TIP: Saving Ink

I wanted to share with you something I do to save on ink when I'm printing out coupons.  When I click to print a coupon, I watch it print out... as soon as I see that the coupon has printed, I hit the CANCEL PRINT button on the printer so it won't waste ink on the recipes or large ads that print under the coupon. 

Make sure you don't hit your BACK browser button to print the 2nd coupon before you cancel the print job, because you'll lose that second coupon that's in the print-memory.  Each coupon needs to be printed separately.  Wait until the one comes out completely before you hit the BACK browser button to get the second coupon.

Frustrating When You Don't Get a Sales Ad

I get so frustrated when I get my Sunday newspaper and there is no CVS ad or Sunday Vons ad in it!!  Don't they know I need my ads?!  Thank goodness I know where to find the weekly sales ads when I don't get mine!!  Besides finding the ads on the actual store website, I also find great sales information at these websites:



www.iheartcvs.com
www.iheartriteaid.com
www.iheartwags.com

Print Out the Store Policies

You should print out the store policy for every store that you shop at... and learn them!!  I have posted many of the local store policies in the right-hand column of the Savings Chatter blog (scroll down... down... down... under the blog archive).  After you have them memorized, fold them up & keep them in your coupon case.  You have no idea how many times I've had to whip out the store policy and school the employees!!

About Coupon Fraud

I wanted to post on coupon fraud and the importance of using coupons correctly.  Coupon Fraud is serious and affects us all.

There is a lot of lingo when dealing with coupons and I know it can all get very confusing.

Why Use Coupons Properly?  ...Other then because it is the RIGHT thing to do!

• Learning to use them the right way will help you save more money. You will know how to maximize your savings
• You won’t have to deal with legal issues (YES there are legal issues and penalties from using coupons fraudulently)
• Companies will continue to put out coupons
• Using coupons the right way will save money on grocery prices rising
• Some stores give issues about using legitimate coupons, using fraudulent ones just makes them not want to accept the ones that are legit.

What is Coupon Fraud?

Using coupons in a way that the manufacturer intended. This includes using multiple coupons on 1 item, photocopying or scanning coupons, using them on products the coupon is not intended for. There are serious penalties to coupon fraud.

Some examples of coupon fraud:

• Using a coupon on a product that the manufacturer did not intend it to be used on (different size, quantity, product)
• modifying or changing a coupon in any way, this can be changing the date, value, etc. of a printable coupon, creating your own coupon
• photocopying coupons
• Using more then 1 coupon on 1 item, only 1 Manufacturer’s Coupon can be used per item
• Using counterfeit and fake coupons

If you are unsure if a printable coupon is legitimate you can check the Coupon Information Corporation’s list of counterfeit coupons here.

Penalties for Coupon Fraud-There are serious penalties for coupon fraud

• Losing your privileges of shopping at a store that you are caught using coupons fraudulently at.
• Longest allowed prison sentence is 17 years-a normal prison sentence ranges from 3-5 years
• Highest allowed fine is $5 MILLION dollars-the fine amount varies but is around $200,00 dollars

Now you ask "Why should I care about coupon fraud?"... Well because it affects YOU, and not just a little bit.

How it affects YOU!

• Grocery prices rise-companies are losing money and need to make up for it, the stores are also losing money when they accept a counterfeit coupon because they are not reimbursed.
• Using coupons at the store can become difficult because stores become suspicious of all coupons
• Manufacturer’s stop putting out coupons
• The values of the coupons will be lower

PARADE Magazine - For More Coupons

Every Sunday we get a PARADE magazine.  Always flip through it, because they are known to put manufacturer's coupon in there!!  A couple weeks ago there was a coupon for a free McDonald's strawberry lemonade!!  You don't want to miss out on all the coupons!!

Know Your Store Sales Dates

When first beginning to coupon, most people don't realize that the stores sale weeks run all different days of the weeks... so you may want to make note of these until you have it memorized:

For Ventura County -

• Vons, Ralphs, Albertsons, Fresh & Easy, etc. - Sales run Wednesdays to Tuesdays
• Rite-Aid - Sales run Sundays to Saturdays
• Target, Walgreens & CVS - Sales run Sundays to Saturdays

Usually I shop with these two things in mind:

1) Get to the store who has the things I need as quickly as possible so they don't run out

2) Go to the store who's sales are ending the soonest so I don't miss out on what I need

Coupon Database at www.couponmom.com

I have to say I don't know where I'd be without the "Coupon Database" at www.couponmom.com.  I use the "Coupon Database" all the time.  I can enter "Nestle" and it'll tell me every coupon that contains Nestle and which coupon insert I can find it in (example: 5/1 SS).  This helps me find coupons in my inserts files before I head out to the store.

When I first started compiling my own shopping lists, I used the "Grocery Deals by State" section of www.couponmom.com all the time.  I can choose "Southern California", then Vons, and it'll list all the items on sale with coupon matches!  Love that!!

You can read all about how Coupon Mom can help you HERE!!

Write To Your Favorite Companies

We use a lot of small toddler sized juice boxes to treat my son's low blood sugar (he has Type 1 diabetes).  I can never have too many coupons for Nestle Juicy Juice & Hansen's Junior Juice.  I decided to email a short note to each of the companies to see if I could get any coupons.  Nestle, who makes Juicy Juice, sent me (2) $1 off ANY Juicy Juice product coupons and Hansen's sent me (2) FREE product coupons good on a 4-pack of Junior Juice and (2) more Save $1 off a 4-pack... which I find on sale for $1 all the time!  Awesome coupons for just emailing the companies.

If you have a favorite product, try emailing the companies telling them why.  Be sure to include your email & mailing address.  I hope some of you get responses & coupons too!!

Saving on Meat & Produce

TIP:

The real secret to pinching pennies on meat & produce is watching the prices, eating what's in season, and filling your freezer with produce and meat when the prices are at their lowest.

<----- Look for sales like this!!

Be Sure and Look Thru ALL the Grocery Ads!!

Be sure and look through ALL the grocery ads, even if you don't shop at the other stores.  It really only takes a minute each to scan them & see if you are missing out on a great deal.

I rarely shop at Vallarta or Tresierras stores, but I ALWAYS look through the ads because almost every week I find manufacturer's coupons print inside the ad.  Look at the examples!!  40¢ off Knudsen sour cream!!  This doubles to 80¢ at Vons & Ralphs.. and Vons has Knudsen on sale for $1.50 thru Tuesday.. I was able to get sour cream for 70¢ - LOVE THAT!!!

 ...and not only was the sour cream in the Vallarta ad, but the same coupon was in the Tresierras ad too!  But one of them had a longer expiration date, so I used the short-dated one first of course, and I'll save the other one for next time!!

The manufacturer's coupons can be used at the other grocery stores.