As I continue my Top 10 Tips for Frugal Living, my list so far:
# 10 Know the Prices
here
# 9 Be Organized
here
# 8 Network
here
# 7 Rebate
here
# 6 Menu Planning
here
# 5 Be Patient!
here
#4 Know the store's coupon policies
here
#3 Have a Good Supply of Coupons
here
#2 Use Store Perks Wisely
You need to know how to use the Extra Care Bucks (ECB)at CVS, the Register Rewards (RR) at Walgreens, and the Catalina deals at grocery stores effectively. Each one has different sets of rules and store policies.
First, ECB at CVS are issued when you buy a particular item. For example, Colgate total is priced at $2.99, and there is a $2 ECB. So, you buy the Colgate, it rings up at $2.99, you use a $.75 cpn, and you pay $2.24. After your transaction, you receive at the bottom of your receipt a $2 ECB good on your next purchase. Now, there is usually a limit of one ECB per item, so rolling these is not really an issue. But, you can if the limit is two or more. Which means, you can then purchase another Colgate, use a $.75 cpn and the $2 ECB, and you only pay $.24 and get another $2 ECB. It's usually wise to use your ECB on items that will generate more. Doing this will allow you to roll them, and you will always have ECB.
Secondly, RR at Walgreens have a totally different set of rules. They basically work similarly as they print after you purchase an item that has a RR attached to it.
Let's use the Colgate as an example again. You buy the Colgate, it rings up at $2.99, you use a $.75 cpn, and you pay $2.24. After your transaction, you receive a RR that prints from their Catalina machine good on your next purchase. Now, here's the difference. You CANNOT use your $2 RR from Colgate to purchase more Colgate. If you do, the RR will not print the second time. Another difference is that there is no limit, so the best way to utilize these great deals is to do multiple transactions. For instance, you buy Colgate in Transaction #1. In Transaction #2, buy something that will generate more RR and is close to $2 after coupons. Then, in transaction #3, buy Colgate again using a cpn and the RR from transaction #2. Just make sure you don't use RR to buy the same item, unless you don't want more RR. Another difference w/RR is they are considered manufacturer's coupons. Walgreens policy is you cannot have more coupons than the number of items. So, let's say in Transaction #3 above, if you are going to only buy Colgate and want to use a cpn and a RR, you need to grab a filler item (something really inexpensive) that will allow you to use the RR. I usually grab a caramel or candy at the register.
Lastly, Catalina deals are another great way to save money. Recently at Kroger, they had a Catalina promo on Betty Crocker potatoes. Buy 3, get $3 back. Well, the bags were only $1, so if you bought 3 for $3, you got $3 back...basically FREE. In addition there were coupons to stack w/this deal. So, I ended up paying $1.80 and got $3 off my next order. These rolled too...you could do this transaction after transaction and basically get a lot of FREE potatoes.
They usually have the lowest prices. In addition, they offer FREE shipping w/ a minimum order of around $50. Ld Products is another of my favorite sites for ink and toner, and they too offer free shipping!
