Welcome back to my saving money series! The first thing and the most IMPORTANT thing that I want to share with you guys is HOW TO COUPON!
Couponing throughout the years has changed so much. It’s not just clipping newspapers and organizing anymore. Technology plays a roll now and it is a big one! Before I start, if you haven’t read my first post in the series, you can check it out here to catch up!
Here is how to coupon: The extreme way!
I'm going to show you how you can start saving 97% on your shopping trips!
I would like to start by saying couponing does take a lot of time, but it doesn’t always have too. I have created a really easy way to coupon and save as much as you need too, without investing hours and hours.
You don’t always have to buy in bulk either. These are the two things that turn people off from couponing. They don’t have enough time and they don’t have enough space. Well not everyone has to have a grocery store in their basement. Anyway, now on to the stuff you came here for: There are so many components that go into couponing that can seem a little hectic at times. That’s why I am going to be making you guys some printables to help you make it less hectic. (Those are to come, but as a college student, intern and blogger, studies at this point in time have to come first.)
The first thing you need to know is how and where to get the coupons:
You can honestly find coupons anywhere nowadays, however, I CANNOT explain to you how important newspaper coupons are. Yes, you have to pay for them, but you’ll get your money back plus some if you get them.
Here is a list of places you can get coupons: Coupons.com Specific Store Sites: Rite Aid CVS Specific Brand Websites – If you go to a brand’s page, chances are they will have a coupon you can get. You will probably have to sign up for their email list but that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to email a brand and ask for coupons either. It is so easy and so rewarding!
Rebate Apps to download:
Ibotta: you can sign up with my referral code and get $10 upon redemption of your first rebate: mcoevnt
Checkout 51 : They currently do not have a referral program or bonus for signing up. However, every little bit helps!
What can you do with those coupons?
Ideally, the “great equation” to saving money with coupons is: COUPON FOR SPECIFIC ITEM + WEEKLY SALE IN A SPECIFIC STORE + REBATE FOR ITEM = LOW PRICE OR FREE ITEM
Because getting low priced or free items relies so heavily on rebates and weekly sales, people tell you to buy in bulk. That way, you don’t have to worry about running out of the product. However, these sales most likely will return in a month. So, you only have to get enough stuff from that sale, to last you four weeks. That really isn’t a lot of stuff. You may be purchasing one or two or even three of those items but paying less than you would for one.
It may seem super easy with an equation like that, but the coupons in the newspaper/online don’t always match the ones that are on sale in the specific store or for the specific rebate. That is why people say it takes a lot of time. Before you get all crazy into couponing, I do need to tell you that you probably will have to go to more stores in order to save the most money because different stores run different sales, but if you mix up your shopping trips you won’t spend as much time shopping. (I promise that if you REALLY want to save money, going to more than one store to get almost free items won’t be a problem.)
How the process works:
I suggest starting with the weekly ad at stores like Rite Aid, CVS, Walmart, Target and your local grocery store. Circle the things that you are interested in purchasing and then find an accompanying coupon. (Most likely in the paper or on coupons.com. Remember that more often than not, the equation won’t always line up perfectly. However, if you still need the product, saving an extra four dollars will help you not hurt you!) After finding the coupon and the sale, find an accompanying rebate from one or more of your apps. After doing all three of these things, you should have gotten the purchase price down as low as you possibly can. Couponing at places with loyalty programs like Rite Aid and CVS make it that much easier because you can pair those points with your purchase to get more money off. CVS also has special coupons that you can get each week to help you EVEN more on your shopping trip. This is called coupon stacking. When you pair a coupon, to a weekly sale, to a rebate, have Extracare bucks, and an additional CVS coupon, chances are you will either get it for free or you will make money on the purchase. (CVS is my favorite place to shop because of the great deals that you can get with all of the extras. The more you shop and the more you use coupons, the more coupons you will receive. I highly recommend downloading the app, enrolling in beauty rewards and in the ExtraCare card program! I saved over $400 in four months here.)
Here are two examples of ways you can get super cheap products this week at CVS: All you need its to be an ExtraCare Member (as of 3/31 for Colgate) and get two newspapers this Sunday 4/8.
Colgate is on sale for $3 this week. As you can see above in the top left hand corner, CVS actually tells you this product is free.
Colgate Toothpaste is free when you use a $0.50 off coupon from your newspaper today and use a $2.50 off one Colgate CVS coupon from the ExtraCare coupon center. (Please keep in mind, when you want to use ExtraCare coupons, you have to be signed up for at least a week.) Total: Free
Looking to stock up on some Shampoo and Conditioner?
L’Oreal Elvive and Garnier Fructis are on sale this week, $2/8 and $2/7 Plus get a $10 gift card when you spend $30 on these products. Buy three L’Oreal Elvive Shampoos and Conditioners each (total = six bottles) Buy one set of Garnier Fructis Shampoo and Conditioner (total = two bottles) Use two $4 off 2 L’Oreal Elvive coupons from your newspaper this weekend and then use two $2 off 1 L’Oreal Elvive coupons from your newspaper. Pair these with one $4 off two Garnier Fructis shampoo or conditioner coupon from your newspaper and pay $15 Out of Pocket and get a $10 gift card for next week. Total: $0.63 each when you purchase all eight bottles.
You now have paid $5 for three months of shampoo and conditioner (considering you might possibly use one bottle of each a month)
If you are looking to purchase more things on your shopping trip, you can use your $10 gift card to get other things like paper towels or toilet paper that are harder to save on! Doing separate transactions will often help you save more money. Don't worry about the people behind you. Chances are, they will be more jealous than irritated! Don’t forget to check your rebate apps as well! P.S you could also pick up a 16ct of Tide Pods for $1.94 + tax! As you can see, the add up is a little complicated but the more you practice, the better you will get! I mentioned above that you will also be getting some super helpful printables in the near future to help make this process easier. You can sign up for my email list now to get them as soon as they become available! Are you interested in more couponing tips? I have so many! If you're interested, comment down below and let me know which stores you’re interested in knowing more about! If you have any questions at all or are interested in learning how to coupon on the regular, shoot me an email at [email protected] or comment below and we can chat about ways to make it happen for you! Feel free to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest to see what I am up to and to catch up on my latest news! Also, subscribe to my blog to get an inside scoop on my posts and a heads up on my giveaways!
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