Extreme Couponing Secret #1: Combine Coupons With Store Savings
Types of Store Savings:
Sales
Promotions
Reward Programs
Store Coupons
Double Coupons
Sales include reduced prices on products and 'buy one, get one' deals. Don't use your coupon on regular priced products! You'll pay the lowest price possible when you use your coupon and the product is on sale! For example, cereal is regularly $2.99. If you use your $1.00 coupon right away, you'll pay $1.99. But if you wait until cereal goes on sale for $1.99, and use your $1.00 coupon, you'll pay just $.99!
For 'buy one, get one' deals, you can use two coupons (one for each product), and get both items at the lowest price possible! For example, razors are regularly priced at $6.99, and you have a coupon for $3.00, making the razors $3.99. But if you wait for a 'buy one, get one' sale, you can get two packages of razors for $6.99, use two $3.00 coupons, and pay just $.99 for two packages of razors!
Promotions include 'buy this, get this' deals, mega events, and other store promotions. Stores often have promotions such as 'buy two products, get a gift card'. For example, diapers are regularly priced at $8.99, or if you have a $2.00 coupon, $6.99. If your store has a promotion where you buy two packages of diapers and get a $5.00 gift card after purchase, you'll pay $13.98 (2 x $8.99 minus 2 x $2.00 coupons) but still have $5.00 to spend on a future transaction, so it's like you only paid $8.98 for the two packages of diapers!
Mega Events are store promotions where specified products are included in a sale, and if you buy a specific number of those products, you'll save a specified amount off your transaction. For example, Kroger recently had a mega event where if you bought ten participating items, you saved $5.00 off your transaction. Combined with coupons for each of the ten items, this was a great opportunity to stock up and save!
Reward Programs can mean lower prices with a store loyalty card, and rewards after purchase such as Register Rewards at Walgreens, or Extra Bucks at CVS. For example, toothpaste is on sale for $2.99 and there's a reward after purchase for $2.00. If you combine this with a $1.00 off coupon, you'll pay $1.99 at the register, and receive a $2.00 reward towards a future transaction. So it's like you got the toothpaste for free!
Store Coupons can often be stacked with manufacturer coupons, saving even more money! Store coupons can be found online or in weekly ads.
Double Coupons are a great opportunity to save even more! Grocery stores often double coupons, which means the value of your coupon can be doubled! Instead of spending your $.50 coupon at a discount store, use your $.50 coupon at a grocery store where they will double the price! Even though the grocery store might be slightly overpriced, by doubling the coupon, it results in a price lower than the discount store! For example, you have a $.40 coupon off six yogurts. At Walmart they are $.58 each. After buying six and using the $.40 coupon, the total is $3.08. At Dillons they are $.60 each. After buying six and doubling the $.40 coupon, the total is $2.80! And, Dillons often has a sale on yogurt for $.50 each. So if you wait for the yogurt to go on sale, and double your coupon, the total would be $2.20!