Basic Coupons Explained
Friday, October 2, 2009
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Tip #1: You can layer your coupon savings!
- You can match a sale and a coupon: The best time to use a coupon (especially for stocking up) is when the item the coupon is for is already on sale. Then you get a discount from the sale and the coupon. Try to use your coupons to stock up by combining them with the best possible (4* and 5*) deals. Using coupons on most 1*-3* deals will not save you nearly as much money. The Current Deals List will tell you if you should be using your coupons to stock up or not.
- You can use many of the same coupon per "transaction," but only one per "purchase." A transaction is defined as everything you buy on one receipt. A purchase is defined as whatever the coupon states you have to buy in order to use it. You can make many "purchases" in the same transaction. For example: If a coupon states "Save $0.55 on any Marzetti Salad Dressing" a purchase would be any one Marzetti Salad Dressing. If coupon that states: "Save $0.30 on two Pillsbury Biscuits," a purchase would be two Pillsbury biscuits. If you have multiples of the same coupon, you may use one coupon per purchase. In this case, one coupon per salad dressing or one coupon per two buscuits.
- You can use a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on the same item: There are times when you can use more than one coupon on the same purchase. This happens when you have a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for the same item. With a manufacturer’s coupon, the store will be reimbursed by the manufacturer for the face value of the coupon. With a store coupon, it is the store that is giving you the discount. If you have both types of coupons for the same item, you can use them both because two separate people are giving you a discount. When combined with a good sale, this can be a great way to get things next to free, or even free.
- Double Your Coupons: Some stores (Ralphs & Vons in the Southern California area) offer this within certain limitations. These limitations change periodically and can be difficult to figure. To make things simple, we calculate your savings for you in the Current Deals List. We have also listed the current policy below:
- The face value any coupon under $0.50 is doubled.
- Any coupon which has a face value between $0.50 & $0.99 is worth $1.
- Any coupon with a face value of $1 or over is worth its face value.
- If you are using multiples of the same coupons, only the first coupon per transaction is doubled. This is important if you are using coupons to stock up. You can do multiple transactions and have the first coupon in each transaction doubled.
Coupons are marketing tools. They are created to get you into the store. The manufacturer would rather have you spend $3 on a $4 box of cereal than not buy the cereal at all. We have two rules: (1) Do not buy anything you are unlikely to use no matter how great of a coupon you may have for that item. Spending $0.50 on a box of cereal you won’t use is still wasting $0.50! (2) Even if you have a coupon for something you will use, try not to use it to stock up until that item is on sale at a great price. The Current Deals List will help you know when this is.
Tip # 3: Coupons do not always have to be used for the item pictured.
Most coupons can be used on a variety of items, not just the one that is pictured. The item pictured is very often the most expensive item you could buy with that coupon. Make sure you read the wording and fine print to find out what additional items the coupons can be used on.
Always the best policy:
The more you use coupons, the more you will realize that many cashiers don’t completely understand how coupons work -- they often make innocent mistakes. You will also find on occasion that other shoppers become annoyed with the extra minute or two it takes to scan in all your coupons. Here are a few suggestions:
- Always be completely honest and as kind as possible. As you consistently coupon shop at the same store, the cashiers, baggers, and even managers will come to know and recognize you. If they know from past experience that you have always been kind and honest, they will respect you and be more willing to help when things don’t go as planned.
- Do not ever try to use an expired coupon.
- Do not use Internet Printed coupons you know to be fraudulent.
- Do not try to use a coupon for an item other than what is listed as acceptable.
- If possible, find a cashier you like and then try to shop at the same time every week to get in that cashier's line.
- If you or a cashier make a mistake that will take more than a few seconds to correct, finish the transaction and go talk to a manager afterwards to have the mistake corrected.
- If you are doing multiple transactions or using many coupons, let the people in line behind you know. If they only have one or two items, offer to let them go ahead of you.
- If you are planning on doing more than 2 or 3 transactions: do 2 or 3, put your groceries in your car, then return to the store to do the rest. This will avoid making other customers wait an extensive amount of time.
Where to find the best coupons
The inserts that come with the Sunday paper are the best place to start. There are a few reasons for this:
- The Frugalicious Program matches these coupons to the store sales every week.
- These coupons don’t take any additional time to find. They are simply delivered to you each week.
- These are the easiest coupons to organize.
What are the inserts that come in the Sunday paper?
There are five inserts that come with the Sunday paper:
- SS: Smart Source. It generally comes weekly, although there are 3-4 weeks each year that you will not see it. Occasionally you will see more than one in a week. It typically includes many General Mills coupons.
- RP: Red Plum. It generally comes weekly as well, although there are 3-4 weeks each year that you will not see it. Occasionally you will see more than one in a week. It's also mailed to many homes weekly. You can request to be added to this list mailing list by calling 888-241-6760.
- PG: Proctor & Gamble. It generally comes monthly; usually the first Sunday of the month. It only includes coupons for P&G products (Tide, Charmin, Pampers, Crest, Downy, Pantene, Olay, Bounty, Tampax, Old Spice, Duracell, etc).
- Other: Occasionally there will be other coupon inserts included by a certain manufacturer (General Mills, Campbells, Kelloggs etc.). When this happens, the initials of the manufacturer will be used to identify it.
The least expensive place we have found to get a subscription is through www.discountednewspapers.com. Try to get the largest paper they deliver in your area -- smaller papers may not carry all the inserts.
How can I get multiple inserts?
The more coupons you have, the more money you will save, especially when stockpiling. There are a few ways of getting additional inserts:
- Ask your newspaper carrier to give you a few extra. Each carrier often gets more inserts than needed, and they end up in the trash. Some carriers are willing to give them to you instead. Consider giving them a small tip for their effort.
- Ask your friends, family, or neighbors for their inserts if they aren’t using them.
- Subscribe to more than one Sunday paper. If you aren’t able to utilize the above suggestions, this can be a good option. Remember, you only have to use 3-4 coupons a month to save what you will spend on a subscription.
How do I keep my coupons organized?
This is the key to effective coupon shopping. If you don’t stay organized, you will save less money and spend more time. There are a few options for organizing your coupons. For detailed help, visit the Basic Coupon Organization section.
When should I use my coupons?
As mentioned above, just because you have a coupon for an item doesn’t mean you should buy that item. The Current Deals List will tell you when to use a coupon so you don't have to worry about it. For your information, coupons are best used in the following situations:
- When you must buy something for “necessity” shopping and there is a coupon available. When you make your “necessity” shopping list, you can compare this list to the “coupon list” page. If there are coupons available for items you must buy anyway, use them!
- When a coupon matches a 4* or 5* sale. These are sale prices of items that are way below average. Using a coupon on these items will get you the lowest possible price for that item. Make sure you stock up!
- When a coupon will expire before the next 5* deal, matches a 1* - 3* sale, and brings the final price / ea to less than the 5* price. This is criteria that you could never know on your own without the Frugalicious Program.
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