Save-ology 101: Popular Websites for Printable Coupons

Here's a list of the most popular websites for printable coupons!  Bookmark this post as I will be updating this list, periodically.  These sites are also constantly being updated with new coupons.:

Betty Crocker

Box Tops 4 Education


Campbell's Kitchen

Coupons.com

Coupon Network

Kelloggs

Pillsbury

Redplum

Right at Home (SC Johnson)

Smartsource


Snackpicks

Save-ology 101: How to Shop Walgreens

Introduction
When my wife decided to become a pharmacy technician at a relatively new Walgreens store in Marietta about three years ago, I have to admit that I had never set foot inside a Walgreens.  I was introduced to a new set of store policies and savings opportunities that, at first, made my head spin.  It was sometimes difficult to understand and therefore, I really didn't shop there much.  But when I got serious about couponing and saving money, I realized that there were amazing deals and, with a little patience and planning, I could save a ton of money on things that were costing me a lot, like OTC meds, household products, toiletries and groceries.  Also, generally speaking, I've found the Walgreens stores that I've dealt with to be coupon friendly and most cashiers knowedgeable on their policies.  I hope you will also take the time to learn the ins and outs of shopping "The Wag" (slang for Walgreens) with this short overview.


No Loyalty Card Program
Walgreens currently doesn't have a loyalty card for general purchases in the store, which has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you are not limited on the number of purchases of an item (although items that generate RR's are limited by the RR policy, which will be discussed later, and management may institute limits on hot items from time to time), but the obvious flipside to that is that it can be difficult for stores to maintain stock on those hot sale items. It's best to get there early in the week or find out what day their replenishment truck comes and shop later in the week on that day. Even shopping on the "truck day", doesn't mean that items will be re-stocked, so you may need to get a raincheck. My store's policy on rainchecks is to give them at the sale price NET of RR's, if the sale has an RR. So if an item is on sale for $3.99 with a $2.00 RR, they would issue the raincheck for $1.99 (3.99-2.00).  The other major drawback of no loyalty card is that there's no way to track your purchases from transaction to transaction, so all Walgreens RR deals are based on one single purchase transaction.  Again, this becomes difficult if they don't have enough stock to make a qualifying purchase, plus you have to make sure that you have purchased enough to qualify for the RR, since it's a "one-shot deal".


Methods of saving money at Walgreens:

(1) Store Advertised Sales
(2) In-Ad Coupons in the Weekly Circular
(3) In-Store Coupons in the Monthy Savings Book
(4) Manufacturer's Coupons
(5) Rebates
(6) Register Rewards

Store Advertised Sales
The Walgreens sales cycle runs Sunday to Saturday.  Some stores switch over their sale prices for the coming week on Saturday, however, Register Rewards (RR's) will not print until Sunday.  It's best to check with your store to see when they activate the sale prices for the coming week, for those sales that don't have RR's.  If you don't get the circulars in your newspaper, the stores usually have a good supply of them near the front entrance to the store.



In-Ad Coupons in the Weekly Circular
These are store coupons that are in the weekly circular.  They can be used (also known as stacked) with a manufacturer's coupon to deepen your savings on an applicable product.  At my store, you do not have to clip these coupons, the cashier just scans them from the circular, however I usually will still clip them to avoid forgetting to use them when I check out (which has happened more times than I care to admit!).  You can also print these coupons from the coupon pages on the Walgreens website.



In-Store Coupons in the Monthly Savings Book
The Monthly Savings Books are usually located near the front door of the store where the circulars are, as well as a few places throughout the store.  The books contain an array of store coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer's coupons, as well.  Similar to the in-ad coupons, my store does not require these coupons to be removed from the book to redeem, but I usually will remove them so  that I don't forget to use them (see above... lol).  You can also print these coupons from the coupon pages on the Walgreens website.


Manufacturer's Coupons
Walgreens accepts standard manufacturer's coupons (from newspaper inserts), as well as printable coupons from reputable providers like coupons.com, couponnetwork.com, smartsource.com and redplum.com.  For a more complete understanding of Walgreens corporate coupon policy, follow this link:  Walgreens Corporate Coupon Policy


Rebates
In the back of the Monthly Savings Book, Walgreens will occasionally have rebate offers that can be filed conveniently online or, more traditionally, by mail.  These offers are separate from other manufacturer's rebates offered independently by the manufacturers.  For added savings, you can request your rebate payment on a Walgreens Gift Card and earn a 10% bonus!  For example, if you filed a $6 rebate for Baby Magic Dustless Baby Powder, you would receive a check, or deposit into your paypal account, or a Visa prepaid card for $6.00.  Or get your rebate on a Walgreens Gift Card and you'll receive $6.60.



Register Rewards
Far and away, the most confusing part about shopping Walgreens is navigating the rules for earning and redeeming Register Rewards (RR's), which are just like the CVS Extra Care Bucks (ECB's) or Rite Aid UP Rewards (UPR's) with a few major differences. ECB's and UPR's are more like money or a gift certificate, meaning that they can be used to pay for most items in the store (exceptions are prescriptions, tobacco, gift cards, etc.), without too many other rules. Despite the fact that they are earned in the same manner as ECB's and UPR's, RR's are considered a manufacturer's coupon, so there are more limitations on how you can redeem them:

(1) You can only use as many coupons as you have items in your order. So if you're buying 5 items and you have 5 manufacturer's coupons, you can't redeem any RR's in that transaction. If you have 5 items and 3 manufacturer's coupons, you can use 2 RR's in that transaction along with your 3 coupons. So it's best to match items with manufacturer's coupons to items without manufacturer's coupons if you have RR's to redeem. You'll hear people refer to filler items, like cheap candy, pencils, maybe a bottle of soda, so that you can use your RR's. It's always best to try to find filler items that you need, so that you're not just wasting the value of the RR on something for the sake of redeeming it.

(2)  Store coupons (from the weekly circulars and monthly savings books) don't count toward the "one manutacturer's coupon per item" requirement above.

(3) If you purchase an item that is advertised to print a RR, you can't use a RR from the same company to pay for it. For instance, you buy 4 Pringles and get a $2 RR. If you turn around and buy 4 more Pringles, and use that $2 RR from the previous purchase, it will not generate another RR. The best way to handle this problem without laying out a ton of money is to stagger your transactions like this example: Buy 4 Pringles, get a $2 RR. Buy 1 St. Joseph's Aspirin, use the $2 RR from the previous transaction, get a $2 RR. Buy 4 more Pringles, use the $2 RR from the St. Joseph's transaction, get another $2 RR. And so on.

(4) RR's are offered only 1 per transaction, in other words, if there's a $2 RR on 4 Pringles and you buy 8 in one transaction, you'll only get one $2 RR. You have to split them into separate transactions. Having said that, you can combine different products that earn RR's into one transaction.  So if you have 4 Pringles that offer a $2 RR and 1 St. Joseph's Aspirin that offers a $2 RR, you can ring them up together and receive two $2 RR's at checkout.

(5) You can only use RR's (like ECB's or UPR's) up to the extent of your purchase total before sales tax. I usually start with my higher dollar RR's and work backwards so that I use up the big ones first. And pay attention to the expiration dates, which are two weeks from the date you earn the RR. If there's nothing that you need to get with them, use them anyway, otherwise you're just throwing money away.

That's pretty much the basics for shopping at Walgreens. It's best to plan your purchase scenario ahead and start out doing small transactions first. Many people get frustrated with them, but once you get the hang of it, it's not bad at all.  Happy shopping!

Save-ology 101: Coupon Ethics

The Facebook group that I help out with, Coupon Coach, is a true blessing to not only people in the Mid-Ohio Valley, but also people all around the country.  You can imagine that with over 3,000 people, most of which are concentrated in this area, things can get crazy in the coupon world.  So I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the ethical way to coupon for a couple of reasons:

(1) first and foremost, there are possible legal ramifications for misuse of coupons;
(2) secondly, improper couponing costs stores and manufacturers money, which means that they may raise prices, or worse, stop issuing/taking coupons;
(3) showing respect for other shoppers/couponers is morally the right thing to do.

LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS

Counterfeiting coupons is, of course, illegal and will result in jail time and/or large fines.  Photocopying coupons is also illegal.  Now I know that most of you are probably saying "I would never do that!", but it happens.  Also, never buy high-value or free coupons from others, particularly people that you don't know.  It's just not worth the risk.  By the way, removing coupon inserts from papers that you have not purchased is the equivalent of stealing and can result in arrest.

IMPROPER COUPONING

Coupons should always be used for the size and variety of the product listed, not pictured.  There's a frowned-upon practice called decoding, whereby those people familiar with how the barcodes work, figure out unintended items that can be purchased to allow the coupon to scan.  Even though the coupons may scan and be accepted by the retailer, this ultimately can create non-compliance issues for the retailer and have coupons disallowed for reimbursement by the manufacturer.  And when the retailer loses out, prices go up!

RESPECT OTHERS

There are coupon opportunities in-store with blinkies (those little machines affixed to the shelves that spit out coupons) and tearpads (booklets of coupons usually located on standalone aisle displays).  They're available to shoppers on the "honor system" to take one or a couple for use on that shopping trip or save for a later trip.  There are also "peelies", little coupon stickers on products, which most of the time, are meant for immediate redemption with the purchase of the product.  It is a frowned upon practice to remove peelies from products in the store without any intention to purchase that product.

If you're planning to purchase an unusually large quantity of an item, rather than clear the shelves, check with customer service to see if they can pull your order from the stockroom or better yet, pre-order.  Many stores allow this.  Also, be considerate of other shoppers by having your coupons ready to hand to the cashier, when it's your turn in the checkout line.  It makes things go smoother and will keep you on the "good side" of those shoppers behind you!

ABOVE ALL, HAVE FUN COUPONING AND DON'T GET TOO EXCITED IF THINGS DON'T GO AS PLANNED!  STAY CALM AND RESPECTFUL.  (Remember, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar!)  Enjoy!!

Save-ology 101: Basic Coupon Strategies

Ever watch the TV show Extreme Couponing?  I've heard many people say, "Gee, I wish I could save that much money!"  Well, much of that show provides an unrealistic view of couponing, since stores typically bend rules, contestants miraculously acquire large quantities of the same coupon, etc.  However here are TEN basic principles that when used together, can provide very deep savings.

• COUPON/SALE MATCHUPS

For the best savings, scout the weekly sales at your stores and find the best opportunities to match your coupons to the store sale.  "Cherry pick" the best sale items at 2-3 stores (or more).

• BUY THE SMALLEST PACKAGE

Generally speaking, it's best to use your coupons on the smallest package size (pay attention to size requirements on the coupon) to obtain the highest savings percentage.

• DOUBLE COUPONS

Learn which stores double coupons and up to what value will double.  Knowing this information for your stores will allow you to better evaluate where the best place to use your coupon will be.  For example, Kroger and IGA double to $0.50, Foodland to $0.55, Giant Eagle to $0.99 and Kmart to $1.00.  If I have a $0.75 coupon, it won't double at Kroger, but it will at Giant Eagle, so if the price of the product is less than $0.75 higher at Giant Eagle, it's better to use that $0.75 coupon at Giant Eagle, since it will double. 

• STACKING STORE COUPONS

Find out if the store offers store coupons and if so, can they be "stacked" with a manufacturer's coupon on the purchase of one item?

• DIGITAL or E-COUPONS

Check to see if the store offers e-coupons on their website.  Also, sign up for Cellfire and/or Savingstar, third party digital coupon providers.  Digital coupons do not double.

• CATALINA OFFERS

Many stores will offer catalinas or $ off your next order (OYNO) coupons on select products
that print at checkout.  Most of the catalina offers are detailed on http://www.couponnetwork.com/.  Also, make sure that you stay aware of expiration dates so that your unredeemed catalinas don't go to waste.

• MAIL IN REBATES

Mail-in rebates are another excellent way to say money.  Make sure that you complete the paperwork and mail it promptly, meeting all of the requirements to qualify for the rebate.  Expect it to take 6-8 weeks to receive your rebate.

• USE TWO COUPONS ON BOGO SALE

Most stores will allow the use of two $ off manufacturer's coupons on a Buy One, Get One Free sale, which means that you are getting the advantage of using two coupons on the one item that you are paying for.  This is typically possible because BOGO items typically ring up both at half price, rather than on at full price and one for free.  Consult your store's coupon policy to verify if two coupons can be used.

• RAIN CHECKS

Most stores will offer rain checks on advertised sale items if they are out of stock.  Always check to see if you can get a rain check, if you're store is out of stock so you can take advantage of the sale/coupon matchup later, if the sale ends before they replenish.

• DON'T BUY WHAT YOU DON'T NEED

Don't feel compelled to buy a product that you don't need "just because you have a coupon".  You'll find that this will end up costing you money rather than saving more, since you're spending money on thngs that you otherwise wouldn't buy.  This is a common pitfall that new couponers tend to fall into.

Save-ology 101: The Sales Cycle

It's important to understand that stores run sales on products in cycles, usually collaborating with manufacturers to coincide with coupons or catalina deals that can maximize your savings.  When all of those "stars align" to provide deep savings, the best approach is to stock up enough of the product to last you until the next sale, usually 4 to 8 weeks.  That way, you're not putting yourself in the position of needing a particular product and having to pay full price, in the the absence of a coupon or sale.

Sales are also seasonal.  Just this past week, the stores have run incredible sales on cleaning products.  Hmmmmm.... could it be that the stores and manufacturer's know that as warmer weather approaches our thoughts turn to Spring cleaning???  You bet, so stock up on the deals to get you through a good bit of the year so you're not paying full price later in the year when there isn't a sale on those products to be found.  Also, think about your holidays and notice how the sales coincide:

New Years Day (resolutions means sales on diet foods, vitamins, energy bars, pain meds.)

Valentines Day (chocolates, candy, intimacy products)

Lent (fish, fish, & more fish!)

Easter (candy, ham, eggs)

Memorial Day/ July 4th/ Labor Day (soda, hot dogs, bbq items)

Halloween (candy)

Thanksgiving (turkey, cake & cookie mixes, baking products)

Christmas (ham, candy, cake & cookie mixes, baking products, batteries)

So how do you know what's a good stock-up price?  A lot of this you will learn purely from experience.  As you build your stockpile, those figures change.  Let me give you an example.  When I first started couponing seriously, I was buying as much bodywash as I could at $1.50 per bottle.  Now that my stockpile is built up over a 6-9 month supply, I don't look at bodywash unless it's $0.50 per bottle or less.  And when I find it at that price, I buy as much as I can to keep that stockpile up. 

Also, meat, produce, breads and dairy can be tricky.  I recommend starting a "little black book" and taking it with you when you go to the stores.  Jot down the prices of the meat & produce products you buy regulary and develop a "buy price" and a "stockup price" for you to use as a rule of thumb when looking for the best deals. Paying attention to sales trends is very important to maximizing your savings opportunities throughout the year.

Save-ology 101: Printable Coupons on Facebook

Looking for coupons of your favorite products?  They might not be as hard to find as you think.  Next time you're on Facebook, just search for the official pages of those products.  This has become a popular method to "get the word out" about a new flavor, a new product, or maybe even a new promotion. 

These coupons can mean FREE products in some cases.  Take for instance the Brawny Towels page, which regularly offers $1.00 coupons on any Brawny.  Print two from each computer that you have available, wait for Giant Eagle or Kroger to run a 10 for $10 sale on their single rolls and, "Voila!", free paper towels!  It's just that easy!  And the coupons reset every 4 to 6 weeks, so you'll be able print them every so often and replenish your stockpile.

Some of the other products that offer coupons on their facebook page (either directly or through periodic contests):

Rayovac Batteries (makes free batteries at Walmart)
Tide Detergent
All Detergent
Ball Park Franks
Peeps
JIF Peanut Butter
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
Hungry Jack
Gold Peak Tea
Milk Mustache Campaign

Know of others????  Let me know so I can add them to my list!