The Basics
Where do I shop?
I do a majority of my shopping at CVS, Target, Publix, and occasionally Walgreens.
When do the weekly ads start?
CVS ads start Sunday and run to Saturday. Some 24 hour CVS's start their ad Saturday night after 6pm.
Walgreens ads start Sunday and run to Saturday.
Target ads start Sunday and run to Saturday.
Publix ads start Thursday in my area and run to Wednesday (some areas run Wednesday to Tuesday).
Walgreens ads start Sunday and run to Saturday.
Target ads start Sunday and run to Saturday.
Publix ads start Thursday in my area and run to Wednesday (some areas run Wednesday to Tuesday).
Where do I look at weekly ads and matchups online?
There are so many deal websites out there, but there are two sites I tend to visit weekly to view the online ads and deal matchups. The first is Southern Savers, run by Jenny; she does amazing job covering all of the stores I shop at. I also visit Totally Target quite a bit for, you guessed it, Target deals!
Where do I get my coupons from?
Every Sunday, I will go to CVS and pick up at least 2 copies of the newspaper, its always a good idea to buy them in pairs for so you have two coupons for buy one get one free sales. A lot of times people ask me why I don't subscribe to a newspaper at home, and the answer is pretty simple. I buy it at CVS because a lot of the time, I will have leftover extra care bucks and I like to use them to pay for the paper for lower out of pocket.
When I know a really great sale is coming up, or there is an item that I would like to stock up on, I will order my coupons in advance from a coupon clipping service. My favorites are Coupons & Things by Dede and The Coupon Clippers. There are a lot of reputable clipping service's around, maybe even one closer to your area than these.
Another way is to print out coupons from online. The main sites for this are Coupons.com, Redplum, Smart Source, and The Coupon Network. You can only print each coupon twice per computer, and each has a unique barcode.
When I know a really great sale is coming up, or there is an item that I would like to stock up on, I will order my coupons in advance from a coupon clipping service. My favorites are Coupons & Things by Dede and The Coupon Clippers. There are a lot of reputable clipping service's around, maybe even one closer to your area than these.
Another way is to print out coupons from online. The main sites for this are Coupons.com, Redplum, Smart Source, and The Coupon Network. You can only print each coupon twice per computer, and each has a unique barcode.
What do those abbreviations stand for?
Here are some of the most common abbreviations you will see.
SS = Smart Source (An insert in the paper)
RP = Red Plum (An insert in the paper)
PG = Proctor & Gamble (An insert in the paper)
BOGO / B1G1 = Buy one get one free
EB = Extra Care Bucks (CVS)
RR = Register Rewards (Walgreens)
IVC = Walgreens Instant value coupon (Found in the monthly Easysaver catalog.)
OOP = Out of pocket
OYNO = On your next order
WYB = When you buy
YMMV = Your milage may vary (Depends on certain store policies/factors whether the deal will work.)
SS = Smart Source (An insert in the paper)
RP = Red Plum (An insert in the paper)
PG = Proctor & Gamble (An insert in the paper)
BOGO / B1G1 = Buy one get one free
EB = Extra Care Bucks (CVS)
RR = Register Rewards (Walgreens)
IVC = Walgreens Instant value coupon (Found in the monthly Easysaver catalog.)
OOP = Out of pocket
OYNO = On your next order
WYB = When you buy
YMMV = Your milage may vary (Depends on certain store policies/factors whether the deal will work.)
What if they are out of an item?
One of the main reasons I enjoy shopping at CVS is, not only are they always friendly, but they offer rain checks if something is unavailable, including items that have extra care bucks. This is great if they get a small stock of an item offering extra care bucks and they run out before you get there. Any of the cashiers can write a rain check, just bring them the ad and point the item out.
Wagreens offers rain checks for prices but not on the register reward. Once they are out of an item that has a register reward, if the sale ends, you are out of luck. Usually any type of rain check needs to be issued by a manager.
Target is a little bit tricky- they offer rain checks on certain items; it all depends on if the price is a sale or a price cut. Also, many of the ads list "rain checks not available" so it may be a hit or a miss. Being that they are a larger store, I usually have much better luck with stock.
Publix offers rain check anytime they are out of an item, and on their "buy one get one free" sales.
Wagreens offers rain checks for prices but not on the register reward. Once they are out of an item that has a register reward, if the sale ends, you are out of luck. Usually any type of rain check needs to be issued by a manager.
Target is a little bit tricky- they offer rain checks on certain items; it all depends on if the price is a sale or a price cut. Also, many of the ads list "rain checks not available" so it may be a hit or a miss. Being that they are a larger store, I usually have much better luck with stock.
Publix offers rain check anytime they are out of an item, and on their "buy one get one free" sales.
Why didn't you get the same coupons in your paper as I did?
Different areas receive different coupon values and variations of the coupons in their papers. If you did not get the coupon or coupon value you were hoping for, you can always order it.
How does this couponing thing work?
The idea is that you use coupons to lower the price of what you are paying for the item. You can use one manufacture coupon per item. Sounds simple enough, right? You can maximize your savings by waiting for a good sale price. And then come the coupon stacking. Some stores, like Target and Publix have their own in store coupon books, or online printable coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer coupons for even more savings.
For example:
Ritz Crackerfuls on sale BOGO (buy one get one free) for $2.99
The coupons were $0.06 each for $1.50/1 Ritz Crackerfuls
I bought 20 coupons at $0.05 each = $1.20 OOP (out of pocket)
I purchased 20 boxes of Crackerfulls on which would have cost me $59.80
After BOGO sale and coupons, they were free, $1.20 OOP for $59.80 in product.
For example:
Ritz Crackerfuls on sale BOGO (buy one get one free) for $2.99
The coupons were $0.06 each for $1.50/1 Ritz Crackerfuls
I bought 20 coupons at $0.05 each = $1.20 OOP (out of pocket)
I purchased 20 boxes of Crackerfulls on which would have cost me $59.80
After BOGO sale and coupons, they were free, $1.20 OOP for $59.80 in product.