Okay, I'll admit it I was a total lameo and stayed up tonight to score an Old Navy Coupon! The best they had this week was $60 off $100. I was on there right when it started. I never could catch that flying bird. He had a towel or swimsuit of some sort. I am assuming that was the $60 off $100 coupon. I did manage to get a $45 of $100 coupon when the dolphin was swimming in the background! It's not great, but I'll take it. I think if you catch the crab there is a coupon, or if you pop the lil boys water wings a coupons pops up too. I am bound and determined to snag a good one next week....until then I'll be happy with what I was able to get! Now I have GOT to go to bed!
Screamin Coupons- All of Our Readers who Sign Up Through Us Get a $5 Sign Up Credit!
Old Navy Tonight
Don't forget that sometime between tonight and tomorrow morning Old Navy weekly hunt starts! Old Navy also has some new rules for the coupon hunt.
This week at OldNavyWeekly.com, we’ll have another fabulous coupon to hide, $60 off $100 purchase. We’ll also be releasing the coupons at different times like last week, so more of you have the chance at scoring one of these fabulous offers.
In other exciting news: we’ll be introducing a “retrieve coupon” button that will let you resend a coupon to your inbox if you should lose it!
In order for our new “retrieve coupon” button to track your findings, you’ll be asked to enter your email address when you discover your first coupon. Entering your address reserves your coupon while you hunt for a better one. Each email address will be allowed one coupon per week (this will also give more of you a chance at the $$ coupons)—so make sure you do some serious snooping to find the best deal before hitting “Make Coupon.” Once you’ve clicked the button, that fabulous deal is yours for the week!"
In other exciting news: we’ll be introducing a “retrieve coupon” button that will let you resend a coupon to your inbox if you should lose it!
In order for our new “retrieve coupon” button to track your findings, you’ll be asked to enter your email address when you discover your first coupon. Entering your address reserves your coupon while you hunt for a better one. Each email address will be allowed one coupon per week (this will also give more of you a chance at the $$ coupons)—so make sure you do some serious snooping to find the best deal before hitting “Make Coupon.” Once you’ve clicked the button, that fabulous deal is yours for the week!"
Good Luck! If your up and you find a coupon comment on it's location! I know I'll be up tonight!
More Free KFC
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free stuff
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Due to overwhelming consumer response for the $10 KFC Gift Check, our allotment of 200 gift checks has already been fulfilled for Thursday, May 7.
If you feel you've missed an opportunity, don't worry. Please check back Friday, May 8 for your chance to win. Also, to be alerted of special offers like these, simply enroll in our free Colonel's Email Club to receive periodic email communication from KFC concerning upcoming promotions, coupons and recipes. It pays to be a member so please join today!
Safeguarding your privacy and the security of your personal information is very important to us. Please consult KFC's Privacy Policy with any question regarding how we treat your personal information.
If you feel you've missed an opportunity, don't worry. Please check back Friday, May 8 for your chance to win. Also, to be alerted of special offers like these, simply enroll in our free Colonel's Email Club to receive periodic email communication from KFC concerning upcoming promotions, coupons and recipes. It pays to be a member so please join today!
Safeguarding your privacy and the security of your personal information is very important to us. Please consult KFC's Privacy Policy with any question regarding how we treat your personal information.
Free Chocolate Fridays
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free stuff
| 1 comments
Oh no--- Free chocolate every Friday from here until September, so much for being ready for my new swimsuit!
Come back May 8 at 9:00AM ET and every Friday through September for a chance to get a Free* Real Chocolate coupon for your favorite Mars product below. If it’s Mars, you know it’s Real Chocolate
*Limit: 250,000 Coupons per Friday (9:00:00AM ET to 11:59:59PM ET).See terms and conditions for details.
Click Here
*UPDATE- The coupons arrive in the mail 4-6 weeks after you sign up. All you have to do is take them to the store and reedem them. Easy as 1. 2 FREE!
More Online Coupons
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online coupons
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I have been able to add some more coupons to my web page!
If you click on the more coupons over on the left there is a coupon for $1 off Rhodes Rolls. This week they are on sale for $2.00 at Reams. Print the coupon off and it makes them $1.00!!! Make sure that your store will accept Internet print ables before you go! Either way it's a good coupon to have handy! Who doesn't love online coupons! Print away!
If you click on the more coupons over on the left there is a coupon for $1 off Rhodes Rolls. This week they are on sale for $2.00 at Reams. Print the coupon off and it makes them $1.00!!! Make sure that your store will accept Internet print ables before you go! Either way it's a good coupon to have handy! Who doesn't love online coupons! Print away!
Mother's Day at Tucanos
Mother’s Day Rule #1 – Mom Doesn’t Cook!
At Tucanos’ Brazilian Grill Mom is always Number 1,Yet we hear of tragic Mother’s Day stories of peoplle who don’t knowthe first rule about Mother’s Day!
Luckily Tucanos offers relief and gratitude to Mom on Mother’s Daywith abundant food selections AND a special dessert just for her!
While the family awaits for her approval, our servers serve her aspecial selection of sizzling portions of flame grilled seafood, meats,vegetables and pineapple, all carved fresh at your table.
Tucanos Brazilian Grill also has Utah’s largest Salad Festival* for those Momslooking for abundant selections of fruits, vegetables, cheeses and pastas.
Don’t forget Rule #1 and make plans for dining at Tucanos today!
SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY MEAL, ALL-DAY Saturday, May 9th
MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!seating is limited, please reserve early.
Provo: The Shops at Riverwoods – 801.224.4774 or Downtown SLC: The Gateway Center, 162 South 400 West – 801.456.2550
Womens Expo
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Big News
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I have some awesome and exciting news! I am going to be doing a short presentation at the Women's Day Expo Friday at 3:20 pm.
It will be a very quick and condensed "class" on how to use Grocery Smarts and I will show you how to save hundreds of dollars on your Grocery Bill.
If you have been dying to come to a class and haven't had the opportunity, this is a great chance for you to see what Grocery Smarts is all about!
Make sure to come and stop by and say hi to me! We will also be offering newspaper subscriptions at an amazing price!!!!
Click here to go to the Women's Day Expo website and learn more about the events!
The lists are up!
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grocery smarts lists
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Here are the grocery shopping printable lists for the week! Click on the picture to take you to the list!
Thank you Grocery Smarts for making all these wonderful lists that let me save $600 a month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oriental Trading $10 off $10
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online shopping
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Use code SE1019772 for $10 off $10.
Shipping is 6.99 for up to $25.
It's better to do smaller $10 orders to get the best savings
Put the code in the keycode box
Free Burgers
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free stuff
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In honor of this well-deserved, month-long holiday, Fuddruckers is giving you a FREE 1/2 lb burger!
1. Ask a Fuddruckers associate for aNational Hamburger Month Rewards Card.
2. Purchase 3 Fudds burgers during the month of May andhave your card punched at the time of purchase.
3. Then present your card on your next visit to receive yourbuilt-your-own-way Fudds 1/2 lb. burger free.
Fudds' Salute to National Hamburger Month cards issued May 1 - May 31, 2009. Card expires on June 30, 2009. Valid at participating locations only. One punch issued per transaction. Card has no cash value and cannot be used with any other coupon or promotion. No substitutions allowed.
Call ahead to make sure your location is participating!
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free stuff
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comments
I am having issuse trying to get the picture look right, but Walgreens is offering a free 8x10 when you use the code mother! Limit One Per Person.
They are also offering 25 Free 4x6 prints when you buy 25 or more. Enter bright25 at checkout thru Saturday May 9th.
Click Here
Free Drink at Arbys
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free stuff
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comments
This Wednesday, May 6, 2009, Arby's will be celebrating National Beverage Day by offering free
Iced FruiTeas.
Just go to Arby's and say "I'm parched. FruiTea Me!" and try a free FruiTea in one of 4 flavors:
Passion Fruit, Mandarin Peach, Diet Peach or Diet Blackberry.
Free Pearl Necklace
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around town,
free stuff
| 9
comments
Still Looking for a Mother's Day Gift????? Head to Goldsmitch Co. Jewelers this morning!!!!!
This is by far my favorite free thing! Goldsmith Jewelers in Provo is giving away a free fresh water pearl necklace. It is valued at $99!!!!!! I had heard about it, but before I posted I wanted to check it out for myself. It is totally legit!!! I got there last night right before closing! There was a long line and I had to wait about 45 min, but I got my necklace! All they ask you for is your name and address. They were also amazing to me! They showed me how to take care of it, how it was made, and even where they kept the necklaces! They were so friendly and kind I couldn't believe it! I know next time we are looking for jewelry I will go there! I highly recommend taking a trip to Provo today and getting your necklace. Be sure to print of the following coupon and take it with you!!!!!!
PS- It said limited quantities available, so I wanted to know details. Trevor the manager told me that there were 5,000 necklace total and over the past 2 days they had given away 250 each day. So that means there are still 4,500 left. Don't wait too long though!!!! They open at 10 am this morning and I was the last customer last night.
More Free KFC
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free stuff
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On the Oprah show KFC announced their free coupon for a free dinner!
Click here to print the coupon! It also says you can print up to 4 coupons!!!!
Click here
Coupon Trends in the News
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in the news
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I am loving shopping with coupons. I can't believe I didn't realize how easy it was and how much fun you really save. When I am walking away from the register with $180 worth of groceries and have an overage of .76 cents you know it has to be worth it. I have also noticed that many people must agree with me, because shopping with coupons is becoming quite a "trend" or maybe even a way of life. Here are some articles I have recently found about the "rise" of coupons!
California Consumer
To live and buy in L.A. from the staff of the Los Angeles Times
Coupon clipping is on the rise
12:09 PM PT, Apr 20 2009
Anyone who pushes a grocery cart these days knows that more people are using coupons to reduce how much money they spend.
Coupon redemption rose nearly 10% in the last three months of the year from the same period in 2007, marking the first increase in redemptions since the early 1990s, according to Inmar CMS Promotion Services, the nation's biggest coupon processor. For the full year, 2.6 billion coupons were redeemed, the third year in a row at that level.
Another trend: Coupons were used more at mass merchandisers, such as Target and Wal-Mart, which saw a 15% increase in coupon redemptions last year. Supermarkets, which traditionally accounted for nearly 70% of coupon redemptions, took in less than 64% last year, Inmar CMS says.
I'm a big believer in the power of coupons. This week, I saved $27 off a $289 supermarket tab. (I know -- that's pretty big, but I was doing a bit of stockpiling of things on sale and for which I had coupons.) I used coupons I clipped from the Los Angeles Times, found online and received in the mail because I'm part of the store's shopping club.
Remember the basic rules of supermarket savings:
Make a list and stick with it. That way, you avoid impulse buying.
Stockpile when things are cheap. Even better, combine sales and coupons.
Be shameless. I used a vitamin coupon to buy a nutritional supplement. The cash register complained, but I talked the checker into it.
Be flexible. I had a coupon for 50 cents off a name-brand cleaning product, but I had to buy two. My supermarket doubles the value up to $1 -- an annoying but common practice -- yet even with the double value, the generic cleaner was cheaper. So I went generic and left the coupon, which was about to expire, on the shelf for another shopper to use.
My savings this week didn't come anywhere near my all-time best of $142, but I was pretty happy with it. And the woman behind me in line was impressed enough to vow that she would start paying more attention to coupons.
-- Nancy Rivera Brooks
Power shopping: Savvy use of coupons can save you lots of money on groceries
By Lois M. Collins
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, April 25, 2009 9:39 p.m. MDT
Tell Cheri Anderson that you can't believe the high cost of food, or that your grocery bill is killing you in this painful economy, and she just smiles. Anderson pays exactly what she wants to for most of her groceries — and if she doesn't like the price today, she waits. She has plenty of other food on hand.
Anderson's buying power comes from a Sunday newspaper with multiple coupon sections, a few coupons generated at the cash register and a printed list of what's on sale at the stores she shops. (Today's paper, for example, contains more than $150 worth of grocery coupons.) With those tools, she figures she saves about 75 percent off her grocery bill.
Not bad, she said, for the price of the newspaper subscriptions and a couple of hours a week, a few minutes at a time, getting organized.
Anderson's far from alone in her quest to reduce food prices with coupons. But most shoppers don't bother, although advocates say the task is easy and the rewards great.
The Utah Food Industry Association's Dave Davis said its numbers indicate that in 2008, only about 4 percent of Utah shoppers used coupons — and Utah is reportedly one of the more coupon-savvy states. That's up one-half a percent from the year before.
Still, 4 percent of everybody who buys groceries is a lot of people, he noted. And those numbers predate the sour economy. Inmar, a promotions-transaction settlement company, says food-coupon use jumped 10 percent from the last quarter of 2007 to the same period in 2008, the first big jump since the early 1990s. Nationally, 2.6 billion grocery coupons were used.
At Harmons, Smith's and Albertsons stores where the Deseret News researched this story, cashiers said they're definitely seeing more coupons. "Some people have gotten really sophisticated with it," one told the paper.
Several non-users voiced skepticism as they waited in line. "It looks like too much work to me," one commented. Her interest rose considerably, though, when she saw the cost of 16 boxes of cereal drop from a retail value of $77.63 down to $23.80 because of coupons and a good sale.
When the clerk also handed coupon-loving Anderson six cash-register coupons, called catalinas, each good for a free gallon of milk, she was hooked. "How'd you do that?" she asked.
Kenneth Roesbery, known to Utah shoppers as the Grocery Guru, believes the faltering economy has not only made coupons more appealing but has sparked an unofficial grocery war. And shoppers who leverage the combined power of advertised specials and coupons can save a great deal of money on food and other items, he said.
While Anderson and Roesbery are both avid coupon users, they don't use them the same way. It turns out there are different techniques and philosophies for saving money. The Deseret News chose to look at these two people because they are so different.
The important thing is finding what makes sense to you, said Karin Kunz, co-founder of an online service called PinchingYourPennies.com (PYP) that publishes free lists of local weekly grocery ads, along with an index of available coupons, where and when they ran in local newspapers, and other services. "When you find what works for you, you'll do it."
The PYP system
Four years ago, Anderson's family was growing — Megan was 2 and Anderson was pregnant with Hannah. Their expenses were rising, but husband Ken's salary wasn't. "It was really, really tight," she said. A stay-at-home mom, she figured her job would be stretching household dollars, so she took a couponing class offered at a Macey's. That gave her some basics.
She is now a PYP member and said you don't see huge price drops in the grocery bill at first. But the savings grow over time, and you build up an impressive food supply.
Quantity counts, so Anderson collects coupon circulars from friends who get the newspaper but don't use the coupons themselves. She routinely gets eight sets (stacking the pages so she only cuts a coupon out once) and when she sees what Kunz and PYP co-founder Shelley Robinson call a "screaming deal," she buys eight of the item.
She cuts and organizes her coupons as she watches TV or has spare time. She files coupons in a scrapbook case, in slots numbered to correspond with a master list that fits her personal shopping needs. If she's not going to use a product, she doesn't file the coupon. She doesn't cut out coupons that expire in less than four weeks, but puts them in a binder to pull if she needs one.
About once a month, she goes through all of it and gets rid of expired ones. (Military families overseas can use coupons up to six months after they expire, so some couponers pass those on.) When she shops, she usually pulls the coupons she needs and leaves the rest at home. Anderson also keeps a binder with restaurant coupons or non-grocery deals in the car, where they will be handy when she's out running errands.
She now only shops for the very best deals because she's been stockpiling food. That might mean a couple of trips to different stores, but it's well worth it, she said, when you know exactly what you're after and can combine good sales with coupons.
Two weeks ago, her toil brought the price of cereal down from between $4.89 and $5.19 a box to about $1.35 each. She bought Triscuit and Wheat Thins, normally $3.79, for 75 cents a box and got a catalina for $3 off her next purchase. (She won't need more crackers this year, she says, and will donate some to Scout food drives.) She also got nine items from the Taco Bell dinner-kit series for under $1 each. She always watches for deals that make soaps and other items free or almost free, and she keeps them on hand for baby-shower gift packs.
"Right from the beginning," said Kunz, "you notice small savings. It's not phenomenal." But it will be, she predicted. You may find ketchup at $1, instead of the usual $2, and set some aside for later. You spend about as much, but bring home more food. You take $10 you saved on pasta, and you buy meat or fruit that's on sale, for instance.
"The beauty of it is you're setting the price you want to pay for your groceries," she said. "You're not letting the store, manufacturer or others decide. You stock up when it's at the price you want to pay and skip buying it when you don't like the price."
PYP members focus on newspaper coupons, but they branch out, as well. Hyde Park residents and stay-at-home moms, Kunz and Robinson founded PYP five years ago, after they bumped into each other at a specialty store where they were using the same coupon.
PYP's services are free. "We feel strongly that you should not have to pay money to save money," Kunz said. They earn a small commission through their non-grocery-related links to online shopping sites. They tell you about deals at online sites and get paid a little when you link in through PYP and shop.
The Guru way
Roesbery also saves a ton of money, but he does it very differently. He says newspaper coupons can pay for as much as half of your groceries if you hang onto them until the item is also on sale. He doesn't cut the coupons out until he's ready to shop. He just files them in binders until he needs them.
Roesbery says the increased popularity of coupons has improved the deals stores offer. Some plan sales to go with coupons because, despite what some mistakenly believe, the stores don't lose money on coupons. The manufacturer pays the value of the coupon and a small handling fee. And creating great deals helps customers become loyal shoppers who keep coming back.
Roesbery takes people on 30-minute shopping excursions for $10, which covers the cost of the coupons and shopping lists he provides. The week before Easter, they shopped at Albertsons and combined ads and coupons to buy $100 worth of groceries for $30. Those who pre-loaded their money on a store gift card took advantage of a deal that added an extra 10 percent to the card's value. Many stores offer variations on that deal. You have to watch for it.
While PYP and Anderson emphasize the coupons, he focuses on the advertised sales first. "If you're buying just because you have a coupon, it's not always something you want," he said. "If it's on sale and you happen to have a coupon, that's a better deal for everybody." And be aware, he added, that the greatest savings may be on the smallest size, not the large one.
Roesbery says to pick one store for the week and stick with it. Savvy shoppers know when their store ad circulars come out and what days, if any, they have special promotions. One store might double coupons. Another might have overlapping sales one day of the week.
He teaches shoppers to plan their meals based on the ads at their chosen store, rather than running from store to store or chasing down coupons. "Shop one store and no more than once a week," he said. After you've planned your menu based on the sales, clip the coupons that apply, he said.
Roesbery isn't big on bulk buying. For coupons, you need "two max," he said. If you're spending more than an hour a week on coupons, including shopping, you're cutting into your savings.
While some experts advocate searching online for coupons, "in my opinion, you spend more time, effort and ink cartridge than you're ever going to save," he said. And you need to know whether your grocery store accepts coupons you printed out. Some don't. There may be rules about how many transactions you can do at once. Some stores double coupons certain days, others never do. Get to know your store.
It takes a village
Kunz says PYP couldn't do its grocery-coupon lists without a small army of volunteers. One woman goes through the Sunday papers, listing all the nonfood coupons. Another compiles the free or dirt-cheap deals. Many hands create the lists of what's on sale and where to find applicable coupons, as well as ways to combine them with sales.
There are many online coupon sites. Some charge a small monthly fee. One of PYP's most popular features is the online forum, where shoppers share tips and warn each other if stores have specific rules. For instance, some limit you to three transactions at a time. A transaction is when you pay for something. You may need to pay for items as separate transactions to get the most savings. After you've done three of those, most stores make you get back in line. Ask.
Most of the calculating is done by computers, so you don't have to worry about when or in what order you present items or coupons within a transaction.
Most coupon-loving shoppers look for beer-sponsored coupons at the store, too. Those disappear fast. Beer companies are restricted in terms of advertising and sales, Roesbery says, so some instead offer rebates on unrelated products. Recently, for example, you could get $20 worth of pizzas, salty snacks, charcoal or bottled water, then mail in your receipt and the coupon and get that $20 back. Anderson often uses several of those in a month. Be aware, though, that you are providing your name, mailing address and other information to get that rebate.
California Consumer
To live and buy in L.A. from the staff of the Los Angeles Times
Coupon clipping is on the rise
12:09 PM PT, Apr 20 2009
Anyone who pushes a grocery cart these days knows that more people are using coupons to reduce how much money they spend.
Coupon redemption rose nearly 10% in the last three months of the year from the same period in 2007, marking the first increase in redemptions since the early 1990s, according to Inmar CMS Promotion Services, the nation's biggest coupon processor. For the full year, 2.6 billion coupons were redeemed, the third year in a row at that level.
Another trend: Coupons were used more at mass merchandisers, such as Target and Wal-Mart, which saw a 15% increase in coupon redemptions last year. Supermarkets, which traditionally accounted for nearly 70% of coupon redemptions, took in less than 64% last year, Inmar CMS says.
I'm a big believer in the power of coupons. This week, I saved $27 off a $289 supermarket tab. (I know -- that's pretty big, but I was doing a bit of stockpiling of things on sale and for which I had coupons.) I used coupons I clipped from the Los Angeles Times, found online and received in the mail because I'm part of the store's shopping club.
Remember the basic rules of supermarket savings:
Make a list and stick with it. That way, you avoid impulse buying.
Stockpile when things are cheap. Even better, combine sales and coupons.
Be shameless. I used a vitamin coupon to buy a nutritional supplement. The cash register complained, but I talked the checker into it.
Be flexible. I had a coupon for 50 cents off a name-brand cleaning product, but I had to buy two. My supermarket doubles the value up to $1 -- an annoying but common practice -- yet even with the double value, the generic cleaner was cheaper. So I went generic and left the coupon, which was about to expire, on the shelf for another shopper to use.
My savings this week didn't come anywhere near my all-time best of $142, but I was pretty happy with it. And the woman behind me in line was impressed enough to vow that she would start paying more attention to coupons.
-- Nancy Rivera Brooks
Power shopping: Savvy use of coupons can save you lots of money on groceries
By Lois M. Collins
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, April 25, 2009 9:39 p.m. MDT
Tell Cheri Anderson that you can't believe the high cost of food, or that your grocery bill is killing you in this painful economy, and she just smiles. Anderson pays exactly what she wants to for most of her groceries — and if she doesn't like the price today, she waits. She has plenty of other food on hand.
Anderson's buying power comes from a Sunday newspaper with multiple coupon sections, a few coupons generated at the cash register and a printed list of what's on sale at the stores she shops. (Today's paper, for example, contains more than $150 worth of grocery coupons.) With those tools, she figures she saves about 75 percent off her grocery bill.
Not bad, she said, for the price of the newspaper subscriptions and a couple of hours a week, a few minutes at a time, getting organized.
Anderson's far from alone in her quest to reduce food prices with coupons. But most shoppers don't bother, although advocates say the task is easy and the rewards great.
The Utah Food Industry Association's Dave Davis said its numbers indicate that in 2008, only about 4 percent of Utah shoppers used coupons — and Utah is reportedly one of the more coupon-savvy states. That's up one-half a percent from the year before.
Still, 4 percent of everybody who buys groceries is a lot of people, he noted. And those numbers predate the sour economy. Inmar, a promotions-transaction settlement company, says food-coupon use jumped 10 percent from the last quarter of 2007 to the same period in 2008, the first big jump since the early 1990s. Nationally, 2.6 billion grocery coupons were used.
At Harmons, Smith's and Albertsons stores where the Deseret News researched this story, cashiers said they're definitely seeing more coupons. "Some people have gotten really sophisticated with it," one told the paper.
Several non-users voiced skepticism as they waited in line. "It looks like too much work to me," one commented. Her interest rose considerably, though, when she saw the cost of 16 boxes of cereal drop from a retail value of $77.63 down to $23.80 because of coupons and a good sale.
When the clerk also handed coupon-loving Anderson six cash-register coupons, called catalinas, each good for a free gallon of milk, she was hooked. "How'd you do that?" she asked.
Kenneth Roesbery, known to Utah shoppers as the Grocery Guru, believes the faltering economy has not only made coupons more appealing but has sparked an unofficial grocery war. And shoppers who leverage the combined power of advertised specials and coupons can save a great deal of money on food and other items, he said.
While Anderson and Roesbery are both avid coupon users, they don't use them the same way. It turns out there are different techniques and philosophies for saving money. The Deseret News chose to look at these two people because they are so different.
The important thing is finding what makes sense to you, said Karin Kunz, co-founder of an online service called PinchingYourPennies.com (PYP) that publishes free lists of local weekly grocery ads, along with an index of available coupons, where and when they ran in local newspapers, and other services. "When you find what works for you, you'll do it."
The PYP system
Four years ago, Anderson's family was growing — Megan was 2 and Anderson was pregnant with Hannah. Their expenses were rising, but husband Ken's salary wasn't. "It was really, really tight," she said. A stay-at-home mom, she figured her job would be stretching household dollars, so she took a couponing class offered at a Macey's. That gave her some basics.
She is now a PYP member and said you don't see huge price drops in the grocery bill at first. But the savings grow over time, and you build up an impressive food supply.
Quantity counts, so Anderson collects coupon circulars from friends who get the newspaper but don't use the coupons themselves. She routinely gets eight sets (stacking the pages so she only cuts a coupon out once) and when she sees what Kunz and PYP co-founder Shelley Robinson call a "screaming deal," she buys eight of the item.
She cuts and organizes her coupons as she watches TV or has spare time. She files coupons in a scrapbook case, in slots numbered to correspond with a master list that fits her personal shopping needs. If she's not going to use a product, she doesn't file the coupon. She doesn't cut out coupons that expire in less than four weeks, but puts them in a binder to pull if she needs one.
About once a month, she goes through all of it and gets rid of expired ones. (Military families overseas can use coupons up to six months after they expire, so some couponers pass those on.) When she shops, she usually pulls the coupons she needs and leaves the rest at home. Anderson also keeps a binder with restaurant coupons or non-grocery deals in the car, where they will be handy when she's out running errands.
She now only shops for the very best deals because she's been stockpiling food. That might mean a couple of trips to different stores, but it's well worth it, she said, when you know exactly what you're after and can combine good sales with coupons.
Two weeks ago, her toil brought the price of cereal down from between $4.89 and $5.19 a box to about $1.35 each. She bought Triscuit and Wheat Thins, normally $3.79, for 75 cents a box and got a catalina for $3 off her next purchase. (She won't need more crackers this year, she says, and will donate some to Scout food drives.) She also got nine items from the Taco Bell dinner-kit series for under $1 each. She always watches for deals that make soaps and other items free or almost free, and she keeps them on hand for baby-shower gift packs.
"Right from the beginning," said Kunz, "you notice small savings. It's not phenomenal." But it will be, she predicted. You may find ketchup at $1, instead of the usual $2, and set some aside for later. You spend about as much, but bring home more food. You take $10 you saved on pasta, and you buy meat or fruit that's on sale, for instance.
"The beauty of it is you're setting the price you want to pay for your groceries," she said. "You're not letting the store, manufacturer or others decide. You stock up when it's at the price you want to pay and skip buying it when you don't like the price."
PYP members focus on newspaper coupons, but they branch out, as well. Hyde Park residents and stay-at-home moms, Kunz and Robinson founded PYP five years ago, after they bumped into each other at a specialty store where they were using the same coupon.
PYP's services are free. "We feel strongly that you should not have to pay money to save money," Kunz said. They earn a small commission through their non-grocery-related links to online shopping sites. They tell you about deals at online sites and get paid a little when you link in through PYP and shop.
The Guru way
Roesbery also saves a ton of money, but he does it very differently. He says newspaper coupons can pay for as much as half of your groceries if you hang onto them until the item is also on sale. He doesn't cut the coupons out until he's ready to shop. He just files them in binders until he needs them.
Roesbery says the increased popularity of coupons has improved the deals stores offer. Some plan sales to go with coupons because, despite what some mistakenly believe, the stores don't lose money on coupons. The manufacturer pays the value of the coupon and a small handling fee. And creating great deals helps customers become loyal shoppers who keep coming back.
Roesbery takes people on 30-minute shopping excursions for $10, which covers the cost of the coupons and shopping lists he provides. The week before Easter, they shopped at Albertsons and combined ads and coupons to buy $100 worth of groceries for $30. Those who pre-loaded their money on a store gift card took advantage of a deal that added an extra 10 percent to the card's value. Many stores offer variations on that deal. You have to watch for it.
While PYP and Anderson emphasize the coupons, he focuses on the advertised sales first. "If you're buying just because you have a coupon, it's not always something you want," he said. "If it's on sale and you happen to have a coupon, that's a better deal for everybody." And be aware, he added, that the greatest savings may be on the smallest size, not the large one.
Roesbery says to pick one store for the week and stick with it. Savvy shoppers know when their store ad circulars come out and what days, if any, they have special promotions. One store might double coupons. Another might have overlapping sales one day of the week.
He teaches shoppers to plan their meals based on the ads at their chosen store, rather than running from store to store or chasing down coupons. "Shop one store and no more than once a week," he said. After you've planned your menu based on the sales, clip the coupons that apply, he said.
Roesbery isn't big on bulk buying. For coupons, you need "two max," he said. If you're spending more than an hour a week on coupons, including shopping, you're cutting into your savings.
While some experts advocate searching online for coupons, "in my opinion, you spend more time, effort and ink cartridge than you're ever going to save," he said. And you need to know whether your grocery store accepts coupons you printed out. Some don't. There may be rules about how many transactions you can do at once. Some stores double coupons certain days, others never do. Get to know your store.
It takes a village
Kunz says PYP couldn't do its grocery-coupon lists without a small army of volunteers. One woman goes through the Sunday papers, listing all the nonfood coupons. Another compiles the free or dirt-cheap deals. Many hands create the lists of what's on sale and where to find applicable coupons, as well as ways to combine them with sales.
There are many online coupon sites. Some charge a small monthly fee. One of PYP's most popular features is the online forum, where shoppers share tips and warn each other if stores have specific rules. For instance, some limit you to three transactions at a time. A transaction is when you pay for something. You may need to pay for items as separate transactions to get the most savings. After you've done three of those, most stores make you get back in line. Ask.
Most of the calculating is done by computers, so you don't have to worry about when or in what order you present items or coupons within a transaction.
Most coupon-loving shoppers look for beer-sponsored coupons at the store, too. Those disappear fast. Beer companies are restricted in terms of advertising and sales, Roesbery says, so some instead offer rebates on unrelated products. Recently, for example, you could get $20 worth of pizzas, salty snacks, charcoal or bottled water, then mail in your receipt and the coupon and get that $20 back. Anderson often uses several of those in a month. Be aware, though, that you are providing your name, mailing address and other information to get that rebate.
So much fun! There are so many ways to use coupons and maximize your savings. I absolutely fell in love with Grocery Smarts after I learned
- You do not have to clip the coupons out of the inserts
- You don't have to alphabetize or constantly look at expiration dates
- Grocery Smarts did all the work for me. They tell me when to use the coupon and what the price is after the coupon!
- IT'S FREE
- I started saving money instantly!
- My food storage was EVERYWHERE!, under my bed, in the linen closet and in the kids closet!
- I was having fun shopping and saving money!!!!!
What do you like about Grocery Smarts???????
Albertson's Preview
Here is a look at the upcoming sale!
Click Here!
This list is just a preview, so wait until Wednesday to actually print the list from Grocery Smarts!
I heart Sundays!
I LOVE Sundays. I love getting my coupons! If you ever have problems with your papers, (i.e-missing one, missing an insert, didn't arrive) feel free to call the newspaper and let them know. Jut remember they are human too and can make mistakes. They do the best they can. If an insert or coupon ad is missing, just kindly let them know! They are WONDERFUL to work with. I will post their number on the side of my blog today!
Here are some of the coupons I found in today's papers.
One Proctor and Gamble, One Red Plum, One Smart Source!
Honey Ham Coupons
Deseret Book Coupon
Mom and Me at the Zoo next weekend insert!
Michael's Coupons!
Roberts Coupons
Babies R Us and Toys R Us Coupons
Bed Bath and Beyond Coupon
And some additional in-store ad coupons to Albies!
Did I miss any?
Remember that some coupons vary by location and neighborhood! You may have other ones I don't or may not have some that I do. The only ones we SHOULD ALL have are the Smart Source, Proctor and Gamble and Red Plum!
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