ANSWER TO A QUESTION I RECEIVED TODAY

A reader’s question:
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Wouldn’t Walmart always have cheaper prices than Walgreens?? And those reward dollars at Walgreens and such places, don’t you have to shop there fairly regularly just to accumulate enough to allow you to use them in place of cash on future purchases? It just seems like you’d save more money by going to walmart or aldi.
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Answer:
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As far as where to shop and the best prices…I can get more FREE stuff shopping at Target and Walgreens than I ever could at Walmart or Aldi. Those are my personal preferences…I like free stuff, what can I say? You have to know HOW to shop Walgreens for it to be rewarding to you. I shop Walgreens more than any other store. It is quick and convenient to get in and out of saving me time, but it also can be one of the places to get the best deals. When you shop at Walgreens, you can use the Register Rewards right away, you don’t save them up.
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SCENARIO
Let’s say this week you bought and din’t use any coupons:
WALGREENS
5 – Starbucks Ice Cream @ $3 ea – you get $5 in RR
TOTAL $15 Out Of Pocket + tax
Turn right around (before the ice cream melts)
Buy a gallon of milk @$2.59
1 dozen eggs $1.99
Loaf of Sara Lee Bread $2.00,
Total for this $6.58
use $5 RR
your Out of pocket is $1.58 for 2nd transaction!
TOTAL Out Of Pocket for both transactions = $16.58
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WALMART
5 – Starbucks Ice Cream @$2.50 ea
Gallon of Milk $2.89
1 Dozen Eggs $1.79
Loaf of Bread $1.89

TOTAL Out Of Pocket = $19.07
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These are totals based on Walgreens ad for this week as well as prices at
Walmart off Hwy N & 40. (I think that is considered Lake St Louis) & NO COUPONS!
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So it is not always cheaper to shop at Walmart.
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I have to admit, I always have more Register Rewards in my wallet, than I do money!
My husband thinks it is funny…if I could only pay all our bills with Register Rewards, I would be happy!
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

I have compiled the emails I received with your questions and here are the answers:
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Question: What kind of method do you use to store your coupons.
Answer: This is the question I get the most. You have to do what works best for you! I started with a small accordion file that fit easily in my purse and I labeled each tab with different headings (i.e. beverages, personal hygiene, frozen foods, snacks, etc). That worked great for me, for a while, but as I became more involved and had more coupons, I moved to the Couponizer, you can check it out here…

It was easy to keep in my purse and keep me organized. It is a really great system to use and was well worth the money I paid for it. It did not end there though, after realizing that I had thousands of coupons and I was going through them pretty quickly, I created a new method. I have a three ring binder and in the binder I use baseball trading card holder clear plastic sheets.
This way I can see the coupon easily. I have dividers in my notebook labeled with different headings (i.e. beverages, personal hygiene, frozen foods, snacks, etc). I use this part of my notebook for all my single coupons and Internet Printables. In the back of the notebook, I have clear sheet protectors, that I put complete inserts into. Each sheet protector has a little sticker on it that I put the date of the insert. So when you see 8/2 RP on my post, that is when I go to that section of my notebook and look for August 2nd Red Plum insert. The top sheet in the sheet protector on top of the inserts, is a list of coupons that are included in the insert. I do this by going to the Sunday Coupon Preview on my site, highlight the listed coupons then copy and paste to a word document. When I get my insert, I revise the list accordingly because inserts are regional and there may be some differences. Then I print the document and keep it with the inserts. When I have used coupons out of those inserts I just highlight that coupon on the sheet so I know that I am out of them. I also use my small accordion file, but now the labels are TARGET, WALMART, WALGREENS and such and after I review the ads, I pull my coupons and place them in the proper slot in my accordion file. This is what i keep in my purse to go shopping. I do keep my bag with all my coupons in the car just in case I see some spectacular clearance that I know I have coupons for, then I can just run out to the car and get my book. I know it seems involved, but this is the method I use to keep me organized! Again, every person knows what works best for them. Not everyone is like me and is using thousands of coupons.
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Question: How much time do you spend couponing?
Answer: Since I don’t clip every coupon in the inserts every weekend and file the inserts, I spend less time than you would think. In the actual making lists and putting the necessary coupons in the accordion file slots, I spend maybe two to three hours. I spend much more time on my website than I do clipping and shopping. Let’s say for instance, I spend 3 hours a week list making and clipping, (of which your time would be less because I already have lists pretty much done for you), but we will use 3 hours as an example, that would mean I am spending 12 hours a month. I am averaging a savings of over $621.98 per month, if this were my job, I would be making $51.83 per hour. There are few places I can work and make that kind of money. I will find 3 hours a week for that kind of money!
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Question: Where do you find all of the deals you have on your website?
Answer: Many of the Freebies, Coupons and Deals that I post on my website I receive the information because I receive emails from companies I have signed up to receive previous Freebies, Coupons and Deals. I also share information back and forth with other bloggers as well as message boards and readers.
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Question: Do you have any problems using your personal information when signing up to receive Samples or other Freebies?
Answer: The only problem I have had is that you tend to get a lot of emails from companies that you have signed up to receive something. For this I created what i call a “junk email”. For instance, I use AOL. With AOL. our family is allowed 6 screen names for the same price as 1. I would have used gmail because it is free, but we have had AOL for so long, since my husband and I married, that he didn’t want to have to change his email, so I just rolled with it! Anyway, set up a junk email screen name and use that when signing up for offers and such. As far as using my address, I have not had one problem with that, except my mail lady wants me to get a bigger mail box.
NEVER under any circumstances put your Social Security Number out on the web!
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Question: Do Walgreens Register Rewards expire?
Answer: Yes they do!!! They usually expire 14 days from when they are issued. Make sure when using them, you use your oldest ones first. To see more about Register Rewards go HERE.
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Question: How do you print so many coupons when there is a limit?
Answer: In most cases, other than Target printables, there is a 2 print limit per computer. I personally will use 4 or 5 computers to print some coupons. Like the B1G1 Free Venom for instance, my husband loves this stuff, so I will use a few different computers to print them and in this case, I had my mom and my sister that live in Oregon print them and mail them to me. Each coupon you print has a special code on it and can be tied back to your computer. One other thing, there are national limits put on coupons, so if you don’t print what you think you might use today, it could possibly be gone tomorrow.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER copy a coupon…that is equivalent to counterfeiting and is illegal.
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Question: How do you get so many coupons?
Answer: I get coupons from the Sunday Paper. Some weeks when there are a lot of what I consider to be good coupons, I will head on up to Walgreens, use some of my Register Rewards to buy more newspapers. Otherwise, I purchase (for a small handling fee) coupons that I need. Doing this can be well worth it. Check my post HERE about buying coupons. I would stay away from buying coupons from ebay! I have never bought off ebay, but I have heard some horror stories! I also find coupons from “tearpads” these are usually displayed with the product that the manufacturers and stores are trying to push. I also get them from “blinkies” the little boxes near products that blink and spit out coupons. “Peelies” are coupons that are stuck to products. I also subscribe to ALL YOU magazine, you can get the info on that HERE. I get printable coupons from COUPONS.COM , RED PLUM , SMARTSOURCE and Afullcup.com Target Coupon Generator (Afullcup is great, sign up and you have access to all kinds of message boards).
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It is totally safe to install the coupon printers, I have done this on 4 or more computers with no problems.
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Question: Don’t people in line behind you at the store get upset?
Answer: Some do and some don’t. Here is my whole philosophy on this. The people behind me DO NOT pay my bills and ARE NOT responsible for my family, so what they think is not really that important to me. I DO however, warn people when they get in line behind me that I will be using coupons and may be longer than someone in another line. Also, when at Walgreens, I tend to use the cosmetics counter check out so as to not hold up people at the main front register. I do my best to be courteous to other shoppers by using these methods and I have had people behind me in line who won’t move to another line because they want to see the end result. I have more people behind me in line who are fascinated than who are upset.
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Question: Do you have problems using coupons at any of the stores?
Answer: Walmart can be somewhat difficult with printables. I haven’t had too many problems with them. Target can be difficult at times to and it is usually with their own printable coupons. I find it kind of humorous, but when I walk into Target the first thing I do, is scope out the cashiers. Why? This is the ONE AND ONLY TIME you will ever hear me praise the lazy teenage male cashier. They could care less and when they hear a beep, they just keep on a goin’ and push your coupons through. I never have coupons for stuff I don’t buy, but the beeps usually occur when I am using their own printables and they just push the button and keep it rollin’…”only a couple more hours to go and I am outta here”…that’s what they care about!
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Question: Do you use everything you buy?
Answer: Heck no…there is no way we could use all the stuff I buy! I am a big believer in PAY IT FORWARD and when I can get stuff for FREE or SUPER CHEAP, I am buying it. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are people suffering around the world in third world countries, but there are so many people in our OWN community that are suffering everyday and I donate every month to food banks here in our community to help my neighbors. It is a great feeling to get some great deals, it is a better feeling to help your neighbors.
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This question is my favorite… it made me laugh a little
Question: Are you a hoarder?
Answer: First off if I was, do you think I would admit it? I just think that is funny! But really, no I am not a hoarder, I am a stockpiler. My house is clean, my goods are neatly stacked and organized on shelves in our finished basement, and I have no problem parting with my items!
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Before I sign off for a while, I just want to share with you one last thing.
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I am sure you have heard of a win, win situation, right?
Well I think of it as a win, win, win, win situation.
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Manufacturer puts out coupons…you buy their products at a discount.
WIN FOR YOU & WIN FOR THE MANUFACTURER,
The stores that take your coupons, turns them back to the manufacturer and receives the amount of the coupon plus 8 cents.
WIN FOR THE STORE,
You have a ton of goods that you can’t possible use all of them, you donate to Charity and YOU get the tax write off
WIN FOR CHARITY and WIN FOR YOU, AGAIN, YEAH!
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There are really no losers in the coupon game and I love that!
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SAVING MONEY & MAKING MONEY – 2 DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR MONTHLY BUDGET

Vindale Research

You can complete surveys on your own time, no clock punching for a second job, and you can make some extra income and perks! Try just one or two companies if you don’t have much time to devote to online surveys or sign up for all of them if you are wanting to complete 5 + a day. You don’t get a costant stream of surveys if you are only signed up for a couple of them. The choice is really yours as to what you want to do. You are not obligated to complete any of them, but if you want to make some extra money and/or perks. Give it a try!

I hope this entry post helps you!

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WHERE CAN I FIND GOOD COUPONS ON THE ITEMS I NEED??

Check it out!

COUPONING 101

I used to think that coupons were hard to keep track of, too time consuming and I wasn’t saving enough for the trouble. Am I wasting my time cutting them on Sundays, and printing, and looking for that special item in the store? Then I would feel really ridiculous when I went to check out and handed the cashier 5-10 coupons and the cashier would let out a sigh and so would the person waiting behind me in line.

After hitting a few bumps in the financial road this past year with the economy in the tank, my husband working in the auto industry and me in the mortgage industry, and a cancer diagnosis and treatment that had medical bills coming out of our ears… I realized that I was crazy for not using them.

Product manufacturers spend billions of dollars every year to supply us all with coupons and more than half the time they don’t get used. My family is sitting at home with an empty fridge wondering which $2 generic frozen pizza we will eat tonight and coupon clippers have full pantries and refridgerators with name brand foods that are actually good!

I am no longer ever embarrassed when I hand over 25-30 coupons to the cashier and if he/she sighs, when they give me my new total after coupons, saving me anywhere from $5 – $200, that’s when I giggle and just smile at the cashier and the person behind me in line.

Couponing is a game. You know how your kids like playing video games? Well, couponing is my game of choice.

You start off slow and as you do it more, you become knowledgeable of all of the In’s and Outs and before you know it YOU ARE SAVING MONEY LIKE CRAZY!

Let’s start off with some basics of couponing and as we go through you will learn more with the all the work I have done already for you on my site. I guarantee that you will be saving at least $100 a month on your grocery bill. REMEMBER: The info I am providing you with is FREE!

WHERE DO I GET THE BEST COUPONS?

The best places to get coupons are of course the Sunday paper, but there are many websites and magazines that provide excellent coupons.
SUNDAY PAPER: I get my paper delivered and it shows up around 10pm Friday night. I scan through the coupon inserts and decide if the coupons include items we use. If so, I have all weekend to buy more papers. I ususally get no less than 2 sunday papers.
PRINTABLE COUPONS: I consitently link sites for printable coupons. You can always click on the Coupons.com icon on my page and scroll through and see if there are any coupons that appeal to you. Print what you want, but in most cases there a limits set as 2 per printer and there are national limits so I need to print them and wait for the sale to come up.
MAGAZINES: I subscribe to ALL YOU magazine which features coupons on almost every page, but also gives a lot of recipes and advice like most womens magazines. You can also pick this magazine up at Walmart.
OTHER PLACES TO FIND COUPONS: When you are walking around the store, keep on the look out for peelies (coupons that are peelable off a product), blinkies (coupons that are in blinking machines near a product) and hangtags (coupons either hanging on or around a product). Another of my favorite places to get coupons for items I need is click on the Coupon Clippers icon on the right side of my page. For a small fee you can get the coupons you need, when you need them. They usually reach my mailbox within 3 days. It can be a lot less expensive to do it this way than to buy additional papers.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT COUPONS TO KEEP?
First and foremost…you CAN NOT be brand loyal and save a lot of money. You have to be flexible. I have always used Secret Deoderant, not the case anymore…I used Secret last month, right now I am using Degree for Women. When going though coupons and deciding which ones to clip and keep, think to yourself…If I might use the item in the coupon and I can get it for really cheap to free, then I clip and keep it. It’s that simple…I DON’T have to buy it, but if a sale comes up and I want to try it out and I can get it cheap to free, why not keep the coupon.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE/KEEP MY COUPONS?
It really depends on your presonal organization habits. I started with a small accordian envelope that had 12 dividers in it, then graduated to a notebook that has baseball trading card dividers and I keep separate coupons in each trading card slot. Of course, then I have dividers for different categories, ie, baking, personal hygiene, paper products, etc…

There is a link for the COUPONIZER on my site and I recently got one of these because it is super handy for putting in my purse. It is a great way to keep things organized, neat and at your fingertips when you need it.

Another method is keeping the coupon inserts in a notebook and marking them with insert name and date. This is another method I use so when you see on my posts 7/19 SS this stands for the Smart Source Coupon Insert from July 19th. This way you can just copy and paste shopping lists from my site and head over to your notebook and just clip the ones you need.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STORE COUPON and A MANUFACTURER COUPON?
A store coupon is a coupon that can only be used at that particular store. For instance, if it has the target logo on it, it might say at the top Target Coupon, same with Walgreens in ad coupons. The nice thing about these coupons, is that you can stack them with a manufacturer coupon. A manufacturer coupon will state that on the coupon and can be redeemed at any store that accepts coupons.

Now that you have your coupons, then it is time to match them with sale ads. The absolute best scenario is SALE+STORE COUPON+MANUFACTURER COUPON. That is when you save the most.
For instance:
Target has Soft Soap Body Wash on Sale for $2.79 (regularly $3.49)
I found a Peelie on Skintimate Shave Gel which was a Target Store Coupon for $1 off Soft Soap Body Wash. Because it was a Target store coupon, I could stack it with a $2 off printable coupon that I had. So I ended up getting the body wash FREE, + overage.

You have got your coupon stockpile going, now it is time to work on your product stockpile. There are certain items that I stockpile. Items like deoderant, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc. When something goes on sale and I have a coupon that makes the item really cheap to FREE, you can bet I am getting as many as I can. I keep a shelving unit in a storage room, that I keep these items on.

The Soft Soap Body Wash that I referenced earlier, I ended up buying 4 of them because I had enough coupons for all 4. We will get around to using the body wash eventually, but I rather get it free now then be without later and need it and actually have to pay for it.

Keep your eye out for the sales, the same stuff seems to go on sale every 3-4 months. So if yo miss a sale, don’t worry, chances are it will come back around.

Please remember to be considerate when shopping. When I shop at Walgreens for instance, I will shop either early in the morning or I will check out at the cosmetic counter so as not to hold up other shoppers. Also, be organized with your coupons, have them ready to go at check out. Usually when I am shopping, I pick out the item and put it in my cart, I will double check the coupon make sure I am getting the right thing and quantity and check the expiration date. If it is all good, I throw it in the bottom of may cart. When I go to check out, I unload all my items and all the coupons I will be using are right there and ready to go.

Good luck and HAPPY COUPONING!!

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