Hello everybody!! Basically I'm writing this page to help you guys understand how to save a lot of money with both coupons, and sales. Now I sort of have a little motto I live by with this stuff.. We save on the things we can, that way we can enjoy the things you can RARELY save money on. There is no reason to think of couponing or shopping sales as being cheap. If anything, its a smart decision. Coupons aren't keeping the stores from earning money... When you read the fine print, every coupon you use, the stores mail back to the manufacturer and gets not only the coupon value reimbursed, but 8 cents per coupon. So in reality, using coupons in stores helps them EARN money. Awesome right??
So here are some of the basics of couponing, and then I'll give a scenario to show the deals in action.
1. You can use 1 manufacturer coupon and 1 store coupon per item. Now manufacturer coupons are not just the ones in the sunday paper, but there are hundreds available online at websites like coupons.com. Target also offers hundreds of store coupons at target.com. Now the awesome part about this is that many Publix's accept Target coupons as competitor coupons. So if you need to buy something that only target has a coupon for, you can usually use it at Publix also.
Now, I was definitely one of those people who believed using a few lousy coupons can hardly save any money. Probably a couple bucks but thats it. But it all has to do with strategy. Here is a perfect example on how this whole couponing thing reallllyyy adds up.
This week at publix there are Krusteaz Cookie Mix, on sale for Buy 1 get 1 Free.
Cookie Mix
BOGO $2.19
So already, buying the mix on B1G1 free is really great. You're getting 2 for the price of one. But now add coupons, and you can see the dramatic savings. There are $1 coupons for the cookie mix in the smartsource newspaper from 10/10. The trick to couponing is this
2. You can use more than 1 coupon on B1G1 free items. So in the case of the cookies, even though you are getting one free, you can use ONE coupon on EACH bag of cookie mix.
So now it looks like this
Cookie Mix
BOGO $2.19
-$1/1 Coupon
-$1/1 Coupon
= $.19 for both.
Now you are paying less than 10 cents for EACH bag.
Incredible right?
You went from 2.19 a bag to 10 cents a bag.
Now imagine if you had store coupons on top of that!! You would actually get PAID back the extra amount. This really is not typical, but it does happen occasionally. In this case, I'll usually buy some deli meat [which never has coupons] to soak up the extra money.
Knowing those 2 facts already transforms everything you ever believed about coupons.
One bit of advice is to follow some couponing websites. These ladies will ordinarily show the sales a few days before they begin at different grocery stores and drug stores, and then they will show you WHERE to find the coupons to make great deals.
iheartpublix.com is for Publix
totallytarget.com is for Target
wildforwags.com is for Walgreens
iheartcvs.com is for CVS
Most of the websites also help you learn couponing and give tons of advice.
3. You really need to start buying the Sunday newspaper. Visit sundaycouponpreview.com to view the coupons BEFORE sunday. That way you can decide how many to buy. If there is a really amazing coupon that can get you practically free stuff, you want to buy more than 1 paper. In pairs.
4. Believe it or not, the best place to get good deals on stuff like razors, shampoo, and toiletries is Walgreens and CVS; not Walmart or Target.
CVS and Walgreens have reward programs. The one at CVS is called Extra Bucks and the one at Walgreens is called Register Rewards.
Basically, you earn both by buying a certain item, and then the extra bucks or rewards print after your reciept prints. At CVS, these Extra Bucks can be used to buy anything in the store except prescriptions, alcohol and stuff like that. At Walgreens, there are a few different limitations. For one, if you earn a reward for buying an item from a certain manufacturer, the reward prints as a coupon from that manufacturer. An example is buying Herbal Essence Shampoo. The reward will print as a coupon from P&G. Now, the rule with walgreens is that you can use that reward to buy the SAME product again, but you will not get rewards for that item again. So if you buy a shampoo, get a reward from P&G then buy the shampoo again, you won't get another Register reward...
The way around this is switching items with rewards. So buy a toothpaste, get a reward. Then use that reward to pay for the shampoo, and then get a reward again. Then use that to pay for something else. Get it???
It can be really complicated but the ladies at wildforwags.com and iheartcvs.com have great advice and instructions.
I personally LOVE walgreens rewards because they build up so quick. I rarely pay for ANYTHING there unless its just Tax. For example, this week there is Natrol Melatonin Vitamins on sale for $3, and you get $3 Register rewards back.
Well, there is also a $3 coupon for the Natrol online.
So this is a GREAT DEAL!!
Buy 1 Natrol $3
-$3 Coupon from online
=0 out of pocket. [No tax either]
And then you get back 3 Register rewards! In essence, you just got 3 dollars for free. You can spend it on whatever you want [except another natrol product]
!!!!!!!
5. The trick to saving money is stocking up. For example with the cookie mix at that low price, you don't just want to buy 2. You might by 6 or so, and then stock them in your cabinets. That way you dont have to buy anymore for a long time. Pasta is a HUGE stock deal. I never buy pasta for more than 15 cents a box. So last time, I stocked up and we've been eating that same stock for a few months now. Its wonderful. =] Our first month we spent $150 in groceries and toiletries, and saved over $800 dollars!!
I know it is a lot to soak in, but if you want individual advice on specific things, let me know. I can tell you right now Fernando and I will never go back to regular shopping. We literally have a plastic box, about 3 ft by 2 ft, FULL of stuff to bring back to Miami. I dont have to buy Shampoo, Conditioner, Razors, or toothpaste for probably a year.
The best part is this.. Soon you start to realize you have TOO MUCH stuff. Then you can donate to food pantry's, or even help out friends and family by giving them the things that usually cost too much, like razors. I have at least 5 GREAT razors for Fernando and I stocked up. I'm talking $10-15 Schick intuition, Gillette Profusion, and Schick Quattro.
6.. Finally, you need to realize that by couponing, you can get great deals on the NAME BRAND stuff. Trust me, when you get good at it, you will realize that store brands cost TOO MUCH, and buying in bulk is a waste of money. If anything, store items almost never have coupons. So If you strategize and keep up with the sales, you can save thousands a year. I know we will. Our grocery bill went from $250 a month to $150 a month. And sometimes we don't even go above $150 since we have such a good stock already.
So if you want the good stuff, not the knock-offs, get into this stuff!! Trust me, it really works. I want you all to be able to save so you can enjoy the other things in life, like going out to dinner, without worrying about money.
Thats all for now. What I'll write now is a scenario from stuff I bought yesterday at Walgreens to show HOW I saved so much. Thank you for reading!!!!!
Walgreens December 1:
Transaction 1:
Bought 1 Natrol Melatonin $3
-$3 Coupon
=0 OP
Got 3 Register rewards back.
Transaction 2
Bought 1 Natrol $3
Bought 2 ice tea .99 each
Bought 1 Bic lighter $3 sale price
-3 Natrol
-.99 in store coupon for tea
-1.50 manufacturer coupon for bic
-1.00 store coupon for bic
- 1.50 Register rewards from my last week purchases
= TAX ONLY! [about 20 cents.]
AND got back 3 Register rewards for natrol
Transaction 3, did the same as transaction 2.
Transaction 4.
Buy 1 Natrol $3
Buy 3 Velveeta 3/$5
-3 Natrol
-2, 2.25 Register Rewards from last week
=.75 cents plus tax.
Transaction 5 [MY FAVORITE!]
Buy 1 Neutrogena concealer 9.99
Buy 1 Neutrogena eyeliner 4.40 [They were Buy 1 Get 1 50% off]
- $3 neutrogena manufacturer coupon
- $3 Neutrogena manufacturer coupon
- $2 Neutrogena walgreens coupon
- $2 Neutrogena Walgreens coupon
- 15% of discount [promotion that happened yesterday]
= $2.39 before tax.
Yup. Less than $3 for 20 dollars worth of GREAT makeup.
!!!!!!
So I spent about $5 total for $50 worth of stuff. PLUS I ended up with $12 Register rewards for next week.
So here are some of the basics of couponing, and then I'll give a scenario to show the deals in action.
1. You can use 1 manufacturer coupon and 1 store coupon per item. Now manufacturer coupons are not just the ones in the sunday paper, but there are hundreds available online at websites like coupons.com. Target also offers hundreds of store coupons at target.com. Now the awesome part about this is that many Publix's accept Target coupons as competitor coupons. So if you need to buy something that only target has a coupon for, you can usually use it at Publix also.
Now, I was definitely one of those people who believed using a few lousy coupons can hardly save any money. Probably a couple bucks but thats it. But it all has to do with strategy. Here is a perfect example on how this whole couponing thing reallllyyy adds up.
This week at publix there are Krusteaz Cookie Mix, on sale for Buy 1 get 1 Free.
Cookie Mix
BOGO $2.19
So already, buying the mix on B1G1 free is really great. You're getting 2 for the price of one. But now add coupons, and you can see the dramatic savings. There are $1 coupons for the cookie mix in the smartsource newspaper from 10/10. The trick to couponing is this
2. You can use more than 1 coupon on B1G1 free items. So in the case of the cookies, even though you are getting one free, you can use ONE coupon on EACH bag of cookie mix.
So now it looks like this
Cookie Mix
BOGO $2.19
-$1/1 Coupon
-$1/1 Coupon
= $.19 for both.
Now you are paying less than 10 cents for EACH bag.
Incredible right?
You went from 2.19 a bag to 10 cents a bag.
Now imagine if you had store coupons on top of that!! You would actually get PAID back the extra amount. This really is not typical, but it does happen occasionally. In this case, I'll usually buy some deli meat [which never has coupons] to soak up the extra money.
Knowing those 2 facts already transforms everything you ever believed about coupons.
One bit of advice is to follow some couponing websites. These ladies will ordinarily show the sales a few days before they begin at different grocery stores and drug stores, and then they will show you WHERE to find the coupons to make great deals.
iheartpublix.com is for Publix
totallytarget.com is for Target
wildforwags.com is for Walgreens
iheartcvs.com is for CVS
Most of the websites also help you learn couponing and give tons of advice.
3. You really need to start buying the Sunday newspaper. Visit sundaycouponpreview.com to view the coupons BEFORE sunday. That way you can decide how many to buy. If there is a really amazing coupon that can get you practically free stuff, you want to buy more than 1 paper. In pairs.
4. Believe it or not, the best place to get good deals on stuff like razors, shampoo, and toiletries is Walgreens and CVS; not Walmart or Target.
CVS and Walgreens have reward programs. The one at CVS is called Extra Bucks and the one at Walgreens is called Register Rewards.
Basically, you earn both by buying a certain item, and then the extra bucks or rewards print after your reciept prints. At CVS, these Extra Bucks can be used to buy anything in the store except prescriptions, alcohol and stuff like that. At Walgreens, there are a few different limitations. For one, if you earn a reward for buying an item from a certain manufacturer, the reward prints as a coupon from that manufacturer. An example is buying Herbal Essence Shampoo. The reward will print as a coupon from P&G. Now, the rule with walgreens is that you can use that reward to buy the SAME product again, but you will not get rewards for that item again. So if you buy a shampoo, get a reward from P&G then buy the shampoo again, you won't get another Register reward...
The way around this is switching items with rewards. So buy a toothpaste, get a reward. Then use that reward to pay for the shampoo, and then get a reward again. Then use that to pay for something else. Get it???
It can be really complicated but the ladies at wildforwags.com and iheartcvs.com have great advice and instructions.
I personally LOVE walgreens rewards because they build up so quick. I rarely pay for ANYTHING there unless its just Tax. For example, this week there is Natrol Melatonin Vitamins on sale for $3, and you get $3 Register rewards back.
Well, there is also a $3 coupon for the Natrol online.
So this is a GREAT DEAL!!
Buy 1 Natrol $3
-$3 Coupon from online
=0 out of pocket. [No tax either]
And then you get back 3 Register rewards! In essence, you just got 3 dollars for free. You can spend it on whatever you want [except another natrol product]
!!!!!!!
5. The trick to saving money is stocking up. For example with the cookie mix at that low price, you don't just want to buy 2. You might by 6 or so, and then stock them in your cabinets. That way you dont have to buy anymore for a long time. Pasta is a HUGE stock deal. I never buy pasta for more than 15 cents a box. So last time, I stocked up and we've been eating that same stock for a few months now. Its wonderful. =] Our first month we spent $150 in groceries and toiletries, and saved over $800 dollars!!
I know it is a lot to soak in, but if you want individual advice on specific things, let me know. I can tell you right now Fernando and I will never go back to regular shopping. We literally have a plastic box, about 3 ft by 2 ft, FULL of stuff to bring back to Miami. I dont have to buy Shampoo, Conditioner, Razors, or toothpaste for probably a year.
The best part is this.. Soon you start to realize you have TOO MUCH stuff. Then you can donate to food pantry's, or even help out friends and family by giving them the things that usually cost too much, like razors. I have at least 5 GREAT razors for Fernando and I stocked up. I'm talking $10-15 Schick intuition, Gillette Profusion, and Schick Quattro.
6.. Finally, you need to realize that by couponing, you can get great deals on the NAME BRAND stuff. Trust me, when you get good at it, you will realize that store brands cost TOO MUCH, and buying in bulk is a waste of money. If anything, store items almost never have coupons. So If you strategize and keep up with the sales, you can save thousands a year. I know we will. Our grocery bill went from $250 a month to $150 a month. And sometimes we don't even go above $150 since we have such a good stock already.
So if you want the good stuff, not the knock-offs, get into this stuff!! Trust me, it really works. I want you all to be able to save so you can enjoy the other things in life, like going out to dinner, without worrying about money.
Thats all for now. What I'll write now is a scenario from stuff I bought yesterday at Walgreens to show HOW I saved so much. Thank you for reading!!!!!
Walgreens December 1:
Transaction 1:
Bought 1 Natrol Melatonin $3
-$3 Coupon
=0 OP
Got 3 Register rewards back.
Transaction 2
Bought 1 Natrol $3
Bought 2 ice tea .99 each
Bought 1 Bic lighter $3 sale price
-3 Natrol
-.99 in store coupon for tea
-1.50 manufacturer coupon for bic
-1.00 store coupon for bic
- 1.50 Register rewards from my last week purchases
= TAX ONLY! [about 20 cents.]
AND got back 3 Register rewards for natrol
Transaction 3, did the same as transaction 2.
Transaction 4.
Buy 1 Natrol $3
Buy 3 Velveeta 3/$5
-3 Natrol
-2, 2.25 Register Rewards from last week
=.75 cents plus tax.
Transaction 5 [MY FAVORITE!]
Buy 1 Neutrogena concealer 9.99
Buy 1 Neutrogena eyeliner 4.40 [They were Buy 1 Get 1 50% off]
- $3 neutrogena manufacturer coupon
- $3 Neutrogena manufacturer coupon
- $2 Neutrogena walgreens coupon
- $2 Neutrogena Walgreens coupon
- 15% of discount [promotion that happened yesterday]
= $2.39 before tax.
Yup. Less than $3 for 20 dollars worth of GREAT makeup.
!!!!!!
So I spent about $5 total for $50 worth of stuff. PLUS I ended up with $12 Register rewards for next week.
- This trip:
- Walgreens
- 3 Velveeta Macaroni 3/$5
- 2 Bic Lighters $3/1
- 4 Ice Tea .50/1
- 6 Melatonin Vitamins $3/1
- 1 Neutrogena Eyeliner 8.49
- 1 Neutrogena Concealer 9.99
- 1 Hershey Bar .49/1
- =$50 before tax and after sales.
- After coupons and rewards I paid......
- $5!
- =] And I ended up with 29 Register Rewards [Which is like free money to spend next time].
1 comment:
It's all so clear to me now!!!! Thanks Steph <3
Post a Comment