Coupon Stacking
What is coupon stacking? It is a way to use more than one coupon to save money on a single item.
Example: 1 Manufacturer Coupon + 1 Store Coupon = COUPON STACKING!
Example:
Buy 1 Herbal Essence $2.99
- (1) $1/1 Herbal Essence Manufacturer coupon
Stack (1) $1/1 Herbal Essence Target Store Coupon
Final Price: $.99!
Who Stacks?
Walgreens
When purchasing an item at Walgreens, you can use one manufacturer coupon and one Walgreens coupon. The one thing to remember when stacking at Walgreens is that the number of manufacturer coupons, including Register Rewards manufacturer coupons, may not exceed the number of items in the transaction. That is why you may sometimes need “Filler” Items
CVS
CVS allows one manufacturer coupon and one CVS store coupon per item purchased.Rite Aid
Target
Harris Teeter
Be sure to check your stores Coupon Policy and always keep a copy with you while shopping.
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Don’t be Fooled By Sales Ads!
10/$10 promotions - You do not have to buy 10 items to get the $1 price! The only exception to this rule is if the ad states that you must!
Rock-bottom prices - Don’t go out and use your coupon immediately! If you use that 25¢ off item coupon right away when it’s not on sale you aren’t reaching your saving potential! Wait until the item goes on sale for $1 then use the coupon. If your store triples coupons then you could get the item for only 25¢! Matching sales with coupons is getting a great price. Combining sales plus coupons plus another promotion (rebates, double coupons, store coupons) is getting the best price!
“One per Purchase” - Most coupons say “one coupon per purchase” somewhere in the fine print. Cashiers will try to tell you that that means you can only use one coupon per transaction/day. This is NOT true! One per purchase means that you can only use one coupon per item purchased! So if you are buying 10 items and have 10 coupons then you can use them all!
Limits - Stores will sometimes put limits on the item to make you think it’s a great price! If cereal is just on sale 2/$4 you might not even notice it. But if it’s on sale 2/$4, limit 2! Then you will likely think it’s a great price since they had to put a limit on it!
“Bigger is better” - The cost per unit of the bigger box of cereal may be less than the smaller one but with coupons and sales the smaller box is likely a better deal.
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Coupon Ethics
NEVER Copy a Coupon– It is illegal to copy a printable (or any) coupon even if it doesn’t state it on the coupon. Printable coupons have an IP address from your computer, you will be tracked down by this #. There are safety features on most coupons, much like a check, that will indicate to the manufacturer that it has been copied.
Stock Up – Don’t Stockpile More than You Need. If you happen to find great FREEBIES, stock up enough for 3-6 months, depending on the size of your family. If you feel the need to get more free stuff, donate it.
Do NOT Clear the Shelves - If you find a great deal on something, take what you can“reasonably” use in the next 3 months and leave some for the next person! This, of course, does not apply to those stores that only carry 2-4 items of any given product; in that case, you have no choice but to “clear the shelf”!
Be Kind and COURTEOUS to your Cashier – Many times cashiers are not familiar with coupons since most of the population does not use them. Even among coupon users, the vast majority do not use more than 5 coupons in a single transaction. Be kind and patient with the cashier, they are only doing their job. Carry your Coupon Policies and show the Cashier what you are talking about.
Be Kind to Others in Line – I always tell the people who get in line behind me that I am using coupons/price matching. Most people will either change lanes, stay and watch or at least, be more patient about waiting for a lengthy transaction.
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Stockpiling
Let’s just start off by saying that stockpiling IS NOT hoarding.
Couponing can become addictive when you get the hang of it and see how much you can save. Just remember to not go overboard and buy 300 cans of beans because they are $.05 ea when you don’t like beans. If you do this, just remember that you can donate to Food Banks, Good Will, and local Shelters!
Items to stockpile may include but are not limited to:
Toilet Paper, Paper towels, Dishwasher Detergent, Shave Gel, Razors, Soap, Cleaning Products, Shower Gel, Face Wash, Deodorant, Sponges, Shampoo & Conditioner, Snacks, Canned Goods, Pet Supplies, Soda, Styling Products, Storage bags, Laundry Detergent.
Getting Started
To start a stockpile you will need multiple coupons. In order to get multiple coupons, you will need to buy multiple Sunday newspapers, print multiple coupons from internet (coupon.com, Red Plum, Coupon Network, Smart Source), or collect coupons from your friends and family. Four of each coupon is a good place to start, but you can do more in the beginning when building your stockpile.
When items go on sale at rock bottom prices is when you want to use all your coupons. Lets say that Shampoo has gone on sale for $1 and you have a $0.75 coupon that makes the Shampoo only $0.25, which is an awesome price. So, if you have four $0.75 coupons then you could buy four Shampoos and pay just $0.25 per bottle! You may not need 4 bottles of shampoo this week or even next week, but you will eventually use it all. This way, you get to pay a rock bottom price for shampoo and you won’t have to pay full price for it the next time you need it. You have enough to last you until the next time it goes on sale.
Sales Cycles
Stores run sales in cycles. Everything typically goes on sale about every 8 – 12 weeks. If you buy 8 – 12 weeks worth of everything when it goes on sale, then you will have enough to last you until the next time it goes on sale. If your family eats one box of cereal per week, then go ahead and buy several boxes. If your family only eats one box a month, then maybe just buy a couple boxes.
Expiration Dates
It is very important to rotate your stockpile. You need to put the new items you purchase at the back and keep the oldest products at the front where you can get to them. Check the dates regularly to ensure that nothing has expired or is close to expiration.
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