Will this coupon double?

Most coupons will double, even the coupons that say "do not double".  Yes, really.  Most stores that double coupons have programmed thier registers to automatically double coupons up to a certain value.  At my local Kroger, they double coupons up to .60 each.  That means a .60 coupon is actually worth $1.20 when it doubles.  This is why a .60 coupon can be more valuable than a .75 or $1 coupon at times. 

If a coupon says "do not double", look at the barcode on the coupon.  Does one of them start with a five?  It will be a small five that is in the corner of the bar code.  If it starts with a five, most times the register will double the coupon anyway. 

There are certain stores that will run promotions to double coupons (when normally they would not double coupons on a daily basis) and I know that a certain chain grocery store that is more prominent on the east coast will run a promotion to triple coupons.  So, always keep your eyes open for special promotions at your local stores! 

How/Where I find the deals for my coupons

I can't begin to take credit for all the good deals I score with coupons.  Every once in a while, I find one on my own.  Most times though, I find the deal on one of these great websites:

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/  This is my favorite coupon site.  There is a overwhelming amount of informaition on this site.  You can find more informaiton about using coupons and how to get the most bang for your coupon, much like what I have shared in previous posts.  You can also trade coupons on this site.  You can find information that is store specific.  You can see previews of the upcoming Sunday coupon inserts (so you can know if you need to go grab multiple papers or not).  **One tip:  when I am on the trading portion of this site and suddenly see a bunch of traders all looking for the same coupon--I know that means there is a hot deal coming up which will probably lead to a product being super cheap or free or even a money maker with that hot coupon.  If you don't have to have to dig for the deal, you can google the coupon and the word "deal" and usually come up with several random internet posts about the deal.**

http://www.afullcup.com/  I am still exploring this site, but it seems to have lots of helpful information.  There are also opportunities to trade coupons on this site.

http://www.totallytarget.com/  This site is mostly dedicated to the deals and steals that you can find with coupons at Target.  Occassionally, you don't even need a coupon to get in on a good deal that is posted here!  The author of this site also posts other deals/steals as well.  Sometimes the non-Target posts are referrals though (meaning that the author will get credit if you sign up for whatever online deal or survey site that is posted). 

http://www.wildforwags.com/  This is a site dedicated to Walgreens steals and deals, much like the Target site listed above

Target

I love shopping at Target.  I grew up in the backyard of the world's largest discount retailer (Wal-Mart) and am not the only one in my family to have once earned a paycheck there.  However, I will shop Target over Wal-Mart often.

Target has one huge advantage over Wal-Mart in the arena of coupons.  Why?  They have store specific coupons AND you can combine those coupons with manufacturer coupons!  You may be really lucky and get on Target's coupon mailer list.  Consider yourself envied if you are on this list.  Nobody, even people at Target HQ, can figure out how people get on this mailing list.  Its one of the few mysteries that remain in the couponing world.  However, you can also sometimes find Target coupons in your Sunday insert or on products in the Target store.  There is also a section on their internet page that allows you to print coupons.

The use of a store specific coupon and a manufacturer's coupon is called "stacking".

Here is how Target + Manufacturer coupons work:

Huggies diapers are $8.99 for a small bag
I have a Target coupon for $2 off any Huggies diapers
I also have a manufacturer's coupon for $2 off any Huggies diapers.


$8.99
-$2.00 (Target)
-$2.00 (manufacturer)
________
$4.99 for my bag of diapers.

I just saved almost 50% off my diapers!

Sometimes, you will find that your manufacturer's coupon plus your Target coupon is actually more than the price of an item.  Normally, the Target registers will automatically adjust the Target coupon down to not give you "overage".

Helping Others

When most people think of couponing, they think they are only helping themselves and their bottom financial line.  That doesn't have to be true.  Here is how you can use coupons to help others:

Do you know a person who is just starting out?  Grab some stuff from that stockpile and create a "starting out box" for them.  I gave my brother one of these once.  He seemed to really appreciate it.  This can apply to recent graduates, newly married couples, or folks who are "starting over" when the life they had planned didn't turn out quite like they planned.

Do you have a coupon that makes an item free but you won't have any need for that item?  I bet a homeless shelter, Ronald McDonald House, or non-profit could find a use for the item!  Donate it!  Claim the donation on our taxes for that year (so keep your donation receipt!).  Chances are, even if you paid taxes on the "free item", overall you will gain more in tax credit than you spent! 

Use coupons to put together "help bags".  Some coupons do not restrict you from buying trial size items.  Most times, this allows you to get the trial size items for cheap or free.  These items make great items to put in "help bags" for people you might come across in need.  Think about that guy holding up the sign at the traffic light.  You know, the one that has the sign that says "homeless, please help!" that most of us just roll on by because we are too skeptical to hand the guy money.  What if you hand him a help bag full of shampoo, conditioner, a snack, etc instead?  As a side note here, I have an abundance of law enforcement people in my family.  Most of them would not be happy (from a personal security point of view) to know I was lowering my window for some stranger on a street corner.  So...pick and choose your opportunities.  Be smart about where you are and who is around as you offer these help bags out.  I personally choose to not lower my window if my child is with me.  AND, I only lower my window just enough to hold onto the bag while it is outside my window.  Again, be smart and stay safe in these situations! 

Trial sizes are often also collected by missionary groups to take overseas or for "care packages" that will be sent to random military folks...so there is always somewhere to donate those! 

Uh oh, did your coupons expire?  Don't trash them!  Military folks overseas can use coupons up to six months after expiration at most PX sites.  If you want more information on how to locate military families who will use these expired coupons, please let me know!

Getting everyone on board

As I stated in my first post, my husband was not so happy when I started bringing home bag after bag of stuff that we wouldn't immediately be using.  I kept doing it anyway.  Anyone who knows me well isn't surprised by that fact.  Eventually, I would ask him when was the last time I asked him to run by the store to pick up....toothpaste, toilet paper, juice, etc.  Silence.

After several trips to the grocery store and watching our total go down quite a large sum after coupons, he learned to give me fair warning about when we might be headed to the grocery store so I would have time to gather my coupons.  He now knows to make a grocery list so I can match that against all of my coupons. 

In 8 weeks, we will welcome our daughter into the world.  Thanks to coupons, I shouldn't have to buy too many packs of diapers along the way.  I think my husband best described my diaper stockpile as the start of my own "mini Sam's" store in our enclosed garage. 

So, give your family time to adjust.  If you can get it free or cheap now with coupons, then get it.  More than likely, that opportunity won't present itself again! 

Walgreens

I love getting deals at Walgreens.  Between their sales, store coupons, and manufacturer's coupons...whoohoo! And then there is the register rewards!!!

Walgreens allows you to stack their store coupons with manufacturer's coupons.  This includes the coupons that you see in their weekly fliers. 

One thing that most people don't realize is this:  the coupons in the weekly ad will work multiple times.  So, if the coupon is for .45 off Dial soap, it will take .45 off each Dial soap you purchase in that transaction. 

Walgreens does not allow overage.  Well, not technically.  However, overage is possible at Walgreens, but you have to know the correct order of coupon redemption for making it work correctly. 

For the following examples, we will pretend that Dial soap sells for $2.99 at Walgreens.

Example of how to not get overage:  Dial soap is on sale for .99 with the "in store" coupon that can be found in the Walgreens weekly sales ad.  You have a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off any Dial soap.  If you give the cashier the Walgreens coupon first, it reduces the price to .99 and your manufacturer's coupon will be rejected by the register (it will beep and refuse to lower the price). 

Example of how to get overage:  Dial soap is on sale for .99 with the "in store" coupon that can be found in the Walgreens weekly sales ad.  You have a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off any Dial soap.  If you give the cashier the $1 coupon, this makes the register think you are still paying $1.99 for the soap and it accepts the coupon.  Then you hand the cashier your "in store" coupon and it reduces the total price to .99 for each item...so now you have made .01 for every dial soap you purchased this way. 

I know that seems confusing and maybe a little crazy.  Yet, that is how it works. 

Register Rewards.  I have a love/hate relationship with them.  Register rewards are specific to Walgreens.  You can look in their weekly sales ad and find items that are will produce register rewards.  Often, you have to buy x amount of products or a certain value amount to qualify for a register reward.  Here are some things to keep in mind about register rewards:

• You can use coupons on the items you are purchasing to get the register reward.  It is possible to purchase x amount of items and use coupons to get more value in register rewards than you actually spent.  
• If you purchase an item and receive a register reward, you can not turn around and purchase the exact same item with the register reward and get another register reward as a result.  
• You can roll register rewards.  This means finding two deals that you like.  Use the register reward from register reward deal A to lower the cost of your purchase for register reward deal B and then keep the cycle going.  
• One caveat if you are trying to roll register rewards...if two different deals are actually sponsored by the same manufacturer, it will not roll.  Meaning this, if deal A is for Johnson's Baby Wash and deal B is for Johnson's Adult Body Wash, they are both sponsored by Johnson and Johnson and probably will not roll.  Thus, know your manufacturer's and how many different company names are held by the same "parent" company.  
• Register rewards often expire within 2 weeks of the date you receive them.  So, watch the expiration date!!!
• If you want to use a register reward to lower your cost of an item and also have a coupon for that item, you will have to buy a "cheap filler".  Example:  you want to buy Tylenol that is on sale for $7 this week and you have a $4 register reward to spend and a $2 manufacturer's coupon to spend.  You can use both, but ONLY if you buy some other cheap item as well.  The cash register will "attach" each coupon to an item and register rewards are seen as manufacturers coupons, so you have to have an item to match up with each coupon.  Please note, the value of each item in this situation does not have to equal or exceed the coupon value.  So, you buy the Tylenol ($7) and a piece of taffy ($.15) and redeem both your coupons ($4 and $2).  Your new total will be $1.15 plus tax.  

Walgreens deals can be tricky....so if you have specific questions, please let me know.  

What about tax?

Each state seems to have its own laws regarding how to tax items in relationship to coupon use.  Here are the differences:

• Some states require you to pay the tax on the full value of the item, even if you used coupons to get it for free.  
• Some states require you to pay only tax on the "after coupon" value...so if you got it for free, then there will be no tax required.
• Some states do not require tax on grocery items, so those items will not be taxed regardless of your coupon value.  More than likely, you will still pay full tax on any "free" items that are not grocery items in these states. 

Overage

Overage.  I love overage.  Some stores allow it.  Some stores do not.  Some stores don't really allow it but haven't programmed their registers to prevent it.

Overage works like this:

I have a coupon for $5 off any size Pantene Shampoo.  My local store has Pantene Shampoo at regular price for $4.  There is not a size restriction on the coupon, so I give the item and my coupon to the cashier.  If the coupon goes through, then I have just received $1 overage. 

The key to overage is to use it to lower the cost of other items you are buying.  I have yet to find a store that will actually hand you back the overage in change!  So, always do your math and make sure that your total after coupons will still be over $0 when you are done redeeming coupons. 

Fine Print

I am not going to try to throw my moral compass at you.  I believe we each have our own moral compass and its not my place to impose mine upon you.  Yet, I ask that you keep this in mind as you move forward through the coupon world.  If we all try to play by the coupon rules, then we can all continue to save money!  However, when couponer's violate or misuse coupons, we are giving the manufacturer's reason to no longer product money saving coupons. 

Read the fine print on coupons and use the coupons accordingly. 

Know the difference between one coupon per item and one coupon per transaction.

Pay attention to size restrictions on the coupon.  The coupon may or may not work on smaller sizes but if a size is specified, please respect that.  Some coupons will say they can not be used on trial sizes.  Some do not.  

Do not copy internet printed coupons.  This is fraud. When you redeem copied coupons, you are essentially stealing from the store and the manufacturer.

Pay attention to expiration dates and use those coupons before they expire.  Some stores (but not many) will accept expired coupons for a short time past the date.  I don't know of any in my area that do accept expired coupons though.

Where to get coupons

Where to get coupons:

Your weekly Sunday paper (inserts) is a good place to start gathering coupons.  Ask your neighbors/friends/family if they use the coupons from their Sunday paper and let them know you would love to have them if they are just going to be thrown away.  Know that different market may receive different values of coupons in the Sunday coupon "inserts".  For instance, someone in Little Rock may receive a coupon for .35 off the next purchase of Tropicana orange juice while someone in Los Angeles may receive the same type of coupon with a .75 value in their local paper.

Tearpads:  these are coupons that are literally a part of a pad that allows each coupon to be torn off individually.

Peelie:  this is a coupon that is affixed to a specific product.  Sometimes a peelie is for that specific product but sometimes it might be for any product made by the same manufacturer.  For instance, a bottle of Dove shampoo might have a $1 peelie attached.  The peelie could easily say "save $1 when you buy this Dove shampoo" OR it might say "save $1 when you buy any Dove product".  There is a grey area when it comes to peelies.  Some people will find peelies and use them immediately for buying the product.  Some people will find peelies and take only the peelies they will use (but maybe or maybe not during that shopping trip).  Some people will take every peelie they can find without buying the product at all or knowing if they will ever buy the product.  Each person seems to have a different opinion about "what is right" to do with peelies.  I won't get into that here, but just let your own moral compass guide you and know that it can be a touchy area for some coupon fanatics.

Internet Printable Coupon (IP coupon):  These are coupons that you can print from various sources on the internet.  Most times, an IP coupon can only be printed twice per computer.  Copying IP coupons on a copier and redeeming those copies is considered FRAUD!  Each IP that is printed comes with its own unique identifying bar code.  Once a coupon with that unique bar code is redeemed, the manufacturer will no longer pay out on any other coupons with that bar code.  So, if you copy an IP coupon and redeem it 20 times, you have just stolen the amount of that coupon from the store for every copy you redeemed a copied coupon.  Most times, IP coupons have an expiration of 2 weeks from the date they are printed. 

PDF coupons:  These are coupons that are found in a PDF file.  I have no earthly idea why a company would publish a PDF coupon, but they have in the past and probably will continue in the future.  A PDF coupon can be printed as many times as you want and can be circulated around the internet.  PDF coupons are great for the consumer and I would consider them death for the manufacturer.

Email coupons:  Most times, the coupons you might receive in an email are the direct result from you signing up for emails from a manufacturer and most times they are an IP coupon.

Internet Promotion Coupon:  Some manufacturers will run a promotion on the internet that allows you to sign up for coupons and then they will snail mail the coupons to you (sometimes this is a one time only mailing and other times it might be several times a year mailings).

Mailed coupons from manufacturer (not part of a promotion):  Is there a product that your family loves?  Are you brand loyal?  Let the company know.  Most companies have a website and a contact us link.  Sometimes a 3 minute email letting a company know how much your family enjoys their product and asking for coupons can result in the company sending you coupons for bigger savings than you would normally find on a regular coupon or sometimes they might even send you a coupon for a free item.  Every once in a while, you will simply get a "thank you, but we don't distribute coupons" message.  In truth, I have had better success getting these types of coupons by taking a moment to write a short "complaint" email.  AHEM, for those of you with kiddos in diapers and such, the complaint option works well with the two most popular diaper brands.  

Baby coupons:  There are a bajillion websites that claim they will help you get free or cheap baby items.  A few of them may be legitimate.  I wouldn't trust most of them.  What I do trust are the manufacturer's websites for baby products.  Most every one I can think of has a "club" of some sort that allows you to sign up for coupons and product information.  Maybe you are brand loyal in this area, but that is ok!  So are other parents.  Sign up for all the baby product sites (manufacturer) and be ready to trade the baby coupons that you won't use for the coupons that you will use!  This applies to the formula companies as well.  I have personally received coupons from:

• Huggies
• Pampers
• Luvs
• Similac
• Enfamil
• Gerber
• Nestle/Gerber Good Start
• Beechnut

Other places to get coupons:  Ebay (be VERY careful, as there are a lot of fake coupons here) and coupon clipping services (google to find them).  

Introduction to the craziness

I am not sure when I first got introduced to the world of "couponing".  Growing up, I remember my mom always trying to get the most bang for her buck at the store and vaguely remember some coupons being involved.  However, I don't think she ever took it to the extreme that I often do.  The reality is that there are still couponers out there who put my penny pinching and coupon using ways to shame.

Several years ago, I got into "couponing" pretty deep because I realized how much stuff I could get for cheap or free.  I would go on a coupon spending spree and come home with bags of stuff that we may or may not use anytime soon.  At one point, I had us so well stocked on free toilet paper (the good stuff too!) that I didn't have to buy toilet paper for at least 6 months.  The same could be said for toothbrushes and toothpaste (we are talking years of supply).  I haven't paid more than .30 for dishwasher soap in over a year and currently have enough to last me for at least another year (or maybe two).  I often keep a good stockpile of both women and men' shower gels/soaps.  Back to coming home with bags of stuff.  It drove my husband nuts.  The last thing he wanted was for me to come home with more "stuff" and have no idea when we would eventually use it all.  His attitude eventually changed (somewhat).  I will save that change for a different blog post.

I can not take credit for coming up with most of the ways I coupon.  I have gleaned knowledge from several different online sources.  I have my favorite sites, which I will list at some point.  I am also still learning ways to stretch our pennies more.

So, here are some things to keep in mind as we move forward:

• Your spouse may not understand your new found coupon craziness.  
• Be prepared for a little bit (or a lot) of a thrill when you walk out of the store having saved a huge chunk of money just because you used coupons.
• Be prepared for collecting your coupons to take time.  I see it this way:  each time I redeem a coupon and save my family money, I have just been paid for my time.  
• Don't throw away coupons that "I won't use".  Those coupons can be traded to others who have coupons that you will use!  Those coupons might also be helpful toward your taxes next year...because those coupons may make an item free and that item can be donated.  Most donations are tax deductible! 
• Make room for "stockpile" items.  These are items that you can stock pile for future use. This would apply to Health/Beauty products, canned food, pet food, over the counter medicine, etc.  Just be sure to watch expiration dates! 
• You will eventually run into a cashier who things she/he is doing the store/manager/manufacturer a favor by not allowing you to properly use your coupons.  Ask for the manager.  If you are correctly trying to use the coupons and they refuse, be willing to walk away from your cart and leave the stuff there.  You might also let them know that Store ABC down the road happily accepts your coupons and loves having your business.  
• Forgive my stereotype here and I know that there are plenty of cashiers who are the exception to these rules.  Heck, I can even tell you an exception to this stereotype and I can even tell you her name.  BUT, for some reason, cashiers who are men are less likely to question coupons.  Younger female cashiers are right behind them.  I avoid older female cashiers when I can because they always seem to be the ones who want to get all huffy about my coupon use or me getting items free or cheap. 
• Store A may charge you .15 more for an item than Store B, but if Store A doubles coupons then you may save more at Store A if you use a coupon that can be doubled!  Do your math, it WILL save you money!
• Know the coupon policy of each store you frequent.  You can often google the store name and coupon policy or you can call/email the store's main office for the info.  For the record, Wal-Mart just released a revised and much improved (read: coupon friendlier) version of their policy.  I can't tell you how many times I have tried to use a coupon in a store and had a cashier and sometimes even a manager try to come up with a reason why they won't accept my coupons.  When you whip out the printed version of their corporate coupon policy, it tends to make them back track some.  Of course, they will also try to tell you that the policy has been revised (ask to see it!) or that they are allowed to revise those policies within each store.  
• Know the Corporate Customer Care (Customer Service) number for the stores you frequent.  I once had a cashier at Walmart refuse my coupons.  I asked to speak to the manager.  Instead, they sent over the CSM (customer service manager) who backed up the cashier.  I kept asking for the manager.  In the meantime, I pulled out my phone and called the Corporate Customer Care.  By the time the manager had come to the front of the store, Corporate Customer Care was asking to speak to the manager.  She told the cashier to accept every one of my coupons (because they were legitimate and I was using them properly) and thanked me for my business.