The Trouble With Couponers

The last few weeks I've been on the verge of a temper tantrum the last few times I've tried to go shopping and get the awesome deals I've put on my Master Plan.

In Utah County it has become veeeerrry popular to coupon. Which means if you don't get to the store as soon as the deals are posted EVERYTHING is out. And I'm talking EVERYTHING!!!

I was so frustrated that I emailed the author of the freebies2deals site and asked for advice. This is what I got:


Katie-

You can do a few things. Go to stores that are less coupon crazy, go early in the morning (i've had to do that a few times), or the best option is to ask the manager when they restock.

You can also ask for a Raincheck. So when the items get back instock and are no longer on sale, you can still get the sale price that was promised to you AND use your coupons.

Hope that helps!! Keep it up- it's worth it!

Melea

I was again motivated and decided that I would just change the day I go shopping and also called to see when my stores re-stock.

Then came Tuesday. It was the first time I attempted to "Double Coupon" and it sure was a bust! Just like before EVERYTHING was gone. I wanted to slap someone! Seriously, who are all these people that think it's ok to clear a shelf?? Don't we all need cereal, seasoning, body wash, etc??? I am NOT going to get up at 5am to get to WalMart just so I can get my deals...then again I am the competitive type and would do it just so I can feel like I won and also a little to "stick it to them".

Sigh. So for any new couponers like myself, beware of WalMart and the false hope that they will always have what you want.

This Week's Master Plan

WALMART

*NEW* Reach Floss $.88
Use the $2.50 off two Reach Floss Coupon from the 4-17-11 SS
Total Cost FREE, $.74 MONEYMAKER!

*NEW* Nivea Body Wash for Women $3.00
Use the $3.00 off Nivea for Women Coupon from the 4-17-11 RP
Total Cost FREE

*NEW* Cap’n Crunch Cereal 5.5oz Box $1.00
Use the $.50 off Cap’n Crunch Cereal Coupon from the 4-17-11 RP
Total Cost $.50

*NEW* Kotex U Liners $1.24
Use the $1.00 off Kotex Coupon from the 4-17-11 SS
Total Cost $.24

Kandoo Flushable Wipes $1.64
Use the $1.00 off Kandoo Coupon from the 4-3-11 PG
Total Cost $.64

SMITH’S– PRICE MATCH AT WALMART

Nabisco Triscuit Snack Crackers $1.67 each
Use the $1 off 1 Triscuit Coupon
Total cost $.67 each!

Nabisco 5.5-10 oz Wheat Thin Snack Crackers $1.67
Use the $1 off 1 Wheat Thins 8oz Crunch Stix Coupon
Total cost $.67 each! (as long as this variety is included)

MACEY’S– PRICE MATCH AT WALMART

Betty Crocker 4.5-8 oz Fruit Snacks $2
Use the in-ad vendor coupon: $1 each with coupon and purchase of 4
Plus, use the $.50 off 2 Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers or Roll Ups Coupon from the 3-6-11 SS
Or, use the $.50 off 2 Betty Crock Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers or Roll Ups Coupon from the 4-17-11 SS
Total cost ONLY $.75 each!

Nalley 46 oz Dill Pickles $2.19 each
Use the $1.50 off 1 Nalley Elites Pickles Coupon from the 4-10-11 RP
Or, use the $.75 off 1 Nalley Pickles Coupon from the 4-17-11 RP
Total cost as low as $.69 each! (if Elites are included)

This week's list is pretty small because I am determined to not go over in my budget this month. :) All the other deals can be found here.

Happy Hunting!!

Cereal $18.00 total. Saved about $66.00!!
Fruit Snacks $4.00. Saved $6.00!!

Aussie Shampoo $2.50. Saved $2.50

Toothbrush(es) $1.00. Saved $1.00

Razors $0.00!! Saved $15.00!!!

Sorry, I've been updating my personal blog for about an hour so I just wanted to this quickly. :)

I will update again tomorrow with my Master List for the week and the hassle I found with double couponing at the AF WalMart....grrrr....

Utah County Walmart Double Coupon List

Good To Know Info:

•ALL 7 Utah County Walmart Locations will double coupons on Tuesday - CONFIRMED
•No price matching and doubling together - you must pick one or the other!
•Coupons will only be doubled up $1.00 MAX:
$0.25 coupon = $0.50
$0.50 coupon = $1.00
$0.75 coupon = $1.00
$1.00 coupon = $1.00 NO DOUBLE

Utah County Walmart Double Coupon Deals:

GROCERY:

•Gortons Fish Sticks 30-44 ct = $4.28 -$0.50/1 (S2/13 exp. 5/31) = $3.28 WOW
•NY Texas Ciabatta bread 12 oz = $2.08 - $0.50/1 (S3/6 exp. 6/5) = $1.08 WOW
•Super Pretzels = $2.18 - $0.50/1 (RP4/10 exp. 5/10) = $1.18 WOW
•Nalley Pickles 16 - 24 oz = $1.62 - $2.08 - $0.75/1 (RP4/17) = as low as $0.62 WOW
•KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce 20 oz = $1.62 - $0.50/1 (S3/13) = $0.62 WOW for brand
•TX Toast Croutons 5 oz = $1.36 - $0.50/1 (S1/30 exp. 4/30 or S4/3 exp. 7/31) = $0.36 WOW
•Stovetop Stuffing 6 oz = $1.68 - $0.50/1 (S4/3) or $0.50/1 Stovetop Coupon = $0.68 WOW
•Uncle Ben's Whole grain White Rice 4.4 oz = $1.48 - $0.75/1 (RP3/20) = $0.48 WOW
•American Beauty Quick Cook Pasta = $1.16 - $0.50/1 (S4/10 exp. 6/30) = $0.12 WOW
•Yakisoba Noodle Bowls = $0.58 - $0.50/1 (S3/13 exp. 5/31) = FREE + $0.42 overage
•Dole Fruit Crisps 2 ct = $1.98 - $0.75/1 (S4/3 exp. 6/30) = $0.98 WOW
•Keebler Jumbo Sticks Cookies 6.6 oz = $1.98 - $0.55/1 (RP3/6 exp. 5/1) = $0.98 WOW
•Duncan Hines Snack Size Brownie Mix = $0.94 - $0.50/1 (S4/10) = FREE + $0.06 overage
•Duncan Hines Full Size Brownie Mix = $1.50 - $0.50/1 (S4/10 exp. 5/30) = $0.50 WOW
•C&H Brown or Powdered Sugar 2 lb = $1.88 - 0.55/1 (RP3/27, exp. 5/31) = $0.88 ea WOW
•Fleischmann Yeast Strips = $1.04 - $0.40/1 (S11/7, S12/5, S3/27) = $0.24 WOW
•Kingsford Cornstarch 16. oz = $1.28 - $0.30/1 (S11/7, S12/5 exp. 6/30, 7/5) = $0.68 WOW
•Bisquick Shake N pour 10.6 oz = $1.94 - $0.50/1 (4/3 exp. 5/28) = $0.94 ea WOW for product
•Karo Syrup 16 oz = $2.28 - $0.40/1 (S11/7, S12/5 exp. 4/30, 7/5) = $1.48 WOW for brand
•Raisinet Theater Candy 3.5 oz = $1.00 - $0.50/2 (RP2/20 exp. 5/31) = $0.50 ea WOW

CLEANERS:

•Fantastik 22 oz = $2.00 - $0.75/1 (S4/3 exp. 5/14) = $1.00 WOW
•409 Cleaner 22 oz = $1.98 - $0.50/1 (S3/13 exp. 4/24) = $0.98 WOW
•Shout Trial Size = $0.97 - $0.55/1 (S4/3 exp. 5/14) = FREE + $0.03

DAIRY:

•Sunny D 48 oz = $1.08 - $0.25/1 (S1/16 exp. 4/30) = $0.58 WOW
•Reddi Wip 7 oz = $1.98 - $0.35/1 (S4/10 exp. 5/22) = $1.28 GREAT

BABY:

•Huggies Wipes 72 ct = $1.97 - $0.50/1 (S4/17 exp. 5/17) = $0.97 WOW

PERSONAL HYGIENE:

•Nexcare Bandages 8-35 ct = $1.50 - $0.55/1 (S4/3 exp. 8/31) = $0.50 ea WOW
•Zone Bars = $0.75 - $1.12 - $0.55/1 (S2/27 exp. 4/30) = FREE + $0.25 - $0.12 WOW
•Halls Cough Drops 30 ct = $1.56 - $0.75/1 (S3/27 exp. 5/22) = $0.56 GREAT
•Carefree Liners = $0.94 - $0.50/1 (RP3/27) or $0.50/1 Carefree Coupon = FREE + $0.06
•Listerine Pocketpacks 24 ct = $1.27 - $0.50/1 (S1/9, S4/17 exp. 12/31) = $0.27 WOW

ANOTHER FUN FREEBIE:

Grab the 5.5 oz Captain Crunch Cereal boxes for FREE With your double coupon! They could be great to have on hand for breakfasts on the go, or even on vacation.
Find the coupon in your 04-17-11 RP Sunday coupon insert. The $.50 coupon will double to $1.00 off!

It's almost WEDNESDAY! And if anyone here has read my post about organization (go here to read it) you'll know it's almost shopping day! Would anyone be interested in seeing my "Master Plan" for this week? That way you can see what coupons and ads I use to score my awesome deals?? Let me know and if something that anyone would like I will start putting it on here for you all to share in the sweet spoils of a few good deals. :)

Another fun freebie I got in the mail from Target!

There was also a full sized Neutrogena naturals lip balm but Hadlie swiped it before I got the picture taken. :)

Total amount RETAIL: $41.46

Total amount PAID: $3.13!!!

Total amount SAVED: $38.33

Breakdown:
Honey Bunches of Oats (5 boxes)

$4.95 total/$0.99 ea/SAVED $7.25

Colgate Toothpaste (5 boxes)

-$2.50 total/MADE $2.50!!

Secret Deoderant (2 containers)

$0.94 total/$0.47 each/Saved $4.00

Degree Men's Deoderant (5 containers)

-$0.15/MADE $0.15!

Gain Dish Soap

-$0.11/MADE $0.11!

Got some fun freebies in the mail today! :)

The Pasta Deal

The pasta deals happened like this:

Smith's was having their 10 for $10 sale last week with the March Madness promotion (you got an extra $5 off when you did the 10 for $10 sale).

Their Ronzoni and Quick Cook Pasta was on sale from $1.50 to $0.99 then to $0.49 with the March Madness promotion.

On http://www.grocerysmarts.com/ they had a link for coupons (yes, PRINTABLE coupons) that gave you $1/2 the Ronzoni and Quick Cook pastas. The great thing about the link was that they gave you 4 coupons per print (because it for for 4 different types of noodles) and since you can print them all twice you got 8 coupons total. But remember because the coupons were for $1/2 you end up getting $0.50 off 16 boxes of pasta which came out to be FREE because of the March Madness promo!!!

Still with me?

Just in case you're not...

The pasta was originally $1.50 on sale to $0.99 (10 for $10 sale) on sale to $0.49 (March Madness promo).
I printed out coupons for $1 off 2 boxes of pasta. Which meant $0.50 off each box. Because of the sale plus the coupon the pasta came out to be FREE!!

Since we have 3 computers I printed out 24 coupons which gave me 48 boxes of pasta free. Plus I had some old $1/2 boxes of Quick Cook Pasta coupons that I used as well. The best part of this deal was since Ronzoni is owned by American Beauty Pasta I could use the Ronzoni pasta coupons for regular American Beauty spaghetti noodles. They were all out of Ronzoni so it worked out perfectly!!

REMEMBER: Just because you can print off the coupons does NOT mean you can photo copy the coupons to have more. That is extreamly illegal and because each coupon has a seperate number that links to your IPS address they could actually figure out who you are after you leave the store and press charges. I'm not saying they for sure will but better safe then sorry. Who wants to pay a fine or worse just for a few boxes of free pasta? Not me!

My Tips

I've had a few requests to "teach my couponing ways" (love you Jenny!) so I thought I should. Plus it's extremly flattering! LOL

Disclaimer: I'm still learning and I'm in no way the world's best couponer so please don't think I think that. :)

MY TIPS FOR COUPONING SUCCESS:

1. First things first, GET EDUCATED! The best thing I could suggest for this is to take a couponing class. I took 2 classes plus read a ton on different blogs and watched some videos on how to be successful at this. I really wanted to be sure it was worth my time and I wasn't wasting money! Click here for a few video tutorials on couponing success. They're not my favorite but they can be helpful if you can't find a class to go to.

2. Get a subscription(s) to the Sunday newspaper. The more newspapers you have the more free stuff you can get! Think of it, if you only get 2 newspapers you only get 2 of the coupon that could get you an awesome deal. Why wouldn't you want 5 instead when it's only a few dollars more? :) For Utah, the Daily Herald is the BEST newspaper to get for coupons. Go here for more information on how to get a subscription.

3. Find some good couponing sites to follow. The sites I follow are located on my sidebar. www.freebies2deals.com is by far the best (in my opinion) but runner up would be www.grocerysmarts.com. Both sites are national so anyone can use them. If you have any questions on those sites in particular let me know and I'll do my best to answer them!

4. Pick a day to go grocery shopping (mine is Wednesday). I say this for two reasons. First, I chose Wednesday because it's the day after all the grocery ads come out (in Utah) and the sites I follow will usually have all the ads paired with the coupons so I don't have to do all the work. Secondly, if you just choose one day you can hit up the stores you want to go to with your Master Plan (more on that in a second) and not be going to different stores everyday. I'm not sure about you but for me that would get really old really fast!

5. GET ORGANIZED! This is a multi level section, mostly because I'm a hyper organized person. Are you ready?

• First you need to decide what kind of organization method you're going to use for your coupons. I don't have the time or patience for the Binder Method so I personally do the File Folder Method and have loved it so far. For more information on the different methods and to see which one would work best for you go here.

• On Sunday I take all my coupon inserts from the Sunday newspapers I get and make one big insert. So, since I get the Daily Herald newspaper I get the Smart Source insert and the Red Plum insert. When I'm finished I will have 2 big inserts. One Smart Source and one Red Plum. I will then mark the date on the top of the insert so I can go back to it when I find a deal on one of the deals sites I follow. (They always tell you which week's insert the coupon that's being referred to is from.)

• From Sunday - Wednesday I check the couponing sites I follow and copy and paste any and all deals I think I might want to get onto a Word document. I organize the deals by stores and also add a section for other groceries that my family needs at the end. That way it's all laid out for me and I don't have a bunch of coupons that I can't remember what deals they're for.

• Before I hit the stores on Wednesday I go over my Master List one more time and delete anything I've decided I don't want to do anymore. Then I pull out my binder and cut any coupons I'll need. I also use a paper clip to keep all the coupons together for each store. So I have a clip with all my Target coupons, one with all my Wal-Mart coupons and one with all my Smith's coupons. That way I'm not thumbing through everything while I'm checking out. I've done that before and believe me the looks you get sometimes could KILL!

6. Price match! There is no way I'm going to 6 or 7 different stores just to get a good deal. Luckily Wal-Mart now price matches! This is nice not only because you can go to one store instead of 5 but you can usually find more of a certain product at Wal-Mart then at the store that is originally offering the deal. Make sure to print out and take the new Wal-Mart coupon policy with you when you go. The cashiers aren’t always the most knowledgeable so it’s nice to have the policy to back you up. You can find the policy here.

Alright, if you think I've left something out or have any questions feel free to leave a comment or even email me. Couponing has been so fun for me lately so I am more then happy to help someone else save big bucks for their family!

Good luck and let me know any and all of your success stories too!!!

Total amount RETAIL: $52. 95

Total amount PAID: $1.95!!!!!!!!!!!

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Total amount SAVED: $51.00!!!!!!!
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Breakdown:

Quick Cook Pasta (16 boxes)

$0.00 TOTAL!!/SAVED $24.00

American Beauty Pasta (12 bags)

$0.00 TOTAL!!/ SAVED $18.00

Quaker Rice Cakes (5 bags) - YES, I LOVE THESE!

$1.95 TOTAL/$0.39 ea/SAVED $9.00!!

Total amount RETAIL: $95.61
Total amount PAID: $14.09!!!!!
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Total SAVED: $81.52!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Breakdown:

Rice Cakes (7 bags)

$3.53 TOTAL/$0.50 ea/SAVED $11.80!

Aussie Hair Products (2)

$2.84 TOTAL/$1.42 ea/SAVED $2.84

Light & Fit Yogurt

$1.49 TOTAL/SAVED $1.01

Reeses PB Cups (4 pkgs)

$1.38 TOTAL/$0.34 ea/SAVED $1.38

Peeps (4 pkgs)

$0.00 TOTAL/SAVED $4.00

Easter M&M's (6 pkgs)

$0.96 TOTAL/$0.16 ea/SAVED $9.04

Revlon Nail Clippers (2)

-$1.16 TOTAL/MADE $1.16!!!

Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets (5 pkgs)

-$0.15 TOTAL/MADE $0.15!!

Wheat Thins
$1.33 TOTAL/SAVED $2.17

Kraft Cheese (4 pkgs)

$3.96 TOTAL/$0.99 ea/SAVED $4.04

Ronzoni Pasta

$0.00 TOTAL!!/SAVED $36.00!!!!

Total amount RETAIL: $52.82

Total amount PAID: $17.49!

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Total SAVED: $35.33!!!

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Breakdown

Cinnamon Cheerio's (4 boxes)
$4.96 TOTAL/$1.24 ea/SAVED $7.04

Dorito's Chips (2 bags)

$3.00 TOTAL/$1.50 ea/SAVED $2.00

Beech Nut Infant/Toddler Cereal (2 containers)

$0.00!!/SAVED $3.64!

Beech Nut Stage 4 Steamers (2 pkgs)

$0.00!!/SAVED $4.56

Beech Nut Baby Food (4 jars)

$0.00!!/SAVED $2.00

First Aid Kit (2 boxes)

$0.94/$0.47 ea/SAVED $1.00

GV Butter Spread

$0.69/SAVED $1.09

Quaker Rice Crisps (10 bags)

$7.90/$0.79 ea/SAVED $14.00!

Total amount RETAIL: $55.96
Total amount PAID: $17.79!
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Total SAVED: $38.17!!!
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Breakdown:
Cinnamon Chex (5 boxes)
$7.45 TOTAL/$1.49 ea/SAVED $5.05
Colgate Advanced Toothpaste (5 boxes)
$0.00!!!/SAVED $19.50

GV Fruit Snacks (2 boxes)
$1.76/$0.88 ea/SAVED $1.12
Dawn Detergent
$0.75/SAVED $0.25
Hamburger Helper (3 boxes)

$1.41 TOTAL/$0.47 ea/SAVED $0.75

Philadelphia Cooking Cream (5 containers)

$4.90 TOTAL/$0.98 ea/SAVED $7.50

Target Brand All Purpose Cleaner (2 bottles)

$0.74 TOTAL/$0.37 ea/SAVED $2.00

Target Brand Mouthwash (2 bottles)

$0.78 TOTAL/$0.39 ea/SAVED $2.00

Total amount RETAIL: $6.00

Total amount PAID: $0.50!!

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TOTAL SAVED: $5.50!!!

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Breakdown:

$0.08 each!

$10.00 Gift Card to Smith's recieved in the mail yesterday just for "liking" a company on their facebook page. :)

Total amount RETAIL: $24.20 (without tax)

Total PAID: $0.00!!!

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TOTAL SAVED: $24.20!!!!!!!!!!

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I was actually really annoyed with this transaction. The Gain fabric softener sheets were $1.87 but I had $3.00/1 coupons. So even with 2 other purchases the total came out to be -$.53. The cashier thought it meant that I owed them $.53 and I didn't really care (it was nothing to argue over) but when I tried to pay them it had him get a manager. The manager said that I couldn't be given money I had to at least pay sales tax so she re-scanned all my $3.00/1 coupons to $1.87/1. So I had to pay for the other purchases (it was just candy for my Young Women's lesson this Sunday). IF I HAD ONLY GOTTEN A STUPID CANDY BAR LIKE I WANTED BUT NOOOOOO - I'M TRYING NOT TO EAT SUGAR!!! If I had just gotten a little treat I would have paid around $.10 for the whole thing. GRR! I guess you live and learn. Next time I have a coupon that gives me overage I'll make sure I purchase enough to cover it all so I have to give them at least a teeny bit of my money.

Total amount RETAIL: $2.00
Total PAID: $0.00!

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SAVINGS OF: $2.00!

Total amount RETAIL: $5.00
Total PAID: $1.32

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SAVINGS OF $3.68

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Breakdown:
$.33 each!

Total amount RETAIL: $ 8.77

Total PAID: $1.77

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SAVINGS OF $7.00!!

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Breakdown

Brownies $.50 each
Gardetto's $.09

Chex Mix $.34 each

I have caught the coupon fever. So I've dedicated a blog to my progress in hopes that if I ever feel burnt out I will be able to look back on all my savings and keep pressing on.