Coupons 101

GUEST POST: What Did I Do With That Receipt?

by April on June 24, 2011

This is a guest post from Tracie over at Penny Pinchin’ Mom. To check out more of her posts, go here. Thanks Tracie!

Tracie is a stay at home mom to 3 young children ages 22 months – 5 years, in Raymore, MO. In November 2007, she and her husband decided to get out of debt and made changes in their lives to do so. In 27 months, they eradicated over $37,000 in debt through both budgeting and learning how to live a frugal life. She now shares her knowledge in order to help you stretch your hard-earned dollars so can live the life you want.

Bills. Forms. Envelopes. Endless Piles of Paper. It seems that no matter how “paperless” you try to become, you still deal with all of this. It can be overwhelming to see it in your mailbox, let alone trying to keep track of all of it. Being organized can actually help save you money. Here are some ideas on ways to help.

Create a Bill File. One of simplest ways to avoid additional costs is to pay your bills timely. If you create a bills file and place all of your bills in there as they arrive, you will have them all in one place when you sit down to write your checks. You shouldn’t have to ever worry about not finding it or accidentally tossing it in the trash. Our family has a drawer in our desk. All bills go in there until they are to be paid. We never lose them and can find them in a moment’s notice.

Checks and Balances. This may sound silly, but take a couple of minutes and make sure that the payment that was applied to your account from the previous month, is actually the same as the amount you paid. Also be sure it was posted to your account within a timely manner from the time you mailed the check. Sometimes, late fees can incur due to a late arrival of your payment. If you have credit card statements, always review the charges to be sure that you agree with them. Two minutes now, can save a lot of headache down the road.

Also be sure to reconcile your checking account regularly. Having one missed entry could result in an overdraft fee to not only your bank, but also to the institution where you issued the check. If you didn’t have the money for the check you wrote – chances are you don’t have an extra $50 – $75 on top of that to cover these fees. Although I reconcile, I also always have an overdraft system in place just in case I make an error. Mine is attached to my savings account. Check with your bank to see what programs or services they offer to help cover you, should this happen.

Use Your Envelope System. I know I talk about the envelope system for cash. However, this envelope system is for receipts. Make an envelope for each of the retailers where you shop and then some for incidental receipts you might have. For example, I have these envelopes:

JCPenney
Target
Walmart
Kohl’s
Household
Auto
Misc
Birthday/Holiday

This way, if I have a problem with an item, I can easily find the receipt I am looking for so that I can return the item. If you don’t have a receipt, some stores will not take the item back. Others will issue store credit – – but for the lowest price of that item over the past 30 days – – making you end up in the red after your return.

Keep Track of Mail in Rebates. I love rebates. They really are a great way to get cash back on the things you buy anyway. Be sure that before you drop them in the mail that you make a complete copy of EVERYTHING and slide that into a folder. Then, when you receive your rebate, you can pull the forms out and discard them.

Invest in a Shredder. With Identity Theft on the rise, a shredder is almost a must anymore. You can pick up a small one relatively inexpensively at most retailers. When you get those credit card applications in the mail, or your bank statements, you should never toss them into the trash. These items must be shredded in order to protect your personal information. Dealing with a stolen identity can cost you more than money – it can cost you time away from the things and people you love.

These are systems my family uses and they really do help us stay on top of everything. Our bills are always paid on time. We can easily find anything we need at the drop of the hat. By implementing these few simple changes into your own life, hopefully you’ll feel a little less stress.

Now, as far as actually HAVING to pay the bills – sorry, your own your own there!
Thanks Tracie!

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GUEST POST: Where Do You Get All Those Coupons?

by April on June 23, 2011

This is a guest post from Katie over at Coupon Katarina. To check out more of their posts, go here. Thanks!

One of the questions I get from Newbie Couponers, is ”Where do you get all of those coupons?” So I thought I’d do a recap on all of the dfferent ways you can build your coupon library:

WEEKEND NEWSPAPER: This is (and always will be in my opinion) the #1 way to get coupons. In my area we receive our coupon inserts in the Saturday paper; however the majority of you will want to purchase the Sunday paper to receive all your coupons. ALWAYS CHECK to make sure the paper you are purchasing has the coupons inside. I’ve been burned a couple times…got home…no coupons! Ugh. That’s the worst. Usually on holiday weekends there are no coupon inserts (boo!), but sometimes they surprise you, so always check. The coupon inserts are as follows: RedPlum, Smartsource, General Mills and Proctor & Gamble. Go here to view the 2010 Coupon Insert Schedule and see what coupons will be in the coming weekends inserts!

INTERNET SITES LIKE: coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com, etc. I will also give you a daily update on what other printable coupons are available. There is an insane amount of printable coupons these days – it is never ending.

Facebook has become the new cool place to release HOT high value coupons and even FREEBIES. If you are leary of putting your info on the internet for all the world to see, I would still sign up with Facebook even if it is JUST to grab HOT coupons and freebies.

ASK FRIENDS and FAMILY: Chances are most of your friends and family are not using all of their coupons. Speak up and ask if you can save them from the trash! My mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law both give me their extra coupons and I repay them with some of the free stuff I got from using them! Seems like a fair deal to me.

BLINKIES and TEAR PADS: Blinkies are little machines that spit out coupons and tear pads have coupons attached to them. Be on the look out for these at all times!

PEELIES: These are coupons and offers attached to products. These are ONLY for the customer purchasing the item. It is NOT okay to peel off coupons from items you are not buying!

CATALINA MACHINE: This is the little machine that prints along with your receipt. It’s main purpose is to reward you for a specific purchase, but sometimes it has advertisements for upcoming Catalina deals and such, but many times it spits out extra coupons!

CHECK RECYCLE BINS: Now some of you might turn your nose up at this idea, but if you’re anything like my husband…you live for dumpster diving! Hey, don’t knock it. You can get lots of freebies! Our local paper recycling bin contains ONLY paper and mostly newspaper, so it’s actually pretty clean!

TRADE ON THE INTERNET: There are several coupon trading/clipping sites. There are several of these companies out there, but here are just a couple you can choose from: Manufacturers Coupons, The Coupon Clippers, Ebay (Go through Ebates or ShopAtHome to earn 1-3% cash back on Ebay purchases!). I purchase coupons from these sites once in awhile. For example, when Rite Aid has their Covergirl BOGO Free sale and there is a BOGO Free coupon…I stock up and get tons of FREE makeup a couple times a year.

MAGAZINES: Several magazines feature a few coupons per month…don’t let those get away! Even the ones you wouldn’t expect to have coupons will sometimes surprise you!

I cannot say enough about ALL You magazine, which features 40+ coupons each month. I will make sure to give you a heads up when this subscription is offered at a great price! Check my Magazines category for the latest deal on this mag.

STORES: Many stores, especially drugstores like Walgreens will put out their own monthly coupon booklets to be used exclusively in their stores. The great thing about these is that these are store coupons that can be stacked with a manufacturer coupon, which makes for some great deals! Another way they promote coupons is in their weekly ads, so don’t forget to check those out.

Grocery stores, like Kroger will mail you coupons based on what you buy.

EMAIL YOUR FAVORITE COMPANIES DIRECTLY: Just ask! I try to email about 10-15 companies each month to compliment them on a quality product. In response they mail me coupons! It only takes a few minutes of your time and the majority will respond with coupons. These coupons are usually higher value than ones you find anywhere else. To avoid bombarding your inbox with junk mail, I would definately open a separate email account through yahoo or hotmail just for this purpose.

MAILERS: If you sign up with different companies they will usually mail you promotional offers and coupons periodically.

INSIDE PRODUCTS: Make sure to check inside the products you buy. Also sometimes manufacturers will put coupons on the box, so don’t throw away anything without checking for coupons first!

LOAD ELECTRONIC COUPONS TO YOUR STORE LOYALTY CARD:

Another great way to amp up your coupon savings is by loading them directly to your store’s loyalty card (example: Kroger Plus Card). It is very convenient…never forget your coupons again!

3 easy steps to instant clip-free savings

1. Register your store card on each electronic coupon website

2. Check the coupons you wish to load

3. Swipe your card at checkout and coupons are automatically deducted

(the coupon deduction does not show up at the end of your receipt with the other coupons…it shows up immediately after the item scan)

Here are the 5 websites I load coupons from each month:

Shortcuts, Cellfire, P&G e-Saver, Kroger and Upromise

Each month, I always print a list of what I’ve loaded to my shopper’s card and keep it with me so I can easily match up sales to coupons to clip-free coupons. This makes for some great deals on the spot!

Sometimes these coupons are stackable with a paper coupon. It depends on your store, which site you loaded it from – and sometimes it just depends on the weather! It is so inconsistent that I always consider it a bonus when a digital coupon comes off in addition to a paper coupon.

Where do you get coupons?

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GUEST POST: What’s the Deal with “Do No Double” on Certain Coupons?

by April on June 23, 2011

This is a guest post from Staying Lean In Oakland County. To check out more of her posts, go here. Thanks!

Tashena Lynette Gonzales is the author of  http://stayingleaninoaklandcounty.blogspot.com/ and is a Bilingual Supply Chain Specialist by day and frugal blogger at night.  She uses her education in the field of marketing, her experience as a consumer and the plethora of frugal experts already on the web to try to bring tips on frugal living to those in her area of metro Detroit, while still looking for on-line deals that other readers can enjoy nationally.

Have you ever noticed the dreaded “Do Not Double” on a coupon and been worried about it?  I live in a great area I have a Meijer that doubles coupons up to $.50 as well as several local grocery stores.  I have a VGs that doubles coupons up to $1.00 and I work near a Kroger that doubles coupons up to $1.00.  So when I have a plethora of coupons that say “Do Not Double” what does that really mean?  There are actually a two groups that these break down into.  The first group are the coupons that are readily accessible and the bar code starts with a 9.  These are usually the tearpads, blinkies and some home mailers.  They are coded to not double because the manufacturer knows they have a higher redemption rate.  Any barcode that starts with a 5 will double automatically when scanned.  So why are some coupons that will double automatically worded with Do Not Double? Well I have read a few articles and heard it discussed and here is the deal.  When a store offers double coupons that is an additional Store incentive.  When this first occurred some stores wanted to solicit the full amount from the manufacturer which manufacturer’s did not authorize.  So to make it clear that to stores they will only be reimbursed the face value of the coupon they put “Do Not Double” on certain coupons.
The stores are taking a hit on these coupons and using them like they do their ”loss leaders” to get you to come to their store rather than a lower priced store.
So what about the Do Not Double coupons that start with a 5?  Basically two things are involved, the coupon policy and the cashier.  If the coupon policy states that all coupons are doubled to a certain amount then they should be doubled.  Some coupon polices do state that all coupons (of a certain value) will be doubled unless the coupon states otherwise.  (For example check out Busch’s Coupon Policy.)  Then there are the cashiers who not knowing the intent of the “Do Not Double” will restrict your coupon.
So basically know your coupon policy and the cashiers and act accordingly.  If the coupon policy states that all coupons to a certain amount are doubled but the cashiers restrict them often at that store perhaps speak with the manager.  (But proceed with caution because the end result could be changing the wording of the coupon policy.)  You may also want to opt for the U-scan or take your business else where.  You can find more in depth information at these two articles  here and  here.

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GUEST POST: Coupon Policies

by April on June 17, 2011

This is a guest post from Staying Lean In Oakland. To check out more of her posts, go here. Thanks!

Tashena Lynette Gonzales is the author of  http://stayingleaninoaklandcounty.blogspot.com/ and is a Bilingual Supply Chain Specialist by day and frugal blogger at night.  She uses her education in the field of marketing, her experience as a consumer and the plethora of frugal experts already on the web to try to bring tips on frugal living to those in her area of metro Detroit, while still looking for on-line deals that other readers can enjoy nationally.

To be a smart shopper and use coupons wisely you have to have a good working knowledge of the coupon policies of the stores you frequent. Smart shopping techniques consist of not just using coupons but using coupons on items that are on sale and stocking up when prices are low. A store’s coupon policy can hit on two of those, how much impact your coupon will have on a sale item and whether or not you will be able to stockpile items. Some stores allow you to use as many of the same coupon as you like some limit the number of coupons that can be used. Some stores double coupons some do not. Some stores take all verified printable coupons from the Internet some do not. You may end up using one or two stores for your weekly shopping and another store for specialty or stock up items.

If you shop at a local store you will want to ask for a copy of the coupon policy or speak with the manager to verify what it is. Here are some questions you may want to ask:

What is the true value of the coupon? (Are they taken at face value? Does the store double or triple coupons? Is there a limit to how many coupons are doubled? Etc.)

Does the store have their own store coupons? If so how does one obtain them?

Are store coupons able to be used with manufacturer coupons? (Can you stack coupons?)

Does the store accept coupons for free items? (Some stores actually have in their policy that they do not honor coupons for free items!?!)

Does the store accept any competitor coupons, if so what type?

Does the store accept any expired coupons? (Believe or not some do!)

How does Buy One Get One Free Sale work and how can coupons be used on this type of sale? (For example some stores ring up each as 50%, thus you can chose to buy only one item, and you can use two coupons on each item if you chose to buy two. Other stores ring up as full price on the first and $0 or the second which allows you to only use one coupon.)

How are Buy One Get One Free Coupons handled? (Some stores believe the coupon is attached to both items and is the only one allowed, others believe the coupon is attached to the free item and another coupon can be used on the coupon you are not getting for free.)

Does the store accept Internet Printable (IP) coupons?

One last question you may want to throw in that is not at all coupon related but gives you a small discount and helps the environment: Do you give a credit if a customer brings their own reusable bags?

Knowing the store’s coupon policy will also help you if you have an uneducated or unfriendly cashier that wants to question your transaction. Some stores you may need to keep the coupon policy with you when shopping. Some stores are more coupon friendly than others and it usually just depends on the area you are in.

Are there any questions that I missed? Please post them in the comments section so I can update the list!

You can check out a list of the local coupon policies here.

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Coupon Abbreviations

by April on June 15, 2011

AC = After coupons
ACTUALS = The actual item as opposed to a coupon for it
AR = After Rebate
BC = Before coupons
BLINKIES – instore coupon dispensed near product from red blinking box
BOGO or B1G1F = Buy one get one free
BTW = By the way
CAT or Catalina = coupon dispensed at register after purchase
CPN = Coupon
CRT = Cash register tape
DCRT = Dated cash register tape
DND = Do Not Double
DOUBLE COUPON = coupon that a store doubles in value
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
GC = Gift card
IP = Internet Printable
MIR = Mail In Rebate
MQ = Manufacturer coupon
NED = No expiration date
OOP = Out of Pocket
OOS = Out of Stock
OYNO = On your next order
P&G or PG = Proctor & Gamble coupon insert
PEELIE = coupon that you peel off the package
POP = Proof of purchase
PP = purchase price
Q = Coupon
RC = Raincheck
RP = Red Plum coupon insert
RR = Register Rewards
SCR = Rite Aid Single Check Rebate
SD = Store Display
SMP = Specially Marked Packages
SP = Stockpile
SS = Smart Source coupon insert
STACKING = Some stores allow the use of more than one coupon per item
TEAR PAD = A pad of refund forms or coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display
TMF = Try Me Free
TRIPLE COUPON = a coupon that a store triples in value
UPC = Universal product code (barcode)
WINE TAG = coupon, usually for $ off any meat, cheese or produce.
WSL = while supplies last
WT = winetag
WYB = When You Buy
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary (A deal may work in one area, but not the other.)

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GUEST POST: How Stockpiling Saves You Money Even When You’re Not Trying

by April on June 14, 2011

This is a guest post from Staying Lean In Oakland County. To check out more of her posts, go here. Thanks!

Tashena Lynette Gonzales is the author of  http://stayingleaninoaklandcounty.blogspot.com/ and is a Bilingual Supply Chain Specialist by day and frugal blogger at night.  She uses her education in the field of marketing, her experience as a consumer and the plethora of frugal experts already on the web to try to bring tips on frugal living to those in her area of metro Detroit, while still looking for on-line deals that other readers can enjoy nationally.

Have you ever heard someone say or perhaps you yourself have said, “By the time I buy everything I need for a meal it seems like it is cheaper for us to just go out to eat.”  It usually happens more with families like mine a two-person family.  And what usually happens is that you have a taste for something, say Mexican food or Chinese food, so you go to the produce section of the closest store purchase all the produce, then all the necessary sauces and extra things and by the time you are done the meal is like $30 – $40 or at least $15 a person.  (I saw this phenomenon when my husband cooked me dinner on our annervisary.)  And in that case it is true it would’ve been better to find a nice Taqueria or Tex Mex joint or $8.99 chinese buffet and you would’ve saved the energy of cooking.

However if you stockpile you won’t have to worry about that. Which brings me to my Kroger #1 entry in the previous post.  At first glance it truly looks like a couponing failure.  However what happened was this.  I’d made a marinated steak in the crockpot the two nights prior and had that the night before.  My husband asked me what was for dinner and I told him we still had leftover steak.  He thought about it and asked could I do something else with it, like a stirfry or something so I thought about it and said sure.  I went to the store on my way home and bought fresh mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and frozen edamme beans for the stir fry.  There were three brands of edamme beans and one was cheaper and on sale and that is where my small 6.81% of savings came in at.

To make the rest of the meal I used things I already had on hand.  I had Teriyaki marinade that I got for free during VGs Triple Coupon event, frozen green beans from Aldi’s, canned carrots from a previous store trip, and the meat still left that was bought discounted at VGs.  Granted I didn’t even really need a store trip but those were some things I preferred to have in my stirfry.  The meal was a sufficient complete dinner for my husband and I and I had some left over for lunch for work the next day.  So although the $6.84 spent with little savings seemed like a lot, due to my stockpile I probably still had a meal for about $10 or so, three meals really so a little over $3 a serving for a delicious stirfry, much cheaper than restaurant prices.

So what is this concept of stockpiling?  Check out my post here buy things you don’t need.

Another good article to check out is this one here Grocery Coupon Guide Stockpiling groceries.  It is very detailed and even has pictures of what to do if you believe you have limited space to stockpile.

This is just one of the benefits of stockpiling it makes planning a meal that you don’t normally make a lot simpler.  It truly saves more money over the long run.  My husband has about 8 bottles of body wash right now most of which were bought for $.50 or less.  I don’t have to buy any more body wash for a while and won’t until it is available to me at $.50 or less.

A stockpile also gives you some financial stability and leeway.  If I had a an unexpected expense come up and I really didn’t have the funds to go grocery shopping for two or three months I could survive.

Lastly you can stockpile many things and then use them as gifts.  When make-up, perfume, candy, all kinds of things are on clearance in a store or on-line I buy them and later use them as gifts.  For weddings you can put together a nice gift basket with household goods, bridal showers perfume, lipgloss etc in a nice bag or later just donate things if you really have excess.
One other good post that I had earlier linked to a really good discussion so check it out here: How Many Coupons do you need to stockpile?

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GUEST POST: What Exactly Is Coupon Stacking?

by April on June 14, 2011

This is a guest post from Courtney over at My Dallas Mommy. To check out more of her posts, go here. Thanks Courtney !

This is my favorite coupon savings strategy because it’s simply and allows me to buy lots of super cheap and even FREE goodies!

What is coupon stacking?

Most stores allow you to use their own store coupons AND a manufacturer’s coupon one the same product. For instance, if you have a $1.00/1 Target Herbal Essences coupon and a $2.00/1 manufacturer’s coupon (from the newspaper or other source), you will be able to save a total of $3.00 on a bottle of Herbal Essences and probably get it FREE or very close.

Stores that allow coupon stacking and where to find their coupon:

Target – you can find most Target coupons on their website. You might also receive Target coupons in the mail or get them in your Sunday newspaper inserts. These will always have the Target logo and say Target Store Coupon.

Walgreen’s – you will find these in their weekly flyer, on their website or in their monthly coupon booklet (found in the front of the store by the weekly flyer)

CVS – you will find these on there website (these will say CVS Pharmacy coupon – be aware that there are also manufacturer’s coupon on their website), clip-free coupons (these are usually good for a whole month and will automatically be deducted with your purchase) and at the price scanners in-store (just scan your CVS card before you shop to print out CVS coupons).

Other local grocery stores – you will usually find these in their weekly sales flyer.

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GUEST POST: Where Do You Get All Those Coupons?

by April on September 29, 2010

This is a guest post from Katie over at Coupon Katarina. To check out more of their posts, go here. Thanks!

One of the questions I get from Newbie Couponers, is ”Where do you get all of those coupons?” So I thought I’d do a recap on all of the dfferent ways you can build your coupon library:

WEEKEND NEWSPAPER: This is (and always will be in my opinion) the #1 way to get coupons. In my area we receive our coupon inserts in the Saturday paper; however the majority of you will want to purchase the Sunday paper to receive all your coupons. ALWAYS CHECK to make sure the paper you are purchasing has the coupons inside. I’ve been burned a couple times…got home…no coupons! Ugh. That’s the worst. Usually on holiday weekends there are no coupon inserts (boo!), but sometimes they surprise you, so always check. The coupon inserts are as follows: RedPlum, Smartsource, General Mills and Proctor & Gamble. Go here to view the 2010 Coupon Insert Schedule and see what coupons will be in the coming weekends inserts!

INTERNET SITES LIKE: coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com, etc. I will also give you a daily update on what other printable coupons are available. There is an insane amount of printable coupons these days – it is never ending.

Facebook has become the new cool place to release HOT high value coupons and even FREEBIES. If you are leary of putting your info on the internet for all the world to see, I would still sign up with Facebook even if it is JUST to grab HOT coupons and freebies.

ASK FRIENDS and FAMILY: Chances are most of your friends and family are not using all of their coupons. Speak up and ask if you can save them from the trash! My mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law both give me their extra coupons and I repay them with some of the free stuff I got from using them! Seems like a fair deal to me.

BLINKIES and TEAR PADS: Blinkies are little machines that spit out coupons and tear pads have coupons attached to them. Be on the look out for these at all times!

PEELIES: These are coupons and offers attached to products. These are ONLY for the customer purchasing the item. It is NOT okay to peel off coupons from items you are not buying!

CATALINA MACHINE: This is the little machine that prints along with your receipt. It’s main purpose is to reward you for a specific purchase, but sometimes it has advertisements for upcoming Catalina deals and such, but many times it spits out extra coupons!

CHECK RECYCLE BINS: Now some of you might turn your nose up at this idea, but if you’re anything like my husband…you live for dumpster diving! Hey, don’t knock it. You can get lots of freebies! Our local paper recycling bin contains ONLY paper and mostly newspaper, so it’s actually pretty clean!

TRADE ON THE INTERNET: There are several coupon trading/clipping sites. There are several of these companies out there, but here are just a couple you can choose from: Manufacturers Coupons, The Coupon Clippers, Ebay (Go through Ebates or ShopAtHome to earn 1-3% cash back on Ebay purchases!). I purchase coupons from these sites once in awhile. For example, when Rite Aid has their Covergirl BOGO Free sale and there is a BOGO Free coupon…I stock up and get tons of FREE makeup a couple times a year.

MAGAZINES: Several magazines feature a few coupons per month…don’t let those get away! Even the ones you wouldn’t expect to have coupons will sometimes surprise you!

I cannot say enough about ALL You magazine, which features 40+ coupons each month. I will make sure to give you a heads up when this subscription is offered at a great price! Check my Magazines category for the latest deal on this mag.

STORES: Many stores, especially drugstores like Walgreens will put out their own monthly coupon booklets to be used exclusively in their stores. The great thing about these is that these are store coupons that can be stacked with a manufacturer coupon, which makes for some great deals! Another way they promote coupons is in their weekly ads, so don’t forget to check those out.

Grocery stores, like Kroger will mail you coupons based on what you buy.

EMAIL YOUR FAVORITE COMPANIES DIRECTLY: Just ask! I try to email about 10-15 companies each month to compliment them on a quality product. In response they mail me coupons! It only takes a few minutes of your time and the majority will respond with coupons. These coupons are usually higher value than ones you find anywhere else. To avoid bombarding your inbox with junk mail, I would definately open a separate email account through yahoo or hotmail just for this purpose.

MAILERS: If you sign up with different companies they will usually mail you promotional offers and coupons periodically.

INSIDE PRODUCTS: Make sure to check inside the products you buy. Also sometimes manufacturers will put coupons on the box, so don’t throw away anything without checking for coupons first!

LOAD ELECTRONIC COUPONS TO YOUR STORE LOYALTY CARD:

Another great way to amp up your coupon savings is by loading them directly to your store’s loyalty card (example: Kroger Plus Card). It is very convenient…never forget your coupons again!

3 easy steps to instant clip-free savings

1. Register your store card on each electronic coupon website

2. Check the coupons you wish to load

3. Swipe your card at checkout and coupons are automatically deducted

(the coupon deduction does not show up at the end of your receipt with the other coupons…it shows up immediately after the item scan)

Here are the 5 websites I load coupons from each month:

Shortcuts, Cellfire, P&G e-Saver, Kroger and Upromise

Each month, I always print a list of what I’ve loaded to my shopper’s card and keep it with me so I can easily match up sales to coupons to clip-free coupons. This makes for some great deals on the spot!

Sometimes these coupons are stackable with a paper coupon. It depends on your store, which site you loaded it from – and sometimes it just depends on the weather! It is so inconsistent that I always consider it a bonus when a digital coupon comes off in addition to a paper coupon.

Where do you get coupons?

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GUEST POST: What Did I Do With That Receipt?

by April on July 28, 2010

This is a guest post from Tracie over at Penny Pinchin’ Mom. To check out more of her posts, go here. Thanks Tracie!

Tracie is a stay at home mom to 3 young children ages 22 months – 5 years, in Raymore, MO. In November 2007, she and her husband decided to get out of debt and made changes in their lives to do so. In 27 months, they eradicated over $37,000 in debt through both budgeting and learning how to live a frugal life. She now shares her knowledge in order to help you stretch your hard-earned dollars so can live the life you want.

Bills. Forms. Envelopes. Endless Piles of Paper. It seems that no matter how “paperless” you try to become, you still deal with all of this. It can be overwhelming to see it in your mailbox, let alone trying to keep track of all of it. Being organized can actually help save you money. Here are some ideas on ways to help.

Create a Bill File. One of simplest ways to avoid additional costs is to pay your bills timely. If you create a bills file and place all of your bills in there as they arrive, you will have them all in one place when you sit down to write your checks. You shouldn’t have to ever worry about not finding it or accidentally tossing it in the trash. Our family has a drawer in our desk. All bills go in there until they are to be paid. We never lose them and can find them in a moment’s notice.

Checks and Balances. This may sound silly, but take a couple of minutes and make sure that the payment that was applied to your account from the previous month, is actually the same as the amount you paid. Also be sure it was posted to your account within a timely manner from the time you mailed the check. Sometimes, late fees can incur due to a late arrival of your payment. If you have credit card statements, always review the charges to be sure that you agree with them. Two minutes now, can save a lot of headache down the road.

Also be sure to reconcile your checking account regularly. Having one missed entry could result in an overdraft fee to not only your bank, but also to the institution where you issued the check. If you didn’t have the money for the check you wrote – chances are you don’t have an extra $50 – $75 on top of that to cover these fees. Although I reconcile, I also always have an overdraft system in place just in case I make an error. Mine is attached to my savings account. Check with your bank to see what programs or services they offer to help cover you, should this happen.

Use Your Envelope System. I know I talk about the envelope system for cash. However, this envelope system is for receipts. Make an envelope for each of the retailers where you shop and then some for incidental receipts you might have. For example, I have these envelopes:

JCPenney
Target
Walmart
Kohl’s
Household
Auto
Misc
Birthday/Holiday

This way, if I have a problem with an item, I can easily find the receipt I am looking for so that I can return the item. If you don’t have a receipt, some stores will not take the item back. Others will issue store credit – – but for the lowest price of that item over the past 30 days – – making you end up in the red after your return.

Keep Track of Mail in Rebates. I love rebates. They really are a great way to get cash back on the things you buy anyway. Be sure that before you drop them in the mail that you make a complete copy of EVERYTHING and slide that into a folder. Then, when you receive your rebate, you can pull the forms out and discard them.

Invest in a Shredder. With Identity Theft on the rise, a shredder is almost a must anymore. You can pick up a small one relatively inexpensively at most retailers. When you get those credit card applications in the mail, or your bank statements, you should never toss them into the trash. These items must be shredded in order to protect your personal information. Dealing with a stolen identity can cost you more than money – it can cost you time away from the things and people you love.

These are systems my family uses and they really do help us stay on top of everything. Our bills are always paid on time. We can easily find anything we need at the drop of the hat. By implementing these few simple changes into your own life, hopefully you’ll feel a little less stress.

Now, as far as actually HAVING to pay the bills – sorry, your own your own there!
Thanks Tracie!

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GUEST POST: What’s the Deal with “Do No Double” on Certain Coupons?

by April on July 28, 2010

This is a guest post from Staying Lean In Oakland County. To check out more of her posts, go here. Thanks!

Tashena Lynette Gonzales is the author of  http://stayingleaninoaklandcounty.blogspot.com/ and is a Bilingual Supply Chain Specialist by day and frugal blogger at night.  She uses her education in the field of marketing, her experience as a consumer and the plethora of frugal experts already on the web to try to bring tips on frugal living to those in her area of metro Detroit, while still looking for on-line deals that other readers can enjoy nationally.

Have you ever noticed the dreaded “Do Not Double” on a coupon and been worried about it?  I live in a great area I have a Meijer that doubles coupons up to $.50 as well as several local grocery stores.  I have a VGs that doubles coupons up to $1.00 and I work near a Kroger that doubles coupons up to $1.00.  So when I have a plethora of coupons that say “Do Not Double” what does that really mean?  There are actually a two groups that these break down into.  The first group are the coupons that are readily accessible and the bar code starts with a 9.  These are usually the tearpads, blinkies and some home mailers.  They are coded to not double because the manufacturer knows they have a higher redemption rate.  Any barcode that starts with a 5 will double automatically when scanned.  So why are some coupons that will double automatically worded with Do Not Double? Well I have read a few articles and heard it discussed and here is the deal.  When a store offers double coupons that is an additional Store incentive.  When this first occurred some stores wanted to solicit the full amount from the manufacturer which manufacturer’s did not authorize.  So to make it clear that to stores they will only be reimbursed the face value of the coupon they put “Do Not Double” on certain coupons.
The stores are taking a hit on these coupons and using them like they do their ”loss leaders” to get you to come to their store rather than a lower priced store.
So what about the Do Not Double coupons that start with a 5?  Basically two things are involved, the coupon policy and the cashier.  If the coupon policy states that all coupons are doubled to a certain amount then they should be doubled.  Some coupon polices do state that all coupons (of a certain value) will be doubled unless the coupon states otherwise.  (For example check out Busch’s Coupon Policy.)  Then there are the cashiers who not knowing the intent of the “Do Not Double” will restrict your coupon.
So basically know your coupon policy and the cashiers and act accordingly.  If the coupon policy states that all coupons to a certain amount are doubled but the cashiers restrict them often at that store perhaps speak with the manager.  (But proceed with caution because the end result could be changing the wording of the coupon policy.)  You may also want to opt for the U-scan or take your business else where.  You can find more in depth information at these two articles  here and  here.

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