How do YOU coupon?

Ok, I'm lazy when it comes to "blogging". I know this to be VERY true.... oh well. I've been a busy momma with the summer quickly upon us. The pool, work, my kiddos and lots of coupon workshops have kept me far away from the blog world. I've still been couponing away and trying to grab the deals when I can. My stockpile has been so nice that I haven't had to do much shopping over the past few months.

Coupon Workshops have been so popular lately because of all the hype on TLC. I thought that I would share my thoughts on some of the things that I think we all need to remember when we are couponing. These are things that I teach and try to enforce when I am helping out "new" couponers.....

1. Honesty- This is something that management at Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid have approached me about frequently. We are ALL looking for a "sweet" deal, but at what cost? Coupons have certain "rules" and if the rules aren't being followed, the retailer is not getting reimbursed by the manufacturer and the store ends up losing money. This makes "couponers" look bad and eventually we will all miss out on the deals. Please be aware of the wording on your coupons. If the coupon states: " $1 off two items" or " $1 off a certain size item", then use that coupon on two items or the appropriate sized item as stated. Does this make sense?

2. Appropriate price matching- This is a sticky subject with some couponers. I will tell you how I feel about this (because I do it all the time)... Price matching is a great thing for us in Southwest Virginia. Mainly because we don't have the availability of all the great stores that are in a more populated area. Walmart's policy states that they will price match any ad. GREAT! Right? Well, here's the deal... if you are price matching an ad for a store like CVS, Rite Aid or Walgreen's, the read those ads well. If the ad states a "cheap" price after ECB's, Up+Reward's or RR, no problem. But if the price is listed after the ECB's, Up+Reward's and RR's and also listed is the Manufacturer coupon price, the you need to price match BEFORE the coupon price. Example: If razors are on sale at CVS for $8.97 this week and you get $4 in ECB's when you purchase one, that would make the price $4.97 in the ad.... BUT if the ad has it listed as :

Razor... $8.97

-$4.00 manufac. coupon in most Sunday papers

-$4.00 Extra Care Bucks

------------------------------

$0.97 after coupons and ECB's

This is when you have to do the math for the cashier. Price match the price before the coupon is listed because you are going to be using that coupon, right????? So you would pay $0.97 for the razor instead of getting the razor for "free" and getting $3.03 in overage. this is considered appropriate price matching. Please be honest with this. IT IS A PROBLEM AND IT IS FRAUD.

On the some topic, if you are price matching, price match the same item (size and quantity) to the ad. Don't try to sneek a bigger size past the cashier. This things will catch up with us and ruin couponing all together.

3. Correct number of coupons with your transaction- Always try to count your coupons and have them ready before you check out. If you are purchasing 10 deos, then use 10 coupons, not 15.... again, it's coupon fraud.

I'm posting this because I have had feedback from several different people about coupons being used inappropriately. Coupon fraud is a jailable offense and has serious consequences. Please be mindful and honest when you are couponing. If it doesn't feel "right" when you are couponing, then it probably isn't.

Now, on to the fun stuff..... How are you guys doing with your stockpiles?? What are your meals looking like now? How much are you saving?

Bristol Herald papers... update.

I received an email from Bristol Herald's single copy manager the other day. Looks like the BHC has expanded their coverage to the Kingsport area. Three new Food City's will have the BHC on Sundays. Food City in Colonial Heights, Food City on Eastman Road and Food City in Weber City are the three newest locations. Be sure to stop by and pick up a few copies on Sunday mornings.

I have also talked to Chris Dorton, the circulation manager, about all of our issues with the amount of Bristol Herald papers that we get in our area. He assured me that he is working on all of the issues and they hope to remedy the problems soon. If you are having any issues you can always drop him a KIND email and he does listen to us. He is doing a great job trying to get more coupons to us. cdorton@bristolnews.com

Free or Cheap Dove Men's Deodorant...

All you new couponers need to head on over to CVS. CVS has the Dove men's deodorant for $.99 each until tomorrow night. What a great price!!! Even better if you have the $1/1 coupon from the 3/27 rp. CVS in Big Stone Gap has tons available, so hurry up and get yours!!

Brag Spot time.....

Sooooo, I'm back!!! I've been so busy with life, life and more life that blogging has taken a back seat for a while. I wanted to post this brag blog because I have had some AWESOME experiences with Walmart lately and the word is getting out that they are really coming along with coupons. Angie (a workshop graduate) sent me these pictures today... her Walmart trip was uh-mazing. Here's the breakdown of what she walked out with:

* 21 Nivea bodywashes

* 12 Dove deodorants

* 8 travel size Dove bodywashes

* 1 Glade candle

Her total before coupons was $73.42 and after coupons Walmart paid her $0.41!! The best thing is that Walmart in Norton doesn't give you a hard time AT ALL about using your coupons and getting overage. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures Angie!! You did AWESOME!!!

Personal experience with the new Walmart Policy....

So, I've heard a ton of complaints about how Walmart "treats ya like a criminal" or "gives me such a hard time about my coupons" or even "tells me I have no idea what I'm doing with my coupons". Well, this is my personal experience with Walmart in Norton from Monday 3/21. I went in to pricematch the Kroger ad and bought 65 Powerade, 2 bags of Gordon's Fishsticks, 2 Dannon Yogurt tubs, produce and several other things. While I was checking out, the cashier was chatting with another cashier and I overheard them say, "what do you think about all that stuff we can do with that NEW coupon policy?". Imagine my surprise!!!!! So I asked them if they had actually seen the newest policy that came out on 3/16 and they both looked at me and said, "Uh, yes..... look..." and they pulled out LAMINATED COPIES WITH PICTURE DIAGRAMS of the newest coupon policy!!!!!! OH MY! The policies clearly stated everything that the new policy covers in very simple terms for the cashiers, so there are no questions. Here are a few of my favorite parts that the cashiers discussed with me:

* They will now pricematch BOGO ads as long as the price is stated under the BOGO ad. (Example: Ingles ad will say BOGO SAVE $1.00 on 2. Rite Aid ads say Buy One Get the Second One Free... no price listed)

* They will gladly give you money back on your basket purchases if you have used coupons and have overage... no questions asked.

* They will pricematch any ad even if you have left your ad at home. (This worries me a little that people will abuse this.)

* The CSM's understand that they can override transactions if you have more than 40 coupons and more than $50 in coupons.

Soooooo..... be patient, be kind and be EXCITED!!!! If you have a cashier that is hesitant, be understanding and kindly ask them to get the register coupon policy. Walmart in BSG may or may not be on the same page with all these changes, so be extra patient with them. ;)

Let me know how your recent experience has been with Walmart. Most of you know that I avoid them like the plague, but now I'm excited to go and pricematch them like crazy!!!!!

Kroger has a new coupon policy!

Effective immediately, Kroger has officially changed their coupon policy. Go here to read all about it. The short of it: No more stacking eCoupons with a manufacter coupon. And, they have changed it in their system.

Walmart run!

So I figured I would try out the NEW coupon policy @ Walmart. My trip went really well and I didn't even have to use my policy! I purchased all of this stuff for $3.53 oop after my coupons. Woohoo!! My total before coupons was $27, so a pretty good trip in my opinion.

Exciting stuff from The Bristol Herald Courier...

The newspaper issues in Big Stone Gap seem to be improving! Looks like The Bristol Herald Courier is going to be stocking the newsstand at Food City in Big Stone Gap!! Yeehawwww! This is wonderful news. That means that the Sunday paper that is loaded with all of our favorite inserts will be sold locally for us. I have had several exchanges with the "big dogs" @ the BHC and they are super excited about getting us papers, so you guys make it worth their time. Buy those papers! :)

The BHC really did a great job about listening to the desires of all of us "couponers" and they jumped on board. They are going to be moving to the Clintwood area very soon as well! What great news! You guys may want to drop them a line and thank them for all the help that they have sent us.... I'm just sayin'. ;)

New Coupon Policy @ WalMart!!!

Woooohooooooo!!!!! This is exciting! Get ready Walmart in Norton and Big Stone Gap, here we come with our NEW corporate coupon policy (straight from the people you work for)! It's so exciting, isn't it? Walmart will do "coupon overage"... no more waiting around on the cashiers to figure out if they are "allowed" to let that coupon through or not. Keep in mind, it will take some time and probably numerous calls to Corporate, but the new policy clearly states that they will no longer adjust a coupon. Yay for us, sort of. ;)

Don't forget to print a copy of the new policy and put it in your binder. You can get the full policy here.

Some great deals @ Ingles this week...

If you haven't been to Ingles this week, here are a few things to remember to look for:

*Mt. Olive Relish $1.58, use the $.50/1 q making them $.08/jar
*Texas Toast Croutons 10/$10, use the $.50/1 q making them free plus possible mm
*Peter Pan peanut butter $1.98 use the $.50/1 q making it $.48/each
Be sure and post any other deals that you find. I headed to Ingles on Sunday and scored $64 in groceries for $14.08 oop. Gotta love the triples!!!!!

Brag Spot time.....

Mandy (Honey Pot Grad) sent me these pictures of her CVS run. Great job and she only spent $2.35 oop!!! Keep up the great work, Mandy! How about the rest of you? How are your CVS, Rite Aid, Kroger and Walmart runs looking? Send me some pics!

The Bristol Herald Courier newspaper issues....

So, many of you have called me, texted me or emailed me today with major issues regarding The Bristol Herald Courier not having ANY coupon inserts over the past few weeks. There have also been TONS of issues with the availability of this paper in the stores, gas stations and paper boxes. It is disappointing, to say the least, and I too share in the frustration with all of you couponers. I have made numerous requests to the local office in Bristol, asking them to please start providing us with the paper that we all want so badly. My voice must be falling on deaf ears, there have been no changes.

If you want to let your voice be heard, please feel free to contact Chris Dorton: cdorton@bristolnews.com Tell them your frustrations with the papers that we do not have in this area, explain to them that our coupon inserts are mysteriously "missing" week after week, let them know that you have to get up at the crack of dawn to try and snag a paper. If you know someone who would be interested in having a paper route in the Big Stone Gap/ Appalchia/ Pennington Gap area, tell them! Until then, all of you dedicated couponers can always by loads of The Kingsport Times News. They have some of the inserts every week and some is better than none.

Triple Coupn Event!!!

I love Ingles!!! This week they are having a triple coupon event. They will TRIPLE any coupon up to $.50!! This is a great time to stock up on condiments and non-perishables. Head over here to check out the ad for this week.

Remember that Ingles' coupon policy states that they will only double or triple 3 coupons for every $10 spent BEFORE coupon totals.... so 3 q's for $10, 6 q's for $20 and so on.

Free Science Diet dog food.

If you have pets, then you need to head to PetSmart. They are having a President's Day sale that you can read about here. I went yesterday and bought 18 bags of Science Diet dog food and paid $8.55 (TN tax) for all of it. Normal price was $11.99 a bag and the sale price was $5/bag. Use the $5/1 q from the 1/9 SS and score these bags for FREE, only paying tax. Woohoooooo!!!!!

Tummy to Teen Consignment Sale!

Ok Honey Pot people... do you love to find "sweet" deals on your kid's clothes? Do you shop the sales and wait for the clearance items to come your way? Do you have closets full of clothes that don't fit your kiddos? How about your toy boxes... are they over-run with toys your kids don't play with? Well, now you can sell all that stuff, shop the deals and score really great prices on new and slightly used kids clothes, toys and gear!! The Tummy to Teen Consignment Event is coming our way... head on over here to find out all about it. You can sign up to be a consignor, volunteer to help out or just come and shop the event. Tell your friends! Tell your family!

Crest Whitestrips for $1.99 @ CVS!

I went to CVS last night and scored 3 boxes of Crest Whitestrips for $6! I read all about the deal here and then tried it for myself... it worked!

(Thanks Hip2Save!)

Finish Quantumatic Money Maker!!!

Head on over here to print a $3/1 q for the Finish Quantumatic dishwasher dispenser. As you can see, Walmart in Big Stone Gap has them on sale for $2.00!!! Woohooooo!!!!

Sunday Coupon Preview...

Head on over here to see what inserts are coming out tomorrow. Looks like we are going to have two, a Smart Source and a Red Plum. Let me know if you find any sweet deals this week!

Borden Cheese coupon!!!

Hey guys! Head on over here to print a q for $1/1 Borden cheese singles or shredded cheese. It's a pdf, so print it a couple of times to score a sweet deal now or maybe a little later.

Rite Aid has some great deals, ya'll!

Look at what I scored today for $1.90! I bought 20 packs of Stayfree pads, 8 packs of vinyl gloves, 3 packs of Andes mints and 1 pack of candy for Ryland (not pictured). What a great deal!!!!

Sunday Coupon Preview...

Looks like there are going to be 4 coupon inserts tomorrow. You should get 1 Smart Source, 1 P&G and 2 Red Plum inserts. This is a great week for all you "couponers" to stock up on a few copies of The Bristol Herald Courier....

Kroger run.... WOW!

Ok, I went to Kroger again. I just can't keep myself away when it's a MEGA Event. My stockpile runneth over, that's for sure. I bought $210 in groceries for $55, after coupons, Catalina's and my Kroger Card. I didn't take any pictures of my purchases, specifically, but here's a peek at my stockpile closet after 5 trips to Ingles and 2 Kroger runs:

This is a breakdown of what I purchased @ Kroger:

* 33 cans of Hunt's tomatoes

* 8 cases of Deer Park bottled water

* 20 Velveeta Shells and Cheese and Kraft Mac and Cheese

* 10 2-liters of Mug Root Beer and Sierra Mist

* 6 Red Baron frozen pizzas

* 2 Philidelphia Cream Cheese

* 5 bags of rice cakes

* 8 Reese's peanut butter Easter eggs

* 20 Whiskas cat food trays

* 4 boxes of New York Texas Toast

* 1 bag of Goldfish

* 3 cans of Hormel Chili

Brag Spot time.....

Well, it's been one year that I have been doing "coupons" and saving a bunch of cash. I can't even begin to explain the benefits that my family, my friends and even complete strangers have experienced in just one year. I wanted to share these pictures with you because this is an example of what being a dedicated couponer can do for you and your pantry. This is my friend Karen's pantry.... stocked full, and her freezer... packed! If you could have seen her fridge before she became really committed to couponing, you would be shocked... even more shocked at the change from empty to full.

So how has couponing changed your life?? What does your stockpile look like??

Organize in Style Coupon Book!!!

Ok, I love these coupon books!! It's been a while since I've seen a link for it, so sign up while you can!! Head on over here and snag yours! This little beauty is always full of great coupons for Dawn, Cascade, Swiffer and many more.

Sunday Coupon Preview...

Looks like there is going to be two coupon inserts this Sunday, a Smart Source and a Red Plum. Head on over here to see what coupons you might be getting. Remember that coupons may vary by region and value. Let meknow what kind of deals you find this next week.

It's time to send a HUGE container to Africa. Check your stockpiles and see if there is anything that you would like to give... or even better, do some "Spring Cleaning" a little early this year and clean out your kiddos' closets and drawers.

Donated Used items Needed for Container for Sierra Leone

Everything needs to be turned in no later than January 25th.

Items should be placed in a large plastic tub with lid or boxes. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WEIGH THE ITEMS THAT HAS CHANGED please just label the outside of the container with what is inside the container. Please bring boxed items by the church. Items may be used as long as they have been washed and are clean. If you have any questions please contact Dawn Balkcom: 276-794-9052 (home) or 276-794-2736 (cell).

Items Needed:

Clothes and shoes, adult or children's sizes (no heavy winter items)

Handbags, backpacks

Sanitary items

Cooking utensils, cutlery, cast iron skillets, pots and pans

Mattresses, pillows, sheets

Bicycles

Plastic Coolers

CD players

Towels, Rugs

TVs, DVDs

Household chairs

Computers

Sewing Machines

School materials for primary school: paper, pencils, notebooks

Photo Copiers, Printers

Non-perishable food, canned foods

Refrigerators

Fans, any size

Plastic Chairs

Music Keyboards, Music drum set

Megaphones

Second hand microphones

Big speakers for outdoor use

P.A. System for outdoor use with several channels and a mixer

Generators

Pick-Up Truck

Medical Supplies and Equipment

Air Conditioners

Books

Cases of Bleach, laundry soap, soap, lotions, vaseline, baby oil, shampoo, bath soap

Washer/Dryer

Really????

So I saw this post and Hip2Save and thought that I would check and see for myself.... guess what!!!!... there it is on the bottom of my receipt. Wow. Check your receipts. Keep a copy of your Walmart Corporate Coupon Policy and the Walmart Corporate phone number with you and don't be afraid to use it.