Extreme Couponing With Carmen

Whatch Your Experation Dates!

2011-04-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Extreme couponing is a great way to save money on groceries and other household items. But there is one thing you need to keep an eye on. The Expiration dates. There is no point is stocking up on items if they are going to expire quickly. This is why the recommendation is 3 to 6 months. You may save hundreds of dollars buying items on sale with a coupon but at the same time you will waste the same amount if you are not careful.

Here are a few ways to keep track of expiration dates:

When putting away cans add new ones to the back of your stash. Same with anything that goes in the cabinets. It may take a bit longer to put items away but this will save you from finding expired items later.
Write dates on your meats with a marker. When you buy meat in bulk and separate in to smaller bags write the dates on them. There are many guides available on the internet to keep track of how long items last in the freezer.
Check dates before you purchase items. I always look at the expiration dates of products I buy. Sometimes I will have to grab items from the back of the shelves to find the longer expiration dates. Remember stores often put items on sale to get rid of items that will expire soon.
Keep in mind your storage conditions. There are a lot of items that will go bad if you do not store them in a dry place. If you use your garage for storage consider investing in shelves, plastic bins or drawers to organize and keep your stockpile safe.
Keep track of what you use in a month to know exactly how much you need to stockpile. Sales cycles are about 3 months long before they start again. While many share the wealth not everything gets used. Keep that in mind when purchasing items.

Walgreens Coupon Policy

2011-04-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

As a customer-focused retailer, Walgreens encourages the use of coupons by our customers in our retail stores, in accordance with the following guidelines.

Guidelines:

General

All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier at the time of checkout.
Walgreens does not accept expired coupons.
Coupons and their face value cannot be exchanged for cash or gift cards.
Competitor coupons are not accepted at Walgreens.
Walgreens cannot accept coupons for items not carried in our stores.
The number of manufacturer coupons, including Register Rewards^TM manufacturer coupons, may not exceed the number of items in the transaction. The total value of the coupons may not exceed the value of the transaction. Sales tax must be paid, if required by state law.
Any coupon offer not covered in these guidelines will be accepted at the discretion of Walgreens management.

Sale Items

Walgreens will accept manufacturer coupons for an item that is on sale.
In the event that any item's selling price is less than the value of the coupon, Walgreens will only accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price of the item. Coupon redemption can never exceed the selling price of an item and no cash back is ever provided in exchange for any coupons.

Multiple Coupons

When purchasing a single item, Walgreens accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable Walgreens coupon(s) for the purchase of a single item, unless prohibited by either coupon offer.
The coupon amount must be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied. (For example, a $5.00 coupon for a $4.99 item will result in a $4.99 coupon value).
When purchasing multiple items, Walgreens accepts multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers, unless a limit is specified. Management reserves the right to limit the quantity of items purchased.

Buy One, Get One Free Coupons

When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
Sales tax must be paid for any Buy One, Get One Free coupon offers, if required by applicable state laws.

Internet/Print at Home Coupons

Walgreens accepts valid internet/print at home coupons.

Register Rewards^TM coupons

Earning Register Rewards^TM

Register Rewards^TM will only print for in-stock merchandise during the promotional period.
Register Rewards^TM can only be earned for eligible items. No substitutions.
There is a limit of one Register Rewards^TM (RR) printed per offer per customer per transaction.
Customers redeeming a Register Rewards^TM against the same offer may not receive another RR.

Redeeming Register Rewards^TM

Customers redeeming a Register Rewards^TM against the same offer may not receive another RR.
Refer to Register Rewards^TM coupon for expiration date.
The RR coupon value cannot exceed the total purchase amount. No cash back and no cash value for RR coupon.
The number of manufacturer coupons, including RR manufacturer coupons, must not exceed the number of items in the transaction.
Register Rewards^TM must be forfeited if the qualifying merchandise is returned.
Register Rewards^TM cannot be used toward the purchase of gift cards and pre-paid cards.
Register Rewards^TM can be redeemed for eligible items only. Ineligible items include but are not limited to:
- Prescriptions
- Tobacco products
- Alcoholic beverages
- Dairy products
- Lottery tickets
- Money orders/transfers
- Transportation passes
- Special event/entertainment tickets or passes
- Postage stamps
- Gift cards/phone cards/prepaid/Green Dot^TM cards
- Prescription Savings Club" memberships
- Health care services, including immunizations
- Any items prohibited by law

Walmart Coupon Policy

2011-04-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

Walmart Coupon Policy

We gladly accept the following types of coupons*

Print-at-home internet coupons
- Must be legible
- Must have "Manufacturer Coupon" printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons with a specified price
- Are acceptable in black and white or color
- May not be duplicated
Manufacturers' coupons
- For dollar/cents off
- For free items (except those printed off the Internet)
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons
- Must have "Manufacturer Coupon" printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- May not be duplicated
Competitors' coupons
- A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price
- Have a valid expiration date
- Are acceptable in black and white
Soft drink container caps
Checkout coupons ("Catalinas")
- Printed at our competitors' registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item
- Must have "Manufacturer Coupon" with specific item requirements printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- Are acceptable in black and white
- May not be duplicated

We DO NOT accept the following coupons:

Checkout coupons
- Dollars/cents off the entire basket purchase
- Percentage off the entire basket purchase
Print-at-home Internet coupons that require no purchase
Competitors' coupons
- Dollars/cents off at a specific retailer
- Percentage off
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons without a specified price
- Double- or triple-value coupons

*The following are guidelines and limitations:

We only accepts coupons for merchandise that we sell.
Coupons must be presented at the time of purchase.
Only one coupon per item.
Item purchased must be identical to the coupon (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc).
There is no limit on the number of coupons per transaction.
Coupons must have an expiration date and be redeemed prior to expiration.
If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.
WIC or SNAP items purchased in a WIC or SNAP transaction are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.
Great Value, Marketside, Equate, Parents Choice, and World Table coupons have no cash value and are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.
The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:
- 40 coupons per transaction.
- A coupon of $20 or greater on one item
- $50 or more in coupons in one transaction

Homeland's New Coupon Policy

2011-04-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

I already knew this would happen when we had fellow couponers taking advantage and abusing the system. Homeland has now changed their coupon policy. This seems to be tracked by your ONE card so make sure to have them scan YOUR card and not their generic store card. If you do use their generic store card and someone else has already used that coupon it will not double for you. The new policy is as follows:

"As part of Homeland's dedication to providing its customers a quality shopping experience at a low cost, we accept valid coupons according to the policy below. These guidelines are subject to change at any time."

General Guidelines

~ Expired coupons, photocopied coupons, or coupons for items not carried in our store will not be accepted.
~ Valid internet coupons will be accepted. We reserve the right to limit or reject internet coupons.
~ The number of coupons cannot exceed the number of items in the transaction, nor can the value of the coupons exceed the current purchase price of the items in the transaction. If the coupon's value is greater than the current purchase price, no cash back will be given and it will not be applied to the remaining balance of the transaction.
~ Customers must pay sales tax as required by state law.
~ Coupons cannot be exchanged for cash or gift cards.
~ Coupons should have a scannable bar code.
~ Coupons must be redeemed for items indicated on the coupon and presented to the cashier at the time of checkout.
~ We reserve the right to limit the number of coupons.
~ Offer good for a limited time only.

Doubling Coupons

~ Manufacturers' coupons with a face value of $1.00 or less will be doubled when customers use their rewards card. Coupons with a face value greater than $1.00 will be redeemed at face value.
~ Doubling is limited to one like-item coupon per family, per day. Additional like-item coupons will be redeemed at face value.
~ The doubling amount cannot exceed the current purchase price of the merchandise. If the doubled coupon's value is greater than the current purchase price, no cash back will be given and it will not be applied to the remaining balance of the transaction.
~ Carbonated beverage, soda pop, cigarette, beer, retailer, in-store, free-item, and coupons stating "do not double" cannot be doubled.

Multiple Coupons

~ Only one valid manufacturer and one valid Homeland coupon can be accepted for the purchase of a single item. If the coupons' combined value is greater than the current purchase price, no cash back will be given and it will not be applied to the remaining balance of the transaction.
~ For in-store coupons valued at a flat dollar amount off total purchase, the specified total purchase must be attained after all other coupons and discounts have been applied.

Sale Items

~ Valid coupons are accepted for sale items.
~ The value of the coupon cannot exceed the current purchase price of the item. If the coupon's value is greater than the current purchase price, no cash back will be given and it will not be applied to the remaining balance of the transaction.
~ When items are priced at Buy One Get One FREE, one coupon can be used per item, but the net purchase price cannot fall below $0.00 for the items when the coupons are applied. Only one applicable coupon can be doubled. If the coupons' combined value is greater than the current purchase price, no cash back will be given and it will not be applied to the remaining balance of the transaction.

Restaurant.com $25 for $3!

2011-02-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

For a limited time get a $25 Restaurant.com card for $3. Hurry it is only Feb 3-7! Three days left! You can get your card here

Quiznos Prime Rib Sub for $2.99

2011-02-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Get a Prime Rib Sub for Only $2.99 - Print Coupon.

Arm & Hammer Clumping Litter Coupon

2011-02-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

Coupons.com has some great new coupons this week!

2011-02-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Coupons.com has some great new coupons this week! I've included several of them below, you can print them here

$5.00 OFF $25 at Family Dollar Stores
$1.50 OFF 1 NESTLE BUTTERFINGER Funsize Bag
$1.50 OFF 1 Box Of Peace Cereal
$1.50 OFF 1 Nestle Fun Size Valentine Exchange Pack
$1.00 OFF 2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Holiday Cookies
$1.00 OFF 1 Athena Feta, Hummus, Baked Pita Chips, or Greek Yogurt
$1.00 OFF 1 Hidden Valley Salad Kit
$1.00 OFF 1 Bottle of Any A.1.Steak Sauce
$1.00 OFF 1 Package Oscar Mayer Carving Meat
$0.75 OFF 1 Cinnamon Burst Cheerios® cereal
$0.75 OFF 1 Chex Cereal
$0.75 OFF 2 Taco Bell Home Originals (excluding seasoning mix)
$0.75 OFF 1 Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles
$0.75 OFF 1 Shake 'N Bake Product
$0.75 OFF 1 Package of Rhodes Warm-N-Serv Rolls
$0.75 OFF 1 Any Bob Evans Frozen Sandwich
$0.55 OFF 1 Frigo Cheese Heads Cheese Product
$0.55 OFF 1 Cocoa Puffs cereal
$0.50 OFF 1 Gardetto's Snack Mix
$0.50 OFF 1 any variety Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough
$0.40 OFF 1 Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
$7.00 OFF any 1 Florastor Probiotic
$3.00 OFF 1 Garnier HerbaShine Color Creme with Bamboo Extract Haircolor
$3.00 OFF 1 KY Brand Product
$2.50 OFF 2 U By Kotex Tampons
$2.50 OFF 2 U By Kotex Pads
$1.00 OFF 1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner, or Treatment
$2.00 OFF any 1 Nature's Bounty Your Life Vitamins
$1.00 OFF any one PediaCare Product
$10.00 OFF Purina BREEZE Litter System
$3.00 OFF 1 Hill’s Science Diet Light
$2.00 OFF 12 cans of Purina Mighty Dog
$1.00 OFF 1 Purina Beneful Brand Snackin Slices
$1.00 OFF 1 3lb Or Larger Bag Purina Cat Chow Cat Food
$1.00 OFF 1 5lb Or Larger Bag-Purina Fit & Trim Dog Food
$5.00 OFF An Affair to Remember on Blu-ray

Monday Blog Hop

2011-01-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome To Making Friends Monday Blog Hop 1/10/11
This Blog Hop is hosted by Living on Love and Cents, The Thrifty Things, Reviewed By Mom , and Coupons are Great.

Thank You Ladies!

Facebook Freebie: Free Petol Jeans

2011-01-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

If you've got 20 friends who will help you out, here's how you can score free jeans from Petrol! Petrol Jeans is giving away a FREE Pair of Jeans when you send 20 of your Facebook friends to like them. They just need you to comment in the “WIN A PAIR” tab of who sent them!

Here’s what to do:

Like Petrol Jeans on Facebook
Click on the “Win a Pair” tab *DO NOT COMMENT ON THE WALL*
Click on the “Comments” to add who sent you...
Tell your friends to go and do the same, telling them to say you are the one that sent you. You have until Jan 31st to get your 20 Comments

Petrol Jeans | Facebook Please let them know that Carmen Peterson sent you!

Free Clairol Foam Hair Coloring: Starting at Noon Eastern today

2011-01-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

Be sure you Like Clairol because today at noon (and each day from today, 1/24 - 1/27) they'll be giving away 25,000 boxes of their new foam hair coloring each day. A total of 100,000 free boxes of Clairol's new foam colorant will be given away as part of this Facebook promo.

Go here, hit the Like Button, and then the Free Foam tab.

These things typically go lightning fast, but if you miss out today, try back tomorrow or another day to snag your free box.

( Thanks to Making Ends Meet)

Free Box Of Special K

2011-01-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

Buy any ONE package of Kellogg's® Special K® Cereal, Get ONE 12 oz. Special K® Original or 13.6 oz. Special K® MultiGrain Oats & Honey Cereal FREE! (Up to a $4.49 value) at the checkout when you take The Special K Challenge. Create your free personalized plan to download your coupon.

(Thanks to The Frugal Free Gal )

Great Coupons This Weekend So Don't Forget Your Sunday Paper!

2011-01-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

I got two sets of inserts today. One Red Plum and one Smart Source. Some coupons that I found intersting and really good at least for me

Free canin carry outs dog snacks up to 7oz with purchase of any one meaty bone dog snack exp 3/23/2011
$1/1 Rhodes Warm-N-Serve rolls exp 4/30/2011 - I love this coupon means .69 rolls for me!
BOGO any whiskas try any flavor exp 3/19/2011 - Don't have a cat but for those that do this is a good coupon.
$2 off one bag of Pedigree food for dogs 8.8 lbs or larger exp 2/28/2011 - great coupon if they have a sale during this period. Can get a 20 lb bag as cheap as 5.99
$1/1 package of any oscar mayer carving board meats exp 3/20/2011
$1/1 package of Farmland Fully Cooked Bacon exp 3/12/2011
$1/3 birds eye steamfresh exp 3/13/2011 - great for the sales at Homeland starting Wednesday they will be .99 ea with double = .33 ea when you buy 3
$2 on one package of Pull-Ups training pants jumbo pack or larger
BOGO Buy one Purina Beggin any size get one 7oz or smaller package of Purina Busy exp 4/24/2011
There are 2 different coupons for $1/1 Friskies snacks exp 4/24/2011 - very cheap or free with double coupons at Homeland!
$1/2 Kraft shredded cheese exp 2/28/2011 - at homeland as cheap as .99!

Free RecipeLion - Sweets for Your Sweet - Valentine's Day eCookbook

2011-01-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

Free Recipe Lion Pork Chop Ebook newsletter subscription. Sign up Here

Free eCookbook Sweets for Your Sweet: 22 Cute Dessert Recipes for Valentine's Day, featuring 36 pages of dessert recipes.

Free FaveCrafts - Valentines Day eBook

2011-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

Also available A Year of Free Crafts eBook, and many more Here at the top click Latest Free Craft eBooks to see them all.

Free Rental Codes for Redbox!

2011-01-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

Redbox has released 2 new codes valid for free movie rentals. Enter codes: WXM52MD & XXR3N4Z for your free rentals. Both good for one night DVD rental. Valid through 2/28/2011

Campbell's Printable Coupons

2011-01-19T04:51:00.000-08:00

You can get the following Campbell's coupons HERE

Campbell’s® Taste Sensations Soups

Save $1.00 on any four (4) Campbell’s Condensed “Great for Cooking” soups.

Swanson® Broth

Save $1.00 on any two (2)
32 oz cartons of Swanson Broth.

Pepperidge Farm® Crackers

Save $1.00 on any two (2) boxes of Pepperidge Farm Distinctive Crackers or Baked Naturals™ Snack Crackers.

Pepperidge Farm® Holiday Cookies

Save $1.00 on any two (2) boxes of Pepperidge Farm Holiday Cookies.

French’s® French Fried Onions

Save $0.50 on any one (1) French’s French Fried Onions.

French’s® Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Save $1.00 on any one (1) French’s Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce.

V8 V-Fusion® + Tea Beverage

Save $1.00 on any one (1) 46 oz. variety of V8 V-Fusion + Tea beverage.

V8 Splash® Juice Beverage

Save $1.00 when you buy any two (2) Diet V8 Splash juice beverage varieties, 46 oz. or larger.

V8® 100% Vegetable Juice

Save $1.00 on any two (2) V8 100% vegetable juice 46 oz or larger varieties.

Campbell's® V8® Soup

Save $1.00 on any one (1) Campbell's V8 soup.

Campbell's® Healthy Request® Soups

Save $1.00 on any two (2) varieties of Campbell's Healthy Request soup.

Campbell’s® Select Harvest® Soups

Save $1.00 on any two (2) can, microwavable bowl or Healthy Request® varieties of Campbell’s Select Harvest soup.

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Save $0.50 on any two (2) can, microwavable bowl or Healthy Request® varieties of Campbell’s Chunky soup or chili.

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Save $1.00 on any three (3) can, microwavable bowl or Healthy Request® varieties of Campbell’s Chunky soup or chili.

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Save $1.50 on any four (4) can, microwavable bowl or Healthy Request® varieties of Campbell’s Chunky soup or chili.

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Save $2.00 on any five (5) can, microwavable bowl or Healthy Request® varieties of Campbell’s

Jimmy Dean D-Lights Coupons

2011-01-19T04:45:00.000-08:00

The following coupons are available through their website HERE

$1 off any package of Jimmy Dean D-Lights 4 ct sandwiches or $2.50 when you share with 3 friends via email, twitter, facebook or Myspace.

.50 off any one Jimmy Dean Breakfast bowl including Jimmy Dean D-Lights breakfast bowls

$1 off Yoplait Smoothie

2011-01-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

"Like” them on Facebook to gain access to this Bricks printable coupon and save $1.00 when you buy any flavor Yoplait Frozen Smoothie.

$1 Reynolds Parchment Paper Coupon

2011-01-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

Save $1 Now on Reynolds Parchment Paper Here

Myths About Coupons

2011-01-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

Myth: Using coupons means that I’m broke.

Truth: Coupon users are smart and savvy shopper that want to make their dollar stretch. The Fact is that consumers earning under-$25,000 a year are less likely to use coupons. The average coupon user is between the ages of 25-34 and earns between $25,000 and $100,000 per year.

Myth: I can’t find coupons for the items I purchase.

Reality: Unless you are never going to purchase deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, coffee, frozen veggies, yogurt, and on and on, you can find a coupon for your purchase. Finding coupons for everyday items is as easy and purchasing your Sunday paper. You can also search online for printable coupons.

Myth: You can’t be brand loyal and save money.

Reality: You can be brand loyal in some cases. It’s true that not being brand loyalty will give you bigger savings in the long run, but you can remain brand loyal and still save significantly. The key is to learn how to stockpile your favorite brands. When you can pair a coupon with a rock bottom price, buy enough to last you until the next big deals rolls around. This is when buying multiple Sunday papers really pays off, but if you need additional coupons, you might also consider purchasing them from a coupon clipping service.

Myth: Coupons cause you to buy things you might not purchase otherwise.

Reality: If you take time to plan your list and plan your meals you will not have impulse buys because you have a coupon. You will on occasion try something new but still at rock bottom price that won't break your budget. So your overall spending will still be less.

Myth: Buying generic is always cheaper.

Reality: If you have a need for a product, store brands can certainly be cheaper. However, one of the key principles of saving with coupons is based on not only buying products when you need them, but on purchasing them when you can get them at the lowest price by pairing a coupon and sale. Name brands are almost always cheaper than their generic counterparts at some point, so by using the “buy ahead” principle, you can stock up on your favorite brands for much less than generic products.

Estimating stockpile Needs

2010-09-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

In order to maximize your savings you want to start building up your stockpile. This will take up a lot of room so you will want to be organized when storing your items. In order to know how much you will need you will need to sit down and do a bit of math. All items usually have a 12 week sales cycle. If you cereal goes on a great sale this week, then it will be at least 12 weeks before you find the same deal. So here is the math: Total boxes used weekly 3, Total weeks before next sale 12 so 3 x 12 = 36. I would need to stockpile 36 boxes to get me through till the next sale. Now remember you do not want to break your budget to get this amount. So do a little at a time and stay with in your budget. Not being brand loyal is key. This way you can get part of your stockpile when the Kellogg's cereal is on sale, grab a few more when Post cereal is on sale and a few more when General Mills cereal goes on sale.

You will want to do this with each item you wish to stockpile. It will take time to build a full 3 month stockpile or longer if you wish for a bigger stockpile. Some may ask what is the point of having so much in your house or think it's a waste of time or space. But consider this; I you lose your job you will not have to worry about food for a bit giving you piece of mind and time to focus on your new job hunt. Secondly you will have most likely spent 1/3 creating that stockpile giving you extra money to put toward paying off existing bills therefore freeing up more of your savings to help get you by until you land another job. So as you can see stockpiling makes a lot of since. Why spend more when you don't have to?

Stockpile store vs Needs store

2010-07-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

In order to save the most money using coupons You have to shop at different stores. But won't the gas expense eat up the difference? Nope. You will also need to plan your trips. Example: Block 1 has a Walmart, Dollar General and Walgreens. Make sure you have all the coupons and lists you will need to shop all 3 stores at the same time. This way You will not have to go out and make multiple trips to the same area to visit different stores.

Why do you need to shop different stores? Each stores has it's own pricing system. Bigger chain stores may have regular prices cheaper than smaller chain stores but the sales are different. You need to see what store is the cheapest at regular price. If you have Aldi's near you this is a great needs store. They do not accept coupons but the prices cant be beat. Most of their items are "off" brand" and you can buy what you need for the week without breaking your budget. Your stockpile store is the store that offers the best deals. Example: Homeland is way more expensive than any other grocery store around me. Yet it is my favorite store because they double coupons up to $1 in value. Walmart may price match the sale but will not double my coupon. So Homeland is my stockpile store. I visit it weekly to take advantage of the sales and often get items for free.

When you make your weekly needs list, go through your pantry first! See what you have in hand already to make your meals and what you will need to complete them. Then check your sales to see which of those items is on sale. This is where your price book (You can easily make one with a small notebook to keep in your purse) comes in handy. If Walmart has the milk you needs at $3.69 a gallon and Homeland has it for $3.29 a gallon well then buy it at your stockpile store. Now if Homeland didn't have it on sale it would be $3.89 a gallon then I would put it on my needs store list. The difference is only .20 but I have been know to make transactions totaling .15! Once your have your needs list complete it is time to see what is left over in your weekly budget and see how many items you can stockpile at your other stores.

Getting Your Money Back!

2010-07-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

I have told you how to shop with your coupons and sales ads. Now I am going to tell you how to get some of your money back. It takes a bit of work and some searching but you can find Mail In Rebates to combine with your your coupon savings. These are often found on displays or even online. You will have to pay attention to start and end date, amount per transaction needed to qualify, postmark by date and household limit.

Here is an example I recently encountered:

Kellogg's sale 5/$7
coupons used $1/1 and (2) $1/2 for cereal (2) $1/2 and paid one at sale price of $1.40 for the snacks
Total paid $2.60 for 10 items. Purchased in one transaction (totals were different since I used catalinas to pay and my store also doubles up to and including $1).
Rebate amount $10 debit card with the purchase of 10 Kellogg's items in one transaction.
Profit $7.40 per transaction and I did 9 total. Total earned in rebates $66.60

Try Me Free

These are often found on new items to encourage people to try them. They will give you an expiration date and a postmark by date. Just buy your item and fill out the form send it in with your receipt and purchase price circled and receive a check in the mail.

NBPN/NWPN

These are promotion offers from alcohol companies. A lot of them do require you to purchase alcohol but if you pay close attention they will say in small print NBPN or NWPN. This means you do not have to purchase the alcohol to take advantage of this offer. They can come in Mail in Rebate for or Instant saving to use just like a regular coupon.

Great News For Crest Foods In Oklahoma

2010-07-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, check out Crest Food this week. Starting July 12 - July 18 they are have a produce sale and Starting July 15-17 is their Mammoth Meat sale! If you have a deep freezer now is the time to stock up on meats! You can get a paper bag full for around $24! If you don't have one you may want to shop around for one. It will not make a huge difference on your electric bill and will save you tons of money buy being able to stock up when frozen items are on sale!

This is a small investment now for bigger savings in the future!

Other sources for coupons

2010-07-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

We have the basics already explained. Now I am going to tell you about other sources to get coupons from. There are so many place online you can print coupons from:

Printable coupons from Coupons.com
Printable coupons from SmartSource.com
Printable coupons from Red Plum
Printable coupons on Facebook
Printable coupons from The manufactures website
Printable coupons from the website to stores you already shop at
Printable coupons from Printable Coupon Spot - I have a button to my left here that will take you there.

You can also find coupons inside products you currently use. Often the manufacturer's will include these for a special promotion or to advertise a new product. You can also find coupons we like to call peelies on the outside of the item. Pay attentions when you shop there are often tearpad under products or if you see that samples are being handed out ask if they have coupons for that product.

Now that you know where to look. Let's see how quickly your coupon stash grows!

Quick Recap

2010-07-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

So we are just going to do a quick recap of what you have learned so far.

Subscribe or purchase your Sunday news paper from the largest circular in your area.
Obtain all sales ads for the store in your area.
Keep your inserts organized for easy access. COUPON ORGANIZER
Look through your sales ads and match to coupons you have.
Make a list of item you need to purchase for the week.
Make a list of items you want to stockpile.
Keep on budget and do not over spend.

Now that you know what is needed to start using coupons, it is time to go a bit deeper. Often stores will have displays or coupon machines around the store. These are usually to attract buyers to a specific product. Normally people find this appealing and purchase the item at regular price using the coupon. Here is the little secret. They will go on sale in a few weeks! You can take a few coupons and wait. The savings will be a lot better. You will have to learn the difference between a phantom sale and a real sale. A phantom sale is when the store puts items on sale like 5 for $10. In this sale they will have random items to choose from. Some will actually be a good sale like brand name paper plates that are usually $2.50 or more. But they will also add items that normally sell for $1.98 so you end up paying .02 more! This is a good reason to keep a price book at the beginning so you can keep track of items you use often.

Another thing you may want to know about these 5 for $10 sales is you DO NOT have to by all 5 items to get the sales. If you only have 3 coupons then only buy 3. Especially if your store only doubles the first like coupon. Buy purchasing only 1 and using that coupon you will save more. Try making multiple transactions to maximize your savings. Lets do the math:

Store that double one like coupon: You purchase 1 item at $2.50 - $1/1 coupon that will double to $2 = .50 for that item.
Store that doubles and one like coupon and you buy 2 items: You purchase 2 items at $2.50 = $5.00 - 2 $1/1 coupons and the first will double the second is at face value ($3.00) = $2.00 or $1.00 per item. You just spent .50 more per item! This may not seem like a lot right now but when you become a pro you will make transactions for 5 or more items and only pay .19 like I have done. Seems like a lot now huh.

Please keep in mind these totals are going to take time to achieve. It takes practice and a lot of attention to detail. It will soon become second nature and you will stroll down the isles and say oh I have a coupon that will make that an excellent deal!

Creating a Stockpile

2010-07-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

     Well now that you have organized your coupons and obtained all the ads for your local stores, it is time to price your trip. You want to have 1 insert per person in your house. This will help you stock up on items you use on a regular basis until they go on sale again. A good stockpile will take up to 3 months to create and will take up a lot of room so make sure you stay organized.

   When you go over your sales ads and match them to your coupons you will get your final price. For example Walmart has Pampers baby wipes 64 ct on roll back for $1.97 and when you check your coupons you have a $2/1 package of Pampers baby wipes 64 ct or larger this will end up making them FREE you want to get as many as you can! Put these coupons in an envelope and label it Walmart. And you go on to do this will all the items that interest you on sale. Remember you want to make sure this is the best possible price you can get. So if the item is regularly $6.99 and the sale is for $6.50 pass it will go cheaper.

   If your store doubles find out up to how much. My Homeland will double up to and including $1.00 so a $1.00 coupon for me is actually worth $2.00. These stores are usually the best place to find your stockpile items. For example since it is summer Homeland has Bar-S hot dogs on sale for .99 ea. In the coupon database I found that a $1/2 coupon came out for this item and my store will double that coupon making 2 packages of hot dogs for FREE! Sounds great doesn't it? Well since I have a family of 6 i buy 6 Sunday papers every week there are coupons so I get to have 12 packages for FREE!

     If you are unsure of what a good price to stock up on is check out the forums on www.hotcouponworld.com They will be more than willing to help you. Some of these ladies and gentlemen have been doing this for years! When I go shopping I have to save 50% or more to feel I am doing a good job. When I started I was saving only 20-30%. So if you normally shop for groceries once a month I will tell you right now STOP! The best way is to take advantage of the weekly sales. Make a list of what you will need that week to prepare meals and by what is on sale. If pork and chicken are on sale do not go buying steaks. You will not save much this way. Once you have your meals planned out make a list of your stockpile items.

   Now that you have your lists done You need to go over your budget. If you have $150 budgeted for the week for a family of 6 (i use this number because of my family size) and on need items (items you absolutely have to buy to make it through the week) you are spending $120 then you have $30 for your stockpile items. So if the hot dogs are on sale and you should try to have enough to last 3 months (12 weeks) I would by enough to have hot dogs 2 times a week. 2 x 12 = 24. Seriously at the moment I have about 8 packages left and I used about 5 of them and took some to our family 4th if July cook out. Since they are free you are only spending about $1 if that on taxes for them you still have $29 to spend. The next item on sale is cheese. Borden cheese slices are on sale for $1.50 and your have a $1.00 off one coupons again My store doubles making them FREE so I use all my coupons and have stockpile item #2. Next item on the list is cereal. Your store has them on sale for $2.50 and you find there is a $1.00 off 1 (again my store doubles) I will pay .50 for each box. I need at least 12 boxes of cereal to last 3 months. I purchase 6 boxes since i have 6 coupons for a total of $3.00 plus tax. See the pattern? You will do this with all the items until you have used up those remaining $30 from your budget.

   This may sound a bit more complicated than it is. Trust me it will get easier to spot the deals. After 3 months your stockpile should be almost if not complete. Now you can just shop for the deals you want to add to your stockpile or replenish it. In the long run it can also be a security blanket. If you lose your job at least you wont have to worry about food for a while. Or if you are like me where no one tells you they ran out of laundry detergent I just go to the garage and grab another bottle! Here are some pictures to show you what I mean.

As you can see I have enough to last a while. If you are unable to afford all the items you need for 3 months do not worry. Another brand will be on sale soon and you can add more then. Remember the goal is to save money and get more for less. Do not try to buy it all at once and go over your budget. Until next time! Happy Savings!

Getting Started With Coupons

2010-07-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am sure most of you have heard about extreme couponing as they call it on the internet, news or even on the radio. Well I am here to show you how to get started and what you can expect to save. First thing first. Where you are going to get your coupons. Your local Sunday paper. Find the biggest news paper in circulation in your area. They will usually provide you with the inserts. You will be looking for Red Plum, Smart Source and P&G. Smart Source will be the insert that will usually be in every Sunday paper unless it is a holiday. Red Plum comes out about 3 times a month and the P&G will come out usually the first Sunday of the month regardless of it being a holiday or not. There are other sources but we will get to that later.

Once you have your inserts you need to figure out the best way to sort your coupons. Since you are starting out I recommend you use the filing method. This will consist of a box and some folders. You can find a descent box on amazon.com. This will hold the inserts by date to make it easy for you to access them. Next you will use a pencil to write the date on the tab using what ever format works for you like 6/27/10 and in this folder you will put all the inserts you get that Sunday.

The next step will be to make a list of all the stores you have around you and get their sales ad. Once you have that in hand you can start to match up the coupons you have with the sales that are going on. For help with this you can check out www.hotcouponworld.com. they have a data base with all coupons from Sunday insert and then some. If there is a sale for Oscar Mayer hot dogs enter in the search field Oscar Mayer and all the coupons for that item will show up. It will tell you the value of the coupon and when it came out. Now that you have matched up your coupons with the sales you are ready to shop. Keep to your list so that you do not overspend and make sure to pay attention to the required amount of items for each coupon if it is $1 off 2 items make sure to purchase 2.

Extreme Couponing With Carmen

Whatch Your Experation Dates!

Walgreens Coupon Policy

Guidelines:

General

Sale Items

Multiple Coupons

Buy One, Get One Free Coupons

Internet/Print at Home Coupons

Register RewardsTM coupons

Walmart Coupon Policy

Walmart Coupon Policy

Homeland's New Coupon Policy

Restaurant.com $25 for $3!

Quiznos Prime Rib Sub for $2.99

Arm & Hammer Clumping Litter Coupon

Coupons.com has some great new coupons this week!

Monday Blog Hop

Facebook Freebie: Free Petol Jeans

Free Clairol Foam Hair Coloring: Starting at Noon Eastern today

Free Box Of Special K

Great Coupons This Weekend So Don't Forget Your Sunday Paper!

Free RecipeLion - Sweets for Your Sweet - Valentine's Day eCookbook

Free FaveCrafts - Valentines Day eBook

Free Rental Codes for Redbox!

Campbell's Printable Coupons

Campbell’s® Taste Sensations Soups

Swanson® Broth

Pepperidge Farm® Crackers

Pepperidge Farm® Holiday Cookies

French’s® French Fried Onions

French’s® Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

V8 V-Fusion® + Tea Beverage

V8 Splash® Juice Beverage

V8® 100% Vegetable Juice

Campbell's® V8® Soup

Campbell's® Healthy Request® Soups

Campbell’s® Select Harvest® Soups

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Campbell’s® Chunky™ Soups

Jimmy Dean D-Lights Coupons

$1 off Yoplait Smoothie

$1 Reynolds Parchment Paper Coupon

Save $1 Now on Reynolds Parchment Paper Here

Myths About Coupons

Estimating stockpile Needs

Stockpile store vs Needs store

Getting Your Money Back!

Great News For Crest Foods In Oklahoma

Other sources for coupons

Quick Recap

Creating a Stockpile

Getting Started With Coupons

Register Rewards^TM coupons