Reader Quanna asked:

when should you give the cashier your store loyality card? Before, during or after ringing up?

The answer is….in most cases, any time!

If you want the big dramatic price drop (that you see in a “certain show”), then wait until after your items have been rung up and before you hand your cashier your coupons.  If it makes you happy to see the price of chicken breasts drop from $4.29/lb (an “insanity price”) to about $2/lb (my normal stockup price), then by all means, wait until the last possible moment to hand your cashier your store card. But bottom line?  You are going to save the same amount no matter when you hand your card to the cashier.  I am usually so busy loading my groceries on to the belt that I don’t give over my card until AT LEAST halfway through the transaction!

With most stores, as long as you give over your loyalty card before you actually pay, you will get all the sale prices, the (where applicable) double coupons, etc.

So the answer is…whenever you want! (but check with your store…there may be exceptions!)

Have a question about how to use coupons? Submit them here and I will answer them in a future post!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

How do you change zip codes to be able to print coupons from other areas? Thanks.

Changing the zip code when you are trying to print coupons at Coupons.com, SmartSource or Redplum is super easy, and often a way to find some great coupons!

:: on Coupons.com

Look in the upper-left hand corner of your screen and you will see a box (pictured above).  Simply enter the zip code you want and click on the orange arrow.  You will see all the coupons that are available in that zip code!

:: on SmartSource

You will usually be prompted to enter a zip code when you get to the SmartSource site.  If not, you will see a box in the upper-right-hand side of the screen where you can enter or change your zip code.  SmartSource even makes it easy for you by giving you a drop-down menu that takes you to the specific coupons for each brand!

:: on Redplum

Once again, look in the upper-left-hand side of the screen.  If you have previously entered a zip code, there will be a city listed, not a zip code.  Next to the city is a green button with the word “Change” on it.  Click on that and enter a new zip code.  Make sure that you use the drop-down menu next to that to increase your radius to 50 miles in order to get the maximum available coupons!

Do you have questions about using coupons?  Submit them here and I will answer them in a future post!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

Every so often, there is a surge in counterfeit coupon creation, and it seems that we are deep in the middle of one.

In the last 2 hours, I have heard about the above Huggies coupon (which is making the rounds of the Internets in .pdf form) AND had one of my Facebook friends post the following on my personal FB page:

I have a quick question for you. Do you know anything about Pedigree giving away coupons for a free 40 lb bag of dog food? Can’t find anything on the ‘net and someone is at my husband’s store trying to get ten free bags. Seems fraudulent to me

So let’s go over this again:

In most cases, any coupon emailed to you in .pdf form (where you need Acrobat Reader or a similar program in order to read it) is either counterfeit or a scanned copy of a “real coupon”. Both are illegal to use in your store and if caught, can get you arrested. Don’t believe me? I can point you to plenty of news stories of people being arrested and charged (and convicted) of fraud for doing exactly that.

There are some legitimate .pdf coupons out there. They are few and far between and tend to be a nightmare. They are often created by companies that want to issue coupons, but don’t want to pay the fee to a site like Coupons.com to control the number of times the coupon can be printed. Then people print off 100 of them, they start to be redeemed WAY more than the company ever intended and then the company declares the coupon that THEY created to be fraudulent (when the reality is that the company was stupid in the way that they issued the coupon in the first place)

Coupons that are “too good to be true” generally are. In the case of my friend, her husband had a customer trying to redeem a coupon (actually 10 coupons) for an approximately $40 item. While companies do release legitimate free-item coupons (I get a ton of them), a dog food company is not going to start giving free $40 bags when they have smaller bags. She said that the coupon LOOKED legit….it was color and glossy on one side, the weight of the paper was correct, etc, but coupon counterfeiters are now able to find and use the same paper and technology to create these coupons. Once again, we need to use some common sense here and know that they just AREN’T going to give out this high-value coupon.

For more information, check out the various posts I have written about Coupon Ethics, especially my Why Stores Don’t Trust Coupon Users post.

And check out this list of all the current counterfeit coupons circulating.  Your head will explode just from the sheer volume of them!

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

The following question came from a reader:

what will the $7 and $10 dollars crest whitening coupons work on??

I have to say, I was sad to see this question.

The answer is, Crest Whitestrips coupons are only to be used to Crest Whitestrips products.  If you are looking for a website that will teach you Coupon Barcode Decoding (AKA – Coupon Fraud), you are on the wrong website.

For more information,check out my Ethical Couponing posts

Do you have a question about using coupons? Make sure that you submit your questions on my Coupon Questions & Answers page and it will be featured in an upcoming post!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

Knowing the coupon policy at your local stores is an important part of saving money! Not only will it save you confusion and embarrassment at the checkout lanes, but since every store has a different policy (how many coupons they will accept, how many like-coupons they will accept, how many and up to what value they will double coupons, what types of coupons they accept, etc)

Most stores have made it easy for you by posting their coupon policy online. You can usually find it through the “customer service” section of your stores website. If you can’t find it on their website, email their customer service department and ask them to mail you a copy.

Some key questions to ask or to look for in the store policy:

• Aside from the traditional coupons from the newspaper and magazines, what kind of other coupons do they accept? Printable coupons? Digital Coupons (i.e. Upromise, Cellfire, SavingStar, etc)? Competitors coupons?
• Do they accept printable coupons for a free product? What about coupons for free product that also require an additional purchase (Buy One Get One Free, etc)?
• Is there a maximum value of coupon that they will accept?  Many stores now only accept printable coupons with a value of $5 or less, but still accept traditional coupons for any value (although high-value coupons may require manager approval).
• Do they double or triple coupons? If so, is it every day or just on certain days? What is the maximum value of coupon that you will double and to how much?
• Is there are maximum number of coupons that they will accept or that will double per transaction? A maximum number of like-coupons that they will accept or double?
• Do they allow overage on coupons or will the value of the coupon be adjusted down (for instance, if an item is for $0.79 and you have a $1 coupon, will they allow you to use that extra $0.21 towards the rest of your order?)?
• Will they price-match with other local stores if you bring in their ad?

This is the type of information that you need to have about each store if you are going to be successful at saving money honestly.  For example, if your store policy is to only double 2 of the same coupon per transaction, then you are going to need to plan your transactions in a way that lets you maximize your savings!

:: Walmart Coupon Policy

:: Target Coupon Policy

:: CVS Coupon Policy

:: Rite Aid Coupon Policy

:: Walgreens Coupon Policy

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

By clipping my coupons each week and filing them in my binder, I often have coupons each week that will expire that I may not use.

And so, I become “The Coupon Fairy”…and you can be one too!

Are you in the cereal aisle and there are no good sales and you don’t really NEED cereal that week, but have coupons that will expire before you go shopping again?  Simply drop the coupons on the shelf!  The next person looking to buy cereal may be able to use them!

I no longer have children in diapers, but I always clip the diaper coupons.  Why?  Because I drop them on the shelves whenever I am in the store.  I remember the 8 years that I spent buying diapers every.single.week and every bit of savings helps! It’s a way to do your good deed for the day!

My friends have cats and I don’t (partly because Brad is allergic and partly because I think cats are evil creatures who suck out the breath of children), but each time I see them in the inserts, I clip the cat food and litter coupons and give them to them.  I also make it a point to let them know when those coupons can be maximized with a really good deal.

How do you share your savings with others?

Looking for more tips on how to Save Money With Coupons? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

I get this question all the time and the answer is simple:  It Depends!

There have been weeks where I have bought just 1 copy of the newspaper, and there was 1 week where I bought 22 copies of the newspaper! (and plenty of weeks in between where I bought anywhere from 3-10 issues).  So how do you know how many copies to buy each week?

As a general rule, I like to think that 1 copy per family member should be your minimum. If you have 5 members in your family, you should be getting 5 copies of the paper each week.

HOWEVER, this rule is not set in stone.  There are some weeks where the coupons are pretty yucky, and according to the Coupon Insert Schedule, some weeks where there will be no coupons.  How do you find a healthy balance, not buy more newspapers than you need, but not miss the good coupons?

Consider a Subscription:  I have 3 subscriptions to the Philadelphia Inquirer…so every week they throw 3 papers on my driveway.  This gives me a good starting point and most major newspapers will have a deal every few months where you can get the Sunday paper at a deeply discounted rate. Keep looking for those deals and renew your subscription at the discounted rate whenever possible.

Check out the Sunday Coupon listings:  updated by Thursday morning each week, this is a complete listing of the coupons that will be in the Sunday newspapers.  Check out the coupons, see which ones you like and make your decision based on that!

Never miss my Coupon Insert Preview posts:  every Saturday morning, I post my Coupon Insert preview post, where I detail what I think are the best coupons this week.  I let you know how many newspapers that I will be buying that week.  I’ve been told and emailed that many of my readers find this an invaluable tool and that I am rarely wrong!

How many copies of the newspaper do you buy each week?  How do you decide how many to buy?

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

:: The Basics of Walgreens

Register Rewards: these are the coupons that spit out of the coupon machine next to the cashier. They are triggered by purchasing specific items at Walgreens. Those items are listed in the ad as well as in my weekly Walgreens deals posts. Register Rewards can only be redeemed at Walgreens.

Register Rewards Limits:  In most cases, Register Rewards are limited to 1 per like-product per transaction.  What that means is that if, for example, Crest is producing a Register Reward this week and you want to buy 2 Crests, you will need to split your transaction in to 2 transactions.  If you buy both in a single transaction, only 1 Register Reward will print.

Rolling Register Rewards:  you can use a Register Reward to pay for an item that is also generating a Register Reward with 1 very big exception – you will not get a Register Reward when you have used a Register Reward from the same manufacturer to pay for it.  Using the toothpaste example, if you were to buy the Crest in the first transaction and then use the Register Reward to pay for the Crest (or any other Proctor & Gamble product) in your next transaction, you will not receive another Register Reward.  This does mean that you need to do a little more planning for your trip, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes less of an issue.

Monthly Coupon Book: Each month Walgreens puts out their Instant Value Coupon (IVC) book. These can usually be found in the front of the store in the same rack as where they keep extra copies of the ad for the week. These are store coupons that can be stacked with manufacturers coupons for even greater savings. IVC coupons usually have a limit to the number of items that you can purchase with them.

In-ad coupons: these are almost always store coupons that can be stacked with manufacturers coupons. In-ad coupons can NOT be stacked with coupons from the monthly coupon book.

Random Coupon Books:  several times a year, Walgreens will release additional booklets/magazines focused around a specific topic (Diabetes, Heart Health, Baby Care, etc).  These magazines typically have additional Walgreen coupons in them and occasionally some manufacturers coupons.  The manufacturers coupons in the magazines can usually be used at any other store.  The Walgreens coupons can only be redeemed at Walgreens.

Coupon to Product Ratio:  When shopping at Walgreens, you can not have more coupons than items in your transaction.  What that means is that if you are purchasing, for example, a bottle of shampoo and you have an IVC coupon as well as a manufacturers coupon and are paying with a Register Reward from a previous transaction, you will need to purchase 3 items. The reason for this is that each coupon barcode must be “attached” to a product barcode.  There is no getting around this rule at Walgreens, so just remember “Number of ALL coupons (including Register Rewards) must be equal to or less than the number of products”.   To solve this problem, you may often read me or hear people refer to “filler items”.  This is anything in the store that you can grab to get your Coupon-to-Product ratio to the right amount…..a $0.25 eraser, a $0.50 candy bar, etc.  “Filler items” can be anything in the store, so always be on the lookout for these cheap items for when you need them!

Coupon acceptance: you can check out the most recent Walgreens Coupon policy

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If you are looking to get many of your everyday toiletries for free, then Rite Aid is a good place to do it! By following the weekly Rite Aid Deals, you can pay nothing (or next to nothing) for most of your basic toiletries. Wouldn’t it be great to never again pay for toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, stylers, razors, pain relievers and more?

:: The Basics of Rite Aid

The Wellness card: you will need to get this in order for any of the deals at Rite Aid to work. You can sign up at RiteAid.com or in the store. If you sign up in-store, you will be able to start working the deals immediately.

Single Check Rebates: The most important thing to remember about the SCR program is that you may only request a SINGLE CHECK per month. If you buy items eligible for a SCR at the beginning of the month and immediately request your refund check, you will be unable to participate in the program for the remainder of the month. To submit your refund, simply visit the Single Check Rebate area of RiteAid.com. Once you have logged in you will be prompted to enter the store number, register number and transaction number from your Rite Aid receipt. In many cases, you may receive a message telling you that they are waiting for information from the store before they can process your refund. Don’t worry if you get this message….it can take up to 5 days for Rite Aid to receive the transaction information from the store!

At the end of the month, simply log back on to your account and request your check for all eligible rebates for the month!

+UP Rewards: These are very similar to the Extra Care Bucks at CVS in that they are coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt when you purchase qualifying items. They can be used as cash on almost anything in the store.

Video Values:  store coupons that you can earn by watching videos on the Rite Aid Video values site.  These can be stacked with manufacturers coupons for even greater savings. Video Values Coupons have a barcode that start with a “RC49″

In-ad coupons:  these are almost always store coupons that can be stacked with manufacturers coupons.  In-ad coupons usually have a barcode that starts with “RC49″

Coupon acceptance:  you can check out the most recent Rite Aid Coupon policy

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If you are looking to get many of your everyday toiletries for free, then CVS is a good place to do it! By following the weekly CVS Deals, you can pay nothing (or next to nothing) for most of your basic toiletries. Wouldn’t it be great to never again pay for toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, stylers, razors, pain relievers and more?

:: The Basics of CVS

The Extra Care card: you will need to get this in order for any of the deals at CVS to work. You can sign up at CVS.com or in the store. If you sign up in-store, you will be able to start working the deals immediately. You will want to register your Extra Care card at CVS.com  and you’ll instantly get a $4/$20 coupon.

Extra Care Bucks:  these are the coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt when you buy specific items each week.  The products that will generate the Extra Care Bucks are listed in the weekly CVS ad and I also do the work for you and detail them in my weekly CVS coupon matchups.  Extra Care Bucks can be used as cash for almost everything in the store (there are a few exceptions such as gift cards, lottery, precriptions, etc).  Extra Care Bucks are usually referred to as “ECBs”

The Coupon Machine: most stores now have a price checker in the store. This is a red free-standing machine that is usually in the middle of the store. In addition to checking prices, you can often get extra coupons just for scanning your Extra Care Card!

Coupons:

• You can use one manufacturer and one CVS coupon per item. You may also use Extra Care Bucks towards your total purchase.
• For Buy One  Get One Free sales, you may use 2 manufacturers coupons towards the purchase or 1 manufacturer’s Buy One Get One Free coupon.
• If the coupon value is greater than the purchase price of an item, the value of the coupon will be adjusted down to the purchase price. You will not receive cash back.

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Did you know that, despite your best intentions, grocery stores have made a complete science of ways of getting you to spend more than you intended? Arm yourself with these facts, and you will save yourself money!

1. Checkout aisles: it’s no secret that these contain the most popular “impulse buys”. From candy bars to sodas to magazines, the checkout is designed to be the last chance to get the maximum amount of money out of you. Whether it is the magazine that you are casually leafing through as you wait your turn, or the chocolate bar that your child will DIE if he doesn’t get…or even the fundraiser of the month. Most of these items are not on sale (and some are even ridiculously priced…we are conditioned to think of magazines as priced at $3-$4 per issue. My local store has recently started putting those $14 “special editions” at the checkout!)
2. Endcaps: Did you know that manufacturers pay to be placed on an endcap each week (as well as to featured in the weekly grocery circulars)? We think that if it is on the end of an aisle, with a big “SALE” sign, it must be a great price.  Want to know what was on an endcap at the store when I went the other day?  Boxes of cereal that were regularly $2.79, marked down to $2.50.
3. The Bakery and Coffee Shop:  there is a reason that these are placed right near the entrance to your store.  They know that if you walk in and smell fresh coffee brewing or fresh bread baking, it will tantalize your tastebuds, make you suddenly hungry and entice you to spend more
4. The Deli Area:  while I will be one of the first to attest to Boars Head Roast Beef, buying your cold cuts at the deli counter can cost you 2-3x what it should.  Look for deals on lunchmeats and cheeses in the meat and dairy sections.  In many cases, there are even coupons for them!

What are your “danger areas” in the grocery stores?

Looking for more tips on How To Save Money? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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If there is one thing that is true in using coupons (as in life)…it’s that “timing is everything” . So many people say to me “yeah – I see a coupon for $1/2 of X product…then I take it to the store and the product is $4.99 that week.  Big Whoop! It’s too much trouble and not enough of a return to use coupons”.

Well – YEAH…if you sit at your kitchen table on a Sunday morning clipping coupons, then head out to the store 2 hours later to use those coupons..then you will NEVER maximize your savings.

Manufacturers count on you Sunday Morning Clippers! But here is a little secret for you:  with very few exceptions, you should never use a coupon until about 2 weeks after it was in the newspaper!

Sales cycles at grocery stores are on a very predictable 8-12 week cycle.  Most of your needs will hit their rock bottom price at one point every 8-12 weeks…..and the coupon that is released will generally NOT be the same week that it is the “rock bottom price”.  You need to HOLD ON to that coupon once you clip it…and wait for the lowest price!

Coupon + lowest price = maximum savings!

Now let’s throw in Double Coupons…..

If you live in an area where Double Coupons aren’t the “norm”, but your store occasionally has those events, make sure that you hold on to those coupons for those events! (I happen to live in an area where all the stores double, so I have a little bit more flexibility with my savings.)

Add Store Coupons

Many stores will release their own coupons that can be stacked with manufacturers coupons.  Pair this savings with a double-coupon event?  You have the “Perfect Storm of Savings!”

What are your best tips for timing your savings?

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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Ahh – the grocery circulars….those geniuses of marketing designed to get you in to the stores! We often think of the weekly mailings that we get as notifying us of the sales…and in many cases that is true. But in many cases that is not! Here is a quick list of what you need to know:

1. The front and back pages usually have the true sales for the week. The best prices can be found there. Shop THOSE deals before anything else!
2. The terms “Save with Card” without telling you how much you are saving usually means no savings at all (or maybe $0.20 savings…woohoo!)
3. Look for “On Your Next Trip” deals: these can become a huge source of savings for your meats, produce and things for which we normally don’t see coupons. Simply put, the store is advertising that you will get a coupon at checkout for a certain amount off your next trip when you buy specific items. But those items (using coupons to bring your cost down) and get “cash money” off your next trip!
4. Buy One Get One Free sales are not always the best deals: my best example that I can give you is ice cream. I always see ice cream priced at BOGO….but the “regular price” is $4.99. Better to wait for the times that it is on sale for $2-$2.25 and stock up then!
5. In most cases, if a deal is listed as “10 for $10″ or “2 for $5″, you can just buy 1 of that item and get the sale price. Look to see if there is wording in your circular like “must buy 10″. If there isn’t, you don’t need to!

What are some of your tips for navigating the circulars?

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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One of the key elements to saving money with coupons is being organized.  Without being organized, you spend too much time searching for the coupons and not enough time saving money!

There are 2 methods of organizing your coupons:

:: The Binder Method of Organizing Your Coupons

This is my preferred method.  I find that by going through the motions of clipping and organizing my coupons, I am more aware of what coupons I have at all times. In addition, by clipping and filing all of the coupons (that I think I will use…I don’t clip ALL the coupons), I have them in my binder when I am at the store, ready to take advantage of an unadvertised or clearance deal.

Check out my post on the Binder Method of Organizing Coupons for more details!

:: The Whole Insert Method of Organizing Your Coupons

Some people prefer to organize their entire inserts by date in file folders in a file box.  Another way to do the Whole Insert Methos is to organize them in

The idea is that when you are looking for a coupon for a deal, you can match the date up with the Grocery Store or Drug Store coupon matchups and just pull the coupons that you need and head to the stores. This saves you from clipping coupons that you will never use

I have to tell you – I have tried both methods. I know that some people will praise the Whole Insert method, but I found that by clipping all the coupons, I was more likely to use them (besides – I like getting the unneeded paper in to recycling as soon as possible). I find that I can usually get everything clipped on a Sunday night during a single episode of “CSI: Miami”!

How do you organize your coupons?

Looking for more Saving Money With Coupons tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

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Are you new to using coupons? Have questions about stacking coupons, the Lingo or anything else? If you have a question, chances are that someone else has the same one.

Simply head to my Coupon Questions page, submit your question and it will be answered in a future post on Moms Need To Know!

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

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Coupon 101

If you want to maximize your savings, you are going to need multiple copies of the coupons. In order to save the most amount of money at the grocery store, you need to start a stockpile…and your weekly subscription to the Sunday newspaper just isn’t going to cut it…but it’s a start!

:: The Sunday Paper

The first place to find coupons is the most obvious: the Sunday newspaper. Look for deals on your local Sunday paper. The Philadelphia Inquirer (my local “major paper”) often runs deals where you can get the Sunday paper for $1. I have 3 subscriptions. Yep – that’s right – each Sunday I have 3 copies of the paper delivered on my driveway! I am always looking for when they have that deal to extend my subscription!

Please note that the Redplum insert is no longer in many major newspapers.  To find out if the Redplum insert is in your local paper (or find another local paper that does carry it, check out the Redplum website)

:: Internet Printable Coupons (IPs):

there are tons of coupons to be found all over the internet. Make sure that you check out Coupons.com, SmartSource, Redplum and Coupon Network for the newest IPs.

:: Facebook

More and more manufacturers are releasing great coupons on their Facebook Fan pages. Make sure that y9ou Like your favorite brands on Facebook to see when they are releasing new coupons (and of course, I will always tell you on this site when the good ones are released!)

:: Manufacturers websites

In many cases, they may have coupons available right on their site. If they don’t have coupons? Use the Contact form (or get the phone number and call) and let them know your honest opinion of their products. Very often they will respond by mailing you coupons. Simply Google your favorite products and start contacting them! (note: this also works great for smaller companies who do have coupons, but not the ability to get their coupons in the national inserts!)

:: Friends and family

Hit up all the non-couponing people that you know and ask them for their circulars. Do they use coupons? Then ask them for their leftovers! Do you have a cat? Offer to trade cat food coupons with your friend who has a dog!

:: Coupon Clipping services

these are available, but are constantly coming under fire (as are eBay sellers). There are several reputable companies out there if you do some homework

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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If you are going to be able to keep up with Saving Money With Coupons, you are going to need to learn the lingo!

The inserts: there are 3 different kinds of inserts to be found in your Sunday paper

SS: The SmartSource insert. Among other things, this is where you find the General Mills coupons, which have been the best deals lately

RP: the RedPlum Insert. It also used to be called the Valassis insert, but that practice seems to have fallen by the wayside.  Not all major newspapers still carry the RP insert.

P&G: the Proctor & Gamble insert. This comes out once a month (typically the 1st Sunday of each month, but P&G follows their own schedule) and is the only place where you can get coupons for Tide, Pantene, Pampers and many other products.

Couponer: I don’t care how many times my spell-check flags this word, it has now become the descriptive for those of us who use coupons as if our survival depends on it!

IPs: shorthand for “Internet Printable”. IPs are the coupons that you can find online. Printing IPs require the installation of a “Coupon Printer” on your computer. Please don’t fear installing this program. The tracking cookie that it contains is in order to limit your printing of each coupon to 2 times per computer (which means if you have several computers in your house……).

WYB: shorthand for “When You Buy”

OYNO: shorthand for “On Your Next Order”

Catalina: These generally cause the most excitement among couponers. When you see a sale worded something like “Save $10 on your next order when you buy $20 in participating products”, it means that you receive a coupon for $10 at checkout. The coupon is printed not from the register, but from that little white machine sitting next to the register. That machine is made by the Catalina company and the coupons themselves have come to be called a “Catalina”. These coupons can generally be used for anything else in the store, including those items for which there are rarely coupons, like meat and produce.

Rolling the Catalina: the ability to do this is why couponers get so excited about Catalinas. It simply means that you split your transactions in order to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Let’s say that you are looking at a deal listed as “Save $10 OYNO WYB $20 and you have enough coupons to to that deal several times. There are two reasons that you want to split your transactions in to 3 $20 transactions. The first reason is that, in most cases, if you buy $60 in one transaction you will still only get a $10 Catalina (it depends on the deal, not the store). But if you split your transaction, you can minimize your out-of pocket costs by using the Catalina generated in one transaction to pay for the next. Check out this post to see how I rolled Catalinas to get $174 worth of groceries for only $12 out-of-pocket (or you could say they paid me $3 to take the groceries, since I still walked out of the store with a $15 Catalina)

OOP: shorthand for “out of pocket”. This is the cash that you physically pull out of your wallet.

ECBs: shorthand for “Extra Care Bucks” and is specific to CVS. CVS’s Extra Care Buck program is a great way to get most of your toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and many cosmetics for free.

The CVS Scanner: It looks like any other free-standing price-checker that you see at Target, etc. If you scan your CVS card at the scanner, very often it will print out extra CVS coupons for name-brand products. If you have a manufacturers coupon for that item as well, you can use both of them at the same time to further reduce your costs!

RRs: Walgreens “Register Rewards” which are basically Walgreens-specific Catalinas (see above).

BOGO, B1G1, B1G2F: different ways to say “Buy One Get One Free” or “Buy 1 Get 2 Free”

MIR: shorthand for “Mail In Rebate”

PSA: shorthand for “Prices Start At”

Blinkie: sometimes you will find a little machine hanging on the shelf in the supermarket aisles that dispenses coupons. These are called Blinkies because the machine usually has a little red blinking light on it

Peelies: these are coupons that you can often find stuck to the product itself.

Hangtag/Winetag: these are usually found on bottles (salad dressing, beverages, oils, etc)

Tearpad: can be found anywhere. they are simply pads of coupons found near the product display

Land of No Doubles: those horrible places in the country where grocery stores do not double coupons. The 3rd circle of Hell

Did I miss any? Just let me know in the comments and I will answer your question and update the post!

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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Have you pledged to save more money this year?  Then you have come to the right place!  Over the next 12 weeks we will give you a crash course on everything that you need to know about saving money with coupons!

Why 12 weeks?  Because almost every item that you buy in the stores hits the “rock bottom price” every 8-12 weeks.  By learning to shop smart, you will create a stockpile of the things you buy at the “rock bottom price” and save more money than you ever thought possible!

Throw out everything that you “know” about how you can’t really save money with coupons, how there are never coupons for the things you need, etc.

Oh – and while we are at it?  Throw out the idea that you are going to go from never using coupons to savings 95% the next week.  Matter of fact you aren’t going to save that much 3 weeks from now.  It takes time to learn how to use coupons effectively, as well as learn the store coupon policies.  What works for me at my grocery stores in the Philadelphia area may not work for you in Pittsburgh, Des Moines or Phoenix!

What will you learn?

1. How to shop the sales and always pay the rock-bottom price
2. How to plan your menus around what you have on hand and what is on sale…not just whatever you “feel like” eating. There will be those times when you may feel like just grabbing a few REALLY good steaks on the way home from work….and that is ok!  You will be saving so much money that you will have plenty of wiggle-room in your budget to do just that!
3. How store and brand-loyalty is completely wrecking your budget.
4. How wholesale clubs (in most cases) do NOT give you the most bang for your buck (have you EVER walked out of one of them spending less than $100?)

Have any specific questions?  Leave them in the comments!

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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One of the biggest complaints I hear from “reluctant couponers” is that there are never coupons for the things that they buy…like produce (among other things).

Saving Money on Fruits and Vegetables?

:: Buy In Season and On Sale

There is a reason that fruits and vegetables taste best when they are at their lowest price…because they are in-season and the supply is plentiful.  I still remember the day that I danced a little jig when I saw asparagus on sale for $0.99/lb, and then send Brad out to buy 7 lbs (it IS a wonder that man hasn’t left me yet!).  I knew that, not only was I getting the cheapest price, but because it was so cheap, it was in-season and therefore more tasty.

By buying in-season, you are also forcing yourself to expand your “recipe horizon”. I admit that I would always rather cook my favorite summer veggies all year long. But if green beans are $4/lb and squash is $0.99/lb? I’m FINDING a recipe for that squash!

:: Shop Local (including roadside stands)

Local markets used to be a cute little over-priced indulgence. Now roadside stands are plentiful and often have fresher and more flavorful produce at cheaper prices. We have a produce stand near us that is so cheap, people line up, take a number and wait up to 30 minutes to buy their produce on a Saturday morning..and I won’t even go NEAR that place the weekend before Thanksgiving!

:: Use Coupons

While I will admit that coupons for fresh produce are hard to find, they aren’t impossible to find. Companies like Driscoll’s Berries and Hass Avocados put out printable coupons quite frequently. Nature Sweet Tomatoes puts out coupons in the Sunday Inserts about every 8-10 weeks. Look for peelies on non-store-brand meat that says something like “Save $x on produce when you buy this package”.

:: Buy More Frozen Produce

Since coupons for fresh produce are hard to find (and frankly? canned veggies skeeve me out), look in to buying more frozen produce. The technology to freeze produce has improved so much that frozen produce often retains more of the vitamins and nutrients than the fresh produce that you buy at the same supermarket. Think about it….you want green beans in February? The fresh ones are picked and then (in most cases) shipped hundreds or thousands of miles to your store (which takes time). But frozen vegetables are usually flash-frozen within hours of being picked.  And guess what?  There are usually TONS of coupons for frozen vegetables!  Green Giant, Hanover, Dole and Birds Eye put out enough coupons for you to get your 5-a-day on the cheap!

:: Aldi

I have to admit – the first time I ever visited an Aldi, I was completely underwhelmed. They had fantabulous prices on produce, but all of it was bruised or fuzzy. I complained to a few people here (that was back when about 20 people a day were reading this site) and they convinced me to give them another try. I did and I have not been disappointed since.

You aren’t going to find organic starfruit or fresh ginger root at Aldi, but you WILL find unbeatable prices on the “staple produce items”…like bananas, berries, onions and more!

:: Consider Pick-Your-Own (but Check Your Prices)

Pick-Your-Own used to always be the best price on in-season produce. Unfortunately, that is no longer always the case. At the small family farm, you will probably get a good price. At the pick-your-own event that includes facepainting, hayrides and more? Not so much!

How do you save on produce?

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This should go without saying and I am assuming that 99% of Moms Need To Know readers would be just as annoyed as I was at seeing this sign.  I’m not annoyed that they put up the sign…I’m annoyed that there is enough of a problem with couponers in my area that they NEEDED to put up the sign .  I saw this yesterday and immediately found a store employee who confirmed that they HAVE been having a problem and have caught people pawing through the racks removing inserts from other copies of the paper and tucking them in to the ONE copy that they were buying.

So just a refresher:

• The coupon inserts are just as much of the newspaper as the Sports section.  They are “part of the package” when you purchase a Sunday newspaper.  If you wouldn’t remove just the Sports section from the paper, then the coupon inserts are off-limits as well! Taking an insert from a newspaper that you haven’t purchased is stealing.  As my 10-year old would say:  “Period. The End. Infinite Permanent!”
• Don’t assume that Coupon inserts in a “recycling dumpster” are “fair game”. I know that the show Extreme Couponing makes Dumpster-Diving For Coupons look like an easy way to get extra inserts, but you might be breaking the law by committing trespassing and/or theft. Unlike the almost nationwide acceptance of “anything left in the trash on the street outside of a house is fair game”, dumpsters tend to be located on private property. Further many of those recycling dumpsters are actually a way for the township or organization to make money. They do this not out of the goodness of their heart, but because they then turn around and sell that paper to a recycling company. Taking anything out of the dumpster is taking money out of their pocket.
• Lastly, please use restraint when you happen upon coupon books in stores.  Not too long ago, I could walk in to Giant and they had a monthly/seasonal magazine that included coupons on a rack near the entrance.  Now finding the magazine/coupon book is like going on a scavenger hunt.  You now have to find someone at the customer service desk and ask for the book (and hope they still have them) because people were grabbing 15 copies of the magazine when they were just left out on the racks.

Believe me, I know that the economy stinks and that there are plenty of people who are new to using coupons who might think that the way people act on Extreme Couponing is “normal” behavior for coupon-users.  It’s not.  The behaviors shown on that show are nothing to emulate.

Period. The End. Infinite Permanent!

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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Make sure you check out the rest of the Coupon and Shopping Ethics posts that I have posted!

This could be a sticky question and I have a feeling that some of your answers are going to be based on where you live (urban or rural), how well you know the employees in your store, etc.  But I thought it might be an interesting conversation….

Yesterday, Merissa shared a link with me about a couple arrested for forgetting to pay for sandwiches and asked what I thought about it.  The “nutshell version”?

• A couple and their 3-year old daughter were grocery shopping.  The pregnant wife started to feel light-headed so they grabbed some sandwiches from the self-serve deli.   They ate the sandwiches while shopping, placed the wrappers in their cart (saying that they made no effort to conceal them) and continued shopping.
• They paid for their groceries, but for one reason or another, the wrappers didn’t make it on the the belt at checkout and they didn’t pay for them.
• They were confronted outside the store by 2 men who asked them to show their receipt that they paid for the sandwiches.
• The couple apologized, said it was an oversight and offered to pay for the 2 sandwiches ($5).  Instead, the manager called the police, they were both arrested.  Since both parents were arrested, their daughter was placed with CPS overnight.

Ok – I have a few things to say about this, and then I would love to hear your thoughts!

The fact that they ate a prepackaged item (as opposed to something like produce, where the final price is determined by weight at the cash register) doesn’t bother me AT ALL. We have done this in the past (I have been known to grab a single serve soda halfway through my shopping trip, finish it while shopping and hand the empty bottle to the cashier to scan).  In most jurisdictions, it is not the eating of the item while in the store that is stealing, but leaving the store without paying for it.

That being said…..

If, as they said, they made no effort to conceal the wrappers, I am having a hard time believing that they DIDN’T see the wrappers in the cart once all of their groceries were loaded on the to cart. I’ve been shopping with a 2-year old while pregnant (as well as a 5 and 3-year old while pregnant) and at no time was I struck suddenly blind that I wouldn’t see wrappers in a cart that had been emptied of groceries. But maybe that is me.

and THAT being said….

Calling the police on the couple over $5 in sandwiches seems like overkill. And having both parents arrested over $5 in chicken salad sandwiches so that their child is taken by CPS and will now have a “CPS file” until she is 18 seems like Overkill-On-a-Freddy-Kreuger-level.

Like I said – I have done this.  We have shopped at stores that sold pizza by the slice and Brad grabbed a slice, ate it while we were shopping, and handed the empty pizza box to the cashier.  I have done the same with soda bottles.  When the kids were younger and had more in-store meltdowns, I opened many many bags of Goldfish.  Not ONCE did I forget to pay for them.

What do you think?  Have you eaten prepackaged items (not items where you pay by weight) at the grocery store before paying for them?  Why or Why Not?

And what do you think about the manager’s reaction to this couple?

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If you watched Extreme Couponing last night (October 19, 2011), you may have had the same initial reaction to Perry that I had.  She is using coupons so that she can afford ANOTHER tattoo?  Really? Doesn’t she have enough?

I sat and felt superior for about 2 hours, while continuing to work on writing posts for this site.  Because nothing else was scheduled in my DVR, TLC just remained on the TV while I was working, and what seemed like an endless loop of Extreme Couponing shows were aired.

And then the Perry episode was re-aired and all of a sudden, I was ashamed of judging her…both for her tattoos as well as her reasons for saving money.

My feelings for the Extreme Couponing show aside, Perry has NO reason to apologize or explain for the reasons that she is using coupons (although she should be ashamed for paying $0.20/bottle for mustard.  If there is one thing that every couponer knows – it’s that you NEVER pay for mustard…not when you are shopping at a store that doubles!)

The “tagline” of Moms Need To Know is “helping you stretch your dollar so that you can have more fun”.  To me, that has always meant that you save money on the things that don’t matter to you so that you can spend the money on the things that DO matter to you.

A few months ago, I went in to the Coach Outlet and spent approximately the same amount of Perry’s tattoo on a few purses.  I am sure that Perry would look at my purchase and think “What a WASTE”! (I don’t know this personally, but from looking at her, I am thinking that a fire-engine-red Coach purse is not on her “must-have” list).  Just as I initially looked at her and though “Seriously? She wants to put MORE ink on her body?”

The point is – you don’t need to explain why you are using coupons!

You could be using coupons to:

• Help your family survive through a very rough time
• Save money on toiletries and cleaning products so that you can buy more organic foods
• Save money so that you can afford to take your family on a sensible vacation
• Save money on a variety of things so that you can take an incredibly frivolous trip a Bora Bora
• Save money so that you can buy a (completely awesome) fire-engine red Coach bag
• Save money so that you can afford a new tattoo
• Save money so that you can afford (insert your reason here)

Your reasons for saving money with coupons are YOUR reasons. You don’t need to explain them or justify them to anyone.

So be proud of your savings (as long as you aren’t being a shelf-clearing hoarder like most of  the people on Extreme Couponing).  If you wouldn’t tolerate someone coming up to you in the store asking why you are putting “X product” in your cart, why would you tolerate anyone questioning why you are “bothering” to clip coupons?

What are your goals for your coupon savings?

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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As I have mentioned many times…I’m old! I remember when the first grocery store in my area started requiring you to sign up for their store loyalty card in order to get the savings. I distinctly remember filling out the application with a fake phone number & address and storming out of the store with my purchases, vowing to never again shop at a store that required me to let them “track me” in order to get their advertised sales. I just read the previous few sentences to Brad as I was writing this and he laughed. He said that, up until that point, he can’t remember ever seeing me that angry!

Times have changed..and store loyalty cards are more often than not the key to getting savings at not just the grocery stores, but many drug, pet, office supplies stores and even restaurants.

About Store Loyalty Cards:

• Loyalty cards are almost always free: You can typically sign up right at the customer service desk (and occasionally the register) and start using your loyalty card on your first visit.  Make sure to check out the store website, because you will often get additional benefits (coupons, etc) by registering your card online!
• Advertised deals: in most cases, if a store has a loyalty card, you will need it to get the advertised deals.  There are also many other incentives that you can only get with a loyalty card…like a free turkey or ham at the holidays, or gas deals based on your spending.
• eCoupons: Many grocery stores offer electronic coupons that you can load to your store loyalty card. To read more about downloading and using eCoupons check out my Save Money With eCoupons post.

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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If you haven’t heard, Season 2 of Extreme Couponing will premiere on TLC on September 28, 2011 at 10:00pm.

I have to say – I have very mixed feelings about this show returning. While I am glad that it causes people to become interested in using coupons to cut their grocery bills, this show has often shown the very worst side of coupon usage: shelf-clearing, barcode decoding and coupon fraud, stockpiles that were so large that they could NEVER use that much stuff, and more. Just as bad, people watch that show and think that they can (or should) start saving 75 to 95% on grocery bills the first week.  It creates unreasonable expectations!

But there were some good moments….the couples who went shopping for the sole purpose of donating their haul to the needy and/or our men & women in uniform, the few times that they showed couponers helping other shoppers in the store, etc.

Since Extreme Couponing started on TLC, we have seen stories on the news of people getting kicked out of stores, being arrested for stealing newspapers, and stores changing their coupon policies. I don’t really want to watch it, but as the owner of a Deal Blog, I almost feel as if I HAVE to watch it.

But if the preview for Season 2 of Extreme Couponing is any indication, things are only going to get worse for couponers (in terms of public perception). This woman is clearing shelves and outright rude to the other shoppers and personifies every stereotype people have about people who use coupons. If Season 1 made the stores hate us, Season 2 just might make the other customers hate us even more.

Will you be watching Season 2 of Extreme Couponing? What are your thoughts on the preview video?

Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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While paper coupons have been around forever and Internet Printables for a few years, eCoupons are finally beginning to become more popular.

What are eCoupons?

eCoupons are coupons that are loaded directly on to your store loyalty card through a variety of websites. They are accepted at stores like the Safeway “family” of stores, Kroger and many local chains.

Where do I find these eCoupons?

Cellfire: Cellfire coupons are accepted at Baker’s, Carrs, City Market, Dillons, Dominick’s, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Genuardi’s, Gerbes, Giant Eagle, Hilander, JayC, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pavilions, Pay Less, QFC, Ralphs, Randall’s, Scott’s, Shop n Save, ShopRite, Smith’s, Tom Thumb, and Vons. Simply load the coupons on to your store loyalty cards and you are good to go!

SavingStar: SavingStar is new on the scene and they work at over 100 chains in 24,000 stores nationwide. SavingStar is unique in that you don’t see the savings come off of your bill at checkout, rather the savings are deposited in to your SavingStar account within 7-30 days depending upon where you shop. Once your SavingStar account reaches $5 in savings, you can pick your payout from a bank account deposit, a PayPal account deposit, an Amazon gift card, or a donation to charity. More options to come!

Upromise:  Upromise provides an easy way to save money for college through the use of eCoupons as well as additional savings when you make a purchase at select gas stations, restaurants an1000s of retailers online.  Your Upromise savings are not taken off of your total at the register, but are depoited in to your Upromise account.

Store websites:  grocery stores have had printable manufacturers coupons on their website for some time, but many of them are now switching the printable coupons over to ones that you load on your loyalty card.  Check with the website of your local store to see if they offer this option

Shortcuts: are available at a limited number of stores… although many of them are the same stores at Cellfire!

P&G eSaver:  available to Safeway and Kroger stores as well as select other chains.  These coupons are for items made by Proctor & Gamble.

Can I stack and eCoupon with a paper coupon?

The answer is Yes…and No. It really depends on the store and the type of eCoupon being used. Most stores will allow you to combine a paper coupon with Upromise or SavingStar coupons, but not Cellfire, Shortcuts or P&G eSaver coupons.  I suggest finding out if it is ok through trial and error because the truth is, the automatic answer you will get from a cashier is “no”

Do eCoupons double?

NO!  I’ll be honest with you, I don’t use that many eCoupons except Upromise and SavingStar because my stores will allow me to stack paper coupons with Upromise and SavingStar coupons.  Other than that, my paper coupons all double and I save more using the paper coupons.  However, if you live in an area where the stores don’t double coupons, eCoupons may be perfect for you!

Do you use eCoupons? Which ones?
Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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Most people, when they think of the word “coupon” think only of the ones that you can clip from the newspaper, print online or load to your phone. But when I think of saving money with coupons, I also think of online shopping (and I often think of it first)!

The misconception with shopping online is that, by the time you pay shipping, it is easier to buy the items at the store.  This is simply not true!  You may not be able to score “moneymakers” like you can with the Drug Store deals and Grocery deals, but there are some items for which you can usually get the best deals online.

How?

First, while people are usually thinking about the cost of shipping (although you can usually find a free shipping code for your favorite stores), they aren’t taking in account the cost of gas, your time to go to the store or even just changing out of your jammies!  There are a few items that I use on a regular basis that I can only buy at the mall (25 minutes away) or online.  Even on the rare occasions where I can’t wait for a free shipping code to buy it, I will gladly pay the $6 shipping fee over getting dressed, putting the kids in the car and spending at least an hour (driving + shopping time) to get my item.

So how can you find the best deals online?

Amazon.com – I LOVE Amazon.com!  I buy everything from toys to makeup to organic pantry items there!  They even have several programs designed to help you save even more money:

• Subscribe & Save:  this is a program that I mention frequently and it is for those items that you use on a regular basis (diapers, grocery items, ink cartridges, etc).  You can get a 15% discount AND free shipping (with no minimum purchase) when you choose the Subscribe & Save option.  YOU decide the frequency of the shipments and you can cancel at any time (including immediately after your first shipment)
• Amazon Mom:  with Amazon Mom, you get  free Two Day Shipping through Amazon Prime for one year, benefits such as 30% off diapers as well as customized offers via email.  Best of all, these benefits can be stacked with Subcsribe & Save for even greater savings!
• Amazon Student:  you need to have a college .edu email address to get this, but the Amazon Student program gives you free Two Day Shipping through Amazon Prime for one year as well as customized offers via email.  Best of all, these benefits can be stacked with Subcsribe & Save for even greater savings!  To register for Amazon Student, you just need to provide your school, major and .edu address!

Beyond My Beloved Amazon.com, there are other ways to save:

• NEVER buy anything online without first checking to see if there is an online coupon code for it!  There will be times when the best code you can find is for free shipping or 10% off, but hey – that’s better than nothing – right? You can even do your searching for online shopping codes right here on Moms Need To Know!  Make sure to check out my Store Coupons and Codes page to search 1,000s of retailers for your codes!
• Many stores (such as Walmart, Toys R Us and Lowes) offer free shipping to their store.  You can make your purchase online and have it shipped to the store and pick it up at your leisure, with no worries that it won’t be in stock  when you go to the store!

What are your favorite ways to save money online?

Make sure you read the rest of the posts in my Saving Money With Coupons series!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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The wording on coupons can often be a source of confusion for many. I can’t even tell you how many people have been shocked when I told them that they could use more than 1 like-coupon per transaction. Many of them just assumed that if they were buying 3 of the same items, they could only use a coupon on 1 of them….and it’s all because of the wording on the coupons!

So let’s clear this up right now, shall we?

“Limit One Coupon Per Purchase” or “Limit One Coupon Per Specified Item Purchased” – this causes the biggest confusion, because many people (and cashiers) don’t understand the difference between a “purchase” and a “transaction”. Simply put, a transaction is putting your items on the counter, having the cashier ring up those items, paying and leaving. The items in that transaction are each a purchase. If you have 50 items in your transaction, you have 50 purchases. Unless the store limits the amount of like-coupons that can be used per transaction/day, you CAN use a coupon for each item that you have.

So why does the store put that wording on the coupon? It is to alert you cannot stack manufacturers coupons. If you have a coupon for “$1 off 3 boxes of cereal”, you cannot buy 3 boxes and use 3 $1/3 coupons, nor can you use a $1/3 and a $0.75/1 coupon.

“Limit One Coupon Per Transaction”: this is the most restrictive coupon verbiage (and not seen that often). It means that you really ARE limited to 1 like-coupon per transaction, no matter what the store policy is about like-coupons. It gives the manufacturer the right to not reimburse the store if they ever performed an audit. As I said, this is rare and I can only remember it being on a few things like the Zone bars $0.50/1 coupons.

“Limit 4 Like Coupons In The Same Shopping Trip” – this started showing up on Proctor & Gamble coupons a little less than a year ago and is starting to appear on more and more coupons. With the growing popularity of using coupons, shelf-clearing has become a big problem is this is the manufacturers attempt to reduce that problem.

Any other questions about the wording on the coupons?  Leave them in the comments!

Make sure you read the rest of the posts in my Saving Money With Coupons series!

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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If you have seen the recent stories in the media, you have seen stockpiles of 400 rolls of toilet paper, 30 jars of peanut butter and 80 bottles of shampoo.  You may be wondering “Is this how all people who use coupons shop?”.  “Do I have to clear out a room in order to stockpile to save money?”.

The answer (to both questions) is a resounding “NO!”.

Most grocery store items are on at least 12-week cycle.  That means that if you find something at a rock-bottom price one week, chances are it will be on sale at that price again within the next 12 weeks.  You only need to buy enough to last you to the next sale.

Additionally – there are some items which you will always be able to get free or close-to free.  Toothpaste can be found for free at one of the 3 drug stores almost every week. Why stock up with 20 free tubes one week when you can get it free the following week?

You may have limited space. Your stockpile should be a great way to keep food in the house that you can use and that you were able to get super-cheap. It should not take OVER your house.

I know that when you are first starting to use coupons, you can get caught up in the “thrill” of getting things free, but try to stay sane. I have to admit, my stockpile got out of control in the beginning, but I quickly reeled myself in when Brad threatened to divorce me if I brought another Johnson’s Buddies in the house (he was kidding, but 2 years later, we still have about 30 free bars of Buddies…so he DID have a point!).

Your stockpile is a tool to stretch your budget. It is not something that should be the main source of your happiness. If you get more Warm Fuzzies from looking at your 50 free bottles of Body Wash than you do from looking at your children? That is a SERIOUS problem (although with my kids….some days…..)

How big is your stockpile? How do you manage it?

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If you are going to use the Deal Blogs to help you save money with coupons, you are going to need to learn the lingo that most of us use:

The inserts:  there are 3/4 different kinds of inserts to be found in your Sunday paper

SS: The SmartSource insert.  Among other things, this is where you find the General Mills coupons as well as many of the other “bigger” brands.

RP: the RedPlum Insert.  In many areas, the RP & the V are one and the same.  If you are looking for coupons for Unilever products (Suave, Breyers, Lipton, Dove, etc), they can generally be found in the RP insert.

V: the Valassis insert.  In many areas, the RP & the V are one and the same. If you are looking for coupons for Unilever products (Suave, Breyers, Lipton, Dove, etc), they can generally be found in the RP insert.

P&G: the Proctor & Gamble insert.  This comes out once a month (typically the 1st Sunday of each month, but P&G follows their own schedule) and is the only place where you can get coupons for Tide, Pantene, Pampers and many other products.

Couponer: I don’t care how many times my spell-check flags this word, it has now become the descriptive for those of us who use coupons as if our survival depends on it!

IPs: shorthand for “Internet Printable”.  IPs are the coupons that you can find online.  Printing IPs require the installation of a “Coupon Printer” on your computer.  Please don’t fear installing this program.  The tracking cookie that it contains is in order to limit your printing of each coupon to 2 times per computer (which means if you have several computers in your house you can print 2 copies from each computer).

WYB: shorthand for “When You Buy”

OYNO: shorthand for “On Your Next Order”

Catalina: These generally cause the most excitement among couponers.  When you see a sale worded something like “Save $10 on your next order when you buy $20 in participating products”, it means that you receive a coupon for $10 at checkout.  The coupon is printed not from the register, but from that little white machine sitting next to the register.  That machine is made by the Catalina company and the coupons themselves have come to be called a “Catalina”.  There are very few grocery stores that don’t participate in the Catalina program.  Some people also refer to a Catalina as a “Cat”

Rolling the Catalina: the ability to do this is why couponers get so excited about Catalinas.  It simply means that you split your transactions in order to minimize your out-of-pocket costs.  Let’s say that you are looking at a deal listed as “Save $10 OYNO WYB $20 and you have enough coupons to to that deal several times.   There are two reasons that you want to split your transactions in to 3 $20 transactions.  The first reason is that, in most cases, if you buy $60 in one transaction you will still only get a $10 Catalina (it depends on the deal, not the store).  But if you split your transaction, you can minimize your out-of pocket costs by using the Catalina generated in one transaction to pay for the next.  Check out this post to see how I rolled Catalinas to get $174 worth of groceries for only $12 out-of-pocket (or you could say they paid me $3 to take the groceries, since I still walked out of the store with a $15 Catalina)

OOP:  shorthand for “out of pocket”.  This is the cash that you physically pull out of your wallet.  It is the cost of your purchase after all coupons, Catalinas, ECBs and RRs have been subtracted.

ECBs:  stands for “Extra Care Bucks” and is specific to CVS.  CVS’s Extra Care Buck program is a great way to get most of your toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and many cosmetics for free.

The CVS Coupon Machine: these are the free-standing price-checking machine and can now be found at most CVS stores.  Scan your Extra Care card at the Coupon Machine and you will often get CVS coupons (which can be stacked with manufacturers coupons)!

RRs:  Walgreens version of an ECB program and it stands for “Register Rewards”.

SCR and +UPR:  these are part of the rewards program at Rite Aid.  Check out my Rite Aid 101 post for a further explanation of the SCR and +UPR program.

BOGO, B1G1, B1G2F: different ways to say “Buy One Get One Free” or “Buy 1 Get 2 Free”

MIR:  shorthand for “Mail In Rebate”

PSA: shorthand for “Prices Start At”

Blinkie: sometimes you will find a little machine hanging on the shelf in the supermarket aisles that dispenses coupons.  These are called Blinkies because the machine usually has a little red blinking light on it

Peelies:  these are coupons that you can often find stuck to the product itself.

Hangtag/Winetag: these are usually found on bottles (salad dressing, beverages, oils, etc)

Tearpad: can be found anywhere.  they are simply pads of coupons found near the product display

Land of No Doubles: those horrible places in the country where grocery stores do not double coupons.  The 3rd circle of Hell

Did I miss any?  Just let me know in the comments and I will answer your question and update the post!

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Trying to save money with coupons is becoming more and more popular, and I receive emails every day asking me how they can reduce their grocery budget by at least 75% immediately

Let me tell you this…anyone who says that you can quickly and easily go from spending $200 per week to $50 per week on groceries is either lying or trying to sell you something.  It is a process. Some can do it almost immediately…..more will see their grocery bill gradually go down each week until they are consistently savings 60-95% each week.

One other thing:  not every week is a good week at the grocery store.  Those amazing shopping deals that you saw on TV?  Most of them were during a “super sale” at the grocery store (or they just bought 50 bottles of mustard and 30 bottles of laundry detergent that week….which I guess makes for an interesting menu plan for the week!)

So how can you get started?

1.  Get your coupons organized.  I spoke about my coupon organization Coupon Binder System, there is The Couponizer. There are several other methods and we will explore them more in-depth in future posts!

2.  In almost all cases, menu planning is the key to saving money.  That doesn’t mean that you have to have a schedule from which you will not waiver, but a “general idea” is a necessity.  If you find a great recipe online and decide that you want to try it that night, chances are you will end up paying full retail for the ingredients.  If you see a recipe that you want to try but don’t have the major ingredients on hand, save the recipe and add those ingredients to your list of items for which you need a find a good sale!

3.   Decide what approach you want to take to couponing.  Do you have a large pantry or an extra freezer that you can stock with the good deals?  Do you have limited space and need to limit the amount of “stuff” you bring in?  If you stockpile (as I do), you can base your menus based on what you have on hand (with a few produce and dairy additions from that week’s shopping).  If you have limited space, you may need to go through your circulars, see what is on sale and plan your menus from that (FYI – this method is FAR more time consuming, in my opinion)

4.  Use the printable list feature in my grocery store posts and take them with you to the store!  You don’t have to worry about price comparing every deal in the store.

5.   If at all possible, try to do your shopping alone in the beginning.  With 3 kids under the age of 10, I know that this is easier said than done.  But the less distractions you have, the better!

After that, it’s just a matter of clipping your coupons and following the deals.

And don’t worry….you WILL get better (even those of you who live in The Land Of No Double Coupons!)

Request a Moms Need To Know Coupon Class in your area!

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