When our son was just a couple months old I signed up for UPromise. It's very easy to do and after the initial sign up, it's a very "low maintenance" way to save money. In 5 years we have accumulated a little over $1000.00 in his account. That's a lot of change for basically doing nothing. To read in detail about UPromise and all of the wonderful offers they have go here.
When you sign up you link all of your shopping cards and credit cards to your account. When you make purchases on qualifying products or with participating merchants using those cards you earn cash back into your account. UPromise also offers electronic coupons you can load to your shopping cards and when you purchase those particular products, the value of the coupon is deposited in your account.
You can invite family or friends to join and help you save even more - grandparents love doing things like this!
Even if you don't have children you can still join UPromise. You can save toward your own education if you are a student, you can pay off student loans with the earnings, or you can just put it in a savings account. UPromise allows you to withdraw money at anytime, you just have to fill out a form and request a check, no strings attached.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Swiffer
Have you tried any of the Swiffer products? I have several of the Swiffer line of products in my cleaning closet, and they are great for quick clean ups. The real reason why I really love Swiffer products is because my 5 year old son loves them. He thinks they are great when he gets to help me clean, he actually WANTS to help! He loves the duster and he even has his own Swiffer Sweeper Vac. I replaced his toy vacuume with the Swiffer when his toy vacuume broke and he thinks it's the best. Since he takes ownership of it, he loves getting it out after meal time to quickly pick up any crumbs that may have fallen from the table. I just love how it's teaching him responsibility and to clean up after himself!
I was able to purchase all of my Swiffer products with coupons from the Home Made Simple coupon book mentioned here. Swiffer has a great money back guarantee going on now through 6/30/2010. If you purchase one of the participating products and find that you do not like it for ANY (and I stress ANY) reason, you can submit the receipt and UPC within 30 days for a full refund of your purchase price (if you used coupons to purchase the item, they will not deduct the coupons from the purchase price when refunding your money). The form does not even ask you to explain what you don't like about the product. To read more about this guarantee and download the form for submission go here. There's also a link to printable coupons for Swiffer products there too.
If the cost of the refills for the Swiffer products is what is keeping you from making a purchase, you might want to think again. At the last K-mart double coupon sale I was able to get quite a few bottles of refill solution and different cleaning pads for all my Swiffer products really cheap. Here's a great article from MoneySavingMadness.com on other ways to make owning and using Swiffer products affordable. I haven't tried any of these suggestions yet, but when I run out of pads and solutions I will be giving it a whirl!
I was able to purchase all of my Swiffer products with coupons from the Home Made Simple coupon book mentioned here. Swiffer has a great money back guarantee going on now through 6/30/2010. If you purchase one of the participating products and find that you do not like it for ANY (and I stress ANY) reason, you can submit the receipt and UPC within 30 days for a full refund of your purchase price (if you used coupons to purchase the item, they will not deduct the coupons from the purchase price when refunding your money). The form does not even ask you to explain what you don't like about the product. To read more about this guarantee and download the form for submission go here. There's also a link to printable coupons for Swiffer products there too.
If the cost of the refills for the Swiffer products is what is keeping you from making a purchase, you might want to think again. At the last K-mart double coupon sale I was able to get quite a few bottles of refill solution and different cleaning pads for all my Swiffer products really cheap. Here's a great article from MoneySavingMadness.com on other ways to make owning and using Swiffer products affordable. I haven't tried any of these suggestions yet, but when I run out of pads and solutions I will be giving it a whirl!
Getting Started: Double Coupons
Some stores run double coupon promotions or regularly double coupons up to a certain value. This is another reason why it's important to know your store's coupon policy. The store that you shop at may regularly double coupons that you are not aware of. Locally, we have Kroger (Hilander) and Schnucks (Logli) affiliate stores that both double coupons up to .55 daily, it's their policy. I do know that Kroger's double coupon policy varies by region so it may be different where you live.
K-mart also runs a double coupon promotion about every 6-8 weeks or so. K-mart's double coupon promotions are like a sale, they usually run Sunday through the following Saturday. They double coupons up to $2.00, which means a $2.00 off coupon instantly becomes $4.00 off at the register. They do not allow overage at the double coupon sale, so if the item price is less than the coupon doubled, they will only take off the full value of the coupon and double up to the item's price. The K-mart doubles sale was my favorite as a new coupon shopper because it was easy to do and I could build up my stockpile very quickly in a short amount of time. When doubling up to $2.00, a lot of items become free. Sometimes there are limits on how many coupons per day each shopper can double, sometimes your total has to be a certain amount before coupons ($25), and the rules change each time. You have to read the small print of the ad. I have even seen where they only double coupons on certain manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble. The double coupon sale is usually advertised in K-mart's sale flyer, but if you read any of the money saving blogs, you will know ahead of time so you can prepare. K-mart is not having another double coupon sale until 2010.
K-mart also runs a double coupon promotion about every 6-8 weeks or so. K-mart's double coupon promotions are like a sale, they usually run Sunday through the following Saturday. They double coupons up to $2.00, which means a $2.00 off coupon instantly becomes $4.00 off at the register. They do not allow overage at the double coupon sale, so if the item price is less than the coupon doubled, they will only take off the full value of the coupon and double up to the item's price. The K-mart doubles sale was my favorite as a new coupon shopper because it was easy to do and I could build up my stockpile very quickly in a short amount of time. When doubling up to $2.00, a lot of items become free. Sometimes there are limits on how many coupons per day each shopper can double, sometimes your total has to be a certain amount before coupons ($25), and the rules change each time. You have to read the small print of the ad. I have even seen where they only double coupons on certain manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble. The double coupon sale is usually advertised in K-mart's sale flyer, but if you read any of the money saving blogs, you will know ahead of time so you can prepare. K-mart is not having another double coupon sale until 2010.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Getting Started: Hang-tags/Wine-tags
Hang-tags or wine-tags are a great source for coupons. They are just as their name states - they hang on bottles, usually liquor of some kind, and more often than not, they hang on wine bottles. They are manufacturer coupons, sometimes on a specific product or sometimes as a general dollar amount off a category, such as "$1.00 off fresh produce" or "$4.00 off ground coffee". There are even rebates for certain items on hang-tags, for example "$3.00 off any whole turkey". A lot of the more serious couponers use hang-tags, I didn't learn about them until I had been couponing for quite a long time. They are a hot item to get your hands on.
With hang-tags, one would assume that you have to purchase the bottle of liquor that the coupon is hanging on in order to obtain it. In the state that I live in, Illinois, it is illegal to make a customer purchase alcohol to use these coupons and it usually states it right on the coupon. It usually says something like "No Wine Purchase Necessary" or in the fine print on the back it excludes IL as having to purchase alcohol by wording something like "No wine purchase necessary in IL". So, while at first you may feel a bit uncomfortable cruising the aisles of the liquor department collecting coupons from bottles, it's perfectly legal to take them. If a cashier tries to tell you that you have to purchase the wine/liquor in order to use the coupon, you can politely point out that in IL there's no restrictions for alcohol purchase.
Next time you are shopping at a store with a liquor department, stroll down the aisle and see what you find!
With hang-tags, one would assume that you have to purchase the bottle of liquor that the coupon is hanging on in order to obtain it. In the state that I live in, Illinois, it is illegal to make a customer purchase alcohol to use these coupons and it usually states it right on the coupon. It usually says something like "No Wine Purchase Necessary" or in the fine print on the back it excludes IL as having to purchase alcohol by wording something like "No wine purchase necessary in IL". So, while at first you may feel a bit uncomfortable cruising the aisles of the liquor department collecting coupons from bottles, it's perfectly legal to take them. If a cashier tries to tell you that you have to purchase the wine/liquor in order to use the coupon, you can politely point out that in IL there's no restrictions for alcohol purchase.
Next time you are shopping at a store with a liquor department, stroll down the aisle and see what you find!
Getting Started: Returns & Refunds
It's OK to return or exchange items that you bought with coupons. Coupons are essentially just like cash - only with an expiration date. When you return an item that you used a coupon to pay for, if the store cannot return your coupon to you, then they should refund the face value of the coupon in cash to you. If the store does not refund the value of the coupon to you in cash, they are profiting from your return. They have submitted the coupon to the manufacturer for that item, and will get reimbursed the face value plus .08-.12 for that coupon. Make sure you are credited correctly when making a return or exchange.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Getting Started: Holidays
Some weeks you will notice that there are no coupon inserts in the Sunday paper and that's because of a holiday schedule that the manufacturers follow with coupon inserts. There will be NO inserts the weeks of major holidays. To see a list of the inserts and when there will or won't be coupon inserts go to Coupon Tom and click on "Insert Schedule" up on the top navagation bar. If you purchase your newpapers at a retail outlet just for the coupon inserts, you want to be aware of this schedule so you don't purchase papers when you don't need them. If you have a subscription delivered to your house and only get it for the coupon inserts, you could call and put a vacation hold on your paper for that week so that you are not paying for papers that you don't need.
Home Made Simple Coupon Book
You can sign up with Procter & Gamble for a great coupon book. The booklet is called "Refresh Your Nest for Less" and has over $35 in great coupons. You can sign up to receive this booklet here. This booklet contains coupons for household products like Dawn, Swiffer, Cascade, Mr. Clean, Febreeze, etc. The great thing about this booklet is that several weeks after you receive your booklet in the mail, you can sign up again and they will send you ANOTHER book. Keep checking it every so often and when it lets you request another book, make sure that you do.
Getting Started: Store Coupon Policy & Cashiers
It's a good idea to be familiar with the store's coupon policy when you are shopping. Coupon policies can usually be found on the store's website or you can go to the "contact us" section of the store's website and send them an e-mail asking for their policy. They will usually e-mail it back to you. I keep copies of the store's coupon policies that I shop at in the front section of my coupon binder so I can refer to it while I am out shopping if I need to.
Sometimes a cashier will try to deny your use of coupons and you can refer back to the store's policy if you have it with you. Some cashiers can be really picky about coupon useage and will try to tell you that you can't use certain coupons for certain items. A lot of the time the cashiers just aren't trained properly on coupons, some don't even know their store policy on coupon useage. If you know the policy, you can (politely) give them the information they need to understand that what you are trying to do is within the store's coupon policy.
It's always a good idea to be as polite as possible with cashiers, you don't want to be labeled as a rude couponer or even worse, a fraudulent couponer. If you cannot convince them that what you are trying to do is right according to their policy, just let it go, there's no sense in extensive arguing because even though you might miss out on this deal, there's always another deal right around the corner - possibly a better one for the same item. It's OK to question their decision and even ask for a Customer Service Manager, but don't be too harsh. If it's a store that you shop frequently at, you want to have a good relationship with them. Trust me, they do remember you, cashiers and store staff talk. Just today the store manager at my Walgreens store addressed me by my name, and I was shocked because I never told him my name, but the other staff there knows me and I know that they all talk! I have a wonderful relationship with my Walgreens store staff and I would not risk that for one little coupon issue, I don't want to be embarrassed going into a store because I am rude or try to use coupons that I shouldn't. In looking at the big picture, it's better to just let it go.
Sometimes cashiers act as if the money is coming out of their own pockets. You can politely remind them that the store actually MAKES money accepting coupons. Maufacturer's pay the stores an additional .08-.12 for each coupon they submit. The store gets the full value of the coupon, plus that extra "handling" fee. I know it can be hard to be nice to someone who is being rude to you, but just "kill them with kindness"! It's the right thing to do to take the high road.
When stores submit coupons to manufacturers for reimbursement, the coupons all go into a big box, bag or envelope and get sent to a clearinghouse. They do not get sorted, matched to receipts or audited. A cashier may tell you differently, but it's a good thing to know when they are trying to tell you about fraudulent coupon use.
Sometimes a cashier will try to deny your use of coupons and you can refer back to the store's policy if you have it with you. Some cashiers can be really picky about coupon useage and will try to tell you that you can't use certain coupons for certain items. A lot of the time the cashiers just aren't trained properly on coupons, some don't even know their store policy on coupon useage. If you know the policy, you can (politely) give them the information they need to understand that what you are trying to do is within the store's coupon policy.
It's always a good idea to be as polite as possible with cashiers, you don't want to be labeled as a rude couponer or even worse, a fraudulent couponer. If you cannot convince them that what you are trying to do is right according to their policy, just let it go, there's no sense in extensive arguing because even though you might miss out on this deal, there's always another deal right around the corner - possibly a better one for the same item. It's OK to question their decision and even ask for a Customer Service Manager, but don't be too harsh. If it's a store that you shop frequently at, you want to have a good relationship with them. Trust me, they do remember you, cashiers and store staff talk. Just today the store manager at my Walgreens store addressed me by my name, and I was shocked because I never told him my name, but the other staff there knows me and I know that they all talk! I have a wonderful relationship with my Walgreens store staff and I would not risk that for one little coupon issue, I don't want to be embarrassed going into a store because I am rude or try to use coupons that I shouldn't. In looking at the big picture, it's better to just let it go.
Sometimes cashiers act as if the money is coming out of their own pockets. You can politely remind them that the store actually MAKES money accepting coupons. Maufacturer's pay the stores an additional .08-.12 for each coupon they submit. The store gets the full value of the coupon, plus that extra "handling" fee. I know it can be hard to be nice to someone who is being rude to you, but just "kill them with kindness"! It's the right thing to do to take the high road.
When stores submit coupons to manufacturers for reimbursement, the coupons all go into a big box, bag or envelope and get sent to a clearinghouse. They do not get sorted, matched to receipts or audited. A cashier may tell you differently, but it's a good thing to know when they are trying to tell you about fraudulent coupon use.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Getting Started: Buying & Trading Coupons
If you find yourself needing more coupons than what you have access to, there are a couple more options you have to expand your coupon stash.
ecoupons.com is a great place to trade coupons and it only costs the price of two stamps. How it works is really very easy. You go to the website here and sign up, then you mail them 25 coupons that you aren't going to use along with a self addressed, stamped envelope. Once they receive them, they will credit your account with one order credit. You can then sign on and choose 25 coupons from their list. I have used ecoupons.com for quite awhile and it works really well, when a great sale is coming up I can stock up on coupons of items that my family uses. I try to have several credits on file so that if I see some really good coupons I can order what I need without having to wait for more credits to arrive in my account. They are located in New Jersey so it does take a couple days for the coupons to arrive in the mail.
Trading with friends is a great way to get more coupons that you need, and there are coupon swaps forming at a lot of local libraries.
You can purchase coupons for pennies on the dollar at places like The Coupon Clippers, which is a clipping service. There are several different services like these out there, but I am not familiar with any of them because I have never used them.
Ebay is another place to buy coupons. Sellers are varied and I have never used Ebay for a source for coupons either so I am not familiar with their pricing.
ecoupons.com is a great place to trade coupons and it only costs the price of two stamps. How it works is really very easy. You go to the website here and sign up, then you mail them 25 coupons that you aren't going to use along with a self addressed, stamped envelope. Once they receive them, they will credit your account with one order credit. You can then sign on and choose 25 coupons from their list. I have used ecoupons.com for quite awhile and it works really well, when a great sale is coming up I can stock up on coupons of items that my family uses. I try to have several credits on file so that if I see some really good coupons I can order what I need without having to wait for more credits to arrive in my account. They are located in New Jersey so it does take a couple days for the coupons to arrive in the mail.
Trading with friends is a great way to get more coupons that you need, and there are coupon swaps forming at a lot of local libraries.
You can purchase coupons for pennies on the dollar at places like The Coupon Clippers, which is a clipping service. There are several different services like these out there, but I am not familiar with any of them because I have never used them.
Ebay is another place to buy coupons. Sellers are varied and I have never used Ebay for a source for coupons either so I am not familiar with their pricing.
Getting Started: Coupon Lookup
Need to find coupons to match up to your grocery list or sale flyer? Head over to Coupon Tom and search for it. You can also find a link to Coupon Tom on the sidebar to the right.
Coupon Tom tells you exactly which flyer to find your coupons in. Type in a brand name or just the item and a list will show where all the relevant coupons can be clipped. It will give a date and the abbreviation for the insert. It also lists an expiration date so you know how soon you have to use it. You can also find some internet printables on Coupon Tom.
Coupon Tom tells you exactly which flyer to find your coupons in. Type in a brand name or just the item and a list will show where all the relevant coupons can be clipped. It will give a date and the abbreviation for the insert. It also lists an expiration date so you know how soon you have to use it. You can also find some internet printables on Coupon Tom.
Pssst
Pssst is a General Mills Company and if you sign up here you can get samples, offers and great coupons. Just recently, I received two full size meals from Pssst, along with some great, high value coupons. I received one Macaroni Grill meal and one Wanchai Ferry meal to cook for my family and then give a review. Head on over and sign up to start getting free samples and coupons!
VocalPoint
VocalPoint is a Procter & Gamble company that sends out samples and REALLY good coupons. You can go here to read more about it and sign up. They just ask that you periodically give feedback on the products they send you. Some of the samples are small, travel size items but sometimes they send you full size products to try. Just recently I received the new Olay ProX wrinkle reducing cream in a full size bottle with several high value ($10) coupons. They send you several coupons in hopes that you will pass them out to friends and family.
Getting Started: Coupon Organization
There's no right or wrong way to organize your coupons. You have to use whichever method is right for you. If you are just starting out you may find it easy to just use an envelope, but if you have been doing this awhile you many need something bigger. Here are some ideas for organization:
I started out using envelopes with paper clips, and then moved up to the coupon organizer, but these didn't seem to work for me. I had too many coupons and they were taking over my purse - my purse had become a coupon bag and nothing more.
I switched to the 3 ring binder method of organizing and I LOVE it! A friend of mine (Thanks, Dawn!) suggested trying it and I am so glad that she did. I was able to find one for .99 and it's a really nice one. It has a zipper and a zippered pouch on the outside where I store my lists. It has an accordian type area where I keep copies of store coupon policies and extra coupon books that I find at the store. It also has a zippered section where I carry a pair of scissors and pens. I found a free zippered pencil pouch that I put in there to hold some coupons if I need to set them aside for any reason. I have divided it in sections by products. I used file folders to make the dividers for the sections. My coupons are kept in plastic pages that can be purchased at any hobby store or office supply store. I use the baseball card size pages for smaller coupons and then I found some pages that hold 4X6 photos that I store larger coupons and internet printed coupons. Here's a couple photos of my organizer so you can get an idea of what I am trying to explain here:
Snacks, crackers, cookies
Cereals, granola bars
Sauces, spreads, canned items
Breads, pasta, rices, spices
Dairy, yogurt, frozen produce
Meats, frozen pizza
Toothpaste, brushes, mouthwash
Razors, shave cream
Personal hygeine items
Baby
Hair care, body wash, soap, deodorant, medicine, first aid, Q-tips, make-up
Office supplies, school supplies
Cleaning, laundry, paper products, bug control
Pets
Toys, games
- envelope - use a plain letter envelope to store your coupons. You may want to have one envelope for food and grocery items and one for personal care, toiletries, pet items, etc. Keep like coupons together with paper clips so you can easily flip through them as you make your way through the store.
- coupon organizer - these are a little larger and have divided sections for keeping like coupons together. They usually have some sort of clasp to keep them closed.
- empty check book cover - if you aren't going to carry a lot of coupons with you, ask at your bank for an extra check book cover and use that to carry your coupons in.
- 3 ring binder - method is for those who carry a lot of coupons with and like to be organized at the store. Try to find a zippered one so if it gets turned on it's side you won't loose everything tucked inside.
- box - you can use some sort of box to store, sort and carry your coupons in. I have seen shoe boxes used, large recipe boxes and plastic containers with lids.
I started out using envelopes with paper clips, and then moved up to the coupon organizer, but these didn't seem to work for me. I had too many coupons and they were taking over my purse - my purse had become a coupon bag and nothing more.
I switched to the 3 ring binder method of organizing and I LOVE it! A friend of mine (Thanks, Dawn!) suggested trying it and I am so glad that she did. I was able to find one for .99 and it's a really nice one. It has a zipper and a zippered pouch on the outside where I store my lists. It has an accordian type area where I keep copies of store coupon policies and extra coupon books that I find at the store. It also has a zippered section where I carry a pair of scissors and pens. I found a free zippered pencil pouch that I put in there to hold some coupons if I need to set them aside for any reason. I have divided it in sections by products. I used file folders to make the dividers for the sections. My coupons are kept in plastic pages that can be purchased at any hobby store or office supply store. I use the baseball card size pages for smaller coupons and then I found some pages that hold 4X6 photos that I store larger coupons and internet printed coupons. Here's a couple photos of my organizer so you can get an idea of what I am trying to explain here:
I organized it so that when it sits in the seat of the cart I can flip through the pages and see each coupon and it's information (exp date, value, size, etc).
My divided sections are as follows:
Stores - this is where I keep store specific coupons
Hang-tags/Wine-tags
BeveragesSnacks, crackers, cookies
Cereals, granola bars
Sauces, spreads, canned items
Breads, pasta, rices, spices
Dairy, yogurt, frozen produce
Meats, frozen pizza
Toothpaste, brushes, mouthwash
Razors, shave cream
Personal hygeine items
Baby
Hair care, body wash, soap, deodorant, medicine, first aid, Q-tips, make-up
Office supplies, school supplies
Cleaning, laundry, paper products, bug control
Pets
Toys, games
Making the switch over to this method was a little time consuming, but well worth it. The time that I spend setting it up has helped me save time everytime I file coupons or go shopping. If you are going to be serious about coupons (and why wouldn't you?) and use them as a regular part of your shopping trips I highly recommend the binder method for organization. Remember, you aren't clipping all the coupons that you get, you are only putting coupons in your binder that you KNOW you are going to use.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Getting Started: Overage and Making Money with coupons
When couponing, overage can happen - and it's a wonderful thing! Overage is when your coupons total more than the item's price. Overage is a gift, not a right - shoppers are not entitled to overage. Some stores allow overage, some don't. Some stores/cashiers don't even realize its happening when completing your transaction. The most important thing to remember when shopping and expecting overage is to make sure you have items in your cart to use up your overage in your transaction because a cashier will never give you money out of the register when your balance is negative! You don't want to be scrambling at the register to throw in packs of gum and candy bars to get you out of the negative. Use up the overage on things that you need or don't have coupons for.
The best way to get overage when using store and manufactuer coupons is to hand over the manufacturer coupons first. Store coupons take the amount off each individual item resulting in the value being lowered. Manufacturer coupons come off the total value of the complete sale and therefore won't effect the price of individual items.
Another way to make money with transactions is when you get Catalina coupons (also called Register Rewards @ Walgreens) at the register. These are usually coupons for a certain value off your next shopping trip. I will go into more detail on Catalinas and Register Rewards later.
The best way to get overage when using store and manufactuer coupons is to hand over the manufacturer coupons first. Store coupons take the amount off each individual item resulting in the value being lowered. Manufacturer coupons come off the total value of the complete sale and therefore won't effect the price of individual items.
Another way to make money with transactions is when you get Catalina coupons (also called Register Rewards @ Walgreens) at the register. These are usually coupons for a certain value off your next shopping trip. I will go into more detail on Catalinas and Register Rewards later.
Getting Started: Taxes
Taxes are a sure thing, even in the world of couponing. Uncle Sam never misses out on his share of the pie. You always have to pay tax on your items, even if they are free after coupons. Sometimes your overage will cover the tax, which is a bonus. Technically, stores are not supposed to charge you tax on items that you use a FREE coupon on (where the coupon states a FREE item, no purchase necessary), but they usually do.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Getting Started: Coupon Lingo and Abbreviations
There's quite a few abbreviations that you will need to be familiar with.
These will be used when referring to finding coupons. Each of these are an insert that comes in the Sunday papers. Dating your inserts is very helpful in finding coupons.
RP ~ Red Plum
SS ~ Smart Source
PG ~ Procter & Gamble
GM ~ General Mills
KL ~ Kellog's
U ~ Unilever
General couponing abbreviations:
B1G1 or B1G1F ~ Buy One, Get One Free
AY ~ All You magazine
Wags ~ Walgreen's
RR ~ register reward
AC ~ after coupons
OOP ~ out of pocket
WYB ~ when you buy
MIR ~ mail in rebate
CRT ~ cash register tape coupon (prints out right on your receipt)
YMMV ~ your mileage may vary (your store may or may not allow your coupon or transaction)
$1/2 ~ $1 off of two items
2/$6 ~ two items for $6
MM ~ money maker
OYNO ~ on your next order (or purchase)
Q ~ Coupon
Cat ~ Catalina coupon
NWPN ~ no wine purchase necessary
These will be used when referring to finding coupons. Each of these are an insert that comes in the Sunday papers. Dating your inserts is very helpful in finding coupons.
RP ~ Red Plum
SS ~ Smart Source
PG ~ Procter & Gamble
GM ~ General Mills
KL ~ Kellog's
U ~ Unilever
General couponing abbreviations:
B1G1 or B1G1F ~ Buy One, Get One Free
AY ~ All You magazine
Wags ~ Walgreen's
RR ~ register reward
AC ~ after coupons
OOP ~ out of pocket
WYB ~ when you buy
MIR ~ mail in rebate
CRT ~ cash register tape coupon (prints out right on your receipt)
YMMV ~ your mileage may vary (your store may or may not allow your coupon or transaction)
$1/2 ~ $1 off of two items
2/$6 ~ two items for $6
MM ~ money maker
OYNO ~ on your next order (or purchase)
Q ~ Coupon
Cat ~ Catalina coupon
NWPN ~ no wine purchase necessary
Getting Started: Using Coupons
Here are some general tips on using coupons:
- Don't think that you have to use the really great coupons right away. Hold onto them, they usually don't expire for a bit and sometimes the sales that come along a couple weeks down the road are better than what you can get it for here and now without a sale.
- Buy One Get One Free Coupons (B1G1) - if you combine these with a Buy One Get One Free sale at the store, then you get both items for FREE. Watch for these items to go on sale B1G1 and that's the best time to use them.
- Watch for coupons that do not specify a size. If there is a $1.00 off coupon on ANY size, then check out the travel size section of your store and see if the item is there in a small size. A lot of the time these items are under $1.00 resulting in a FREE product, sometimes with overage.
- Coupons for FREE items - do not run out and use these coupons the minute you find them, watch for the B1G1 sale and use it then to get TWO for FREE.
- B1G1 Free sales - technically you are "buying" two items, the B1G1 is a store sale. If you have two $1.00 off coupons for those items, you can use both - one on the item you are purchasing and one on the free item.
- Make sure that you read the description of the coupon, don't rely on the photo on the coupon. If the coupon states that it's good on ANY item, but only has a few of the products pictured you can use that coupon on ANY item that manufacturer produces, not just what's pictured.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Getting Started: Stacking Coupons
There are two types of coupons: manufacturer coupons and store coupons.
Most stores let you combine a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon on the same item - this is referred to as "stacking".
Store coupons can be found as IP's, in store flyers, in Sunday inserts and in coupon books in the store. As you are shopping keep your eyes open for store coupons.
Go directly to the store's website for IP's of store coupons.
When stacking, ALWAYS hand over the manufacturer coupons first, and then the store coupons. This will allow for overage when the coupon values are greater than the item's value. If the store coupons are scanned first and the manufacturer coupon is greater than the amount left for the item, the coupons will beep and the register and cashier will not allow the overage. Yes, you can get paid to take free things home from the store!!
Most stores let you combine a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon on the same item - this is referred to as "stacking".
Store coupons can be found as IP's, in store flyers, in Sunday inserts and in coupon books in the store. As you are shopping keep your eyes open for store coupons.
Go directly to the store's website for IP's of store coupons.
When stacking, ALWAYS hand over the manufacturer coupons first, and then the store coupons. This will allow for overage when the coupon values are greater than the item's value. If the store coupons are scanned first and the manufacturer coupon is greater than the amount left for the item, the coupons will beep and the register and cashier will not allow the overage. Yes, you can get paid to take free things home from the store!!
Getting Started: Printing Coupons
Here are some tips on Internet Printable (IP's) Coupons:
- when you see it, print it - printable coupons have a print limit or maximum and once it's gone, it's gone
- most IP's have a print limit two per computer, use your "back" button (you may have to click it a couple times) or click the "print coupon" button a second time and get two of each coupon, if you have access to more than one computer, print twice from each computer - some printables can be printed more than twice, but this is rare
- save ink by printing your coupons in black only, they do not have to be in color to redeem them and save paper by using the extra paper left after clipping coupons for your lists
- do not photocopy IP's - this is coupon fraud and they can be traced back to the computer/connection they were printed on, each coupon has a unique code and cashiers are trained to watch for identical codes
- there are two types of IP's - store coupons and manufacturer coupons
- most IP's expire two weeks after the print date
Getting Started: Finding Coupons
There are many places to find coupons and it's easy to get quite a stash of coupons in a hurry. First you are going to want to subscribe to the Sunday newapaper for the largest paper in your area. The newspaper that reaches the most readers in a particular area has the best coupons. Coupons vary by region and by newspaper. There are almost always promotions running for specials on newspaper subscriptions. Ask friends, family and neighbors for their extra inserts if they don't use them. If your employer has a newspaper subscription, find out what happens to the inserts from the Sunday paper - they may be in the recycle bin just waiting for you to rescue them! Once you have compiled a nice stack of inserts, date them on the cover with the date of the paper they came in. No need to clip everything, just what you KNOW you need for your next shopping trip. Don't throw away those inserts just because you have clipped what you think you are going to use, you will need them for future deals. File them in date order in a file drawer or somewhere where you can easliy access them regularly.
Another place you can find coupons is online. There are several printable coupon websites and I have those listed on the sidebar. You can also find them directly on the manufacturer's website. Online coupons are generally high in value, and usually expire within two weeks of printing.
You will also find an abundance of coupons right in the store. All over stores there are peelies, blinkies, tearpads and hang tag coupons. Peelies are those coupons found directly attached to a product. Blinkies are coupons that are in those little machines that have blinking lights on them, and tearpads are usually attached to the shelves or somewhere in the aisle of the store. Hang tags are usually hanging from the neck of a bottle. Catalina machines at the register also print out great coupons, make sure the cashier gives you the coupons that print out when you check out, you don't want to leave those behind!
One more place to find great coupons is the magazine ALL YOU. You can get a subscription to this magazine and have it delivered right to your door, or you can pick up the latest issue at Wal-mart. This magazine is specifically sold only at Wal-mart stores. Sometimes I will pick up two copies when the coupons are really good. The money it costs to purchase the second copy is well worth it because the value of the coupons far outweighs the cost.
Another place you can find coupons is online. There are several printable coupon websites and I have those listed on the sidebar. You can also find them directly on the manufacturer's website. Online coupons are generally high in value, and usually expire within two weeks of printing.
You will also find an abundance of coupons right in the store. All over stores there are peelies, blinkies, tearpads and hang tag coupons. Peelies are those coupons found directly attached to a product. Blinkies are coupons that are in those little machines that have blinking lights on them, and tearpads are usually attached to the shelves or somewhere in the aisle of the store. Hang tags are usually hanging from the neck of a bottle. Catalina machines at the register also print out great coupons, make sure the cashier gives you the coupons that print out when you check out, you don't want to leave those behind!
One more place to find great coupons is the magazine ALL YOU. You can get a subscription to this magazine and have it delivered right to your door, or you can pick up the latest issue at Wal-mart. This magazine is specifically sold only at Wal-mart stores. Sometimes I will pick up two copies when the coupons are really good. The money it costs to purchase the second copy is well worth it because the value of the coupons far outweighs the cost.
Welcome ~
Welcome, I am so glad you are here! I started couponing in March of 2009 when my friend (Thanks, Beth!) got me hooked on saving money by using coupons. I was a casual couponer all my life, but never realized the savings that could be had by adding a little strategy to my everyday shopping. Once I got started I became addicted. Now I look at shopping in a whole new light, and even enjoy the challenges of figuring out the deals to buy what my family needs at rock bottom prices.
I have so many friends and family members asking me about how to get started and how to work the deals that I decided to start this blog. It's easier to compile it all in one place than to send out individual e-mails and make phone calls!
I am looking forward to helping you get started and hearing about your deals and money saving tips. Thanks for stopping by!
I have so many friends and family members asking me about how to get started and how to work the deals that I decided to start this blog. It's easier to compile it all in one place than to send out individual e-mails and make phone calls!
I am looking forward to helping you get started and hearing about your deals and money saving tips. Thanks for stopping by!
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