Fun and Frugal » coupons

Coupon Clipping 101–Part 3

white — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:06:21 +0000

This is a guest post from Jennifer who is covering for Gloria while she’s working on another project.

We often get questions about how to get started clipping coupons. You see these amazing stories about people saving all kinds of money, and wonder how on earth they do it? Well, you could take a class or read websites for hours… or learn just what you need to know at Fun and Frugal!

Last week in Part 2: Finding Coupons we learned where to look for coupons. We explored our local newspapers, websites and magazines. Now we’re ready to go shopping! (Don’t’ miss Part 1: Pre-Planning either!)

TERMS

When you’re out and about in the couponing world, you will come across some terms specific to couponers – coupon lingo if you will. Here are some terms you might see on websites or in blog posts or even on coupons and in ads that you will want to be familiar with:

BLINKIES = In-store smartsource coupons near product, usually from red blinking box
BOGO or B1G1F or B1G1 Free = Buy One Get One Free
BTFE = Box Tops for Education
B&M = Brick & Mortar, as opposed to an online store
CAT or CATALINA = coupon you get at register with your reciept
CRT = Cash register tape
DND = Do not double
ECB = CVS Extra Care Bucks earned for purchases
FAR = Free after rebate
FREE ITEM COUPON = A coupon that allows you to get the product completely free
HBA = The health and beauty aid section in the grocery store
IVC = Walgreen’s Instant Value Coupon ( Found in the monthy EasySaver Catalog )
IP = Internet Printable Coupon
MFG = Manufacturer’s Coupon
MIR = Mail In Rebate
NED = No expiration date
NonSS = Non-Sunday Supplement. Coupons you did not get in your Sunday paper.
OOP = Out of pocket
OYNO = On your next order
P&G = Proctor & Gamble coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
PEELIE = Coupon that you peel off the package
POP = Proof of Purchase, which is usually the UPC bar code.
RP = Red Plum Coupon Insert found in the Sunday newspaper
RR = Register rewards – a Walgreen’s program
SS = Smart Source coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
STACKING = Using a store specific coupon with a MFG coupon (most stores allow this)
TEARPAD = A pad of coupons found hanging on a store shelf
UPC= Universal Product Code.. The bar codes on each item which stores usually scan to get the price.
WYB = when you buy
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary = Success of the attempt may vary at your store

So if I tell you “At Store XYZ you can STACK a MFG coupon with a TEARPAD WYB on Fridays, but be careful, YMMV” what I’m really saying is,” At Store XYZ you can use a manufacturer’s coupon with a tearpad coupon on the same item, but only when you are shopping on Friday, and all stores may not allow you to do that.” You may find yourself needing to refer to this list on occasion, but you’ll quickly pick up the lingo!

KNOW THE RULES

The most important thing is to know the rules of the different stores where you shop. Each chain has its own rules, and they even can vary between stores in a particular chain where each manager has discretion. Being familiar with each store’s rules will help you decide where you can get the most from your coupons – will they let you stack a MFR and store coupon? Can you use two coupons for BOGO items?

Remember, you get more flies with honey… not that anyone wants flies! But be pleasant, patient and polite and often you’ll get a “well, just this once” answer when you want to do something out of the ordinary!

GROCERY STORES AND CHAINS:

Bi-Lo

double up to $.60 (everyday)- must use a Bi-Lo bonus card
BOGO you can use 2 coupons
On BOGO, you do not have to buy 2, it will be ½ price if you buy just 1
Will not double store coupons or blinkies
Look for their Meal Deals
They will accept more than 10 coupons per same transaction, but they will only double 10 per transaction.
Look for mark-down stickers throughout the store: Red on products about to expire (mainly dairy); Purple on clearance/discontinued items; Yellow on meat
Ask for a rain check if they are out of a sale item.

Food Lion

BOGO you can use 2 manufacturer coupons
BOGO you can only use 1 store coupon (FLIP-Food Lion Internet Printable coupon)
Ask for a rain check if they are out of a sale item.
Sign up for the baby club at FoodLion.com. New coupons are available to print from their website every quarter.

Publix

double coupons up to $.50 (everyday)
BOGO you can use 2 coupons
Look for “penny” coupon in Wednesday’s paper ad / Mystery coupon
Look for coupons at the front of the store (or at the customer service desk at the Ooltewah Publix)
Some stores will take competitor store coupons, such as Publix and some Bi-Lo stores.
Sign up for the baby club at Publix.com. They will mail you coupons until your child turns two. Some coupons are for free products with no purchase required!

Wal-mart

BOGO you can use 2 coupons
Will price match, but not BOGO deals; will add 10% if price-matching Super Saver since they add on 10% at checkout.
You can read a copy of their coupon policy here.

Super Saver

Takes coupons
Adds 10% to your bill at checkout (regardless if you use coupons).

Target

Target.com updates coupons on their website weekly. They say Super Target, but can be used at regular Targets, too.
You can stack Target store coupons and manufacturer coupons
Will not give overage. (If you have a $1 coupon for a $.99 item, they will only give you $.99 off.)

K-Mart

Doubles up to $2 (during certain dates) but varies by region. Cleveland K-Mart doesn’t always participate. The rules get more strict each time. Lately, they have required you to spend $25 and limit 5 coupons to be doubled. Read the ads carefully before you go.

DRUG STORES:

CVS

has the Extra Care Bucks program – Money Saving Mom has a great explanation how it works here.
Watch for ECB items – they are marked in the Sunday flyer, and sell out quickly!
You also earn ECBs quarterly depending on how much you spend.
You can stack CVS store coupons and manufacturer coupons.
Scan your card at the price-checker kiosks inside the store and it will spit out random store coupons.

Walgreens

Has the Register Rewards program, similar to the CVS program, but you don’t need a loyalty card to earn RRs.
You can use an Instant Value Coupon with a Manufacturer coupon (plus apply for rebate)
Easy Saver Rebates – if you use a gift card you get more money
If out of a sale item, ask for a rain check.
There are several types of items you cannot redeem your rewards towards such as prescriptions, tobacco products, lottery tickets, gift cards. See all the rules here (note: for the holidays they were calling it Jingle Ca$h, and have not changed the website)

Rite Aid

will accept internet/ print at home coupons up to $5 off
Rite Aid coupons printed off the internet are not subject to the $5 maximum
+UP Reward coupons (earned with purchase) can be used in multiple up to the amount of purchase before sales tax.
will take more than one coupon on a single item, but no more than one Rite Aid coupon( UPC starts with 49), one Rite Aid Valuable coupon (UPC starts with 48) and one manufacturer’s coupon per item.
see all their rules here

OTHER STORES

Family Dollar

only accepts coupons for free items if they’re BOGO, not just for one free without purchase requirement
will let you stack a manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon on the same item, max 2 coupons per item
all coupons must have scan-able bar code (including internet printables)
will not give ‘cash back’ if the value of the coupon is greater than the price of the item
see the complete rules here.

Dollar General

coupons must have expiration date and barcode
coupons must clearly say “Manufacturers Coupon” or “Dollar General Store Coupon”
only accepts coupons for free items if they’re BOGO, not just for one free without purchase requirement
will let you stack a manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon on the same item, max 2 coupons per item
see the complete rules here.

Big Lots

does not take coupons
has started a rewards program called Buzz Club where you can earn up to 20% savings.

Sam’s Club, Costco – do not take coupons

Restaurants

most have online clubs where they will email you coupons or other offers.
some have birthday freebies for kids
some have birthday freebies for adults
here’s our list of Cleveland restaurants offering free or cheap kids meals
look for schools selling discount cards as fundraisers, some have BOGO offers on them.

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

So now you have:

checked your pantry and freezer
created a meal plan
gathered your recipes
made your list (s)
chosen recipes that work with the sales
matched coupons to your lists
looked for store coupons to stack with manufacturer’s coupons
registered for loyalty cards and rewards programs

and you’re ready to head out and save some money! You should now have an idea which store has the most items you actually use on sale. You can shop multiple stores if you have time, or pick the one with the best offers this week.

Strategic Shopping

Once you’ve been doing this for a while, you will notice that some types of items frequently have coupons available, while others almost never do. By being alert to these cycles, you can maximize your savings by shopping strategically. When you find an especially good deal (i.e. item on BOGO at the store, with BOGO manufacturer’s coupon or sale item with store coupon and manufacturer’s coupon and reward $) get as many as you can. This is why people often purchase multiples of the same coupon online or buy more than one newspaper. If you use a lot of paper towels, and they go on sale for $2 off, and you have a $.50 coupon that will double and a $1 store coupon, you might get the towels for $.99. That’s worth stocking up on! But remember, play fair and leave some for someone else. Clearing a shelf of available items is bad manners. Don’t assume the store has more “in the back”. Most retail stores have very little storage space, and what you see is what they have. Sharing the deals with others is fair and helps to ensure that you won’t get to the store with your carefully honed lists and coupons only to find an empty shelf! (And if you do, don’t be shy about asking for a rain check!)

We hope you’ve found these posts helpful, please feel free to share them with your friends!

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Coupon Clipping 101–Part 2

white — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:55:46 +0000

This is a guest post from Jennifer who is covering for Gloria while she’s working on another project.

Last week in Part 1: Why Clip Coupons? We prepared ourselves to start clipping. We inventoried our supplies, created Meal Plans, gathered our recipes, checked the sales and made and revised our lists. Now we’re ready to get clipping!

Part 2: Rounding up Resources

This is where a lot of people end up throwing up their hands and giving up! Either it seems that there are so few coupons out there for things they really need that it’s not worth the effort, or they end up with so many coupons and spend so much time shuffling through piles of outdated bits of paper that they get frustrated and quit.

It doesn’t have to be that way! We will show you where to find coupons you will really use, and what to do with them once you have them so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Where to Get Coupons

There are many sources for coupons, and you want to be sure to check all of them regularly. Let’s look at each source and what it can do for you:

Sunday paper –

Almost every Sunday edition of a newspaper will have some coupons, but the larger the city, the bigger quantity and higher value those coupons will be. The Cleveland paper has a few, the Chattanooga paper a few more, and the Atlanta papers even more with higher values! So pick up the paper you think you will use the coupons from – try an Atlanta paper and see if the coupons are offsetting the cost for you.
You can even purchase multiple copies of the paper. Every couple of months you’ll see a surge in coupons as old ones expire and the companies put out a batch of new ones. That might be the week to go get an extra paper or two!
But before you do that, check with friends, family and neighbors. You’d be surprised who doesn’t use their coupons and wouldn’t mind saving them for you. My mother used to mail me her inserts from New York every week! They were great because often they had very different offers than we were getting here. My sister picks up the paper from the driveway of an elderly neighbor and brings it to her door in exchange for being allowed to pull out the coupons first. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Internet Coupon Sites - before you go looking online for coupons, you might want to set up a “junk” email address to use when you have to register at a site. Just keep in mind you will want to check this address regularly so you don’t miss offers sent your way!

You can follow our links to Coupons.com, RedPlum and SmartSource coupons. Before you go make sure your printer is loaded up with paper and ink, and is working. You can print two copies of every coupon by hitting the “back” button and refresh button on your browser after printing to print a second time.
Check these sites frequently as they do add coupons throughout the month. Many of the coupons are ‘limited quantity’ so it’s good to check at the first of the month when they renew most of them. They will ‘run out’ of the best ones quickly, so I find it’s good to go right at the first of the month then about once a week after that.
Be selective. When I first started I was printing everything that sounded remotely good just in case it would go on sale. Then at the end of the month I was throwing away handfuls of printer paper and ink! I find that Tuesday nights is a good time to do this, because I can see the store flyers for Wednesday online and can scoot over to the coupon sites to see what coupons will go with the sales. But more on that later

Manufacturer’s Web Sites – Most manufacturers have a website, and it’s worth checking your boxes and cans or using Google to find them, especially for the makers of products you use regularly. Not all manufacturers will offer coupons on the site, but often the highest value ones will come from them.

Many manufacturers also have facebook pages, and make special offers to facebook fans. You can find these pages by searching facebook or checking the website for a facebook link. Lately we’ve seen some very good coupons and even free samples on companies’ facebook pages, so you want to be sure not to overlook this if you use facebook.

Other Web Sites –

Fun and Frugal www.funandfrugal.com – links to coupons.com, RedPlum and SmartSource printable coupons can be found at FunandFrugal.com/Coupons.
Southern Savers www.southernsavers.com – store deals, manufacturer deals and lots of other great stuff like links to free samples

Magazines – All You Magazine is particularly full of high value coupons every month. It is my experience that the coupons usually cover the cost of the subscription and more. You can subscribe here.

Keep your eyes open when you read other magazines. Some will have coupon inserts glued between the pages – they’re like little booklets you can just tear out. Others may have the occasional coupon in an ad. Keep a little pair of scissors by your easy chair and clip these as soon as you see them, so you don’t forget and lose out.

Stores – You’ve seen those little red thingys on shelves that spit out coupons at you, right? Look for them. Even if you don’t need to purchase the item right now, put it in your stash for later. Same thing with the tear pad coupons you see sometimes in drugstores and other places. But PLEASE be fair and only take what you think you will use and leave the rest for someone else. Coupon grabbing is not kind or fair, and there will be plenty to go around if we are all just reasonable!

Purchase Online – Believe it or not, you can purchase coupons online! (Technically you are paying for the coupon-clipping “service” because it is illegal to sell coupons.) There are several sites where you can browse their inventory and order up whatever quantity of a particular coupon you want. These are tricky to navigate, because the prices vary depending on the desirability of each coupon and how far off the expiration date is. Watch the dates very carefully, and take into account it will take a few days to a week for you to receive your coupons from the service. Ideally you want to be able to figure out what’s going on sale next week and order quantities of a coupon for a sale item and have the coupons get here before the stores run out of product. Not always possible, so just look for things you use regularly, then even if they don’t go on sale you’ll still get the benefit of the coupon.

The Coupon Clippers – The Coupon Clippers is a service that clips coupons and will send them to you for a fee. Each coupon listed will show the details, how many they have in stock, the face value of the coupon, when it expires and how much they charge per coupon. For instance: Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats thin rolls on ONE qty avail 19 (Min order qty 1) Value $0.40 expiry 2/27/11 Handling Fee $0.08. Type in the Qty you want in the box and add to your cart, checkout when you’re done. I like this site because it has a “New Orders Ship” box at the top to tell you when they’ll be shipping coupons out next so you know when they’ll go out to you!

The Coupon Fairy – yes, you too can be a coupon fairy. If you have a great coupon that will expire before you will need the item, why not leave the coupon on the shelf next to the item? Maybe the next person to come along will be able to take advantage. I’ve benefited from the Coupon Fairy more than once, and always leave the coupons I decide not to use. I’m sure the stores aren’t thrilled with this practice, but if you are neat and just tuck it under the box or can or leave it neatly on top, and you’ll be blessing someone with a little discount!

So off you go to gather your coupons. Once you’ve got them you’ll want to make the most of them. On Wednesday we’ll go over some of the strange terms you might hear in connection with coupons like CATALINA, OOP, STACKING, ECB, and BOGOs, then we’ll talk about tricks to maximize your coupon savings!

Coupon Clipping 101

white — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:52:19 +0000

Here is another guest post from Jennifer, who is helping out Gloria this month while she is tied up with another project.

photo by dmdonahoo

Over the next couple weeks we’re going to give you a good foundation in coupon clipping. We’ll cover all the basics – what, when, where and why!

Part 1: Why Clip Coupons?

To save money! Duh! Could there be more than that? You could save money other ways – buying less, buying generics, buying on clearance. So why clip coupons?

To get the most from your money! It’s not just about saving. You might want to:

try a new product without spending much money
keep using a more expensive brand that you prefer
be able to purchase larger quantities for the same price
shop at a store with slightly higher prices because you like their service

Start With Pre-Planning

Before we get to the actual coupons, you’ll want to do some pre-planning (if you don’t already do this as part of your routine).

1. Know your stock – take inventory of your fridge, pantry and freezer. You don’t want to be spending money on things you don’t need or overstocking to the point that you can’t use the items before they expire.

2. Create your Meal Plan – go to your calendar and mark all the days you’ll be preparing meals at home. It may be fewer than you think! Think ahead to your schedule on those days: will you need a quick meal? Will everyone be eating together or at different times? Will you have time in the morning to set up a crock pot dish or do other meal prep chores? Making quick notes now will help you be sure you have the foods you need on hand when you need them.

3. Gather your recipes – this is the time to write out all the meals your family loves. Then add in some things you’ve been meaning to try – maybe healthier options, or an ethnic cuisine. Don’t use your rice cooker much? Look up a couple of recipes that call for cooked rice to keep handy.

Now you’re ready to start looking at the sale flyers! You can find them in your Wednesday newspapers (here in Cleveland/Chattanooga) or online. BiLo, Food Lion, Publix, and other stores have their weekly circulars online, and often post a sneak preview at next week’s sales which really helps your planning! Don’t forget the non-grocery stores – Kmart, CVS, Walgreens, Target all carry grocery items and when you find a good sale can be even cheaper than the grocery stores.

4. Make your list – working from the flyers or websites, list everything that’s on sale that your family might use. Even if you’re not out of it right now, list it. You will probably find the same item in more than one location, that’s ok, list it anyway. We’ll consolidate the list later. Right now you just want to get on your radar everything you might want to purchase.

5. Check it twice – Go over your lists with your recipes and note which recipes would be possible to make with the items that are on sale this week. You’ll have to use your judgement – if the recipe requires a main ingredient that’s on sale but several minor expensive ingredients that aren’t, it may not be a good choice. On the other hand, if the main ingredient is usually inexpensive but there’s a minor ingredient on sale at a great price, this might be a good week to make that recipe! Choose which meals fit your schedule for the next week (or two weeks or month) and put together a Meal Plan for the family. Add any items you will need to make those meals to your list, even if they aren’t on sale. (Here’s where having done that pantry inventory comes in handy!)

NOW you’re ready to gather your coupons! But that’s another blog post – just matching your menus with the sales will save you money for now, and getting your pantry and recipe inventory out of the way will make this process much easier for future weeks. Sunday we’ll talk about where to find coupons and what to do with them once you have them!

Time to Stock Up for the Little Ones!

white — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:18:05 +0000

If you use diapers this is your week to stock up! There are some great Huggies printable coupons on coupons.com! Save $2 off Little Movers or Little Snugglers, $1 off any Huggies diapers, $2.50 off Huggies Pure and Natural diapers, $2 on GoodNites, and $0.75 on wipes. Print them out for some of the diaper deals below!
There’s a printable for $1.50 off 1 pack of Huggies on the Target website. Target’s got some good deals this week, so you’ll want to use these!
Another Target printable for $3 off 40ct. Huggies Pure & Natural Diapers here.
Buy one Jumbo Pack of Pampers diapers at Rite Aid, use $2/1 Pampers Diapers or Pants, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09) and submit the Single Check Rebate for $2!
Get a $5 Target gift card when you buy (3) Huggies or Pampers Jumbo Packs of diapers on sale for $8.99 each! Use $2/1 Pampers Diapers or Pants, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09) or print out three of the Huggies coupons (see above) and get a great deal!
Buy (2) tubs of Similac Advance or Similac Sensitive baby formula for $22.49 each at Target this week and receive a $5 gift card.
Select LeapFrog toys and games are 80% off! To make the deal even better, use coupon code JANBDAY to save 20% on your entire order!(Thanks to Deal Seeking Mom for many of these!)

If you haven’t already, sign your little one up for Dolly’s Imagination Library. Dolly will send your child a book once a MONTH for free until they are 5! Bradley County participates, so you can enroll your child right away. (Thanks to Keren for reminding us of this!)

Baby Cheapskate