New Q Shoppers, Don't be Scared! You Can Do This!!
 

In this forum, we are all here to help each other and learn. (Crikey. Almost two years since I have joined and someone had to explain what a particular smiley meant just last week. :P) I learned something from a wise q girl a long time ago...."A coupon is a form of payment." Armed with that knowledge, don't fear using the q as long as you are using them as the manufacturer states.

I know there are a couple of websites around that offer to teach you how to coupon shop for a fee. I just wanted to take a moment to tell you there is NO NEED to pay anyone a fee to learn to shop. :) All you need is SD and the coupon love you can get here is amazing.

Coupon shopping takes one thing....the confidence to learn and try. It can be scary but you can do it. Again, no need to pay someone. There are many many Jedi masters here that like to help Padawans.

I know it seems like SD can be overwhelming. Especially for those with little time to peruse the entire board. Here are some of my fave threads...

Here's a thread with the rules. I like it because the first two posts have a good list of abbreviations for nooblets. There is some really good info in it too. Not just boring old rules....

Drugstore and Grocery Store Index and Information Thread

Need more q resources??

Sites To Obtain Extra Printable Coupons TYVM MFH. :)

Here is a current list of printable q's. TYVM to Bailey327 and Laulea2782 for all their hard work and to all contributors for their finds! :hug:

Printable Manufacturer's Coupon Compilation

A new fabulous addition here to SD is the Coupon Database. Thanks SD team!

SD Coupon Database

Having problems printing Brick's coupons??

Troubleshooting Bricks Problems TYVM AlanisRox69

Want to see what's coming?

2013 Newspaper Coupon Insert Schedule TYVM Shopnut. :)

A place to trade coupons....

DS Coupon Trading Thread From me. :)

A place to gift or receive coupons....

RAOK Thread for Giving Away Coupons TYVM MFH. :)

Here is a list of unexpired paper q's to match up with your deals....

Alpha List of Unexpired Newspaper Q's TYVM Thxslic and Shopnut. That thing is a monster to update I am sure.


Need to learn about coupon policy acceptance at your local stores? TYVM Shuri!

Store Coupon Policy and Acceptance Thread [http]

Grumpy cashiers not wanting to take your q's? Commiserate here...

What is the funniest, strangest, most off the wall reason a cashier has given you for NOT taking your coupons?

The Drugstore and Grocery Store Index and Information Thread is mod stickied to the top. Maybe you'd like to create a personal sticky of some of them? At the top of the thread, on the far right is a thread tool link. You can subscribe (my personal fave) or sticky any thread you like.

List of Common Abbreivations

Abbreviations Sitewide and/or Commonly Used Abbreviations in the DS forum (located in WIKI)

LASTLY......don't be afraid to ask! Read the wiki. (What's a and/or Wiki? It's the first post after the initial post in a thread. It can be updated by any registered user. Just like Wikipedia!) And then if you still have a question, I am sure someone will help. PM, IM, phone a friend or bat call. Just ask. :)

Afraid of the Wiki? Go here for some FAQ regarding the Wiki.

:whee: YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!:whee:

This post can and should be edited by users like you :)
 

Attachment 130197

Thread with suggestions and ideas for coupon organization.. ** Credit goes to mrsjawshewa and NCSUFire**

2012 Coupon Insert Schedule


Where can I use store q and manu q on the same item? TYVM Plgffl & MommieD

• Target- Yes you can use a store q and a manu q on one item.
• CVS- Yes you can use a cvs q and a manu q on each item.
• Publix- Yes you can use a publix q and a manu q on each item.
• Kroger- You can use Kroger coupons with manu q's, but not e-coupons (electronic coupons; such as shortcuts, cellfire, Kroger loadable coupons, etc).. *the register no longer allows for both an EQ and MQ to be used together on one item*
• Walgreens- Yes you can use a wag q and a manu q. (Register won't allow more coupons than items in order) *always use the MQ first, then the Walgreens IVC (instant value coupon)*
• Petsmart& PetCo- Yes you can use a store q and a manu q at those stores.
• Rite-Aid- I beleive you can, I have , but I am not sure of the official policy.
• Update on Rite-Aid policy: They do allow store q along with manufacturer q's. This was told to me by a store manager when I was in CA recently.
• Meijer - Yes you can use Meijer Mealbox or Meijer discount Q's from ads with a manu q.
• BJ's Wholesale Club - register flags possible duplicate but allows both BJ's and manu q.

Those are the only stores that I know of or that I have shopped at that have both store coupons and mq.

Add to the list of stores that accept both coupons on one item: Safeway and Albertsons and Fred Meyer.

The best thing is to email your stores and ask for a copy of their official coupon policy.

Thank Q! :hug: Sometimes it is a little overwhelming and time consuming. I have to remind myself that I can't get in on EVERY deal---but I can try!:lmao:

Amazing post. Thanks so much! It is SDers that really encourage me to take advantage of those deals that are out there for the taking without shame!

nice post Dawn!!!

Welcome to the Hotel California... err welcome to SD newcomers :D

Kick back, relax,set a spell, read, you'll be rolling in free or really cheap goodies in no time.

TY. :) Sometimes I feel so irrelevant now. No CVS, no Target and almost all WAG's prices are about $2 per deal higher than ya'lls. Makes it hard to contribute. Encouragement is all I have to offer. :O

No Cvs????
 

Why no CVS???

Thank you HD ! Good topic to help n00bs. Needed by many people. :hug:

:thumbup:

Great thread. I cannot say enough about all the SD'ers who have helped me along the way. I feel like I have a whole new group of friends who really understand my addiction to shopping.:D

I asked my DH what time it was this morning. His response, "Time to Shop." He just doesn't get it.

Thanks! I love this place, everyone has been very helpful to me! You wouldn't believe all the money I've saved since joining. I wish I had known about coupon shopping years ago.

not all areas have all the stores found in the forums.
and sometimes if they are, they are an hour or so away making it hard for people to do deals.

Great thread Dawn! I think it should be stickied up at the top as a welcome letter. :D

I am spreading the coupon bug to my mom and friends. Not that I am as good as many of you, but you learn little by little on how to get better. My mom was so excited to save $8 in Qs yesterday, I told her I saved $30. But I know many of you would save $70 on my same order LOL.

But every bit helps, whether it's $8 or $30 or $70!!

No CVS or Target in paradise...the islands :D

Great thread HD!! :)

Truthfully, I believe I could give up CVS, Wags, Target, Kmart, WM....all of them, to live where you are! :) Everytime I see your name and location, I feel all jealous!
Thank you for this post! How sweet and encouraging. This site and the people here are so helpful, and I appreciate that.

I love your webpage!!! And it is so nice of you to post it so others can learn for FREE. :hug: Good job. :)

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the positive vibes from everyone. :hug:

:nod: Yes'm. Crazy isn't crazy.

:lol: I do love it here. Don't get me wrong. I just like to help folks too. :)

Great idea HD!:heart: A thread that will have patience with noobs - which we all once were.

Dang, I'm out of reps. :mad: I have to add you to my list of reps when I get them back.

Nice thread.....thanks HD!

Thank you. I am going to subscribe to this thread... I am overwhelmed right now after reading pages and pages of threads dedicated to Walgreens and CVS deals. I gave myself a migraine last night - I was busy reading for so long.. Thanks again and repped!

Thank you for the nice thread and many thanks to those who have offered tips on slick deals. Saving money is more fun than spending it...Wait let me rephrase that....Saving money while still spending it is an addictive fun!
Just the other day I had to buy some chicken and was upset because I didn't have a coupon. lol

Thank you!!! I really do try to search the threads for things before I post a question... but with thousands of posts a day it can be overwhelming!!! Very nice to have a place to ask my stupid questions now. :clap:

It's a good thread. :D

Never fear we have some chicken coupons floating around here. I'll send you the links :nod:

:iagree: Knocked $81 off my CVS order with coupons yesterday, thanks to my SD training. :whee: Thanks, HD, I'm sure I'll learn something here even though I'm an old newbie. :D

Chicken coupons!? Other than the Perdue nuggets from a few weeks ago? I'd be interested in those links, too, if you don't mind.

:lol: I was just thinking the same thing. :thumbup:

I wonder if those new to coupon use know the SD abbreviation for the word coupon is "Q"?

But great thinking.

They would if they looked at the "Drugstore and Grocery Store Index and Information Thread" listed above. :thumbup:

That's a good point. I had a Gerber Q PDF saved to my desktop and my DH was on my laptop doing something and he was like "What in the he** is a Gerber Q?" lol... In my house, we call them coo-pons, not Q-pons like many do, so he was totally confused.

I just want to say, as encouragement to others. I got into all this at the end of my pregnancy and while I was on maternity leave. Don't get me wrong, I'm super busy with my son, who is 17 weeks old, but I was off of work for almost 3 months and couponing was the PERFECT hobby for me to pick up. Money got really tight when the baby came, I love to shop, and I was desperate for some "me" time. So, I'd research some deals and when hubby got home from work, I'd go out for an hour or so and do some "shopping". My stockpile is growing steadily, and it's SO gratifying to see how much money I'm saving my family. I only work part time because we can't afford day care, so I feel like couponing is my way of contributing. With 3 cats, a dog and a baby, I need to save everywhere I can. To me, coupons = money.

Anyway, my point is, I've only been doing this for around 4 months and I feel like I know the ropes really well. My advice is to perfect one store, then move on to the next. I have a Kroger that doubles up to $1 Q's, so I started with small runs here and there, maybe saving 50-60%. Then eventually it was getting down to less than $1 OOP (out of pocket) and now I'm disappointed if it's much more than that lol. Now I also do Rite-Aid and am working the Kmart double days. Whew, I'm long winded.... lol The moral of my story is, start where you're comfortable and go from there. You CAN do this!!!

Wow thanks Hd now as a Noob I feel more welcomed, now that there is a thread dedicated to all us Begiinners!

delete

I got hooked while on maternity leave too! The baby is 14 months now so I've been doing this for a while!

i bought cupons yesterday on ebay im not sure if i should have but i did i spent 6.00 all total for items i need anyways. some campbell soup ones some cains mayo honey icecream thats it i think it is like 45.00 savings in coupons and i want to get my pantry stocked up really well before the new year when i fear things will even get higher. there are other coupons i am looking for but they werent on ebay. is there any place else i might look?

List of Printable Coupon Sites / Places To Obtain Extra Coupons

This came from this thread Drugstore and Grocery Store Index and Information Thread. It's also in HD's original post.

I find this thread also to be very helpful on a daily basis
Alphabetical List of Unexpired Newspaper Coupons

Thanks! I'll add it to the OP. :)

I did my first three "deals" today @ CVS. I did a trial run last week just to make sure my card was still good. I've had it a long time but had never used it before.

I don't know why I'm nervous to the point of being scared when I walk up with coupons and my little card and my ECBs!

Tonight I sat down and reviewed what I did and saw several areas of opportunity. I need to really make sure I have a back up plan in case my intended purchases aren't available. That's where I really messed up today, thinking of the deal on the fly.

I did well enough though. $36 OOP, $71 of merch. and an $8 ECB left over. Oh, I also found that the store nearest my home does stocking and mini-resets on Wed. nights.

I travel all over WV, OH, and parts of KY so I get to visit lots of stores!

Thanks for all your help. I'm off to find a post that explains what it means to "scan your card" @ CVS!

Thanks for the time putting this together!

Great job!

I understand being nervous because each store can be different in how they want to take coupons, and yes there are a few stores that will turn down perfectly legit coupons.

The best thing is to just go on to another store when that happens. I know I have a coupon hating CVS that is closest to my workplace and thus cannot ever go there.

On the other hand -- you have great cashiers -- (I had one at Winco Foods) who understand coupons and like to see you get a deal.

Many, but not all CVSs have a self scanner. You can price check sale items. Sometimes stores change over to the new Sunday prices Saturday evening, and you can scan an item to see if the new prices have been "turned on".

Best of all, you can scan your card and see what kind of qs pop out. After the first scan prints out, try scanning your card a second time because you might get more qs. Then try scanning a third time (three is the most times I've been able to get qs in a row), until you get the message "No more coupons today. Come back tomorrow."

Wow that's a great tip I always scanned it just one time for sure will try it again now :) Thanks Misty for the heads up ;)

I have a question, where can I find a list of coupons that appeared in Sunday inserts? The AFC doesn't list expired ones and my CVS still takes them. Is there anywhere that has old ones listed?

Well, I went to two CVS's today. I went to get more razors.. (Only was able to get two of the Bic razors -- one yesterday and one pack today). Anyway, I think I am now getting into the couponing.

Gah, Every coupon blinkie I passed - I had to stop and take one.. Even stuff I thought I wouldn't buy.. I still picked up a coupon... just in case.... yeah, just in case a deal will come up & I can use them somehow.

I assume this is normal practice for most couponers, eh?

Alphabetical List of Unexpired Newspaper Coupons came from the 3rd post in this thread Drugstore and Grocery Store Index and Information Thread

:nod:

Sounds like you are addicted to couponing...welcome to the Coupon Addicts Club.:lmao:

Now I am going to have to find a way to organize my coupons. Right now they are in a large letter envelope.. I will have to get an index-card type box and do it like my mama used to do.

:bulb:

I am looking for somewhere that has EXPIRED ones listed. ;)
Anyone??

You might be out of luck. I think around here once they expire they get pulled from the list. Maybe check taylortown for the coupons that come out in previous inserts?

Help a newbie!
 

Could someone please point me in the right direction of where I can find the Wiki?
I would like to print the coupon for Monster Java to use at CVS. I searced for almost a hour. Thank you. My eyes are killing me!:eek:

The Wiki is located below the 1st post of every thread.
I tried looking around for your q but it looks like it's found on a tearpad in gas stations (a CVS addict can feel free to correct me).

Here is a link to info on the q: http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...4&t=972141

Here is what is mentioned in the Wiki about the Java Monster q in the thread linked above:

"Save $1 off 2 any variety Java Monster (12-31-08) - gas station"

HTH :)

THANK YOU AND please help!
 

Hi,

You rock! I am a rookie CVSer, just went out of the country for a couple of months and forgot how to get the 3 off 15, 4 off 20coupons, could you please help?

Thanks a million! because of you and the other slick dealers, I was able to take a bunch of CVS stuff to my mother in China! She was very happy!

Sincerely,

Sherrie

The $3 off $15 and $4 off $20 seem to be card specific these days, meaning that if you don't get their in your E-mail account, it won't work for you at all.

The other way is to get them via CRT (i.e. $5/$30) if you are lucky.

Also, the other way is to see if the pharmacist at your local CVS have any $3/15 off while you are shopping. Sadly, many CVS stores hide these (especially in So Cal) as they don't want you having these coupons at all. :(

However, asking for them and providing your E-mail address is likely to only get you spam from lots of advertisers and is not allowed here.

Thank you Aperture!

I'm new to this forum, and I tried couponing many years ago because my mother was heavy into it. But the last few years I've been doing a combination of scratch cooking, with lots of generic purchases to stay in budget. But Hubby isn't a generics kind of guy, even though most of the time he wouldn't know it if he didn't see the package (not all the time though, I'm not nearly that good LOL).

I recently read a blog post about CVS'ing, and didn't even know a thing about it. I avoided drugstores because their prices were so much higher -- I had no idea this was going on 8^)

I started an account with my locals: CVS and Walgreens, and installed the coupon printer. I got my CVS card, but the site won't accept my number. I emailed them earlier, but I doubt I'll hear from them until the weekend is over.

I had plans of trying Walgreens after studying a few threads here, but I was a bit on the sick side until earlier today, so I decided to try tomorrow after ordering my Angel food. But many of the deals are expired now. I'll have to study my timing I suppose. But I'll check again tomorrow in case they have new specials up.

Thanks for the encouragement and lessons 8^)

:welcome: Shreela.


If you scroll down to the bottom of the DS forum page there will be a blue bar. On the left, that blue bar says filter by category. If you pick CVS, it will pull up the all the CVS threads. (You can do the same for Walgreens aka WAGs too.) This helps because you will be able to see threads for tomorrow's deals, next week's deals and probably even the week after that. Most of the really good SD'ers plan their deals in advance so they can match up the coupons with the sales. :)

That was very helpful, thanks so much.

Shreela,

I am with you. I am a newbie to the couponing too. This is absolutely fascinating stuff. The stuff people are able to do is amazing. Hopefully we will become more comfortable and be able to figure it out as well. I started couponing just recently.. in the past weeks..and now I can't believe I paid full price for so long.

My major issue now is how in the world I am going to organize all these coupons.. And it does take forever to read threads and study up on all the different stores. It was exciting in the beginning but I am already worn out over it.

Good luck!

Oh Holly. There are whole threads here devoted to organizing them. Here is my fave way....And Hidn gets credit for showing me this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItllDN1u2u0


The music makes me giggle too.

:thumbup:

Thank you!
 

Thank you for this thread! I just joined recently . . . SD is my favorite site by far when it comes to couponing. I'm sure I've only scratched the surface in what's available. The information is so extensive . .. I love it! I am surprised at how much time and effort goes into this . . . looking for the right deals, preparing for them and then executing them!

I actually don't have time to do the other stuff I like to do . . . surveys and sweeps! I haven't done any sweeps for about 2 months now!! Please tell me I'll get the hang of it and my time can be divied up in the future.:look: I just can't help trying to stockpile and lower my budget every month!! Also, there seems to be more at stake with this for me . .. worry, always thinking about deals, should I just stop? :shake: Does this do this to you too? Or do I just need to find another way to de-stress? Hmmmm. . . .:bounce:

I'm happy to be here, thanks!!

This is my first post and I just wanted to say I love this site!! I just got a package today on a deal I saw here on SD for the FP Smart Cycle. My son is going to love this!! I have also started to do the CVS thing!! I love getting such great deals and free things!

:welcome: to SD!!

Yes, welcome. :nod:

There are a lot more good deals in store!

i just have to say for my first two weeks of couponing and shaws deals i now have a stash of food original total 800.00 oops is 90.00 so thank you for all your help on how to start couponing.

Great job!!! :applause: Shaw's sounds like a great store. Wish we had one here in the land of aloha.

100% new at CVS, got my card...have questions.
 

Hey Guys--not new to sweet deals, but 100% new to CVS and couponing. They've been building one less than a mile from my house, and I figured i'd give it a shot so I signed up for the card online and it came yesterday. I noticed it said to link it with online account--and i've tried, but it keeps saying invalid #. Should I just wait or does it even matter?

I drove by yesterday and the shelves are stocked, lights were on, but still had a trashbag over the signs and a dumpster in the parking lot, so i bet it's only a matter of a week or so before they're open.

I have 0 coupons, and I dont get the sunday paper, so should i just start picking one up every now and then to get coupons?

As for buying multiple products in the same order, do I need a coupon for each item? Like if I got 4 shampoos, do I need 4 coupons?

I guess those are my main questions. I would have asked in a CVS discussion thread but didn't see any! Thanks guys!:woot:

Welcome to the world of CVSing and couponing.

At least when somebody gets a new card at the store, the need to make one small purchase and wait 48 hours until that info gets into the system. So in this case, it may look like the card is 'dead' until make your first purchase and wait 48 hours.

As for the Sunday Paper, you should start getting them by buying them at CVS or the newsstands. You should buy at least 4 to 5 newspapers a week (this Sunday would be a good time to start, as next weekend will have no coupons due to Thanksgiving Weekend).

Yes, you need 4 manufacturer coupons if your are going to buy 4 shampoos (as the coupons say, "one coupon per purchase"), hence why you want to buy multiple Sunday papers.

BTW, did this store send out any "grand opening" coupons like a $10 off $20 purchase? Often new CVS stores will do this an this a great way to get some ECB's without spending a ton of OOP.

HTH

Good for you! :woot:

My mom has Shaw's on the East Coast, but we don't have them here.

Some thoughts and musing from me to forum newcomers :)

I get asked a lot, "how do you work all day and find time to do this?"

I am almost 52 yrs old and the sole breadwinner for my family.I make a good wage but with rent at $1,100 per month without lights,gas or oil let alone food,clothing,insurance etc, I had a choice to make.

I could either work more by trying to grab overtime at my job which varies in availability or I could take a second job and bite my nails with anxiety over my lack of control over ever increasing prices for life's basics....

OR

I could decide to take CONTROL over our money by using these forums to get the very best possible deal on food,HBA and other items my family needs.Choosing this option
means giving up things like plopping in front of the tv in the evening or spending time on the phone engaged in pointless chatter with girlfriends.

I chose to take CONTROL. I'm sitting here now,reading the boards,planning my shopping trips for the week,printing Q's and trading for Q's I need.

Life is all about choices, make no mistake,what I do to save is work,just as much work as any job.However,it's work I can do from home mostly, it's work I can do on my own schedule as I have many stores here,most of them 24 hour.

My tips

1. You can't cover all the deals at all the stores. I do CVS and WAG's but I favor WAG's because there's a great store close to my job.. I will frequently dash in for a deal on my way to or from my job. Chose stores that are located close to work,the gym or another place where you must go regularly.

2. bookmark your favorite stores threads... and stay out of the chatty areas of the site when you're short on time

3.ALWAYS check the wikii in your store's threads..people constantly update wikii and post links to the printable coupons you'll need to do deals that week at that store.

4.Each week, I'll take a few minutes to look over the upcoming sales at stores in my area that aren't as close to me travelwise as my favorite stores.. I do this because sometimes those stores have such massive deals that it's worth my time to go a bit out of my way ie:shaw's had 2 weeks of mega deals.. I must have gotten $1,000 worth of food and helped 3 of my friends get the same.

5.try to form a few close relationships with SD members in your area, offer info when you can about stores in the area you shop in,offer extra Q's when you can..I have duracell battery coupons to me for cvs because of such networking being friendly with SD members in your area is very valuable if I hit a store that's shopped out.. I shoot a quick email or text,if a store has a lot of stuff, I do the same, saving us time,giving heads up.
Always remember... sharing is caring! Come back to the forums and let us all know the deals you found, this is a wonderful community that gets stronger and stronger as result of such sharing,the more info we share,the more $ we save!!

6.when you're reading threads,have word or notepad open open, when a forum member posts a shopping scenario that looks good to you,copy and paste it into word or notepad..print it up and you've got your shopping trip planned, print up several scenarios so you'll have a backup plan in case some items are out of stock.

7. remember... there will ALWAYS be another deal, so don't stress if you miss out on one thing, get busy looking ahead to next week and the week after.

I like this one the best. You want to be nice to everyone but when there are people in my area (heck even state) I try to say hello to them. This helps when coupons become available or local sales.

:thumbup:

You raised a most important point.. a key thing really. Newcomers when you're out in the store if you stumble across a clearance priced item or find a tearpad of good coupons please,take a minute to come back to alert your fellow forum members. Sharing is caring
here and the more we share with each other,the stronger our community becomes! There are many coupon/deal sites on the web but SD takes the lead due to the strong sense of community of the membership..working together, we ALL save so much more!

Another thought... forgive me,I'm an old lady and we ramble sometimes :)

Slick Dealing is fun and addictive but make no mistake it is WORK. When you first get rolling you'll be eager to share your extra goodies with family and friends and to give to charity,this is normal but you must always remember to reward YOURSELF!
You gave up tv and relaxtion time to read the forums,print coupons, you got up extra early on sunday to make sure you got extra newspapers or to get to the store when it opened. You need to reward yourself or it becomes just like your regular job,where you work hard but the paycheck evaporates into bills with nothing left over for you.

My rule is this... nothing leaves this house till Shoppinqueen gets her cut.

Glade candles ? I bought 10..2 of em are sitting on my bookcase, kerri lotion, fuzion razor bonus packs? 2 of em are hidden away for Xmas. I don't gift,donate or sell anything without putting aside some of it for me ,my husband or my son.

Sometimes extra care bucks or register rewards need to be spent on something just for you! that new essence of beauty tote bag or bathrobe? that nice but spendy hair dyer? you need to indulge yourself... so what if you spend a lot of ECB's, with less than a $10 bill you can be rolling in them again in less than a week. Be good to yourself and your immediate family first..you'll prevent yourself from burning out and over the long haul be able to give,donate and help others even more.

I have always used coupons but the past month, Im really serious using coupons, esp at WAGS. My problem is managing my coupons. I have printed out so many that Im losing track of what I have and forget to use them.

How does everyone store and organize their coupons? What is the best coupon holder you have found? I'm open to all suggestions.

Also, do you cut all coupons out as you get your papers or just cut as you need? I'm thinking the stacks of coupon flyers can be overwhelming. Do you date the flyers? As you can see, I need help.

Thanks

Here are a couple of threads in regards to coupon holders that SD'ers use:
Coupon Binder Question
What type of coupon organizer do you use?

I clip the coupons that I know I'll definitely use, but I save all of the inserts in a large accordion folder, organized by month and grouped together with binder clips by week (I make sure to write the date of the insert on the front of it - the dates are always on the spine, but in extremely small type, so it isn't all that easy to read). Since coupons are listed by insert/date in the deal posts, it's easy for me to go back and find a particular coupon when I haven't already clipped it. Others clip every coupon and organize them accordingly, however, I don't have the room (or the patience) to keep track of all of those at once. I've been using The Coupon Wallet [ebay.com] for about a year and a half and have been extremely pleased with the durability and would highly recommend it, but I know that others have made their own coupon organizers for less money - I'm just not all that crafty ;)

:help:Ok quick question, what does B&M mean :dontknow:

Brick & Mortar i.e. physical store not online

Thanks now I feel like I belong lol

As long as you love q's, do do belong.
:hug:

Even those who get picked last for the kickball game










:hide:

You said you wouldn't tell my most horrific childhood experience. :sadwalk:

NORMAL?:D
Normal is to grab every single one and then go back to make sure that you haven't missed any.
With qs, one mans trash is another ones treasure.
you grab whatever you can and trade those that you do not need.:bleh::sheep:

The easiest way to cut em is to put each of the pages of the flyers in a separate pile and cut em all at once using electric scissors.
Then as you cut them, paper clip each set of Qs.
I then file them alphabetically in photo albums.[2 or 3 letters per book]
That is for trading purposes.
for my personal Qs, I have large photo books that I carry into the stores arranged alphabetically.

Anyone else having consistent problems in installing the coupon printers from various sources (SmartSource, Walgreens, manufacturer sites, etc.)? I have tried turning off my Firefox popup blockers, turning off AVG antivirus software, etc., and nothing seems to work. Grrr! Anyone else had the same problem and found the solution?

Thanks.

LOL.. well, I won't take ALL of them.. just a lot. Especially when I know the blinkie machines are about to be changed out.. THIS WEEK! So if you need something out of the blinkie machines that are out now.. GET THEM NOW!

:whee:

I always have this problem too. I try not to rely on these printables, its just too much of a PITA to get them to work. :mad:

Here i a video that explains the basics of what Debra is saying....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snFVId-gUXE

Of course, I don't know how much you are coupon shopping. I consider this to be the method for people who are serious about their pillaging.

I didn't know where to post this, so thought I'd just try here...was there no Red Plum insert this past Sunday (11/23)? I bought 3 Washington Posts at the grocery store on Saturday, no RP, one delivered to my driveway on Sunday, no RP, and a friend who gives me her inserts (from Sunday WP delivered to her nearby driveway) only gave me a SS---no RP---this week.

If you go to Taylortown Preview [taylortownpreview.com] they list the scheduled inserts. As you can see on Sunday they only have the P&G coming out.

I have an account that I opened awhile back. I know the email addresss but can not remember the name i used. Any suggestions?

What type of account? Need a bit more information to help you out.

Sorry CVS

Go online to CVS and enter in the email address and password. You should be able to see the profile information including the name you used.

wiki
 

Can someone please tell me what and where to find one?

:lust: I like your user name.



The wiki is the second post on every thread here on SD. You know how on wikipedia any user can change the info on it? That is exactly how our wiki post works! Sort of an interactive post where we can all contribute infomation to share. :)

I always have better luck with IE than Firefox.

:messed:Ok, I have been here for a while but this couponing thing has me so overwhelmed.

I never know what is going on, and I get in at the tail end of a deal, or I see that others have done a lot better then me, even though I thought I did good.:lol:

Remember the pampers deal from Target? I never got the hang of that deal, and I saw people getting packs practically for free. :sadwalk:

Where do I begin? Is there a training wheels thread around here that I can read?

And what grocery stores have blinkies? We don't have a Kroger or a Kmart, so those blinky coupons that everyone gets I am never able to find.

Thanks for all help. :look:

:iagree: I feel exactly the same way! And I only have about 2 months' worth of diapers left for my lo and don't want to pay for any more so I sure hope there's another deal coming up and I'll be able to figure it out and have time to DO IT this time!

The Glade deal has been another example. I think I figured out a couple of the scenarios, but never had time to really do them. And NEVER got to anywhere that had the legendary pink peelies.

Current Diaper Deals

Girls, girls, girls. I think that there are a couple of answers to your problems.


One. Deal alerts. Up at the top of the page there is a blue bar and a black bar. On the far left in the black bar it says "User CP." Click on that. Look to the left where it says "Control Panel." A little further down you will see "Deal Alerts." Add a deal alert for "diapers" or whatever else interests you and have it sent to your email or a pm. Whichever way you will see it first. You can also add that it has to have as many thumbs up as you want it to so you aren't getting an email for a stinker deal. I have a deal alert set up for anything that gets three thumbs up. Now that may be too much email for some of you. I
just open my emails, I just scan the title and either delete or go to the thread. This should help somewhat with getting in on the deal too late.

Two. Subscribed threads. Go to the Target thread. There are two that I know about. One is chat and it is in the Lounge. One is in Deal Talk and it is more for just the deals themselves. There is a dark blue bar at the top of the thread page. Then a light blue bar above that. On the far right it says "Thread Tools." Click on that and then subscribe to the thread. Then whenever you sign on SD, you can go to the black bar at the top of the page and do this Quick Links>Miscellaneous>Subscribed Threads. That will take you to a list of your subscribed threads. And they will appear in order of the ones with the most recent posts. It is very important to read your store's threads to know what is going on.

Three. Go to a forum, such as the DS one. Look for the blue bar on the far right> go to last post & click. Generally when something is hot, it will keep popping up to the top of the page with people posting in it.

As far as blinkies..... I go out about once a week with the sole purpose of harvesting blinkies, peelies and tearpads. In this area, there are many places to choose from. In smaller areas, it is much harder. Trade or buy if you have no luck finding them.

If you don't think you are '"getting it," that can be more difficult. Sometimes, the deal doesn't click in my head, till I actually do it. The Pantene deal at Target was a good example. Hidn explained the mechanics of it. But the light bulb didn't come on till I was actually there doing it. 300+ bottles later, I think I had the hang of it. :lol: Now, if you still aren't getting it, pm someone. You can pretty much tell the nice folk from the meanies. Someone will be glad to help. :)

Also, build friendships here. Think long term. If you agree to a trade, follow through. My friends here have helped me more than any newspaper insert. I have gotten amazing q's in the mail from them.

Last thing was the issue of the time to do it. I don't know what to tell you except couponing isn't quick. If you want the deals, it is going to require effort on your part. :nod:

I actually found 2 of the pink peelies today! :whee:

I did pretty good today. I finally got the hang of the glade deal, but they ran out of the candles at Target. But I was able to get $65 worth of stuff for $5 oop.

And at wal-greens I did the colgate deal, and actually ended up making $$.

It's getting easier :nod: Thanks

Practice makes perfect! It is getting easier and easier.. I was overwhelmed, like the other posters, in the beginning.

The best tip I can give is to read, read and read these threads before venturing out on your own. Know what coupons you have for the items on sale. Make sure you have the CORRECT coupons (and the correct size/flavor of what is on sale), which go with the size amounts for the coupon. I made that mistake on one of my first deals - I was purchasing a size that was not included for the coupon usage and couldn't use the Q..

I do have one more thing to say.. When I first started - I would see people profiting or getting things free, when I was only able to get them down to a low price.. I would be happy with myself, then read the threads and get let down.. I have learned now to not be greedy about things and to enjoy my successes. You aren't giving yourself enough credit if you judge your savings next to someone who has been doing this for years and knows how to work things out.. Just be glad if you are able to save way more money than you previously did.

Sometimes you will get a better deal than others.. but most of the time, there will be someone who get a better deal than you.. regardless, you are still saving money and that's really all that matters.

ETA (and O/T) -By the way, carebearsluv - for some reason my sig line isn't showing, but I have your post in my siggy... :lmao:... http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...stcount=20

This thread is a huge help! I wish it had been here when I started a few months ago. Great idea!

I've been reading some CVS threads and I have a question:

What is a beauty book and what do you do with it? :confused:

Sorry if my question has been answered, but I can't seem to find it anywhere.

TIA!

tweetyjgrl the CVS beauty book is a magazine type of book found in or around the cosmetics dept at CVS.It has lots of great coupons in it. I have yet to find one at any CVS store I visit. So finding one is like going on a treasure hunt.

Thanks and repped for the reply. I guess I'll be going on a hunt tomorrow! :D

I've had trouble finding this book, too. With only one CVS in my area, it makes it a bit tough. ;)

I am new here..its seems so complicated..but i am excited to start trying to coupon like you guys!!

:welcome: It is fun once you get the hang. Don't be afraid to ask questions and read the posts, you will get the hang of it in no time!

:welcome: You'll will probably be saving more than the rest of us in no time at all. :)

hawaiindawn,

Thank you again for starting this thread. I am subscribed to it and refer back to it often, as it has all the coupon sites and threads linked up. It was very nice of you to take the time to do this for us newbies!

:)

Are you sure? I always thought the beauty book people were referring to was the Kmart beauty book that is readily found at their cosmetic counter. I thought people were going to Kmart and taking that beauty book to CVS and using the Qs there - or at WAGS - or anywhere (95% of them are just manufacturer's coupons that can be used anywhere.)

BOGO deal and using 2 coupons
 

Hello to everybody on this thread....

I have never had a problem at CVS with using 2 coupons when buying 2 items in a BOGOF deal. Well, today I was told first by a CVS cashier that I could only use 1 coupon for the 2 products. She asked her supervisor and the supervisor confirmed it. I have used 2 coupons on those types of sales before without a problem at the same store but I don't know what is right. Does anybody know what the policy is? I checked on the CVS FAQ thread and it says that for a BOGOF sale 2 coupons can be used. Is this CVS corp policy or YMMV? TIA

**I'm referring to the maybelline and revlon BOGOF sale this week***

I am not positive of the policy on BOGO or if there is a specific policy for that.. I can tell you that I have used two coupons - one being a Glade BOGO and a $2 off- together.. a few times and never had a problem until recently at CVS, when a cashier stated I could only use one.. It might depend on how the coupon is worded. The Glade coupon does NOT state that it can NOT be used with another coupon..

In my opinion, the BOGO coupon should attach to the FREE item.. and the $ off coupon attaches to the product being paid for.. So I would say that it is YMMV, depending on the cashier/store...

There is a magazine that CVS puts out called, "Rejuvinating Beauty" or something similar.. it is referred to as a beauty book. It costs .99 and it is rare to find one in the store - if you don't get one when they first come out.

Last month America Ferrara (sp?) from "Ugly Betty" was on the cover.. This month Kate Hudson is on the cover.

HTH.

:blowkiss: Glad to know it helps. :)

There is one at each store. Both are commonly referred to as a beauty book.

I don't CVS anymore since we don't have a store here in Hawaii so I am not familiar with the sale you are speaking of. However, I think when a store has a BOGOF sale, they will combine it with one BOGO q and you can get both items free or one of another q to get $ off. I think using two q's would require not giving your extra care card till the end after the q's are deducted and is a highly YMMV situation. Not sure I would recommend it. :nono2:

No, if the store has a BOGOF sale, I don't use a BOGOF coupon. The reason/sale I'm talking about is the CVS Revlon and Maybelline sale. For the revlon sale is buy any foundation, powder, blush, concealer, or lip and get one free. And the maybelline is "all maybelline lip color BOGOF". I purchased 2 revlon lip sheers at $7.49 each and I tried to use 2 $1Q from revlon which would have still been $5.49. The cashier wouldn't let me use both coupons because she said I was only buying one. It confused me because, I had done this before and the BOGOF sale was a CVS sale and both coupons that I wanted to use were manufacturer coupons.

Yeah I actually found a stack of them yesterday when I was at a CVS. This is a CVS that I had visited before and had asked about the books. At the time they acted like I didn't know what I was talking about. When I was in there yesterday they had some of them on a rack with some bath and body sets. They were in a little holder kind of like a plate holder. It was a book of coupons for CVS. I looked through them, but didn't find any of interest.

Kmart does have a Kmart Beauty Book also. I am not sure how often they put theirs out. I picked up some back in September and they haven't changed them since. A lot of the coupons in that book have expired now and the ones that haven't will do so at the end of the month.

Okay, so I made my first small purchase at CVS, just to get some EBC and get a feel for putting the deals together.

Question....Do you have to use the whole amount of an EBC at once? I just got the $1.59 EBC for the Powerade today, so do I have to use the complete amount toward one purchase, or would the balance carry over, say if I only needed $1.20 out of the $1.59?

You need to use up the entire $1.59 otherwise you will lose out on .39..

Thanks and repped for the answer!

Does anyone know whether there is a newbie thread for Wags? I know CVS has one and I thought Wags did too.. but I can't find it when I do a search for it.. I might be searching the wrong words though.

Any help would be appreciated.. Thanks.. :wave:

Try this one: Walgreens FAQ and General Information Thread

Thanks and repped!.. That is exactly what I was looking for.. I searched but couldn't find it for some reason.. :omg: .. Mucho appreciated!

Printables coupons
 

I was wondering do black and white coupons scan with out beeping at walmart or is it better to use color?

BW will scan just fine, most barcodes are black anyway. YMMV with cashiers though. Some think they are "copies" when they are not in color. I print all mine in color and don't have problems. There are some that are issued in BW and I haven't had a problem with them. The Idahoan potatoes Q comes to mind, that was all BW.

Hi All... I'm new to this site, and very excited I found it. All these deals look great, I'm just trying to wrap my brain around it all. So much information here. I need to take baby steps to get the hang of it all.

Hi! I tried to PM you, but it said you have too many messages, you need to delete some first! :nod: Welcome to Slick Deals! :hug:

Yeah, that was wierd. I only sent you the 1 PM and it was full. I deleted my messages now. :bounce:

I used the coupon clipping site, couponmaster.com, to order some Q's.. I am hoping they get here tomorrow, but I am doubtful (they were supposedly shipped on Thursday afternoon)..... I am in Texas & They're located in Rhode Island (IIRC), so I probably won't get them until Monday (if they truly had already shipped them when the email stated).

I am stocking up on Qs for CVS's big sale coming up in a week and half.. :) .. plus, I got more Maybelline $4 off Q's since I have already blown through most of mine.. :(

You :rock: , Dawn.. thanks again.

I think this is a YMMV situation based on the cashier, I have had it happen both ways at the same store as well. If they push the total button before scanning coupons, the register will give you second item free and therefore only count as 1 item. So my advice is find a good cashier/store and stick to them like stink on garbage :hug: Especially the ones that will just push the coupons through even if they beep ;)

hi all!!
im new here too..love it so far!! is there a place to post coupons for the loft, macy's, etc???

actually trades for these!!:bounce:

Hi all, i'am a newbie and i did my first cvs shopping last week and got free deals yayy :bounce: i'm still amazed how much money i used to spend there actually buying stuff :shake: just wanted to say thanks for all the posts and help.. had a quick question how do u get the 4/20$ or 3/10$ etc coupons.. i did sign up for an online account and also attached my ECC but have not got any mail from them yet..

CVS use to give them out freely but have tightened down. Some people get them and soem people don't.

I haven't had one in a LONG time.

Thks NCSUFire..

I'm not understanding this coupon thing. I met someone who sent me to SD and she was telling me how she can save hundreds when shopping. Not sure how it's done, but I'm only saving $20 or so!!! I don't have lots of time to sit and go through coupons and such so how do all of you do it?! I find lots of good coupons but it seems like I have to buy things I don't need just to save some money and then I have a ton of stuff that I paid for that I don't use and that just seems like a waste of money. Any help would be appreciated.

Just be patient. When I started I was only saving like $10.00 per order. I just depends on the deals at your stores and the coupons matchup for the week. I have learned to stockpile the stuff I need and only get whats on sale and with coupons. It has drastically cut my grocery bill and it's nice to know I have a stash of stuff and don't have to run for the store for just one or two items. I usually take a little time as I get a chance and do the best deals I can. It's impossible to get in on all the deals. Just match what you need and go from there. OH, almost forgot silly me....I used to buy only store brands and thought I was doing great. If I have a q and it's on sale alot of time name brand is actually cheaper than store brands and don't forget double q's and gas rewards too. Welcome to SD and best of luck to ya. :look:

Quote from HollyGolightly :
Does anyone know whether there is a newbie thread for Wags? I know CVS has one and I thought Wags did too.. but I can't find it when I do a search for it.. I might be searching the wrong words though.

Any help would be appreciated.. Thanks..

Where is this CVS newbie thread? I'm a newb and would like some translations/definitions. Like this:

$2 ECBs wyb Garnier Fructis shampoo, conditioner or styler 2.99 LIMIT 1
Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner or Treatment, any except trial size $1 (1-31-09) V 10/5/08
Garnier Fructis Style Product, any except trial size $1 (1-31-09) V 10/5/08

Where are these coupons listed below the offer?

Please enlighten me, SD yodas. :bounce:

V is for Valas....something or another....now they are called RedPlum or RP.
SS is for Smart Source

The dates 10/5/08 are the insert that it came from. Inside the ()'s is the expiration date.

Great, thanks. I also found that CVS thread:

http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...4&t=676935

I really took advantage of the Sunday/Monday sale so I'm all geeked out now. I was OOP $5 for about $40 worth of stuff and I still have $12 in ECBs. Nothing compared to you regulars but I was pretty happy with myself. ;)

My first CVS deal I did I bought a $100 and something of stuff and got $20 back in ECBs. I was on :cloud9: but didn't understand how everyone was so excited about this :D DW and I said there has to be a better way to do this.

This is when I quickly learned about breaking up deals into smaller amounts.

I think you did great. Anytime your ECB amount is greater than your OOP is a win for me.

I have a coupon question: if I have a coupon that says "$1 off when you buy two bottles of dove shampoo" (for example), and I have two of those coupons, can I buy two bottles and use both coupons or would I have to buy four bottles to use both coupons?

You can use one coupon on two bottles. So you are correct that you would have to buy 4 bottles to use both coupons.

I have a few questions. Its been awhile since I have had time to sit down and slickdeal. I have 2 little girls 3yr and 10 mo. Anyways am I better off subscribing to a few sunday papers to get the coupons? I notice a lot of my area stores do not take internet coupons. Any suggestions to save me and my family are welcome!!!!!

Some stores like Walgreens sell them for $0.99. I get one home delivery and if I need more I trade with others or go buy extras.

I would check around for local places (McDonalds, etc) to see what they do with the coupons from the papers they get.

You can find them a lot of places, neighbors, etc.

Ok
My million dollar question is:

Has anyone figured out how to get bricks coupons to print from a Mac?
Is my networked printer the problem?

I almost quit the CVS game once over this and it is depressing me again now that I restarted my cards (Just in time for BF).

I want free/nearly free vitamins, gosh darn it.

This thread may help with the MAC printing issue.

Thank you so much for this thread! I'm a Q greenie and I must admit, it's been a little intimidating! I am almost embarrassed to say that I've been a member of this forum for some time now and haven't taken the time to actually sit down and read. :O

Besides my job being one of the casualties of 2008, I also have 4 pre-teen boys in my home (yes, 4!) and I'm sick and tired of leaving the grocery store in tears. After bills, I have a whopping $200/every 2 weeks left and $150 has been going to groceries. I was one of the many who believed that Q'ing was not worth the time and effort. HOW WRONG WAS I?!? I have only just begun and have already saved so much money. My sister (lostgurl70) has been a great tutor.

I can honestly say, this forum is going to be a God-send for me. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how everyone helps each other out, even the newbies. Anyway, thank you again for such detailed explanations and I hope to be talking with you all soon!

:welcome: to the DS subforum!

Couponing is worth the time and effort. I know it helps to cut out the non-grocery bill necessities (the annoying things like paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, razors, soap, mouthwash, vitamins, etc.) so that we can concentrate on using our money for actual groceries or other things we need.

Nothing feels better than to get something for free because they paid you to take another item off the shelf.

I've learned that most stuff is cheaper at Super Walmart, unless the grocery stores have it in their ad as a sale price or run a super promotion, then in which case it becomes way cheaper than Super Walmart and if you can find a coupon that matches up with their sale prices and/or super promotion, then you are often looking at free food.

Certain select items (i.e. Green Giant Steamers) were $1.00 compared to $2.50 at Stater Bros. -- On the other hand soda at SWM is very expensive compared to CVS and grocery store sale prices.

Of course, I would avoid the produce section at the SWM where I shop like the plague, doesn't matter what the price, the produce seems to be :vomit: when I get there. They had avocados for 68 cents, but had flies roaming around the produce them and the cucumbers looked terrible.

So for produce and meat, it is off to the membership warehouse store that Walmart hates.

Of course, with their 15% cap on markup -- the soda prices are still very lousy and they ripped me off on the green beans -- yep, with coupon at Stater Bros. I was able to get it down way below their cost. :mad:

Example:

Del Monte Green Beans 14 1/2 ounce can @ Stater Bros: 99 cents per can
Less $1/2 = 50 cents off each can = 49 cents per can
(would of been an even better deal, had these been on sale at one of the grocery stores)

Membership Warehouse that caps margins at 15%:
$6.49 for 8 cans = 81.125 cents per can (for something other than Del Monte)

Evil Membership Warehouse: :(
$7.88 for 12 cans = 65.66 cents per can (for Del Monte)

Still :headbang: on how they allowed the Evil Membership warehouse to undersell them.

However, the yogurt that my mother likes is always cheapest at the membership warehouse, no matter what promotion the grocery stores give. Even Albertson's B1G1 promotion still made the cost per yogurt higher than buying it at the membership warehouse, and this even after putting coupons on the B1G1 deal!.

Bottom line, taking the time to look and read this forum to find out the best deals will save you a lot of time and hassle as it is often many different places will have the best deals for certain items. :)

so i dont know where else to ask but i have problems navigating this site, i know harris teeter is tripling coupons soon, wheres the harris teeter thread i searched for it but couldnt find it! HALP!? lol

lol thanks, but i also had just found it in that index thread haha

No problem, glad I could halp ;)

Slayers,

Thanks for the great ideas. They're much appreciated.

Dawn ~ NCSUFire just posted a great thread started by emilyposa ~ maybe you can add that link to your original post, as I think it is a GREAT idea for coupon organization..

Here is the link again,

http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...st15736555

You guys are the best... :hug:

Link has been posted.

I just looked at her original post and I don't see it in there :confused: but I have been sick, so I might have missed it.. Just ignore this post.. if so.

I saw you posted the link originally.. I gave you credit in my post. I just thought it would be a good addition to her original post ~ if she wanted to edit and update it.. So the link doesn't get lost in the thread... but like I said, if I missed it... then totally disregard this post.

:wave:

I think you are misunderstanding what I meant. I found that original link via your post. I thought Dawn might want to add it to her original post or someone might want to add it to the wiki because eventually it will get buried under posts on here.. That's the point I was trying to make.

I originally saw the thread from your post and gave you credit in my post, which asked Dawn to add it to the first post.. (giving you and the OP of that thread credit~ of course)..

Sorry for the misunderstanding.. It's not a big deal.. I just thought it would help if this thread keep growing longer..

:wave: Thanks for the link, btw...

Oh :blush2: my mistake, your welcome.

We were lost in internet translation.. :P anyway, it's not a big deal at all.. it was a suggestion. I was thinking of doing the wiki myself.. actually I might do that later when I have more time after work.. I will credit you and the OP of that link too..

:hug:

Happy New Year!

:D Happy New Year!

Hi everybody!!! :) How's it goin'?

:wave2: New and saying hi or been around and catching up?

Just had to boast- I would have spent $106 at the grocery store today- I dropped it down to $61.00 and left with $15.00 in catalinas for next order.

Congratulations!

I forget - can you use an ECB genereated by the same product to purchase and receive ecb - ex. colgate ecb to get more colgate and still get an ecb generated?

make sense? doesn't to me but I hope it makes enough senseto someone to get an answer...lol

I know you cannot with RR's...

yes you can. Walgreens is the only place where using a RR from one mfq may not get you another RR.

:clap: Great job!!

You will simply be amazed at what you can do. I kid you not. :thumbsup: Good luck in your couponing ventures. :) With four pre-teen boys you will need lots of stockpiles.

Hey Jess! :wave2:

Probably a basic question, but...
Where do people get a hold of so many multiples of the same Qs? In reading around it is commonplace for people to talk about using 2,3,4,5,10 of the same MFR Q to knock the price of a promo product down near $0.

But as far as I can tell the selection of Qs available for printing and online is significantly different (and generally less valuable) than Qs available in weekly circulars (SmartSource, RedPlum, etc.)

So do people buy 10 copies of the local paper every Sunday? Seems that that would kill some of the savings, considering the Sunday paper here costs $5 each!

cklennon I check out what coupons are available at http://www.taylortownpreview.com/ and then I buy extras from Ebay or the couponclippers.com and thecouponmaster.com. There are many coupon sites out there that you can get extra coupons from. If you purchase them this way then you can get the ones you want for the price of a couple of newspapers.

I wish I understood how the marketing gurus decide these things. But I don't. Some areas of the country get amazing coupons while others get ho-hum coupons in their local papers. Some good ones that come to mind recently were the $2.50 off Electrasol q, the free Good Bites q and the free Mighty Dog q that some places received in their inserts. Here, we got absolutely NONE of those. :mad: The good coupons coupled with the price of the papers can make the investment well worth it. Some places have .50 cent papers! And these aren't podunk towns. These are metropolitan areas with terrific inserts. Where do you live that the paper costs $5? :eek:

I had one friend that made a deal with her paper carrier to sell her all his leftover paper's inserts for less that the price of the paper.

Some people receive inserts in their mail as well. I have signed up for that but never actually received one. :sadwalk:

Now if you want to get even cheaper, some people frequent McDonald's, Starbucks and other Sunday morning haunts to get extra inserts from the papers people leave lying around. Other ideas include newspaper recycling bins in apartment complexes, military bases or other community areas that have recycling centers. Don't forget the free peelies, blinkies and tearpads that seem to be everywhere. Once in a while I take a day and just go hunting for them. I generally do pretty well at finding them too. :thumbup:

And as previously mentioned, there are many sites to buy coupons as well. Generally, the more popular a coupon is, the harder it will be to get. Popularity increases prices on Ebay. Also coupon clipper sites put buying limits on the really good ones but generally they will be less expensive than Ebay.

HTH. :)

I am having an inside garage sale this Thursday...I hope it goes well! This will be my first "big" sale!

Dawn that picture was really pretty in the BS discussion board! I would love, love, love to be there right now!

Totally brand-new here (this is my very first post). My big question, relating to CVS, is how do you decide what to buy? Do you focus on money-makers and end up with a bunch of weird stuff, or do you wait for deals on stuff you actually use, etc? When do you spend all your ECBs? Strategy, people! Thanks.

:welcome: Definitely focus on the money makers at first. Pretty soon, you will be able to add in whatever you want as you build up ECB's. :thumbup:

I have noticed something recently - the other drug stores sometimes run the same deal on a product at the same time. CVS had $4 ECB on Tylenol and Rite Aid had a $4 Q in their flyer. My CVS takes competitor's Qs, so I got what usually retails for $17.99 for $4.

Good going, I think. :thumbup: :lol:

I just wanted to say, Thanks so much. I have learned alot from this thread. Rep'd!

thank you

I got my coupons in a photo album and it has made things a lot easier.. but I only cut the ones I know I will be using soon or good ones.

Then I leave the inserts intact, but they have become such a mess. I am lucky I have an extra bedroom. Right now - my inserts are stacked up in there. I bought a file box for them but they've all gotten mixed together.. after going back through the inserts a few times to get certain coupons - I got lazy and mingled them in one bunch. There has to be a better way to organize them.

ugh.

Holly, I bought a clear plastic tub at OD that holds hanging file folders. And then, of course, I bought the folders. Normally I take a post-it and mark the date on the first insert and then put all the ones from that week in that folder and stick it in the tub. No matter how often you cut out of them, its a pretty decent way to organize the inserts.

(If you have a CVS, you can probably find the hanging file folders there. :))

Thanks. That's a great idea.. I just have mingled coupons from one insert into coupons from another. The past two weeks - I have kept them separated.. So hopefully I will do a better job in the future. The hanging file tub w/the post-its sounds like a great way to organize.

Thanks, hawaiindawn! :bounce:

:blowkiss: No problem.

I use the plastic baseball card holders inside a 3 ring fabric binder with a zipper. It has pockets and holders for my scissors, pens and such. I still have a separate holder with sections for each store that fits inside. I have the pages going from personal hygiene, to beauty to health to food, etc. It sits perfectly in most carts so I can page through to the Q I need. It has a handle I can hold it by as well, so it's perfect! Nothing falls out, it fits PLENTY of pages and it keeps all I need to shop. I'll take pics to show and post them for you. HTH!

nm nm nm

anyone know how long after the expiration date do manufacturer coupons beep?

They'll never beep the way registers are programmed now, as far as I understand it.

I used a peelie a while ago that expired in 2005 (I had no idea until I checked the date of the other peelies after I got home). It went through beeplessly.

Eventually they will start beeping sometime after expiration, but not until changes are made to their system.

I have to say a big thank you to all who are the power contributers.... this q thang is a whole new world to me and a bit overwhelming....

I usually just use my local store shopper cards and look for the best deals.... I never buy the paper or use coupons unless they are handy and there.... with this economy I have to start.....

I have learned much just reading here on SD.. and I am very depressed that I didn't even KNOW about the CVS program since I just spent $600 using up my Flex Spending in December! (KICKING MYSELF)

I have downloaded the $1.00 off coupon from the Coffee-Mate Site, and I've signed up at the folgers site for their mailed coupon.....

I read the ebook on the couponmom site (thanks for the link to it) I registered my shopper cards on Dillons, Shortcuts, and Upromise.......... whew....... Oh and I really like the OP mentality that "Coupons are a Form of Payment" thank you!

I am ready to buy a paper (or two on Sunday) WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

are CVS Q's still posted here?

I've searched, thought I'd seen this somewhere, but can't find it now. Please forgive me if so..

What does the number "5" or the number "9" on the left of the barcode signify? I'm pretty new to couponing and I had a cashier make a comment about one I'd used, he keyed it manually (it had a "5").

Thanks for your patience with me.

Fancy

Hi,

A coupon starting with a "5" just means the coupon can be doubled or tripled. If the coupon starts with a "9" - it is coded to NOT double or triple.. (Side note: coupons that start with a "9" always beep at CVS and Walgreens)..

Good luck!! :thumbsup: Don't forget to try the other methods for getting whole inserts.

You go, Holly!! Helpin' out the new folk! :hug:

Unfortunately not. There are links to discuss the coupons is found here
http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...2&t=715594

Holly is right. Here is a link to a thread that will help you understand more of what she was telling you
http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...2&t=889094

Thanks for the answers and the link too.

That helps me get a better grip on coupons!

I use the same thing!! :) I have the pages broken down to different categories i use and then the categories alphabetized. My sis wanted to go grocery shopping the other nite with me and the first thing she asked when getting in the car was "did u bring your coupons?" Silliest thing I ever heard. Do I ever leave home without them????? and she wanted to know if she could use some 'cuz she wants to save money too.... I just had to share. She didn't do too bad saved around $20.00 ......I had like 8 bags and saved like $50+....and I luv those gas points.....

I usually match up my coupons to sale items in the paper and go armed with alist and already pulled coupons in an envelope. Then look thru my binder in the isles in case there are unadvertised specials I can take advantage of....

:woot:

My first shopping Sunday........... went to CVS and Dillons...........

At Dillons I save 37% ($27.58)
At CVS I saved 17.00 (and earned $4.00 ecbs)

I am pooped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations! Now the kep is to take those $4 ECB and make them multiply

When a coupon says "any product from The Makers of X", does that mean:

only for any product in their X line

OR

any product that they make period, even their Z line?

Like $2.00 Off any product from The Makers of Theraflu; does it mean just any Theraflu product or any product Novartis (makers of Theraflu) makes, like Excedrin?

Sounds like you answered the question. I would take it to mean any product that the Makers of X make you can use it on.

Do a google search for a Coupon Decoder and type in the UPC code and see what comes up

Thanks!

Oh I just found coupon binders on youtube - there are a lot of people who posted their Q binders.. I am still working on organizing mine, but I use a photo album right now.. I need to upgrade to one of these notebook binders. Here is a link to a gal who did a good job on hers..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcbstm5vx5k

Nevermind. :)