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!