Welcome Great Day Visitors (Coupon Stacking)
I made another appearance today on Great Day St. Louis (July 19, 2010). If you’re visiting because you saw that segment and want information on coupon stacking and the reward programs at Walgreens and CVS, then here you go:
As I mentioned in the segment, the best way to really make couponing work for you is to use “coupon stacking.” Coupon stacking is using a manufacturer’s coupon in addition to a store coupon for an even lower price.
Then, if you “stack” the manufacturer’s coupon with a store coupon AND a store sale on an item, you can sometimes get it super cheap or in some cases, FREE!
For example, local retailers publish ads with the items they have on sale, and those ads often include coupons for those same items. So you might have a coupon for 50 cents off Kellogg’s cereal. That doesn’t sound like much. But if the store has published a coupon for $1 off a box of Kellogg’s cereal, AND the cereal is on sale 2/$5, then you can use TWO 50 cent manufacturer’s coupons, plus the $1 store coupon, and get two boxes of cereal for $3.
These savings become even more significant when you’re taking advantage of store reward programs such as Walgreens Register Rewards and CVS Extra Care Bucks (ECBs).
Each week, Walgreens and CVS reward their customers for purchasing certain products by giving you register receipts that work just like cash on your next purchase. You’ll see these items in the weekly ad.
Here’s an example:
In recent Walgreen’s ad, Colgate Toothpaste was advertised for $2.99, with a $2 Register Reward (RR) good on your next purchase, so it’s like paying $.99.
Now, here’s the FUN part — the part where you can get stuff “free” or “more than free” by using the Register Rewards program and coupons. If you have a $1 coupon for Colgate Toothpaste, then you’re only paying $1.99 for that tube, and then you get a $2 RR to use on your next purchase. You make a penny on the deal!
Here’s another example: Last week, CVS adverised several buy one get one (BOGO) free deals. One of those items was a 27.8 oz container of Folgers coffee for $11.99. That price isn’t so great, considering that you can buy the same item at Target for $7.99. But when I got the second container free with the purchase of the first one, and then I stacked the deal with 2 $1 coupons for Folgers coffee (which CVS lets you do, even if you’re only purchasing one), I got both containers of coffee for only $9.99. That’s a good price.
Usually, there are limits on these deals, and most of the time, you can’t “roll” Register Rewards or CVS ECB’s, meaning you can’t use the $2 you just made on the toothpaste deal to buy another tube of Colgate toothpaste. You can get all the details on how these programs work on my Web site under the “getting started” series.
My first appearance on Great Day St. Louis was on ways to trim your grocery bill using coupons and other techniques, so let me direct you to some of the resources on this site that offer more details than a television segment can provide.
I’d also invite you to peruse the other posts in my Coupons and Frugal Living categories, where you’ll find posts about what coupon inserts to expect in the weekend paper, great deals or coupons I’ve discovered, and tips I’m learning for more frugal living. Plus, you can find weekly deals at Walgreens here and at CVS here; you can try my weekly Walgreens $10 Challenge here and find coupons in my coupon database here.
Please remember, however, that just like anything else, it’s important to play by the rules and be polite when using coupons. Get to know the coupon policies of your favorite stores (most of them are posted on the Web sites or you can ask for a copy from the store manager). If you cheat with your coupons, it’s the same as stealing, in my opinion. Be courteous to sales clerks who are learning the ropes. And be courteous to other shoppers and let them go ahead of you if they only have a few items or simpler transactions, and try not to do extravagant coupon shopping during a store’s busiest times.
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