How and When to use coupons to get the BEST deal? There are 3 key “secrets” to Maximum Coupon Savings!
- One BIG “Secret” is Matching Coupons With Great Sales and Promotions!
For example, If you go to Walmart to use your $1 off 1 box of Kellog’s Cereal Coupon, it may end up being cheaper to just buy the generic box.
IF, however, you use the coupon when Kellog’s Cereal is at a rock bottom price – or if you match it with a promotion at your local grocery store you end up with cheap cereal {and a smile on your face}!
How do we find those great sales? It’s important to realize that groceries go on sale. They all have a “rock bottom lowest price”, and we want to maximize savings and only buying groceries when they are at that rock bottom price (at least that’s the goal). Don’t worry it’s not too hard, in most areas they follow a cycle roughly 6 weeks long. That means if you see a rock bottom price this week then you should buy enough of that item to last your family 6 weeks. That way you can avoid having to go back and pay the full retail price in between. How to spot a rock bottom price? It takes a little time to find the lowest prices in your area so be patient and work on developing your price list and soon you’ll be able to spot rock bottom prices without the use of the list.
- Stacking Coupons *My favorite coupon secret*!
Stacking means that you will use 1 Manufacturer Coupon and 1 Store Coupon on 1 Item!
Albertson’s, Kroger, Rite Aid, Safeway, Target, and Walgreens stores (just to name a few) all have store coupons and allow them to be stacked with a manufacturer coupon! (You can never, ever use 2 manufacturer coupon on 1 item but most stores will allow you to use 1 store and 1 manufacturer coupon on the same item. Be sure to check each store’s coupon policy just to be sure.)
- Double Coupons
Some stores will double coupons up to a certain value. This means that one $0.50 off coupon will become $1.00 off, etc. Awesome, right? Here are some stores, who we’ve heard that double coupons:- Albertsons: Northwest Albertsons (Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana, Wyoming & North Dakota & sometimes Southern CA) distributes “Twice the Value” coupons in their weekly ads. These twice the value coupons double any coupon up to $1.00 in value when you shop with your Albertsons Preferred Card.
- Harris Teeter: Stores double coupons up to $0.99 every day. Occasionally they will advertise triple coupons up to $0.99 or double coupons $0.99-$1.98.
- Kmart: Stores will occasionally double coupons. They may or may not advertise the doubling publicly, but as soon as I hear the details I share them with you!
- Kroger: Stores will double up to $.50 everyday with your Kroger Plus Card. Some regions will double up to $.55 or more.
- Lowe’s Food: Stores will double 20 coupons with a face value of $0.99 or less every day.
- Safeway: Stores in the Pacific NW (Oregon & Southern WA) distribute double coupons in their weekly ad. There are usually 3-4 of them and they double coupons up to $0.50 in value. Safeway affiliate stores Randalls and Tom Thumb (Texas) automatically triple coupons $0.39 and under and double coupons up to $0.50. Colorado & Wyoming double coupons up to $0.50 and they round $0.51-$0.99 coupons to $1.00. It has been reported that other Safeway locations (including CA) do not double coupons.
Some restrictions usually apply, as to how many coupons you can double, etc. so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with your local coupon policies.
Here at EmbracingBeauty.com we want to show you exactly where to find the best coupons and help you with when and where to use them. We are reporting regularly on a few national grocery and drug store ad match up deals (Walmart, Walgreens, Lowes Food, CVS, & occasionally Rite Aid) but hopefully soon we’ll be able to expand and report on even more national stores. *If you are interested in helping me with this drop me an email* Most national stores operate on a Sunday-Saturday sale cycle so we will post a big match up for each store at the beginning of each cycle (usually Sunday or Monday). While we don’t currently report on these, Albertson’s, Safeway and a few other regional grocery stores operate on a Wednesday-Tuesday sale cycle.
If you are new to couponing remember that it will take time to figure out when something is a good deal or not. Don’t stress about it! Anything you are saving now is money in your pocket that you weren’t saving before. Take time to slowly develop your price list and you’ll be a pro before you know it!
View other lessons in this Extreme Couponing series:
Lesson 1: Change the Way You Shop & Coupon Vocabulary
Lesson 2: 10 Coupon Myths Debunked
Lesson 3: Where to Find Coupons
Lesson 4: Get Organized
Lesson 5: Creating Your Price-List
Lesson 6: How to Maximize Coupon Savings
About Ashley
I just want to know if you can help me get started sort of like a mentor. I live in a household with my husband,my handicap mother,a sister with twin teenagers(boy & girl). I no longer work to take care of my mom, my sister is part time worker and hubby tries hard. I live in florida where the main grocery stores are Winn Dixie and Publix. I believe in using coupons but I am one of those people who has a fear of getting to the counter and not having enough or afraid that the coupon won’t work. I am a good shopper mostly shopping at WD with the savings card. please help.
Marcy, I just want to let you know that I’ve emailed you a few times already with no reply but in case you get on here and read this I have some information that can help you. Drop me an email through the contact form above and I’ll email you back.
Thank you for this website… b/c of being out of work I”ve decided to start couponing and your website has been the most helpful thus far of how to go about this process. Thank you, thank you, thank you and may God bless you and your family.
I hate to hear that you’re out of work, I’m so sorry! I’m glad that my site has been useful to you. Thank you for leaving a comment, it’s always encouraging to hear feedback from my readers. God bless you!
Note that Publix will accept nearby store coupons! For instance: catalina’s from Walgreens will work at my Publix. Also, Publix accepted my kroger store coupons. It was perfect on the week that I was short on time! Usually I am able to make the 3-store loop to maximize savings. You must check with every store customer service desk for exact rules. My Publix Manager has the authority to make rules for his store….He cancelled Target as a “nearby” competitor. P.S. Love your site!
Thank you for the heads up, that’s a wonderful tip! …and I’m glad you like the site! 🙂
I’m a single mother of four which one is a special needs child.I’m totally ashamed to admit this but I get 200$ a month for food stamps.It is never enough so I’ve been trying the coupon thing and seem to have a great deal of trouble finding coupons.When I do find some it saves me some money but not like Ive seen on t.v.I just wanted to say thank you so much for getting me going and helping to understand a little more than I did before.if you would like to contact me my email is schneiderdeb@comcast.net Thank you again, Deb. 🙂
Don’t ever be ashamed to ask for help when you need it! I’ve been without food before so I can understand your feelings of shame but being on the other side now I realize that there was no need for it. People want to help you! It’s the ones who try to scam the system that people disapprove of. I’m glad to know that I’ve been able to help you save a little more! If you ever have any specific questions please feel free to drop me an email. I’m glad to have you as a reader, Deb!
Wonderful and encouraging! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad to hear it! 🙂
awsome site Ash i new to this and gonna start couponing thanks for the info 🙂
Hello my name is krystal, I am a mother of three, soon to be four, all boys so our grocery bill is insane, I am trying to coupon but seem to be running into all the policies that I cannot duplicate coupons, limit one coupon per transaction, and cannot combine, in stores such as walmart, and tops I live in NY, and was wishing for some help, if you get time to lend a hand I would really appreciate your time. Krystal_gravelle@yahoo.com if you would like to email me. Thank you Ashley so much!!
Dear Ashley,
I live in Gurnee, Illinois. We spend $200 a week in groceries. I am studying for the bar and can’t contribute financially. I would love to know what is available in Illinois. Also, how do I get around cannot duplicate coupons, limit one coupon per transaction, and cannot combine coupons. Appreciate any help.
Very truly,
Sam Kreuz
Over the last year I have struggled with getting started on couponing. I used to work for a grocery store when I started and I thought I was doing really well at that time because I was saving about $25 for every $100 and for a new couponer I was so proud but that quickly ended and I felt like I failed when I realized the majority of my savings was from my employee discount. I laugh at it now but I never tried after that and I really need to get this to work for me. Can you help give me some tips on how to start? This site is very informative and I will be bookmarking the page to come back often but I am very limited on time so any important tips you can send my way is greatly appreciated.
Please help me I’m trying to start couponing and I live iin largo Florida. I am and always have been low income so food is so hard to come by. I don’t know where to begin being so hungry aall the time its hard to think clear lol. But i want to learn so I can feed my family and help others in need as well. Thank you for your time.