Want To Ride A Coupon Train?

photo by pagedooley

EDIT: Both trains are full! Please do not email to join. I will post again when more trains open up. If you have tons of coupons and would like to be "the conductor" (start & organize) of a train, please email me at frugallivingonline at gmail dot com.

Are you looking for different coupons to increase your savings? Would you like to trade coupons with others, but don't want to leave your home? Join a new Frugal Living NW Coupon Train!

Coupon trains are simply a way of exchanging coupons by mail. An envelope full of coupons (50-70) arrives in the mail, you take the ones you want, replace them with coupons from your stash and send the envelope along to the next person on the train. That's about it.

I am going to set up two trains right now: a beginning train and an advanced train.

The beginning train will consist of 4-6 people who have just started couponing and have primarily Sunday paper and printable coupons. To qualify for this train, you must have been collecting coupons for at least two months.

The advanced train will consist of 4-6 people who have been couponing for at least six months with a hefty supply of coupons consisting of more than just Sunday paper and printable coupons: blinkies, tearpads, rebate forms, home mailers, etc.

General Rules:

1. Expiration Date Rule: Coupons added by a member must not expire within 20 days of mailing. If you mail on November 1, the expiration dates on the coupons you added must be after November 20. You are welcome to add additional coupons with shorter expiration dates.

2. "Golden" Rule: Give coupons that you would like to receive. Add coupons to the mix that others will find valuable -- not just the junky ones you want out of your box. For example, don't add vitamin coupons, as most people don't use them. And don't "gut" the envelope of all the good coupons. If there are multiples of a great coupon, leave some for the next riders.

3. Shipping Rule: The envelope must be mailed from your home within 2 days of receiving it -- you receive it on Monday and send it out no later than Wednesday. If everyone follows this rule, a train with 4-6 people will go through the entire list within about a month. Don't join the train if you don't have the time to send it out in a timely manner.

4. Posting Rule: Each member will receive access to the Frugal Living NW Google Group and will be expected to post when you receive and mail your envelope. This will help the next riders know when to expect their coupons.

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I would like to start both trains this week. If you would like to join the first round, please email me at frugallivingonline at gmail dot com with the following info:

1. Your name
2. Your location (city, state)
3. Beginning or advanced train
4. How long you've been couponing

The first 4-6 people who reply for each train get to ride. We can start more trains if there is interest. I'll update this post when each train is full.

Angela