10 Ways to Get Coupons Without Spending a Fortune

You can't save 50-75% on your groceries  by simply having one Sunday paper delivered to your house each week.  Where can you get coupons without spending a fortune on newspapers?

Here are 10 ways you can get coupons without spending a fortune.

1) Newspapers! (well duh...)
There are quite a few ways to get them cheaper than retail.  The first is to try a subscription.  Many newspaper companies offer a discount if you subscribe.  And many of them offer Sunday only subscriptions.  Search the internet for deals or groupons for your local paper.

2) Dollar Stores
Many dollar stores sell newspapers for guess what?  a dollar!  One of my local stores sell the Sunday paper for $1 complete with all the inserts.  They do set limits for the papers since couponers like to stock up.  My store has a limit of 5 per person and they also store the inserts and flyers behind the counter to prevent people picking through them.

3) Friends and Family
When people learn you've started couponing you'd be surprised how many coupons find their way to your house.  I have friends, clients and family members who love seeing all the stuff I can get for so little.  Some pick through their coupons and give me the rest and other hand me their whole newspaper when they are done.

4) Print 'em
There are a million places you can print coupons from.  Literally, google it!  I stick to reputable and well known sites.  Coupons.com is probably the most well known site.  However, I highly recommend joining (for free) Inbox Dollars.  You can print the same coupons that you would from coupons.com but THEY PAY YOU to use them.  I explain how it all works here.  But if you print them out and redeem them Inbox dollars pays you $0.10 for each one.  Paid to use coupons??  YES!

I also suggest liking/following your favorite products or companies on facebook and twitter.  They often post or tweet special savings on their website, facebook page or through their twitter account.

LivingRichWithCoupons.com also has a searchable database for coupons here.  You can type in any brand or product name and it will show you any coupons that they are aware of where to find them.  If they are printable they link you right to them!  How EASY is that?

5) Leftover Papers
No, I don't recommend dumpster diving like you may have seen on Extreme Couponing shows on TV.  There are plenty of other ways to get what you  need without climbing through dirty diapers and rotting food.  Ask your local deli, grocery store or gas station what they do with their papers at the end of the night on Sunday.  Some of them might be inclined to keep a few for you or just set some inserts aside.  Maybe they will sell you some at a deep discounted price.  It doesn't hurt to ask.  Most places are only required to send back the front page of the newspaper to receive credit for the unsold papers.  This means the remainder of the paper, inserts included will be trashed or recycled.

6) Write for Them
All companies have ways to contact them.  Some are as easy as the click of a button.  Write them an email or a good old fashioned letter.  Tell them you love their products or you want to try them.  Ask them if they have any coupons they could send your way for their biggest fan!  Most companies will send you a few coupons.  Some may send you samples too.

7) Ask for them
Call your grocery store's corporate office and make sure you have your correct address on file for their loyalty program.  Make sure you are on their list to have flyers and coupons sent to you.  Check at your store's customer service counter and pharmacy counter.  Sometimes they  have booklets or coupons for new products to try.

8) Trade for them
Find a local couponing swap group.  Search on Facebook for local coupon groups.  Search the internet for couponing groups.  Link up with a coupon buddy who has opposite needs.  Maybe they need Gluten-Free or Organic coupons and you need baby products or pet product coupons. Remember trading coupons is ok, selling is not!  Selling coupons is against the fine print of the coupons and ILLEGAL.  So DON'T do it.  You can save plenty of money using them without selling them.

9) Sign up & Subscribe for them
Find your favorite brands and their parent companies.  Like Suave products?  It's manufactured by Unilever.  Like Tide detergent?  It's manufactured by Proctor & Gamble.  Go to their websites and join them, subscribe for updates and/or sign up for newsletters.  They will alert you when new coupons are available for you on their websites.  Or they will email them right to you to print!

10) Download Apps for them
Many grocery stores have apps that they provide e-coupons for.  You can upload them to your loyalty card and they come off in store when you use your card.  There are also apps they give you rebates for buying products when you upload your receipt of the purchase.  Check out my list of apps and website here.

Got other questions?  Got suggestions?  Have other ways to get coupons?  Let me know!

How to Prioritize your Coupon shopping trips

Couponing can be overwhleming sometimes, especially when you are first starting  out.  What are the best deals?  What are some things you can pass on and what are things you don't want to miss?


Priority 1: Buy things that make you money
Sometimes there are deals on things that are SOOO Unbelievably good that you can't pass them up, even if you don't need them.  This usually happens where there is a sale on an item and it also matches up with a coupon.  You may also have an e-coupon for that item.  Then you might be able to find rebates through different apps as well.  Sometimes there may also be Catalina promotions, where if you buy a certain dollar amount of participating products you will receive a catalina (coupon that prints at the register) for money off your next order.  Here's an example:

1) Unilever is running a promotion that if you spend $15 on participating Unilever products you receive a $5 off your next order.
2) There were $1.50 off 1 Suave Products.  Suave is priced at $1.50  There were other products on sale and coupons that matched.
3) There were also ecoupons for Suave Products.
4) There was a savingstar app rebate.

Most Catalina promotions are on the Shelf price, or the normal everyday price when it is not on sale.  So If the suave is normally $2 even though they are currently priced at $1.50 you get "credit" towards your $15 promotion for $2.  I structured a "deal" of a bunch of items that before sale price was $15.69, after the sales or the price I would pay without using coupons came to $11.  Then I used all my coupons and e-coupon and I paid $3.  I received a catalina for $5 off my next order.  Therefore we call this a money-maker.  Yes you paid $3 OOP (out of pocket)  but you received a $5 coupon for anything in the store.  So buy buying 5 items and using coupons and ecoupons I made $2 toward my other groceries.

I would usually do this transaction first and separately from the rest of my order.  Then I would take that Catalina and use it on my second order.  I also sometimes might do two or three of the above transactions if I have enough coupons to do so.  Making $2 or $3 is a great way to help with the cost of items like meat, dairy and produce which are very unlikely to have coupons.  This can be an even sweeter deal if you use some of the apps I mentioned here.  Then you are making even more money.

What a waste right?  Buying a whole bunch of items I don't need and can't use, right?  WRONG!  A huge reason I coupon is because it allows me to help out my community.  If I have to buy something to make some money to help with my families groceries then I will donate what I don't need to a few places.  I donate weekly to one of a few places: a local food pantry, an animal shelter, family or women's shelters and local churches that collect things throughout the year for various causes.


Priority 2: Buy things that are free
It's free, so why not?  Same premise as above.  If it's free, completely free and costs you nothing, Why don't you pick it up?  Maybe you need the item or would like to try it.  Great!  Keep it.  If you know you won't use it, maybe hang on to it for a gift, or a friend who might want it.  You always can donate it as I mentioned above.  But if you really really don't want to do any of the above, why still buy it?  Ok, seriously just donate it.  So many people are in need and you can help them with no extra effort than you are already putting forth.  But what's in it for you, other than the overwhelming awesome feeling you get from helping people in need?

Buying things that are free can help your bottom line also.  Most Catalina's you receive are based off of items you buy.  Sometimes you will buy a product and they want to promote something similar so a catalina will print.  Sometimes you buy a lot of a particular brand and a catalina for the same item will print since you buy it frequently.  There are a million different scenarios of why a catalina will print but they all have to do with what you buy and how much.  The more you buy the more you get.

Another reason to "buy" free stuff is that many stores run loyalty rewards programs.  Sometimes there are holiday promotions for Free Turkey or Ham when you spend a certain amount.  Some stores have Health & Beauty rewards, where if you spend a certain amount they give you money back in the form of a catalina toward future purchases.


Priority 3: Buy things that you need/want and have coupons for
This is where most people focus. What do you need?  What do you want?  My grocery shopping is done weekly.  Most couponers shop weekly for many reasons, but usually just to make sure they are hitting all the sales.  The best way to do this part of your shopping is to focus on the sales flyer.  Figure out what is on sale.  You need deodorant. What do you have a coupon for?  What's on sale?  Try and find the cheapest way to get what you need with the coupons and sales for the week.  If you are not getting it for free or supercheap but you can't spend another day scraping the plastic deodorant case against your skin then just buy 1 to hold you over until you can find a really good sale again.

Another way to save is to meal plan.  You shouldn't have to go to the grocery store twice in one week.  You waste time money and gas. Look at your week, doesn't matter if you plan Sunday - Saturday or you plan around your days off and do Wednesday to Tuesday.  Plan out your meals, snacks and anything you need for them.  Don't just pick anything out of the clean blue sky to put on your meal plan.  Pick things you need to use up in your freezer or pantry first.  Then coordinate the sides you need and any spices or ingredients you don't have. Adjust your plan so that you are buying things that are on sale and you have a coupon for.  Maybe you need a starch for that steak dinner for Tuesday's meal.  You're thinking mashed potatoes but you notice that rice is on sale and you have a coupon.  Guess what?  It's steak and rice on Tuesday.  Let the sales and coupons plan your meals.  I promise you won't get stuck in a spaghetti rut again!

Priority 4: Shop the sales/in season produce
Not sure what's in season, it's pretty easy to tell, it's usually the stuff that is on sale.  I dare you to try and buy watermelon in January.  I guarantee you will pay at least 3 times what you did in July and August.  There are tons of places on the internet to figure out what is in season.  I love this guide from LivingRichWithCoupons.com. It covers not only what produce is in season but what other items should be on sale or clearance for the month.  I printed it and stuck it right in my family calendar.


Priority 5: Shop for the things you need and don't have coupons for
The last items on my list are the ones I can't find coupons for and I don't see any sales for, but I absolutely have to buy because I desperately need them.  I still do as I said above.  I try to find a brand that is on sale and get that.  Or maybe substitute something else.  A big part of couponing for me is being creative.  I try to find alternate uses for most of the things I buy so in a pinch I use something else.  But once you grow your stock pile, over time you should be in many situations where you have to buy things when they aren't at least on sale.  But this is where the Money-makers and catalinas come in handy.  The $5 unilever catalina would be used here say for my meat or something else that I don't have coupons for.  The catalinas help with the last minute dinner plans and you don't have enough chicken but now it's not on sale.  Or whoops, my toddler spilled the entire box of cereal on the floor and I need to replace it.

I hope that gives you an idea of how I prioritize my grocery trip each week.  And I hope it helps you get the ball rolling on things you can do to help save money on your grocery trips. Got questions or comments?  Feel free to ask or comment!

5 Easy ways to Quickly Save Money on your Groceries

Couponing can be a pretty time consuming part of your life.  Some weeks I simply don't have the time.  But I still refuse to pay full retail for my groceries.  So here are some quick tips to save a few bucks even on your impromptu trips to the store.

#1  Bring your own Bags
Almost all grocery stores offer a discount for bringing your own reusable grocery bags.  Leave the bags in your car after each trip so they are always there.  When you get in your car to go to the store stick the bags under your purse so you won't forget them on your way in.  Some stores give $0.05 or $0.10 per bag that you use. Pack your bags light and use more bags!  Some stores and places in the country are actually moving to CHARGE you if you use their disposable bags, paper or plastic!  So don't pay extra if you don't have to!

#2 Grab a Sales Flyer
Stores usually keep copies of the week's flyer at the entrance or by customer service.  Browse through the flyer while your making your way through the aisles and look for the best deals.  Sometimes it will trigger your memory of things you needed that are on sale.  Maybe you intended to run in and grab beef but chicken is on sale.  Make the switch and save a buck!

#3 Shop In Season Produce
If you aren't sure what's in season, it's usually pretty easy to tell.  The in-season produce is usually in abundance, it's usually on sale or cheaper than the other produce.  And frankly, it will look bigger and better.  Many times stores will display the in-season produce in prime prominent spots in the store.  In Season produce tastes better, lasts longer and is usually bigger in size than off-season picked produce.

#4 Check the Unit Price
Sometimes things seem like a great price when they are on sale but they aren't.  Compare your brand versus it's competitors and the store brands.  Stores now offer "unit price" on their store price labels.  It will allow you to compare "apples to apples."  If you are looking at a 16oz bottle of one brand and a 20oz bottle of another it's hard to tell which one is the better deal based on price alone.  Unit price will make it easy.  It will compare the two broken down into the cost of each unit.  So for this they may break it down into per ounce pricing or per 10 oz pricing.  Either way you care comparing the price at the same size so it is easy to tell which one is cheaper.

#5 Review your receipt
Occasionally you will find errors on your receipt.  Maybe something rang up twice by mistake.  Maybe something was supposed to be on sale but didn't ring up accordingly.  Maybe you even have a coupon for an item but forgot it.  In all these scenarios you should bring your receipt and any missing coupons to customer service and have them adjust it.  They may give you cash or a return to your card.  Some stores may give you store credit as well.

Week of 9/7 Haul

This week was a big week for me.  I spent a lot of time this week.  Two whole days almost on the researching, printing, clipping and then waiting for the Sunday Coupons and e-coupons to become available and then more printing and clipping and loading of those.  This will probably be one of my biggest and best haul's to date if all goes according to plan.  It will also mean that with a completely full pantry, kitchen cabinets and extra fridge/freezer I will be cutting back significantly.  In fact I honestly have so much stocked up from this summer that I don't have to shop every week now, save a few staples like milk & eggs.

Cutting back is going to be great.  I won't have to spend as much time or money each week which is perfect timing for back to school.  I can also focus on a lot of other money & time saving ideas that I have planned but haven't had time for. Without further ado,  here is the haul for this week:

ShopRite From Home (Order #1)

4 - Cans Campbell's Chunky Soups $1.25

(2) $0.50/2 Campbell's Chunky Soups or Chili's printable

2 - V8 Low Sodium Juice $2.49
(1) $1/2 V8 Juice printable
Receive $1.50 OYNO for purchasing 2 V8 juice

2 - Goldfish Puffs $2.00
(2) $0.50/1 Goldfish Puffs printable

2- Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauce $1.99
(1) $1.00/2 Campbell's Slow Cooker or Skillet Sauce printable
Receive $5 OYNO for purchasing $15 of Campbell's/Pepperidge Farm's Products

2 - Kashi Cereal $2.99
(2) $0.70/1 Kashi Cereal printable
Receive $2 off on your next Milk purchase when you buy 2 Kashi/Bear Naked products

2 - Quaker Old-Fashioned Oatmeal $1.99

3 - Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Blend Pancake Mix $$1.99
(1) $3.00/5 participating products store supercoupon.

1 - CoCo Dream Organic Coconut Milk $2.19
(1) $2.00/1 Dream product ecoupon

1 - Jif Hazlenut Spread $1.99
(1) - $1.00/1 Jif Hazelnut Spread printable
(1) $1/1 Jif Hazelnut Spread ecoupon

2 - 4lb bags of Domino Sugar $1.88
(1) $0.75/2 Domino Sugar coupon

2 - Bisquick mix $2.59
(2) $0.50/1 Bisquick mix printable

4 - Jello Mix $0.88
(2) $0.55/1 Jello  or pudding mix printable

1 - Kraft Dressing $1.99
(1) $0.75/1 Kraft Dressing printable

3 - Reduced Sodium Spam $2.99
(3) $0.55/1 Spam 12oz product printable

8 - Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta $0.69
(4) - $1.00/2 boxes Garden Delight Pasta printable

4 - Mulino Bianco Cookies $1.19
(4) $1.00/1 package of Mulino Bianco Cookies printable

2 - Ziploc Sandwich Bags $1.99
(1) $2.00/2 Ziploc products printable

8 - Goya Low Sodium Beans $0.80
(2) - $1.00/4 Goya Low Sodium Cans coupon

6 - Thomas's Bagel Thins $2.00
(3) $1.00/2  Thomas's bagel printable

3 - Coffeemate Creamer $2.49
(3) $0.75/1 Coffeemate creamer printable

2 - Land O' Lakes Butter Spread $2.59
(2) $0.50/1 Land O' Lakes Butter Spread printable

2 - Yoplait Simply Go-gurt $1.49
(2) $0.70/1 Yoplait Yogurt or Gogurt printable

1 - Daisy 2% Cottage Cheese $3.19
(1) $0.60/1 Daisy Cottage Cheese product printable
(1) $0.60/1 Daisy Cottage Cheese Product ecoupon

1 - Frigo Cheeseheads Cheese $3.99
(1) $0.55/1 Frigo Cheesehead product printable

1 - Lean Cuisine frozen meal $2.50
(1) $1.00/1 Lean Cuisine frozen meal ecoupon

4 - Luden's Cough Drops $0.99
(2) $1.00/2 Luden's Cough Drop 20ct printable

4 - Premier Protein bars $1.00
(4) $0.55/1 Premier Protein Bar Product printable

2 - Pampers Wipes $1.59
(2) $0.50/1 Pampers Wipes printable

1 - Tena Feminine Products $4.99
(1) $5.00/1 Tena Product coupon

1 - Pound of American Cheese $4.99

1 - Pound of German Bologna $3.99

( Used Promo code for $20 off $150 purchase, Used $40 worth of gift cards from previous rebates and promotion offers, 51 paper coupons worth $64, 4 e-coupons worth $4.60,  Received $6.50 in Catalina's, Received Catalina for $2 off milk, Receiving $1.20 from Inbox Dollars for coupons redeemed, submitting for $0.50 in rebates from Savingstar)

Total OOP: $27.90



ShopRite From Home (Order#2)

2 - Kashi Cereal $2.99
(2) $0.70/1 Kashi Cereal printable
Receive $2 off on your next Milk purchase when you buy 2 Kashi/Bear Naked products

4 - V8 Low Sodium Juice $2.49
(2) $1/2 V8 Juice printable
Receive $3.00 OYNO for purchasing 2 V8 juice

4 - Cans Campbell's Chunky Soups $1.25

(2) $0.50/2 Campbell's Chunky Soups or Chili's printable

2 - Goldfish Puffs $2.00
(2) $0.50/1 Goldfish Puffs printable

2- Campbell's Skillet Sauce $1.99
(1) $1.00/2 Campbell's Slow Cooker or Skillet Sauce printable
Receive $5 OYNO for purchasing $15 of Campbell's/Pepperidge Farm's Products

1 - CoCo Dream Organic Coconut Milk $2.19
(1) $2.00/1 Dream product ecoupon

1 - Jif Hazlenut Spread $1.99
(1) - $1.00/1 Jif Hazelnut Spread printable
(1) $1/1 Jif Hazelnut Spread ecoupon

1 - Kraft Dressing $1.99
(1) $0.75/1 Kraft Dressing printable

8 - Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta $0.69
(4) - $1.00/2 boxes Garden Delight Pasta printable

4 - Mulino Bianco Cookies $1.19
(4) $1.00/1 package of Mulino Bianco Cookies printable

2 - Tyson Grilled Chicken Strips $2.39
(1) $1.50/2 Tyson Chicken Strips coupon

1 - Silk Coconut Milk $2.99
(1) $0.75/1 Silk product printable
(1) $2.00 off milk purchase catalina (from above purchase)

1 - ShopRite Cream Cheese 6pk $7.49
(1) $1.50/1 Shoprite Cream Cheese 6pk ecoupon

2 - Ellio's Frozen Pizzas $2.99
(2) $0.75 Ellios Pizza coupon

4 - Luden's Cough Drops $0.99
(2) $1.00/2 Luden's Cough Drop 20ct printable

2 - Pampers Wipes $1.59
(2) $0.50/1 Pampers Wipes printable

2 - Tena Feminine Products $4.99
(2) $5.00/1 Tena Product coupon

1 - 4lb package of Tyson chicken leg quarters $3.13

1 - carton sliced white mushrooms $1.99

1 - 3lb bag of apples $3.99

1 - 1.5lbs bag of grapes $2.38

( Used Promo code for $15 off $100 purchase, 28 paper coupons worth $42.30, 3 e-coupons worth $4.50,  Received $8.00 in Catalina's, Received Catalina for $2 off milk, Receiving $0.20 from Inbox Dollars for coupons redeemed)

Total OOP: $35.87
($20 cash from my $20/week budget for the food pantry)

Total Price of items before sales & coupons: $391.34

Total out of pocket spent for all transactions: $63.77

Total Rebates from Savingstar App: $0.50

Total Rebates from Checkout51 App: $0.00

Total Rebates from Ibotta: $0.00

Total Rebates from Inbox Dollars: $1.40

 Grand Total After Rebates = $61.87

Total Savings of $329.47 ~ 84% Savings!

Total items = 134 or $0.46 per item

Donations this week are:

 This is for the Food Pantry:

4 - Cans of Campbell's chunky

2 - Jars of Hazelnut Spread

2 - Quaker Oatmeal Canisters

4 - Bottles of V8 Juice

For the Toiletry Drive at our church:

3 - Tena Feminine Products

8/24 Grocery Haul

This is a big week for low cost and free items.  I was able to get quite a lot of items for my local food pantry and stock up on some other items we needed and some that you can just never have too many of.  A great advantage this week, was placing two separate Shop From Home orders with two separate loyalty cards.  I got to use the e-coupons once on each card so you will see I was able to get more than 1 of the free items out there.

Transaction #1 Shop from Home #1

2 – Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths Refills $1.99

            2 - $0.50/1 Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths coupons

(Buy 2 Cottonelle Flushable wipes Receive $2 Off Your Next Order)

4 – Philadelphia Cream Cheese Bars $1.99

            4 - $0.50/1 8oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese coupons

2- Kraft Shredded Cheese 2 for $5.00

            2 - $0.75 off Kraft Shredded Cheese coupons

2 – Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp White Cheddar 2 for $5.00

            1 - $1.00/2 Cracker Barrel Cheese coupons

(Spend $15 on Kraft/Oscar Mayer products Receive $5 OYNO)

2 – Keebler Simply Shortbread Cookies $1.99

2 – Keebler Simply Chocolate Chip $1.99
            1 - $1.00/3 Keebler Cookies coupon

(Buy 4 Kellogg's/Keebler products receive a FREE milk OYNO)

2 - Welch's Jelly $1.77

1 - $1.00/2 Welch's Jelly coupon

2 - Skippy Peanut Butter$1.77

1 - $1.00/2 Skippy Peanut Butter coupon

1 - Loaf of Shoprite Bread $1.99

1 - Buy 1 Welch's Jelly, 1 Skippy Peanut Butter and get $2.00 of Shoprite bread Super Coupon

1 - Eight O'Clock bag of coffee $3.99

1- $1/1 bag of Eight O'clock coffee ccoupon

1- $1.00 rebate on Ibotta

1 - box 12ct Melitta Coffee Kcups $4.99

1 - $2.00/1 box of Melitta coffee Kcups coupon

1 - $2.00/1 Melitta Coffee Kcups e-coupon

3 - Butterball Turkey Bacon 3 for $5.00

3 - $0.75/1 Butterball Turkey Bacon coupon

2 - Final Touch Dryer Sheets $1.99

1 - $1/2 Fab/Dynamo/Niagara/Ajax/Final Touch Products coupon

2 - Final Touch Fabric Softener $1.99

1 - $1/2 Fab/Dynamo/Niagara/Ajax/Final Touch Products coupon

1 - $3.00/3 Fab/Dynamo/Niagara/Ajax/Final Touch Products e-coupon

4 - Jars of Barilla Pasta Sauce $1.49

4 - $0.75/1 Barilla Pasta Sauce

1 - 4pk of Danimal Smoothie Yogurt $1.99

1 - $1/1 Danimal Yogurt coupon

1 - $1/1 Danimal Yogurt e-coupon

2 - Land O' Lakes Spreadable Butter $1.99

2 - $1/1 Land O' Lakes Spreadable Butter coupon

1 - Laughing Cow 8ct cheese wedges $1.99

1 - $1/1 Laughing cow cheese wedges coupon

1 - $1/1 Laughing cow cheese wedges e-coupon

1 - Mini Babybel 6ct Cheeses $1.99

1 - $1/1 Mini Babybel Cheeses coupon

1 - $1/1 Mini Babybel Cheeses e-coupon

4 - Annie's Mac & Cheese boxes $0.99

4 - $0.35/1 Annie's Mac & Cheese coupon

2 - Heluva Greek Yogurt Dip $2.00

2 - $0.75/1 Heluva Dip coupon

2 - Planter's Peanut Flavors 6oz $1.49
2 - $0.50/1 Planter's Peanut Flavors coupon

1 - Axe Body Spray $3.99
1 - $2.00/1 Axe Deodorant or Body Spray coupon

1 - $1.25/1 Axe Deodorant or Body Spray e-coupon

3 - Zatarain's Rice boxes $1.00
1 - $1/3 boxes of Zatarain's rice coupon
1 - $1/3 boxes of Zatarain's rice e-coupon

2 - Fisherboy Fish Sticks $1.50

2 - $1/1 Fisherboy product coupon

1 - GoGo Squeeze Apple Sauce $1.99
1 - $0.75/1 GoGo Squeeze Fruit coupon

1 - $1.00/1 GoGo Squeeze Fruit e-coupon

1 - Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade $1.99

1 - $0.55/1 Kikkoman Marinade or soy sauce coupon

1 - $1/1 Kikkoman Marinade or soy sauce e-coupon

1 - Tresemme Shampoo $3.99

1 - $2.00/1 Tresemme Shampoo or Conditioner coupon

1 - $2.00/1 Tresemme Shampoo or Conditioner e-coupon

2 - Reynolds Baking Cups $0.99

1 - $1/2 Reynold's Baking Cups coupon

2 - Starkist Tuna Pouches $1.39

1 - $1.00/2 Starkist Tuna Pouches coupon

1 - $0.75/1 Starkist Tuna pouches e-coupon

4 - Libby's canned carrots $1.00

1 - $1.00/4 Libby's canned vegetables coupon

1 - $1.00/4 Libby's canned vegetables e-coupon

2 - Westsoy Soymilk $1.79

2 - $1.00/1 Westsoy Soymilk product coupon

( Used Promo code for $15 off $100 purchase, 49 paper coupons worth $57.90, 12 e-coupons worth $16.00,  Received $7 in Catalina's, Received Catalina for FREE milk, Receiving $1.10 from Inbox Dollars for coupons redeemed, submitting for $2.00 in rebates from Ibotta)

Total OOP: $42.23

Transaction #2 Shop From Home #2

1 - Annie's Mac & Cheese $0.99

1 - $0.35/1 box of Annie's Mac & Cheese

20 - cans of Campbell's Soup $1.00

2 - $1/5 Campbell's Condensed soups (excludes great for cooking soups coupon

2 - $1/5 Campbell's Condensed Great for Cooking soups coupon

(Spend $20 on Campbell's products and Receive $5 OYNO.)

1 - Babybel 6ct mini cheeses $1.99

1 - $1/1 any mini babybel cheeses coupon

1 - $1/1 any mini babybel cheeses e-coupon

1 - Laughing Cow 8ct cheese wedges $1.99

$1/1 Laughing Cow Cheese wedges coupon

$1/1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges e-coupon

1 - GoGo Fruit Squeeze 4ct $1.99

1 - $0.75/1 GoGo Fruit Squeeze 4ct coupon

1 - $1.00/1 GoGo Fruit Squeeze 4ct e-coupons

1 - Tresemme Conditioner $3.99

1 - $2/1 Tresemme Shampoo or Conditioner coupon

1- $2/1 Tresemme Shampoo or Conditioner e-coupon

1 - Right Guard Xtreme Clear $3.99

1 - $1.50/1 Right Guard Xtreme Clear Deodorant coupon

1 - $1.50/1 Right Guard Xtreme Clear Deodorant e-coupon

4 - VO5 Shampoo & Conditioner $0.99

2 - $0.50/2 VO5 Shampoo or Conditioner coupon

1 - Danimal Smoothie Yogurt $2.00

1 - $1/1 Danimal Yogurt coupon

1 - $1/1 Danimal Yogurt e-coupon

3 - Zatarain's rice boxes $1.00

1 - $1/3 Zatarain's Rice coupon

1 - $1/3 Zatarain Rice e-coupon

4 - Libby's Canned Vegetables $1.19

1 - $1/4 Libby's canned vegetables coupon

1 - $1/4 Libby's vanned vegetables e-coupon

1 - Gallon 2% Shoprite Milk $3.99

1 - Free Milk Catalina from Transaction #1

3 - Lbs of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - $2.49

1 - $1.99 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Supercoupon

2 - Cascadian Cereal $2.99

2 - $0.75/1 any Cascadian Cereal coupon

3 - YoCrunch Yogurt Cereal Bowl $1.00

2 - $1.00/1 YoCrunch Yogurt Cereal Bowl coupon

1 - $1.00 off yogurt purchase of $1.99 or more store coupon

1 - carton of Baby Bella mushrooms $1.99

1 - Lbs. of Fresh Green Beans $0.99

4 - lbs. Top Round London Broil $2.49

1 - 5lbs bag of Russet Potatoes $2.99

2 - bags of Dole Salad 2 for $4.00

1 - bunch of celery $1.79

 (Used promo code $10 off $20 purchase of  Campbell's products, Used 22 paper coupons worth $28.99, Used 8 e-coupons worth $9.50, $7 in Catalina's from transaction #1, Receiving $0.20 from Inbox Dollars for coupons redeemed, Submitting for $0.25 in Rebates from Ibotta.)
Total OOP: $50.27

Transaction #3: Impromptu in-store transaction
1 - So Delicious Shelf-Stable Coconut Milk $1.49

1 - Jack Rabbit dried lentil beans $0.99

1 - Kikkoman Low Sodium Soy Sauce $1.99
1 - $0.55 off Any Low Sodium or Sweet Soy Sauce

2 - lbs of bananas $0.69

2 - Sharpie Markers - $0.99
2 - $1.00 off any Sharpie markers

2 - Expo Low Odor Dry Erase markers - $1.99
2 - $1.25 off any Expo Dry Erase marker
(Used $5 Catalina from above transaction, 5 paper coupons worth $5.58, submitting for $1.00 from Ibotta for Coconut Milk, $0.25 from Checkout51 for bananas)
Total OOP: $4.78

Total Price of items before sales & coupons: $393.22

Total out of pocket spent for all transactions: $97.28

Total Rebates from Savingstar App: $0.00

Total Rebates from Checkout51 App: $0.25

Total Rebates from Ibotta: $3.25

Total Rebates from Inbox Dollars: $1.30

 Grand Total After Rebates = $92.48

Total Savings of $300.74 ~ 76% Savings!

Total items = 128 or $0.72 per item

Donations this week are:

 This is for the Food Pantry:

20 - Cans of Campbell's soups

8 - Cans of Libby's Vegetables

4 - Pouches of Tuna Fish

For the Toiletry Drive we have:

2 - VO5 Shampoo's

2- VO5 Conditioner's

1 - stick of Men's Deodorant

Great Couponing Websites & Apps

It's impossible to save your family 50%-75% every week by simply getting one newspaper a week and casually looking through your store's sales flyers.  Or just clipping your coupons and walking in the store and hoping for the best.

Graphic from: http://happybubblegal.blogspot.com

Help with couponing is everywhere, from Facebook groups and local coupon clubs to websites, apps and rebates, oh my!  How do you weed out the not so helpful stuff from the pure gold?  Well there isn't really a trick on that one but here is a list of my favorite sites, apps and why I love them.  Some may work for you and other's may not, but figuring out what works for you and being open enough to try what's out there and fail a few time is the best way to get the most savings.

Websites: (You can click the name of the website in blue and it will link you right to the site.)

www.inboxdollars.com

Inbox Dollars - If you have read my blog you'll know how much I love this site.  It is one of my favorites for making money while shopping or doing menial tasks that take very little time.  This site is what I like to call a "rebate site."  By that I mean you make money back on your purchases.  You don't make money upfront so it's not a "work from home" scam or a job of any kind.  The internet searches, surveys, reading emails and many other simple tasks earn you money in varying amounts.  They deposit the money into your account within days of accomplishing the task.  You can then request a check at any point in time.  If you reach certain thresholds they waive mailing fees and processing fees.  I use this site when I search for things instead of google or bing etc.  I also print all or most of my coupons that I print right from here.  They give me $0.10 for each coupon I print and redeem at the store.  Since I generally use at least 10 -15 coupons a week  I make quite a few dollars on that alone.

www.livingrichwithcoupons.com

Living Rich With Coupons - This is probably by far one of the most helpful websites for anyone who coupons, newbies & veterans alike.  This website basically does all the hard work for you.  The woman that does this scours the internet, sales flyers, coupon inserts, printable coupons and just about everywhere to find all the "deals."  Then she posts them.  You can browse deals by store or by coupons.  She even has a section called "find my deal" where you can click on thing like "Pet Food Roundup" or "Diaper Deals"  so find the best deals on items in those categories.  She's got a lot of helpful hints and links that makes it incredibly easy to figure out how to get what you want for the best prices.  They even release "Weekly Match-ups" for each store they cover and it couldn't be easier to figure out how to get what you need.  She writes the items, their sales prices and the coupons to use, with links if they are printable.  Then she will also list and rebates you can get from apps.  Then she takes it one amazing step further and gives you "Deal Ideas" where she says, buy these items, use these coupons, and then get these rebates or catalinas and tells you the final cost before taxes.  A newer addition to the site is the Coupon Database.  It is a searchable database of all the coupons that they are aware of and it tells you where to find them.  EASY!!

www.yeswecoupon.com

Yes We Coupon - In my opinion this site is much more broad with the deals and coupons it covers.  This site will post deals daily that they find out about.  For example, clearance sales at Clothing and Toys stores.  They do contests and give-aways and link to other contests and give-aways.  There is a lot of help for couponing but also other things there as well.  This is a great site if you are looking for more than just groceries.  It always will link you to special giveaways, free items, or groupon type deals elsewhere.



Applications: (You can click the name of the app in blue and it will link you right to the site or application to download.)

BerryCart App

BerryCart -  This is a rebate app which means that you buy the items you want that are listed and then receive a deposit into your "account."  When you meet the minimum threshold of money in your "account" you can request a payment.  Different apps have different ways to pay you, either by giftcard or e-giftcard, deposit into a bank account, Venmo account or paypal account.  This app has a low threshold for payment of $5.  With BerryCart you can view the deals they have available.  Once you select a deal it will show you options to receive a rebate.  They have things like take a quick poll or quiz on the product, read a fact about the product and rate the product.  You then do the quick less than 1 minutes tasks and click complete to make yourself eligible for the rebate.  You then purchase the product and save your reciepts.  You then click redeem on the offers you have purchased.  The app will use your camera function to allow you to take pictures of the receipt to upload.  Your receipt is then reviewed and then you will be given the deposit into your account.
Positive: This app is mostly for "alternative diets."  It will offer rebates for items you hardly ever see coupons for such as  Gluten-Free products, Organic Products and Vegan products.
Negative: Products can be hard to find even at health food stores.  There isn't a large selection or variety of products so reaching a threshold for payment can take a long time, especially if you do not use or aren't willing to try some of the alternative diets.

Target's Cartwheel App

Cartwheel - This is a coupon app for Target.  The most important feature of this app is the coupons. You can click on offers and it will give you a menu of the different departments in Target.  You choose what you are looking for and select the coupons you want.  Then you will click on "My Barcode" and it will create a barcode on your mobile device that will be scanned at checkout.  This will apply the discounts to your order.  They have also included (in beta testing) some online discounts if you shop online.  This coupled with the Target Debit Card or Credit Card which gives you an extra 5% off your order every time you use it will make for some great savings!
Positive: Most of the coupons are percentages off.  Which means you can buy more than one of each item and save on all of them.
Negative: Since a majority of the coupons are percentages it makes it more difficult for quick calculations of savings while shopping and deciding whether it is worth the buy.

Checkout51 App

Checkout51 - This is a rebate app.  You can view all the offers and do your shopping. You then select which offers you want to receive.  Once you have completed your shopping and have your receipt you click upload receipt. You take a picture, or several of your receipt.  Once you do that you will then select which offers you want to redeem.  They will then review your receipt within 24-48 hours an add the amount to your account.  Once you hit $20 you can request a check be mailed to you.
Positive: This app has rebates for things like produce and meats which can be hard to come by with coupons.  It's also very easy to upload the receipt and then just "check off" the items that you will be requesting a rebate for.
Negative: If you have a long receipt, you will need to take multiple pictures to capture the entire receipt.  There also are a very limited number of items available for rebates and each item has limited quantities available.  If you are slow to submit your receipt you just might miss out. 

Ibotta App

Ibotta - This is one of my favorite apps to use.  It is a rebate app.  Here's how it works.  You set up an account.  They you can click on Grocery (or any other category.)  Then you choose the store you are going to shop at.  It will then show you pictures of the items that are available for rebates and how much you will receive.  When you click on the items it will give you different things to do to receive the money.  You might take a short survey (1-2 questions,) Watch a video, read a statement, take a 1-2 question quiz things that will take you less than a minute to complete.  Then the item will go to your "list."  Then you purchase the item.  Come home with your item and receipt.  When you click "redeem" at the bottom of the app it will have you verify your purchase by scanning the barcode of the item to make sure it qualifies.  (You can also check this in the store as well to make sure you are buying the correct item.)  Then it asks you to submit your receipt by using your phone's camera in the app to take pictures of your receipt.  Once you've submitted it they will let you know within 48 hours if it was accepted and they will add the money to your account.  This app has a $10 threshold for payment.

Positive: There usually is a broad range of items to choose from and you can use the rebates more than once in most cases as long as the items are on separate receipts.  You can also build teams of your Facebook friends or others you invite to help you earn extra rewards.

Negative: If you have very long receipts it can take quite some time to take multiple pictures in sections to submit the entire receipt.  You also have to make sure the pictures are clear and lined up so you are not missing any of the receipt.

SavingStar App

Savingstar - This is a rebate app also.  When you sign up for the app you will register your loyalty card from your store.  (For example, with Shoprite you will register your Price Plus Card.)  You can scroll through the offers and select the coupons you want.  Then they will go on you list.  Then you click the to activate them and buy the products.  When you buy the products SavingStar will automatically give you a credit in your account within a few days.  You can request a deposit into your bank account, A deposit into a Paypal account, an amazon giftcard or make a donation to American Forests.  They also have a customer service department in case you have trouble.  The threshold for payment is $5.

Positive: No scanning of receipts to get your rebate.  There is also a large selection of items to choose from and usually their rebates coincide with coupons so you can "double up" and use both.

Negative: Sometimes the rebates can take a long time to process.  Some can take up to 22 days.  It can be tricky if you have more than one loyalty card.

Shopkick App

ShopKick - This is a pretty different and unique app.  You don't have to purchase anything to make money. You download this app to your phone and take it with you when you go on about your shopping.  There are three major ways to earn points within the app and once you hit minimum thresholds of points you can redeem them for gift cards or other rewards they have.  The first way to earn points is to view the "collections" they have created.  They choose items and group them together for you to view from different companies.  You simply scroll through and click the envelope icon that says, "tap for a surprise."  It will then usually give you 1 point.  It isn't much when the points usually start around 1250 for the gift cards. However, there are several collections to browse everyday.  The next way to earn points is to view which stores are offering "walk-in kicks."  Then it's as simple as going into that store with the app open.  The app detects where you are by using wifi, bluetooth and cell signal to tell that you are in a store and allots you the points after you enter.  Every day and every store is different so you can check it out daily to see whether it is worth going or not.  The third way, and usually highest value is to scan products when you are at a store.  Most of the scanning will be done is stores that have grocery sections.  After you select a store and enter then you can scan products.  They will show you a product and then you can essentially go on a scavenger hunt in the store to find it.  When you do, you use the app to scan the barcode of the item and they give you points.  Once you hit the threshold for points of the gift card or item you want you can then redeem it.  Most gift cards are e-giftcards or a barcode is made available to you through the app so they can be used right away!  It also has the option of signing up and adding a credit or debit card to give you additional points.  (Although I have yet to try this feature I assume it works by tracking your purchases at stores for further rewards.)

Positive: This app doesn't require you to buy anything and it costs nothing to have.  It's simple to use and can be used daily to get points.  Every day the "shopkicks" and "walk-in kicks" change.  Some days have very high rewards and many of the stores are typical mall stores so it would be easy to get points from several stores very quickly.

Negative: If you don't use the app frequently it can be hard to accumulate enough points to get the big rewards.  It also takes several trips to several stores to be able to earn even the smaller gift cards. If you forget to open the app or use it during your shopping trips there is no way to recoup the points by say scanning a receipt after the fact.

ShopRite App

ShopRite - This is a coupon app.  I do most of my shopping at ShopRite so for me this app is wonderful.  It's more than just coupons.  You can create and edit ShopRite From Home orders, view the weekly Ad, create and edit a shopping list, look up recipes, and yes, add coupons to your price plus card.  How does the coupon portion work?  Very easily!  You just open the app, click on the menu and select coupons.  It will then show you all the coupons that are available.  There are many!! Most of the coupons you will find are also available elsewhere, so there may be a paper coupon to clip from an insert or print online.  You can use those in addition to the coupons in the ShopRite app.  If your extra lucky you may even find that you have a paper coupon, a ShopRite e-coupon and also a rebate from one of the other apps mention and your "triple dip."  So you select the coupons your want and when you checkout all you do is hand your cashier your price plus card.  The discounts come off automatically.  Example, you have a paper coupon for $1 off Scott Paper Towels.  You also select a $1 off Scott Paper Towels coupon from the ShopRite App.  When you check out the "e-coupon" automatically comes off your order when they scan your price plus card.  They also take the paper coupon off.  So instead of getting just $1 off you get $2 off.

Positive:  It's fast and easy.  You can also "stack" the electronic coupons with paper coupons and in store.  You can also then still submit for rebates through other apps like SavingStar, Ibotta and Checkout51, if they are available.  New coupons are added weekly.

Negative: Sometimes the coupons don't disappear right away after you use them so it can be tricky to keep track of if you shop frequently.  You also are limited with how many ecoupons you can clip (at this time it is 125) and you can not "unselect" a coupon once you have selected it.  You either have to use it or wait till it expires which can cause issues if you clip many of them and don't use them.

Snap App

Snap - This app works like most of the other rebate apps above.  You choose the items you'd like a rebate for and then upload your receipt after you've purchased them.  There are some non-brand specific items like $0.50 off a gallon of milk or $0.25 off any pre-sliced loaf of bread.  Which is different from some of the others.  It is also a way to get discounts on fresh produce and meat that there are rarely coupons for.

Positive:  Although there aren't a huge list of items each week there is a broad selection and non brand specific items that are hard to find coupons for.  Their items offer a large range from food, to cleaning, toiletries and fresh produce and meats.

Negative: Deals are limited and can disappear quickly especially on the high value rebates. As with the other rebate apps mentioned above, long receipts can be time consuming to upload.  Also some rebates are store specific, so they can only be purchased at select places like amazon.com, so read thoroughly before counting on that discount.

In addition to websites and apps Facebook and Twitter are good resources.  There are tons of people that do what I do.  There are tons of Facebook groups that have been created for people to share their successes and ask questions.  All you have to do is search for them.  Just search Facebook for your favorite store you'll see things like, "ShopRite NY Coupons and Deals."  There are many other's for every store you shop.  Another great way to find groups are to search by your local area, by your town name, county or region and then write the word Coupon or Couponers after.  Some groups are more active than others but it's a good place to find others who like to use coupons.