Monday, April 16, 2012

Coupon Class 101

Coupon Class 101:

How do coupons work?

Stores get back value of manufacture coupon plus payment

Store coupons are a value directly from the store.

Manufacture coupons are directly from the manufacture.

Where do you get coupons?

Newspaper

Printables from the internet

Blinkies and Peelies

Can buy coupons from EBAY

In Store dairy coupons, or booklets, or in small cook books at store

Each Sunday copy holds an average of $200.00 in savings. Plus additional papers mean additional Michael's Craft store coupons! It is recommended that you order one paper per member of your family. Albertsons deals come out on Wednesday and the others come on Sunday! Subscribers get guaranteed inserts, the stores may not The Internet is another source of coupons. I love www.coupons.com. You should NEVEK make a copy of a coupon.

Coupons picture all kinds of products Usually limited to print 2 coupons per computer. Download a coupon printer from the site to your computer and print away

What coupons to save? How many to save?

Save every coupon- why? Clearance Items, Seasonal sales, Brand loyalty

When to use your coupons?

Big Secret is to use coupons with matching store sales and promo’s!

Buy one get one free sales- you can use two manufacture coupons with this and you get more savings, Stocking up on a product, Stacking your coupons, Rebates, Store match or double-planning to make several trips through the check out line.

Respecting store policies and why best to learn one store at a time:

Coupon etiquette and not hoarding nor “ clearing the shelves”

This is most likely isn’t the last time you will see these products at this price.

Make it easy on the cashier make sure coupons are in order and not expired.

Choose great time to shop early in the morning or late at night.

Give all coupons to the checker before items go through the line.

If you are separating your items make sure cashier knows ahead of time.

Organization of coupons:

Binders with baseball pages are the most popular way then you can organize by categories:

Bread, toiletries ,body wash, shampoo, deodorant, cosmetics, lotion shaving, tooth paste, ,cleaners, laundry, kitchen, medicine, paper goods, meat, office supplies, can goods, soup, sauces, box, frozen, dairy, baking, snacks, drinks/soda, produce, pet supplies, misc Make sure to go through your binder once a month and get rid of expired coupons.

FILE FOLDER OPTION, Organize your coupons according to date, do not clip. just simply lay pages together & staple in one place. Organize by date. And clip as you need them.

MAKING YOUR LIST, Go through the blogs to make a list on what you want to buy at each store, then put it into an envelope along with the coupons needed. With the binder option. I spend about an hour and a half a week clipping and organizing, with the folder option. only 20 minutes! And then a little bit of extra time on my shopping trips.

Stores relationships with manufacturers, If 10 items are bought, then 10 manufacturers coupons may be used. All stores get reimbursed for manufacturer coupons, plus a little extra. So you should never feel guilty for using them. You are not stealing from the store.

Albertsons, Has been using the "double coupons" lately. These come in our newspapers. Usually has 10/$10.00 deals. more coupons will help you to get better deals on those items. They also have "Catalina’s" good for an amount off, or else a specific product Surveys... used to be french bread, now $2.00 off! "Gas rewards" give you .05 off a gallon for every $50 you spend ....BEFORE coupons

Walgreens. Walgreen's has an array of in-store coupons. which you can "stack" with your manufacturer coupons for added savings. If a store has a coupon in-ad or in-store, and there is a manufacturers coupon for the same item. BOTH CAN BE USED. Watch for Register Rewards. (RR). These are long coupons that print out after your transaction that can be used on future purchases. just like cash (also called Catalina’s). You cannot use a RR from the same manufacturer to receive another RR A RR is considered a manufacturer coupon, you may need to add an item to your order

Rite Aid, Rebates are available through Rite Aid also called Single Check Rebates. To access the rebate programs go to www.riteaid.com. enter your receipt information. and wait until the end of the month to request a check. Ifs that easy! Make copies of all rebates that you send away. and keep a note on when it should arrive. Target, Go to www.afullcup.com. there is a link for the "Target Coupon Generator" You may "stack" Target's in-store coupons with your manufacturer coupons.

Walmart.

Walmart will price match competitor ads, but they will not match "% off". "buy 1 get 1 free", prices after Catalina’s. or rebates. Watch out for clearance items. you can use your coupons on these products.

Rain Checks. If any of the stores have an item out of stock, ask to get a rain check! Rain checks are usually good for 30 days. You can use a rain check with a coupon.

Although you cannot get a rain check on a sale that includes a Catalina or rebate. Using nearly expired coupons. When coupons are getting close to expiration I use them up on the "travel" sized items. Often

times, I get these items for free! Be sure to check the fine print of your coupon for size exclusions.

Stockpiling: Why not buy 6 boxes of cereal when at it's lowest price. paying -$1.00 a box rather than $2-$4 each. Be sure to check those expiration dates. You will not be spending more than .25 cents on hygiene products any more!

Having multiple papers. means multiple coupons. Coupons make this possible! Tips: Plan your meals around the items in your food storage. Avoid trips to convenience stores. Don't shop when you are hungry. This will reduce impulse buys. Avoid items at eye levell Search higher or lower for the best deals! Please don't take your kids, at least for the first few tripS! You'll need the concentration! Some of the cashiers are not as well informed as you are on sales and coupons. write comment cards!

Great blogs . .Je,. www.discoun!queens.blogspot.com /fJ :www.krazycouponlady.blogspot.com

www.athriftymom.com

www.savvyshopperdeals.com

www.idahodealdivas.blogspot.com

www.couponmom.com

Figuring Out the Lingo

BOGO: Buy one, get one. Will usually end with "free" or "half off" meaning buy one, one half off, or buy one get one free. B1G1, BZG1: Another way to write 'buy one, get one'. The "B" stands for "buy", the Gstands for "get". The numbers indicate how many

of a product you must buy to qualify and the number of products you get when you redeem the coupon or offer. B1G1= Buy one, get one. B2G1= Buy two, get one B2G2= Buy two, get two Catalina: Store issued manufacturer coupon good for us on additional item (also called Up reward or Register reward) EXP: Expires or Expiration Date IP: Internet Printable coupons may be printed right from your home computer. Usually limited to 2 prints per computer, download

quick and safe printing software to be able to print securely from home. MMV: Your Mileage May Vary. A phrase used to describe that an experience one shopper has may differ from your experience. One

store may allow you to stack additional promos and another location may not do the same. Some stores do not have a universally enforced coupon policy will often let one customer do one thing and another do something completely different. MIR: Mail in Rebate, refers to rebates which must be submitted by mail. These are the traditional rebates that require you to mail in

both your receipt and proof of purchase in the form of UPC barcodes. MFR: Manufacturer abreviation. OOP: Out-of-Pocket; refers to the amount of money you will pay a store to make your purchase. Does not incl ude and after-purchase

savings, coupons or rebates. OYNO: On Your Next Order. Store promos such as Spend $25, save $10 on your next shopping order. P&G: Proctor and Gamble manufacture a wide range of consumer goods and are one of the largest corporations in the world. Proctor

and Gamble puts out monthly coupon inserts filled with coupons for a variety of Proctor and Gamble produced brands, just a few of which include: Always, Bounty, Crest, Dawn, Gillette, Olay, Pampers and Tide.

ROLLING: Using a catalina to buy the same item again, or sometimes just that the catalina is prininting RR: Register Rewards. Walgreens drugstore rewards program, and version of the catalina coupon. Look for the same machines located at register, dispensing long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purchase. RRs cannot be 'rolled' like catalinas.

RP: Red Plum. 5CR: Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid Drugstore monthly rebate program. S5: Smart Source. STACKING: Using a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon (and sometimes a catalina) on the same product WAGS: Abbreviation for Walgreens Drugstore WYB: When You Buy. Some sales or coupons require purchase of multiple items.

Monthly Food Cycles and Season’s

January: Quaker Oatmeal, Diet Foods including: Healthy Choice, South Beach, Lean Cuisine, Special K, Kashi, Smart Start, 100 Calorie Packs Super Bowl Sunday: Pepsi, Coke, Chips, Dips, Cheese, sandwich items, crackers, snacks, wings, Oranges, Pears,Grapefruit, Tangerines, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kiwi, Avocado, Cabbage, Spinach ,Cold Medicines and Vitamins

February: National Canned Food Month: Canned Fruit, Vegetables, meats: Tuna, chicken, salmon, pie fillings, Malt 0 Meal, Oatmeal, Eggo Waffles, Syrup, Chinese New Year: Soy Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Noodles Artichoke, Asparagus, Raspberries, Potatoes, Strawberries, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Kale, KiWI, Avocado, Spinach

March: Frozen Food Month: Frozen Meals, TGI Fridays, Contessa, Foster Fanns Chicken, Eggo, Sara Lee, Healthy Choice, DiGiorno, Freschetta, Breyers, Dreyers, Marie Callendars, Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado, Haas, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Fennel, Kale, Leek, Lemon, Ume, Mushrooms, Onions, Spring, Orange, Peas, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, Strawberries, Tangerine

April: Ham, Eggs, Some Baking Supplies: sugar, spices, baking mixes, chocolate chips, Earth Day: Organic foods, Energy saver Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbages, Carrots, Grapefruit, Hass Avocado, Mushrooms, Onions, Peas, Rhubarb,

May: BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips, Paper Products: plates, utensils, insect repellant, sunscreen, Salsa, tortillas, Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado, Beans, Green, Beets, Blackberries, Carrots, Onions, Sweet Vidalia, Peas, Edible Pods, Peas, English/Shelling, Potatoes, New, Raspberries, Strawberries

June: Eggs, Milk (Free Milk Catalina, wyb cereal), Ice Cream, Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, cool whip, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, 88Q Sauce, Ketchup condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips, Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cherries, Com, Cucumber

Eggplant, Grapes, Honeydew, Nectarines, Peaches, Potatoes, Raspberries, Red Onions, Squash, Summer, Strawberries, Sweet Vidalia Onions, Tomatoes, Watermelon

July: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips, crayons, pencils, folders, binders, Asian Pears, Bartlett Pears, Beans, Green, *Blueberries, Com, Cucumber, Eggplant, Figs, Garlic, Grapes, Nectarines, Onions, Red, Oranges, Valencia, Peaches, Peppers, Sweet/Bell, Plums, Potatoes, Squash, Summer, Tomatoes, Watermelon

August: Pudding cups, Lunch meat, school supplies, Disinfectant: Clorox, Purell, Clearance: Insect Repellant, Sunscreen, charcoal, Apple, Gravenstein, Avocado, Hass, Beans, Beans, Green, Berries, Com, Cucumber, Eggplant, Figs, Grapes, Melons, Onion, Peaches, Pears, Bartlett, Pepper, Bell, Plums, Raspberries, Squash, Summer, Tomatillo, Tomato

September: crayons, pencils, folders, binders, Diabetes: Bayer Glucose Meters, Glucerna Cereal, Apples, Artichokes, Beans, Bell Peppers, Chile Peppers, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapes, Onion, Orange, Valencia, Pears, Asian, Pears, Bartlett, Pomegranate, Squash, Tomatillo, Tomatoes, Winter Squash

October: Canned pumpkin, evap milk, baking chips, National Seafood Month, Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month: Pedigree, Purina Almonds, Apples, Artichokes, Arugula, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Chard, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Lemons, Parsnip, Pears, Pomegranate, Potatoes, Potatoes, Sweet, Pumpkin, Spinach, Squash, Winter, Turnips, Yams November: nuts, chocolate chips, evap milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, cake mixes, soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce, Turkey, canned pumpkin, stovetop stuffing, betty crocker boxed potatoes, gravy mixes, rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, jello, marshmallows, Anjou Pears, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Carrots, Celery, Comice pears, cranberries, kiwi, lemons, orange, potato, squash, yams

December:

Egg Nog, Deli Platters, Instant Potatoes, gravy mixes, rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, jello, marshmallows Baking: Flour, Sugar, Butter, Cream, Cake mix, Brownie mix, Muffin mix, Breads, Pie Crust, Marshmallow, Whipped cream Canned foods -soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce