Coupons, How I Love Thee!

As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm a big believer in coupons. Some people have a misconception that coupon clipping is too time-consuming and that coupons are only available for junk food or things you wouldn't normally buy. I'd like to refute those arguments!

• A little time investment can yield big savings. Whether you clip them yourself from the Sunday paper or you go online and order from couponclippers.com (I highly recommend this route!), a few minutes spent can save you lots of money. If you go online, you can order (or print) exactly the coupons you want in about 15 minutes. And they generally arrive in the mail 4 days later. Tips: Search for the brands you like on Coupon Clippers and check out the "sale" section, where they organize all the sales/coupons for different stores. A helpful planning tool! 
• You can buy healthy food with coupons. I regularly buy collard greens and salad with coupons, not to mention soy milk, cage-free eggs, and organic cereal, canned tomatoes and frozen vegetables. I never pay more than $2/box for cereal, including organic and name brands. Tip: You can frequently find coupons from Cascadian Farms and Muir Glen, which are two organic lines that most grocery stores stock (including Walmart). 
• BIG savings happen when you "stack" a coupon with a store sale. Let's say you are buying a Duncan Hines cake mix to make cupcakes for your kid's class because you are a busy mom but you want your kid to have a "homemade" treat to share with his friends. (who could this be?) You go to the Randall's (Safeway in other parts of the country) and lo and behold, that mix is on sale 10 for $10 (frequent promotion). BUT, you have a coupon for 50 cents off said mix AND you happen to be at Randall's, which doubles coupons up to and including 50 cents (triples up to 35 cents). You have just got yourself a free cake mix, people. Get it? It really pays off to match up your coupons with whatever might be on sale that you would use. 
• Randall's rules. In Austin, they are the only store I know that will double/triple coupons as I mentioned in bullet above. Generally, they are incredibly expensive and I can't afford to do all our shopping there. But, there is one very convenient to us and sometimes -- with coupons -- I can save a substantial amount by stopping in and shopping the sales. Tip: Check those store flyers that come in the mail for valuable store coupons, which can be used WITH manufacturer coupons most of the time. Be sure to check your store's policy and any fine print.
• Do you have any coupon tips that I haven't mentioned? Share!