Frequently Asked Questions About Cut Out Hunger

Table of Contents

1. How do I get started?
2. Where can I find the coupons referenced on the Best Deals lists?
3. When do the prices change?
4. How do I save more than 50% on my groceries with this program?
5. How do I  help feed the hungry with this program?
6. How does the Virtual Coupon Organizer help me save money?

How do I get started?

1.  Review the Best Deals list for your state each week. Even if you do not have the coupons from prior weeks, it will give you an idea of the kinds of deals you can expect in future weeks as your coupon supply grows.

Buy the Sunday newspaper each week (an annual subscription makes financial sense) and save each week's entire circular, writing the date on the front.  Keep the circulars in some sort of filing system (lying flat in a box in order of date or hanging in files) and cut out the coupons you need when you make your weekly shopping list with the Best Deals list for your state. You can also cut out the coupons you know you'll use each week and file them in a small coupon organizer for convenience.  Be sure the save the rest of the circular, because in future weeks many items will go on sale that can be free (or almost free) when you use the coupon.  If you don't use that item, you can donate it to charity and help feed the hungry at virtually no cost.

If your store is not listed, or if your state does not have a Best Deals list yet, you can use its Virtual Coupon Organizer to create your own Best Deals list for any store (see specific instructions in question #5 at the bottom of this page).

Be sure to sign up for additional savings programs (like Upromise and the printable coupon sites if your stores accept them) to maximize your savings every week.

Even if you do not use grocery coupons, you can save dramatically on your groceries by using our lists as a planning tool to find sale items and loss leaders (products sold below cost to attract shoppers).

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Where can I find the coupons referenced on the Best Deals lists?

Most of the grocery coupons listed come from the Sunday newspaper.  There are usually two coupon circulars printed on glossy paper.  One says "SmartSource" across the top in red letters, and the other has the word "Valassis" in smaller black letters across the top.  Every circular has the date it came out in small print on the top of the circular's spine (on the side).  When you get the circulars, be sure to write the date on the front to make it easy to find.

There is a column on the Best Deals list that refers to the coupon source.  If there is no coupon for the item (but the item is listed because the sale price is a good value), then it will say "N/A" for "not applicable." 

If there is a coupon for the item, it will show the date the coupon came out in the Sunday newspaper.  It will also say "S" for SmartSource or "V" for Valassis.  This makes it easy to find the coupon you need from the coupon circulars you saved. If your stores accept printable coupons (check with your store manager) then you can check the printable coupon links for free coupons.

If you see "S1" or "S2" next to a date (for example, 8/8) that means there were 2 circulars from that source that week.  Expect that to happen 2 or 3 times a year.

Some weeks there are additional inserts from certain stores or manufacturers.  For example, Procter & Gamble issues a monthly "Brandsaver" circular, and Kroger (and related chains) have special coupon circulars.  Those coupons will be noted with a "P&G" or a "Kgr" after the date.  However, we do not receive these circulars for every state, just Georgia.  Although specific coupon values can vary slightly by market, you can view the Atlanta Coupon Organizer to see the P&G and special circular offers on the day they come out.

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When do the prices change?

Each state's stores change their prices on different days.  Each store list will clearly state the effective price dates.

Cut Out Hunger's priority is to have price changes available in a timely manner, so that shoppers can use this program at least 6 days a week.  Most price lists are updated the morning prices change.  

How do I save more than 50% on my groceries with this program?

The key to saving with this program is consistency and planning.  Get the Sunday newspaper coupons every week and save the entire circular, and take advantage of the Best Deals list every week to save on a wide range of products.  Always check your state's Virtual Coupon Organizer to see all the coupons available. The basic concepts include:

--Plan, plan, plan.  Planning your list before you go to the store will reduce your grocery spending.  Plan your meals using sale items from the weekly list.  That is why our lists show the major meat, chicken and fish sales each week even though they rarely have coupons.  The Kroger list for Georgia shows dozens of unadvertised sale items, a major help in planning.  When you have a plan, you also spend less time in the grocery store.  Studies show that the more time you spend in the store, the more money you spend.  Avoid impulse shopping and never shop when you are hungry.

--Get more than one set of coupons.  Trade coupons with a friend, ask friends and neighbors who throw their coupons away if they would give them to you, buy extra copies of the newspaper when there are many coupons you use that week.  "Charity shoppers" buy good deals for charity every single week along with their family's groceries.  Therefore, many Charity Shoppers have a collection box for grocery coupons at their schools and places of worship.  They are able to buy far more food for charity and save more for their families with coupons that others would throw in the trash anyway.

--Stock up on products you use when they are Best Deals.  When items you use are at low prices, be sure to buy as much as you can.  That way, you never need to pay full price for those items.  Over time, you will have a "stockpile" of several items, and your grocery spending will go down noticeably.  Initially, your spending may be the same as you are stocking up.

--Try being brand flexible.  Consider trying similar brands for products you use when they are on the Best Deals list.  Many store brands are listed as well, and most of them are Unadvertised sale items.  Being able to compare major brands to store brand options before you shop will help you plan and save.

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How do I help feed the hungry with this program?

The reason this site is free to users is to raise awareness of hunger in our community, and show how easy it can be for all of us to help.  If every shopper donated just one item per week to charity, we would feed thousands of people who go hungry every week.  One in five children in our country go to bed or go to school hungry.

We ask you to buy food items and donate them to a local charity of yours.  There are locations listed on the Donating Food page.  You can also find your nearest food pantry by contacting your area food bank through the Second Harvest network of food banks. It is easy to have a box or bin in your home and when it is full, make a trip once every month or so to donate your food.  Most of us have a food pantry within 5 miles of our homes, or you can wait until a food drive.  Places of worship, schools, Scouts and Mail Carriers have annual food drives--there are plenty of convenient ways to give.

This site is not sponsored by any organization.  There are no revenues being generated by your grocery purchases that are donated to hunger organizations.  The way to feed the hungry is to look for items marked "charity!" and buy a few to donate.  Thank you!

How does the Virtual Coupon Organizer save me money?

The Virtual Coupon Organizer is a comprehensive, interactive database of the SmartSource and Valassis coupons that have come out in a state's primary newspaper.  There is no other service like this available to shoppers.

You can use the Virtual Coupon Organizer to create your own Best Deals list at any store you use.  Simply use your store's ad circular, note the sale items you would like to buy, and see if a coupon has been issued in your market for that item.  If so, you can "select" that coupon.  When you are finished selecting coupons, you can print a list of the coupons you need, with the date they were issued, and cut them out. 

Use the Virtual Coupon Organizer to maximize your coupon savings by:

--Check the list each Sunday to see the coupons that have come out that day.  If there are many you would use, you can buy extra copies of the paper that day, or be sure to ask your friends for their coupons that week.

--Check the list each week and sort it by Expiration Date.  You can see which coupons are expiring soon to take advantage of savings on products you use.   No need to search through piles of coupons cut out in an organizer!

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