P.S. About Sunday Couponing

Don't forget to check out the links in the side bar (Store Deals, Store Weeklies, etc.) for more deals & savings while you're making your shopping list   =)

May 1st for Beginners

Step 1: Purchase Newspapers

• Our area has 4 papers I'm aware of that always carry coupons. Times News, Washington Post, The Sun, and The Sunday. I strongly recommend buying 1 of each. 

• Do not start clipping yet! I am making this easy for you because I know you want to learn but if you overwhelm yourself you're likely to give up so just trust me =)

Step 2: Organize Inserts

• This week has 4 inserts. 2 from Smart Source, 1 from Red Plum, and 1 from Proctor & Gamble. Sort your 4 piles and mark each booklet with the date "5/1" so you can reference this in the upcoming weeks. You can view a detailed list of the coupons here.

Step 3: Search Sales & Coupon Matchups

• The best place to do this is online because there are thousands of bloggers who have done the work for you. And to make it even easier I have linked the exact websites you need for this week. Click here and view the very bottom of the blog for the abbreviations list.

CVS Deals & Matchups for 5/1          Rite Aid Deals & Matchups for 5/1

• For CVS and Rite Aid these sites have already matched up the coupons with the sales. You will see lists of available coupons under each sale item. Because you may not have any coupons before today, you should only pay attention to coupons marked "5/1" or if you have a printer you can also print alot of coupons to match these sales. The links are usually included.

• Here is where you may start clipping from your inserts. As you do so, keep track of your shopping list for each store, what you're purchasing, the price, your coupons, and keep this all together so you are organized and stress-free when you go shopping.

Martins Deals for 5/1 (No Matchups Yet)

• Here is a post I found for Giant/Martins sales in our region. Like you, I won't know that these prices apply to our store until I see our local store's weekly ad, but it's good to have a general idea, that way you can make a basic list of any groceries you need.

Family Dollar Store Coupons

• I could not find a preview for Family Dollar's 5/1 weekly but I did find that they have lots of new printable coupons available. Because these are store coupons, you can stack them with a manufacturer's coupon. This is when you can use 2 coupons on 1 item and really increase your savings.

Here is my new favorite website: CouponTom.  Say you see a sale item but you don't have a coupon for it, just search under the "Coupon Search" tab and you'll have an instant list of every coupon available for that item and where to find it, even printable coupons!  Now if you have a coupon that you want to use but you don't know which store will have the best deal, look under "Price List" and search for "Bounty" or "Ragu" or whatever and again you'll have instant access to every store that carries the product along with the current sale price. Voila! This site is an excellent resource and I hope you all bookmart it =)

So that's it. You all are free to contact me anytime and I'd love to answer your questions. Don't let yourself get discouraged. This is such a rewarding hobby and I hope you all can learn to enjoy it as much as I do  =)

Check out the new links

I added "Store Deals" to the side bar.  These links should automatically update with each new post, so check them regularly!

And for all those wanting to learn HOW, my next post is just for you. I gathered all my information together and I will be posting everything you need to know to shop next week at Food Lion, Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid. You don't have to have any coupons at this point, just buy some papers on Sunday and read the blog. =)

$10 Shopping Day

Walmart

25 bottles of Nivea Body Wash @ $3/ea

Subtotal = $75.00 + $4.50 tax

25 coupons for $3 off Nivea Body Wash

Final Cost = $4.50 tax

 CVS

4 bottles of Clean & Clear body wash @ $6.29/ea

and 1 Dove Men's deodorant @ $.99

Subtotal = $26.15 + $1.57 tax

2 coupons for BOGO Clean & Clear body wash

1 coupon for $1 off Dove Men's deodorant

$10 ECB from previous trip

Final Cost = $2.58 + $1.57 tax

Received $5 ECB from Clean & Clear promotion to spend next trip!

Rite Aid

2 Arm & Hammer spinbrushes @ $8.99/ea (BOGO sale)
4 tubes Crest toothpaste @ $.49/ea clearance
2-in-1 set of Sally Hansen nail polish @ $1.12 clearance
2 boxes Cap'n Crunch cereal @ $1.00/ea
2 boxes Quaker Chewy granola bars @ $1.00/ea
3 Mars candy bars @ $.88/ea
Subtotal = $27.30 + $1.64 tax
2 coupons $1.00 off Arm & Hammer spinbrush products
2 coupons $1.00/2 Crest toothpastes
1 coupon $1.00 off Sally Hansen hand or foot product
1 coupon $1.00/2 Cap'n Crunch cereal
1 coupon $1.00/2 Quaker Chewy granola bars
1 coupon B2G1 Mars candy bars
$10 +UP from previous trip
Final Cost = $.83 + $.89 tax
Received $1.76 +UPs from Mars Candy promotion to spend next time!

Coupons Expiring 4/30

These are the coupons I have expiring this month. I have multiples of most that are listed. Please look over them and feel free to ask for however many you want. First come first serve! Remember, Martins will double your coupons if they're under $1.00 unless they are marked Do Not Double (DND).

$1/1 2000 Flushes Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner
$.55/1 Act II Microwave Popcorn 3+pk
$1/1 Always Infinity
$2/1 Always Infinity 14+ct
$1/1 Always Maxi 36+ct or Ultra Jumbo 38+ct
$1/1 Always pads, clean or feminine cleansing cloths
$1/2 Always pantiliners 30+ct
$.45/1 Archway Brand Cookie Variety DND
$.55/1 Blue Diamond 1/2+Gallon Chilled Almond Breeze Almondmilk
$.55/1 Blue Diamond 32+oz Shelf-stable Almond Breeze Almondmilk
$1/1 California Pizza Kitchen product
$1/1 Caribou Coffee Whole Bean or Ground 12oz
$1/1 Carpet & Room Odor Eliminator Quick Dry Foam
$1/2 Cascade
$1/2 Charmin
$.50/1 Chex Mix Treats, Golden Grahams Treats, or Milk 'n Cereal Bars
$.55/1 Chinet festive Casuals Plates
$1/2 Chinet festive Casuals Plates
$1/1 Clairol Natural Instincts hair color
$5/2 Clairol Natural Instincts hair color
$1/1 Clairol Nice n' Easy hair color
$3/1 Clairol Nice n' Easy Color Blend Foam hair color
$1/2 Colgate Kids toothbrushes
$1/2 Colgate Kids toothpaste
$.50/1 Colgate Kids toothpaste
$1/1 Colgate Max Clean, Max Fresh, Max White, Colgate Total, Sensitive, ProClinical toothpaste 4+oz
$1/1 Covergirl product
$2.50/2 Covergirl products
$5/2 Covergirl Simply Ageless products
$10/1 Crest 3D White 2hr express or Professional Effects whitestrips
$5/1 Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid 14ct, Stain Shield, or Gentle Routine whitestrips (excludes trial size)
$1/1 Crest rinse 440mL
$1/1 Crest rinse 946+ mL
$2/1 Crest rinse 946+mL
$1/2 Crest toothpaste 4+oz or liquid gel
$1/1 Curel moisturizer 3.5+fl oz
$1/1 DanActive 4 or 8pk
$.20/1 Dawn
$1/1 Dial Bar 3pk or Dial liquid hand soap
$1/2 Dial bodywash
$1/1 Dial NutriSkin lotion
$.50/1 DiGiorno Pizza & Wyngz or DiGiorno Pizza & Cookies
$.20/1 Downy liquidfabric softener or sheets
$1/1 Dryel Starter Kit or Refill
$1.50/1 Duracell CopperTop or Ultra Advanced 6+pk OR 1 Hearing Aid 12+pk
$2/1 Duracell Rechargeable Batteries, Charger, or Daylite Flashlight
$1/1 Farm Rich Philly Cheese Steaks
$1/1 Febreez Set & Refresh
$1.50/1 Folgers Instant 8+oz AND 1 International Delight creamer (excluding Breve Creme)
$1/1 Gain Detergent
$1/1 Gain Fabric Softener or Sheets
$1/1 Gillette Deodorant
BOGO (up to $4.99) Buy Gillette Deodorant get Gillette Bodywash Free
BOGO (up to $4.99) Gillette Bodywash
$4/1 Gillette Fusion ProGlide Cart. manual or power
$5/1 Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor
$1/1 Gillette Fusion ProSeries Skin product
$2/1 Gillette Fusion ProSeries Skin product
$1/1 Gillette Fusion Shave Prep
$2/2 Hatfield Ham Steaks
$1/2 Herbal Essences or Aussie products (excludes trial size)
$1/1 John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo or Conditioner (excludes trial size)
$1/1 John Frieda Full Repair Styling Aid (excludes trial size)
$1/2 Ken's Dressing 8 or 9oz
$1/2 Ken's Dressing 16oz
$1/1 Ken's Marinade
$.50/1 Kix, Berry Berry Kix, Honey Kix
$.50/1 Krusteaz Pancake Mix
$2/1 L'Oreal Excellence or Excellence to-go Shade
$3/1 Mach3 disposable 6ct, Sensor3 8ct, Custom Plus3 8ct, Venus disposable 6ct, or Daisy 18ct
$2/1 Mach3 disposable 3ct, Sensor3 4ct, Custom Plus3 4ct, Venus disposable 2 or 3 ct, Daisy 10 or 12 ct, Simply Venus 4 ct, or Daisy3 4 ct
$1/3 Mahatma Rice Mixes
$.50/1 Mahatma or Water Maid Rice
$1/1 McCain Purely Potatoes Frozen Potato Product
$1/1 Mr. Clean twin pack or 2 Mr. Clean products
$1/1 Mrs. T's Pierogies
$.75/2 Nature Valley Granola Bars or Granola Nut Clusters (excluding Granola Thins)
$1/2 Nestle Coffee Mate Powder Creamers
$1/1 Neutrogena Naturals
$.50/1 NYC Color Eyeliner
$3/1 Olay bar, bodywash, or in-shower body lotion AND 1 Olay hand and body lotion AND 1 Secret product
$2/1 Olay Facial Cleanser (excluding trial size)
$2/1 Olay facial cleanser or facial moisturizer (excluding trial size)
$5/1 Olay Pro-X face moisturizer (excluding .3 and 1 oz)
$5/1 Olay Pro-X facial moisturizer or facial cleanser
$1/2 Old Spice products 1/7+oz
$1/2 Old Spice Antiperspirant/Deodorant or Bodywash
BOGO (up to $5.99) Buy 1 Old Spice Fresh Collection product get 1 Old Spice Fresh Collection Bodywash Free
BOGO (up to $3.99) - Buy 1 Old Spice Odor Blocker or Dry Skin Defense Bodywash get 1 Odor Blocker Bodywash Free
$3/1 OralB Adult or Kids Battery Toothbrush
BOGO (up to $2.99) OralB Advantage or 3D White Vivid manual toothbrush
$2/1 OralB Pulsar, Cross Action, Advantage, or 2 Indicator or Cavity Defense brushes
$10/1 OralB Pulsonic, Professional Care, or Sonic Complete Rechargeable Toothbrush
$1/1 OralB Satin Glide Floss 25+M or Glide Floss Picks 30+ct
$1/2 Pantene products (excluding trial size)
$1/2 Pillsbury Sugar Free Brownie Mixes, Cake Mixes, or Frostings
$1/2 Pringles Fat Free
$1/2 Pringles Snack Stack or Stix
$1/3 Pringles Super Stack 180+grams
$1/6 Puffs Singles, 2 3pks, or 1 6pk
$1/1 Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal
$2/1 Reach Total Care Plus Whitening Dental Floss
$1/1 Scope Mouthwash 710+mL
$1/1 Secret Clinical Strength or Body Spray (excluding trial size)
$1/2 Simply Asia
$1/1 Silk 1/2Gallon
$1/2 SoftScrub products
$1/1 SoftScrub Total product
$1/1 Starbucks Double Shot 4 pk

$1.25/1 Starkist SeaSations Fillets

BOGO (up to $4.50) Swiffer Dust & Shine

$10/1 Swiffer Sweeper Vac Starter Kit

$5/1 Swiffer Wet Jet Starter Kit

$1/1 Tampax 18+ct

$2/1 Tampax Pearl or Compak Pearl 18+ct

$1/2 Tide Detergents
$1/1 Tide Stain Release
$3/1 Tide Stain Release 26-50oz powder, 15-34ct duopac, or 36-68 liquid
$3/2 Venus disposable 2,3, or 6ct, Simply Venus 4ct, Daisy 3,4, or 8 ct, or Daisy 10,12, or 18 ct
$2/1 Venus ProSkin Moisture Rich, Embrace, or Breeze razor
$2/1 Venus ProSkin Moisture Rich, Embrace, or Breeze refill cart.
$.50/2 Viva Towels Big Roll packs or a 2+pk DND
$1.50/1 Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entree (excluding Dry Dinner Kit)
$1/1 Welch's Healthy Start 100% Juice
$1/1 Welch's Refrigerated Juice Cocktail
$.50/1 Wholly product
$1/1 Woolite by Dry Cleaners Secret
$1/1 Woolite OxyDeep Spot & Stain Carpet Cleaner
$1/1 Zest, Ivory, or Safeguard bar, bodywash, or liquid hand soap WYB 1 Olay bodywash

Free Toothbrushes & Toothpaste At CVS

CVS has Colgate toothpaste, Reach Toothbrushes (kids & adults), Aquafresh Toothpaste & Toothbrushes (kids & adults) all on sale for $1.00.  Use your $1.00 off coupons and stock up!

Made $2.41 At WalMart Tonight!

(3) Nivea Body Wash $3.00 - $3.00 MFR = Free
(1) Reach Floss $.88 - $1.00 MFR = -$.12
(8) Reach Floss 2/$1.76 - $2.50/2 MFR = -$.74/2
(1) Secret Clinical Travel Size $2.47 - $3.00 MFR = -$.13
(1) Women's Degree Travel Size $.97 - $1.00 MFR = -$.03

Subtotal -$3.64
Tax 6%   $1.23
Total      -$2.41

Details From Monday's Rite Aid Trip

You can earn printable store coupons through watching Rite Aid's Video Values (VV) on their website. I spent one morning going through all the hair care and cleaning product videos so I'd have a nice stack of coupons for my trip.  Here's how it went...

Tresemme Climate Control Shampoo & Conditioner 2/$5.00

• $1.00 RA VV
• 2 x $1.00 MFR
• Earn $2 +UP WYB 2
• Final Cost = FREE

Got2b Super Glued Styling Gel $5.99

• $2.00 RA VV
• $2.00 MFR
• Earn $2 +UP
• Final Cost = FREE

Because I watched all of the RA VV's for hair care I earned a $2.00 off coupon for my $10.00 hair care purchase, which I was able to use on the above products because their total before coupons was $10.99, so even though these products were "free" (after +UPs earned) I still received an additional $2.00 off my total.

Continuing...

6 Airwick Aerosol Sprays BOGO ($1.69)

• 3 x BOGO MFR
• Final Cost = FREE

2 Dixie Ultra Plates BOGO ($3.99)

• $2.00/2 RA VV
• Final Cost = 2/$1.99

2 Purex 3-in-1 BOGO ($7.99)

• $1.00 RA VV
• $1.00 MFR
• Final Cost = 2/$5.99

Lysol Disinfecting Spray $3.50

• $1.00 RA VV
• $1.00 MFR
• Final Cost = $1.50

2 Ziploc Sliders 10 ct. & 15 ct. 2/$5.00

• $1.00/2 RA VV
• $1.00/2 MFR
• Final Cost = 2/$3.00

2 Finish Gelpac 20 ct BOGO ($6.49)

• 2 x $.75 MFR
• Final Cost = 2/$4.99

2 Glade 4oz Candles 2/$5.00

• $1.00/2 RA VV
• $1.00/2 MFR
• Final Cost = 2/$3.00

2 Windex 26oz 2/$5.00

• 2 x $.50 RA VV
• $1.00/2 MFR
• Final Cost = 2/$3.00

Because I watched all the RA VV's for cleaning products I earned a $2.00 off coupon for purchasing $10.00 of the above products. Also because I purchased at least $30 of these products (before coupons) I received a $10 +UP reward.

As the receipt reads:

45 Items

Subtotal          $18.84

Tax                   $3.31

Total               $22.15

+UPs earned  $14.00

FREE CAT FOOD!!!!!

Food Lion has 16oz boxes of Purina ONE cat food on sale for $2.00 with your MVP card. Use a $2.00 off any size Purina coupon, you get these for just the price of tax (12 cents per box in MD) So I just bought 4 lbs of cat food for 48 cents!!! And for those interested, the first ingredient listed is chicken =)  

If you don't have the coupon, that's ok! Just go to the store and peel the coupon off a larger bag of Purina ONE cat food and use on the 16oz box, but be courteous! Don't take all the coupons or all the boxes for yourself.

Happy shopping!

Some Of My Go-To Websites

Coupons.com - Enter your zip code and browse pages of printable coupons. The site will direct you to download a program one time in order to print any coupons, and each coupon can only be printed twice. 

FreeSnatcher.com - View the Sunday insert schedule & preview a detailed list of coupons in each insert.

WeUseCoupons.com - This site is an endless resource for everything coupons. Learn the basics of couponing, view store weeklies in advance, find printable coupons, and so on.

CouponsThingsByDede.com - Buy coupons that you can't print for free. They cost pennies and save you hundreds. I place an order here about every other week.

JillCataldo.com - She is a super couponer but she is also a practical shopper. She doesn't load her cart with 68 French's Mustards just because they're a quarter a piece and her videos are great walk-thrus for a frugal grocery trip.

FrugalDay.com - Again, another extremely helpful blog. There are probably thousands of these out there, you just have to look.

Look Who Went To Rite Aid!

Total before savings $96.33

Total after savings $22.15

Received $14 in +UPs to spend next time
Final cost $4.84 + tax = $8.15

What I've Learned Along The Way

Patience.

Your time spent in the store will at least double.

• You have your plan of action and head straight for the Old Spice Body Wash only to find they're sold out. You can study your coupons or the sale papers to find an alternative or just scratch out that transaction altogether. Always politely ask an employee when they expect to get another shipment of that product so you know when to return. Or ask for a rain check! Rain checks guarantee you the sale price, but will not offer you the +UP or EB reward, so keep that in mind. Also you want to make sure your coupons will not expire before the next shipment arrives or else your rain check is pointless.
• You'll spend more time at checkout. If you have multiple transactions it's best to let the cashier know this and also that you'll be using coupons, in case a line forms behind you so they can open up another register.
• Keep everything organized so you're not spending more time at the store than you have to. Know exactly how you want your transactions to go and have your coupons sorted and ready for the cashier. This also helps make her job easier and you want to be on her good side! Trust me!
• Keep your eye on the screen at checkout so you know your coupons are ringing up properly. Once at Rite Aid I didn't pay attention and afterwards realized $30 worth of coupons were not applied to my receipt. I returned to the store that evening and had to sort through the big envelope of coupons from the whole day with the manager but luckily I knew exactly which coupons didn't scan and exactly what they looked like, but I do not recommend this for anyone just starting out!

My anxiety has been tested several times since starting to use coupons. Something doesn't ring up properly or I misread the sale paper or I misread the coupon or a number of other things and a line is forming behind me and the cashier is confused and everybody is standing around and staring at me wanting me to just be finished so they can check out and move on. So here's what you do. Just breathe, take a moment to look at the situation, and if you did make a mistake you can always apologize and ask the cashier to just cancel the order, collect your coupons and go home to revise your plan of action. I've done it. I'll probably do it again. And I've learned that this is why it's so important to be organized and remain calm. It's your money. Don't feel pressured to just swipe your credit card and pay full price for these things so you can get out of the way for the next person in line. They shouldn't be shopping if they're in a hurry, and there's almost always an available cashier roaming around in the back of the store anyway.

Because we're in a smaller area the locals tend to be much friendlier than if we were in a larger city. So chances are you'll have fewer run-ins with nasty register people or store managers. Blogs and books I've read have told horror stories that are just not likely to happen around here, but if it does happen to you, know your rights, and if they refuse to follow their own store policy regarding sales and coupons, then contact the corporate office as soon as you get home to alert them of the situation. You'll be amazed at the response you get. I recently wrote to corporate for a local grocery store asking about their coupon policy because a friend of mine was told "we don't accept coupons" and she left her cart full of groceries and went home empty handed. The woman from corporate was very upset to hear this and has been asking all sorts of questions to find out who when and where, and she said she will contact that branch immediately to remind the employees of company policy. I wasn't writing her to complain, I just wanted confirmation on their policy, but she took it a few steps further to ensure that will not happen again.

On a lighter note... BOGO coupons. These are my new favorite thing. I have confirmation via published store policies that if you use a BOGO coupon on a BOGO sale, you will receive both items for free and only pay tax. When a store has a BOGO sale, they are eating the cost of one item. When you use a BOGO coupon, the manufacturer is eating the cost of the other item. So hold onto your BOGO coupons for sure! Also, on a BOGO sale you can use a coupon on each item (i.e. two coupons for $1 off each item) so if Martins has Kraft Cheese Slices for BOGOF, you can use $1 off coupon on each package of cheese. If the cheese is $3 for a package and other package is free, your final cost after your two $1 off coupons will be $1 for two packs of cheese. 

I know I have several readers which is so exciting to me! If you guys have any questions about anything please ask! There are so many tips and tricks I've learned but I know I won't think of them all unless you ask questions so please comment or email me all you like and I'll be more than happy to reply! Have a great weekend everyone!

Here's How I Do It

I've learned to hold onto every coupon I clip with three exceptions. Baby products, pet food, and elderly needs (polygrip, depends, etc.) Just because I've never bought Best Life Buttery Spread doesn't mean I will toss out the coupon for it, because it will go on sale and I may get a great deal on it.

Sunday morning I drive to Sheetz or Martins and buy 4 newspapers - Times News, Washington Post, The Sun, and The Sunday. Before paying for them I flip through real quick to make sure each has at least one coupon booklet. Coupons are not distributed at holidays! Eventually you may want to consider subscribing to several copies of each newspaper and cutting your cost while having them delivered to your doorstep.

I pull all the coupon booklets from each paper, but only the sales papers from the Times News. Throw away the sales papers from the out-of-town papers because the prices are not the same and will not apply to our local stores.

I clip every single coupon, and it does take time. Luckily when I work weekends, it's typically slow and I get alot done while being paid to sit at my desk. Now there is an alternative to clipping every single coupon... Keep your booklets organized by Company (i.e. Smart Source, P&G Savers, Red Plum) and mark each booklet with the date of that Sunday. There are thousands of websites available now that will tell you exactly which booklet has which coupon to use on which sale item. Both methods work great, but I prefer clipping all my coupons simply because I like to be familiar with what I have. Because I've clipped every coupon, I can look at the sales papers or browse store clearance sections and know what coupons I have to match.

After filing away all the coupons I've clipped from the papers, I grab the sales papers and start browsing. You must have a member card for each store to get the sale prices. It's free and absolutely worth the 60 seconds to fill out a form with your name and address. Rite Aid and CVS will print coupons with certain items to use on your next transaction.

Here is a page from Rite Aid's paper this past week. At the top you can see where I circled Bounce, Downy, and Arm & Hammer are on sale for $4.99. When you purchase one of these products, a $1 +UP reward will print out with your receipt, so "it's like paying" $3.99 for the Bounce, Downy, or Arm & Hammer. Now if you have a coupon for $1 off this Arm & Hammer product, that means you pay $3.99, get $1 +UP, so "it's like paying" $2.99. The next row shows Soft Scrub on sale 2/$5 and you receive a $1 +UP when you buy 2. If you buy 1, you receive the sale price but not the +UP. Now say you had some $1 off coupons for Soft Scrub. Buy two and use a coupon on each making the out of pocket price 2/$3, receive your $1 +UP, and "it's like paying" 2/$2. You must read the small print when items offer a +UP reward. Sometimes the +UPs are limited to 1 or 2 offers per household. This means for each Rite Aid member, only so many +UPs will be rewarded for that sale item. Other times there is no limit mentioned, which means if you buy 10 of an item offering +UPs, you'll receive +UPs for all 10. If there is a limit of 2 +UPs and you still buy 10, you'll receive the sale price on all 10 items but only receive 2 of the +UP rewards.

Next is a page from the CVS paper this past week. At the top, Dove Body Wash is on sale 2/$12. You receive a $4 Extra Buck reward when you buy 2. Again, if you buy 1, you still receive the sale price, but no Extra Buck reward. Beside the Dove are the razors, on sale for $6.99 and offering a $3 Extra Buck reward so "it's like getting it for $3.99." These sales are good, but they'll be even better if you have coupons to go with them! Now below the Dove you will see L'Oreal products on sale. When you purchase at least $25 of these products, you will receive $6 Extra Bucks. Notice there is a limit of 1 per household, so if you purchase $50 worth, you will still only receive one reward of $6. Now here's where it gets good. CVS looks at the total cost before using coupons, so if you buy 5 cleansers for $30 and you have $2 off coupons for each one, you're only paying $20 for the cleansers, but because your total before coupons was $30, you still receive the $6 Extra buck. 

Manufacturers issue coupons hoping you'll buy that product that week. But you know better than that! You know to save those coupons until that item goes on sale, which may be that same week, or it may be a month later, but you save a substantial amount of money using your coupons on sale items compared to when the item is not on sale.

So as I'm browsing the sale papers, I make a list for each store of the product and the price that I want to buy. I then go through my coupons and write down how much my coupons deduct from the cost so I know what I'm actually paying for these items. Sometimes the sale paper will only say 50% off, but doesn't mention the price, so you'll have to decide to keep that product on your list or not after you see the price in the store.

With these register rewards you are allowed to use them on your very next transaction, so here's my list from this last Rite Aid trip I made...

Transaction A) 8 Stayfree Maxi 16-24 ct = $20

                        use 8 $1 coupons              -  $8

                        use $10 +UP                    - $10 (I earned these from the week before)

                        total paid $2+tax... earn $8 +UP

Transaction B) 6 L'Oreal Vive Pro Hair Care = $15

                       use 6 $1 coupons                      - $6

                       use $8 +UP (from A)                - $8

                       total paid $1+tax... earn $6 +UP

Transaction C) 4 BIC Flex 3 or 4 or Hybrid = $19.96

                       use 3 $3 cpns & 1 $2 cpn      - $11

                       use $6 +UP (from B)             - $ 6

                       total paid $2.96+tax... earn $4 +UP

Transaction D) 4 Old Spice Fresh Collections Body Wash = $11.96

                       use 4 BOGO coupons                                 - $ 6.98

                       use $4 +UP (from C)                                   - $ 4

                       total paid 98cents... earn $4 +UP

So rather than put everything in 1 transaction and paying a whole lot more out of pocket, I decided to break it up in 4 smaller transactions so I could use the +UPs earned to keep my out of pocket costs down. In the end I paid a little over $9 out of pocket, saved over $102, and walked out with $4 +UPs to spend next time. 

Think of the +UPs like a gift certificate. It's money you paid to the store, but if you spend it on items that give you more gift certificates, it stretches your pennies further and further. You can spend the +UPs however you like, but I like to spend them on items that earn me more +UPs so I can keep shopping =) 

The +UPs typically expire 2 weeks after you earn them, and you cannot use them if they're going to bring your subtotal below zero. So let's say you have a $5+UP to use. Your subtotal is $3, your tax is $2 (because you're still paying tax on things you get for free) and your total is $5, you cannot use the $5 +UP because your subtotal is only $3. If you want to use the $5+UP you should buy a candy bar or two to bring your subtotal to $5, but then you still have to pay the $2 tax out of pocket. 

Here are some abbreviations to become familiar with:
BOGOF - Buy One Get One Free

BOGO50% - Buy One Get One 50% Off

ECB - Extra Care Bucks CVS rewards

+UP - Rite Aid rewards

WYB - When You Buy (ex - get $6EB wyb $25 L'Oreal)

MM - Money Maker (when your coupons & the store sale bring the cost below zero - you make money!)

SS - Smart Source

RP - Red Plum

PG - Proctor & Gamble

K - Kellogg Insert

GM - General Mills Insert

Time for an Update

CVS - April 12
I printed 4 of the $4.00 off Airwick freshmatic kits and headed to CVS with some Extra Bucks from my last trip. Since the Airwicks were on sale for $6 each, my coupons brought the price down to $2 a piece, $8 total. I only had 1 Extra Buck coupon for $8.99, so to bring the negative subtotal above $0, I grabbed some candy. Why not? So here's my receipt:

4 Airwick Freshmatic Kits
1 Cadbury egg
1 Russell Stover egg

Subtotal 62 cents!
Tax $1.54
Total Paid $2.16
Total Savings $55.08
Earned $8.74 in Extra Bucks



And the biggest trip, Rite Aid - April 12

8 packs of Stayfree Maxi Pads
6 bottles of L'Oreal Vive shampoo & conditioner
4 Old Spice deodorants & body washes
4 BIC disposable razors (the really nice kind!)

Subtotal $6.94
Tax $2.82
Total $9.76
Total Savings $102.84
Earned $4 +UPs


You're allowed to use your rewards earned on your next transaction. I did 4 transactions and my last one left with me $4 +Ups to take home.  Everything was donated to the Family Crisis Center.

92% Savings at Rite Aid!

I had an amazing trip to Rite Aid yesterday. I haven't had time to post anything yet this week but I will soon. All items were donated to the Family Crisis Center in Cumberland.

Seeing the savings on a receipt is rewarding enough considering all the time and effort put into couponing, but it's even more exciting when you see those same items at other stores marked 500% higher than what you paid.

Again, I haven't had time to go into detail about much this week, but on a short note if any one would like to learn more please contact me and I'll share everything I've learned. Maybe one day I'll be able to collect & organize it all to put on here.

Have a great week everyone!

Great News

I mainly shop at Rite Aid, CVS, and Martins, so I reviewed Rite Aid and CVS's coupon policies (now posted on my blog) and they do accept BOGO coupons on a BOGO sale.

Example: If Rite Aid has a Buy One Get One Free sale on Oral B toothbrushes, and you have a "BOGO" coupon for the same toothbrushes, grab 2 toothbrushes and use 1 BOGO coupon and you get them free (excluding sales tax.)

Some friends have mentioned the cashiers rejecting BOGO coupons on a BOGO sale, so that is why if you plan to do this, you should print a copy of their policy and keep it with you just in case, that way there's no argument.

I haven't shopped at Mor For Less in ages but I've been told they haven't accepted coupons, so I've emailed them asking what their policy is since it's not stated on their website.

And my favorite, quoted straight from Wal Mart's policy:

"If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given
to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase"

CVS Weekly Preview

Click the CVS weekly link on my blog, and select "Upcoming Weekly" where you can view the week's sales before they're in print. There's a few good deals, but this one is the best.

Spend $20 on select Finish, Air Wick,and Lysol products, get $10 in Extra Bucks (limit 1)

Air Wick Ultra spray starter kit - $6

There is a $4 off coupon you can find on Coupons.com, making the kit $2. Print 4 coupons, buy 4 kits, spend $8, and get a $10 reward. You just made $2!

The store looks at your pre-coupon total when having to spend a minimum amount to receive an extra buck. So even though you're paying $8 out of pocket, your total is $24 before coupons, making you eligible for the promotion.

Most every printable coupon site is the same. Regardless of the website you use, your activity is logged and you're limited to printing 2 of each coupon.

So since you need 4 coupons, use 2 different computers.

If you've never printed a coupon online before, you will have to install a small program just one time on your computer. I've installed it on my laptop and my boyfriend's desktop. Also for some reason the coupon sites will not load on his desktop if I use Google Chrome's browser, so I used Mozilla Firefox and it worked fine.

Martin's Trip

Short version
     $108.85 - $49.76 in sales & coupons = about 46% savings.

Not bad considering what I bought.

2 packs of 18 ct. Charmin rolls
4 boxes of Cheerios
60 packs of Koolaid (yes, sixty)
2 packs of latex cleaning gloves
2 loaves of Wonder wheat bread
4 packs of Pillsbury Easter cookie dough
2 cartons of Tropicana 59 fl oz
4 Hunt's pudding packs
1 Hershey's syrup 48 oz
2 cans Blue Diamond almonds
4 Powerade Zeros
1 Domino Sugar 5 lb
2 Arizona teas 42 fl oz
1 pack generic paper towels 6 ct.
2 Vitamin Water Zeros 20 fl oz


If I was going for a stockpile, I could do it, but we don't have the space and I don't have the interest. I watched TLC's Extreme Couponing for the first time tonight, and between that show and some other online resources, I've learned that we're really shorted on good store savings policies. Martin's is the only store I'm aware of that will double a coupon, but only 1 of a kind, and only if it's under $1. Other stores let you double 8 of the same coupon, and they give you $10 back when you spend $50. We'll never have anything like that here, so unfortunately for TLC I guess they won't be visiting our lovely Cumberland. Ever.

Rite Aid Clearance

I haven't checked out Cumberland's Rite Aid this week, but Frostburg's has a few gems in their clearance section (hidden in the back of the store at the end of the shaving/oral hygiene aisles.)  No coupons involved, you can buy a 32 oz. bottle of Tresemme for $1.70-something, or even Clairol Natural Instincts hair color for $2.24. I had a coupon for $5.00 off 2, and couldn't use it because the coupon cannot exceed the pre-tax total of the item. So, it's still there for anyone who's interested - and you can easily find a $1 off coupon in any Sunday paper or online coupon site (making it an 84% savings.)

Just thought I'd share =) I'm not sure how often they change up the clearance items, but definitely look through them next time you stop in.

"All You" Magazine

Here is their website. I picked up my first copy at the WalMart checkout for $2.49. There were a lot of coupons to clip and a variety of helpful articles.

(This isn't the current book, just a picture I found on another blog)

P.S. Their website offers links to daily free samples and sweepstakes, and you can enter your email to receive free sample offers every day. The one today is free Sephora mascara. You print the coupon and take it into a Sephora station in JcPenny, but I don't think ours has one (does it?) Anyway, you can also print coupons straight from the website, etc. Check it out =)

Staples, Rite Aid, & CVS

Went to Staples back on March 28th and enrolled in their rewards program. Purchased 2 packs of Hammermill copy paper and 2 packs of Duracell batteries and will be getting a 100% rebate on all 4 items. In the end I paid $2.28 in sales tax and saved $37.96.



Rite Aid was decent today. I paid a few dollars for things I have no use for, but I can't pass it up when it's dirt cheap, and I love being able to donate to people in need.

In two transactions, the grand total was $92.96. After savings, I paid $33.80 out of pocket and walked out with $10 in rewards to spend next time. That's 74% savings on:

• 2 Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoos 
• ($5.49 each - BOGO 50% off - 2x $1 cpn = $3.12 each)
• 1 Garnier Herbashine Hair Color ($8.49)
• (-$3 cpn & $5 reward earned = $5.49 or "49 cents")
• 2 packs of Scunci Hair ties ($3.99 each)
• (2x $2.99 sale price - 2x $2.99 reward earned  = $2.99 each or "free")
• 2 Gillette Body Washes ($4.99 each)
• (2x cpn free with purchase of Gillette Deodorant = free)
• 2 Gillette Deodorants ($4.99 each)
• (2x $1 cpn & $2 reward earned = $3.99 each or "$2.99 each")
• 2 Old Spice Body Washes ($4.99 each)
• (2x cpn free with purchase of Old Spice Deodorant = free)
• 2 Old Spice Deodorants ($4.99 each)
• (-$1 on two & $2 reward earned = $4.49 each or "$3.49 each")
• 2 Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razors ($10.99 & $12.99)
• (2x $9.99 sale price - 2x $3 cpn - 2x $5 reward earned = $6.99 each or "$1.99 each")

Weekly Circulars for 4/3 - 4/9

Wal-Mart

Food Lion (3/30 - 4/5)

Martins

CVS

Rite Aid



CVS has some amazing deals this week. Even if you have no coupons, this is what you can get:

• Crest or Oral B Pro Health Rinse, Toothpaste, or floss for 99 cents (after $2.50 reward)
• Right Guard Total Defense Body Wash for 88 cents (after $3 reward)
• Complete Multi-Purpose Solution for free (after $8.99 reward)
• G.U.M. Eez Thru flossers for free (after $2 reward)
• Wisk Detergent BOGO free
• Schick Hydro 3 or 5 cartridges or razor BOGO free

Here's how I used the reward programs in the beginning.  CVS has "Extra Bucks" and Rite Aid has "+UPs".

I would ring objects up on separate orders so I could use the reward printed out from one item on the next item. But now since I have a build up of rewards, I can do just 1 or 2 transactions and it's less messy. The rewards expire after 2 weeks so use 'em up!

Rite Aid will be a short trip this week. Two things caught my eye:

• Scunci Elastic Hair Bands are free (after $1.99 reward)
• Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor is $1.99 (after $5 reward and $3 coupon from today's paper)

These promotions each have a limit of 2 per household. So you can buy 2 of each and save 88% on your bill.

If you grab today's paper, clip the $1 off Bestlife Buttery Spread coupon from the Smart Source booklet and take it to Food Lion for free butter.