Coupon 101

First of all, I need to tell you that some areas in the country don’t have double coupons at all.  (You can still save money, but it does stink.)  Some stores never double coupons, like the drug stores, Target, and Walmart.

You need to know that not all stores double coupons in the same way.  You always need to check your store’s coupon policy.

Here is an example of a double coupon in action…

Ball Park Buns – $1.50
$0.55/1 Ball Park Buns, exp. 7/2/11 (RP 06/05/11 R)
$.40 after coupon

The $.55/1 coupon doubles to $1.10 in this case!

1. Some stores limit the value of the coupon they will double.  For example, Harris Teeter and Lowes foods will double the full amount of coupons up to $.99.  Anything over that is taken off at face value.

2. Some stores only double up to $1.00.  This one even confuses me, but I have heard of it before.  Say you have a $.55 coupon.  At this kind of store, it’s value would be $1.00 (not $1.10).  Weird huh?

3. Some stores limit the number of coupons they will double.  My stores will double up to 20 per day.  Some stores it is more, some less.

4. Some stores will not double coupons that say Do Not Double (DND). This seems to be more common nowadays.  Many stores will still double those coupons though.

5. Some stores will only double one like coupon. In other words, you could only get one set of buns and get your coupon doubled.  The other coupons for buns would be taken at face value.  Of course some stores (like mine) will double more than one like coupon.

With all the different rules at all the different stores, no wonder it is confusing!!

Did you enjoy these tips?  Check out the rest of my Coupon 101 Series and my Savvy Shopper Course!

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I will be honest.  I usually don’t do any more than 2 or 3 transactions at a time.  If I can get by with one, I just do one.  I don’t think I have ever done multiple transactions at the grocery store, just at the drug stores.

Here is how I set up my scenarios:

I make a list of the items I want.  (See My Drug Store picks for these lists.)

I check what drug store rewards I have available. (Say $4 in RR)

I look for any money makers and do them in the first transaction.  That way if you use your $4 RR, you will get more back!

I make any items I want without rewards be “fillers” or in my final transaction.

I place my items in transactions to get the lowest out of pocket in each transaction.

Here is an example from a recent CVS sale:

Let’s say I have $2 ECB and want to buy several items from this week’s list.

Transaction 1:

Deal Idea
Buy (2) John Frieda Full Repair Styling products, $6 ea. = $12
Use (2) $5/1 John Frieda Full Repair Treatment, Styler or Finisher, exp. 7/31/11 (SS 06/05/11 R)
Pay $2 out of pocket and get $3 ECBs
Final price FREE + $1 moneymaker!

I would use my $2 ECB and pay only tax.  Then I would receive $3 ECB.

Transaction 2:

RepHresh Brilliant pH Tampons (18 ct.), $6.79
Get $6.79 ECBs (limit 1)
$1/1 RepHresh Brilliant pH Tampons printable
FREE + $1 moneymaker after coupon and extra bucks!

I would use my $3 ECB and $1 coupon to pay only $2.79.  Then I would receive $6.79 in ECB.

Transaction 3:

All or Wish 2x Ultra, HE Liquid (26-32 oz.) or 3x HE Small & Mighty (32 loads), B1G1
$1/1 All Laundry Detergent, exp. 7/17/11 (RP 06/05/11)
Final price varies!

Tums (60-150 ct.), $2.99
Get $1 ECBs (limit 1)
$1/1 Tums Product printable
$1/2 Tums Product, exp. 8/31/11 (RP 06/26/11)
$0.99 ea. after coupon and extra bucks!

I would buy 2 detergents and 1 Tums.  I would use all the coupons listed.  Then I would use my $6.79 ECB.  My cost would be very low (depends on the price of the detergent), and I would end the week with $1 ECB to start again next week.

One thing to note is that I would probably not do all these transactions in one trip.  I would probably try to do the first two on Sunday and the third one later in the week.

Did you enjoy these tips?  Check out the rest of my Coupon 101 Series and my Savvy Shopper Course!

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Right now, couponing is a big thing.  Stores sometimes don’t have enough stock to meet the demand on sale items.

1. Ask the cashier when the store will be restocking. Many stores will receive another truck of stock during the week.

2. Ask the cashier for a raincheck. (A raincheck is a usually a slip of paper that you can bring back to the store later, and they will still honor the sale price.)

3. Check with another store from the same chain. Sometime different stores in different parts of town receive more stock or have fewer couponers visit.

4. If all else fails, be patient and remember there will be another sale. You can’t always get every deal you want.  I wish we could, but even I miss out on a good deal now and then!

Did you enjoy these tips?  Check out the rest of my Coupon 101 Series and my Savvy Shopper Course!

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If you are around the coupon blogosphere long, you are going to hear about multiple transactions.

Basically that means that you break your shopping order into several smaller orders to save out of pocket costs.

Usually multiple transactions apply when you have drug store coupons like RR, ECB, and +Up Rewards.

If you decide to do multiple transactions, always ask your cashier first.  Be courteous to othe shopper behind you as well!

Later this week, we will talk about the best way to break your order into multiple transactions!

Did you enjoy these tips?  Check out the rest of my Coupon 101 Series and my Savvy Shopper Course!

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No!  You do not have to stockpile to save money with coupons.  You can still save 30-50% with coupons, if you don’t stockpile.

Reasons you might choose to not stockpile:

• You are moving or going through some other life change.
• You live in a small house or apartment (although you can still stockpile on a small scale).
• You don’t cook at home consistently.
• You don’t have time to maintain a stockpile.

And there are other reasons.  But you all know that I support keeping a 3-6 month stockpile to maximize your savings.

Did you enjoy these tips?  Check out the rest of my Coupon 101 Series and my Savvy Shopper Course!

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A Catalina coupon is a coupon that prints at the register.  Sometimes Catalina coupons print right away when you scan your store card.  Most of the time, they print after you pay for your order.  So sometimes it pays to stick around for a second or two.

There are really 2 kinds of Catalina coupons.

The first kind is simply a manufacturer’s coupon that prints out for a certain item.  For example, I recently received a Catalina coupon for $2/1 Cottonelle Ultra toilet paper.  Now that is a coupon I hope to redeem!

The second kind is what is commonly called an ONYO coupon.  ONYO stands for On Your Next Order.  This coupon might say something like Save $2 on your next shopping order!  These are fun coupons, because they can be used to reduce your out of pocket expenses at the store!

Did you enjoy these tips?  Check out the rest of my Coupon 101 Series and my Savvy Shopper Course!

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