Writing Companies For Coupons and Samples
Writing different manufacturers with a complaint or a compliment can result in several high dollar coupons and/or samples. I tend to write to manufacturers of products I frequently use to compliment them. I'm going to try to contact at least 10 different companies a week and see what happens. I've made a google spreadsheet so everyone can see what companies are receptive to sending coupons. The link for that is here.
Warnings about using coupons
I have to admit, I've been couponing for a little over a year. When I first started, I was spending more than I needed to. If there was a good deal to be found, I was there. It didn't matter what it was for, I had to it. So what if I didn't wear contacts. The solution was only $.50! This quickly got old. All I was doing was shopping!
Couponing can be addicting. Make sure you tailor it to your own family's needs. It may not be worth it to you to go out now and buy toothpaste if it's $.25. You may want to wait till it's $.75. That's ok! You don't have to get every deal out there.
The thing I've learned is, deals cycle. It will come back again. Don't drive yourself crazy driving to do it all. I would focus on one store at a time. Shop there, learn their coupon policy and/or their rewards program. After a few weeks, add another one in. Each penny you save is "good enough".
You do not need to shop every day at every store. I've cut back a lot. My goal is once a week, but I still find myself popping into CVS a few times during the week. Do whatever works for YOU. Every cent you save is a cent you didn't spend. I get a sick enjoyment out of couponing lol. But that's my thing, no one else has to do that. Try to set small goals for yourself. Whatever works.
Keep track of what you've spent. I was shocked at first to see how much I spend when I first started couponing. But it was a learning experience. Yes, I will still buy things I will never use. As long as I "make" money off it through rebates or reward programs. Also, I've learned what's a good deal and what's not. When you first start out, you may think it's a steal to buy toothpaste at $1.00 and buy 20 of them because it's so cheap, not realizing how often you can get toothpaste for free! Over time you will realize what's a good price for items you use. I like free or moneymakers, but that's not always realistic.
Don't deprive yourself of something you want or need just because you don't have a coupon and have to pay full price.
Start small and work from there. Try to save $10.00 off your grocery bill. Then $20.00 and so on.
Target 101
Make sure to print a copy of the Target Coupon Policy and take it with you to the store. Target is notorious to making up their own coupon rules.
When looking for clearance items (which you can use coupons on!) look around the ends of the aisles for "endcap" displays.
Target accepts manufactures coupons and Target coupons. You can get the Target coupons from their website. You may "stack" these coupons and use them together. Also, Target now has "mobile" coupons.
Example:
Target frequently has gift card promotions. There was one recently where you got a $5.00 Target Gift Card when you purchased two Gillette Fusion Razors. Let's say they were priced at $8.00 a razor. If you had a manufactures coupon and a Target coupon, you could really score with this deal.
Buy two razors at $8.00 = $16.00
Use two $4.00 off Gillette razor coupons = Brings total to $12.00
Use two Target $2.00 off Gillette razor coupons = Brings total to $8.00
You would pay $8.00 OOP (Out of pocket) and Receive a $5.00 Gift card back, making your total for two razors just $3.00!
You could then "roll" that gift card and purchase more razors if you wanted to.
Rite Aid 101
Print coupon policy and take to the store with you.
Sign up for their Wellness card. You will need this to take advantage of UP rewards and SCRs.
Sign up for the video ad program. Earn store coupons by watching short commercials.
You can use store and manufactures coupons.
Rite Aid's program consists of SCR (Single Check Rebates) and UP Rewards.
SCRs are Rite Aids rebate program. It's the easiest rebate program there is. After you're done shopping, you just type in your receipt number on their site and at the end of the month, you can request your check. No mailing in a receipt, very simple.
UP rewards are in addition to the SCR program. UP rewards print on your receipt and can be used immediately.
Example:
Bio true contact solution is on sale for $4.99 with an UP reward of $4.00.
Crest Toothpaste is on sale for $2.99 with an UP reward of $.99
Right Guard Deodorant is B1G1
Huggies Big Pack Diapers is on sale for $19.99 with an UP reward of $2.00 and an SCR off $5.00
Coupons I have:
$5.00 off $25.00 purchase (store)
$4.00 off Bio true (manufactures)
B1G1 Right Guard (manufactures)
$2.00 off Huggies (manufactures)
$1.00 off Huggies (stores)
$1.00 off Crest (manufactures)
My deal would look like this:
Bio True - $4.99
2 Right Guard- $3.99
Crest - $2.99
Huggies - $19.99
Totals - $31.96
Use $5 off $25
$4.00 off Bio True
$2.00 off Huggies
$1.00 off Crest
$1.00 off Huggies
B1G1 Right Guard $3.99
OOP - $15.97
UP Earned - $6.99
SCR Earned - $5.00
Total after UP and SCR- $3.98
Walgreens 101
Print the store policy and take it with you.
Walgreen's offers "Register Rewards" or "RRs" on sale items. These are basically "Walgreen's Money".
A lot of times you will see in the ad a sale like this:
St. Ives Body Wash – $2.99
Register Rewards - $2.00
Like Paying - $.99
That's a pretty good deal itself if you like St. Ives Body Wash. But, if you had the $1.00 printable coupon for St. Ives Body Wash, your deal would look like this:
St. Ives Body Wash – $2.99
Coupon - $1.00
OOP - $1.99
Register Rewards - $2.00
Like Paying - - $.01
Makes it a $.01 money maker!
Most of time, Walgreens will limit you to one like deal per transaction. So, if you wanted two bottles of body wash, you would do them in two separate transactions. Also, you can't use the RR you got from the first transaction to pay for the second if you are buying the same thing. You could use it to pay for something else though. Walgreens will only let you use the same number of coupons as you have items. Many times you wouldn't think you would have more coupons than items, but it's quite possible if you have a manufactures coupon and a store coupon. Walgreens counts RRs as coupons too. Make sure to have a "filler"item. Some people do this differently. Some will grab the cheapest filler possible. I prefer to buy something I would use, even if I am paying a little bit more for it. I would rather buy a soda for the road than to buy another notebook! It sounds more complicated than it is.
Example:
Transaction One
St. Ives Body Wash – $2.99
Coupon - $1.00
OOP - $1.99
Register Rewards - $2.00
You only used one coupon
Transaction Two
Clearance Pencil - $.10
Wisk Laundry Detergent - $6.99
Manufacures Coupon - $3.00
Walgreen's Coupon - $1.00
Total- $3.09
Use $2.00 RR from St. Ives - $ 1.09
Receive back $2 RR from Wisk
You used three coupons, the Manufactures Coupon, the Walgreen's Coupon, and the RR.
So for both transactions you paid $3.08 OOP and still have a $2.00 RR to use on your next purchase. $1.08 for laundry detergent, a pencil, and body wash is a pretty good deal!
It takes some practice to get the hang of the Register Reward program at Walgreens. Don't get discouraged, it's really easy once you learn it!
CVS 101
Print the coupon policy and take it with you. You have to email the corporate office to request a copy of the coupon policy.
Sign up for an Extra Care card at the store and always keep it with you.
There's usually a machine at the front of the store. It price checks items and if you scan your Extra Care card, prints out store coupons. Get in the habit of scanning your card each time you go into the store.
CVS rewards programs consists of their Extra Bucks or ECBs. Out of all the stores I shop at, I believe this program to be the easiest to use. In addition to their weekly ECBs, you also earn 2% back each quarter. You don't have to do anything to keep track of this. After the quarter is up, you will receive your quarterly ECBs next time you use your card.
You can use manufactures and store coupons.
Example:
In the ad you may see something like this:
Schick Hydro Razor – $ 8.97
Extra Bucks - $4.00
It's like getting it for - $4.97
I went in and did this deal and had a $5.00 coupon and a coupon for free shave gel wyb (When You Buy) the razor, so mine looked like this:
Schick Hydro Razor – $ 8.97
Schick Saving Gel - $3.99
Coupon - $3.99
Coupon - $5.00
OOP - $3.97
Extra Bucks - $4.00
So CVS pretty much paid me $.03 to buy the Razor and Shaving Gel.
There was a limit of one per card on this deal so I could only do it once.
Extra Bucks expire a few weeks after you get them.
The trick is to "roll" your ECBs from week to week.
Example:
The following week Herbal Essences Shampoo is B1G1 (Buy one get one free) and Crest toothpaste is $2.00 with $2.00 ECBs with a limit of two per card. My deal would look like this if I had two $1.00 of Herbal Essences Coupons and two $1.00 off Crest coupons:
Four Herbal Essences Shampoo – $4.00
Two Crest Toothpaste - $4.00
Two Coupons for Herbal Essences - ($2.00)
Two Crest Coupons - ($2.00)
Total - $4.00
Use ECBs from previous week ($4.00)
OOP $0.00
Extra Bucks - $4.00
*You CAN use a B1G1 coupon on a B1G1 sale, making both items free.
Couponing 101 - Binder
I keep my binder organized into different binders within one binder using a Case-It Binder
I use baseball card holders to hold the coupons
Information Binder
In the front pocket I keep a calculator, scissors, foldable reusable shopping bag, pens, little notebook, pencils, paperclips and an envelope to collect Boxtops in.
I then have a pencil pouch where I keep my "store envelopes" (Envelopes for coupons I plan to use during that trip), and store rewards.
List of the stores I frequent contact information, store hours, and corporate numbers
List of coupon websites, blogs, forums, etc.
Then, divided by sections: ( I keep store ads in each of these sections as well)
Superstores
- K-Mart
Target- Store Policy
- Store Coupons
- "Target Tips", got from another blog
- Store Policy
Wal-Mart- Store Policy
- Store Policy
CVS- Store Policy
- Store Coupons
- Store Policy
Rite-Aid- Store Policy
- Store Policy
Store Coupons
Walgreens- Store Policy
- Store Coupons
- Store Policy
- "Walgreens Tips", got from another blog
Weis- Store Policy
- Store Coupons
- Store Policy
Giant Eagle- Store Policy
- Store Coupons
- Store Policy
- Martin's
- Other Store's Coupons (Fast Food, Clothing, Etc.)
- List of prices of items from stores I frequent
- List of rebates I've mailed out
- Rebates available
- Envelopes, Stamps, Address Labels
Just where I keep my receipts till I file them away
- Baking
Breakfast- Cereal
- Misc.
- Coffee
- Cereal
- Canned/Dressing
Dairy/Meats- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Misc.
- Meats
- Cheese
- Drinks
Frozen- Desserts
- Meals
- Desserts
- Sides/Helpers
Snacks- Candy
- Chips
- Cookies/Crackers
- Fruit
- Misc.
- Candy
Household
Cleaning- Bathroom
- Floors
- Fragrance
- Misc. Cleaning
- Soap
- Bathroom
- Laundry
Misc.- Batteries
- Misc.
- Office Supplies
- Storage Containers/Bags
- Batteries
- Paper Products
Pets- Cats
- Dogs
- Cats
- Toilet Paper
Personal
- Body wash/Soap
- Deodorant
- Face Products/Makeup
- Feminine Products
- Hair Products
- Kid Products
- Lotion
- Medicine
- Shaving
- Teeth
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)