Hello Fellow Followers, Heather here to bring you some Answers to some frequently asked questions on using coupons. If I didnt answer a question you may have please feel free to leave a comment here with your question and I will be happy to answer it :)
1. CAN I USE 2 COUPONS FOR 1 ITEM? The answer is Yes and No.. Please read this carefully so you know what I mean... You can NOT use 2 coupons that you clipped from the Newspaper or printed from the internet. You can however, use 1 coupon that you obtained through the newspaper or on the internet, with a store coupon on one item. So 1 STORE coupon + 1 CLIPPED Coupon. .. Also check the store you go to for their Coupon Policy. Most stores will let you use the equation above.
2. WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STORE COUPON AND THE ONES I GET FROM THE INTERNET OR NEWSPAPER? The coupons you get from the internet or newspaper are manufacture coupons that be used anywhere that stores accept coupons at. A store coupon are coupons that a retailer printed that can be used only at their stores... FOR EXAMPLE
Now you notice where I put the arrows, it clearly has the Stores Logo or name... These are Store Coupons.. These can be used on items purchased from the store that is indicated on the coupon, you can also add a clipped coupon from the Newspaper or printed from the internet..
3. HOW DO I SAVE BIG AND GET IT FOR FREE OR FOR NEARLY NOTHING? Well the trick on this, is simply making time to look at ads that come in the mail, in the newspaper and going online and looking at the ads, seeing who has what you buy for the best deal.. BUT WAIT... it doesn't stop there.. do your math, you want to look at what stores are offering the best deal, plusssss offers a coupon from their store, so you can combine it with a coupon you clipped or printed online.. This doesn't always work out, but if you do the best deal and you have a coupon then you saved anyways right? ... But the saving BIG comes in when you find a great sale, the store is offering a coupon and you have a coupon you clipped or printed. Below is an example:
TARGET (STORE)
SELLING TIDE DETERGENT FOR 5.99
THEY HAVE A COUPON IN THEIR AD THATS GOING TO GIVE YOU 3.50 OFF
YOU HAVE A COUPON THAT YOU HAVE FROM SUNDAYS PAPER 3.00 OFF
5.99 - 3.50 (STORE COUPON) = 2.49
THEY SCAN YOUR CLIPPED COUPON -3.00
MAKES IT FREE.. WITH A .51 CENTS BALANCE OVER FROM COUPONS
4. IF MY COUPONS COME OVER AFTER I SCAN THEM (ABOVE EQUATION) WILL I GET THE MONEY BACK? No.. They will not give you cash back if your coupons have made everything free and the coupon made a negative balance. Now.. some.. and I mean SOME stores will give you giftcards, however I have not encountered any in my neck of the woods. Also if you have left over money that the coupons made.. such as the above where there was .51 cents of the coupon some stores like Safeway will add it to your rewards card and it takes it off the grocery bill when you swipe your card.
5. WHAT IS A REWARDS CARD? Stores are leaning to rewards cards there almost like coupons that the store prints. Look in your stores at the registers for Reward cards... Safeway, CVS, Walgreens, Kmart and so many more have these reward cards... The good thing about the rewards cards is that you can go on-line an look at there site and they often have coupons for their store that they didn't print in their ads, so you can click clip and it ads it to your rewards card for the particular store, and when you swipe your rewards card it comes off the overall balance. Some stores even have machines when you enter that will allow you to swipe your card and you get money saving coupons as well. Each rewards card for each store has different things.. So start signing up for the rewards cards EVERYWHERE.
6. CAN I USE MY REWARDS CARD, PLUS THEIR STORE COUPON, PLUS A COUPON I CLIPPED FROM THE NEWSPAPER OR INTERNET? Each store has their own coupon policy on this, some stores will let you use the above equation, however most will only let you use the rewards cards plus your coupon you clipped from the paper or printed from internet. Check the stores coupon policy.
7. I READ THE COUPON POLICY AND WHEN I GOT TO THE REGISTER THE CASHIER SAID I COULDN'T DO THAT, WHAT DO I DO? I have every stores coupon policy printed and so when I encounter a cashier that says YOU CANT DO THAT.. I bust out the coupon policy and show them I can.. if the cashier still makes a stink then ask to speak to the manager.. They MUST abide by their coupon policy and they can not change it. Don't be afraid to be aggressive, its your wallet, NOT theirs.. *** Check your stores coupon policy often for changes.. and reprint it once you seen the change..
8. I HAVE SO MANY COUPONS AND SO MANY PRINTED COUPON POLICIES FOR VARIOUS STORES, HOW DO I KEEP IN ORGANIZED? Couponing is without a doubt a designated car crash if you don't know how to organize.. it will surmount your living room or kitchen in minutes if you let it.. LOL.. There are many methods of keeping things organized and easy to find a coupon.. There are coupon accordion style folders you can buy that fits your coupons neatly in sections pertaining to labels, such as Snacks, dairy, Hygiene, Household ect.. this makes it easy to find a certain category quickly, but this method makes you have to yank out the stack and flip through it each time to find the right coupon.. Another method.. is to get a BIG binder that zips and invest in the baseball card sheets, the ones you slide baseball cards into.. and place your coupons in there.. this way you see everything with a flip of a page... also in protector sheets you can place in the back of the binder the coupon policies of each store.. Now some use the shoebox method, they take out the coupons before they go to the store and only bring what they need.. I really dont like this method, because you might leave a coupon home and get to the store and say " DANGGG IF I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THAT COUPON I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT FOR FREE" But however you decide to organize.. and what works for you.. then so be it :)
9. SHOULD I CLIP EVERY COUPON IN THE SUNDAYS PAPER EVEN IF I DON'T THINK I WILL USE IT? This is definitely a choice you alone need to make.. If you want to, then so be it.. you can clip them all and sort them.. or clip the ones you know is good and vthe coupons in the safe area so you can go back and clip them. Again this is your choice alone.
10. I HAVE EXPIRED COUPONS, WHAT DO I DO WITH THEM? There are some sites that actually take them for the military, if you don't want to do this, then throw them out in the recycle, because once your coupon expires, you ca NOT use it.
11. CAN I PHOTO COPY A COUPON I HAVE TO GIVE MYSELF 2? Nooooooo!!! This is a big no no... Each coupon has a separate bar code number.. and duplicating a coupon is against the law. So dont do it EVER
12. WHEN I PRINT MY COUPONS OFF THE INTERNET, CAN I PRINT THEM IN BLACK AND WHITE SO I DON'T WASTE MY COLOR? Yes.. you can.. just make sure that when you print off the internet, you can visibly see the bar code and the expiration date clearly.. Most stores wont take a printed coupon if it doesn't scan or if they cant see the expiration date. Also not all stores take printed internet coupons.. Check the store your going to for their coupon policy...
13. I BOUGHT 10 PIZZAS AND THAT PIZZA I HAVE 10 COUPONS, CAN I USE ALL OF THEM BECAUSE I BOUGHT 10? Yeppp... 10 pizza's means you can use 10 coupons, One For Each
14. 14. MY COUPON SAYS SAVE 1.00 ON 2, DO I HAVE TO ACTUALLY BUY 2? Yes you do.. and you will save 1.00 total...
15. MY COUPON SAYS I CAN GET ANY BRAND CEREAL BUT THE PICTURE ONLY IS RICE CRISPIES, DO I HAVE TO GET RICE CRISPIES OR CAN I GET ANY BRAND? If is says ANY brand, you can get any brand cereal.. PLEASE NOTE.. cereal is General Mills, Post, Kellogs ect.. You can get ANY for what ever that type of cereal brand is.. Meaning it says ANY and the coupon is a Kellogs, it means you can get ANY Kellogs cereal. You do NOT have to get the picture if it says ANY.. Nowwww if the coupon says Kellogs Corn Flakes save .75 cents.. and it DOES NOT say ANY... you can only get Corn Flakes.. Reading the Coupons is the hardest part..
16. IT SAYS I HAVE TO PURCHASE 8 COUNT OR MORE.. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? It means the pack needs to have 8 count or more.. and lets say you see a 4 pack, YOU MAY NOT USE THE COUPON for this one.. It have to be 8 count or more.
