First of all, would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! It came to my attention earlier today that I should post a few little side notes on couponing and holidays and how the two can intermingle or affect one another. (This is for the newbies out there--experienced couponers may see all of this as common sense, but I digress..)
1. It is a pretty commonly known thing that there are generally NO coupon inserts in the Sunday papers around a holiday. Even if the holiday falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Monday, a lot of times there won't be any coupons if the holiday falls near any of those days.
Here's what you CAN do during those "off-weeks":
-Use the time to clean out your coupon binder.
-Scout out deals for the next week with the new store ads.
-Use one of the many coupon-clipping services online to order specific coupons you may need for the next week.
(www.thecouponclippers.com , www.couponbeat.com ,etc.)
-Relax! Spend time with your family!
2. With big holidays, come big sales. Watch out for special 1 or 2 day sales, and especially holiday clearance after the holidays are all over and done with. Clearance+Coupons=Cheap cheap cheap!
Even FREE! So, good thing to watch out for, especially at stores like Target who let you stack coupons, or KMART who will double $1 coupons after you spend $25.
3. You can use couponing for generally anything from stocking up, to surviving solely off of it. If you're "that good", you can use couponing as a way to get your holiday needs for as much as 50-75% off!
Ex: Black Friday! Last year I went to Walmart and was able to get a Wii Consule for $89, and two 32" LCD flat screens for $138 ea.
I was able to get a NICE griddle for only $10 and many of the kids' toys for super cheap. For Easter this year, I went to KMart a few days before, and used up several of my Easter candy coupons. I was able to walk out of the store with $50-$60 worth of candy for like $19. Many of the coupons were "$1/2 bags". If I had taken those coupons to any other store, $1/2 would have meant only $.50c off each bag, because no other stores double $1 coupons. My first transaction had to meet a $25 requirement, so after obtaining $26 of merchandise, I went to the register with $10 in coupons after they were doubled, and brought my total down to $16 then used a $5 catalina coupon from my last trip to the store. Kmart constantly prints special offers and coupons with each receipt, it completely makes it worth the trip!
Hopefully these tips come in handy for your holiday couponing! Feel free to send us questions to our Facebook page! Happy couponing!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Couponing at KMART
I made my first coupon trip at Kmart the other day, and while I still have a few kinks to work out in the system, here are a few basic guidelines that should be helpful:
1.Depending on your store, some stores will double $1.50 coupons up to $3 off of one product! However, the general rule of thumb is that they do double $1 coupons so $1 is really worth $2.
2. There is a limit of (5) double coupons per transaction, and you have to spend a dollar amount of $25 or greater for your coupons to double. While this sounds a little ridiculous, you can actually get some great deals, and here's how:
-Always combine your coupons with store sales. Ex: Purex detergent on sale 2/$5. Coupons: Use (2) $1.00 coupons that double to $2ea. Final Price is $1 for 2, or $.50c ea.
-Pay attention to blogs, anything online that will clue you in to special promotions Kmart is having because they're not always clearly advertised. This past week they ran a promtion where if you buy $30 of participating Unilever products, you get $7 instantly at checkout. So, on top of double coupons after the $25 mark, you also get $7 off at checkout. There was also a special of buying $20 in participating products and getting a $5 catalina coupon on your next order, so if you're doing 2 transactions you can use that $5 on your next order.
-With specials like these, you take into account the $10 you get off your $25 order just by using (5) $2 coupons after they're doubled, plus the $7 instantly off of your order. A lot of the time, they will print extra slips of paper with your receipt that you can use at the register on your next trip, like $10 back instantly on your next order of $50 or more, which brings me to my next point:
SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS
-Go to www.kmart.com and sign up for SYW Rewards. With every transaction you do, you get "points" on your account that are actually worth money, that you can redeem at anytime. 1,000pts=$1. So if you get a catalina coupon at your check out that says: "Free 10,000 points on your next order", That's another $10 added to your SYW card. Kmart literally gives you free money in this sense.
Shop Your Way Rewards will give you a pin # and when you're at the register, you just give them your phone number instead of a physical member card and to redeem your points you plug in your pin # on the debit card key pad.
3. To build up your order to $25 or more to get the double coupons, you can use high dollar coupons on marked down or closeout items. For instance, last week Alkaseltzer was on sale for $1.99 and there was a $2 coupon out. If you had 5 coupons, you could buy 5 boxes at $10 which would essentially be free after coupons.
4. The main trick to couponing for cheap at Kmart is basically getting past that $25 mark, which means getting the total to $25 before coupons, spending as little money as possible at the end.
5. Call your local KMart and inquire about their coupon policies because all stores may have their differences. It never hurts to do your homework ahead of time!
1.Depending on your store, some stores will double $1.50 coupons up to $3 off of one product! However, the general rule of thumb is that they do double $1 coupons so $1 is really worth $2.
2. There is a limit of (5) double coupons per transaction, and you have to spend a dollar amount of $25 or greater for your coupons to double. While this sounds a little ridiculous, you can actually get some great deals, and here's how:
-Always combine your coupons with store sales. Ex: Purex detergent on sale 2/$5. Coupons: Use (2) $1.00 coupons that double to $2ea. Final Price is $1 for 2, or $.50c ea.
-Pay attention to blogs, anything online that will clue you in to special promotions Kmart is having because they're not always clearly advertised. This past week they ran a promtion where if you buy $30 of participating Unilever products, you get $7 instantly at checkout. So, on top of double coupons after the $25 mark, you also get $7 off at checkout. There was also a special of buying $20 in participating products and getting a $5 catalina coupon on your next order, so if you're doing 2 transactions you can use that $5 on your next order.
-With specials like these, you take into account the $10 you get off your $25 order just by using (5) $2 coupons after they're doubled, plus the $7 instantly off of your order. A lot of the time, they will print extra slips of paper with your receipt that you can use at the register on your next trip, like $10 back instantly on your next order of $50 or more, which brings me to my next point:
SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS
-Go to www.kmart.com and sign up for SYW Rewards. With every transaction you do, you get "points" on your account that are actually worth money, that you can redeem at anytime. 1,000pts=$1. So if you get a catalina coupon at your check out that says: "Free 10,000 points on your next order", That's another $10 added to your SYW card. Kmart literally gives you free money in this sense.
Shop Your Way Rewards will give you a pin # and when you're at the register, you just give them your phone number instead of a physical member card and to redeem your points you plug in your pin # on the debit card key pad.
3. To build up your order to $25 or more to get the double coupons, you can use high dollar coupons on marked down or closeout items. For instance, last week Alkaseltzer was on sale for $1.99 and there was a $2 coupon out. If you had 5 coupons, you could buy 5 boxes at $10 which would essentially be free after coupons.
4. The main trick to couponing for cheap at Kmart is basically getting past that $25 mark, which means getting the total to $25 before coupons, spending as little money as possible at the end.
5. Call your local KMart and inquire about their coupon policies because all stores may have their differences. It never hurts to do your homework ahead of time!
Couponing Myths
Couponing MYTHS
I thought it would be helpful to post common questions that I'm asked a lot, and dispel some of the "myths" out there.
1. "I get coupons but they expire a week or two later."
-WRONG! Although some do have a short "shelf life" and expire soon, MANY coupons come with expiration dates that are 3 weeks to 3 months away. Some coupons in my binder I've had for months. Even if the expiration date is a couple weeks away, most of the time you need to make a trip to the store in that amount of time anyway!
2."I just don't have the time for it."
-Although time consuming, the great thing about couponing is you can put however much time you want into it. You don't have to spend six hours a day if you don't want to. Even if you only spend an hour a night after dinner, you can still get a lot accomplished. And, the great thing is that you can always pick right back up where you left off.
3. "It really won't save me that much money anyway."
-WRONG!! Any time put into couponing pays for itself. With the right coupons and matchups, you can save 50-75% on your bill, even 100% if you're that good!
4. "It's just cheaper to buy the off-brand."
-Not necessarily. I've spent a lot of time in bargain grocery stores myself, buying almost entirely off-brand only. After I learned how to coupon, I was amazed that often times the name brand is cheaper than the off brand, and sometimes even free! This is because there are generally never any coupons for off-brand products, and always coupons for name-brand products. Pair your coupons with the store sale, and use a store that doubles coupons to maximize your savings.
5. "It's a waste of time."
-Never! I just started couponing in November 2012 and have saved my family almost $4,000 if not more. I can generally save $100-$200 a week with couponing, and so can you!
6. "I'm afraid I'll get to the register and I'll have too many coupons and they won't let me use them."
-Be familiar with your local stores' coupon policies. Not knowing them can only hurt you. There will be times when your cashier has to manually double your coupons in the computer, and won't. You will have to speak up for yourself at times, and doing so will only save you money. Not doing so can be a costly mistake. As long as you're within the limits of the store's coupon policy, they have to accept the coupons you present to them. (Provided you've followed the exact size/brand specifications on the coupon).
7."It's just not worth it to me."
-To each his own, but I will say any effort put into learning how can be a huge money saver and make such a difference in your family's grocery budget and kitchen cabinets!
5. "It's a waste of time."
-Never! I just started couponing in November 2012 and have saved my family almost $4,000 if not more. I can generally save $100-$200 a week with couponing, and so can you!
6. "I'm afraid I'll get to the register and I'll have too many coupons and they won't let me use them."
-Be familiar with your local stores' coupon policies. Not knowing them can only hurt you. There will be times when your cashier has to manually double your coupons in the computer, and won't. You will have to speak up for yourself at times, and doing so will only save you money. Not doing so can be a costly mistake. As long as you're within the limits of the store's coupon policy, they have to accept the coupons you present to them. (Provided you've followed the exact size/brand specifications on the coupon).
7."It's just not worth it to me."
-To each his own, but I will say any effort put into learning how can be a huge money saver and make such a difference in your family's grocery budget and kitchen cabinets!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Reminders
Just wanted to update with a quick few reminders here:
1. If getting ahold of a Columbus Dispatch, or Sunday paper is difficult for you, you can try these methods for obtaining coupons:
-You can use a coupon clipping service such as www.thecouponclippers.com
or www.couponbeat.com They typically have prompt delivery and the coupons are clipped and mailed to your door, ready to use.
-Ask family members, co-workers, neighbors, etc to hangon to their coupon inserts for you. Most people will gladly oblige.
2. There is a common misconception, many people think that they just don't have the "time" to invest in couponing. The fact is that although it is time consuming, the great thing about couponing is that you can do it anywhere, and when you stop you can pick up right where you left off. You don't necessarily have to spend six consecutive hours cutting and clipping coupons, although some do. Even 20-30 minutes at a time can accomplish a lot.
3. Websites like:
www.couponmom.com
www.coupondivas.com
www.krogerkrazy.com
www.couponinginbirdland.com
www.meijermadness.com
Provide matchups for most local stores, in other words, they do most of the work for you. You can get on these sites and read what they have to say, sometimes they are wrong but most of the time they have some pretty good deals on them that aren't advertised in the stores!
4. A great way to get bonus coupons, that you can't find on most sites, is go directly to the manufacturer websites. You can usually make an account or login on their sites, only takes a few minutes, and you can get extra coupons.
5. The trick to keeping your bill low, is keep the overall cost of your items low. Make a goal to keep each individual item under a certain amount, go into the store with the thought process "I'm not spending over $1 on anything" and that helps you get more bang for your buck!
Happy Couponing!
-k-
1. If getting ahold of a Columbus Dispatch, or Sunday paper is difficult for you, you can try these methods for obtaining coupons:
-You can use a coupon clipping service such as www.thecouponclippers.com
or www.couponbeat.com They typically have prompt delivery and the coupons are clipped and mailed to your door, ready to use.
-Ask family members, co-workers, neighbors, etc to hangon to their coupon inserts for you. Most people will gladly oblige.
2. There is a common misconception, many people think that they just don't have the "time" to invest in couponing. The fact is that although it is time consuming, the great thing about couponing is that you can do it anywhere, and when you stop you can pick up right where you left off. You don't necessarily have to spend six consecutive hours cutting and clipping coupons, although some do. Even 20-30 minutes at a time can accomplish a lot.
3. Websites like:
www.couponmom.com
www.coupondivas.com
www.krogerkrazy.com
www.couponinginbirdland.com
www.meijermadness.com
Provide matchups for most local stores, in other words, they do most of the work for you. You can get on these sites and read what they have to say, sometimes they are wrong but most of the time they have some pretty good deals on them that aren't advertised in the stores!
4. A great way to get bonus coupons, that you can't find on most sites, is go directly to the manufacturer websites. You can usually make an account or login on their sites, only takes a few minutes, and you can get extra coupons.
5. The trick to keeping your bill low, is keep the overall cost of your items low. Make a goal to keep each individual item under a certain amount, go into the store with the thought process "I'm not spending over $1 on anything" and that helps you get more bang for your buck!
Happy Couponing!
-k-
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
How to get A TON of coupons
Pretty common question here, is how on earth do I get so many coupons?? Well the answer is simple.. or not so much. I have multiple sources. Here are a few tips.
1. I buy multiple Columbus Dispatch (Lancaster Eagle Gazette, Newark Advocate, etc) every weekend because I know no matter how much money I spend I usually earn it right back immediately. I usually get 5 papers every Sunday.
2. Go to www.sundaycouponpreview.com during the week and it will give you a preview of what kind of coupons will be in the paper that Sunday. This will give you an idea of how many papers you want based on what coupons you see.
3. Have friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers, etc keep their coupon inserts for you. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to do so.
4. You can print coupons from the internet as well as use coupons from newspapers, magazines, etc. I've noticed some stores like Giant Eagle and Kroger have brought back their mini coupon machines that are hidden in all the aisles. The ones they used to have years ago that would spit little coupons out as you walk by?? Gold mine right there. The coupon is motion sensor activated so it won't spit out multiple coupons until you step out from in front of it. As long as you're standing in front of it, there's only going to be 1 coupon at a time. **KEEP an eye out for these machines! I've gotten great deals with the coupons I've found in them**
5. Try websites like www.couponbeat.com and www.thecouponclippers.com for "couponing clipping service". I know it sounds crazy to pay for coupons, but you're paying for them anyway if you're relying on your local newspaper.
--Both of these sites allow you to order specific coupons so if you happen to see a great deal in the grocery ads, you can type in the brand name on both of these sites and they will automatically bring up what coupons they have. You're not "paying for coupons" as much as you're paying for someone to find them, and clip them for you, and believe it or not, it's cheap! Rather than mess with the newspaper and all that mess you can order these specific coupons and have them clipped and shipped right to your door, ready to use!
6.EBAY!!! Ebay has sellers that have whole coupon inserts for sale, and usually you can buy the following week's coupon inserts online and get them before anyone else. You can usually get these pretty cheap if you watch the auctions closely.
7. And lastly, there is dumpster diving. As gruesome as this sounds, there are paper recycling bins that are strictly paper only so digging through them with a pair of work gloves isn't so bad. Those girls on Extreme Couponing do it all the time. Great way to get multiple coupons FREE!
1. I buy multiple Columbus Dispatch (Lancaster Eagle Gazette, Newark Advocate, etc) every weekend because I know no matter how much money I spend I usually earn it right back immediately. I usually get 5 papers every Sunday.
2. Go to www.sundaycouponpreview.com during the week and it will give you a preview of what kind of coupons will be in the paper that Sunday. This will give you an idea of how many papers you want based on what coupons you see.
3. Have friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers, etc keep their coupon inserts for you. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to do so.
4. You can print coupons from the internet as well as use coupons from newspapers, magazines, etc. I've noticed some stores like Giant Eagle and Kroger have brought back their mini coupon machines that are hidden in all the aisles. The ones they used to have years ago that would spit little coupons out as you walk by?? Gold mine right there. The coupon is motion sensor activated so it won't spit out multiple coupons until you step out from in front of it. As long as you're standing in front of it, there's only going to be 1 coupon at a time. **KEEP an eye out for these machines! I've gotten great deals with the coupons I've found in them**
5. Try websites like www.couponbeat.com and www.thecouponclippers.com for "couponing clipping service". I know it sounds crazy to pay for coupons, but you're paying for them anyway if you're relying on your local newspaper.
--Both of these sites allow you to order specific coupons so if you happen to see a great deal in the grocery ads, you can type in the brand name on both of these sites and they will automatically bring up what coupons they have. You're not "paying for coupons" as much as you're paying for someone to find them, and clip them for you, and believe it or not, it's cheap! Rather than mess with the newspaper and all that mess you can order these specific coupons and have them clipped and shipped right to your door, ready to use!
6.EBAY!!! Ebay has sellers that have whole coupon inserts for sale, and usually you can buy the following week's coupon inserts online and get them before anyone else. You can usually get these pretty cheap if you watch the auctions closely.
7. And lastly, there is dumpster diving. As gruesome as this sounds, there are paper recycling bins that are strictly paper only so digging through them with a pair of work gloves isn't so bad. Those girls on Extreme Couponing do it all the time. Great way to get multiple coupons FREE!
How to "Cheat the System"
How to "Cheat The System"
Ways to maximize your savings by finding loop holes in store/internet rules!
1. Printable coupons: most sites will only let you print 2 per computer at a time, however if you have more than 1 computer in your house you can get multiple coupons.
2. Sign up on manufacturer websites like Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, International Delight, etc. Pretty much every product has their own MFR (manufacturer) website. These sites give you access to better coupons that aren't otherwise advertised anywhere else. Sometimes you can use multiple emails and sign up on these pages and get more coupons that way.
3. Meijer only limits 2 transactions per trip, however if you have your spouse go with you, they can do 2 while you do 2. There is also the option of going out of the store and coming back in. This takes a lot of motivation but really pays off in the end.
4. Kroger will only double 5 "like" coupons in one transaction, but will let you have multiple transactions so you can split your cart up.
5. Giant Eagle will double up to 12 "like" coupons and will let you have multiple transactions, so split your cart up accordingly.
6. Places like Target will let you "stack" coupons, meaning you can use a MFR coupon and print coupons off of their website at www.target.com for instance if deodorant is on sale 3/$9.00, and you have 3 MFR coupons for $1.00 off ea, and target has 2 coupons for $1.00 off of 1, that would be a total of $5.00 in coupons you would have off of $9.
ALWAYS COMBINE COUPONS WITH STORE SALES FOR BEST DEALS!!!
7. If there is a store sale on coffee creamer, 3/$5, you can use (3) individual coupons on that group of items. Ex: If you have (3) $.55c coupons and you're at a store that doubles, that would be $3.30 off of $5 and you would get 3 creamers for $1.70. This is a very common sale at both Meijer and Giant Eagle.
8. Watch store ads closely, keep your coupons organized meticulously and plan your shopping trips out ahead of time. Keep a close eye on the cashier at the register and make sure your coupons double accordingly.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Rules To Live By
Coupon
Policies/ Basic Guidelines:
-Kroger and Giant Eagle all double
coupons up to .99c. So, if you have a .75c off coupon, it’s worth $1.50, etc.
Any coupon over $1.00 is only worth face value.
-The basic trick to this, is combining your
coupons with the store sales.
-Be sure to follow exact specifics on the
coupon, like quantity, ounces, sizes, brand, etc. Most coupons will have a
picture of the item on there however if you pay close attention to the details
some coupons will say like “.75c off any detergent”.. so “any” means you can
use the coupon on items that aren’t pictured on the coupon, as long as they fit
the specifications for size, brand, etc.
-Always plan your trips ahead of time, it’s
good to make a list of the exact things you are going to get along with exact
quantities, and separate your coupons out. For instance, have a “Kroger” pile,
“Giant Eagle" pile, etc.Use paper clips and sticky notes or an accordion divider to
keep them separate.
-While on your coupon trip, double check
everything as you’re putting it in the cart and check your coupons.
-Always bring your whole coupon binder to the
store with you because chances are you’re going to find a ton of sales that
aren’t advertised.
-It's really helpful to keep an itemized list for every time you go to the store, it helps you keep track of things so you don't get in over your head.
KROGER:
-Local stores will double up to (5) of one
kind of coupon, so if you have 6 coupons for milk they will only double 5. But
if you walk in there with 30 coupons, they will double all of them as long as
there is no more than 5 of one kind.
-Doubles coupons up to .99c (i.e. .75c off is
really $1.50 off)
-Does not let you “stack coupons”, meaning you
can only use 1 coupon per item instead of 2 or 3 coupons for one thing. Also,
they do have electronic coupons that can be put on your Kroger card online, but
those e-coupons do not double and can’t be combined with your manufacture
coupons.
-Some stores will let you do multiple transactions while others won't, some stores are OK with splitting an order in half and making two transactions out of it, while others will only allow 1 transaction per trip. It's best just to ask customer service or a cashier when you walk in to a new store.
GIANT EAGLE:
-Doubles coupons up to .99c (Ex: a .75c coupon is worth $1.50)
-No longer lets you stack coupons, meaning you can only use 1
coupon per item.
-Limit to 12 "like" coupons in one transaction but allows you to
have multiple transactions.
Giant Eagle seems pricey, but believe it or
not you will find some great sales there and can walk out without hardly
spending any money as long as you stick to your list. Always stick to your
list!
WALMART:
-Does not "double" coupons but will accept up to 4 "like" coupons.
-Depending on your cashier, some will allow you to use any coupon for an item
as long as the picture matches what you're buying, while some will follow the coupons
word-for-word so pay attention for that.
*You can get some pretty good deals here if you keep a sharp eye in the stores or use
various blogging websites to read up on the latest deals. You can generally google
Walmart deals for every week. Since their prices are low, high value coupons go far here.
DOLLAR GENERAL:
-Accepts all Manufaturer (MFR) coupons but only allows one coupon per item.
You can occasionally score some freebies here.
KMART:
-Will double (5) $1.00 coupons per transaction as long as you've spent at least $25.00 there.
-k-
Getting Started
Beginner Guidelines:
1. Go to Walmart or Target,etc and buy a trapper keeper, preferably the
zip up kind, and purchase the kind of plastic pages that are used to
organize baseball cards. You will use these to organize your coupon stash.
2. Use this site to find out what coupons will be in every Sunday paper:
http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/
--->This will basically give you an idea of how many papers to buy. It is
ideal to get multiple newspapers when there are going to be multiple
inserts in the paper that weekend.
3. BUILD UP YOUR COUPONS. Collect as many papers as you can from
family, friends, co-workers, etc. Some are even brave enough to "dumpster dive"
into newspaper recycling bins to get extra coupons. You can even purchase bulk
amounts of a specific coupon on Ebay if you wish.
4. Keep an eye on weekly store ads. Here is a good rule to remember:
-Kroger's new ad comes out every Sunday but prices not in effect until Monday.
-Meijer's new ad comes out every Sunday prices effective same day.
-Giant Eagle's new ad comes out Wednesdays, prices not effective until Thursday.
5. Organize your coupons by what they are, not by what brand they are.
Ex: Shaving Cream and Accessories, Personal Hygiene, Dairy, Breakfast, etc.
6.Kroger, Giant Eagle, and Meijer all double coupons up to .99c
Ex: a .75c coupon is worth $1.50.
Ex: a .75c coupon is worth $1.50.
**See "coupon policies" blog to read specific policies, each store varies**
-k-
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