COUPONING 101

There are many ways to save and even earn money while shopping at Target.

Lets start with a few important points from the Target Coupon Policy: Print the policy and keep it in your coupon binder.

Manufacturer and Target Coupons:

-You can use Manufacturer coupons at Target. These can also be stacked with Target Store coupons found in newspaper inserts, online at Target.com, Target mailers and as mobile coupons.
-Target accepts one Manufacturer Coupon and one Target Coupon for the same item (unless prohibited by either coupon)
-Item purchased must match the coupon description (brand, size, quantity, color, flavor, etc.).
-Coupon amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied.
-Target will not give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item.

Internet (Print-at-Home) Coupons:

-Target does not accept internet coupons for free items with no purchase requirements

Mobile Coupons:

-Guests can receive Target Mobile Coupons by signing up for Text Alerts at Target.com/mobile or by texting COUPONS to 827438 (TARGET).
–Target Cartwheel offers are also available on the Cartwheel App
-To redeem, simply show your coupon barcode to the cashier. With one simple scan, all applicable coupons are applied.

Buy One Get One Free Coupons (BOGO):

-BOGO coupons cannot be combined (i.e. you cannot use two BOGO coupons on two items and get both for free). Unless stated otherwise on the coupon, the use of one Buy One Get One Free coupon requires that two of the valid items are presented at checkout of which one item will be charged to the guest and the 2nd item will be discounted by its full retail price.
-A second cents-off coupon of the same type cannot be redeemed towards the purchase price of the first item.
-If a Target BOGO coupon is used, one additional manufacturer coupon maybe used on the first item.
-If a Manufacturer BOGO coupon is used, one additional Target coupon may be used on the first item.

Target Red Card – you can save 5% on your purchase with the Target Debit or Credit Card

Price Matching: Target does match competitor’s prices – go here for the policy

-Always go to the Customer Service Desk to do all price matches
-Pricing for products on Target.com may vary from Target stores and from the Target Weekly Ad. They do not match the price of online merchandise with the price offered by Target stores or another company, and Target stores do not match the price of our online merchandise.
-You need to bring in the competitors advertisement to prove the items description and price for the match.
-When Price Matching – Manufacturer coupons will be applied after the price match is made.
-Target coupons will be applied before the price match is made. If the competitor price is still lower than the price after the Target coupon has been deducted, the ad match can be adjusted to match the competitor’s price.

Exclusions:

-Target will not accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.

Here are a few pointers:

-Always go to the Customer Service Desk to do all price matches

-Pricing for products on Target.com may vary from Target stores and from the Target Weekly Ad. They do not match the price of online merchandise with the price offered by Target stores or another company, and Target stores do not match the price of our online merchandise.

-You need to bring in the competitors advertisement to prove the items description and price for the match.

A few signs that you will want to look for when shopping at Target:

–Sale

A temporary price reduction advertised Sunday-Saturday and lasting up to 2 weeks.

-Temporary Price Cut

A temporary price reduction lasting 1-8 weeks.

-Price Cut

A permanent price reduction advertised for up to 90 days.

PLUS keep an eye on the weekly markdowns: below is the Unofficial Markdown Schedule:

-Monday:
Baby items, children’s clothing, electronics, gift wrap, stationery and office supplies
-Tuesday:
Home décor, domestic items and women’s clothing
-Wednesday:
Food, health and beauty products, men’s clothing, toys, and garden products
-Thursday:
Lingerie, housewares, sporting goods, shoes, and luggage
-Friday:
Cosmetics, jewelry, hardware, automotive, and home improvement

If you are watching an item and see that it has been marked down 30% or 50%, come back in another two weeks to see if it has been marked down further.

Clearance

A permanent price reduction often on discontinued inventory. Clearance prices are good while supplies last.

Reading Clearance Tags:

-15%: When an item goes on clearance at Target, the first markdown is usually 15%. To find out the mark down look at the upper right hand corner of the red clearance tag. If you see the number 15, it is marked down 15%. The last digit of the item will mainly end in the numbers 6 or 8. Example: $5.78.

-30%, 50%, 70% and 90%: If you look closely at the red clearance tag, you might notice the higher percentage off.

-Price Tags Ending With $0.06 or $0.08: If the price of the item on clearance ends in $0.06 or $0.08, the item will be marked down again during the next markdown cycle as long as there is inventory in the store. The item typically will remain at the next percentage off for two weeks before moving to a higher percentage off.
-Price Tags Ending With $0.04: If the last number in the price of the item ends in $0.04, the item has been marked for final clearance, and this is the lowest price that Target will sell the item.

-Seasonal Clearance merchandise such as holiday, back-to-school, and summer items are examples of these clearance products. Many of these are holiday branded and will be reduced at a much faster rate than the typical two-week increment because Target needs the space for new inventory. Often the products begin at 50% off, then are reduced to 70% off, and continue on up to 90% off within two weeks.

Another way to save when when shopping at Target is to take your own bag. You will receive $.05 per bag that you use and you will be helping the environment at the same time.

As with anything, “practice makes perfect” so don’t be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. Sooner than later you will be a pro!

If you need to catch up on the Couponing 101 Series check out the articles below:

-Couponing 101 – Where to find Coupons
–Couponing 101 – What Does All Of This Coupon Lingo Mean?
–Couponing 101 – How To Organize Your Coupons
–Couponing 101: Coupon Techniques & Etiquette
–Couponing 101: What To Buy When – Sales Cycles
–Couponing 101: Stock Up Prices
–Couponing 101: How To Start Building Your Stockpile
–Couponing 101: In Store & Planning Tips

Store Guides:

–Couponing 101: Walgreens Store Guide
–Couponing 101: CVS Store Guide
–Couponing 101: Walmart Store Guide

Want to learn more? Subscribe to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

Walmart seems to be a one stop shop for many – but do you know the ins and outs of saving? If you want to lean more lets start with a few highlights from the coupon policy, be sure to print the policy and put this into your coupon binder:

Print-at-home internet coupons

-Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons with a specified price
-Are acceptable in black and white or color
-For free items (except those printed off the Internet)
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons

Competitors’ coupon

-A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price
-Checkout coupons (“Catalinas”)
-Printed at our competitors’ registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item

Walmart DOES NOT accept the following coupons:

-Checkout coupons
-Dollars/cents off the entire basket purchase
-Percentage off the entire basket purchase
-Print-at-home Internet coupons that require no purchase

The following are guidelines and limitations:

-Item purchased must be identical to the coupon (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc).
-There is no limit on the number of coupons per transaction.
-If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.
-The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:
-40 coupons per transaction.
-A coupon of $20 or greater on one item.
-$50 or more in coupons in one transaction.

Ad Match Guarantee (Price Matching), print this policy and add it to your coupon binder.

-If you find a lower advertised price on an identical product, Walmart will match it. Right at the register.

Here are the types of ads they will match:

-Buy one, get one free ads with a specified price
Example: Buy one for $2.49, get one free (BOGO)
-Competitors’ ads that feature a specific item for a specified price.
-Preferred shopping card prices for specific items that are in a printed ad.
-For fresh produce and meat items when the price is offered in the same unit type (lb. for lb.; each for each)

The following are guidelines and limitations:

-Walmart will match any local competitor’s advertised price.
-Walmart does not require customers to have the ad with them to honor a competitor’s ad.
-Items purchased must be identical to the ad (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc.)

Walmart Will NOT match the price in the following types of competitor ads:

-Items that require a separate purchase to get the ad price
example: “Buy [item A] to get [item B] for $C”
-Items with no actual price that require a purchase to get free product
example: “Buy both [items A & B] to get [item C] for free”
-Items that require a purchase to get a competitors’ gift card
example: “Buy [item A] to get a $B gift card
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) ads with no actual price given
-Percentage off
example: “All mascara, 40% off”
-Ads when the actual price for items cannot be determined.
-Internet pricing
-Misprinted ad prices of other retailers
-“Going out of business” sales or “close out” prices

Tips:

If you have problems with cashiers accepting coupons that you are using properly according to their policy, your first course of action is to talk to the store manager. If you are still not being helped, contact Walmart Corporate and explain the situation. Often corporate will contact the store manager to ensure proper protocol is being taken. If you continue to have issues: Walmart’s Customer Service number is 800-WAL-MART.

Take your price match ads to the grocery store with you and put all your price match products in a certain section of the cart so you don’t get confused.

Get a subscription to All You Magazine or purchase a copy at your local Walmart.

Keep your eyes peeled for those Roll-Back prices.

Be sure to stop by the travel section to make use of coupons that have no size exclusions.

*Pick an off time to shop to avoid the crowds.

Additional Savings Options at Walmart:

Follow Walmart on Twitter– they tweet out deals daily

Check out Walmart’s online coupons

Take advantage of the Free Samples Walmart provides as well as their Free Events.

If you need to catch up on the Couponing 101 Series check out the articles below:

-Couponing 101 – Where to find Coupons
–Couponing 101 – What Does All Of This Coupon Lingo Mean?
–Couponing 101 – How To Organize Your Coupons
–Couponing 101: Coupon Techniques & Etiquette
–Couponing 101: What To Buy When – Sales Cycles
–Couponing 101: Stock Up Prices
–Couponing 101: How To Start Building Your Stockpile
–Couponing 101: In Store & Planning Tips

Store Guides:

–Couponing 101: Walgreens Store Guide
–Couponing 101: CVS Store Guide

Want to learn more? Subscribe to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

There are many ways to save and even earn money while shopping at CVS. For those of you who are new to shopping at CVS, here are all the tips you will need to start saving today!

We will start with the Weekly Ads. You can get the Weekly Ad online, in front of the store or in your local Sunday paper. The Ad lists all sale items and items that will produce Extra Care Bucks and the quantity needed to earn them.

What are Extra Care Bucks (ECB)? These are dollars that you earn when making certain purchases and can be used on any future CVS purchase. Your ECBs will print out on your receipt so make sure to always check before throwing away your receipt. There are weekly and monthly ECB. You will also earn 2% back in ECB quarterly on your purchases which will print automatically at the end of the sales period.

You do not have to get all the items at the same time but will not earn the ECB until you fulfill the entire purchase.

In order to start earning ECBs, you need to have an Extra Care Card. You can get a card simply by asking a cashier for a form or by signing up online. If you fill out the form in-store, you will get your card to start saving immediately. However if you sign up online, it will take about a week to get your card in the mail. Remember to register your account online to receive special offers by email or in your mail box.

In addition to ECB, there is also CRT (cash register tape) coupons that print automatically on your receipt. You can also get these CRTs by scanning your Extra Care Card at the red price scanner (the magic coupon box we refer to) usually located in the front of the store. These are not listed in the Weekly Ad and just print randomly. These are pretty general, for instance, $2.00 off of Huggies Pull-ups and sometimes Freebies!

These CRTs are considered CVS Store coupons and can be combined with manufacturer’s coupons (MFC). This is called “Coupon Stacking” and here’s what it looks like:

Buy (1) Huggies Pull-ups Jumbo Pack @ $9.00
Use (1) $2.00 CRT
Use (1) $3.00 MFC
Total $4.00 after using both coupons

Making money at CVS can be very simple! Almost every week there is a promotion where you will earn the same amount of ECB that you spend.

For instance:

Colgate Toothpaste $2.99
Earn $2.99 ECB wyb 1
Use $1.00 off Manufacturer’s coupon
Total = $1.00 overage after coupon and ECB

Coupons

-CVS/pharmacy will not accept third party manufacturers’ coupons with another retailer’s logo
-CVS/pharmacy only accepts ExtraBucks Rewards applicable to the ExtraCare card offered at time of purchase.
-The total value of the coupons may not exceed the value of the transaction. Sales tax must be paid, if required by state law.
-CVS/pharmacy will not accept percent off coupons for an item that is on sale
-In the event that any item’s price is less than the value of the coupon, CVS/pharmacy will only accept the coupon only to the price of the item. CVS/pharmacy does not provide cash back in exchange for any coupons.
-CVS/pharmacy accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable CVS/pharmacy coupon(s) per item, unless prohibited by either coupon offer.
-There is no limit to the number of ExtraBucks Rewards that may be used in a transaction as long as it does not exceed the transaction total.
-The number of manufacturer coupons used in a transaction may not exceed the number of items in the transaction.
-CVS/pharmacy accepts multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers, unless a limit is specified. Management reserves the right to limit the quantity of items purchased.
-CVS/pharmacy accepts multiple Dollar off Transaction coupons (e.g. $3 off $15) in one transaction if they apply
-Two coupons may be used on a Buy One, Get One Free promotion as long as it does not exceed the item total
-Buy One, Get One Free promotions may be combined with Buy One, Get One Free Coupons. Customers are responsible for paying applicable tax

Email coupons – remember to sign up online to get these.

For example:

Max Factor Mascara $7.99 B1G1 Free
Use (2) $3.00 off MFC
Total = $1.99 for both

PLUS always remember to scan your card at the RED Coupon Machine in front of the store for additional savings!

*You can also download the CVS app!

As with anything, “practice makes perfect” so don’t be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. You’ll be shopping like a pro soon enough.

-Couponing 101 – Where to find Coupons
–Couponing 101 – What Does All Of This Coupon Lingo Mean?
–Couponing 101 – How To Organize Your Coupons
–Couponing 101: Coupon Techniques & Etiquette
–Couponing 101: What To Buy When – Sales Cycles
–Couponing 101: Stock Up Prices
–Couponing 101: How To Start Building Your Stockpile
–Couponing 101: In Store & Planning Tips

Store Guides:

–Couponing 101: Walgreens Store Guide

Want to learn more? Subscribe to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

Now it’s time to get to know the policies for some of our favorite stores! Lets start with Walgreens!

Walgreens Incentives:

-Balance Rewards

-Earn points for your purchases
-1,000 reward points = $1
-You will not earn Balance Rewards points if you use balance rewards on your purchase
-There is no limit on the Balance Rewards points you can earn in a single transaction

-Register Rewards

-These are a coupon/catalina that will print at the register to use towards a different transaction.
-Register RewardsTM will only print for in-stock merchandise during the promotional period.
-Register RewardsTM can only be earned for eligible items. No substitutions.
-There is a limit of one Register RewardsTM (RR) printed per offer per customer per transaction.
-Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.
-Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.
-The RR coupon value cannot exceed the total purchase amount. No cash back and no cash value for RR coupon.
-The number of manufacturer coupons, including RR manufacturer coupons, must not exceed the number of items in the transaction.

-In Store Coupons

-These can be found on Walgreens Website or in the Ad located at the front of the store. (You can stack an in store coupon with a manufactures coupon).
-Walgreens Coupon Booklet or IVC
-These are issued monthly and are located in the front of the store – near the door – next to the weekly store advertisements. (You can stack an in store coupon with a manufactures coupon).

Coupons

-Walgreens will accept manufacturer coupons for an item that is on sale.
-In the event that any item’s selling price is less than the value of the coupon, Walgreens will only accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price of the item. Coupon redemption can never exceed the selling price of an item and no cash back is ever provided in exchange for any coupons.
-When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
-Walgreens accepts valid internet/print at home coupons with a clear and scannable barcode.

Walgreens Coupon Policy:

First things first print the policy and add it to your Coupon Binder – so you will always have it available in the store if you need it.

Here are some of the most valuable points from the policy:

General information:

-Competitor coupons are not accepted at Walgreens.
-The number of manufacturer coupons, including Register Rewards manufacturer coupons, may not exceed the number of items in the transaction. The total value of the coupons may not exceed the value of the transaction. Sales tax must be paid, if required by state law.

Sale Items

-In the event that any item’s selling price is less than the value of the coupon, Walgreens will only accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price of the item. Coupon redemption can never exceed the selling price of an item and no cash back is ever provided in exchange for any coupons.

Multiple Coupons

-When purchasing a single item, Walgreens accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable Walgreens coupon(s) for the purchase of a single item, unless prohibited by either coupon offer.
-The coupon amount must be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied. (For example, a $5.00 coupon for a $4.99 item will result in a $4.99 coupon value).
-When purchasing multiple items, Walgreens accepts multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers, unless a limit is specified. Management reserves the right to limit the quantity of items purchased.

Buy One, Get One Free Coupons

-When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.

Here’s how to put this information into action:

You have two tubes of Crest Toothpaste listed at $1.50 each and you’ll receive a $1 RR (Register Reward).

Buy 2 Crest Toothpaste $1.50 Each
-use 3/6 PG Save $1/1 (use 2 coupons from the P&G Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
Out of Pocket: You get 2 tubes of toothpaste for $1.00
Receive: $1 in Register Rewards when you buy 2
(Basically you receive FREE after the Register Reward)

What can you do with this Register Reward? As mentioned in the policy you can not turn around and do the same deal. The reason is because you can not use a Register Reward on a product in the same family (from the same manufacturer) that is offering a Register Reward. For example, if you turned around and did this same deal, it would cancel the $1 Register Reward and you would not receive one back. The same is true for any Register Reward and Proctor and Gamble deal. *As you will notice on your Register Reward it will state who provided the reward so you can easily determine what the Register Reward can and can not be used on in your next transaction.

Here are an additional example of how to complete your Register Reward transactions:

Will not work: Buy 1 Reach Toothbrush, $1.50
-use 3/6 SS Save $1/1 (Smart Source Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
-use $1 RR (Register Reward received from a different transaction)
———————————–cash register will beep————————————————–
*a Register Reward (RR) counts as a coupon, so you have to have equal or greater amount of items in order to use coupons and Register Reward (RR)

Will work: Buy 1 Reach Toothbrush, $1.50
-use 3/6 SS Save $1/1 (Smart Source Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
-use $1 RR (Register Reward received from a different transaction)
Grab a filler item that is $.50 or more
Final Price, FREE

Here is an example of how to use a Walgreens coupon in your transaction:

Buy 1 GUM Dental Floss $1.50 w/in store coupon
-use 3/6 SS Save $1/1 (Smart Source Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
-use in store coupon
-use $1 RR (Register Reward received from a different transaction)
Grab 2 items that are $.50 or more
Final Price, FREE

Now here are a few of my own personal tips:

-Check out at the Beauty Counter! If you are purchasing items in their area they will receive a small commission so it’s nice to pay that forward. Many times it is less crowded and they are more tolerant of couponers.

-If your transaction does not work (for instance the Register Reward doesn’t print) ask for a manager. Many times they will over-ride the transaction and provide you with the Register Reward you should have received.

-Get to know the people who work in the store. I have found that most Walgreens employees are extremely easy to get to know and they enjoy getting to know their customers so strike up a conversation!

-Ask when their trucks come in.. If the items are out of Stock on Sunday most Walgreens have another truck that comes in on Tuesdays (however this may not be accurate for all stores) so ask!

-Get a rain check. It’s up to the managers discression what they will provide a rain check on however many times they will give you a rain check on an item you are looking for when it’s out of stock.

As Always – my motto is “Just Ask,” the only thing they can say is no…

-Couponing 101 – Where to find Coupons
–Couponing 101 – What Does All Of This Coupon Lingo Mean?
–Couponing 101 – How To Organize Your Coupons
–Couponing 101: Coupon Techniques & Etiquette
–Couponing 101: What To Buy When – Sales Cycles
–Couponing 101: Stock Up Prices
–Couponing 101: How To Start Building Your Stockpile
–Couponing 101: In Store & Planning Tips

Want to learn more? Subscribe to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

Before we get started on specific store policies and additional ways to save in your favorite stores I wanted to share a few additional tips to help you save more money with coupons.

Make A List:

Before you go to the store Make A List – and Stick to Your List. The store can be enticing especially when you go in hungry (don’t do that either).. so be sure you have a list and stick to it to save more money each week.

Track Prices:

Make a Price Tracking Sheet (available in Everything buy the Binder) to start tracking prices in your local stores on items that you normally purchase. If you’re just starting track prices in the store you are beginning to coupon in. You will see that prices will drop when items are in season and during the sales cycles which gives you a better idea on – what time to buy!

Meal Planning:

You can easily create a Menu Planning sheet (available in Everything buy the Binder) for the week that shows your breakfast, lunches, dinners and snacks! Then plan the meals for the week based on the sales in the store and the items in your pantry. You can find this weeks sales by checking out out Grocery and Drug Store tab as well as using your local sales flyers.

Then pick an item like Chicken and use sites like Recipes.com to make dishes out of the sales items or items you have on stock in your very own pantry.

Look Up & Down and On End Caps:

Stores do through research to see how we as consumers shop. One thing that they use to their advantage is our average height and they place the items that “they” want us to purchase at this level. So to be a little smarter keep an eye on the items above and below your eye level and you will find that more than not these items are less expensive then the items you see when you are looking straight ahead.

You will also want to keep an eye on the end caps in the store. This is where you will typically find a ton of clearance deals but keep in mind that it is how stores entice us to go into the aisles. The best way to save is by staying clear of the aisles without products that you need on your list.. Just keep on moving!

Don’t Let The Size Fool You:

Be sure to check out the Units Per Measure on the items in the store because often we will find that the larger item costs us more even though it seems like a better bargain.

Stray from Brand Loyalty:

There are some items I know that I want to purchase because I love them.. but if you can stray from being brand loyal on items like toothpaste, deodorant, shaving gel, laundry detergent, etc.. you can save much more each week especially with coupons.

Pay with Cash:

This will make you think more about your purchases and keep you on your budget. This will also help you start looking for more inexpensive items in the store.

*Start with the amount that you are spending weekly in the store and each week cut that amount by 5%. With the additional use of coupons you will see the amount you’re paying weekly decrease by a large amount.

Do you have any additional tips? If so be sure to share them in the comments:

If you’ve missed part of the Couponing 101 Series be sure to check out the series below:

-Couponing 101: What Are Coupons & Where Do I Find Them?

–Couponing 101: Coupon Lingo What Does It Mean?

–Couponing 101 – How To Organize Your Coupons

–Couponing 101: Coupon Techniques & Etiquette

–Couponing 101: What To Buy When – Sales Cycles

–Couponing 101: Stock Up Prices

–Couponing 101: How To Start Building Your Stockpile

Follow along with all of the Coupons, Freebies and Deals by Subscribing to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

Now that you know some of our price points for stocking up on items and the sales cycles it’s time to start thinking about picking up more than one item at the store when you have additional coupons to use.

Here’s a few things you should know before you start:

1) A Store Sale + A Coupon = Rock Bottom Prices And BIG SAVINGS

The reason that we match up the weekly advertisements to coupons is because that is the time that you want to buy your item. It’s also important to know that the closer a coupon gets to it’s expiration date the more likely you are going to see a reduction in that items price.

2) Sales tend to come around every 3 months.

I don’t encourage anyone to clear a shelf at any store to start their stockpile but I do encourage you to buy the amount of a product that you will need to last you 3 months since sales and coupons re-appear every 3-4 months giving you savings throughout the entire year.

For example in 3 months I will go through approximately 2-3 jars of peanut butter and after that 3 months I will be able to find another great deal to last us an additional 3 months and I won’t find it necessary to make a purchase without a coupon or a sale on that item.

If you stock up when their are rock bottom then you have eliminated the NEED to make a purchase later.

3) Choose One Store to start your couponing and stockpiling in.

It’s important if you are just starting out to choose 1 store. Don’t compare yourselves to others and don’t fall into the temptation of trying everything at once. When you master your first store then move on to a second.

4) Follow along with STL Mommy and use our coupon match ups for drug and grocery stores as well as our Extreme Couponing posts for the hidden sales and new coupons that we find during the week.

Here are the match ups completed weekly:

–Walgreens
–Target
–CVS
–Walmart
–Dollar General
–Family Dollar
–Kmart
–Schnucks
–Shop ‘n Save
–Dierbergs

Let us do the homework for you we are here to help.

Did you miss the beginning of our Couponing 101 Series if so check out these articles:

-Couponing 101: What Are Coupons & Where Do I Find Them?
–Couponing 101: Coupon Lingo What Does It Mean?
–Couponing 101 – How To Organize Your Coupons
–Couponing 101: Coupon Techniques & Etiquette
–Couponing 101: What To Buy When – Sales Cycles
–Couponing 101: Stock Up Prices

Follow along with all of the Coupons, Freebies and Deals by Subscribing to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

I’ve been asked a lot lately what I think are good “stock” up prices. While there is no “price” rule I do have some guidelines for myself that I use to know a good “stock up” price!

Here are some examples:

-Toothbrush: Free
-Floss: Free
-Mouthwash: $0.50
-Deodorant: Free
-Body Wash: $0.50
-Soap: $0.25
-Lotion: $0.50
-Shampoo/Conditioner: $0.50
-Feminine Hygine Products: Free – $50 tops + there are a ton… of samples for these
-Shaving Cream: $0.50
-Disposable Razors: Free
-Razors, (ex. Gillette Fusion or Venus): $1
-Detergent: $1.50
-Dish Washer Tabs or Liquid: $0.50
-Toilet Paper: $0.25 per roll
-Cleaning Supplies: $0.50 or less
-Baby Wipes: $1.00 or less per box
-Diapers: $0.14 or less per diaper
-Candles: $1.00 or less (high quality)
-Aluminum Foil: $0.50
-Fruit: $1.00/lb
-Meat: $2/lb, $4/lb Steaks (high quality)
-Potatoes: $3/10 lb bag
-Soda: $2.50/12 pk
-Cereal: $$0.50 per box
-Canned veggies: $0.35
-Frozen veggies: Free
-Pasta: $0.25
-Pasta Sauce: $.50

My rule of thumb is if I am saving 90% or more off of the retail price I have most likely found a rock bottom priced deal and it’s time to stock up.

So what are your stock up prices?

Now that we have talked about “How to Find Coupons,” “Coupon Lingo” and “How to Organize our Coupons” it’s time to talk about mazimizing our savings with coupons.

Coupon Techniques

*Stack store coupons with manufacturer’s coupons and when available $ off of $ amount – for instance at Walgreens, Target, Dollar General, Family Dollar and CVS you can stack your store coupons along with manufacturers coupons for additional savings. At Dollar General many times you can also combine your products and coupons along with a $5 off of $25 offer which greatly reduces the amount you are spending on the products.

*Price Match at Walmart and Target – both stores allow you to price match advertisers sale prices. You need the other stores weekly advertisment/flyer and the product you are matching must be the exact same product that is listed in the weekly advertisment.

*Take advantage of stores that double (i.e. Schnucks & Dierbergs) and triple coupons

*Buy only when an item is on sale – this is the easiest way to maximize your savings.

*Use a Coupon Database so you aren’t always clipping coupons- find your coupons when you’re ready to shop and then clip

*Take advantage of store loyalty programs, register promotions, and rewards.

Coupons to the Extreme

Now that have a general knowledge of coupon techniques, here are some additional techniques to save you even more money when you buy.

*Look for products that are free and will give you Overage- Overage happens when the value of a coupon exceeds the price of the item. Many stores will allow you to apply the exceeding value to the rest of your shopping order. Walmart will even give you money back when you shop if your coupons exceed the value of the products. By doing this you greatly reducing the price of your entire purchase.

*B1G1 Coupons- Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons (also known as BOGO coupons or B1G1 coupons) allow you to purchase one item and get a second item of equal or lesser value for free! You’ll want to pay special attention to the fine print on the coupon as there is usually a maximum value stated on the coupon (this maximum value is the most that the manufacturer is willing to reimburse the store for the “free” item). With a B1G1 store sale, you are purchasing 2 like items and then automatically getting one item for free when you checkout. Since you are still essentially purchasing 2 items, you can use a B1G1 coupon in conjunction with the B1G1 store sale to get the both items for free (one is free after the store sale and one is free after the coupon). *Important Note: Read your store’s coupon policy very carefully as some stores (Target & Walmart ) may prohibit the use of a B1G1 coupon in conjunction with a B1G1 store sale. *We will go through each of the stores couponing  policies and rewards during the Couponing 101 series.

*Rebates- Mail-in-rebates are an added way to save and often honored based on the price of an item or an amount you will spend

*Rain Checks- When there are good sales, often stores will run out of items. Don’t forget the power of a rain check where a store will honor the sale price of an item at a future time.

*Rolling Deals – means that you can purchase a product for a coupon or a rebate and then use that on the purchase of the same item over and over. This seldom happens at stores but when it does you want to hurry off to the store because you will store an Extreme Deal.

Coupon Etiquette

Even through we are maximizing our savings by being Savvy Shoppers it’s important to know what is too extreme and to be courteous to our fellow coupon shoppers.

*Don’t photocopy coupons- it’s illegal and hurts the retailers and all using coupons

*Use only one manufacturer coupon and store coupon per item

*Don’t try to use a coupon for which it is not intended for- it’s unethical

*All coupons must have expiration dates or stores will not accept them

*Don’t clean the shelf off on a good deal- share the wealth

Did you miss the beginning of our Couponing 101 Series if so check out these articles:

-Couponing 101: What Are Coupons & Where Do I Find Them?
–Couponing 101: Coupon Lingo What Does It Mean?
–Couponing 101 – How To Organize Your Coupons

You can also learn more by Subscribing to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

There are many ways to organize coupons, but the important thing is to have them organized. Planning out shopping trips is a much quicker process when you know exactly where your coupons are and can easily find the ones you want.

There’s no right or wrong way to organize, but here are my top picks:

1) Three-Ring Binder:This method what we use to develop the My City Mommy Coupon Binder.

The My City Mommy Coupon Binder Includes:

Getting Started Guide:
-How To Set Up Your Binder
-How To Use The Shopping Organizer pages
-How To Use The Menu Planner and Price Tracker Sheets
-Coupon Lingo & Abbreviations Explained
Binder Contents
-5 double-sided Shopping Organizer pages. Use these to plan out your shopping trips with every detail you could need.
-5 double-sided Menu Planner pages. Use these to plan your menus for each week.
-2 double-sided Price Tracker sheets. Use these to determine what are good, great and stock up prices for the items that your family uses according to your location and specific stores.
-A sheet of adhesive labels. Use these for your pocket dividers and coupon category pages with over 40 preprinted labels and more blank ones for you to customize for a total of 80.
-5 sturdy poly material double pocket, tabbed store dividers. Use one for each of your favorite stores to keep your store ads, coupon booklets and more all together. Each has (1) 3 slot coupon organizer page behind it to keep that store’s coupons
-15 more pages to organize your clipped coupons. You have the choice of 3 slot pages, 9 slot pages or a combination of both. All are clear, highest quality, top loading BCW pages
-1 sturdy plastic 3 ring pocket. It velcros closed to keep unfiled or unclipped coupons secure.

2) Accordion Folder: A large accordion folder is a good choice for those who clip all of their coupons in advance. You can use the various pockets to divide coupons up by category and keep them sorted by expiration date.

A small accordion folder is nice to use to actually bring into the store. It can also double as a great place to store ExtraCare Bucks and Register Rewards earned from CVS and Walgreens, as well as receipts.

Tip: look for accordion folders in the dollar section at Target toward the end of the summer.

3) The Couponizer: This is a fantastic organizer especially for the beginning couponer. The Couponizer is a complete set of tools designed to make saving money easy. It is made up of 18 category pockets for grocery coupons and other coupon and discount category pockets. The Couponizer includes a section for store loyalty cards, a shopping list, a CoupTracker (to keep track of your fabulous coupon savings!), and a pair of scissors. It also comes with a CoupStacker to store coupons that don’t fit into the Couponizer.

There are many options on how to keep your coupons separate and organized. I suggest that you do what feels and works best for you. Be sure to leave a comment below letting us know what you are currently using.

Did you miss the beginning of our Couponing 101 Series if so check out these articles:

-Couponing 101: What Are Coupons & Where Do I Find Them?
–Couponing 101: Coupon Lingo What Does It Mean?

You can also learn more by Subscribing to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

Before you can get your coupons organized, follow the coupon match ups and hurry off to the store you need to know what all of the crazy abbreviations, accronyms, and coupon lingo means!

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Here’s an example of a scenerio that you may see in a Weekly Coupon Match Up for Walgreens.

(2) Gillette Custom Plus 3 Disposable Razors 4pk @ $6.99 = $13.98
(2) Gillette Fusion Shaving Cream @ $4.49 = $8.98
=$22.96
-B1G1 Custom Plus 3 Disposable Razors 6/19 RP insert, use one
-$1/1 Gillette ProGlide or Fusion Shave Prep 6/5 P&G insert, use two
Earn $5 RR when you spend $20 on Gillette Products
Final price: all four for $8.97

Here is what this means without the lingo:

Buy 2 Gillette Custom Plus 3 Disposable Razors 4pk at $6.99 each. Also purchase 2 Gillette Fusion Shaving Cream at $4.49 each. The coupons you are going to hand to the cashier when you check out are a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Custom Plus 3 Disposable Razor Coupon from your June 19th Red Plum newspaper insert. *You will find the date on the side of your newspaper inserts just as you do a magazine. You will also hand the cashier 2 $1.00 off of 1 Gillette ProGlide or Fusion Shave Prep coupons from the June 5th Proctor and Gamble newpaper insert. When you check out a Walgreens Register Reward will print out giving you $5 off of your next Walgreens purchase because the total price of your products before coupons was $20. Your final price for all 4 items is $8.97.

Aren’t you glad we use lingo…

Now here is the language you need to know so you can become Coupon Savvy:

General Lingo:

-BOGOF or B1G1 – is a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale or Buy 1 Get 1 Free Coupon

-Peelie – these are coupons or rebates that peel off of a package.

-WYB – means when you buy. You will often see scenarios that state wyb a certain amount of products you will get a reward via coupon or rebate.

-OOP – is your cash out of pocket.

-MIR – is a mail in rebate that you mail in to receive a specific amount of cash back on an item that you purchased.

-$1/2 – $1 off of 2 items, keep in mind that the first number is always the amount that you get off of the product the second number is the amount you have to purchase to receive the discount.

-SC – is a store coupon. These coupons can come in mailers directly to your mailbox, in weekly advertisements within the store or in the newspaper or directly into your email inbox. Store coupons can often be stacked (or used together) with a manufacturers coupon.

-MFC or MQ- is the manufacturers coupon. These can be found in all of the various ways that we find coupons as listed in our “How to Find Coupons, Couponing 101 article.”

-GC – is a gift card. These are cards much like a credit card that give you money off of your purchase at select retailers.

-MM – is a money maker. These are often indicated at the end of our coupon scenarios and are one of an Extreme Couponers best friends.

-DND – means do not double because the manufacturer does not want the store to double the coupon even if it is in the stores coupon policy to do so. These coupons will not exceed the value printed on the coupon at any time.

-Ea. – means each, this is often reflected at the end of a coupon scenario when you are purchasing more than 1 item because we want you to know the bottom line price that you are paying for each product.

-YMMV – means your mileage may vary. This is often used for stores that may not have the same items on clearance or for a store that does not have the same prices on their products nationwide.

-IP- is an Internet printable coupon. These can come from various resources as mentioned in our “How to Find Coupons, Couponing 101 article.”

-Blinkie – coupons you get from the little machines in the aisle in the store, typically they blink or have a light on them which is how they got the name Blinkie.

-WSL – means while supplies last

-UPC – is the Universal Product Code. This is a Twelve-digit barcode printed or affixed on virtually everything sold in supermarkets or retail stores, including books, magazines, candy, etc., for automatic checking-out at the cashier counter. These are most often mentioned if there is a specific item within the store that is ringing up for a discounted price while other items of the same type and manufacturer are priced at a higher amount.

-Catalina or CAT-is a coupon for an amount off your next purchase or for a free item on your next purchase-these print out of a small box located next to the register owned by the Catalina company.

-FAR – means Free After Rebate. If there is an item that is $2 and you get a $2 Rebate with the purchase your item is FREE.

-OYNO – means a dollar amount off of your next order. This could be specified in the weekly match ups along with CVS Extra Care Bucks, Walgreen’s Register Rewards or Catalina’s at your local stores.

-PSA – means prices starting at. We often put this into our deal scenarios if the price isn’t listed in the advertisement but we can find a price online for the product at the same store.

-Overage – is another one of the Couponers favorite words because this means you get money back for purchasing an item. One of our favorite stores for this is Walmart because they will now hand you the overage or cash-back if your coupon exceeds the value of the product.

-Stacking – is when you use a manufacturers coupon along with a store coupon or rebate to increase your savings on a product you are purchasing.

-Rain Check – is a piece of paper that the manager or an employee with give you if they are out of a product that is on sale so you can come back when the item is back in stock and pick up the item at the sale price.

-Rolling – means that you can purchase a product for a coupon or a rebate and then use that on the purchase of the same item over and over. This seldom happens at stores but when it does you want to hurry off to the store because you will store an Extreme Deal.

-Tear Pad – is a pad of coupons that you often see on the shelves at the store or even at gas stations. These are manufacturers coupons that can be used in any store.

-One coupon per purchase – This means that you can use 1 coupon per item with the item being considered your purchase. For example if you had 5 identical cans of green beans and 5 coupons for that product you could use all 5 of your coupons on your order because that equals 5 purchases.

-One coupon per order – This means that you can only use that specific coupon once per visit.

-One coupon per household – means only 1 person in your household is allowed to use this coupon. This typically is listed on high value or free coupons only.

Specific Store Coupons

-ECB or EB – these are CVS Pharmacy’s Extra Care Bucks. These print out at the bottom of your receipt and are good on your next purchase at CVS. Never fear if you loose your Extra Care Bucks because you can now log into your CVS Extracare account online and retrieve and print your CVS Extra Care Bucks if you misplace them.

-Wags – is short for Walgreens

-RR – is Walgreens Register Rewards. These are dollar off coupons that print from a box much like the Catalina boxes beside the register. They are good on your next purchase.

IVC – is an Instant Value Coupon. These are the coupons in the Walgreens Monthly Coupon Books and also found in the weekly advertisements.

Newspaper Inserts

-PG – Proctor & Gamble
-SS – Smartsource
-RP – Red Plum
-GM – General Mills
-K – Kelloggs
-UN – Unilever

Be sure to read – where to find coupons if you haven’t already.

Stay tuned for the new Couponing 101 Article and Be sure to follow along by Subscribing to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!

It’s a new year so I thought we should start of the year with a bang and go through an entire Couponing 101 series on STL Mommy!

If you’ve followed STL Mommy in the past some of the information will be the same but it will be updated and easier to follow. *Just be sure to subscribe or follow along on facebook so you don’t miss the series.

So here we go!

A Valpak national study says close to half of us… 40% now search for deals or coupons before making a purchase. And 41% of coupon users come from households earning greater than $70,000! (Nielsen Online Research) That means we are all becoming savvy shoppers, wanting to hang on to our money rather than spending aimlessly on daily needs.

Many believe clipping coupons takes too much time or somehow looks cheap. The truth is, spending 20 minutes clipping coupons before you shop can save you up to 30% at the grocery store. What’s not cool about that? Do you get paid that amount in 20 minutes working every day? There are so many online resources and deals found for you that saving money at the store doesn’t take a lot of time. It just takes a person willing to follow directions on how to make it happen. If you buy only generics, that is a good savings tactic. But I know many who prefer national brands on certain items… if that is the case, using a coupon or two can OFTEN save you even more than generics and give you the ability to stock up and save when those brands go on sale.

Coupons are everywhere and more than likely available on ALMOST ANYTHING you use, and yes, you can even save going organic. The key is not buying things you won’t use just because it’s on sale and you have a coupon (or consider donating those items to the needy). I consider coupon money and treat it as such. Also, take heart in knowing that retailers don’t lose money when you use a coupon. Retailers receive back the face value of a coupon in addition to a handling fee of 8 cents.

We will be sharing very valuable tips on how to coupon with you. First things first:

What Are Coupons & Where Do I Find Them?

I believe that the Dictionary sums up coupons to a tee – however to me they are free money. What’s better then free money? Not much!

Now, How Do You Find Them?

1.Newspaper-
This is a little obvious, but with all the printable coupons available, it can be a little easy to overlook. *If you are a sassy couponer then you will be purchasing more than one of your paper. You can actually preview what coupons will be in the paper by clicking here, then you can buy more papers while you are out. *Keep in mind there are never inserts on holiday weekends.

For extras (for free) check libraries, restaurants and fast food places, doctor’s offices, your next door neighbor, some newspaper offices have places for leftover ads, post offices (same thing), recycle places.

2. Printable Coupon Websites-
These are my favorite because you get to print just coupons you want, there is a good variety, and frequent changes. Make sure that you watch for coupons that may have a limit – you may only be able to print so many or you may miss out b/c others have printed them all.. sometimes the coupon will reset.

Coupons.com
Red Plum
Smart Source
Bricks
Coupon Database – you can use this to see if any product that you want to purchase has a coupon available ‘right now.’

3. Store Website Printable Coupons –
Same as above, may only be for this particular store so pay attention to type of coupon and if they are good to use for stacking with a manufacture coupon.

Target
Dollar General
Family Dollar

4. Mobile Coupons –

Target
Schnucks
iBotta

5. Mobile/Card Coupons-
Text a code to the store and they will put the coupons on your loyalty card or use a site to do the same thing, for some stores you will probably have to sign up for their e-mails to get the code.

Cellfire
Upromise
Softcoin

6. Manufacture Websites-
Get it straight from the horse’s mouth. Sometimes you have to sign up for a newsletter, they change each month so print your favorites when you see them.

Betty Crocker
Pillsbury
*For your favorite products check their website for coupon offers

7. In stores-
Look around! You can find lots of coupons on the items (peelies), next to the price, on the shelves, in the little coupon machines in front of the items. Keep your eyes open! Take a sales flyer when you come in the door! At CVS, use your card to check their coupon machine.

8. On/with your receipt-
Check all that stuff that prints out with your receipt and check the back of your receipt. Lots of good coupons come with that because lots of times it’s based on what you have bought and many times they are instore coupons so they are stackable!

9. Facebook-
Become a fan (or “like”) your favorite brands. I will always post these coupons as they become available.

10. Magazines –
I haven’t seen a magazine with more coupons than All You. But, look through your favorite magazine, you’d be surprised to see coupons hiding among the ads!

11. Samples-
Most of the free sample offers that you sign up for will come with a coupon for the product, especially those from name brands.

12. Email or Call-
Your favorite companies and ask for coupons – many times they will send you coupons and often even free products!

Stay tuned in because tomorrow we will continue our 2014 Couponing 101 Edition!

Follow along with all of the Coupons, Freebies and Deals by Subscribing to STL Mommy’s once daily e-mail or following along on Facebook!