In-store coupons! What the heck is that?!

If your family goes through half as much cereal and milk as mine does, you will appreciate all the deals on cereal this week. Not all sales are created equal, though. The best two I see are at RiteAid and Smith's. RiteAid's sale price is $1.88. Other stores are offering this price or lower but with an in-store coupon. This is not to be confused with an in-ad coupon. My understanding is that "in-store" coupons are manufacturer coupons and generally cannot be combined with other manufacturer coupons (meaning the ones you spent precious time cutting out). I was told by a clerk at Macey's that they just don't have enough room to print manufacturer on the ad. Therefore, it is shortened to "in-store."

(By the way, it would not be ethical to try to price match an ad that states that you are getting an in-store coupon and then try to add your own coupon on top of that. That is why I do not list them here.)

Smith's has a great deal that includes Nature Valley Granola Bars. Buy four boxes of participating General Mills cereal or Nature Valley Granola Bars (4 for $10) and you get TWO FREE gallons of Mountain Dairy milk! If you add a couple coupons in with the mix, you could end up doing pretty well on that deal. And who couldn't use a couple gallons of FREE milk?

Coupons for Beginners!

Ok, so pretty much I am a beginner at this couponing stuff. I started a few months ago thanks to my brother-in-law (yes, I do mean brother-in-law) who invited me to a savvy shopper class. For all those who live around here in Utah County, it is pretty easy to get information and tips on how to get started, and it seems like EVERYONE is couponing. But I have a friend who lives out of the area who asked me for some help in getting started, and I figure there may be more people out there wondering how to save money using coupons.

First off, let me explain why couponing isn't what you thought it was. Before I started couponing I would take one look at any coupon, see that it was only for $.30 (or $.50), and toss it because I figured it wasn't even worth my time or attention. Then I learned there is a strategy.

When you clip out a coupon you DO NOT take it to just any store and save $.30. Oh no! You clip your coupon, put it away in a safe place (like an organized binder), and watch the sales. Everything goes on sale sooner or later. When the product goes on a good sale, you take your coupon out and buy as many of that product as you can.

So lets say you have a coupon for hot dogs, $.50 off one package. You see that at "ShopRite" they are running a sale for hot dogs for $.69! That's awesome! AND you have 5 coupons for them! You can now buy 5 packages of hot dogs for $.19 each. (By the way, this is a true story. It happened to me just a month or so ago. Only I had a store that would double the value of my coupon which was actually $.50 off two packages. Doubled, it became worth $1 off two packages, making the hot dogs $.19 each.)

So where do you get these coupons? Everywhere. First off is the inserts in your Sunday paper. I can get a great deal where I live by getting 5 copies of the Sunday paper. (Five copies means five of every coupon.) You can also print coupons online at sites like coupons.com or redplum.com. Sometimes you will see coupons sticking out in the aisle where you are shopping. Take every coupon you can get your hands on! The rule of thumb is "would you would buy it if it was free? Then keep it!" You never know when something will go super cheap or free.

I would warn, however, against buying coupons from coupon cutting services or other places. This is a sketchy area. Also, do not jump into dumptsters to get coupons. These kinds of activities present legal and hygenic issues. There are also rules of consideration for other shoppers. Do not take more than your family can reasonably use before the expiration date. You are not saving money if you are being wasteful, and you are clearing the shelf of products other shoppers also need.

That being said, as you coupon, you will slowly build a stockpile of goods in your home. You will need room to store it. You should find that as you plan your meals you will have lots of the products you need already in your stockpile. When the scouts or postal workers come asking for donations, you will have plenty to give. Little by little, you will feel the security of knowing your family has something to eat when they get hungry. You will love what couponing can do for you!

Here's a little tip!

If you are using an in-add coupon (for example from BuyLow) to price match at Walmart, be aware that some cashiers and managers will require you to hand over the coupon. I am not quite sure why they need the coupon since they are not redeeming it at BuyLow. However, you should be aware that even though their policy states that you do not need to bring your add in with you, not having the in-add coupon may keep you from coming home with your great deal.

Laundry Deterget!

I just caught wind from the savvyshopper that 50 oz. bottle of Wisk is $3.00!!!! That means if you have the coupon from your Sunday Paper for $2.00 OFF, you get to buy Wisk for $1.00!!!!! That sounds like a great deal to me! There is a limit of 2 and the sale ends today, so hurry up and get to the store!

Helping the world, one coupon at a time!

This week I learned all about how groceries are bought and sold to the grocery store. It is a fascinating world of loss leaders, large ordering, and transportation of goods. I found out why couponing is really a good thing for our economy. You see, coupons and other rebates give manufacturers more control over the market. When the farmers are unloading a ton of wheat, the manufacturer can get it for a good price. Then they make lots of yummy things we like to eat but can't always afford. The manufacturers then offer discounts and rebates to the grocery stores and coops so they will order more. The store puts out a great sale (some of us smart folks add a coupon to it) and, voila! Products are flying off the shelves! And we are eating what the farmer has in surplus! What a great world we live in! (At least here in the U.S. where we have a free market.)

On a side note, my father takes exception to couponing and advertising in general. He believes that if Madison Avenue would just leave well enough alone we could all pay lower prices at the grocery store. He pointed out to me that all those sales are just there to bring you in so you will buy all the other stuff on the shelf too. I guess he feels bad for the poor chumps who are willing to pay full price. But I am happy to be living in a great country where we Americans are free to buy things we don't need for prices we can't afford! And I reserve the right to coupon!

Please! Make Requests!

Having gone through my first week of adds, I am making a few realizations. The first is that I am not quite sure what items to list and what to leave out. Some things that are advertised are not that great a deal in my estimation. However, I know that sometimes we need to grab something even if it's not at the drop bottom price. I am trying to list basic needs even if they aren't that great. It's often still better than the normal Walmart price.

I also realize that there are quite a few products that I don't normally buy, but I think many of you probably do buy. On those I am not quite sure what a good price is or isn't. Don't hesitate to comment and let me know if something I listed is not a great deal. I will get it down sooner or later. Meanwhile I will keep working on catering to the needs of my dedicated followers. Have a great time at the grocery store!

You asked for it!

Alright all you fellow couponers/price matchers, here it is. My list of the cheapest prices around for all the things we buy! Now you can get the best price without having to search out all the ads for yourself. I'm just getting started here, so if you have any suggestions on how I can improve this site, just leave a comment. Saving money should be easy!