10 Items You Should Never Pay For

More and more people are stopping me while I am loading my truck up with my groceries, and sending me emails, all asking me the same question...  "How can I start my own stockpile, on just a few dollars a week"?    On several occasions, I have gotten into lengthy conversations in the middle of a parking lot trying to explain a little about why, here in Rhode Island, you won't be finding me or anyone else for that matter walking into the grocery store purchase $1100.00 worth of groceries and only pay $42.00, but you will find me making daily trips to the local stores to grab those freebies, or making multiple transactions with my girls and husband.

Start small.  Believe it or not, once you make up your mind to begin a stockpile, it will grow, and grow quickly at that.  Begin with the items that you can find for free each week.  What's free?  Here's a list of items that can be found for free most often.

Toothpaste:  Toothpaste can be found free just about every week out of the year.  You'll be able to build your stockpile quickly if you're not loyal to just a single brand.

Floss:  The makers of Reach, are extremely generous with their coupons, and can be found several times a year in the Sunday inserts, or online.  These often go on sale for $1.00, and the coupons are usually $1.00 off 1 package.  Making these free many times throughout the year.

Body Wash:  Many brands of body wash run drug store specials throughout the year, and can often be found free after ExtraCare Buck offers, Up Rewards, or Register Rewards offers.  They may be priced at $5.99, and give you $5 back in drug store rewards, and stacked with an available coupon for $1.00 off 1, you can consider these free.   

Toothbrushes:  Again, the makers of Reach are generous with their coupons, and if you're not brand loyal, you'll be able to find the Reach brand toothbrushes on sale several times throughout the year, usually making them free after coupon, or free after coupon and drug store reward.

Deodorant:  Deodorant can be found quite often for free with a coupon and sale, not quite as often as toothpaste, but still more often than say sunscreen.

Razors:  Yes razors can be found often for free, again many times with a drug store reward deal, and stacked with a coupon.  I always tell people to check the razor sales, not the cartridges.  Packages of cartridges very rarely can be found for free, however the starter packages usually contain the razor handle and one or two blades.  Now Disposable razors can be found free or literally pennies on the dollar many weeks out of the year. 

Gum:  Gum can be found free at least once a month at, at least one drug store. 

Cough Drops:  You may not find cough drops on sale every week, however at least twice a year, you will be able to find cough drops on sale, and with an available coupon, you can score dozens of bags of cough drops for free.  Enough to get you through to the next big cough drop sale. 

Hair Elastics:  These go on sale for free several times throughout the year, so by stocking up on them when they are free, you'll never have to run out and buy them when they aren't free. 

Computer Paper:  These generally go on sale two months out of the year, July & August.  You sometimes can find them on sale during other months, but I wouldn't hold my breath.  By stocking up during the months they are on sale, I know I don't have to think about running out of paper for the rest of the year. 

Now these items aren't free every week, but if you stock up even just a few of these when they are on sale, you'll have enough to get through until the next free sale.  Knowing how much you'll need takes a little practice, but definitely worth it.


There you have it, 10 items you should never, ever pay for.  Never.

Are You Planning?

It's something that many of us don't want to think of right now, but the fact is, Christmas is only 82 days away! 

 

The story is all to common.  December hits, credit card come out and the swiping goes into overdrive.

 

Sound familiar?  I thought it might. 

 

Here's a few tips to help you out this year:

 

1.  Make a list of the people that you need to buy for.

 

2.  Set limits for each person.  Don't just set limits, but be honest with yourself, and set real limits. 

 

3.  Keep your eyes on the sales right now.  You'll be surprised at some of the deep discounts that you can find right now.  Often times even bigger discounts than you will see in December.

 

4. Be careful about Layaway plans.  Before you place items on layaway, make sure you know what the stores policies are, and what, if any fees are associated with it. 

 

5.  If you're shopping online, try and find online stores that are offering FREE shipping.  One of my favorite places to shop online is Kohl's, because you can use up to 2 promotional codes for the same purchase! 

 

6.  If you can't afford it, PASS on it!  Buying things that you cannot afford on a credit card is where many of us get into trouble.  The fact is, it will take you YEARS to pay off a credit card with a $3000 balance on it if you're only paying the minimum amount due each month.  By the time your done paying for your items, you've probably paid more than double the amount in interest alone!  We got into credit card trouble years ago, and vowed to never go there again.  We have since gotten rid of ALL credit cards and all the debt that goes along with it!  Christmas gifts in our house are paid with cash, and cash only!

 

7.  Redeem those points now from places like My Survey, and Swagbucks for gift cards, and put away for gifts. 

 

8.  Planning is everything.  Once you have your list of people, have ideas for each one.  Since I have my phone basically glued to myself at all times, I make notes throughout the year when an idea comes to me.  There are some great apps to help you keep track of everything like this FREE app from the App Store, Christmas Shopping iList.

 

I'll be posting more great ideas each week until Christmas is upon us, so stay tuned! 

 

 

Extreme Couponing ~ Simplified

** This post was such a hit, I thought I would repost for some of you who have not yet read it, while we are on away on a Maine Vacation Getaway.**




I wasn't expecting such a big response from my last "Extreme Couponing" post. I received a few emails asking me what I thought, and where should people start, which prompted me to write an additional post on where I think everyone who is serious about saving money should start. Prepare yourself for a rather long post. It may seem like a lot, but it really will simplify your life, and maximize your savings!

First and foremost, you must learn to say goodbye to brand loyalty. There are a few items that my household uses, that we are brand loyal, but for the most part, we are not. Believe it or not, my husband used to only like the Gillette Gel deodorant. I have since been able to get him to try other "Gel" brands out there, and now, as long as it's a gel, I can buy any deodorant.

Secondly, you need coupons. You can find coupons just about everywhere. Look down the aisles of your grocery store for those red machines hanging on shelves. These dispense coupons for a nearby product. Your Sunday paper contains coupons just about every week. Weeks that holidays fall on, generally do not have coupon inserts in them. Doctor's offices, check the bottom of your drug store receipts for store coupons, Catalinas are other type of coupons that will dispense certain coupons depending on what you buy, these are then handed to you along with your receipt by the cashier. Some of the catalinas are not coupons, but information about an ongoing sale. Read these! They contain valuable information that you can use to help you save additional money! I always save ALL my catalinas that are not coupons, and I sort them by store.

If you're a regular reader, you know that I will post these ongoing deals every few weeks, letting you know what other sales are going on. Magazines are another great place to find coupons. All You is probably the best source of magazine coupons, but don't pass by other magazines like Parents, Better Homes & Gardens, Redbook, etc. Again, Brandy's Big Bargains 2.0 will post free subscription offers to some of these magazines when they are released. Brandy's Big Bargains 2.0 will only post truly FREE magazine offers, and not the offers that are free with purchases. Sign up for Facebook, if you aren't already. Many companies are releasing Facebook only coupons, which means, you can only print them from their fan page. Internet. There are literally thousands of coupons that are available to print on any given day. Brandy's Big Bargains always tries to list hot printables, or newly released coupons, usually at least one per day.

Now there are a hundred different ways to organize your coupons, different binders, holders, methods. I am not going to recommend any of them. What works for me, probably will not work for you. I've tried the binder method, I've tried the recipe holder, the don't cut them until your in the store method, the accordion folder. I have found that when I bring ALL my coupons to the store, I end up using more then I wanted to. I cut, and research sales at home, and sort them according to stores into their on envelopes. Then I head to the store. I found that I was fumbling around and wasting more time in the store with a binder, and my time is valuable. I was defeating the whole purpose. My coupon stash is neatly organized in my filing cabinet, in my office, behind my desk. I have in my top drawer, a pen, notebook, scissors, calculator, and envelopes. Simple. Everything I need is right at my finger tips.

My next piece of advice is crucial. Sign up for every reward card for stores that are local to you, even the ones that aren't local to you. I have store loyalty cards for grocery stores that are upwards of 50 miles away. Driving to a grocery store that is 30 or 40 miles away because of a big sale is the norm in my household. This is of course not something we do on a weekly basis. This is for when sales are so good, and items that we need are dwindling down that the savings far outweigh the cost and time of driving. With that said, you can follow these links provided to get store loyalty cards.

~ CVS
~ Rite Aid
~ Albertson's
~ Big Y
~ BiLo
~ Bloom
~ Dominicks
~ Food Lion~ Fred Meyer~ Giant Eagle~ Giant Food~ Hannaford
~ Harris Teeter - Must go to nearest store to obtain Loyalty Card
~ Hyvee - Must go to nearest store to obtain Loyalty Card
~ Ingles
~ Jewel Osco~ Kroger
~ Marsh
~ Meijer
~ Path Mark~ Price Chopper~ Publix - Must go to nearest store to obtain Loyalty Card
~ Ralphs
~ Randalls - Must go to nearest store to obtain Loyalty Card
~ Safeway - Must go to nearest store to obtain Loyalty Card
~ Shaw's
~ Shoprite
~ Stop & Shop~ Von's - Must go to nearest store to obtain Loyalty Card
~ Waldbaums - Must go to nearest store to obtain Loyalty Card
~ Weis
~ Wegman's
~ Winn-Dixie
There are so many great benefits to obtaining store loyalty cards now a days. Many places have or accept ecoupons which are loaded onto your store loyalty cards, in addition to accepting printed coupons. Upromise is a college savings program that are tied to your loyalty cards. Each month they have ecoupons you download, and if you purchase the item, you'll be rewarded with a dollar amount that is put into a savings account for your child's college. Savings add up quickly! You can also recruit family members to add their loyalty cards to increase your savings account even more. In addition to applying for the loyalty cards, make sure to sign up to receive the weekly add, emailed directly into your inbox each week.

Stockpiling truly is an art form, and needs to be learned. Once learned, it's constantly evolving as per your family's needs change. Sit down for 20 minutes, and make a list of the items that your family uses on a regular basis, and of those items which ones can be stockpiled? For instance, you don't want to stockpile milk or yogurt, but you can stockpile toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste mouthwash, cleaning supplies, etc.

Once you have your list of items, now you have to decide just how much do you want or need to stockpile? Doing the math for this next step may take a week or two. Count how many rolls of toilet paper your family uses in a week, or how many bottles of shampoo or conditioner you go through in a week. Now all you do is multiply that number by the amount of weeks you want on hand. Sales usually have 12 to 16 week cycles, though rock bottom prices are generally every six months.

Our family has a different length of time for different products. We can easily store a years worth of toilet paper, or 250 rolls (worst case scenario) This would be roughly 11 - 24 packs. We hold only a 6 month supply of paper towels, which will generally last much longer, as I like to use reusable cloths for the majority of clean ups. Shampoo and conditioner in my house, is a different story. With 2 girls both with long hair, and myself, we go through quite a bit of this, so I will usually pick this product every time it's on sale, and I can get it for less than $1.00 per bottle.

To me, tying up half a bedroom with 4000 plus rolls of toilet paper is just absurd, there is absolutely no reason for it. This goes beyond extreme, and crosses into the category of hoarding. Buying products that you don't need or wont use is pointless as well. Unless you are donating these items to a local food bank, or homeless shelter, it's defeating the purpose of saving money. If you are donating these items, you can deduct the full price of these items on your tax return.

Stockpiles grow, and can grow quickly. It is absolutely imperative that you designate an area or two before you begin and learn to stick to it. We are fortunate to have a rather large laundry room that we dedicate to 98% of our stockpile. For items that can get lost easily, we went out and spent approx. $55.00 on an 8x4 sheet of peg board, and the hooks. Items like batteries, razors, chapstick, floss, toothbrushes are all placed on hooks on the peg board. This is a HUGE space saver, and now, I never lose those items, and I always know how many we have. When the peg board is full, I know that I will not be purchasing those items, unless they are free, AND we are donating them.

Meats. unless you are a pro at meal planning ahead of time, I would suggest you put this off, until you have a rock solid plan in place. The average family throws out hundreds of dollars of produce, and meats because they didn't eat them in time. We were no different. I enlisted the help of ALL the members in my family to begin a structured meal planning menu. You will save more money in the long run by following two rules. Buying what's in season is always a great way to save in the produce, and meat department. Everyone having a say in meals. By doing the later of the two, I have found that my girls are more apt to eat even the meals they don't really care for too much.

We now are up to planning out 30 meals, or one month at a time. As a busy family, we don't always have the time to prepare and cook a meal from scratch every night. Our solution. When hamburg goes on sale for $1.99 per pound or less, we will purchase about 20 lbs. Once we get it home, we prepare meatballs, roll them and place them into bags and freeze them. We will also cook up the remaining, and separate them into bags according to what we will be making, some bags will be made into taco meat, others, will be placed into bags for Shepard's pie, and still more will be placed into disposable bread pans for meatloaf. Once all the hamburg is cooled, it all gets placed into the freezer and pulled out each day for dinner. This cuts our prep time down dramatically.

I know that I have given you a lot of information here, and it's a lot to take in all at once. The biggest thing you can do for yourself, is to get organized. To get organized, you don't need to purchase items, you can get yourself organized by simply using items that you already have around the house. Don't get discouraged if you feel like you're missing out on deals. Deals come and go, and deals are a dime a dozen. If you miss one, wait, another one will show up. Sign up to receive newsletters from your favorite blogs like this one. You can sign up on the right side bar of Brandy's Big Bargains. By signing up on this site or any other sites, you will receive an email each day letting you know of all the deals, that blog posted for that day. This is a huge timesaver when searching for deals that apply to you.

Next is email. People don't like signing up for a lot of emails because they don't want to get bombarded with hundreds of emails each day. There is however a great solution, learn how your email works, I mean really learn, all it's features. Emails such as Gmail or outlook have filters and rules that you can apply to incoming emails. This makes things so much easier when deciphering through hundreds of emails. For instance when family members send you an email you can apply a rule that will make their email stand out in red, grocery stores you can apply a rule that will make the email stand out in blue, or you can have it sent directly to a folder that you create. The possibilities for organizing your inbox are endless, as long as you understand how all the features work.

All in all, being an "extreme couponer" doesn't mean you have to go overboard. It only means that you know how to make your dollars stretch beyond that of the average couponer. It means that you know what a good sale is, it means you know how to stack coupons, it means you know just how much $1.00 can buy you in the grocery or drug store. It also means you don't get discouraged when your total isn't as low as you would like it to be, and that you try that much harder next week to meet or exceed your goals. It means that you know every penny saved is a penny more in your pocket. Simply put.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? We would love to hear them!

Expirations ~ Explained

The thought of having your own mini store in your house is quickly growing in popularity.  With shows like TLC's Extreme Couponing, people are flocking to the Internet, to learn how they to can purchase hundreds of dollars worth of groceries, and personal care items for pennies on the dollar. 

My own plight in growing a stockpile began when I learned that I would be losing my job, and we would be going from a 2 income household, to a single income. 

So began our own stockpile.  It's not as easy as one would think to grow an effective and successful stockpile.  Sure anyone can build a stockpile, and grow it... but maintaining it, well that's a different story all together. 

We all are aware that food items have expiration dates listed on them, but did you know that items like deodorant and body washes have expiration dates on them?  Now, the expiration dates for personal care items are guidelines for effectiveness, which is why if you look at most items, they may say, "Best if used by" which refers strictly to quality and not safety which in that case you would see the terms "Use By". 

Manufacturer's have different methods for dating their products, some use a Packed On date, while others use Jillian date codes, which is strictly a number.  January 15th, 2011 may look something like this: 01511 and December 31st 2011 may look like this: 36511. (If there is a letter(s) in this number, that's usually for identification purposes for the manufacturer.  It tells them which machine or packer packed the item, if a problem should arise later on.)   There are terms like "Born on" dates, most recently being used for beers, "Guaranteed Fresh" is a term mostly used on bakery items.  "Sell By" is a term that is referred to for retailers, this is the last date in which an item should be sold, and shouldn't be referred to for an expiration date.  "Expiration Date" is commonly used to determine the absolute last day a food should be consumed, and the last day a manufacturer would "guarantee" the item. 

Here's a list of commonly stockpiled items with their shelf life.  All items listed are for UNopened, UNused products.  Once opened, shelf lives vary, depending on storage, usage, and ingredients. 

B1G1 FREE + Walgreen's Issues

I wasn't going to write about a VERY recent experience I encountered at Walgreen's, but with several emails that have been sent to me, and most recently a reader left this on my Walgreen's Post:

dannette said...

Hi there, Regarding the Right Guard deal, B1G1 = both free, Walgreen's wont do that, I went to 2 in my area and the first one said absolutely not and the 2nd. one took my coupon and it only took off one deodorant+$1.00....

I figured it was time we tried to clear up some coupon confusion, and give some added tips that I hope will help ALL Walgreen's shoppers.

Several weeks ago, I tried to get the Right Guard Body Wash deal, when it was on sale for Buy 1 Get 1 Free, and I had several manufacturer's coupons that were also Buy 1 Get 1 Free.  I must have visited every Walgreen's within a 15 mile radius.  Every store was sold out.  So I broke down, and requested rain checks.  ( For those of you who don't know me, I absolutely hate obtaining rain checks, I'm not exactly sure why, but my last week's experience pretty much reminded me why I hate it so much.) 

Okay fast forward to last week, I noticed the shelves had been restocked, so I went in with my coupons and my rain check.  The cashier who rang me up is always helpful and pleasant, unfortunately he wasn't sure how to ring in the rain check as well as the coupon for the B1G1 item.  He proceeded to call down the assistant manager, ( I say assistant, because I would like to think a person with this much attitude couldn't possibly be an actual manager.)  She proceeded to look at the rain check, and the coupon, and began to tell me that she couldn't do both.  I held my cool, and simply stated, why did she think the shelves had been sold out for a week and a half?  It was because everyone had these coupons, and they were purchasing the B1G1 free sale with the coupon.  She began to argue with me that she couldn't give me 2 free items. 

Knowing that I wasn't going to get anywhere with this woman, I simply turned around, and told the cashier to please take them out of the bags, and give me back my coupons, I would go to another Walgreen's.  (I think another reason why I didn't lose my cool was due to the fact that I had my daughters with me.) 

My girls seem to know me very well, the 5 minute ride home was quiet.  Well it was quiet everywhere except for the inside workings of my own head, I think there were actually three of me sitting in the front seat.  By the time I pulled into the driveway, I walked into the house, and started the rant.  Man, I love my husband, he always listens to my coupon rants.  I was sitting there on the couch, trying to calm down, only it wasn't working.  I decided that I would rectify this NOW.  I jumped on the computer, found Walgreen's Corporate Coupon Policy, and drove back to Walgreen's with the printed policy in my hand. 

Bad news, the coupon Nazi, as I was calling her in my head, had gone home.  I asked the cashier who originally waited on me, that I would like to see the manager that was in charge then.  She was over in the photo department, so I walked over, and then explained the situation, at this time the several cashiers had come over including the one who helped me out in the first place, to help explain my problem.    I handed over the printed coupon policy, and simply asked, if it meant that the store was not going to honor their own corporate coupon policy.  The manager looked over the policy, and proceeded to tell me that I was indeed correct, went and got me the 4 bottles of Right Guard, and ring me up.  I walked out with my 4 FREE bottles of body wash (Paying tax only on the items), a smile on my face, and a sense of vindication.

Now the ironic part of this story was, two cashiers who also read the policy that I brought in, told me that they were TRAINED NOT TO ACCEPT A B1G1 free coupon on a B1G1 free sale!  A complete disregard of the corporate policy!

I would suggest for those of you having a problem with this type of sale at Walgreen's to print out THIS POLICY (Taken directly from Walgreen's dot com) and bring it in with you when you are shopping. If this still does not help, call their corporate customer service line.  You can find the numbers and email HERE.  If you do happen to contact corporate, make sure that you get the name of the manager, assistant manager, etc that would not honor their own policy. 

Buy One, Get One Free Coupons 

• When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
• Sales tax must be paid for any Buy One, Get One Free coupon offers, if required by applicable state laws.

 This will work if items are being rung in as a full price item, and a Free item.  Some stores however, due to state law policies, are rung in as half price each item, so there really isn't a free item here. (I honestly think this is false advertising, another issue I would personally take up with a manager, but that might just be me.)

Also, take a good look at the first line item, UP TO TWO COUPONS CAN BE USED.  What does that mean?  It means that on a B1G1 Free sale, you CAN use a coupon for the FREE item. 

I certainly hope this helps you all get the free products that we work so hard to obtain. 

Questions? Comments?  Leave one below, and let me know what your thoughts are on this topic. 

Coupon Policy Confusion ~ Set Straight

Thankfully more and more companies are making their corporate coupon policies available on their websites.  What you have to remember is these policies are continually updated, so you must check them often.  It's always a good idea to have a printed copy with you.  ( I recently RE-learned this when I had a situation arise at a local Walgreen's.)  Use the following links to find your stores policy.

Discount Stores:

Ocean State Job Lot

Family Dollar

Dollar General


National Chains:

Target

Walmart


Drug Stores:

CVS  None Available, but read this email from Maven of Savin

Rite Aid

Walgreen's


Grocery Stores:

Since there are so many grocery stores, too many to list, I suggest you go directly to the store website, and search the topic "Coupon Policy"  if you aren't finding the policy, look for the "Contact us" link that most if not all have, and send them an email, asking where you can find a copy of their coupon policy. 


Here are a few that are located in the RI area

Stop & Shop  Under the Shopping FAQ tab

Shaw's  Only actual policy I could find, from 2009

Stockpile Picks of the Week {BIG List}

This week is a great week to start or add to your stockpile.  When considering the items you want or need for your own stockpile, be sure to check out my earlier posts on this topic.  This week is a big week, so here we go!

At Walgreen's:

Fixodent Adhesive 2 - 2.4 oz - $3.99
♦Earn $1 in RR's wyb 1
~use $3.00/1 mfr coupon from 5/1 PG Insert
Final Price: FREE

G-U-M Ease Thru Flossers - $2.00
♦ Earn $2 in RR's wyb 1
Final Price: FREE

Noxzema Disposable Razors - $3.99
♦ Earn $3 in RR's wyb 1
~use $2.00/1 mfr coupon from 5/1 RP Insert
Final Price: FREE + $1.01 Moneymaker!

Bic Disposable Razors - $5.99
♦ Earn $2 in RR's wyb 1
~use $3.00/1 mfr coupon from 5/1 SS Insert
Final Price: 99¢

Right Guard Total Defense or Dry Idea Deodorant - $2.99
♦ Earn $2 in RR's wyb 1
Final Price: 99¢

Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor - $9.89
♦ Earn $5 in RR's wyb 1
~use $4.00/1 mfr coupon from 5/1 PG Insert
Final Price: 89¢

Right Guard Body Wash - B1G1 FREE
~use B1G1 FREE mfr coupon from 5/1 RP Insert
Final Price: Both for FREE

Maxwell House Roast Coffee, 34.5 oz - $5.99
~use $1.00/1 Printable Coupon
Final Price: $4.99
** $4.99 doesn't seem like it would make it on the stockpile pick of the week, however, at $4.99, that comes out to just¢ 14¢ per ounce, which is a great stock up price!**

If you have NO Register Rewards to Roll:

Total $ = $39.83 + tax

Coupons bring down total to = $22.34 plus tax (price you'll pay out of pocket)

You'll Receive $15.00 back in Register Rewards (to use next week)

Total Net Paid for all Items listed in above transaction: $7.34 plus tax

of course if you have Register Rewards from last week, and roll them in this transaction, your out of pocket expense will be less.

At CVS:

Colgate MaxClean, MaxFresh, or MaxWhite Toothpaste - $2.77
♦ Earn $2.77 back in Extra Bucks (limit 2)
~Use $1/1 coupon from May All You Magazine Issue
~Use 75c/1 coupon from 5/1 SmartSource insert
Final Price: 2 FREE! {+ $1.75 money maker}
** This is still free even without any coupons**

Bic Soleil Shimmer {razor starter kit or 4 ct. cartridges}- $6.99
♦ Earn $3.00 back in Extra Bucks (limit 1)
~Use $3/1 coupon from 5/1 SmartSource insert
Final Price: 99 cents!

Tostitos Tortilla Chips or Salsa con Queso Dip - $2.99
~Use $1/1 coupon from 5/1 Pepsi insert
Final Price: $1.99

At Rite Aid:

Lysol Wipes 2/$5
$1/1 Lysol Item Rite Aid Video Values - APR
$1.50/1 Lysol Disenfecting Wipes
FREE after coupons

Butterfinger Snackerz 2/$1
$1/2 Butterfinger Snackerz
FREE after coupon

No Nonsense Liners 4/$3
$1/1 No Nonsense Rite Aid Video Values - APR
FREE after coupon

At Shaw's:

Ken's Steak House Marinade or Dressing - $1.99
$1/1 Ken's Dressings 16 oz 3/20/2011 SS Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
$1/1 Ken's Marinades 3/20/2011 SS Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
FREE after coupon & DOLLAR DOUBLER.

Fuze - $0.88
$1/2 Fuze or Fuze Slenderize 4/10/2011 SS
$0.38 each or FREE after coupon & DOLLAR DOUBLER.

Cains Mayo - $2.49
$1/1 Cains Mayo 4/17/11 SS
$0.49 after coupon & DOLLAR DOUBLER.

Red Pack Tomatoes - $1.19
$1/3 Red Gold Redpack Tomatoes
$0.52 each after coupon & DOLLAR DOUBLER.

Kellogg's Froot Loops & Raisin Bran 3/$6
$0.70/1 Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Cereal
$1.50/3 Kellogg's Cereal 4/10/2011 RP
$1/3 Kellogg's Cereals 4/17/2011 RP
$1/3 Kellogg's Cereals
$0.60 if coupon doubles

At Dave's Marketplace:

New England Ground Coffee - $2.99 (limit 2)
~use $1.00/1 mfr coupon found on some packages
~use 50¢/1 Printable Coupon
Final Price: as low as $1.99

Crystal Farm's Shredded or Block Cheese - 3/$5.00

Turkey Hill Ice Cream - $2.99
~use $1.00/1 mfr coupon from April Issue of BH&G Magazine
~use $1.00/1 mfr coupon from 4/10 SS Insert
Final Price: $1.99

Old El Paso Taco Shells - 99¢
~use $1.00/2 Printable Coupon
Final Price: 49¢ each wyb 2

At Market Basket:

Danimals Yogurt Smoothies (6Pk.) or Crush Cup (4pk.) – $2
Use $1/1 Coupon from the 2/27 Smartsource insert
As low as $1 after Coupon

Weight Watchers Yogurt Cups – $0.50
Buy (5) and use $1/5 Printable
$0.30 each after coupon

International Delight Coffee Creamer – $2.50
Use $0.55/1 or $1/2 Coupon from the 4/10 SmartSource insert
Or $0.55/1 Printable
As low as $1.95 after coupon

At Seabra:

Goya Canned Beans, Red Kidney, Cannellini, Chick Peas, 15oz & several others - 66¢ each
~use 75¢/3 mfr coupon from 3/13 RP Insert
Final Price: Just 16¢ each after doubling!

Goya Tomato Sauce, 8oz - 35¢ each

Land o Lakes American Cheese - $3.99
~use $1.00/1 mfr coupon from 4/17 SS Insert
Final Price: $2.99 lb

Charmin Basic 8 Roll Paper Towels - $5.49
~use $1.00/1 mfr coupon from P&G eSaver
Final Price: $4.49

Purina Cat Chow, 18oz - $1.79
~use $2.00/2 mfr coupon from 3/20 RP Insert
Final Price: 79¢ each wyb 2

Growing Your Own = FREE Food

Growing your own fruits and vegetables isn't as hard as one may think it is.  However, there are a few things to consider when designing your garden beds, and yards. 

This has been an ongoing process that my husband, girls and myself have been working out lately.  I absolutely hate the thought of paying $4.99 for a pint of blueberries.  So we decided to add some blueberry plants to the design process, and have just the right spot in our yard picked out for these. 

When I was looking at purchasing some of these plants, I couldn't believe at the price tag on some of these.  Some as high as $20 per plant!  Right now you can grab this great offer.  You'll get 3 plants for only $10.00 plus shipping and handling, and since these blueberries are hardy perennial shrubs, you'll reap the crops for years to come! 

The best part of this offer is once you begin to see blueberries growing, you'll be able to cross those items OFF your grocery list!  Get yours today.  I just ordered mine!

Extreme Couponing ~ Walgreen's Simplified!

I've run into a few people in parking lots lately asking me about couponing, seems that TLC's show Extreme Couponing, and NBC's Today Show publicity is really starting to get some people motivated. 

One of the biggest questions that I have been answering lately is how to save big at the drug stores.  Shopping the drug stores isn't really something that can be explained in a 5 minute conversation in the middle of the parking lot, so one by one, I will try to explain the drug store tactics in a post. 

Today's Extreme drug store lesson ~ Walgreen's.  Walgreen's a little different than the other drug stores as they don't currently have a loyalty card program in place.  (Although, I hear it is being tested in some parts of the country.)  So, in actuality, there is no limit to the number of items you can purchase. 

First we're going to dissect a few Walgreen's Ads:

There are 3 distinct sale types / deals that Walgreen's lists in their weekly sale ads.  Their first is an IN AD COUPON:

(Barcodes on this site are always blacked out to prevent fraudulent coupon use)

The in ad coupons that are in the weekly sale ads, are usually STORE COUPONS and, always contains a limit to the maximum number you can purchase in a single transaction.  Notice the above coupon states that there is a limit of 3.  You will get the sale price of 89¢ per box, up to 3 boxes, and only be required to use the single coupon.  Now if you have a manufacturer's coupon for the same product, you CAN stack the two coupons and use both for bigger savings.  However there is a catch here.  You can only use 1 coupon per item you have.  What does this mean?  Well it means you may be required to purchase what bloggers, and couponer's alike call a FILLER ITEM.  A filler item can be anything in the store, I tend to look at the end caps for a clearance item or go to the travel size section, and choose an item we use, that generally costs pennies, or at the very least under 50¢.  ( Single pencils can usually be found for around 10¢ which is always a great filler item.)

So let's say you want to purchase 3 boxes of the above product and use the coupon above, but you also have a manufacturer's coupon for $1.00 off 3 boxes.  Some stores will push through the coupon with just the above purchase and coupons because essentially you have 3 items and 2 coupons, other stores would require you to have 6 items (the total amount of items that the coupons require) in order to use both coupons, in that case, I would try and find 3 additional items (3 pencils for 30¢)

Here's how your 2nd hypothetical transaction would look like:

3 Boxes pasta - $2.67 ( with sale price on Store Coupon)
- $1.00 from manufacturer's coupon
+ 3 - 10¢ pencils
= $1.97

if your store doesn't require you to purchase an additional 3 items your total would now only be $1.67.

The second type of Weekly Sale listed in their ad is a Monthly Coupon Booklet Savings Deal like this:

The above picture is showing you three things.  The first is that the product is on sale for $1.99, the second, it's telling you is that there is a coupon in their monthly coupon booklet for $1.00 off.  These coupon booklets are found by the front door, next to their ads.  The final thing it's telling you is what the final price, if you used the coupon, would be.  What it does not tell you is, if you have a manufacturer's coupon  for say $1.00 off 1, than the price would now be FREE.  You will need a FILLER ITEM for this purchase, as you cannot have more coupons than you do items for your total purchase. 

The last type of Sale / Deal that appears in the weekly ad is a REGISTER REWARD DEAL.   This is the type of deal that I love the most, well aside from free items that is.  A Register Deal can be deceiving though and it takes a little time to fully learn.  Here's what it looks like in the ad:

Again, this type of sale is showing you 3 things, the first is the sale price, which in this case is $6.99.  The second thing you see, that if you purchase 1 of these products, you will get $2.00 in REGISTER REWARDS back when you check out.  Again the final item you see is that after you get your $2.00 back you will essentially only pay $4.99 for that product.  Now recently there was a $2.00 off 1 manufacturer's coupon available on this, which if you used it on this purchase, your total spent on this would now only be $2.99. 

Sounds great?  Well there's a little bit more to their REGISTER REWARDS than meets the eye.  You can ONLY purchase 1 of these at a time in order to get the Register Rewards back.  If you purchase 2 of these in these same transaction, you will only receive $2.00 in Register Rewards, NOT $4.00.  The way around this, is that you make mulitple transactions throughout the week.  (This is very easy to do if you, especially if you live close by to one.)  Some cashiers are very nice, and will pleasantly allow you to split a transaction up into two separate ones.  I will do this only if the store is not busy, and there isn't anyone else in line.  As much as I want and will save money, I will not be "that" person who holds up 8 or 10 people behind me. 

Unlike at CVS and at Rite Aid, your Register Rewards do not print out at the bottom of your receipt.  No, instead they print out from a Catalina machine located next to the register.  I have noticed that at some stores it may take an extra 5 or 10 seconds for the catalina machine to begin printing.  Know what you are suppose to receive back in Register Rewards before leaving the counter.  If the cashier looks at you, like "what are you waiting for?" simply reply, I am waiting for my Register Rewards to print out.  Register Rewards look like this:

Register Rewards can be used for just about anything in the store, except for gift cards and Federally regulated items such as tobacco and alcohol. 

Now there is one more stipulation you will need to know before making purchases with Register Rewards and for this exercise, we will be using the following format:

you purchase 3 items and have NO Register Rewards to apply to this purchase only 2 coupons for $1.00 each on 2 of the products:

Product A for $2.99, and you get back $3 in Register Rewards
Product B for $4.00 and you get back $2 in Register Rewards
Product C for $1.99 and you get back $1 in Register Rewards

Your first Out of Pocket Expense will be $6.98 plus tax if applicable. ($8.98 - $2.00 in coupons)  You will receive back $6 in Register Rewards, making your NET purchase only 98¢.

Now let's say that these 3 items are items that you want to add to your stockpile, so you will need to purchase more. 

If you purchase Product A and use your Product A Register Rewards from the first purchase to pay for the item, you WILL NOT receive back new Register Rewards.  You can however Purchase Product A and use the Register Rewards from Product B's first purchase, and get back NEW $3.00 Register Rewards.  If you have another $1.00 off coupon your purchase would look like this:

Product A Total = $2.99
You'll use $2 in RR's from Product B, and $1.00 coupon
= Total Out of Pocket Expense will be only Tax
You'll then get back $3 in NEW RR's
Your Net total for this purchase has now become a $2.00 Profit, less the tax you paid.

Bottom line is you can "ROLL" your RR's on every transaction, however you cannot purchase the same product with that RR.  This is where you will need to keep track of your Register Rewards, recieved from which products.  You can do this easily with multiple marked envelopes, this way you know what Register Rewards were received from which products. 

Why do we call it a "PROFIT" when we are paying for the item?  It's simple, if you go and purchase an item for 99¢, and you get back $1.00 in Register Rewards, and you have $1.00 off manufacturer's coupon, you are turning that $1.00 off coupon for a particular item into a $1.00 coupon off your next purchase on any item, the store has now essentially paid you to take the item. 

As always, be on the lookout for the weekly Buy 1 Get 1 FREE store sales.  If you can pair it with a Buy1 Get 1 FREE manufacturer's coupon, you'll get both items for FREE, and pay only tax if applicable. 

Questions?  You know what to do, leave a comment, and I'll answer it in the next Extreme Post. 

Stockpile Picks for The Week

Stockpiling is, as I have found to be an artform if you want to be successful at it.  Which you can read all about my stockpiling efforts HERE.  

Starting your own stockpile?  Check out these good buys for the week, to help grow your stockpile.

CVS:

Right Guard Sport, Xtreme, Total Defense or Dry Idea (2-4 oz.) 2/$5
Buy One Get One Free Coupon from the 3/13 RedPlum insert (*Expires 4/10)
$1.25 each after coupon

Bic Soleil Shimmer Razor Starter Kit or (4ct.) Cartridges – $6.99
Earn $3 Extra Bucks (Limit 1)
$3.99 after Extra Bucks

Walgreen's:

Got 2 Be Styling Products - 2/$10.00
♦ Earn $5 in RR's wyb 2
~use 2 - $2.00/1 mfr coupons from April Issue of All You
Final Price: 2/$1.00

Carefree Pantiliners - 99¢
♦ Earn $1 in RR's wyb 1
~use 50¢/1 mfr coupon from 3/27RP Insert
Final Price: Free + 50¢ Moneymaker

Luster White 7 Toothpaste - $4.99
♦ Earn $4 in RR's wyb 1
~use $1.50/1 Printable Coupon
Final Price: FREE + 50¢ moneymaker

Rite Aid:

John Frieda Hair Care Products - 4/$20.00
♦ Earn $10 in +Up Rewards
~use 4 - $2.00/1 mfr coupons from 3/6 SS Insert
~use $1.50/1 Printable Facebook Coupon
~use $2.00/1 John Frieda Root Awakening Printable Coupon
Final Price: as low as 50¢ each wyb 4 & use 4 coupons

Gillette or Old Spice Body Wash - $2.99
♦ Earn $2.00 in +Up Rewards wyb 1 (limit 2)
~use B1G1 FREE Gillette mfr coupon from 4/3 PG Insert
~use $2.00/1 mfr coupon found inside Charmin Package
~use B1G1 FREE Old Spice mfr coupon from 4/3 PG Insert
Final Price: FREE + $1.01 Moneymaker


Bic Flex 3 or 4 Blade, Bic Hybrid Razors - $4.99
♦ Earn $2.00 in +Up Rewards wyb 2
~use 2 - $3.00/1 mfr coupons from 4/10 SS Insert
Final Price: 99¢ each wyb 2 & use 2 coupons

Publix:

B1G1 Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt – 4 pk $2
$1 printable
= FREE

B1G1 Quaker Instant Grits – 12 ct $2.39
$1/2 printable
= $.70 each

Shaw's: (Beginning 4/15)

Pennslyvania Dutch Noodles - $1.39
~use $1.00/1 Printable Coupon Sign up req'd
Final Price: 39¢

McCormick Gravy or Grill Mates Seasoning Mixes - 10/$10.00
~use $1.00/1 mfr coupon from 3/13 SS Insert
Final Price: FREE (for each coupon you have)

Dave's Marketplace: (Beginning 4/15)

Fuze Drinks - 88¢
~use $1.00/2 mfr coupon from 4/10 SS Insert
Final Price: 38¢ each wyb 2

McCormick Gravy Packets - 5/$5.00
~use $1.00/1 mfr coupon from 3/13 RP Insert
Final Price: as low as FREE if you have 5 of these

Seabra Supermarkets: (Beginning 4/14)

2 Liter Coca-Cola - 99¢
~use B1G1 FREE mfr coupons from Recyclebank (Sign Up)
Final Price: 49¢ each wyb 2

Big Y: (Beginning 4/14)
**Thanks Wicked Cool Deals**

Hood Half and Half 16 oz – $1.25
~ Buy 2 and use this $1.00/2 Printable
$0.75 each after coupon

Nabisco Wheat Thins or Triscuits – $2
Use $1/1 Triscuit Product
$1 after coupon

Price Chopper: (Through 4/16)
**Thanks Wicked Cool Deals**

Texas Toast Croutons – BOGO ($1.79)
Use $.55/1 coupon from the 4/3 SS insert
$.34 each after coupon

Land O Lakes Margerine - BOGO ($2.79)
Use $1/2 Printable$0.89 each after coupon

Market Basket: (Through 4/16)
**Thanks Frugal Living and Having Fun**

Rozoni Garden Delight, Smart Taste, Healthy Harvest Pasta – $1
Buy (2) and use $1/2 Printable or HERE
$0.50 each after coupon

Bar S Jumbo meat Franks – $0.99
Buy two and use $1/2 Coupon from the 1/30 RedPlum insert
$0.49 each after coupon

Walmart:

AirWick Warmer Unit - $1.67
~use $1.00/1 Printable Coupon
Final Price: 67¢

Toy Story Operation - $5.00
~use $3.00/1 Printable Coupon
Final Price: $2.00
**Great item to save for Christmas Toy Drives!**

Senokot Tablets - $5.94
~use $3.00/1 Printable Coupon
Final Price: $2.94

Target: (Through 4/16)

Silk Soy Milk - $2.99
~use $2.00/1 Printable ( Take quiz to upgrade a 75¢ coupon to a $2.00 Coupon)
Final Price: 99¢

Airwick Freshmatic or Refills - $4.49
~use B1G1 FREE mfr coupon from 3/27 SS Insert
~use $4.00/1 Printable Coupon
~use $4.00/1 mfr coupon from 3/27 SS Insert
Final Price: as low as 49¢

Extreme Couponing ~ Effective & Successful Stockpiling

(Thomasville "Super Cabinet")

I have heard many people talking about the "want" and the "need" to begin a stockpile of their very own.  Many of these conversations lead to the phrase, "I just don't know where or what to start with."  This is where I have been (ahem) known for putting my two cents worth in.  So where, how and when do you start one of your very own?  Well, I can't really tell you the where's the what's and the whens, but I can give you the logistics and the basics.  All you have to do is run with it. 

Building a successful stockpile takes a little prep work.  If you're just buying items because they are on sale, and you have coupons, although is all well and good, just doesn't work in the long run.  Just like with building a house, you must have a good foundation in order for it not to fall down once it has all been built.  So let's get to the first of the basics.

1.  Grab yourself a pen, a small notebook, and a calculator.  You'll want to start putting together your lists when you have at least an hour of free and quiet time. 

2.  Look at your home life, your family.  Kids?  No Kids?  Plans for Kids?  Pets?  No Pets?  Extended family living with you?  Volunteer your time in your school or church?  Take ALL aspects of your home life into consideration when working on creating as well as maintaining your stockpile.  A successful stockpile evolves over time as you and your family grows, and moves.  Stagnant stockpiles fail miserably, and must always be maintained.  This sentence will sometimes scare people away from starting one of their own, trust me though, it's really not that difficult to start and maintain it over the years. 

3.  Create a designated area or areas within your home for your stockpile, and stick to it.  Just because you pick out an area a closet or several shelves within your home, doesn't mean you cannot change it later.  You may find that after a few months, the area you choose to house your stockpile just isn't working as well as you would like it to.  I have moved my own stockpile around multiple times, until I found out what worked best.  As your stockpile grows, you may find it helpful to choose multiple areas within your home.  As nice is it would be to have 4000 rolls of toilet paper in your stockpile ( that you were able to purchase for pennies on the dollar) it's just not feasible to house those 4000 rolls in your child's room, or in the corner of the dining room.  Stockpiles should always be organized and neat, not overwhelming.  If your constantly looking at a mound of toilet paper in the corner of your own bedroom, remember that to your sub-conscience, it's clutter. 

Stockpiles are meant to help you, not fill your head with more clutter.  An unorganized stockpile, can lead to purchasing more items than one can use in a lifetime, you find yourself purchasing items that you think you didn't have, all because you couldn't find them within your own stockpile. 

4.  Brand Loyalty.  You will learn quickly that if you are brand loyal, sales for your particular brand come less often than if you were not brand loyal.  Try new brands, you may just find that you like something else better, or just as well as the brand you have been using for years.  In my family there are a handful of items that we are brand loyal to.  For the longest time my husband only liked Gillette Gel Deodorant.  I was able to get a fantastic deal on Right Guard Gel Deodorant and well after he tried it, he now knows that he likes the gel, and doesn't care what brand, just so long as it's gel.  What does that mean for my stockpile?  Well it means I know have more sales, and more coupons available to me, and to my stockpile.  Total cost for these 17 deodorants = $1.97, purchased over a 3 week period.

5.  Start small by making some lists of what your family uses on a daily basis.  Health & Beauty products can be found on sale each week, and is a great place to start when beginning the stockpiling.  Don't stockpile items with a short shelf life.  This will defeat your stockpiling efforts.  If you have to start throwing items away because they have expired, you do not have a successful stockpile.  Period.

Here is a copy of what I currently stockpile:

The secret to making my own stockpile work day in and day out, is that I did a little math after I came up with this list.  I took a few weeks and figured out just how many rolls of toilet paper my family used in 1 week's time.  Turns out it was 4 rolls a week.  So on a worst case scenario, it would be 5 rolls ( Added 25% to that 4 roll amount)  In a years time, my family would use roughly 260 rolls of toilet paper.  This would figure out to approximately 22 twelve packs of toilet paper.  Now, I may have a big house, with lots of storage space, but housing 22 - 12 packs just would drive me crazy.  However housing 11 - 12 packs is much more manageable, and I can rest assure that within a six month period, toilet paper will again be on sale, and at a great price. 

Next, watch the sale ads.  Now your rock bottom prices.  Rock bottom "Buy" prices are not the same for everyone.  There are several factors that are included.  For instance you may live in an areas where toilet paper doesn't go less than 60¢ per roll.  Or you may be fine with paying 55¢ per roll because you only have the room to store 4 - 12 packs at any given time.  For me, I have to pay less then 49¢ per roll, so any 12 pack that's less than $5.88 (with tax) is a good buy for my stockpile.  More times than not, I actually buy toilet paper when I can get it for less than $3.00 for each 12 pack. 

When making your stockpile list, be sure to save enough room for a couple of columns, the first of course is the product, the second column, should be what amount of time do you want the item to last.  The third is the highest price you want to pay for the item. Here's a sample of what mine looks like:

So as you can see from the above chart, the dollar amounts are the top dollar that I will pay for a particular product.  Some of those products are listed at $0.00, and that's because I will not pay for these items, with sales and coupons these items can be found for free just about every week or so, and stacking sales with coupons, there is just no reason to pay for them.

Here in Rhode Island we do not have coupon inserts in our Saturday papers, only the Sunday Edition, so purchasing multiple paper just isn't cost effective.  In the case of a really hot coupon, I will use a coupon cutting service, purchase 10 - 20 of that particular coupon, and build my stockpile.  For these services, you generally pay 10% of the face value of the coupon.  So a $3.00 off coupon, may cost you 25¢ - 30¢ for each one.  It's a great way to build your own stockpile, one item at a time, especially if you don't have any other access to lots of the same coupons. 

So where do you put your stockpile once you start?  This is another one of those questions, where the answers are different for everyone.  My stockpile started in our unfinished laundry room downstairs, and quickly over took the entire room.  That's when I learned that  with the rebuilding of our home after the house fire, I would utilize every inch of my entire house.   90% of all stockpiled foods in my home are housed in the kitchen.  90% off all health & beauty products would be housed in the bathroom closets.  (There is an overflow section still housed in the laundry room however.)  Cleaning supplies, paper towels, dog food, cat food and the like are still housed in the laundry room. 

I did realize that we had more room than we were aware we had.  We took down a few shelves and added a peg board, bought some hooks at a flea market and for less than $40 we have this:

If you have an unfinished room like I do, this is a really great option that just about anyone can do.  If that still isn't enough room, consider buying one of those cloth hanging sweater bins like this:

I bought 2 of these for only $7.00 each, and they are attached to the pipes in that unfinished room downstairs.  If you're planning on doing something like this, consider hanging a wooden pole up in the rafters or if you're hanging them on a pipe, I would strongly suggest you use these for VERY lightweight items like the ones I have in mine. 

You may want to consider a heavy duty rack for heavier items like this:

This type of racking will hold up to 2000 lbs of items.

Try keeping your supplies where you use them.  Most of our supplies for bath needs are located right there in the over the sink cabinet.  While I still have an over flow downstairs, the majority is within reach at a moment's notice. 

Canned goods, foods, and the like should be within reach.  If your thinking about or are in the process of remodeling your kitchen, consider the Thomasville "Super Cabinets"  I had 2 installed in our kitchen, and these are my favorite feature in our kitchen.  I can't tell you just how much these cabinets hold, and with each draw pulling out, there's no more fighting to reach into the back of the cabinet, no more not knowing what you have on hand, it's all visible, all accessible. 

Once you have a stockpile, you must remember to rotate your stockpile, don't just pile new products on top of the ones you already have, you'll save more money in the long run, when you realize that you don't have to throw anything away because the item expired.  Remember stockpiles grow quickly, and you will need to know when enough is enough.  When your shopping, and walking out of a store looking at your $2.41 receipt for $60.00 worth of product, it becomes a "high" and you can find yourself getting carried away. 

Know your limits.  If you're struggling with putting food on the table, and you've purchased items to donate that you don't use, but "the deal was too good to pass up".  You're still defeating the purpose. 

Stockpiling is meant to save you the most money you can possibly save.  It's meant to be there so you NEVER have to pay full price for items you use on a regular basis.  It's not meant to cause you angst.  If you have a healthy stockpile, then you should be able to go into your stockpile pick out a bag or two of items, and help someone else who needs the help, without missing or sacrificing a thing. 

I was so thankful that when we had a house fire, hundreds of people that I had never met reached into their own stockpiles to help us.  So now we regular donate to those less fortunate, and our stockpile allows us to do just that. 

Now before I get dozens of emails all telling me that I shouldn't be saying things like "Charity starts at home."  Let me explain.  I know first hand about job loss, major life changing events, and scrimping to pay the bills.  My view, yes, Charity does start at home, however, that's the key word....START.  Through profits from this site, my couponing skills, and bargain shopping, our charity has grown to include family in need, and local volunteer groups and organizations.  The feeling that I get from doing my part is gratifyingly delightful.  My point is, is I am currently in the position to do this, not eveyone is, and you shouldn't feel bad if you're not in the position to help. 

I hope this post helps you to start your own stockpile.  Got a stockpile question?  feel free to leave a comment, and I will get it out in a future "Extreme" post! 

Extreme Couponing ~ Drug Stores (CVS)

Today's "Extreme" topic... Drug Stores.  I actually prefer purchasing most, if not all my health & beauty products through my 3 local drug stores.  CVS, Walgreen's, and Rite Aid. 

Shopping at drug stores is quite different than shopping at your grocery stores, and it does take a little while to learn, to be proficient at it, but once you learn, your stockpiled items will begin to grow by leaps and bounds! 

While each of the three major drug stores are relatively the same, there are different rules, and policies that apply at each store.  So for the sake of this post, I will be starting with only the basics of CVS.

The major question that I get asked all the time, is how do I NOT spend money?  Now, this is where many people get confused.  I spent money the first week that I began shopping at the drug stores, as I did not have any of the ExtraCare Bucks (CVS), +Up Rewards (Rite Aid), or Register Rewards (Walgreen's) to "Roll". 

Okay, looking at the above paragraph, I may have already lost a few people.  So here's a little CVS Store lesson:

ExtraCare Bucks:  Sign up to receive a CVS member loyalty tag if you don't already have one.  This is what will get you those ExtraCare Buck deals.  These are printed at the bottom of your register receipt if you purchased an item that offered ExtraCare Bucks back on the item.  There is often a limit to the amount of offers for each product  You'll often see these abbreviated on blog posts as ECB or ECB's.  These are used like cash within ANY CVS store.  You cannot use these to purchase gift cards, prescriptions, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.  These can be used in addition to your manufacturer's coupons, store coupons, and gift cards, as I stated before, these are used like CASH within your CVS store.  You can continually "ROLL" these ExtraCare Buck Rewards on each future purchase you make.  Here's a generic scenario:

You DO NOT currently have ANY ECB's:
Product A costs $5.00, the weekly sale states that you will receive $2.00 in ExtraCare Bucks BACK when you purchase 1.  This essentially brings the total cost of the item down to $3.00.  There happens to be a coupon for that item in the Sunday Paper, for $1.50 off 1.  You use that coupon at your purchase.  You will pay $3.50 out of pocket, and you will receive $2.00 in ECB's back at the bottom of your receipt, to use on your next purchase.  Bringing the total cost of the product down to only $1.50.

Now you have $2.00 in ECB's to use:
Product B - Toothpaste, costs $1.99  You will receive $1.99 in ECB's BACK when you purchase 1, there is a limit of 2 on this deal.  You have 2 - $1.00 off 1 tube of toothpaste coupons that you printed off the web.  You purchase the 2 tubes of toothpaste.  Once the items have been rung up, your total is $3.98 (Plus Tax) you hand the cashier the $2.00 ECB that you received from your first purchase, and the 2 - $1.00 coupons = You are now ONLY going to pay the tax for those items, and you will receive back NEW ECB's totalling $3.98 - Bring your total cost down to ZERO paid, and a profit made. 

** And now you have $3.98 to use, or "ROLL" on your next purchase at CVS. 

So if you do not currently have ExtraCare bucks, your first purchase will cost you cash, but after your first purchase, you continue to shop with your ECB's to minimize your costs. 

In order to roll your ECB's each week, you really need to NOT be brand loyal.  By not being brand loyal, you have a larger pool to shop from, and continue your weekly rolling.  This is also a great way to be able to try new products at minimal cost.  This also opens the door to new coupons that you may be able to use. 

Being "Extreme" takes time, and is such a huge topic, with lots to cover, so I will be adding to this topic on a regular basis.  Got a question?  Leave a comment and let me know. 

Being Extreme ~ Finding Those Elusive Coupons

"Extreme Couponing".  This is all the rage lately.  With gas prices continually rising, the cost of foods, clothing, household items, and everything else rising higher and higher, except your paychecks, everyone is looking for bigger and better ways to save money. 

People are quickly finding out that coupons can mean big savings for you and your family, which plagues the question, "Where are all those coupons"? 

There are coupons all around us.  Coupons can be found everywhere.  Here's a list of places you may or may not thoguht about looking for them. 

♦ Online.  This has become the number 1 place that people are turning to, to find their coupons.  Sign up with your favorite companies, you'll receive newsletters right from the source.  Sign up with your favorite blogs for deals and steals.  If you don't already have a Facebook account, you'll want to do so as soon as possible.  Many companies are turning to Facebook and releasing coupons only through Facebook.

♦ Sunday Papers.  I know that different parts of the country have different days when coupons are released in their local papers.  Some parts of the country have a Saturday edition that is about half the price of the Sunday Paper, and contain the same coupons.  There are some weeks that I will purchase multiple papers, because I know that the coupons that will be in the paper will be huge!  I also know that here in RI, we do not receive the Red Plum inserts in the newspaper, they come in our mail.  If your not receiving the Red Plum insert, head on over to Valassis and request that one be mailed to you, if your not receiving one in your newspaper.

♦ Doctor Offices.  Often times, doctors have an area in their waiting room that is just filled with coupon tearpads.  These tearpads are there for you take utilize.  Doctors offices are also loaded with magazines.  You'll be able to find tons of great coupons inside of these magazines.  Go ahead and rip them out, don't be shy! 

♦ Magazines.  The number one magazine to find coupons in is the All You Magazine, and can only be purchased through a yearly subscription or at your local Walmart.  However, there are other magazines that have monthly coupons, like Ladies Home Journal, Woman's Day, Better Homes & Gardens.  I will usually post these magazines when a subscription is only a few dollars per year, or when you can obtain a free subscription. 

♦ Blinkies.  What's a blinkie? A blinkie is an automated coupon dispenser that is usually located next or near a product in a drug or grovery store.  They get their name because of a small red blinking light that continually blinks, drawing your eye to the coupon.  Here's a helpful hint, grab a couple of them, and save them.  A product will usually go on sale several weeks after the blinkie has been released. 

♦ Tear Pads.  Tear pads are similar to Blinkies, and usually located next to or near a product on the shelf.  Again, grab a couple of these and hold onto them, as they will usually go on sale a few weeks after a coupon tearpad has been released.

♦ Friends, Family & Neighbors.  Ask your friends and family members for their coupons that they aren't using.  This is a great way to get multiples of the same coupons, helping you to build your stock pile!

♦ Purchasing Coupons through a Coupon Cutting Service.  Yes you can purchase coupons, although if your read the fine print, you aren't actually purchasing the coupon, you are purchasing the cutting services.  Okay so there is a fine line there, but hey, if your looking to build a stockpile, this may be the way to go.  I purchase from a cutting service on a regular basis.  You have to do a little math here though.  Look at the expiration date, before you purchase, you'll want to make sure that you will have enough time to use them without making yourself run all over town trying to beat the clock so to speak before they expire.  Also make sure that your fee that you are paying, and they savings you will obtain, don't cross each other out. 

♦ Contact the Company Directly.  Whether it's through an email or snail mail, contact the company, and be direct.  Ask if they could send you coupons.  They worst they can say is no.  Often times though, the company wants your business, and will send multiple coupons.

♦  Free Samples.  Sign up for the free samples that bloggers write about, many times free samples come with great coupons.  Signing up with companies like Vocalpoint, will score you some full size freebies, as well as some pretty great high value coupons!