Sales & Couponing Tips

Here are some tips to help you get the most bang for your buck and steer clear of store tricks that end up costing you more:

1) When using s coupon, it's usually cheapest to buy the smallest size of whatever you're buying. If you're deciding between a 6 oz. toothpaste and a 4 oz. toothpaste and you have a coupon it's almost always better to buy the 4 oz. The larger size may have a lower cost per ounce regularly, but not after you factor in the value of the coupon. If you do the math it's almost always smartest to buy the smaller version. A large product may be much less expensive with coupons, but the smallest size may be free! This is part of the logic behind multiple coupons.

2) Stores like to confuse customers with wording like 10/$10 in their circulars. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY 10 TO GET THE SALE PRICE. 10/$10 is essentially $1 each. If a purchase of 10 is required to get the deal, it will say that it is required. Furthermore, these types of sales are not always the best deals. Sometimes they even increase the price for this type of sale. If a can of tomatoes is on sale 10 for $10, but the regular price is $0.89, then it's not really a sale, is it? Having a good knowledge of both the sale & regular price of items is important.

3) Hit the clearance racks! One of the best things about bringing all your coupons with you to the store (a.k.a. the binder) is finding hidden treasures on the clearance shelf. Just yesterday I was behind some savvy shoppers who were combining Albertsons "Twice the Value" coupons, manufacturer coupons, and what they found on the clearance shelf for some amazing deals (2 Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascaras for $0.50! I wish I'd found that deal!). I've found killer deals on the clearance racks at Smiths, Albertsons, Target, and even Walmart. It's all about being prepared for any shopping situation!

4) You've put the work in finding the deals, filling your cart and have all your coupons in hand. Now watch that cashier! Don't ever expect for things to go completely smoothly at the register. I have to correct cashiers almost weekly. Sometimes they're looking at the coupons they're scanning and they miss that the computer needs additional information. Meanwhile they've tried to scan 4 or 5 more coupons and those ones haven't been deducted from your total. Sometimes they accidentally drop one on the floor and look at you like you're crazy when you try to tell them so... (and sure enough, when you look at your receipt after you're missing a $2 coupon.....grr....). Anyhow, I always count the number of coupons I have to make sure I have the correct number of deductions. This is especially important in situations like Smiths self-checkouts, because often the cashier will be scanning your coupons several feet away from you and not at your register.

5) Don't let the cashier pull the "one coupon per purchase" line on you! One coupon per purchase does NOT mean one coupon per transaction. Each item is considered a purchase-- many coupons actually say "one coupon per item purchased, which is a much better way to phrase it. 

6) Buy-one-get-one-free coupons - Did you know when using a B1G1 free coupon that you can use 2 coupons? For example, you have a B1G1 free coupon for deodorant, but you also have a $1 off coupon for the same brand and size of deodorant. You can use both coupons, because you have 2 items. This kind of scenario happens fairly frequently with P&G insert coupons.  Also, some stores, like Rite Aid, allow you to combine a B1G1 free coupon with a B1G1 free sale, making both items free.