The Frugal Files: Couponing Tricks of the Trade!!

Welcome back frugalicious ones!!

This week in The Frugal Files we’re going to chat about some couponing tricks of the trade. I’ve now been a couponer for a little over nine months and it has really had an impact on my life. I post a lot of my deals and steals on my Frugalicious Diva Facebook Page, but I still don’t really consider myself an Extreme couponer, just a frugalicious diva who likes to save money.

Couponing has allowed me to try new foods, drinks and beauty products, learn how to clean and do things around my house both naturally and on my own and it’s also allowed me to get beaucoup free items; items that my family uses and items to share with family, friends and non-profit organizations. It really is a way of life and I’ve learned a great deal in this coupon journey. Today, I just want to share a few more of the tricks I’ve learned. So, let’s dive in. Here’s my semi-professional advice to those getting into the game.

1) Keep it Simple…and cheap. One famous couponing blogger gave this advice, as she does it herself. Buy ONE newspaper. Look through it and find out, based on the sales, which ones you will be using. Now, if you can get others to give you their coupons, then great, but otherwise, use a coupon clipping service. She chooses the coupons she’ll need for the sales and orders the coupons online. She suggests the following sites:

Coupon Dede, Klip 2 Save and The Coupon Clippers  

They are not selling the coupons, but you'll typically need to pay an administrative fee and shipping costs. For a nominal fee, you usually get 10-20 of the same coupons. It seems to work for many. I haven't ventured into this, as my family is small, but I've heard great things. I used my local couponing groups and we share coupons. I like it free.

2) Go Small. Oftentimes coupons have no size restrictions. In that case, the smaller items are typically the best way to get items super cheap or even free. Take a look in the trial size section of your favorite stores and see if you can get that product for free. Remember, those coupons are always floating out there, if it's your favorite item and you want more (because the small one runs out too quickly), then refer to #1 and use the clipping service to get more of that coupon. Free tastes and feels good!!

3) Rip off the store...coupons. That's right and it's not illegal. There are coupons throughout the store that you can literally rip or tear off the shelves. They are called Tearpads. They add great savings to your shopping trip and are most often Manufacturer's Coupons, which means you can use them at any store, not just the one you're in. So next time you're scanning the aisles, look for these frugalicious nuggets and go save.

4) Take advantage of others'...negligence. I used to think other people were so lucky to find money randomly and I never did. Now, at the grocery stores, especially, I see people drop or leave money just laying around all the time. If you're not a couponer, you may not recognize that coupons are indeed money, but they are. Sometimes people don't pay attention to the coupons that print along with their receipt and leave them behind. If you see them in carts or left at your register, take them and use them. After all, it's just money left on the ground.

5) Let your money make money. With or without coupons, you can make your money do just that on your shopping trip. Ever heard of a catalina? Well, get acquainted because this is free money to use again and again. This is when you purchase a certain quantity of a certain product and the store or manufacturer awards you for getting their product. They give money back to you to use at that store. If you're using coupons with your order, you're just sweetening the deal. The good thing about catalinas is that they often "roll", meaning you can do the deal over and over and keep getting more money to spend.

I usually let them roll 1-2 times and I take the last catalina to purchase items for which I have no coupons. In a recent cataliina run, I got my catalina items, used coupons, paid out a little and got back my catalina. Then I turned around and got brown rice, ketchup, cotton balls, eyeliner, nail polish remover and even ground turkey, ALL FREE!! You are certain to walk away with several items for FREE, which is the absolute best part!!

Glad to have learned these things in my coupon journey and even happier to pass them on to other frugalicious divas!! Let's save Belles!! Feel free to share your saving stories with me on Facebook and Twitter!!

Frugalicious Diva
Follow me on Twitter at @FrugaliciousDva

The Frugal Files: Using Store Reward Programs to Maximize Savings

April Fool’s! Ha! Bet you were expecting the Frugalicious Diva and one of her fabulous money-saving blog posts, right? Well, in honor of April Fool’s Day, we decided to do what we call a “flip-flop” week. We have switched days for this week but will still maintain the topic of the day. I usually write about self-love and empowerment on my Fearless Fridays column but what many readers don’t know about me is that I am also a big couponer. I spend hours weekly, looking for coupons, cutting coupons and comparing coupons with circulars. I have been known to get things from free and have my own stockpile going on at home. So the Frugalicious Diva asked me to share some of my saving tips with all of you and she will share some of her positivity this week on my Fearless Fridays column.

One of the ways I get things for little to nothing is by utilizing reward programs at stores. Reward programs are loyalty programs where the sole goal is to reward and encourage loyal buying behavior with a customer. Stores like CVS and Rite Aid offer reward programs where you earn reward dollars per item that are good towards your next purchase.

Signing up for a reward program is super easy. You can sign up at the register in-store or online on the store’s website. Most stores will give you a card, which you give to the cashier to scan every time you make a purchase. That way your purchase is recorded on your account.

When you sign up for a reward program, the most important piece of information that you will give the store is your email address. Your email address is important because it is directly linked to your reward card so you can access your account on the store’s website and see where you are in terms of purchases towards a reward. With that said, here are 2 great reward program tips regarding emails:

Tip #1: Create an email address on Gmail or Yahoo that is dedicated to just being used for reward programs and couponing. That way your coupons and reward program-related emails are all in one place and not scattered within your main email inbox, which can become confusing and overwhelming if you get a lot of emails.

Tip #2: Sign up for emails for your favorite store. You can do this directly on their website. You will be notified of sales and coupons that are only available to online subscribers. Also, many times you will get a coupon for signing up. For example, when you sign up for CVS emails online, you automatically are sent a “$4 off a purchase of $20 or more” coupon to use on your next purchase.

Now you’re signed up! What to do next? Become familiar with the reward program at the store you will be shopping at. It is important to know the name of the reward program, the type of rewards earned and the store’s coupon and reward policy. Here’s a few to start you off:

CVS: Their rewards are called Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). ECBs are like money and all ECBs earned in a purchase are good towards your next purchase. $1ECB = $1 off your next purchase. Always be mindful of ECB limits, which are shown in fine print under the item in the circular. Most of the time, there is a limit of 1 ECB reward per item per customer. ECBs print out at the bottom of the receipt. You also earn 2% back in ECBs on all purchases during a certain seasonal time period. CVS also has their own coupon machine, where you scan your card and the machine spits out CVS coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer coupons. Keep scanning your card until the machine tells you it has no more coupons for you that day. I usually get about 2-3 scans.

CVS Tip: Make sure to sign up for CVS’ Beauty Club on the website. For every $50 you spend, you earn $5ECBs. Trick is, they count the $50 from the regular price. So even when you get any beauty item for free via ECBs, sales and coupons, you will get the value of the regular price of that item added towards your Beauty Club total. I hit my $50 almost every week and don’t pay that much out of pocket! Also, next time you’re in CVS, look for their Green Tag. This is a bag tag that you buy for 99 cents and every visit, you bring it in, hooked to a reusable shopping bag, have it scanned and on the 4th visit, you earn $1ECB. This is a great way to help the environment, use your own bag and earn some ECBs.

Rite Aid: They have two ways to earn rewards; +Up rewards and Single Check Rebates. +Up rewards are the same as ECBs. With Single Check Rewards (see picture at right), you have to enter in your information from your receipt online and you will be sent the amount of the rebate in the form of a check in the mail.

Rite Aid Tip: You can get store coupons (which can be stacked with manufacturer coupons) through their Ad Perks website. Basically, you watch a 2-minute video on a product and afterwards, you get a coupon, which you can print out and use in-store. Also, in their circular, be on the lookout for store coupons as well.

Walgreens: Their reward program is called Register Rewards and it works like CVS and Rite Aid, where you can earn register rewards on an item. However, you don’t need a rewards card in Walgreens to take advantage of Register Rewards. You just buy the item in question and the reward prints out with the receipt (see pic on left).

Walgreens Tip: Every month they come out with a coupon book, full of store coupons that you can stack with manufacturer coupons. The coupons expire at the end of the month and the books are usually located at the front of the store next to the circulars or just ask the cashier for one.

Final tips…Plan your shopping trip beforehand! The first thing I do is scan the circular and see what items have rewards attached to them. I then see if I have coupons for those items. Once that is done, I build my shopping list in an Excel spreadsheet with formulas that calculate my savings and totals. I also break my purchases up into 2-3 smaller separate ones so I can apply the rewards I receive on the first purchase to the next and so on. I plan my shopping trip in advance this way so I know what I am getting free on which purchase.

I hope this helps you to better understand how you can use reward programs to get free stuff. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and I would be more than happy to answer them as best as I can. Now let’s shop!

The Frugal Files: Saving More at Grocery Stores

Hey frugalicious ones!!

It's the end of the month, so wrap up this month's budget sheet and prepare your new one for March!! It seems like so much occurred in February, including getting freebies all month, awesome savings at the grocery stores and making the best use of my couponing knowledge. If you're missing out on the freebies, be sure to catch up with me daily on Facebook: Frugalicious Diva

Speaking of grocery stores, that's our topic for this week!! We're going to chat about how to shop and get the best savings at there. Of all the coupon classes I've taken, the advice that's been consistent is to choose 1-2 stores and get familiar with them. Choose your favorites or ones closest to you. My picks are Kroger and Walmart because I have four Kroger stores within 5 miles of me and two Walmart stores. They are accessible and I love their coupon policies. So let's get started.

1) Sign up for Card Rewards Savings - Most grocery stores have some sort of reward system in place to give you perks and savings at their store. Kroger has a Plus Card good for both groceries and gas, Meijer has mPerks and Rite Aid has +UP Rewards/Wellness card. All cards provide added savings, allowing you to take advantage of in store sales and discounts. Remember though, just like coupon policies, you have to know HOW to use your card, so you actually get savings on things you are already purchasing.

2) Use Coupons - While we're on the subject, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my new favorite pastime. Couponing is how we truly save at the grocery store, especially ones like Kroger and Giant Eagle. If it weren't for the coupons matched with their deals, I would never shop there. They are too expensive for full price shopping. Thanks to the plentiful extreme couponing blogs, I get the benefit of the deals on the backs of those who've already done the work. All I need to do is collect and clip my coupons, wait for the deals and stock up. Wouldn't you rather shop for food and toiletries right in your own home? Well, let's get those stock piles together!!

3) Shop Clearance - Couponing is my favorite pastime, but the grocery clearance is my new obsession!! A couple of weeks ago I discovered grocers have clearance tables/shelves and I have been in heaven. This is a couponer's dream because you're getting discounts on top of discounts. Merchandise may be thrown in clearance for several reasons: open box returns, discontinued items, damaged packaging, shelf life expiration is nearing, etc. Whatever the reason, it means savings for you and I, and I plan to take advantage. Don't be afraid of those dented cans Belles!!

For every clearance bin I visited, I had a coupon for something there. If I regularly used it and the savings was worth it to me, I purchased it. If not, I left the coupons for someone else to use. I was able to stock my linen closet, so we're set for about 6 months. I was also able to try new products for pennies, thanks to Kroger and their policy to double coupons.

4) Learn the Store Layout - We are always looking for ways to save and I don't know about you, but that includes my time. So to cut back on grocery shopping time, we need to know where everything is. Since we're picking our favorite stores, learn about them. Understand that perishables like deli, produce, meats and the bakery will be on the outskirts of the store and the items with longer shelf lives are in the aisles. Learn which items are close to each other, so you will write your list in that order.

5) Prepare at Home - This is the last step I'm mentioning, but it's the first step to do, tying all the above together. Get your sales fliers and begin to match it up to the coupons that you have. Need some coupons, go to Coupon Divas and check out the printables. Get what you need, learn the coupon policies and get ready to shop. Once you've learned the store, arrange your coupons (and shopping list) according to the store layout. Then save, save, save!!

Be sure to not only save, but share your saving stories!! Post it to my facebook page or tweet #frugalicious on Twitter!! Chat with you next week!!

Frugalicious Diva

The Frugal Files: It's Black Friday Time!!

Hey there frugalicious folks!!

Just stopping by to share some info with you!! So, Veteran's Day just past and I hope you were able to honor and recognize the many service men and women who fought and continue to fight for our freedoms!! In addition to honoring them, I saw that many businesses were honoring them with discounts!! We also got some discounts. I went to both Savers in my area for the 50% off sale. They were CROWDED!! For $16, I walked away with NEW clothes: I got two denim jackets, one was colored and three tops that fit nicely into my wardrobe.

All during that day I also noticed all the sales circulars!! It's officially that time!! It's Black Friday time!!

I have never personally participated in Black Friday sales on Black Friday, but admire people who do; their tenacity to shop amongst the frenzy in the streets. My cousins and aunts participate every year. I asked them what makes them successful; they have a plan. You can't just go out to stores on Black Friday all willy-nilly. You must have a strategy to ensure you are in the right place at the right time and that you actually get what you want.

Anyone who plans on shopping Black Friday with them MUST attend the "Sales Flyer Party". The first thing they do is gather all the resources; meaning all the circulars that typically show up right about now. They scour every page and mark the items they want or the items they know someone else wants. They discard of the circulars they don't need, then make a list of stores they will be hitting early that morning.

Next, they determine the times of the sales. This is helpful because they want to be there early as possible, as well as maximize the limited time in the stores. Then they map the route, based on the sale times to make sure all the items are covered. Lastly, they coordinate teams to make sure each store, time and sale is covered. For the larger chains they send each team out for specific items. That way not just one person is responsible for finding many things, but several people are responsible for finding just a few items each.

Now that the information is gathered and everyone has their assignments, they do a trial run to the major stores. This is when each team or representative finds the area where their items will be placed on that Friday morning. They even mark it with distinctive tape so they will remember and see it. They do take a gamble here, because the employees could remove it, but it's worked in their favor the last few years.

This is the most detailed plan I have ever heard of for something like Black Friday. I am so amazed at them and admire them for doing it every year. I have said I wanted to participate, but I just can't seem to commit. They do very well every year too, as they always get what they intend to!!

You now have some inspiration, so go and create your own plan; one that will maximize the savings you'll receive on Black Friday. In fact, one of my frugalicious challenges to you this year is to ONLY shop on Black Friday....okay, you can even include Cyber Monday and make it a weekend thing. Make these your only shopping days and you're done before December even gets here.

To help you out, I just wanted to share some links of Black Friday sales I've seen, thanks to some of the most frugalicious bloggers and couponers I know. Feel free to have your own Sales Flyer Party!!

Walmart


Sam's Club


Best Buy

If you're really into it and want to see other stores ads, check out the Black Friday sites like this one: http://www.2011blackfridayads.com/

Don't get overwhelmed and shop at every store, but do choose what's best for you and take care of it now!! Then, sit back and enjoy your December, free from the holiday shopping frenzy in the stores. Happy Shopping!!

Frugalicious Diva

The Frugal Files: Fiscally Focused on Family

Hey there!!

Frugalicious Diva here!! I can only imagine how the last challenge went for you. Talking about money can be awkward, so investigating our feelings about money and spending; it’s downright intrusive!! I hope the emotions came up and out so you can be more economically aware and stable.

So for the last two weeks, we’ve talked about you: your lifestyle and healthy changes for yourself, as well as your internal thoughts about money challenges. This week the focus is not on you, but on those you care about. This week’s LIFE challenges will concentrate on “F”. I bet you think it stands for frugal, but not so. It’s Family.

For family, it is not just about frugal living, but also financial planning. Both are important when looking to live within our means, meet our financial goals and build wealth for many generations to come. First thing, let’s chat about frugal finances. Over these last few weeks, we’ve discussed cooking, using what’s on hand and staying within our budgets.

What else can our family use to save money? COUPONS!! I am the first to say, coupons are not my expertise, but I typically use them and always feel good when I save money with them. I try to NEVER pay full price for anything and I dare you to do the same. After all, they call it the “suggested” retail price. I choose to bypass that option and suggest something lower.

We’ve all seen, or at least heard of, those extreme couponing shows. I’m not necessarily advocating adding a stockpile room onto your house, but we can learn a lesson from those who do. In these extreme temperatures we’ve had the last couple of years, keeping a small stockpile of necessities might make sense…and save you some cents too.

Challenge #1: Only purchase items this week on sale or items for which you have a coupon. Obviously, you can get coupons from the weekend newspaper mailers. If you don’t, grab one or ask a neighbor. Also, go to http://www.meetup.com/ and check for a coupon group in your area.

With so many online options, find an online group. They usually have great deals. Coupon Katarina and Sister Save-A-Lot are just two of several coupon experts online; they post daily! My absolute favorite online coupon code website is http://www.retailmenot.com/. Sometimes they feature secret coupon codes that retailers aren’t even aware are available or still working. So before leaving the house to shop or filling up your online cart, log on to this site and copy and paste a code that will save your cash.

Frugally, you’re set this week. Now, let’s talk long term. What are you doing to prepare and sustain your family in your golden years? Do you have a 401k? Are you maximizing it? What about Stocks? Bonds? IRAs? Mutual Funds? I was fortunate to be introduced to my current financial advisor while looking to purchase a home. He demonstrated how easy it is to invest my money. Do your homework and when you invest you’ll see how much you’ve gained by sacrificing a small portion of your budget now.

Challenge #2: Ask your employer if they offer a 401k/403b. If they do, sign up at the maximum. If your employer offers to match your investment, then take it. It’s FREE money!!

Challenge #3: Search for a Financial Advisor. It’s recommended that, like an insurance agent, you find someone in your age range that you can trust and of course is certified and training in investments. Look for someone that takes the time to explain each topic thoroughly. When interviewing, ask multiple questions and study their character. If you think they are only out for your money, keep looking. You want an advisor who’s willing to go the distance with you and cheer you on.

Just as the Autumn leaves fall and change color, realize you can change too. By changing your mindset, you can change your financial situation both now and later. It’s time for the old way of thinking to go away and for you to welcome the new season of wealth and healthy finances. Go and grow!! Have a great week!!

Frugalicious Diva