

Where do you get coupons?

• Sunday's Houston Chronicle- purchase it at the .99 Store (Saturday will have the Early Edition) Go before noon because they often sell out.
• Internet Printables- FreckleTown has grocery coupons. Sign up and then you can print 2 of each as needed (changes monthly)
• Join FaceBook Fan Pages of favorite products or write your favorite company- many companies will give you coupons when you send them kudos
• Trade with friends or become a trader on HotCouponWorld
• HotCouponWorld.com- database of coupons and often there are links to internet printables. A GREAT resource!

How to Organize Your Coupons:

Buy The Couponizer. The Smart Way to Organize Savings It's perfect for organizing all your coupons, shopping lists, member cards (like a Kroger card), and has small scissors. After using many different methods, this is definitely the way to go.

Abbreviations:
OOP- Out of Pocket (final price)
IP- Internet Printable
CAT- coupon printed from the cash register at check out
Tear Pad- coupons found near a product that you can tear off
Peelie- coupon on a product that you peel off
Blinkie- Small machine (normally has a red blinking light) that holds coupons
Insert- coupons found in the newspaper
SS- Smart Source Coupons found in the newspaper
RP- Red Plum coupons found in the newspaper and they have printables as well
P&G- Proctor and Gamble coupons found in the newspaper
BOGO- Buy One Get One Free
MIR- Mail in Rebate
WT- Wine Tag- coupons found on wine bottles (you don't have to buy the wine)
Match-Ups- a list of items on sale and the coupons that go with it
Loadables- coupons that can be loaded onto your Kroger, Randalls or CVS card.
Believe it or not, that's not all. Get a complete list here or here.

How to Get Started:

• Begin by buying the Houston Chronicle at the .99 Store. Buy multiple papers... four is a good number. They recently began a limit of one per customer so take some "helpers" with you.
• Sign up on TaylorTownPreview to see upcoming coupons. If there are some you need, you can buy more papers
• Look at match-ups on HotCouponWorld. The site is free and has lists for almost any store you can think of.
• Use your Couponizer to organize the coupons you want to take with you (it will save you time at the store)
• Don't get discouraged! If your shopping trip does not go as planned, hang in there. It WILL get better!
• Have fun! Walking out of the store having saved up to 75% can be quite invigorating.

Resources:
HotCouponWorld, KatyCouponers and Jane4Girls

Want to know what you can buy this week at Target?

Here is a breakdown of some of the bargains:

• Bananas- .50/lb. print off .50/1 Target Coupon to make them free (about 3 or 4 small bananas will make a pound)= Free
• Intuition Razor- $8.29, use $4/1 Target coupon from 8/30SS and a $4/1 Manuf. coupon 8/23SS= $.29
• Market Pantry Cheese sticks (singles)- .40. Buy 2 and print the $1/2 Target coupon= Free
• Kotex- $2.94. Use $1/1 Target Coupon from 7/26SS and $1/1 manuf. coupon 8/23SS= Free
• Artisan Farm Bread (single loaf)- .99, print the $1/1 Target Coupon= Free
• Cocoa Puffs cereal- $2.29, use $1/1 General Mills cereal Target coupon and $1/1 ip (internet printable)= .29 (you can also take in Walgreen's sales ad and have them price adjust to 1.99, which would make them free. Read more details here)
• Hot Pockets- $1.89, use .50/1 Manuf. coupon and $1/1 Target Coupon (if you received it on a previous purchase-- they normally give you a coupon that prints after your purchase. This is one of those.)= .39

If you want to use more than one-like Target printable coupon, make sure you separate your transactions as the coupon states "only one per transaction". Some cashiers will allow it but if you follow the rules you can avoid the frustration of beeping cash registers.

If you go, leave a comment and let us know how your trip went :-)

Happy Shopping FreckleTown !