What exactly is a millionaire?

I just read a great article on wealth. I loved The Millionaire Next Door, now the author has written another book. I'll have to check it out, but this is a good preview.

Toys R Us Hasbro Games

Toys R Us has an awesome sale on Hasbro games. (See the PYP post with a complete list of qualifying games here.) Buy $25, get a $10 gift card. PLUS, many of the games qualify for a rebate or have printable coupons. Here's what I bought:

Hulabaloo
Rubix 360
Candyland
Chutes & Ladders
Total: $25.96
-$10 gc
-$4 rebate ($2 each on Candyland and Chutes & Ladders)
= $11.96 WOW!!!

Stores are running out quickly. So, be aware of that. Good luck!

Shopko Halloween Clearance

I also happened upon Halloween clearance at Shopko. All costumes and decor are 90% off. I got an adult gorilla costume for $3.99 and a toddler bumblebee costume for $2.99. I also picked up a string of jack-o-lantern lights for $.99. The candy was marked down (not sure of %). We've got more candy at our house than should be legal, but I couldn't resist a bag of Lindt truffles for $1.49 and a bag of Mint 3 Musketeers for $.87. The kids just didn't bring home enough of those in their treat buckets. ;)

Smiths

Despite my not-so-great trip to Fresh Market, yesterday was a very good shopping day for me. I finally made it over to the Smiths Mega Event. It only goes until Tuesday, but if you can head over, it would be worth it. Here's what I got:

2 12-pack Quilted Northern TP
Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix
4 Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice
6 Carnation Evaporated Milk
3 Dannon Danimals Drink 6-packs
15 Hormel Chili with Beans
4 Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies
2 Ore Ida Potatoes
Pepperidge Farms Cookies
2 Cheez-it Crackers

Total: $27.47

It was the first really good grocery shopping trip I've had in awhile. Felt good to be BACK!

Long Time...

Sorry about the lapse in posts. (To anyone who follows this blog. Or should I say, IF anyone follows this blog...) I've been a very unmotivated bargain shopper lately. Having Albertsons switch ownership has just been painful! For the past several weeks, they've been in limbo. So, no ads. This past week, they finally made the switch (after postponing it twice before). I went last night for my first look at Fresh Market. I admit, I put it off. Oh how I missed Albertsons... I'm sure I'll be able to find deals there from time to time, but I don't expect them to be as amazing as Albertsons' sales.

Shopping List 9/30-10/6

PYP Shopping List

Maceys has a sale on Quaker items this week. Check it out!

Albertsons

I think that I posted earlier that Albertsons would switch over to Associated Foods on Sept 26. Well, that might have been correct before, but it has changed. The best date I've been able to get is "mid-October." I'll post further details as I find out more.

Diaper deals anyone?

* Smith's has their store brand diapers on sale this week. The value boxes are $14.96 and the jumbo packs are $5.96. There is a $3/1 printable available here that makes this a HOT deal! (This has been confirmed in Idaho and Utah.)

* Rite Aid has a rebate on Huggies diapers. Purchase 3 Jumbo packages of Huggies diapers for $33. (Use coupons from mailers if you have them, there are no insert coupons currently.) Submit for your $10 SCR online AND get $5 back from Gift of Savings promo (it automatically submits for this when you enter your receipt info).

(Info taken from the PYP blog)

Shopping List 9/23-9/29

PYP Shopping List

Shopping List 9/16-9/22

PYP Shopping List

Make sure to check out the Campbell's sale at Albertsons. There are some great deals!

Polls

I put a couple of polls on my sidebar for any of you from Utah. Please take a minute to respond. Thanks!

Doublers!

Yesterday's paper had doubles! It's been awhile since we got them in the Sunday paper, so I thought I'd post. They are on A6 of DesNews and A4 of the Trib. This will likely be our last doublers in Utah since Albertsons is switching over to Associated Foods on Sept 26. Go ahead and clip them now!

Shopping List 9/9-9/15

PYP Shopping List

(sorry it's late!)

Shopping List 9/2-9/8

PYP Shopping List

Shopping List 8/26-9/1

PYP Shopping List

Back to School Clothes

There are tons of great deals on kids' clothes right now. So, if you're scrambling to get the last few school clothes, you're in luck! (Thanks to sales addict for the info.)

OSHKOSH

Starting today (8/20/09) OshKosh is offering 20% off ANY purchase of $50+ with THIS Printable coupon. (Ends 8/26/09)

Plus: Now till September.. get a $10 Playcard for every $25 spent! Playcards are redeemable Sept 14th-27th.

For all details, and to find a location near you go HERE.

GYMBOREE

Gymboree has their Circle of Friends sale starting today!! (8/20/09)

Plus: they have THIS printable coupon giving you 30% off entire purchase!

Another Plus: Get $25 in Gymbuck for every $50 spent! (After Discounts)

I would recommend buying clearance or sale items to get the best bargain.. Also, Be sure to keep in mind that your total needs to come to $50 after discounts, so bring your math game :) or calculators!

JUSTICE

Justice.com is offering 40% off with code 779. (Exp 9/7/09)

CHILDRENS PLACE

The Childrens Place is having their summer sale, where you can find items as low as $3.99 and below!

Also: Use code FA79 at checkout for an additional 15% off! Or use THIS printable coupon if you're going in-store.

Shopping Lists 8/19-8/25

PYP Shopping List

$25 in FREE groceries

Kraft and Albertsons have come together to offer $25 in free groceries. (Click here for the PYP announcement.) And yes, that is FREE. No coupons necessary. (If you use coupons, it makes it a money maker.) You will receive a $5 OYNSO catalina at the checkstand as well as a rebate form to get $20 back by mail. Although the offer is good from 8/7-8/23, this week is optimal since Albertsons has the items on a killer sale as well. Click here for Albertsons shopping list to plan your shopping trip.

Shopping Lists 8/12-8/18

PYP Shopping List

Printables Now Accepted

How about some good couponing news? (It's about time!)

As of August of 2009, Macey's will accept printable coupons . Their policy allows most legitimate coupons. The one type they have excluded are "free" coupons (BOGO are fine). As always, be sure to follow the general printable coupon rules (see post here).

You may want to check with your local Associated Foods store to verify if they will accept printables. I'm not sure if the whole chain has changed its policy, or just Maceys.

Obsessed

I don't know if any other couponers feel like this too, but this sale has gotten me so excited. I want to get every deal. It's so dang cheap! But, I know my family will never use 30 boxes of fruit snacks, bottles of laundry detergent, bottles of hairspray, etc. Anyone want me to shop for you? LOL (I say it jokingly, but I'd really be willing.)

Sample Shopping Deals

I have made 2 trips to Albertsons for the GM/Unilever promo since it started. Here are my shopping lists and total to give you an idea of the savings you can get:

Items:
2 Warm Delights
2 Cookie Mix
2 Chex Mix
2 Skippy PB
4 Honey Nut Cheerios
2 Other cereal
2 Fruit Snacks

Coupons:
2- .50 off Warm Delights
2- .40 off Cookie Mix
2- .50 off Chex Mix
1- 1.00 off 2 Skippy PB
1- 1.00 off 2 Honey Nut Cheerios
2- .55 off Honey Nut Cheerios
1- 1.00 off 2 Other cereal
2- .40 off Fruit Snacks
2 doubler coupons (1.00 doubled twice)

Total: $21.56, receive $15 OYNSO (Same as $6.56!)

Items:
3 Warm Delights
2 Muffin Mix
3 Lipton Sides
1 Honey Nut Cheerios
1 Kix
1 Fruit Snacks
1 Best Foods Mayo
2 Nature Valley Nut Clusters

Coupons:
3- .50 off Warm Delights
1- .75 off 2 Muffin Mix
1- 1.00 off 3 Lipton Sides
1- .55 off Honey Nut Cheerios
1- .75 off Kix
1- .40 off Fruit Snacks
1- .60 off Best Foods Mayo
2- 1.00 off Nature Valley Nut Clusters
1- .75 off 3 Hamburger Helper
2 doubler coupons (1.00 doubled twice)
$15 OYNSO catalina from previous transaction

Total: $5.54, receive $15 OYNSO

More scenarios on the PYP blog (Note: this was posted yesterday, so they show scenarios using 5 doublers, 3 are now expired)

Shopping Lists 8/5-8/11

PYP Shopping List

Awesome sale at Albertsons!

I could post this tomorrow morning, but this one is just too good. (It will be part of the list tomorrow.) If you can grab the 2 doublers from Sunday's paper, you can save an extra couple of bucks. This sale actually started on Sunday and runs through next Tuesday. There's a lot of different items in this promo. Also, there are tons of coupons to pair with the sale. They will be on the regular list tomorrow or can be found on PYP's master coupon list here.

GM/Unilever Promo
"Save an extra $15 off your next shopping trip when you spend $30 or more on these participating products in a single transaction using your Albertsons Preferred Savings Card."

(prices shown are BEFORE catalina, reduce by 50% to get the price considering catalina savings)
3 for $5 (1.67 each)
Suave deodorant 2.6oz
Suave Kids Shampoo, Conditioner or Detangler 10.5-12oz
Suave Professional Shampoo or Conditioner 14.5oz
Wish-Bone Salad Dressing 7-16oz
Ragu Pasta Sauce 13.5-26oz
Green Giant Vegetables 7-10oz box
Chex Mix Traditional, Gardettos, Bugles, Cheerios Snack Mix or Chex Mix 100-calorie 4.2-8.75oz
Betty Crocker Cookie Pouch 17.5oz
Betty Crocker Warm Delights 2.9-3.35oz
Betty Crocker Warm Delights minis 2.46oz

2 for $4 (2.00 each)
Suave Hair Spray, Mousse or Gel 7-11oz
Suave Body Wash 12-18oz
Progresso Light Soup 18.5oz
Bertolli Pasta Sauce 13.5-24oz
Progresso Reduced Sodium Soup 18.5-19oz
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks 4.5-9oz (Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Snacks, Fruit Rollups, Fruit Stickerz)
General Mills Cereal - 12.25oz Honey Nut Cheerios, 12.8oz Cinnamon Toast Crunch, 120z Honey Kix, 13oz Reese's Puffs, 11.25-12.2oz Cookie Crisp, 8.7oz Kix
Country Crock Spread 15oz
Betty Crocker Muffin Mix 15.2-19.6oz
Betty Crocker Premium Brownies 16.5-26.7oz
Skippy Peanut Butter 15-16.3oz

2 for $5 (2.50 each)
Best Foods Mayonnaise 22-30oz
Dove or Degree Ultra Deodorant 2.6-3oz
Dove or Caress Bar Soap 2-pk
Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt 4ct 4oz
Lipton Tea Bags 22-100ct
Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion 3.1-10oz
Pillsbury Cookie Dough 14-16.5oz
Klondike Ice Cream Bars (6ct) or Popsicle Novelties (20-24ct)
Nature Valley Nut Clusters (5oz), Chex Mix Bars (7.4oz) or FiberOne Bars (7oz)
Q-tips Cotton Swabs 300-375ct
IBC Root Beer 6pk 12oz bottles

1.50 each
Betty Crocker Hamburger, Chicken or Tuna Helper 4.7-9.2oz
Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes 20oz
Bisquick 20oz

1.00 each
Ben&jerry's Ice Cream Cups 3.6oz
Lipton Dry Soup Mix 2pk
Betty Crocker Cake Mix 18-19.5oz
Knorr Pasta or Rice Sides 4-6.4oz

3.00 each
Breyers Ice Cream 1.5qt

3.50 each
All Liquid Laundry Detergent 32 loads
Macaroni Grill Dinner Entree 8-18.28oz

5.00 each
Snapple Tea or Fruit Drinks 12-16.9oz or 6-16oz

Shopping Lists 7/29-8/4

PYP Shopping List

Associated Foods buys Albertsons

I have loved shopping at Albertsons since I started couponing. They regularly have sales that go right along with current coupons. I have been able to stock up on the things my family uses for very little. Yesterday, it was announced that Associated Foods bought almost all the Utah Albertsons stores (excluding 2 Orem, 2 West Jordan, and 3 St George stores). Click here or here or here for the news story. Although I am disappointed to lose my favorite grocery store, I am optimistic that there will always be deals to be found. I am interested to see what Associated Foods does with this block of stores. I am hoping that they will keep them with a separate identity than the rest of the Associated Foods stores. We'll see how it all plays out.

Shopping Lists 7/22-7/28

PYP Shopping List

Red Plum Coupons

Valassis, the company that produces the Red Plum coupon insert, has chosen to stop putting their coupon inserts in Utah newspapers. You can read more about it here and voice your objection.

Update: It appears that Red Plum will continue to be delivered in the Provo Daily Herald. It will be the ONLY Utah newspaper with Red Plum beginning in August. My understanding is that they have a contract that will remain intact for about 1 more year. After that, I assume they will not deliver it either. The Daily Herald is available for delivery in Utah County and as far south as Nephi.

Shopping Lists 7/15-7/21

PYP Shopping List

Note: The Albertsons deal on Kellogg's would be great to combine with the rebate below.

Kelloggs Rebate

As long as I'm posting rebates... here's another good one. Kelloggs has a "Fuel for School" rebate that they put out each year at the end of summer in preparation for a new school year. Get the form here. It always works out that stores have sales that coincide resulting in free (or nearly free) products. So, watch to get a great deal!

Tyson Skillet Rebate

Print this form to get a rebate on a Tyson Skillet Creations Meal Kit. Yum!

Olay Rebate

Buy$50 of Olay facial moisturizers and/or facial cleansers, get $20 back! If you haven't tried their Daily Facials, I recommend that you do. One step make-up removal and cleaning, couldn't be easier! Click here for details and to print a rebate form.

Sample shopping list

Here's a scenario:
2 Kraft dressing 2 * 1.99= 3.98
4 Kraft bbq sauce 4 * .99= 3.96
6 HNCheerios 6 * 2.49= 14.94
3 Reeses Puffs 3 * 2.49= 7.47
5 Mac n Cheese 5 * 1.00= 5.00
$4 of ground beef ($1.88/lb store coupon)

Coupons:
Kraft dressing 2 * 1.00= 2.00
Kraft bbq sauce 4 * .50= 2.00
HNCheerios 3 * 1.00/2= 3.00
Reeses Puffs 1 * 1.00/3= 1.00
Mac n Cheese 1 * .50= .50
Doublers 2 * 1.00= 2.00
Meat tearpad wyb dressing & bbq 2 * 2.00= 4.00
$10 Epic savings

Total: $14.85
PLUS Get $1.50 oyno cat and 3 milk cat

Shopping Lists 7/8-7/14

PYP Shopping Lists

Childrens Place Monster Sale

Check out the great deals at childrensplace.com. I've been adoring the circle skirt and matching sweater for awhile. They are both $2.99. Tons of other great deals too.

Shopping Lists 7/1-7/7

PYP Shopping List

Kraft Coupon Booklet

found this on PYP...

Sign up now to receive your Kraft Smile Savings Booklet & Calendar.

Get 2 $20 Rebates + $15 in coupons on Kraft Favorites including Nabisco, Planters, Capri Sun, Ritz Bits and Easy Cheese.

Shopping Lists 6/24-6/30

PYP Shopping List

Make sure to use your doublers in this week's Albertsons ad!

Shopping Lists 6/17-6/23

PYP Shopping List

Diapers

Thanks to my former roommate Claire for passing along this deal:

Right now KMart has a deal on Huggies if you buy $50 worth you get a $14 catalina towards your next purchase. Go to KMart.com and click on Email Specials here is the link http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/nb_10151_10104_NB_EmailSignup?adCell=WH and sign up to get a $5 coupon. Then take that coupon and your Huggies Diaper coupons, and one of the huggies wipes coupons. (You have to spend $50 or more to trigger the Catalina that is why I added the wipes) Get 5 packages of diapers $9.99 and 1 package of wipes $2.99 and use your coupons and you pay $35.48 OOP(out of pocket). You get a $14 catalina and if you factor that in the wipes end up being $2.24 before tax and the diapers end up being $3.88/package after tax and coupons. You could do any combination of diapers, pull-ups, wipes, etc. Also, starting 6/18 you get a $10 gift card when you buy a $50 gift card, so you could use it on this as well, making it $25.48 OOP.

Here are some current Huggies coupons:
Huggies Baby Wipes, 64 ct or larger .75/1 (7-18-09) SS-4/19
Huggies diapers, any $1.50/1 (6-20-09) SS-5/17
Huggies Pull-Ups Training Pants, any jumbo pack or larger $2/1 (7-18-09) SS-6/14
Huggies Pure & Natural diapers, any $3/1 (6-20-09) SS-5/17

UPDATE: It looks like Little Swimmers and Huggies bath products are included too!
Huggies Bath & Body Product, any $1/1 (7-18-09) SS-4/19
Huggies Little Swimmers Disposable Swim Pants, any $1/1 (8-9-09) SS-5/17
Huggies Little Swimmers, any $1/1 (7-12-09) SS-4/19

Free DVD

Sign up & receive 4 episodes of childrens animated “Steamer and Samuel Save The Day” DVD absolutely Free! No shipping costs or bills! Free free free. (To start, select country in the top right corner.)

(found on shopping addict)

Crazy 8 Denim

Crazy8.com is having a sale on denim for kids. Jeans are $6.99, plus use the code C8SUMMER to get $10 off a $30 purchase. I also found some great deals in their clearance section. Shipping is $5 flat rate.
(found on shopping addict)

Shopping Trip

Since I can't post from the PYP lists, I can at least give you an idea of the deals by posting my shopping trip. Here goes:
1 Skippy Peanut Butter
2 Wishbone Bountifuls Dressing
2 Best Foods Mayo
3 Ragu Pasta Sauce
2 Candy bars (reward for the kids! they were good!)
1 Chex Mix
2 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray
2 Trix Yogurt Multi-pack
Total: $19.02
I got a $10 catalina, making the total $9.02 after figuring it in. Didn't I say that this was a good sale?

(Other great deals that I didn't buy: $.87 GM cereal, .25 Bertolli pasta sauce, .80 Breyers ice cream. I'll be back!)

Shopping Lists 6/10-6/16

Shopping List

Make sure to check out the General Mills promo at Albertsons. Tons of 5-star deals!

Spend $50, get $50 at Sears!

Last year Sears had a great Father's Day rebate. I was hoping they'd do another, and just found out they are! Here are the details from the sales addict:

Sears is doing a promotion right now, if you purchase $50 worth of Mens pants or Jeans by June 21, 2009 then you will receive a $50 in Sears Reward Cash! The Reward Cash can only be used on Mens Apparel through October. You will need to fill out and send in this rebate form, along with your receipt. For all details, view rebate form.

Edit: I just thought I'd point out that the form says that it can be submitted online. SO much easier, in my opinion! (And saves a little on postage too.)

Free Chapstick

Burt's Bees is celebrating its 25th anniversary with 25 days of giveaways. Each day between 9 and 12 (Eastern Time) they give away 1,000 chapsticks. The giveaway can start any time in those hours. I've been trying the past couple of days and finally got through today. So, go ahead and give it a try. The daily giveaway will continue through June 20.

* I entered my info about 3 minutes ago. I just checked back, and it says that the 1,000 has been reached. So, I think they go quickly. Good luck!

Shopping Lists 5/27-6/2

Link

Want some coupons?

Sign up at Home Made Simple to get $30 in coupons in the mail.

Freebies

I just discovered an awesome blog, Sales Addict. Thanks Kelly for posting the link! I've just scanned it, but already I've signed up for a free PF Chang lettuce wrap and package of hotdogs. I'll be watching this blog for sure!

Shopping List Preview

PYP already has this coming week's shopping lists complete. I'll update the links tomorrow to the all-in-one list, but for now here are the previews...
Albertsons
Smiths
Maceys

Shopping Lists 5/13-5/19

PYP has requested no copying of their lists. They allow links to the shopping lists, so I'll post that every week for quick reference. Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be posting soon about reading the lists and will answer any questions you have.

Shopping List (this is the all-in-one list, if you want a specific store, choose from the drop-down menu)

Double Coupons

Sometimes stores offer to double coupons. Some stores even have it as their regular coupon policy. (Unfortunately, none in Utah do to my knowledge.) Recently, Albertsons started including a few double coupons in their Sunday ads. Here is what you need to know about double coupons...

* Double coupons will double the discount of a manufacturer coupon. Ie: $.50 off will be doubled to $1 off.
* Double coupons have specified limits. Usually, they will double up to $1 or $2. The Albertsons doublers are limited to $1. So, if you have a $.25 coupon, it would be doubled to $.50. A $1 coupon would be doubled to $2 off. But, a $1.10 coupon is above the limit and would not double. Some stores would adjust the $1.10 coupon to the max $2. But, Albertsons doesn't allow doubling on coupons over $1.
* Give the cashier the coupons that you would like doubled with the doublers before the rest of the coupons. That way you know you get the biggest discount. You'll want to double the highest value coupons you are using that day, that are within the limit.

Rumor has it that there will be doublers in the Albertsons flier on Sunday. :)

Childrens Place $9.99 and under sale

Childrens Place is my favorite place to shop for my kids. They started their $9.99 and under Summer sale today. The spring markdowns are still there too. PYP has a code for an extra 15% off here. Check it out!

Free Chocolate Anyone???

Every Friday through September, Mars is giving away free chocolate. Go here to enter your information to get a coupon mailed to you. Personally I think it's funny that you have to wait 6 weeks to get the coupon. But, it will be a fun surprise when it shows up!

Arby's

Who doesn't love Arby's? They have some of the yummiest sandwiches (turkey bacon club, for starters...) and their curly fries are so good. I joined Arby's Extras awhile ago. You can sign up here, then they send you coupons by email. They've had some good ones in the few months that I've been a member. The other day I received an email saying that they have specials every Wednesday throughout the summer and listed this months deals. Also, if you call in and complete a survey on the back of the receipt, you can get a free sandwich to go along. This full list was posted on pyp.

MAY
13 - Free Roastburger with any soft drink purchase
20 - Free Chocolate Malt Swirl Shake with any sandwich purchase
27 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase

JUNE
3 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
10 - Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase
17 - Free Regular Sidekickers® with any sandwich purchase
24 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase

JULY
1 - Free Regular Beef 'n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase
8 - Free Orange Cream Swirl Shake with any sandwich purchase
15 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
22 - Free Roastburger with any soft drink purchase
29 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

AUGUST
5 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
12 - Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase
19 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
26 - Free Regular Beef 'n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase

PYP Giveaway

PYP is having another great giveaway-- a $50 Albertsons gift card! Go here to enter the contest. You need to be a member of PYP to enter (with at least 5 posts), so if you haven't joined yet, now's the time! The contests runs until 5/31.

To the beginning couponer

I had the opportunity to take a new couponer I met through PYP shopping a couple weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. She got some great deals, and I hope that she keeps at it. I noticed, though, that she was a little skeptical. I've been thinking since then and wanted to write a post to new couponers.

When you start out, it's hard to see the point. You have your first set of inserts, just a fraction of the coupons that are out there. And your pantry is living shopping trip to shopping trip. There is no reserve.

I'd suggest getting what deals you can. When you see something that you have a coupon for that is a good deal, stock up (that's where the need for multiple coupons comes in). Don't buy just one!! Then, shop for everything else like normal. Slowly, you will see your stockpile fill up and you will be shopping from it more and the store less. I once heard a couponer describe her food storage as a store where everything is 75% off. Who wouldn't want to shop there?

I find myself buying only "hot" deals in my grocery trips in addition to necessary perishables. I pass up a lot of "good" sales to wait for the even better deals, because I can. I just use my storage. It takes awhile to get to this stage, but is wonderful when you get there.

Soft Scrub

Today at Albertsons, I bought a bottle of Soft Scrub cleaning gel w/bleach. A catalina printed with a code to complete a survey. I completed the survey and will get $5 in the mail. I already love soft scrub, but I made $1.50 buying it today (I paid $3.49 and will receive $5). Even better!

Kraft Printables

Kraft has some great printable coupons right now. They are on 3 separate sites, so you can print 2 on each site. Many of them match up with this week's Albertsons sale. See more information here on pyp.

Here are the links to the coupons:
Kraft
Coupons.com
Albertsons

How much?

5 Secret Deodorant
3 Crest Toothpaste

Simple list. Give me your guesses. What was my total?

(Last time someone asked what to base guesses on. Just tell me your Walmart guess, how much you'd expect to pay there.)

Average guess: $11.38
Actual cost: $5.60

Albertsons Gas Rewards

Last week, we saved $23 in gas. Want to know how? Albertsons has a gas rewards program. For every $50 you spend, you earn a $.05 discount on gas. It accumulates on your preferred card until you use the reward up to $1.50. You can buy 20 gallons at the discounted price. We wanted to get the maximum discount possible, so we let it accumulate to $1.15, then took both cars in to fill them up. You can see the details here (click on gas rewards in the lower left hand corner).

More on the P&G promo

When I saw this P&G promo, I thought that there would be some great deals to be discovered. In years past, this has been a big stock-up sale for me. I was a little disappointed in the original list, but there are more items connected to the promotion than what is in the ad.

On PYP, they listed a few more: CoverGirl cosmetics, Duracell batteries AA or AAA 4 ct., C or D 2 ct, 9V 1 ct, Herbal Essences or Aussie shampoo, conditioner, or styling products, Olay Skin Care, Gillette Venus or Fusion razors, Swiffer Wet or Dry refills, Swiffer furniture polish

Here's my trip from today:
2 261-count pampers wipes refill
2 gillette series aftershave
1 covergirl eyeshadow
total: $15.47 and received a $5 catalina

I had $1 off coupons for everything except the wipes. Then, I used the doublers from yesterday's paper. Basically, I just paid for the wipes and tax.

Beer Rebates

Beer Rebates are unique enough to warrant their own post. Because beer companies are limited in what promotions they can offer, they put out rebates. In many states, it is illegal to require a beer purchase to redeem the rebate. Utah is one of those states. (I have one in front of me that lists AL, AR, CT, HI IN, KY, MA, ME, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NY, RI, SD, UT, VA, WV.) The rebates are on a wide variety of purchases-- deli chicken, BBQ grills, pizza, produce, TVs, bottled water, health club memberships, etc. I'd estimate that 1/2 of the food rebates are full rebates. For example, I recently sent in a Budweiser rebate for $10 back when you spend $10 on deli items or pizza. Look for tearpads with the rebate forms on beer displays in grocery stores or gas stations.

Rebates

Rebates are a great way to get a bargain. The payback is delayed, but really adds up. In the past 6 months I have submitted $242 worth of rebates. Many of those are full rebates, meaning my entire purchase was reimbursed.
I suggest tracking rebates with a simple spreadsheet. In mine, I have columns for rebate name, rebate amount, date mailed, and any other notes. I highlight them in red when I mail them in and change the font to black when I receive the check. I also scan all my submissions for backup.
Look for rebates:
online
coupon inserts
on product labels
store ads
some stores have regular rebate programs such as: Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Shopko

Maceys 4/29-5/5

Cilantro bunch $0.33
Green onions organic $0.50
Limes $0.20
Mangos $0.69
Yellow onions organic $0.69/lb
Beef London Broil $1.89/lb
Bone-In Pork Shoulder Boston Butt Roast $0.99/lb
Ground Beef, 80% lean $1.49/lb
Shur Saving Gallon Milk $1.67
Western Family Cheese, 2 lb. loaf $4.49
Lynn Wilson's Flour Tortillas, 20 oz $0.79
Western Family diced green chiles 4 oz $0.50
Western Family Louisiana Hot Sauce, 6 oz $0.44
Western Family ranch or onion dip/seasoning mix $0.44

Albertsons 4/29-5/5

P&G Promotion--Save $5 on your next purchase when you spend $20 or more on participating products (also receive a $3 coupon good on 3 select P&G products) (Prices before/after)
Charmin bath tissue 24 regular, 12 double, or 6 mega rolls 6.99/5.24*
Gain liquid laundry detergent 75-100 oz 10.99/8.24*
Pampers Baby Dry or Cruisers Big Pack diapers 60-96 ct (box) 19.99/14.99*
Pampers Refill baby wipes 180-216 ct 6.49/4.88
Pringles Super Stacks 5.71-6.38 oz 1.50/1.13*
Tide liquid laundry detergent 75-100 oz 10.99/8.24
* Find coupons for these items in P&G 4/5
Look for more coupons in Sunday's paper (5/3)

Double Coupons

Look for double coupons once again. Pages C6/C7 in the Deseret News, B4/B5 in the Trib. There are 4. Yipee!

Newspaper Article

Here is an article about couponing from the Deseret Morning News yesterday. I especially like the part about choosing the price we're willing to pay. Check it out!

Buy 10 boxes of cereal, get 36 items free

If you consider a "fair" price for a box of cereal $2, that's what I did. I did my shopping for the week using the Albertsons deals I posted earlier and paid $21 (after catalinas are figured in). Gotta love that!

Albertsons 4/22-4/28

Albertsons has some HOT deals this week. Here are the highlights on 3 promos. After the price I have listed the location for coupons to sweeten the deal. (The price I have listed is without a coupon.) If you need help on decoding coupon locations, click here. (Note: Smiths/Kroger had a special insert the week of 3/22. Only some areas received it.) Click here for the complete grocery smarts list.

Kraft/General Mills Save $4 instantly when you spend $10 on participating products, including:
Bisquick pancake mix 40 oz $1.50 (SS-4/5)
California Pizza Kitchen Flatbread melts/pizza for one $1.50
Country Time, Tang, or KoolAid drink mix canisters $1.50
Crystal Light On The Go 7-10 ct $1.50
General Mills cereal (select varieties) $1.50 (SS-4/5)
Gold Medal flour 4.25-5 lb $1.50
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers vegetables 12 oz $.75
Jell-O No Bake cheesecake $1.20
Jell-O pudding .9-3.9 oz $.60
Kraft BBQ sauce 18 oz $.60
Kraft pasta salad $.60
Nabisco crackers (Ritz, Wheat Thins, Saltines) $1.20 (SS-3/15)
ConAgra promo Receive a $10 coupon good on your NEXT shopping order when you spend $25 (or more) on participating products, including:
Chef Boyardee pasta 14.5-15 oz. or Microwaveable cup 7.25-7.5 oz $.60 (Smiths-3/22 slc)
Healthy Choice All Natural entrees 9-10 oz $1.20 (SS-4/5)
Hunt's Ketchup 24 oz $.60
Hunt's Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce 15.5-16 oz $.60
Hunt's spaghetti sauce 26-26.5 oz $.60
Marie Callender's Complete dinner or pot pies $1.20 (Smiths-3/22 slc)
Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn 3 ct $1.00 (Smiths-3/22 slc and SS-4/19)
Pam cooking spray $1.80
Peter Pan peanut butter 18 oz $1.20 (Smiths-3/22 slc)
RO-Tel tomatoes 10 oz $.60
Rosarita refried beans 16 oz $.60 (Smiths-3/22 slc)
Van Camp's pork and beans $.30
Kellogg's Movie Ticket promo Receive 2 FREE movie tickets (valued at $24) when you buy any 10 participating items, including:
Keebler Chips Deluxe cookies $1.97 (RP-4/5)
Kellogg's cereal (select varieties) $2.50 (RP-4/5)
Kellogg's PopTarts 21-22 oz $2.50 (RP-4/5)
Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats $2.00 (RP-3/15)

Earth Day Rebate

Reynolds Wrap is giving away free rolls of aluminum 100% recycled. Go here to print your rebate form. It is only available to print today, Earth Day. Then you just buy a roll before May 4 and send it in.

Doubles Again

Check your Sunday papers for Albertsons double coupons.

Also, come back for some great Albertsons sales this week (starting Wed). I'll get working on my list.

Coupon Preview/Schedule

Taylortown Preview

This is a great site. It shows you the coupon schedule for the year-- when each insert comes. If I would've checked it this past week, I would've realized that last Sunday's paper had no coupons. (Most holiday weekends the papers don't have coupon inserts.)

Another nice thing about Taylortown is that on Thursdays they have a list of coupons that will be in the coupon inserts that weekend. So, you know if you want to pick some extras up at the newsstand and if you should wait for the coupons to do your shopping that week.

Newspaper Subscriptions

I have been taking the paper for almost 4 years. What's funny is that my husband had to convince me to subscribe. He wanted it for the Church News (in Utah that's the only way to get it). When I didn't want to fork over the money, he appealed to my frugality by suggesting that I could use the coupons (smart man!). I'd always shopped bargains, but I had never used newspaper coupons. I was doubtful, but agreed. Fast forward 4 years... I'm the main reason we take the paper!

Some of you have asked questions about newspaper subscriptions that I'll address here:

Do I need to subscribe to the paper? Yes! Newspapers are a great way to get a lot of coupons for very little money. Occassionally I will buy a paper (or 2) from the newsstand (when that week's coupons are especially good), but most of the time home delivery is much less expensive. And it sure is convenient to have it on your doorstep!

How many papers do you take? I get 3 Sunday papers. That is just about right for me. If you are serious about couponing, I'd suggest at least getting 2. I actually renewed today and the customer service rep said that you can only get 2 of each. (I've had 3 Deseret News before, but whatever.) So, I will be getting 2 Deseret News and 1 Tribune.

What kind of subscription do you need? Sunday papers are the ones with the coupon inserts. So, a Sunday subscription is sufficient if you are subscribing solely for coupons.

Do they all have the same coupons? This will vary depending on your location, but I'll answer for Utah papers. The Deseret Morning News and the Tribune have the most coupons. Often, you will get identical inserts from the smaller papers as well (ie: Standard, Herald Journal, Daily Herald, etc). However, frequently the inserts will vary a little. You will get the same insert, except for 2 or 3 coupons. Less often (I'd say 3 times a year), you will completely miss out on an entire insert. These are usually the best inserts, unfortunately.

Edit: As of August 2009, RedPlum inserts are being delivered by mail. They are no longer included with most Sunday papers in Utah. The only exceptions are the Provo Daily Herald and St George Spectrum. Smart Source and P&G are still included in every paper.

How do you get the best deal? Don't pay full price for the paper! The regular price of the Deseret Morning News is $96 for 26 weeks. If you call and ask for their best deal, you will likely get it at half price (at least).

The Deseret Morning News/Tribune has a special for new customers-- $39/year for a weekend (F, Sat, Sun) subscription (ask for code 52/39). I actually got really lucky and I only pay about $15/year. If you watch for those specials, you might be able to get a really good deal too.

I would also suggest paying for 6-12 months if you have a daily subscription. It will often get you a better deal than paying by the month. Another reason to do this, is because the paper may raise your rate. When we first subscribed, we were on a 12-week payment plan. Each time the bill would come it was high. I would call them to say that I wanted the lower rate back. They would lower it, but I got sick of calling! When we started paying a yearly fee, it was sooo much easier and actually cost less per paper. Now, when they raise our rate each year, it's only 1 call to request a better rate.

How much?

Occassionally, I'll post a list of the items I buy and ask for your guesses on how much they cost. I hope it will give you an idea of how much coupons/bargain shopping really can save you. In a few days, I'll edit the post with the average guess and the actual amount I spent.

4 Snuggle Dryer sheet (70-80 ct)
2 Kraft Tartar Sauce
2 Lipton Secrets onion soup mix
2 Lysol toilet bowl cleaner
6 Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8 oz
5.5 lbs- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
loaf of french bread

What would you guess the total was?

Average guess: $30
Actual total: $22.86

Albertsons 4/8-4/14

Albertsons is having a really good sale this week. It is complicated, but worth the headache (in my opinion)! I have listed below prices on some of the items. There are tons more, click here for the full list and coupons to pair with them.

To make it even better, the Unilever coupon insert from Sunday (4/5) has a $20 rebate. Buy $40 of qualifying products (many in the sale qualify, click here for a complete list) and a ham or turkey, get the price of the ham/turkey back up to $20. This promo gives you the meat free already, and the rebate is on top of that. Crazy good deal.

Also, watch for tearpad coupons on the displays. I saw coupons for marshmallows, jello, cream cheese, whipped cream, tartar sauce, and crystal light.

Kraft/Unilever promo: Spend $25 on participating products, and get FREE meat or seafood instantly, up to $10. Including:
Breyers Ice Cream $3.00
Cool Whip 8 oz $1.00
Kraft macaroni & cheese 5 pack $3.99
Lipton Recipe Secrets dry soup mix $1.00
Nabisco Graham crackers $3.00
Philadelphia cream cheese 8 oz $1.00
Skippy Peanut Butter 16.3 oz $2.00
Snuggle Creme fabric softener 32 oz. or dryer sheets $3.99
Stove Top Stuffing 5-6 oz $1.00
Velveeta Shells & Cheese $2.50
Wish-Bone salad dressing $2.00

(These prices may not seem all that amazing , but if you figure in the meat discount, the prices above are all reduced by 40%.)

Good deals on meat:
Beef round rump roast, boneless $1.88/lb
Cook's shank portion ham, bone-in $.99/lb
Hormel Cure 81 boneless ham $3.29/lb
Pork top loin roasts $1.99/lb
Boneless, skinless Chicken $1.88'/lb

Albertsons Promo 4/9-4/12

Spend $25 or more between Thursday, April 9th and Sunday, April 12th using your Preferred Card, and get two 10% off coupons off your purchase over $50. First coupon effective April 13-19, Second coupon effective April 20-26.

Maceys 4/8-4/14

Here are some of the best deals this week at Maceys...
Strawberries, 1 lb. pkg $1.25
Sugar Tree Bone-In Spiral Sliced Ham $1.28/lb
Shur Saving Gallon Milk, 1%, 2% or Skim $1.67
Western Family Large Eggs, dozen $.98
Western Family Medium Cheddar Cheese, 2 lb. loaf $3.99
Western Family Sweet Cream Butter, 16 oz. quarters $1.50
Seneca Applesauce, 46-47.8 oz $2.19
Dole 100% Juice, 12 oz. pineapple or orange blends $1.00 (so yummy!)

Albertsons Gift Card through 4/15

Albertsons is running a special right now. It has been going on for awhile, but I thought I'd mention it here. When you buy a $250 gift card, you get a bonus $20. If you buy a $300 gift card, the bonus is $30. I like the idea of 10% more for my money! I'm curious how long it will take me to spend that $330...

???Questions???

Since this blog is intended to help the beginning couponer, I want to clarify common questions. You'll notice that on my sidebar, I have a list of labels. Click on a word to get all the articles related to that topic. These basic topics will be classified under the label "coupons" (clever huh? ;) and will hopefully be useful as you're navigating the sometimes-confusing world of couponing. So, what questions do you have? Ask anything!

Types of Coupons

As you read my blog, you'll notice that I refer to several kinds of coupons. Here is a quick list:
insert- come with the Sunday newspaper
tearpad- coupons that are part of a coupon notepad on a display in the store
blinkies- coupons that are dispensed from machines in grocery store aisles that have red blinking lights
peelies- coupons that are on a product, like a sticker
catalina- coupons that print at checkout from a separate machine than the register
mailer- coupons that come via snail mail
printables- coupons printed from the internet

Decoding Coupon Locations

You'll notice that in referencing coupons, I will list them as something such as SS-2/7. Here is an explanation of what that means...

The letters refer to which insert the coupon is in. There are 3 that come in Sunday papers regularly:
SS= Smart Source
RP= Red Plum (formerly Vlassis)
P&G= Proctor and Gamble
On occassion, one of these will have multiple inserts in one week. The letters will be followed by a number, such as SS1, SS2, etc.
cou
The numbers (ie:2/7) indicate the date of the insert. If you file these by date, as I suggested, the coupons are very easy to find given the coupon location.

Post Cereal at Albertsons 3/29-4/7

The Sunday paper advertised an awesome deal on Post cereal. The price is good until 4/7. Here are the details:

$1.57 when you buy 2 boxes of Post Cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats 13-18 oz, Raisin Bran 20 oz, Shredded Wheat 13-20 oz, Post Selects 13-16 oz, Grape Nuts 24 oz)

PLUS, Buy any Post cereal (10 oz or larger) during purchase dates and save up to $5 off your next order
buy 3 get $2 off
buy 4 Get $3 off
buy 5 or more and get $5 off
Between 3/27/09 and 4/19/09

To get the best deal, buy 6 boxes
That makes each box only $.74!

Here are some coupons to use to make the deal even better:
Post Selects Cereals, any $1/2 (4-12-09) SS-3/1
Post Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran, Grape-Nuts Nuggets or Flakes, any 10 oz. or larger boxes $1/2 (5-10-09) SS-3/29
Using those, the cereal will be $.24!

2/25-3/31

This week is a great week for bargains. I will post just the BEST deals here. If you want the complete shopping lists (and more specific coupon info), click the button on the side for pinching your pennies.

Albertsons
Kellogg's cereal - MiniWheats, Crispix, Corn Pops, or Rice Krispies 12-18 oz. $1.67 (use coupon RP-2/22)
PLUS get a coupon at checkout for free milk (buy 3 cereal=1 free milk, 5 cereal=2 milk, 7 cereal=3 milk)
Carolina smoked white turkey $2.88/lb (pick up a $.55 coupon and a mail in rebate from the deli counter to get $5 back when you buy 3 lbs, or $10 when you buy 5 lbs)

Smiths
Milk, gallon $1.49
Dozen eggs $1.00
Quaker Sale (get an instant discount when you buy 4 (or 8) of the following, making the price on each $1.49, the ones with coupons will be even less!)
Quaker Breakfast Bars, Bites or Cookies
Quaker Cap'n Crunch Cereal, 14-16 oz. (use coupon L’OrealRP-1/4)
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (use coupon RP-3/8)
Quaker Fiber & Omega 3 Bars (use coupon RP-2/8)
Quaker Life Cereal, 14-16 oz (use coupon L’OrealRP-1/4)
Quaker Oat Squares Cereal, 14-16 oz. (use coupon L’OrealRP-1/4)
Quaker Oatmeal to Go(use coupon L’OrealRP-1/4)
Quaker True Delight Bars (use coupon RP-3/1)

Maceys
Shur Saving Gallon Milk, 1%, 2% or Skim $1.59
Western Family Cottage Cheese, 16 oz. $1.00
Western Family Large Eggs, dozen $.99
Western Family Medium Cheddar Cheese, 2 lb. block $3.98
Western Family Sweet Cream Butter, 16 oz. $1.79
Western Family Yogurt, 8 oz. $.33

HOT deal for PYP members

Albertsons is offering an exclusive deal to PYP members. Click here and follow the directions to get $20 in savings. If you aren't a PYP member yet, you can click here to check it out. If you're not quite that into couponing, then just check into my blog. ;)

Double Coupons

Sunday's paper had Albertsons double coupons again. This time they were on a separate flier and there were 4. Albertsons has stopped taking competitor coupons. It looks like these double coupons will take the place of that policy. So, continue to watch for them. Hopefully they'll become pretty regular.

As I look through my coupons each week, I'm starting to clip $1 coupons (the maximum value that is doubled) for low-value products I use. I have a section in my coupon organizer that I'm putting these in to use with the doublers. I'll have those handy when I make my trips. Hopefully I'll find some good cheap/free deals that way!

Is Couponing Worth It?

The other day, my brother asked me how much I save doing coupons. I heard his underlying question, "Is couponing really worth it?" That's the first question most people ask when they find out I'm a couponer. They see those coupons for 30 cents and wonder what difference it makes. Thirty cents just doesn't seem significant when you look at your entire grocery budget. But 5 30-cent coupons equal $1.50. And if you do that every week, you'll save $6 each month. It starts to add up. But, of course $6 isn't all that much either. So what's the secret? Why do people like me go to the effort and have so much enthusiasm for coupon shopping? The real power is in combining coupons with sales.

To verify just how much I do save, I looked at my 2 latest receipts. On one, I spent $19.54 and saved $25.66 (57%). The other totaled $26.24 with a savings of $60.26 (70%). And those weren't even "big" sales. On one of those receipts I notice that the frozen corn I bought for $.67 (using a coupon for $1 off 3) is regularly $2.69. So, the coupon only saved me $.33, but combining that with the sale, I saved $2.02. Considering the 6 bags that I bought, I saved over $12. Now, that is a significant amount.

As shopping the sales with coupons becomes habit, your budget will shrink and the savings will mount. (And, if you're really dedicated to coupon shopping, every $.30 will count.)

Double Coupons

In yesterday's paper, Albertsons has some double coupons (page A9 in the Deseret News). They are good until Tuesday. Be sure to clip them!

Shopping Trip Preparation

Saving money doesn't just happen. It requires organization. Spending a little time beforehand to get organized saves time in the store and money, since you won't be drawn to those impulse buys. This is my method:

I bought this handy little coupon organizer at Dollar Tree. It's small enough to bring on my shopping trips. No bulky binder or box to haul. It's a gem.

Each week I print off my customized shopping list from Grocery Smarts (link).

I use the column titled "Coupon Index" to locate the coupons I'll need in my binder and clip them.


Then, I paper clip them to the inside of my organizer.

Coupon Organization 101

In order to make couponing work, it is essential to have a good system to stay organized. There are probably as many different ways to do this as there are couponers. Personally, I can't fathom the idea of clipping every coupon and keeping them straight. I have developed a scissor-free, time-saving system that keeps me organized without feeling the least bit overwhelmed.

Supplies:
2" Binder
sheet protectors
post-it notes

dollar store coupon organizer

Each week I write the date on a post-it note and put it on the side of the first empty sheet protector in my book

I take my complete coupon inserts and slide them in

It's as easy as that!

Loose coupons go into my coupon organizer. I also clip my "most used" coupons and put them in here. That way, I have them with me at the store if I happen across a deal.

Bigger or better

Every college student has played Bigger or Better. A group breaks into teams and they all go out with 1 penny. They knock on random doors asking to trade for something bigger or better. They may get a hat, then trade that for a toaster, etc. The team with the biggest or best prize at the end wins. I have even known teams to end up with a couch in the end! It's a cheap, fun way for college students to pass a Friday night.

Recently, I played a similar "game" with my skymiles. We had 100,000 skymiles, enough to take a great trip. The options were exciting as we dreamed of all the ways we could enjoy our free airfare.

First, we considered going to Europe. At 50,000 miles each, we could get 2 tickets. What a deal. Then, we thought about the cost of hotels, etc and the poor exchange rate. We quickly decided that wasn't the bargain we were looking for.

Rather, we decided to take a family vacation to Disneyland. With each ticket costing 25,000 miles, we could get 4 tickets for free. Great deal. End of story, right? Wrong.

In the process of narrowing our dates, my husband happened on an airfare sale. The tickets that were $300+ the week before, were on sale for $115. Now, using 25,000 miles to buy the tickets didn't make sense. Why waste that many miles on a cheap flight? Then my husband made another great discovery. Pay with miles. The Delta American Express card recently started offering this option-- 10,000 miles = $100. So, using only 10,000 miles, we were able to get our tickets for $39 each (that includes taxes and fees). A killer deal!

So, we went from 2 international tickets, to 4 domestic tickets, to (up to) 10 dirt cheap tickets. All costing 100,000 skymiles. That's my kind of bigger or better game!

My point in writing this is: 1) Credit Cards with rewards are great. Whatever kind of reward you prefer, you can find it. Look into them and you can get something for your everyday spending. You do it anyway, get rewarded! 2) When you use your rewards, don't just automatically assume you know what they are worth. Look for deals to make them even better.

PYP in the News

Pinchingyourpennies.com (or PYP) is a site that compiles lists of the best grocery deals paired with coupons. I have been using it for 2 years. Right now is a great time to join PYP since they are coming up on their 5 year anniversary (March 11) and will be giving away prizes to celebrate. Here is a link to the first giveaway--a shelf reliance storage system. (If you win, I'll try to contain my jealousy!)

Check out this link for a news story on Pinching Your Pennies to learn more.

Online Coupons

Printing coupons from websites is a good way to get coupons for only the cost of ink and paper. Check with your local stores about their printable coupon policies. Most accept them, but some have limitations and a few do not accept them at all.

It is legal to print 2 of each coupon. (Coupon websites automatically allow this. Some sites allow more, but 2 is most common.) Each coupon will have a unique bar code. NEVER photo copy coupons. It is coupon fraud and is illegal.

Coupon Sites
Pillsbury.com
bettycrocker.com
smartsource.com
boodle.com
boxtopsforeducation.com
coupons.com

You can also print coupons by signing up for online newsletters such as: Beech Nut, Malt-O-Meal, Unilever, Kellogg, etc. Check websites of your favorite brands to see if they have coupons available.

Couponing Tips

(from pinchingyourpennies.com)

TIPS OF THE TRADE:
Successful coupon shoppers also use the following tips to maximize their savings.
* Don’t buy something solely because you have a coupon.
* Combine sales with coupons to get the best deal.
* Generic brands are almost never cheaper than name brands bought on sale with coupons.
* If the coupon says “off any size”, its often most profitable to use it on the smallest size.
* Remember one store never has the lowest price on everything.
* Stock up when the great deals come.
* Moderation! Know how much your family can use.
* Check expiration dates on all food and perishable items.
* Multiple coupons.