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COUPONS 101
www.fru-gals.com
Interesting Facts
Only 1% of all coupons are actually used!
Loss Leaders are sale items to get you in the store – the front page of a store’s ad!
To save money with coupons, you can NOT be brand loyal!
Coupons in Sunday’s paper come in inserts from Smart Source, Valasiss, P&G, RedPlum,etc.
The military overseas can use coupons up to six months beyond the expiration date.
Stockpiling is buying in quantity when prices are rock bottom with coupons!
A Price Book is a way of keeping tract of the regular price of items you use. You can write down prices from grocery and club stores to know when you are getting a deal.
Coupon Swap Box – Put 50 coupons in a zippered bag with an index card. Sign your name on the card to remind you that you’ve gone thru that bag! Great to use with other Fru-Gals, Bible Study, MOPS, etc. Note: Never add coupons to a bag!
A store’s $ Off $$ Coupon (ex. $2 Off $20) ALWAYS needs to be handed in first – before your other coupons so your order will be its highest total.
Organizing Coupons
Coupons can be filed in a pouch, a box or in a notebook using baseball card holders. They can be organized by category, grocery isle, alphabetically, etc.
Some cut coupons each Sunday.
Some write the date on the front of each insert and file the inserts to use as needed. Some cut all coupons.
Some cut what they will use.
Use whatever method works for you!
Coupon Language
BOGO = Buy One Get One
BOGOF = Buy One Get One Free
MQ = Manufacturer’s Coupon
Store Coupon = has name of store printed next to the date instead of MQ
Stacking = Store Coupon + MQ for same item
Blinkie = Coupons that come out of little machines in the grocery isles
Peelie = Coupons attached to an item that can be peeled off for immediate use
Display = Pads of coupons in a display
Wine Tag = Coupons that have been put over the item similar to a wine bottle
Catalinas = Coupons that print out at the Cash Register
Harris Teeter, Lowe’s Foods, Bi-Lo and Food Lion all mark BOGO items half-price in their systems. You can buy just one of these items. If you have two coupons and purchase two products, you can use two coupons in a BOGO sale:)
Rain Checks
When a store does not have a sale item on the shelf, stop by the Customer Service Desk and get a Rain Check. Rain Checks do not expire – ever! ALWAYS ask for the maximum quantity. You can buy less than is on your Rain Check but you can not buy more. Rain Checks are great to use when you have collected coupons for that specific Rain Check and a Fru-Gals best friend during Triple Coupons!
Scanner Error
Sometimes scanners make mistakes! Sometimes in your favor Sometimes in the store’s favor Should the scanner make an error in your favor, HT and Bi-Lo will sell you that item for the error price. Should the scanner make an error in the store’s favor, that item should be voided then manually rang again at the correct price. At Food Lion, you will be refunded your money and get the item for FREE!!
Finding Coupons
Sunday Paper – yours, friends, family and neighbors
Sign up for the store’s email – Food Lion sends out great coupons via email!
Write the manufacturer – email or snail mail – let them know you like a product
Print your own – eclip.com, boodle.com, smartsource.com, coolsavings.com, etc.
Magazines – Often have coupons including Parade from Sunday’s paper
In-store – Blinkie, Peelie, Display, Wine Tag and Catalinas
Trading Boards - mycoupons.com and refundcents.com ($12 year)
Coupon Swap Box – 50 coupons in a baggie (sign name) and swap with friends
Websites
www.mycoupons.com
or their Shopping Boards at: http://www.mycoupons.com/boards/index.php
The best website! My favorites…Tips Of the Trade (TOT) & Just Freebies (JF).
http://www.slickdeals.net/
or their Shopping Forum at: http://forums.slickdeals.net/
Gives the coupons that you could print online!
My favorites..Hot Deals & Coupons http://www.couponmom.com/
Lists the coupons found in Sunday’s paper under Virtual Coupon Organizer keeps track of the date coupons were in the paper, their value and expiration date!. Also has GREAT restaurant site for printable coupons:
www.valpak.com
www.thegrocerygame.com
The Message Boards are free and offer great methods from newbies and diehards!
Printable Target Coupons:
www.target.com
Scroll down the page to click on “Super Target Coupons” at the bottom left. These coupons can be used at Super Target AND regular Target. Harris Teeter and Lowe’s Foods accept them as competitor’s coupons.
Printable Coupon Sites:
www.boxtops4education.com
www.pillsbury.com
www.smartsource.com
www.coolsavings.com
www.eclip.com
www.boodle.com
www.thesavingdepot.com/print.html
Freebie Sites:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bizzy-Searchin-Freebies/
http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Free-Samples.aspx
Fru-Gal ideas for everyday:
www.hillbillyhousewife.com
www.miserlymoms.com
STORE COUPON POLICY FROM CORPORATE OFFICES
Bi-Lo Coupon Policy (from Customer Service Desk)
Bi-Lo accepts coupons that are in date and must match the item purchased. Unlimited coupons are allowed per transaction. No overage.
Food Lion Coupon Policy
Our company will gladly accept manufacturer and store coupons, provided they scan in our register system. We will however, decline the use of single-sided coupons offering a free product, a coupon that has a higher dollar amount than the products value, a competitors' coupon, or if the coupon appears to be computer generated, copied, or reproduced. Unfortunately, we will only accept one coupon per item.
Lowes Foods
Welcomes manufacturer and Lowes Foods store coupons when the following requirements are met:
* Customer must use their Lowes Rewards card.
* Coupons must be in date.
* Coupons must match the item(s) purchased.
* Store coupons must specify Lowes Foods.
* Limit 4 coupons for same item. For example, you have five coupons for a specific cereal and have purchased five of the item, we will honor the coupon for up to four of the boxes of cereal. This allows us to ensure product availability for all customers.
In the Charlotte area, We will double coupons with a face value of .99 cents or less.
Lowes Foods will only honor internet coupons that scan.
Harris Teeter Coupon Policy
These are guidelines, not rules, and are left to the discretion of the individual store manager. We reserve the right to limit quantities on items and coupons, based on the actual store inventory; therefore, these guidelines may vary from store to store. All coupon guidelines are posted at Customer Service in all stores.
1. We accept coupons that have not passed their expiration date for use; we can not accept any expired coupons
2. We accept only one manufacturer coupon per purchased item
3. We do not accept coupons on items not purchased
4. Coupons must be presented at time of purchase; we can not return money for coupons not used
5. Coupons presented and items purchased must match exactly; size, variety, flavor, etc. We uphold any purchase stipulations set forth by product manufacturer
6. We accept only one coupon for Buy One Get one Free items; we can not accept a coupon for a product that is received free
7. We accept coupons for items only of equal or more value; we don't give cash back
8. Sales tax is paid by customer at full retail
9. We accept 20 double coupons per day per household with VIC card; all others redeemed at face value
10. We double manufacturer coupons up to face value of .99; with total amount not to exceed $1.98 or entire retail of item; whichever is less
11. We double up to three identical items with manufacturer coupon; additional coupons for like item will be honored at face value
12. We accept "cents off" internet coupons. No "FREE" product internet coupons are accepted
13. We accept up to two internet coupons per manufacturer product, per store visit
14. We do not accept internet coupons that do not appear to be originals or that won't scan
CVS Coupon Policy
Up to one CVS coupon and one MFR coupon can be used on any one item.
However, this will not work in a one-item transaction, because the
register "item counter" logic will not allow more coupons than items.
Additionally, this one-to-one relationship of coupons to items exists in
all transactions. (Ex.: If you use 7 coupons total on 4 items, you
must have 7 total items the transaction for the logic to permit
redemption.)
Also, we take internet coupons with barcode at the discretion of the
store manager.
Furthermore, coupons are accepted on clearance merchandise (up to the
value of the product) as well as $1 off coupons on 99cent items, etc.
If you have any further questions or concerns regarding our coupon
policies, please speak to your local store's manager.
Target Coupon Policy
We accept two kinds of coupons: Target-issued coupons and manufacturer-issued coupons.
We'll accept one Target coupon and one manufacturer coupon for the same item, unless either coupon prohibits it.
We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item; in that case, we'll adjust the value of the coupon to equal the price of the item.
We can't accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.
All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier at the time of sale.
Wal-Mart Coupon Policy
Wal-Mart accepts the following types of coupons (see guidelines below):
Manufacturer coupons (Cents Off)
Free merchandise (or Buy-One-Get-One-Free) coupons
Store coupons
Pharmacy (Advertising and Promotional) coupons
Internet coupons
Soft drink container caps
The following are guidelines and limits:
Wal-Mart only accepts coupons for merchandise we sell and only when presented at the time of purchase.
Coupons should have an expiration date and be presented within the valid dates. Wal-Mart will not accept expired coupons.
Internet coupons should be legible and say "Manufacturer Coupon." There should be a valid remit address for the manufacturer and a scannable bar code.
Only one coupon per item is permitted.
Use of 40 or more coupons per transaction will require approval by Customer Service Manager.
CVS - Extra Care Bucks and Extra Bucks
(800) SHOP CVS
Extra Care Bucks (ECB’s) – CVS $$ given back when you purchase specific products labeled “Extra Care Bucks” in their ad. These do have an expiration date!
Extra Bucks – CVS “pays” you 2% of your total purchases (NO tobacco or alcohol) on a quarterly basis. Of course, this is done with ECB’s!
How does it work?
First , sign-up for an Extra Care Bucks card. If you would like, your spouse can sign-up too! This would help when the ad reads “limit one”…you both could get one!
Second, purchase products listed in the CVS ad that give back ECB’s…buy $10 worth of such-and-such and get $5 in ECB’s. You can use MQ’s to save even more!
Your ECB’s will print on the bottom of your cash register receipt.
You now have CVS $$$ to go shopping with! To make the most of those ECB’s, you will purchase more items that give back ECB’s.
Your ECB’s can only be used on YOUR card!
Think of it as a bank account. You make the initial deposit. CVS gives back some of that deposit with every purchase that gives back ECB’s. Add MQ’s coupons to these purchases and you will be making money! Got more ??? Call (800) SHOP CVS!
Notes: When you have MQ’s and the ad states you must spend a certain amount, add prices (use a calculator) to see how you can best meet the amount and use the most MQ’s. Example: Spend $20 and get $10 ECB’s on Eucerin. Products were $6.29, $7.97, $8.99, $11.49 and $12.39. You have three $1 MQ’s. You could buy the $11.49 and the $8.99 for a total of $20.48 which meets the requirement and you could use two MQ’s. Or, you could buy a $6.29, a $6.29 and a $.7.97 for a total of $20.55 which meets the requirements but you could use three MQ’s …definitely the purchase to make!
$6.29 Eucerin
$11.49 $6.29 Eucerin
$ 8.99 $7.97 Eucerin
$20.48 $20.55
- 2.00 - 3.00 MQ’s
$18.48 $17.55
-10.00 -10.00 ECB’s
$ 8.48 $ 7.55 Final Cost
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