Save Money at the Store
7 saving factors
by Ellie Kay
There are basically seven savings factors that can be combined in order to save money on food, toiletries, cleansers and other household products. The more of these factors you combine, the more likely you are to get items for pennies or for free.Store cards
These are sometimes referred to as “clipless coupons.” Sign up for the card at the customer service desk, and as it is scanned at the checkout, you will receive all the store’s special values for the week.
Sale ads
This is something you probably saw your mom doing when you were growing up. The store’s weekly sale ads either come in the mail or are a part of the midweek newspaper inserts. Match up the sale ads with some of the other savings factors, and you’ll soon find yourself with products for pennies. For monthly commissary sales, go to commissaries.com.
Manufacturer’s coupons
These are traditional coupons issued and reimbursed by the manufacturer. If you read the fine print of the coupon, you’ll see the manufacturer’s name and mailing address. Here are a few places to find these coupons:
Free Standing Inserts — Most of these are found in the Sunday paper. You might want to purchase multiple copies of this newspaper in order to get more FSIs.
Blinkers — These are the blinking dispensers in the grocery store aisle that disperse coupons for your convenience. Most blinker coupons cannot be doubled.
Products — Some products have coupons on them that you can tear off and use immediately. Others require that you purchase the item to find the coupons inside of the box or to cut out from the packaging.
Electronic — These coupons are issued at the checkout after you’ve purchased your groceries. They are usually competitor coupons that are automatically issued as a result of your choices. For example, recently I bought Quaker Toaster Treats (for 60 cents a box with three different savings factors), and I received an electronic coupon for fifty cents off Pop Tarts.
Double coupons
Some stores offer double (or triple) coupons. In these instances, the coupon is worth twice the face value — so a 50-cent coupon is now worth $1.00. There are limitations issued by the store, such as “only double up to $1.00” or “double coupons limited to three like items.” So check the customer service desk for details. Go to the links page at www.elliekay.com to find a link listing all the stores that double coupons in your state. Or for more information, go to http://couponing.about.com/cs/grocerysavings/a/doublecoups.htm.
There are special days when military commissaries offer double coupons, but they are not the same as civilian stores. In most cases, the commissary gives you two manufacturer’s coupons to redeem on the same item, and it is a same-day-only event.
Store coupons
A true store coupon is issued by the store and reimbursed by the store’s marketing department. It will either have the store’s mailing address or no address on it, only the store name. A store coupon can be combined with a manufacturer’s coupon on the same item. For example, at Walgreens Drug Store, there was a store coupon for “Secret Deodorant for .99” and I had a “$1.00 off any Secret.” When I combined these two savings factors, the deodorant was free. Read the fine print before you combine.
Please note that there are no store coupons for military commissaries. Even though they may say “Good only at military commissaries,” they are really manufacturer’s coupons. So don’t try to combine two coupons on one item at the commissary — save that for civilian stores who offer true store coupons.
Unadvertised sales and clearances
Check the store aisles for sales and clearance tags. Most commissaries have a bargain bin in the back of the store. As much as 50 percent of the weeks’ sales are not advertised. When you begin to get these products free, you’ll be able to share them with those in need.
Web bucks or Valupage
If you go to www.valupage.com (no “e”), you’ll find links to participating stores. When items on this list are purchased, you will automatically get coupons good for cash off your next shopping trip. I went to shop for Good Morning, Texas in Dallas, and the total before coupons was $127. After coupons, I paid $22 and received $20 in Web bucks that could be used on my next trip. If you use coupons for these Valupage items, you’ll save even more.