How to Prepare for Checkout With Coupons

So you have gotten all of your items on your shopping list, all of your coupons are ready to go in your hand, and you are getting ready to checkout at your store. Now what? Well first, back up. I mentioned a list, and I think that it is one of the most important parts of shopping.

1. Have a List, and Check it Twice!
You have all of these great deals ready to go in your shopping cart, but you need to make sure that you know what to expect. I have used both excel spreadsheets, and old fast food napkins to write my list on, and as long as you know what you are spending where, it doesn’t really matter which you method you choose. Use this list to get all of the necessary coupons clipped and ready to go. If I use an excel spreadsheet, here is what I like to have:

Store name (as I usually will go to more than one store in completing my shopping), transaction # (if you have multiple transactions), and the name of the items, along with their price and quantity. Also you will want to know what coupons (Q) you are using for each item, how much you are paying for each item out of pocket (OOP), and the final amount that you are paying for that number of items. I also have a section for notes, because as you will learn in a later post, stores will give you store credit, gift cards, and more, when purchasing their product, and I like to make sure that I do not forget that I am waiting for a $5 gift card when I purchase an item. I also use this section to remind me that there is an ibotta offer, or that I will be doing a mail in rebate on the item. The list is really the main place where you can make sure that your transaction(s) will go as planned, so make sure that this information is correct, and your checkout process will be short and sweet.

2. Have All of Your Coupons Ready.

It seems self explanatory, but when I first started couponing, I would get to the register (without a list, of course), and I would not have any coupons ready for the cashier, and I would get very flustered because I could not find some coupons, I did not know how much my total should be, I forgot that I was supposed to have two separate transactions (more on the reason for this in a later post), and I might have been a bit rude. Bottom line is, remember to have all of your coupons ready to go. I have an accordion file (purchased at the Dollar Tree, although I have seen them in the dollar section at Target, and many other locations). In this file, I put all of the coupons that I will redeem at a given store. If I have separate transactions, I will use a paperclip to separate each pile of coupons, and if I am feeling very ambitious, I will label a scrap piece of paper with the transaction number. That means that as soon as I have unloaded all of my groceries onto the conveyor belt, I can open up my file, and pull out pre-organized money coupons to pay for my transaction.

3.  Pick the Right Cashier.

The shortest lane, right? WRONG! I always check out each cashier before I decide on a line. The typically perfect cashier? A 25 year old male. The reason for this is because he is usually so excited to see that this couponing thing is real, that he wants to help you to make it work. I have found them to be more patient (especially helpful when starting couponing), they do not question every single coupon, and if he reads the fine print, he won’t need to stop to put on glasses and stretch his arms out to try to read the size 4 font on the coupons. As a general rule, these cashiers will give you the best couponing experience. I have had some horrible experiences, especially in the beginning, and I have found that they are usually due to the cashier. I am so glad that I stuck with it, even after some of these cashiers, but once you find your “favorite” cashiers to go to, checkout becomes very easy. Also, make sure that you say hello to the cashier, and are nice. There are so few people who are nice anymore, especially to people in a service profession, that a little kindness really goes a long way.

4. The Checkout Process.

The checkout process with coupons, as opposed to without coupons, is very similar, and takes about the same amount of time as a regular shopping trip at the grocery store. Watch the screen as each item is rung up, and make sure that the prices are correct, as well as that you are getting charged for the correct number of items. I like to make sure that on whatever list I am using that I know how much the total will be without coupons, so that I don’t panic at the store as it continues to climb. As soon as the cashier tells you the ginormous total, hand them your coupons. I like to give them all of the like (same type) coupons together, as I have found that this reduces the amount that the coupons will be miscounted, or stuck together, and then not scanned. This usually means 4 at a time, but you can always hand the cashier however many you feel comfortable with giving at time. Remember, each of these coupons is like a dollar bill, and you do not want them counted incorrectly. Once the cashier is done scanning all of your coupons, verify that the amount that you are paying matches your list (your list probably will not factor in tax, so don’t forget that, and look at the subtotal number instead). If it does not, go back and see what went wrong. Were you charged the wrong amount? Did you not get credit for any coupons? Make sure that you pay the correct amount. I have seen many people in line who just decide that it isn’t worth the trouble, and purchase items without the coupons that they forgot at home, or they paid more than the sale price because it rang up incorrectly. Also, make sure that you thank your cashier for their patience.

5. Do a happy dance.
You don’t really have to, but I still get so excited when I finish my shopping that I purchased so much for so little. I also feel a sense of accomplishment and pride that I was able to make this happen, and I hope that you are able to do the same!

I will explain in later posts about separate transactions, as well as how to organize your (hopefully) growing pile of coupons, but for now, take pride in the fact that you can go to the store and have a flawless coupon performance. Don’t forget to do the happy dance!