Stacking Tactics

I want to focus on four major stores here. There are many times when you are able to stack a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon for a like item. When you can combine said item with a good sale price, these things can be close to free, if not actually “pay you” to take the item home.

Target: I have never had a problem with a coupon overage at Target going toward another item. My advice is to be discreet. Do not take your binder in the store. The bottom line is that every retailer reserves the right to restrict their clientele for whatever legitimate reason. I personally do not want to fight the issue. Just don’t advertise, plain and simple.

www.Target.com  Requires registration.

Walgreen's: Word on the street is that Wags will soon be going to a card. YAY!!!! No more shelf-clearing at Wags. Walgreen's has in-ad coupons and puts out a monthly coupon booklet. It is usually by the door. But their policy is much stricter. You can still stack coupons there, but the number of items purchased has to be more than or equal to the number of coupons being used. This ratio also includes the use of previous rewards. Anything scanned counts as a coupon. The only loophole is that sometimes their in-ad coupons count towards multiple items, therefore you can accommodate the ratio because they only have to scan the coupon once for 2-4 items. It can get very convoluted.

CVS: Very simple. CVS coupons are on their site, at the bottom of your receipt, and in the big red Magic Box when you scan your card.

Rite Aid: Rite Aid coupons are in-ad coupons, sometimes on their site or emailed to you, and you can earn them by watching videos and printing coupons. Video values link is below. Also requires registration.

http://riteaid.adperk.com/

Tisk Tisk

I am going to be very unpopular in the coupon world in about 30 seconds. I am (and have been,) seeing many sites that that utilize coupon information to basically shelf clear and hoard. There is no other way to say this. Shelf clearing and hoarding is basically the most selfish aspect of couponing. Many people claim they donate these items. Well, I want proof. Honestly, if you are going to post a picture of 100 boxes of pasta, Show me a picture of 75 of them going to a food pantry.

This kind of selfishness is going to be the reason manufacturers get REALLY stingy with the dollar value of their coupons. Stores are already limiting your total “like item” purchase per transaction (as they should), and drugstores will likely get equally stingy with their rewards. I don’t blame them. Couponing is not a “Job” in which you get paid $30 to clear the shelves of one product. That concept is basically grotesque, in my humble opinion.

Don’t misunderstand, I have ABSOLUTELY capitalized on the weekly freebie. ONE AT A TIME!! My worst violation was 30 cereals in one week, in which I paid $1 each, and there were PLENTY on the shelf. And believe it or not I am almost out of cereal. I don’t think I would even do that again because I felt too funny about it.

Bottom line, these sites that condone shelf clearing are doing the rest of the consuming population a MAJOR disservice. And they will be the reason couponing is eventually and inevitably ruined for all of us.

Payin' it forward.

Met with a lady tonight. Nicest woman. Turns out we have mutual friends. She has been trying to make a class, but it would just never seem to work out. So I gave her the rundown as I thought a certain tactic would be more conducive to her shopping schedule. She bought me coffee. I LOVE COFFEE!!!

This is not a long story. It really does not have a lot to do with couponing actually. Some people need something that only you can give them. Information, attention, an ear, a hand up in the right direction. I am not going to be specific but this is a scary time in life for me. I made time for someone today when I really did not have it to give, and there was a piece of mail waiting for me when I got home. It is a piece of mail that I did not think I was going to get, and if I did, I was not sure if the information was good for me, or bad. I got a lot going on right now, and this piece of mail just equaled “Jackpot” in the long run for me.

I’ll try to keep my religious beliefs out of my blog for the most part, but THANK YOU JESUS!! Pay it forward whenever you can people. You will get it back 10 fold. 

Backwards part 2

It drives me so crazy when I run out of something that I absolutely need, and I can’t find a coupon or a deal. Cat litter. Yeah, not negotiable. If you’re out, that’s just it. So, the day after I made an emergency litter run (that sounds creepy) to Market Basket, I noticed a decent deal on Arm & Hammer (2) 14 lb. boxes for $12 at Rite Aid for the following week. Grrrr. Well, I cashed in on that decent deal anyway, and turned it into a great deal. It goes like this.

My daughter is coming down with a cold ALREADY!!

First transaction:

Zicam, (usually $12.99) on sale at Rite Aid for $8.99. - Used $2Q and $1 previous reward. Gained $4 in Up+ Rewards. Total OOP =$5.99

Second transaction:

Max Freeze Pain Relief, sale $6.99, and 2 Rite Aid 8oz. hand sanitizer sale $1ea. All had equal rewards. - Used $4 in rewards. Total OOP was $4.99. Earned $8.99 in rewards.

Third Transaction:

(2) 14 lb. boxes Arm & Hammer Cat Litter, sale $12. - After $3 in coupons ($1.50 ea.) and $8.99 in previous rewards, I paid one penny. And I have $2 in new rewards.

The moral is, my total OOP was $10.99. That is $1 less than the sale price of the cat litter and everything else was FREE!! That is well over $20 in free stuff for the cat litter I needed anyway, and Jacqueline can have some top notch Zicam instead of “low budget taste like garbage whatever.” I love couponing.

Coupon Addicts

Since I have been couponing, I admit, I have a bit of a stockpile of certain things. For those of you who think couponing to this extreme leads to hoarding, I won’t even argue with you. Some people do hoard. They are not satisfied until they can get 20 units of a certain product for next to nothing. That is overkill for sure, and selfish in my humble opinion. There is a line between the thrill of getting a few things free, and being outright addicted to it. This is where I think that line is drawn. Ask yourself...

Do you find it easier to be altruistic when you have more than you need, or do you want to keep it all for yourself and accumulate more? If you have more than 10 of any given non-grocery product, do you make a donation box to give to the church? Do you get upset an excursion does not go your way? In other words, if you only save 75% percent vs. 90% retail, is your day ruined?

Some of you newbies may be laughing. No joke, there are those that get really upset when a store changes their coupon policy. I found myself becoming one of them. It is unattractive. Then I had to reflect on when I shopped differently. The amount of money I spent on almost NOTHING! It puts things into perspective. 

Market Basket best deals 8/21-8/27

Not in love with either grocery store this week, but I suppose we still have to eat. Best deals below.


*Vast array of Hood products on sale, including half gallons of milk $1.69, whipped cream $2, sour cream $1.50, Simply Smart milk $2.50, Country Creamer $.99; Mix and match the $1/2 Hood Products Q in SS


*Olde Cape Cod dressing 2/$4, use printable $1/2 Q

http://www.cainsfoods.com/cainscoupon/coupon.php

*Chicken of the sea solid white albacore- 5/$5

*Dole Fruit Bowls 4 pack 2/$4 use $.75/2 in SS

*Fage Greek yogurt 17.6oz $2.99 use $2/2 printable Q on their site

http://www.fageusa.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=Yogurt&gclid=CNXaxoiS46oCFasQNAodHmNP9w

*Fresh Express Salad mix 2/$3 (still going)

*Hoffman Super Sharp Cheddar $3.59 lb (usually $4.99)

*Cantaloupes 2/$3

*Cindy’s Kitchen Seafood Marinades 9oz jar $2

*Pure Protein bars 7 pack  $5.99 Use $1 email Q on their site

http://www.pureprotein.net/pages/newslettersignup.aspx

*P.S. Bagel Bites pizza mini's 2/$3 (coupon at desk for free pack WYB 2)

Diapers

Many people have a hard time finding good deals on diapers. Some choose to buy generic, while others buy in bulk to get a lower price per unit. The problem with buying in bulk is that if and WHEN your baby has a growth spurt, you may likely end up with a half case of diapers that just don’t fit properly. This is where stacking manufacturers with store coupons enters the picture.

Many times, the 3 major drug stores will have Pampers or Huggies coupons on their site or in their store booklet. You can use these store coupons in conjunction with manufacturer coupons, and even better, some weeks they are also attached to rewards! This means that if you use previous rewards toward the diaper purchase, you can still use 1 manufacturer coupon, and 1 store coupon, and you will still get new rewards attached to the purchase. This can cut a diaper purchase in half!

Also, look for online specials from ‘Toys r us’ and ‘Babies r us’. If you need to shop there for a birthday, you might as well get some free diapers!