Decoding a Couponer's Language

Learn the language of the couponers to find the best deals.

Chances are you've seen her on Oprah. Or you read about her amazing stockpiles in the local paper. Perhaps you've even heard her interviewed on the radio. You know who I mean. That savvy lady who can walk into a CVS, Kroger, Meijers Target or Walgreens and come out with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise after only paying a few cents out of pocket.

She is a serious couponer. She's constantly on the lookout for great deals and broadcasts them even if she can't use them herself. She's also eager to teach couponing to anyone who is willing to learn. To take advantage of her tutelage, all you have to do is understand her. To do that you must learn her language. Here's a guide to get you started.

I Love Getting Free Toilet Paper From Ralphs!

Once in while your coupons and store sales will perfectly align and you'll end up with some really useful products for free or for mere pennies. This is exactly what happened for me (and anyone else in the Los Angeles area) this past week.

Ralphs offered 4 roll packages of Angel Soft toilet paper for $.99 each. The sale caught my attention because I remembered seeing $.50 off coupons for Angel Soft toilet paper in my coupon binder. This was perfect because Ralphs doubles coupons up to a dollar. I was all set to go to Ralphs on Friday after work and get my free toilet paper.

Unfortunately, I saw upon closer inspection that the coupon was for a 6 pack and higher of Angel Soft. Bummer. I went to Ralphs anyway because I had a coupons for free Ben & Jerry's and Vitamin Water and the 12 grain loaves of bread I like were on sale for $.99. Even though I couldn't get my toilet paper, I was still able to get the ice cream, water and bread for a grand total of $1.03.

The next day, I was trolling my coupon sites and found that the insert preview had finally been posted. Guess what was coming out in the Sunday insert? You got it! $.50 off Angel Soft 4 roll packs.

I bought four papers and a teammate gave me her inserts. Off to Ralphs I went. I learned the last time on the Cottonelle deal that Ralphs only doubles one like coupon per transaction. I got five packs of the Angel Soft and did five separate transactions. Each one cost a nickle in tax. I got 20 rolls of toilet paper for a quarter. How cool is that?

There's still time. If you have this coupon, you can hurry in to Ralphs today and get your Angel Soft toilet paper for a nickle, too. If they're out, don't worry. Get a rain check. The coupon doesn't expire until June 21st.

Happy Shopping!

A Tutorial for Free Shopping at Walgreens

In the last post, I showed the results of my rolling register rewards at Walgreens. Here is a step by step tutorial to help you get the most of out of your Walgreens experience: How To Roll Register Rewards at Walgreens.

Happy Shopping!

Shopping for Free is FUN!!

I have this new pastime... Okay... obsession. It's called shopping for free and I love it!

Who knew using coupons and store rewards programs could actually get you more merchandise than you can shake a stick at for a tiny amount out of pocket?

Here's what I did yesterday at Walgreens:

(12) Colgate Cavity Protection Toothpaste [$.99 each, $11.88 total]

(8) Colgate Toothbrushes [$3.29 each, $26.32 total]

(6) Skintimate Shaving Creme [$2.99 each, $17.94 total]

(4) Scunci Ponytail Holders [$2.00 each, $8.00 total]

(2) Packets of Baretts [$.40 each, $.80 total]

My total OOP was $15.20!!! (Our tax rate is closing in on 10%)

It would've been lower, but a couple of my Register Rewards didn't print. Still, I think I did pretty darn good!

Walgreens isn't the only place that allows you to shop for free. Here's an article to help you learn how to get the most out of your CVS experience:

How To Shop for Free at CVS

Happy Shopping!