Shopping at Rite-Aid

Learning to Play the Drugstore Game... at Rite-Aid

Wellness + Card

• You will need to go in store & sign up for this card
• Fill out a small form & they give you a card right away
• You need this card before you start doing any deals!

Overview of the Wellness + Program

• Earn one point for every dollar spent on non-prescription purchases
• Earn 25 points for every prescription you purchase
• Get special wellness + only sales
• Get special wellness + coupons
• Earn Free Health Screenings

 Rewards Earned

• For every 125 points - A one-time 10% off shopping pass to use on non-sale items
• When you reach 500 points - 10% off all non-prescription regular price purchases every day
• When you reach 500 points - Free health screenings 
• When you reach 1000 points - 20% off all non-prescription regular price purchases every day

  Wellness + Coupons & CRT Coupons

• There are also coupons online specific to your wellness card
• You must login at www.riteaid.com to see your coupons
• These may include $3 off $15, $4 off $20, $5 off $25 or % off coupons

Proper Usage of Wellness + Coupons

• Only ONE Rite Aid coupon and ONE manufacturer coupon may be used on a product
• Exception to this is Rite Aid in ad coupons. You can use a RA in-ad coupon with a wellness coupon and MQ
• I touched on the usage of Rite-Aid coupons in this prior post

Wellness + Terms 

• Points accrued based on calendar year
• Customers earn one (1) point for every dollar spent on eligible front-end purchases they make when they scan their card at the register
• Excludes: cigarettes, alcohol, gift cards, online purchases, lottery tickets, licenses, money orders, money transfers, prepaid cards, stamps, other mail services and items prohibited by law
• Discount will remain active through the end of the calendar year
• Members will be informed of discount eligibility via email
• Members must present their wellness + membership card at check out to receive discount
• When used with a sale priced item the customer will receive the lower of the discount price or sale price
• Discount not valid on: prescriptions, prescription co-pays, cigarettes, alcohol, gift cards, online purchases, lottery tickets, licenses, money orders, money transfers, prepaid cards, stamps, other mail services and items prohibited by law and may not be combined with any other offer

Rite Aid Programs

• SCR- Single Check Rebates- Rebates offered for purchasing a specified item. Submit Rebate online and receive a check for that amount
• Most items require a single item purchase
• Coupons can be used & will not be deducted from the rebate amount
• Some will require multiple purchases
• You can make purchases during the entire valid period
• Purchase do not have to be on one receipt
• List of products that qualify for the SCR will be shown
• Coupons can be used and will not be deducted from the rebate amount
• SCR lasts a month

SAVE YOUR RECEIPT!

• Single check rebates can be entered anytime during the month
• Takes about 2-5 days after purchase to credit account
• You can only request you rebate once a month

+UP Reward Program

• “Rite Aid” money offered for purchasing a specified item (see ad)
• Prints at the end of receipt
• Can “roll”
• Limits specified in ad.  No limit listed?  Expect unlimited
• Have expiration date - Most are 14 days.

You can see from the ad above how the savings "stacks" to get great savings.  The items is on sale for $6.99, then use a $4 manufacturer's coupon from the Sunday coupons, then there was a Video Values coupon that could be combined also!!

The above photo is an example of an "In-Ad" Rite-Aid Coupon.  By combining the SCR (Single Check Rebate) with the in-ad coupon & video values coupon, you can get great savings!!  You could even stack a Manufacturer's coupon with the In-Ad coupons!!  What a fun game this is!!


Coupons to use at Rite Aid

• Manufacturer Coupon
• In-ad coupons
• Video Values coupons (watch a video to receive coupons)

How to Maximize Your Savings

• Stacking
• In-ad coupon w/manufacturer coupon
• Video Values coupon/manufacturer coupon
• Use $/$$ coupon to pay less Out of Pocket

Rite Aid Coupon Policy  

Internet Printable Coupons:

• Will accept IP coupons up to $5 off
• RA coupon with RA logo is not considered an IP and is an exception to this rule

 +UP Reward Coupons:

• Multiple +UP coupons can be used up to the amount of the purchase before sales tax
• Accepts 2 coupons for 2 items that are part of a B1G1 sale
• Accepts B1G1 coupon on a B1G1 sale = both free

Total Purchase Coupons:

• Total much be reached before tax & before coupons are applied
• Other coupons can be used in conjunction with a total purchase coupon 

Acceptance Guidelines:

• If the item’s price is less than the value of the coupon, the coupon will be adjusted down
• Cannot refund cash for coupon if an item is returned

Multiple Coupons:

• No more than 1 “48” coupon , 1 “49” coupon & 1 MQ can be used on an item. (this code is at the bottom of the coupon and is the first two #’s)
• Accepts multiple identical coupons as long as there is enough stock. Based on store manager discretion.

The photo above shows examples of what the +UP Rewards look like.  You can see a $1 one & a $10 one.  treat these like cash & watch those expiration dates!!  I usually sort mine by expiration date with the soonest expiration on top so I can look quickly to see when they expire.  If you let it expires, it's gone.  I also carry a copy of the Rite-Aid coupon policy.  I actually wrap my +UP Rewards in the Rite-Aid coupon policy.

Be sure to watch your receipts for survey's where you can save $3 off a $15+ purchase.  You can combine these $ off $$ coupons with other store & manufacturer's coupons to optimize your savings.

Keep in mind:  Our Rite-Aid stores in Southern California sales days run from Friday thru Thursday.  If you see the dates listed for the following Sunday, our sales start 2 days earlier!!

Thanks to Southern Cali Saver for help with this post!!

Building a Stockpile

Now, I'm a huge couponer, but you can see that my stockpiles are not crazy.  I live in an apartment with limited storage space and we are a family of three.  We can only use so much.  You have to keep your shopping & stockpiling under control and do what works for your family.  I probably only do 10% of what those people on "Extreme Couponing" do.  Obviously, if I can get something free or pennies-cheap, I'm going to get it.  I end up donating my over abundance if we can't use it all.  Usually twice a year I donate approx. 10 bags of items to Food Share.  For those of you who can itemize on your taxes, this is a tax write-off!! 

Most of this stuff was free or under .25 cents each.  Ralphs usually has a huge "Mega Deal" sale every 2 months and I'm able to get enough to last until the next sale.  Keep in mind, just because you have a coupon doesn't mean you have to use it!!  Coupons are released in cycles... they will be released again.  You'll also learn more about the cycles after you are involved in couponing after 6-12 months.  There may be a .25 cent coupon on Secret deodorant this month (which would double to .50 cents off at our Ralphs & Vons), but in 1-2 months, there may be a .50 cents coupon, which would double to $1 off!!  I stockup during the sales, usually just enough to get me to the next sale.  Also, since our local Vons & Ralphs have double coupon policies, it makes it harder to buy multiples.  I would have to make multiple trips or transactions, and time doesn't always allow.  Since I only get one Sunday newspaper, this also slows down my buying... because I may only have one coupon to use.

This is one of my closets I transformed into a "pantry" after the Ralphs unlimited doubles back in November 2010.  I needed more room to store stuff!!  Everything I see in there was free or only pennies!!

This is the area above my washer & dryer.  You can see all the different detergents, fabric softeners & stain removers.. and there's some more in there that you can't see!  Again... free or pennies!!  Slowly but surely you will begin to build up your own stockpile.

Difference In Coupons

These are called Catalina Coupons, or us couponers will call them CATs for short.  They are released by the Catalina Corp. and are the thin strip of coupons & ads that come out of the machine next to the cash register.

The examples to the left tell us about some up-coming deals.  The top one tells us if we buy a certain number of CPK pizzas during a specified period, that we will earn a CAT up to $3 off on your next order (OYNO).

Same with the middle CAT.  It's telling us that when we buy 4 participating General Mills products, we will earn a $2 CAT OYNO.  It's when we combine these offers with sales & coupons, we can get stuff CHEAP!!  Many times the CATs "roll" which means we can use it to help pay for another transaction and earn another CAT for the next order, and do it again & again ("rinse & repeat")

The last one above is just a regular Store Coupon off a store-brand item.  But it's still a CAT store coupon.  There are also CAT Manufacturer Coupons, and those cannot be combined with other regular-looking manufacturer coupons.  You cannot put a MQ with another MQ.

This is an example of a CAT coupon that you would earn by doing some of the CAT deals stated above.  This was an example from a Kraft CAT deal last year.  When you purchased 5 participating Kraft products, then you earned a $5 CAT good OYNO.  These are MONEY!!!

The is what we call an Internet Printable Coupon (IPQ).  You can see over in the upper left hand corner that it is a Manufacturer's Coupon, and then you see in BOLD in the center "DO NOT DOUBLE OR TRIPLE" (DND) - ewwww, we don't like these coupons!!  Since Ralphs & Vons currently allow us to double, we don't want to use these if we can avoid it.  It's very hit or miss (or as we say "Your Mileage May Vary" YMMV) on if the cashier will allow it to double or not.  If I have 2 "like" coupons and one says  Do Not Double (DND) and one does not, then I'm going to use the one that does not say it first.  There are many General Mills & Pillsbury product coupons located in the Target printable coupons and so far none of them say DND on them!  Yay!!

This one is a Kroger (Ralphs) coupon.  Even though it says Manufacturer's Coupon, it will not scan at another store.  At the top it says "Redeemable Only at Kroger Family Stores..."

The barcode on the coupon is another dead give away.  If it starts will a bunch of zeros in that first set, then no other stores register can read the coupon.  It's a "Store Specific" coupon.

This is also a Store Specific Coupon.  It says "Store Coupon" on it.  Because this one actually says "Store Coupon", you CAN combine this with a Manuf. Coupon.  There are $1 IPQ's out there for Rubbermade containers right now, so buy combining the 2 coupons, you would save $2 off one container!

This one is a Rite-Aid Video Values coupon printed from their Rite-Aid website.  You have to sign up for a Video Values account.  Even though this says Manufacturer's Coupon on it, you ARE allowed to combine these Rite-Aid coupons with another "regular" MQ or IPQ.  It has a Rite-Aid barcode on it, so really it's a Rite-Aid Store coupon.

Rite-Aid releases new Video Values (VV) coupons every month.  you watch a short video 20 sec. to 3 min. long to "earn" the coupon, then print it out & wait for a sale!

This one is an example of a Rite-Aid "In-Ad" coupon.  It works the same as the one above.  Even though it technically says "Manufacturer's Coupon" on it... because of the barcode, you can see it's a Rite-Aid Store coupon, so you can combine it with a MQ or IPQ.  Then you can see that if you purchased this product during the sale time, you also would have earned a $1 +Up Reward too!!  More on Rite-Aid +Up Rewards at a later date, but basically they are coupons you earn for buying specific products, and you can use the coupons (+Up Rewards) on any future purchase, just like cash!!

This one is a Target Store Coupon.  You can combine Target coupons with manufacturer's coupons, as I mentioned in the prior Shopping with Target Coupons post.

Always make note of the fine print on ALL coupons.  It's important that everyone practices legal couponing. 

It's rarely ever legal to photocopy coupons.  You do not want to commit coupon fraud, so follow the coupon rules.

Remember - Coupon fraud hurts everyone. The stores may not get reimbursed for illegal use of coupons. The more fraudulent coupon use that goes on, the more restrictions the manufacturers and stores impose on couponers.

These are VONS "In-Ad" Store coupons.  I may refer to them as SQ (store coupons).

You CAN combine manufacturer's coupons with these VONS SQ.

When I make my store shopping list, I make reference to these coupons so I know what I'm expecting to use at checkout.

Example:

Mission Flour 10ct .99 SQ  L10

Then I know I need to have a store coupon in order to get this price and there is a limit of 10.

Always watch for limits on these coupons!!  Make note of them!!  It's important that the stores have these limits so other extreme shoppers don't clear the shelves before we get there!  Limits are a good thing!!   =)

This is a CVS coupon that spits out of the Red "Magic Coupon Machine" when you scan your card at CVS!!  You can combine these CVS store coupons with a manufacturer coupon.  

Example:  This one states Save $1.50 off ANY Bayer Aspirin.  You could combine it with a $1 MQ and save $2.50 off one bottle of Bayer!!

Shopping with Target Coupons

What do you think is going on above??  Well... Target coupon matching of course!!  Did you know you can combine a manufacturer's coupon with a Target Coupon and use BOTH when buying ONE item at Target?!  Yes, you can!!  It's in the Target Coupon Policy.  ( "We'll accept one Target coupon and one manufacturer coupon for the same item, unless either coupon prohibits it.")  That's why you need to make sure you carry a copy of the store policy with you when you shop this way, because not all of the cashiers understand this coupon policy and you may need to ask to speak to the manager... or just whip out your coupon policy!!  No need to be rude about it... they are still learning.

Where to find Target Coupons:
Besides clicking on the link on the left-side of this blog, you can find the Target coupons by going to the Target.com website and scrolling ALL THE WAY DOWN to the bottom, you will find the word COUPONS in small print.. click on it & it will take you to the Printable Coupon page.  NOT ALL of the coupons are Target coupons.  They mix manufacturer's coupons in with the Target coupons and sometimes it's hard to tell which are Target coupons & which are manufacturer's coupons.  A dead give away is if there is RED writing under the coupon and it mentions a Target online code, then it will print out as a Target coupon... but another thing I like about these coupons is... the manufacturer's coupons rarely say DO NOT DOUBLE on them... which means when I use these manufacturer's coupons at Vons or Ralphs, they will double!!  Because many times, the General Mills & Betty Crocker product coupons that you print directly from the General Mills & Betty Crocker website says DO NOT DOUBLE on them... which can be bad for us when we get a stickler cashier who see's that when they are scanning the coupons at checkout!!  You can print two of each coupon from the Target.com website.  I recommend printing the ones you can use or the REALLY good ones as soon as you see them, because sometimes they disappear and won't be there when you go back.  Many coupons have a set print limit and when the limit is hit "POOF", they are gone.


All of the Target Coupons say "Limit one per transaction".  So if you wanted to use 2 of the same Target coupons, you would need to have them rung up separately.

As a matter of fact, you can match a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon this at most stores around here (Vons, Ralphs, Target, CVS, Rite-Aid).  

• Vons: In-ad coupon or home-mailer Vons coupon with a manufacturer's coupon
• Ralphs: In-ad coupon or home-mailer Ralphs coupon with a manufacturer's coupon
• CVS: Store coupons printed from the "Red Magic Coupon Machine" with a MQ
• Rite-Aid: In-ad coupon and/or online Video Values coupon with a manufacturer's coupon

Let's go through some examples below:

(Above) - You can see a Target Web Coupon for 20% off select Fisher Price infant toys.  It's important to read the fine print on the Target coupon to make sure you are buying the correct item.  There happened to be some printable Manufacturer's Coupons for the same exact toys..and at certain Target stores, some of these toys were on sale or on clearance!!  Wowza!! 

Using the Target coupon & the Race Car coupon:

I found one of these Little Zoomers Shake & Crawl Racers on clearance for $15.99 (Reg. $24.99)

Hand them the Target coupon first and it'll take $3.20 off, then hand them the Manufacturer's Coupon to save another $5 off!!  That makes the cost $7.79 for a $24.99 toy!!!  What a great gift.  Buy & save for a future gift!

(Above) - I have matched a Target Coupon to save $1 off a U-Kotex product with a Manufacturer's Coupon to save $1 off the same product.  You can combine BOTH of these items to save $2 off one item.  If you save these and wait for a sale, then you may get the product free... well, that's the idea.  Unless you need the product NOW, wait to see if it goes on sale.  Make sure to watch expiration dates!!

(Above) - With the above example, you can see that buy combining this Target Coupon (TQ) with the Manufacturer's Coupon (MQ), that you would save $3.50 off one tube of Colgate ProClinical toothpaste.  The above TQ was one that came out of the Sunday coupon inserts.

(Above) - By combining the $2 Internet Printable Coupon (IPQ) and the $2 TQ above, you can save a total of $4 off one Revlon Beauty Tool.  I get free clippers & nail files all the time by doing this.  Usually Revlon products go on sale every month, so you can find a great deal or a freebie.  Always think "stocking stuffer" for these types of items.

(Above) - By combining the $2 TQ with the $1 MQ, you would save $3 off one package of disposable Schick Quattro for Women razors!!

(Above) - By combining the $1 TQ with the $1 IPQ, you can save $2 off one Neutrogena Naturals product.  The lip balms sell for $2.99, so you would pay $0.99!!

(Above) - When new medications hit the market, always look for high-value coupons and other sales & offers where you can get those new medications free!!  Love those deals!!  Always watch the wording on the coupons... the best ones are the ones that say "Save $xx off ANY size", because usually by purchasing the smaller package you can get a better deal.  In the case of the above coupons, by combining this $5 MQ with the $1 TQ, you would save $6 off one Allegra Children's Allergy product... GREAT DEAL!!

(Above) - Notice that the $5 IPQ mentions 24 ct. or larger while the $2 TQ mentions 10 ct. or larger.  Because the IPQ has a higher count, you need to buy the larger count product in order to be able to use both of these coupons towards the one product... but you would still be saving $7 off this item.  Great savings if this is a product you need!!

(Above) - I find Halls cough drops on sale for $1 all the time!!  By combining the .50 cent TQ with the .50 cent MQ, you would save $1 off one package of Halls cough drops 25 ct. or larger.  Can you say FREE?

Making Shopping Lists

I mentioned in my "How I File My Coupons" post that I make lots of lists.  You can see if you click on the photo above, that many times I duplicate my notes.  I just want to make sure I have all the info!!  When I cut out the printable coupons, I make note paper out of the scraps I have left over.  I visit my favorite frugal blogs sites daily, and as I read them, I make notes for anything that I am interested in.  I stuff these in my purse if I'm at work and put them with my couponing stuff when I'm at home.

Obviously, it's only important that I can read these scribble notes I make.  =)  I use a lot of coupon abbreviations to save myself writing & keep the notes as short as possible.

Let's use the example above:

It's from CVS for the week of 4/17

I wrote "Easter Grass .99 --> Tues L1"

What this tells me is that the Easter Grass at CVS is .99 until Tues and there is a limit of 1 $0.99 ECB

Same thing with the Paas Decorating kit under it.  Sometimes CVS has some ECB (Extra Care Bucks) items that are only good for 3 days (Sun-Mon-Tues), so it's important to make these notations.

I also wrote "Edge Shave Gel 3.29 w/$2.50 ECB. L1 use .55 MQ 3/20S"

What this tells me is that the Edge Shaving Gel is on sale for $3.29 and I can earn a $2.50 ECB for buying one, but there is a limit of 1 ECB offer on this product.  I also can use a .55 Manufacturer's Coupon from the March 20th SmartSource Sunday coupon insert.  So after the ECB & MQ, this product would end up costing me 24 cents!!  24 cents is my buying price for shaving cream!!  If I accidently purchased 2 of these products thinking I would get (2) $2.50 ECB's, I would be wrong.  It has a limit of 1, so it's important to make notations of offer limits.

Another example from above would be "Aquafresh TB & TP $1 - $1 MQ 4/17R"

What this tells me is that the Kids Aquafresh Toothbrushes & Toothpastes are on sale for $1.  Look in my April 17th Red Plum Sunday coupon insert to hopefully find a $1 manufacturer's coupon. 

Sometimes I put a "checkmark" next to a note I write.. like "check" Welcome Mats or "check"  Dixie plates.  Usually these are notes to myself to "check" on this item, because someone mentioned a good price or a clearance deal... and since clearance varies from store to store, it's just a heads up for me to remember to look at  those items while I'm there.

Keep in mind, many coupons are regional.  If I posted about coupons, I'll always be referencing the LA Times newspaper, because they have a more complete coupon insert for Ventura County.  The coupons in the Ventura County Star are not as many as the LA Times.  It's worth it to get the Sunday only newspaper of the LA Times.  Many times you'll stumble across a $10/yr subscription rate for the LA Times Sunday only.  If I see one, I'll post it... or you could always call & beg for the deal your friend has ;)  But not only do the coupons vary in Ventura County, but they vary greatly across the USA.  What some blogger posts in TX may not be a coupon we received here in Ventura, CA. Always keep in mind that you may not have the same coupon.  I like to use the COUPON DATABASE on Coupon Mom to help me locate my coupons in my LOCAL inserts.  You can choose your state, and it's more accurate.  You'll find a list of abreviations I use often on the left hand side of the Savings Chatter blog.

Then when I'm ready to hit the store, I take all my scribble notes and compose them into one nicely written list.  Sometimes I use a scrap piece of paper, or in the case of the photo above, I used a #10 envelope.  I like to use an envelope for Target, because I usually have pulled out & matched my manufacturers coupons (MQ's) to my Target coupons (TQ's), and I can put them all inside the envelope.  More on Target coupon matching later!!

Coupon Class Date Set & Registration Open

After taking a poll to see which date seemed better, the majority voted for Tuesday, May 24th... So mark your calendar now!!

Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 @ 6pm-9pm
Location: Ventura... exact location to be determined depending on how many people sign up.
Cost: FREE!!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

How I File My Coupons

(Above) - This is usually what my coupon area looks like.  It doesn't take up much room.  You can see the inserts are filed in hanging folders, the store ads & the coupons I've print & need to be cut are sitting on top waiting for me to cut.  I usually cut the printables about every week.

(Above) - I have the coupon inserts filed by the date they came out.  Each week has it's own folder.  You can see some weeks I get more than others.  I only get 1 LA Times delivered.  If I know there is going to be 3-4 inserts on a certain Sunday, I will go buy more newspapers.

(Above) - You can click on the photo to make it larger, but I usually don't label each folder because: 1) they are in date order anyway and 2) if you look on the spine of the coupon insert, it tells me the information I need.  The spine of each insert tells me the date it was released & which newspaper it was from.  It's important for me to know if it is from the LA Times or VC Star.  The LA Times usually has more coupons than the VC Star.  I only receive the LA Times Sunday issue subscription, but sometimes my family gives me their extra inserts, so I end up with VC Star coupons also!!  Many people write the date on the front of the insert so it's easy to see at a glance.  I also read that another lady finds the longest dated coupon in each insert & writes that on the front, so she knows when she can toss the entire insert away.  Usually I go through my inserts every 4-6 months and make sure they all are expired before I toss them.

You can tell which insert it is by looking on the front: SmartSource, Red Plum, Procter & Gamble or General Mills.  It's important to identify the different inserts because when you use Coupon Mom or if someone posts the insert, you will understand the coupon lingo.
Example:  Blink $1 4/3 SS, you know that a coupon to save $1 on Blink Tears product is located in the 4/3 SmartSource insert... or...
M&M B2G1F 3/13 RP, is a coupon for Buy 2 Get 1 Free M&M/Mars product and it is located in the 3/13 Red Plum insert.  It helps locating coupons MUCH easier!!  Yay for the people who post these lists!!

(Above) - So I file my inserts in the pink hanging file folder, and I cut out any coupons from the inserts that I know I may use based on past sales & items we often use.  I have 2 friends who live out of state that also cut coupons & mail them to me, so I usually have plenty of "loose" coupons to file.  I put all my loose coupons & all of the printable coupons I have cut in the blue baby wipe container until I am ready to file them into my coupon "suitcase".  I like having the coupons cut and all in one place in the baby wipe container, so I can flip through the coupons quickly (if I haven't filed them yet), or if I'm on the go... I can grab the coupons to file & my coupon suitcase and file in the car during lunch or while I'm waiting at a doctors office.  My son's dentist office knows me as "The Coupon Lady", because I'm usually doing some sort of couponing while I wait during his appointment.  It's a great conversation starter!!

(Above) - When I have time to file (above every 2 weeks), I sit in front of the TV and put on a movie or something I've recorded and clip my coupons & file them.  Clipping & sorting usually takes me about 2 hrs every 2 weeks.  One hour to clip & one hour to sort them.  So I take all the coupons from the blue baby wipes container and sort them according to my coupon case categories.  My coupon case has 130 categories, but I actively use about 80 of them.  When I sort them into categories, I don't usually have one for every category, but I end up with multiple cereal coupons, multiple air freshener coupons, multiple cheese coupons, etc.  So it's easier for me to sort them into categories.  They are mostly sorted left to right in alphabetical order by category so it's easier for me to find as I sort.  Then it takes me 15 minutes to put them all in my coupon suitcase.

(Above, click on photo to make it larger) - This is my coupon suitcase.  I ordered it on eBay and it's my best coupon organizer ever in my 20 years of couponing.  Believe me, I've tried many different methods!!  I think I've had this one about 5 years now.  It came pre-made, and you can see it's STUFFED!!  Of course, I got my when they had a blow-out sale for $20, and the one I use retails for $29.95.  My savings increased 20% after I cost this coupon organizer, so it was definitely worth it.  They have different sizes, based on your needs.

Many people ask me:

(1) Do you use all of those coupons??  No, of course I don't.  I clip & save the coupons for products I WOULD buy if I can get it free or cheap. 

(2) Don't you have a lot of expired coupons??  I usually weed out my expired coupons while I'm shopping.  As I flip through the coupons in a certain category, I pull out the expireds and stuff them on the right edge of my coupon suitcase, then when I walk past a trash can or get home, I toss them.  Besides then, the only other time I weed my expired coupons is when I'm taking my car in for an oil change.  I take my coupon case to keep me busy while I wait, and I go through every category, pulling expired coupons out. 

(3) Do you use everything you buy?  Aren't coupons only for junk?  If I don't use the product, I know someone who will.  I don't have a cat or dog, but if I can get free dog & cat food, I get it.  I have plenty of friends who have pets and I have also donated the pet food to the Humane Society.  I donate over 20 bags of food a year to Food Share.  It does not go to waste.  My son's teachers receive gift bags during the holidays full of lotions, air fresheners, lip balms, etc.  I like to give away useful products to people.  It's not Christmas for my brother-in-law if he doesn't receive a new Gillette razor every year!!  LOL

Even if you don't eat the food products that the coupons are for, you still need: toothpaste, toilet paper, paper plates, tissue, shampoo, lotion, etc.  Coupons for organic products are becoming more common.  I get coupons from Mambo Sprouts every 1-2 weeks.  You can use these coupons in Whole Foods, and more & more stores are carrying a larger organic section.  There is also a blog committed to Healthy Life deals.  I LOVE the Newman's Own Natural Lemonade and I always seem to have a Newman's own .50 coupon that will double to $1 off.  99 cents for a carton on yummy lemonade works for me!!  Most of my non-food items are purchased at the drug stores (CVS, Rite-Aid)... playing what we call the "Drugstore Game".  You will learn about this game as you get more into the couponing.  Each store has their own sales & rewards.. and you'll be able to combine the sales, in-ad coupons, manufacturer coupons & store rewards savings into getting products for next to nothing!!  I won't pay more than .25 for toothpaste, and most of the time, I won't even pay .25!!  I won't spent more than .10 for a toothbrush, and most of them I get for free!!  Most shampoos... my limit is .50 per bottle.... I just wish there were more deals on toilet paper!  We can never have enough of that!!

(Above) - When I'm done clipping, you can see it all stores nicely & neatly in one area.  Couponing doesn't need to be everywhere.  Designate one area to your couponing and make it work for you.  To get the best savings, you need to stay organized, so it's better to have all of your stuff together.  Actually, my blue baby wipes container fits inside the pink container when I push all of the hanging file folders forward, but I like to keep it out in the open so I can toss any new loose coupons in there.  I also make lots of notes on "What's on Sale Where" and I toss the notes in there too so I can compile the notes onto one nice list when I'm ready to shop!  HAPPY CLIPPING!!

Interested in a Coupon Class??

Many have asked for me to do a coupon class.  These classes last about 3 hrs, so I'm hoping to just do one class.  Please click the link and fill out the survey so I can figure out which day & time most people can make it.  This will also help me determine where to have it at too.

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY

It will be held in Ventura & free to attend

May Coupon Class - Reminder

Many have asked for me to do a coupon class.  These classes last about 3 hrs, so I'm hoping to just do one class.  Please click the link and fill out the survey so I can figure out which day & time most people can make it.  This will also help me determine where to have it at too.

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY

It will be held in Ventura & free to attend

Coupon Workbook

Not sure if you noticed the new link in the left hand column on my blog, but I added a link to buy my Coupon Workbook that I have compiled. It's 35 pages of tips & stories to maximize your grocery savings!!

Check it Out Here