Layer 3: Store Coupons

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking LAYERS of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however. 

And for some of this, it'll require a separate post for each "sub-Layer," too. I hope you find this easy to follow.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons
- LAYER #2.1: Printable internet coupons
- LAYER #2.2: Newspaper coupons
- LAYER #2.3: Catalina Register Printout Coupons
- LAYER #2.4: Blinkies
- LAYER #2.5: Tearpads
- LAYER #2.6: Peelies
- LAYER #2.7: Phonebooks and more

LAYER #3 ~ Store Coupons

A Store Coupon is a coupon issued by the particular store. Most stores allow you to "stack" one Store Coupon with one Manufacturer's Coupon.

Key Term: Stacking, in couponing lingo, refers to layering your savings - using the methods in this blog series!

Target provides Store Coupons online, which you can print. (They also offer other "layers," but we'll get to those in future posts.)

TIP: One little-known couponing tip is that Meijer actually allows you to use those Target online coupons.  You can stack a Target coupon with a Manufacturer's coupon - at Meijer!

However: The checkout personnel at Meijer might be unaware of this policy.  You may have to get the manager, to do this.

Using this, I was able to get FREE Speed Stick Gear Deodorant at Meijer:

Sale price of item: $3.00
Manufacturer's Coupon: -$2.00
Target Coupon used at Meijer: -$1.00
Final Cost = $0.00

This is not the first time I've bought deodorant for FREE; that's a common item you can get, through couponing! There are many other items you can get, as well!

One more thing about Meijer: The store has an "mperks" program, which provides "digital coupons and rewards." I haven't looked into this, but info is available here.

Like Target, Dollar General also provides some coupons online, which you can print.  Keep in mind that only the first several coupons at that link are Dollar General Store Coupons.  The rest are the same Manufacturer's Coupons that you can get through Coupons.com.

Dollar General also provides Digital Coupons.  I haven't looked into this, but these must be Store Coupons, which you can stack with Manufacturer's Coupons.

 Kroger also has Digital Store Coupons available online.  You apparently load these onto your Kroger card.  Kroger used to double coupons... But alas, they no longer do.  Perhaps this is because of the TLC show.

Whole Foods also has online Store Coupons available.  There's no Whole Foods in my area; I've tried to visit the store when traveling, but it closed too early.

Is there a County Market in your area?  Each month, County Market has a Penny Pinchers coupon book.  What's really neat is when you can stack a Penny Pincher's coupon (which already provides a great low price) with a Manufacturer's Coupon!

Most couponing blogs don't deal with County Market.  I plan to make this blog an exception to that.

Walgreens has a coupon book, each month.  These books are available at the front of the store.  You can stack a store coupon (from the book) with a manufacturer's coupon, on the same item!

Layer 2.7 - Phonebooks and more

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking LAYERS of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however. 

And for some of this, it'll require a separate post for each "sub-Layer," too. I hope you find this easy to follow.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons
- LAYER #2.1: Printable internet coupons
- LAYER #2.2: Newspaper coupons
- LAYER #2.3: Catalina Register Printout Coupons
- LAYER #2.4: Blinkies
- LAYER #2.5: Tearpads
- LAYER #2.6: Peelies

LAYER #2.7 ~ Phonebooks and more

Phonebooks are one source for coupons.

My Coupon Database may not include Phonebook coupons.  Check your local phonebook for this.

Magazines can also be a source for coupons.  Walmart's ALL YOU Magazine is full of them (but not necessarily ones you would use).

Layer 2.6 - Peelies

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking LAYERS of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however. 

And for some of this, it'll require a separate post for each "sub-Layer," too. I hope you find this easy to follow.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons
- LAYER #2.1: Printable internet coupons
- LAYER #2.2: Newspaper coupons
- LAYER #2.3: Catalina Register Printout Coupons
- LAYER #2.4: Blinkies
- LAYER #2.5: Tearpads

LAYER #2.6 ~ Peelies

Like with Blinkies and Tearpads, also keep an eye out for those products on the store aisles that have coupons attached! These are called "Peelies" (for obvious reason :-). Keep in mind that you may have a situation in which some boxes of a product have peelies attached, while other boxes of the very same product don't have them.

TIP: Sometimes, the products for which Peelies are available also have printable internet coupons available.  In that case, you should use the printed coupon, instead of the Peelie. Just save the Peelie for later; Peelies have later expiration dates, and could come in helpful later on.

(You probably won't be able to use the product's Peelie and the printed coupon on the same item, because both of those are Manufacturer's Coupons, and stores only allow one Manufacturer's Coupon per item.)

My Coupon Database might include the Peelie coupons, which are currently out.  And here is a message board thread in which people have posted Peelie coupons, that they've found.


ETHICS POINT #1: Many people go to the stores, and when they see Peelies, they take them - without buying the item! I consider this unethical.

Layer 2.5 - Tearpads

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking LAYERS of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however. 

And for some of this, it'll require a separate post for each "sub-Layer," too. I hope you find this easy to follow.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons
- LAYER #2.1: Printable internet coupons
- LAYER #2.2: Newspaper coupons
- LAYER #2.3: Catalina Register Printout Coupons
- LAYER #2.4: Blinkies 

LAYER #2.5 ~ Tearpads

Like with Blinkies, also keep an eye out for those pads (not tear pads, but tearpads :-) in your store, on which you can tear away paper coupons. These sometimes have later expiration dates (though not necessarily).

My Coupon Database should include tearpad coupons, that are currently out.  And here is a helpful list of current tearpad coupons.

Layer 2.4 - Blinkies!

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking LAYERS of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however. 

And for some of this, it'll require a separate post for each "sub-Layer," too. I hope you find this easy to follow.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons
- LAYER #2.1: Printable internet coupons
- LAYER #2.2: Newspaper coupons
- LAYER #2.3: Catalina Register Printout Coupons

LAYER #2.4 ~ Blinkies

Pay attention to those machines you see, in the store aisle, which dispense coupons. Though hard to see, they can end up being useful.

Later on, I'm going to cover an exciting "Challenge" that I came across, where a guy tried to eat well for a month, while spending only $30 total on food (an average of a dollar/day). Blinkies came in helpful. (Was he able to eat well on $1.00/day? We'll see.)

The coupons from Blinkies also probably last longer (re: their expiration dates) than the printables.

My Coupon Database should include Blinkies. Here is another site with a good list of some of the current Blinkie coupons.

Layer 2.3 - Catalina Register Coupon Printouts

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking LAYERS of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however. 

And for some of this, it'll require a separate post for each "sub-Layer," too. I hope you find this easy to follow.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons
- LAYER #2.1: Printable internet coupons
- LAYER #2.2: Newspaper coupons

LAYER #2.3 ~ Catalina Register Printout Coupons

There is another type of "Catalina," which we'll discuss later. (It can be another layer.) But right now, we're talking about those (random?) coupons that print out at your register along with your receipt, which are coupons for certain specific products. They may be somewhat-random, but they were triggered by your purchase of that same (or similar?) product. Many people just throw these away - but they can end up being handy!

COMMON MISTAKE #2: Throwing away or ignoring the cash-register coupon printouts.


COMMON MISTAKE #3: Thinking those are store coupons, because they say "Redeem at [Store Name: Meijer, Walgreens, etc.]" on their right side.

These are actually Manufacturer Coupons, as they should say on their top. Most stores will officially* accept these, regardless of what store's logo is printed under "Redeem at" on their right side. (CVS is a notable exception; their coupon policy rejects Catalinas with another store's logo.)

*Although most stores have the official policy to accept clearly-marked Manufacturer Coupons, even though they say "Redeem at... [another store's logo]" - some of the cashiers aren't aware of that policy.

It's a good idea to carry each store's coupon policy with you, in your coupon envelope (which we'll discuss later! :-)... though you might also be able to pull it up on your smartphone, when needed.


IMPORTANT NOTE #3: If the store cashier wrongfully rejects a coupon, or if you forget to use a coupon at checkout, you can take your coupon to Customer Service afterwards (within a certain number of days), and most stores will retroactively apply the coupon. I wasn't aware of this, when I started couponing!

In this 'sport,' it can be frustrating when you've realized you forgot to use a coupon. Most stores will retroactively apply Manufacturer Coupons (either in cash or on your credit card), if you go to Customer Service within a certain number of days after your purchase. (For Target, it's two days; For Meijer, it's six.)

Layer 2.2. - Newspaper Coupons

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking LAYERS of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however. 

And for some of this, it'll require a separate post for each "sub-Layer," too. I hope you find this easy to follow.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons
- LAYER #2.1: Printable internet coupons

LAYER #2.2 ~ Newspaper Coupons

Your local Sunday newspaper will have some of its own, unique coupons.  (It will also contain a collection of store Weekly Circulars - discussed in Layer #1.)  There are, however, certain Coupon Inserts that appear in most newspapers throughout the country (with regional variations).

The RedPlum (RP) Insert
The SmartSource (SS) Insert
The P&G Saver (PG) Insert

If it seems that these include the same names you just saw, they are!

IMPORTANT NOTE #1: Which of these inserts will appear in the Sunday newspaper will change, from week to week!  Also: There are differences between regions and localities.

COMMON MISTAKE #1: Thinking that every Sunday newspaper is going to carry RedPlum and SmartSource inserts.

Here is a 2014 schedule listing what inserts are expected to appear, on what dates.  And each week, you can get a preview of the coming inserts (with the specific brand coupons that are expected), through this site.

And one more note: Insofar as Couponing Lingo, when you see "RP" and "SS" and "PG" (mentioned above), that's the abbreviation that represents the respective insert.


IMPORTANT NOTE #2: When listing a Coupon, websites will typically list the:
- Dollar amount the coupon deducts
- The Product Name
- Expiration date ("exp. x/xx/14")
- The Abbreviation for the Insert (typically "RP" or "SS" or "PG"), with the date of the Sunday newspaper in which it came

For example:
The coupon that appeared in the February 2, 2014 SmartSource newspaper insert, and which expires on March 29th, and which is for $0.50 off, when you buy ("wyb") eight Yoplait Yogurt Cups... would be denoted as:

$0.50/8 Yoplait Yogurt Cups, exp. 3/29/14 (SS 02/02/14)


- - -

Please use my Amazon.com referral link, whenever you visit Amazon.com. (Or use someone else's; Never go directly to Amazon.com's site! :-)

Layer 2.1 - Printable Internet Coupons

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or for very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking Layers of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however.

And for some, a separate entry for each "sub-Layer"! I hope you're able to follow well; the template/formatting of this site might need some tweaking.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales
LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons

LAYER #2.1 ~ Printable Internet Coupons

You may think that stores are reluctant to accept Printed Internet Coupons, because of potential fraud.  This info is out of date!

With a couple of exceptions, all major stores DO accept coupons printed from certain websites.  To protect against fraud, you're required to install a printer app (for each of these websites) on your computer; these installations are safe and harmless.  Each printed Coupon will contain a unique bar code, for your use.

The following are the major websites from which you can print reliable coupons, for use at the store.  You will need to install each website's printer app; As mentioned above, that's a quick and painless process.

Please use my specific referral links (below, or in the left sidebar), when printing your coupons from these major sites - It doesn't affect your Coupon, but I will earn referral credit for each one printed.

- Coupons.com
This is the gold standard of reliable internet coupon sites.  (I actually print Coupons.com coupons through Swagbucks, to optimize my earnings - but Swagbucks is a topic for another time/blog entry!)

- RedPlum

- SmartSource

- Campbell's Kitchen  (contains v8 coupons, too)

- Post-It Coupons  (contains 3M product coupons) - currently empty

- The Coupon Book - currently empty

- Direct-Linked Coupons
Some manufacturers don't want their coupons listed in the general collection of coupons, on those sites.  They still use those sites to serve up their coupon(s), but direct link them - either from their company website, their company Facebook Page, or perhaps from an e-mail/newsletter that they send out.

When Coupons.com is used for this, it's called "Bricks" [http://bricks.coupons.com...]. Here is a solid list of Bricks Coupons; those links will take you to the company website or FB Page, from which you can obtain the coupon link.


The most comprehensive listing of Printable Coupons (including the Direct-Linked ones) is provided by Krazy Coupon Lady:
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/print-coupons

Rachel E. Holland also provides a regular Round-Up of printable coupons.

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A special note:



Please use my Amazon.com referral link, whenever you visit Amazon.com. (Or use someone else's; Never go directly to Amazon.com's site! :-)

Layer 2: Manufacturer's Coupons

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking Layers of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me, though other times not :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however.

Stack of Savings Stuff:
LAYER #1: Weekly Store Sales

LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons

With a couple of exceptions, all stores accept Manufacturer's Coupons.  Each store's Coupon Policy varies a bit, and the staff aren't always aware of their Store's official Policy.

Where to obtain Manufacturer's Coupons?


...LAYER #2.1, coming next!


=============================

A special note:



Please use my Amazon.com referral link, whenever you visit Amazon.com. (Or use someone else's; Never go directly to Amazon.com's site! :-)

Layer 1: The Weekly Store Sales

HOW TO DO IT: The layout of LAYERS

As discussed below, the key to shopping for free (or very little, or sometimes less than free!) is stacking Layers of savings, atop each other.  I'll try not to make this too complicated (which can sometimes be a challenge for me, though other times not :-)... I've realized it will require a separate blog entry for each Layer, however.

LAYER #1: The weekly store sale.

Every week, every store has items that are marked down.  The Weekly Ad (also known as Weekly Circular) is the guide to this.  Almost all stores make their Weekly Ad available online. Most stores have their Ad Week as Sunday through Saturday.  However: At least two of my local stores (Schnucks, and now County Market as well) run their Ad Week from Wednesday through Tuesday.

Also: Many Walgreens stores actually start their week's sales 1-2 days early; this can lead to the 'Saturday night loophole' which can sometimes be exploited for freebies - We'll discuss that later.

Weekly Circulars:  Target || Meijer || Dollar General || Dollar Tree || Family Dollar || Walgreens || CVS || Schnucks || County Market || Shop 'n Save || Kroger || Kmart || Walmart ||

How To Begin

One of my longtime problems has been deciding the right way to get started. I sometimes end up delaying making any decision at all, due to this!

I was unsure how to begin explaining how to begin this saving/couponing process.  But I'm just going to go for it:

The key to shopping for free/little is to STACK LAYERS of savings methods, on top of each other.

Here is an overview:

LAYER #1: The weekly store sale.

Every week, every store has items that are marked down.  The Weekly Ad (also known as Weekly Circular) is the guide to this.  Almost all stores make their Weekly Ad available online. Most stores have their Ad Week as Sunday through Saturday.  However: At least two of my local stores (Schnucks, and now County Market as well) run their Ad Week from Wednesday through Tuesday.

Also: Many Walgreens stores actually start their week's sales 1-2 days early; this can lead to the 'Saturday night loophole' which can sometimes be exploited for freebies - We'll discuss that later.

Weekly Circulars: Target || Meijer || Dollar General || Dollar Tree || Family Dollar || Walgreens || CVS || Schnucks || County Market || Shop 'n Save || Kroger || Kmart || Walmart ||

LAYER #2: Manufacturer's Coupons

With a couple of exceptions, all stores accept Manufacturer Coupons.  Each store's Coupon Policy varies a bit, and the staff aren't always aware of their Store's official Policy.


There are several key points to make about Manufacturer's Coupons.  I think I will have to separate this "Layer" layout into separate blog entries, after all.



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