New Ways to Save at the Store

A couple of years ago, I wrote an article about couponing. While it is still current information, boy, have I moved beyond that!

I normally get as many coupons as I can. I get extras from friends and family, I print, I even hit up recycling centers from time to time. I have an email address that I use JUST to subscribe to newsletters, etc of products I use because they often send me coupons. This allows me to stock up on good deals, and these days, we all need to!

I have become addicted to Walgreens, and occasionally, CVS. I don't have a CVS nearby, and have to travel, but if the deal is good enough, you bet I will. I have enough shampoo, deodorant, body wash, and other toiletries that I have been able to donate to others, and have gotten it all free, or almost free.

The grocery store Kroger is also a place where I have been saving tons of money, allowing me to feed my family for a portion of the cost that I used to spend. Even Walmart has started to become a place where I am seeing higher savings.

Let's start with Kroger. They often run special deals along with their sales. For example, this week, they have a mega sale where if you buy 10 items from a list of items, you get $5 off. They run this sale pretty regular. Some of the items are free or close to it after coupons- like Quaker Quakes. They are under $1 each after the deal, and I have several $1 off coupons. Of course, I will get several of these. My kids have learned their snacks and such for the week almost always coincide with sales. These will last a while, and I will buy as many as I think we will eat before they expire. But be warned....my Kroger only accepts 3 like coupons per order, so I can never buy more than 3 of a particular item on one order. I will go back to the store more than once.

The trick is to get the total down as cheap as possible with the coupons and mega sale. One order I will be doing is:

3- Quaker Quakes (.79 each after mega deal)
3- Suave deodorant (1.00 each after deal)
3- Country Crock spread (with added vitamin D) (.99 each after deal)
1- 5 pack of Kraft mac and cheese (3.39 after deal- we use a lot of these)

I will use (3) $1 off Quakes, (1) $2 off 3 Suave deodorant, (3) .50 off Country Crock (these will double to $1).
My total will be $3.73 before tax on the deodorant. We do not have food tax here. The savings could be greater if I had .50 off 1 deodorant, but I used them all up the last time they were $1.

There are also coupons at cellfire.com, shortcuts.com, and pgesaver.com that load directly to your shopper card.

Now, Walgreens has a program called Register Rewards. These are catalina coupons (they print at the store at checkout) that you get back for buying certain items. You can usually use these on anything in the store other than prescriptions. There is also an easysaver book with store coupons, and a rebate program (though I have been told that the rebates are going away)

These Register Rewards are great deals. For example, Fusion Gamer razors this week are $8.99, and you will get a $4 RR back for buying it. If you use the $4 coupon from the Procter and Gamble insert from the papers, your total will be 99 cents after the RR. You will pay $4.99, but you will get $4 back. Sometimes, items are free this way. You cannot use a RR to pay for an item from the same company to get a RR back. I could not buy another razor with my RR and get a RR back. However, if I buy cereal that is offering RR with my RR, I WILL get a RR back.

The Easysaver booklet is also a wonderful source that I hope they continue. Let's say Garnier shampoos, etc are on sale for $2.99, and there is a $2.00 easysaver coupon in the book, you can also use a $1 coupon from teh manufacturer to get them free. You can use a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon, but not 2 manufacturer's coupons.

CVS has a program called Extra Care Bucks. You will need to sign up for and Extra Care Card. When you buy certain items, you get ecb's (similar to RR) back on your purchases. Using coupons, items are often free this way as well. Plus, if something is free after ecb...say, lipstick is $2.99 and you get $2.99 in ecbs for buying it, and you use a $1 coupon, you made $1 buying that lipstick. ECB's print on the end of your receipt. The trick with CVS is to "roll" your ECB's. That is, you use your ECB's to buy other items that generate ECB's and keep the process rolling, therefore reducing or eliminating your out-of-pocket cost. Pretty soon, you will have a nice little stockpile.

You can find out more about these deals by visiting a couple of my favorite sites: slickdeals.net (check the drugstore forum- this site is free) or refundcents.com (subscription required) and I keep people up to date on the savings I am doing on my blog at dimestretchermom.blogspot.com.