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Have you ever experienced this scenario? You stop by the grocery store on your way home from work because you remember you used the last of the dishwashing liquid that morning, but kick yourself as you pull it off the shelf, knowing you have a coupon at home? Or perhaps you are out running errands with the kids and decide to swing by a fast food restaurant to grab lunch, knowing that you have coupons for discounts at home stuck to your fridge. Coupons don't do you any good if you don't have them when you need them, so here are some tips to make sure they make it from your hands to the cashier's.

Think about where and when you will use coupons for different things. Given the very nature of eating out, you are not going to use restaurant coupons in your house. If you grab dinner on the go on the way to soccer games a lot, or pick up carry out on your way home from work, keep an envelope of restaurant coupons in your glove compartment. If you go out to lunch at work often, keep some in your desk for restaurants that are close to your office. You might even suggest restaurant coupons or gift cards to your boss as a good employee incentive, or see if you can buy gift cards as a group with coworkers to get a discount.

For the grocery store, doing a little planning and shopping with a list will always save you money, including helping to ensure that you get your coupons to the store. After you make your grocery list, pull your coupons, and mark your list, putting a C or other notation next to those items on your list for which you have a coupon. This will help you remember to pull them out of the pile or file box or whatever you take shopping. There are also shopping list software programs that can help do this for you, check out http://aislebyaisle.com for one. Stock up on frequently used consumables like toilet paper, tissues, feminine hygiene products, etc. when they are on sale and when you have coupons for them, not just when you are running low. Just in case though, it might be a good idea to keep an emergency stash of coupons for these items in your glove compartment, too.