Coupon Trains for Beginners

When you see coupons they're not always ones you'd use. If you have a baby, diaper and wipes coupons are probably like gold to you. However people who don't have children would typically walk right past a pampers coupon if they ever saw one in stores.

With Coupon Trains, you keep what you can use and then send the ones you would ever use in an envelope to the next person on the train. If I'm the person before you on the train (still assuming you have a baby), you're thrilled to get so many pampers coupons. When you take out $10 in coupons, you put in $10+ in your coupons, send it to the next person on the list and they then take out coupons you thought were useless but they needed. Make sense?

The best place to get started is the Coupon Train list on smartcanucks.ca. Here's the link:

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/canadian-coupons-trains/

In the title of a train it will say 'looking for riders' or something like that if it hasn't already left the station. Click on the train title, READ the instructions and see if you qualify to board the train. In order to get on most trains, you need a trade rating. The trade rating is a symbol for trust. The best way to get a trade rating is to join trains that say "for newbies" or join trains with NO rating requirement. The best trains to join are ones that say "Traditional Train". As a beginner I would highly suggest not joining Virtual Wishlist Trains (VWT). They are complicated and take up a lot of time.

If you meet all the requirements that the "conductor" (person that is hosting the train) lists than click on 'SendPM' at the bottom of their post. Send them a private message with the train title and your name and address. If you are selected to be on the train they will contact you back. A train takes 6-10 people, they are all written on a list and then the list is mailed with the coupons in an envelope. Once the list is made the train is closed. Some trains have unique requirements (grocery coupons only, must contribute at least one FPC, western providences only, etc.). Make sure you can meet all requirements before asking to join.

Also, conductors will ask for something in return from each rider as a "Thank You" to them for hosting the train, this is called a "Boarding Pass". Typically they request 2 or 3 new postage stamps or a few coupons off their wishlist (which they will include). The envelope you receive will have a plastic ziploc or something similar inside for you to put your "Boarding Pass" in. This may sound complicated, however it usually just takes joining a few to get the hang of it.

Once you receive a train you just follow the instructions. Take out all the coupons you want, add up the total, and put in $ for $, Buy One Get One for Buy One Get One back in the envelope, have it weighed at the post office and sent to the next rider. Many conductors will expect you to post back in the thread when you received the envelope and list how much you took out and how much you put back in (you can always put more in than you took out).

Once the conductor receives the envelope back they will rate each rider with a +1 or -1. This is your trade rating. The more trains you ride successfully, the better your trade rating and the better Coupon Trains you will be able to get on.

 Here is what a typical Traditional Coupon Train post would look like:

This train will contain over $100 in coupons, no TFT, Printed, Internet or insert coupons. All coupons expire on or after March 31st 2012. Train consist of no more then two of each coupon

I will be taking 6 riders plus myself so 7 in total. I will determine the order once I get the riders.

Rules are simple
MUST HAVE A TRADE RATING OVER 10 TO RIDE
*replace $ for $, B?G?,
* please post in thread when received, in's, out's and date mailed
*please replace with April 1 2012 or later expiries
*no more then two of the same coupons, please
*include boarding in the baggie provided.
*please bring envelope to post office within 24 hrs of receiving and get proper postage
*please put the name of the train on the envelope so riders know which train it is
*once you receive train please leave feedback for conductor, i will leave feedback for riders once train returns home

Boarding pass 2 unused postage stamps

If you would like a seat please PM me your address and include train name and post in thread. Thanks

I would be happy to answer any questions anyone has in order to get you started. Happy Riding!