E-mail Me Questions

Do you have any questions about couponing?

Don't forget that you can e-mail me at: howtosaveadime@gmail.com

I will answer you personally and post your question on the blog.

Coupon Dos and Don'ts

I am a fan of coupons, but some people are taking it too far and ruining it for the rest of us. Here are some tips about how to use your coupons the right way:

1. Do Know Your Limits.

Save time, energy and embarrassment at the register by playing with the rules established by retailers and manufacturers. Visit their Web sites to learn if there have been any updates or changes to their coupon policies.

2. Do Ask Friends and Neighbors to Leave Aside Papers.

Some people actually subscribe to newspapers for the articles, not the coupons. It's perfectly acceptable to ask these friends and family members -- politely -- to set aside the coupons for you to pick up at a later time.

3. Do Start a Small Coupon Swap.

Rather than stealing your neighbor's Sunday paper to benefit from the extra coupon circular, create a support system through a small, local coupon exchange. Online exchanges also exist at savingsadvice.com and thriftyfun.com.

4. Don't Copy Coupons.

Many stores mention in their coupon policies that "coupons are void if copied, scanned, transferred, purchased, sold, etc." Again, stick with the official policy.

5. Do Ask Manufacturers to Send Coupons Directly.

If you can't find manufacturers' coupons readily on their Web sites, email or call them to request coupons be sent directly to your inbox. That's what many successful couponers claim to do. It sometimes earns them freebies, as well.

Click here to read more.

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

Extreme Couponing in Traverse City

I got this article in my email from "Friday Ticker" and found it very interesting:

Free groceries? Kristen Hains of Traverse City gets them all the time. She’s a devotee of “extreme couponing,” a nationwide trend that’s gotten so popular, it sparked a television show on The Learning Channel (TLC).

“Four years ago I realized how the coupon world worked,” she says. “[I learned] it was possible to save huge money – not just 35 cents but 80 percent or more off. I was amazed when I realized that I could literally get stuff for free.”

Last month, for example, Haines walked out of Meijer with $125 worth of free baby formula. Often, she says the store will actually pay her to buy an item. How? She’ll trade in a “$1 off” coupon for an item priced for sale at less than $1.

The secret to her shopping success? Hains pays close attention to stores that allow the use of a store coupon along with a manufacturer’s coupon; used together, they can drive an item’s price down to pennies per item.

She also checks her catalinas: “Catalinas are those annoying coupons that print out at the register with your receipt,” she says. “They're not so annoying if you look down and see that one says something like ‘Good for $5 off your next shopping trip of $5 or more.’ That's free money.”

Alisa Kroupa is a Traverse City mom shopping for six. She doesn’t consider herself an “extreme couponer” but admits she puts forth a solid coupon effort in her once-a-month “big shopping” as she calls it. “I save about $2,000 a year, minimum,” she says.

Hard-core couponers typically bring giant coupon binders with them – inches thick – that hold dates of sales, coupons organized by type, and long lists of potential items. Hains has and uses one herself, but because collecting the coupons and watching for deals can be so time-consuming, even she says she doesn’t “extreme coupon” every time she shops.

“I try to take advantage of as many deals as I can – however, as a single mom I don't always have the time to be on top of it as much as I wish I could,” says Hains.

Interested in learning how you can extreme coupon? Our couponers recommend these websites: www.thekrazycouponlady.com, and www.dealnews.com. 

I thought this article was really interesting because it shows that it is possible to save thousands of dollars a year just by putting in a little bit of effort. You don't even have to use coupons for every shopping trip... use coupons when you can or have some extra time to spare. Keep your eyes open for coupons that you can use and sales on items that your family uses often.

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

Stock up on school supplies this summer!

The best time of year to buy school supplies is NOW!!

... yes, the middle of summer

You’ll be able to find great deals on school supplies everywhere. This is the time to stock up for all of your school supply needs.

Staples

Staples is continuing the trend of their penny sales (every Sunday through Wednesday). This week its erasers, glue, and pens. Limit 2 each.

They also have $0.25 sales, $1 sales, etc.

Example: 500 sheet ream of paper- $0.25

Check out www.staples.com for all of their insane deals.

Walgreens

Walgreens has filler paper for $0.50 each this week, $0.69 composition notebooks, and 8/$1 folders.

Target

Target has glue and glue sticks on sale for $0.50 each, markers for $2 a pack, 2 sharpies for $1, 5 subject fashion notebooks for $1.

It’s not a school supply, but here’s another great deal at Target this week: 10 pack of plastic white hangers for just $1.

Each week for the rest of the summer, the deals on school supplies will be hotter and hotter!!

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

My Strategy

Last weekend I took a trip back home to California, and while I was there my mom wanted me to help her with her couponing.

I got her a coupon file for her birthday (lame I know, but it’s what she wanted!!) and I clipped a bunch of coupons to fill it. We organized the coupons and decided the best way would be alphabetically.

I showed my mom how I prepare for a shop, and now I’m going to share it with you.

First, I gather all my coupon inserts and weekly ads together and clip all the coupons that I think I might use. I always save the inserts because I might end up using a coupon that I didn’t think I’d use when I originally clipped the coupons.

I browse through all the weekly ads for each store and circle the good buys and things that I need. If I have a coupon for it I write “coupon” next to it so I remember to match them.

The best deals are the ones where you can use both a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon. I always either staple or paperclip these together so I remember to use both and get the best deal!

Next, I write a quick list per store and paperclip the coupons that I want to use at each store to the list. Now, it’s pretty ridiculous to go to multiple stores to do your weekly grocery shopping, so I usually pick one store (the one with the best deals) to do my big shop at. If I happen to be in the location of another grocery store sometime throughout the week, I’ll pop in and get just what I need and leave.

Always keep your eyes peeled for sales that weren’t advertised. Earlier this week, I found my favorite crackers on sale for $1.88 with a $1 off 1 coupon attached to the box. I scored big time!!

Just by doing these simple things and taking just a few minutes to prepare for a shop, I manage to save between 40 and 60% each time I go to the store. You don’t have to be an “extreme couponer” to save money. Just take a few minutes to prepare and stay organized!

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

Lauren's Fabulous Finds #9

Target:

Although Target does not let you double coupons, Target does let you combine their coupon with a manufacturers coupon.

Target coupon for $1 off Metamucil. Combine this with $2 off coupon for a total of $3 off.

Target coupon for $1 off 2 Always or Tampax items. Combine this with 2 $1 off 1 pack of Always Infinity OR $1.50 off 2 Tampax OR $3 off 2 Tampax Pearl.

(All mentioned coupons were found in Sunday June 5th's coupon inserts)

Walgreens:

Walgreens has some great coupons in their June 2011 Savings Book found in store. These coupons can be combined with sales and manufacturers coupons! This book also has coupons for Walgreens brand items, which are already cheaper than name brand items.

Nature's Bounty Vitamins and Nature Made Vitamins are both buy one get one free. There is also a coupon in this week's paper for $1 off each one. You can use 2 coupons since you are buying 2 bottles. That's but one get one free, plus $2 off. 

There is a Walgreens coupon for Ban Deoderant under 2.6oz for $1.49. There are coupons in this week's circular for $.75 off the solid. (Limit 4)

Chex Mix is on sale for 3/$3.99 with an in store coupon of $.99 off 3 bags. This makes each bag $1 and I had a coupon from a while back for $1 off 2 bags. That's 3 bags of Chex Mix for $2. 

Kroger:

Hormel Chili is on sale for $0.89 each (regularly $1.29), when you buy 5 participating products. Plus there is a coupon for $0.55 off 2 cans. That makes each can only $0.62.

All Brand Detergent is on sale for $2.99. There was a coupon in this week’s circular for $1.00 off each bottle. That makes each bottle $1.99 compared to $5-$6!!

Minute Maid refrigerated cartons are again on sale for $1 each.

Trop 50 juice is on sale for $2.88. There is a coupon online at www.coupons.com for $0.50 off each, which doubles to $1 off each bottle. That brings it down to $1.88 per bottle.

Kroger also had some delicious strawberries on sale for just $1.25 for 1 lb!!

Albertsons:

I’m really liking Albertsons right now for the following reasons:

1. They have a coupon on their website where if you register you get a coupon for $5 off your next order of $25 or more. Then, you can refer up to 5 friends to register and they get the same coupon. For each friend that you refer that registers, you get an additional coupon for $5 off your next order of $25!! Those savings can really add up!!
    
2. They double coupons, including online coupons, up to $0.50 and they triple coupons, including online coupons, up to $0.39!! They do limit the amount of coupons you can use to 4 coupons per like item (Tom Thumb only allows 1 per item). That means that if you buy 5 boxes of Cheerios, you can use 4 coupons. (Make sure you check the coupon policy at your local store.)

Albertsons is having a Crazy 8’s sale from 6/1/11-6/7/11.

1-dozen large eggs $0.88

2 liter Coke/Dr. Pepper sodas $0.88

Fuze juice $0.88. Combine this with the coupon for $1 off 2 and each one will only be $0.33!!!

Knorr Rice Sides, Rice-a-Roni, Pasta Roni $0.88

Fresh Express 12oz Salads $0.98

Cherrios (and some other cereals) are on sale for 2/$3. www.coupons.com has a coupon for $0.50 off each box, which doubles to $1. That means each box of Cherrios is only $0.50!!!

Nesquik Chocolate Syrup is on sale for 2/$4. There was a coupon this week for $0.50 off 1 Nesquik product, which doubles to $1. That means each Nesquik product is just $1!

Gulden’s Mustard is on sale for 4/$5… that’s $1.25 each. There is a coupon on www.coupons.com for $0.35 off which TRIPLES to $1.05 off. That makes your grand total just $0.20!

Albertson’s circular has a coupon on the front for “Buy any 4 multi-packs of Dannon yogurt products and get a gallon of Oak Farms Milk for Free!” There are multiple coupons this week for Activia ($1 off 2 packs) and Danimals yogurt ($0.50 off 1- doubles to $1 off) that you can combine with this deal… just make sure you use as many coupons as possible and clip the coupon on the front of the circular!

Tom Thumb:

Tom Thumb is having a Mix & Match sale on over 3,000 products. You save $0.50 off each product when you buy 8 or more participating products. My favorite way to take advantage of these sales is to match every single item that I buy with a manufacturer’s coupon. This guarantees that you get the best possible price!

I can’t sit here and list every single product, but I will list some that have coupons out recently that I’ve seen:

Red Baron Pizza $3.49 + $1.00 off coupon

Pillsbury Refrigerated Breads $1.99 each + $0.40 off 2 or 3 (which doubles to $0.80)

Knorr Rice or Pasta Sides $0.75 each

Kaboom Cleaners $2.99 + $0.50 off each coupon that doubles to $1 off

All Detergent $3.49 + $1 off coupon

Cherrios $2.49 + $0.50 off coupon which doubles to $1 off

Kraft Barbeque Sauce $0.75 + $1 off each bottle (this would be a money maker, but Tom Thumb does not allow overage, but it’s still FREE)

Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.99 + $0.50 off 2 boxes which doubles to $1 off 2 boxes

Fiber One Chewy Bars $2.49 + $0.50 off 2 boxes which doubles to $1 off 2 boxes

Powerade $0.79 each

Activia 4 pack yogurts $1.49 each + $1 off 2 packs

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren

Lauren's Fabulous Finds #8

Normally, I never go to more than one grocery store… but since this weekend was a long weekend, I knew I’d have some extra time to go to multiple stores. I found a ton of great deals this weekend.

Albertsons:

The big size Lawry’s Seasoning Salt was buy 1, get one free. (Regularly $4.49 each). Plus, I had 2 coupons for $0.50 off one, which doubled to $1 each. So, I got 2 huge bottles of seasoning for $2.49 total. This is a savings of 72%.

Lawry’s Marinade was on sale for 2/$4, compared to $3.29 each. Plus, I had a coupon for $1 off each bottle. I got each bottle for $1. This is a savings of 70%.

Gatorade was on sale for $.79 each, compared to $1.29 each.

KC Barbeque Sauce is on sale for $0.88. There is a coupon for $1 off each bottle, and I had 2 of these coupons. The store paid me $0.12 per bottle to take it out of the store!!!

Tom Thumb now has a Super Saver Coupon for $0.88.

Minute Maid refrigerated cartons were on sale for $0.99, compared to $1.99 each.

Grande Tortilla Chips were on sale for $2, and I had a coupon for $1 off. I got them for $1 (Regularly $3.49). This is a savings of 71%.

Fuze Juice was on sale for $1 each, compared to $1.69 each. I had a coupon for $1 off 2 bottles. I got each bottle for $0.50. This is a savings of 70%.

PowerBars were on sale for $1 each. I had a coupon for buy 1, get one free. I got 4 PowerBars for $2, compared to $7.16. This is a savings of 72%.

Kroger:

Turkey Hill half gallon iced tea was on sale for $1 each (regularly $1.99). I had 2 coupons for $1 off 2-half gallons. I got 4 half-gallons for $2 total. This was a savings of 75%.

Milano cookies were on sale for 2/$4. I had a coupon for $1 off each bag. I got 3 bags for $3. This was a savings of 71%.

Rozoni Veggie Pasta is a new pasta that I’ve been looking for. It wasn’t on sale, but it was $1.99 and I had a coupon for $1 off each box. I got each box for $.99.

Walgreens:

A lot of the different makeup brands are buy 1, get the next one for 50% off. I needed new eyeliner and it just so happened that each Revlon item had a coupon for $2 off attached to the back. I got 2 eyeliners for $7.83, compared to $7.49 each!

Tom Thumb:

Rice a Roni was on sale for $1 each box.

20 oz French’s mustard was on sale for buy 1, get one free. I also had coupons that reduced the price by a total of $0.60. I got each mustard for $1.

Skippy Peanut Butter had a Super Saver Coupon for $1.69 each, which was a savings of $1.50 per jar. 

Now, you may wonder how much time it took me to find these deals... All I did was look through each store's circular and then looked through all my coupon inserts. I clipped the coupons I would need and circled the deals in the circular. It took me only a few minutes! 

When I got to the store, I browsed each aisle like I normally do and bought some other things that I either needed.

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren

Lauren's Fabulous Finds #7

 "I feel like I just robbed the store!" is one of my favorite quotes from TLC's Extreme Couponing.

Today was one of those days for me... let me tell you all about it:

Today I bought $73.05 worth of groceries and paid just $30.24.

I did this in 2 transactions to maximize my savings.

I needed to split up my fresh produce into 2 orders of at least $5 in order to use both coupons for $1 off $5 of fresh produce. My first order was all produce and I saved 78% by combining what was on sale with the $1 off coupon.

I bought a total of  $13.45 worth of fresh produce for $4.10. Who says that fresh produce is expensive!!

12-pack Coke products were on sale for buy 2, get 2 free, plus get 2 boxes of Nabisco products for free. 

On the Nabisco boxes there was a coupon for buy 1 Nabisco product and get a box of the new Ritz Crackerfuls for free. 

So, I got 4 12-packs of coke and 4 boxes of crackers for $11.98. It should have cost me $39.52. That is a savings of 70%.

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren

Lauren's Fabulous Finds #6

Today I went to the grocery store only expecting to buy a few things, and I ended up with a cart full of groceries and 51% savings.

Select boxes of cereal were on sale for buy 4, save $4.

Kelloggs Mini Wheats: Regularly $3.59 each, on sale for $2.19

matched with a coupon for $1 off 2 boxes. 

Grape Nuts: On sale for $1.99 (Regularly $3.79)

Shredded Wheat: On sale for $1.99 (Regularly $3.89)

I got 4 boxes of cereal for $7.36, with a total savings of 50%!!

Not only that, the Kelloggs box had a coupon for $1 off fresh fruit when you buy 2 boxes of Kelloggs cereal. I went back to the produce and got an avocado for $.25!!

Classico pasta sauce was on sale for $1.99 and if you bought 2 jars you got 2 boxes of Safeway pasta for free!!

I also had a coupon for $1 off 2 jars of Classico sauce.

I got 2 jars of sauce and 2 boxes of pasta for $2.98 (Regularly $8.16)

That's a savings of 67%!!

Duncan Heines brownie mix was on sale for 2/$3 and I had a coupon for $.50 off one box. This was doubled, so I got the brownies for $.50. This was a savings of 76%!!

Rold Gold pretzels were on sale for $2.69 and I had a coupon for $2 off 2 bags. I got each bag for $1.69, a savings of 44%!!

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren

A Tip of the Day

Have you been reading the daily tip on Facebook? 

If not, I think you should check it out.

I have posted some simple and quick ways to "save a dime."

For example:

1. Scan your cupboards, pantry, and fridge before leaving for the grocery store. 

2. Keep a running list of items you are running low on or that you need on the fridge.

3. Keep an eye on the weekly store circular. 

Darn, I just shared them all so far. 

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren

It's Official

It's official, people.

"A Tip of the Day" exclusively on Facebook will start Monday, April 25th.

We have great grocery shopping tips lined up for our Facebook friends and fans.

There will be a new tip Monday-Friday, so make sure to check it every day and invite your friends to join us.

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

Tom Thumb's Hopping Daily Deals

I love how Tom Thumb has these daily deals before each holiday. They are such amazing prices!

Here's the rest of them:

Wednesday, April 20- Safeway Granulated Sugar (4lbs)- $1.59

Thursday, April 21- Del Monte Sweet Gold Pineapple- $0.99 each

Friday, April 22- Clos Du Bois Wine $8.49

Saturday, April 23- Super Colossal Raw Shrimp $8.99/lb

Sunday, April 24- Safeway SELECT® Apple Pie $2.99

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren

All Girls Love Shoes

Sunday was a great shoe day for me- and I didn't even buy any shoes... yet.

Famous Footwear had an ad in Sunday's paper this week.

They are having a 40-50% women's spring dress shoes which includes flipflops, wedges, heels, etc. 

Plus, on the back of the ad, there's a coupon for an additional 15% off your entire purchase!

Valid through 4/23/2011

When I went grocery shopping at Tom Thumb, the register printed out a coupon for 20% off any purchase at Payless Shoesource.

Valid through 5/8/2011

Finally, for having a rewards card at DSW, I got a rewards certificate for $20 off my next purchase through September 25, 2011.

The rewards card is free to have and you get some awesome benefits. It's basically just a way for them DSW to track your purchases and send you specials for being a customer.

You earn 10 points per dollar on regularly priced items and 5 points per dollar on clearance items. Every 1500 points, you get a $10 rewards certificate. 

I guess it's time to go shoe shopping!!

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

Springtime = Allergies

Spring is such a beautiful time of year... 

until the allergies come.

Zyrtec had a special coupon this week for $7 off one bottle. Catch is: it expires in only 1 week, April 24. 

CVS and Walgreens have it on sale for (25 liquid gels or 30 tablets) $18.99

Combine the coupon and your looking at a final price of: $11.99.

 

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

Fresh Produce

It's a common misconception that buying fresh produce is extremely expensive.

It is very important that you know what is in season, good prices for produce, and that you only buy what you need.

Today I bought:

2 bananas for $0.50

1 bag of spinach for $1

1lb of strawberries for $1.77

1 avocado for $1.99

 

I had a coupon for $1 off any $5 produce purchase (discount is taken at full price).

I paid $4.26 for this fresh produce. Full price it would have cost $9.97. 

That's 57% savings.

Proof- it is possible to save money even on fresh produce.

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren

(Disclaimer: If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE avocados, but I won't pay more than $1 for each one. Today was a rare exception. I thought I'd die without an avocado.)