Coupon School: Where can you find coupons?

In today's edition of Coupon School, I'll tell you about where to find coupons. There's more out there than just the ones in the newspaper! Here we go:

Newspaper inserts: When people thing of coupons, they think of their moms sitting at the kitchen table with the Sunday paper, cutting out coupons. This is the most convenient way to get a variety of coupons. If you don't have a subscription to the paper, you'll also be able to get inserts from papers you buy from the drugstore, grocery store or gas station. If you plan on couponing long-term, spring for a subscription; it's much cheaper.

Coupon websites: There are 3 main websites for printable coupons (often referred to as IPs for Internet Printable): Coupons.com, SmartSource, and RedPlum. They have TONS of coupons, and new ones pop up all the time. You have to download and install software from these sites in order to print. You can generally get 2 of each coupon, so you can get more if you've got access to more than 1 computer. Tip: since coupon campaigns are sometimes limited to specific areas in the country, change your ZIP Code a few times while selecting coupons to print. For example, I put in my ZIP, but I also use ZIPs for Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, L.A., New York, and a few other large cities. The coupons you've already selected will still print and you might find some deals you couldn't find otherwise.

Facebook: Facebook is being used by more and more companies to give away coupons, as well as free samples. Make sure you "like" any products or companies you buy from so you find out about them. These coupons are usually put out by either Coupons.com or SmartSource, so you'll probably get 2 prints of each coupon (hit the back button after it prints to get the scond one). Sometimes companies put out PDF files of their coupons. If that's the case, save the file to your hard drive and print it as many times as you want!

Company websites: Lots of companies put out IPs on their websites. Like on Facebook, visit the websites of companies that make the things you like to purchase and see if they have coupons available (there's usually a link on the main page). You might also be able to subscribe to emails that send out more coupons as well.

Tearpads: These coupons are put next to a product and resemble a big stack of Post-It notes. You don't have to use them when you take them, and you don't have to use them in the store you got them from (unless the coupon specifically says "Store Coupon"). You can save them for when you find a really good price on that item. Tearpad etiquette: 1) Only take coupons for things you'll actually use. 2) Take a REASONABLE amount of coupons and leave the rest for everyone else. I would call 10 reasonable, but you might think more or less is okay. Whatever you do, don't be the jerk who takes the whole stack. I will hate you.

"Blinkies": These are much like tearpads, but you find them in little dispensers at most grocery stores and some drugstores. They get this cutesy name from the fact that the dispensers have little red blinking lights to get your attention on them. Blinkie etiquette: same as tearpad etiquette.

"Peelies": Another cutesy name, these coupons are attached directly to products. There's no rule that you have to use the coupon on the day you buy the product. Now, some people are fine with taking peelies off products that they're not buying. I am NOT. I think it's messed up to take peelies off products and I get really annoyed when I see there WAS a coupon on something, but now it's gone. The only exception I make to this rule of mine is if I'm buying another product in the same family. For example, if there are peelies for $1 off Juicy Juice on the big 64 oz. bottles, but I want to buy a pack of juiceboxes, I will probably take the coupon. Alas, this is all one big ethical gray area that has not been addressed by the Supreme Court or another governing body, so we'll have to stick to the Golden Rule. Would you be pissed if someone had taken an awesome coupon from you? If so, don't steal peelies; if not, then you're probably a thief and I am watching you.

All You magazine: This magazine's only available at Walmart or by subscription. I got a year of magazines for $15 during my niece's Girl Scout magazine sale, but you might be able to find a better deal online. It's SO worth it to have this magazine even if you're only getting it for the discounts. There's $50 worth or more of coupons in every issue. You'll get unusual coupons, too, like the $10/1 Foodsaver vacuum sealer that was in November's issue.

Other magazines: Several women's magazines (Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Family Fun, Parenting, Parents) usually have a handful of coupons in them each month. Probably not worth getting a subscription if you won't read the magazine, but don't forget to check the ads before you throw away an issue. Sometimes you'll get something great: Family Fun & Parenting's October issues had a $10/1 Thomas & Friends Early Engineers playset coupon. I managed to get my son a train set at Target for $7 this way.

eBay* & coupon clipping services: If you want 10-20 insert coupons but don't want to buy that many papers, you can buy them off eBay or through a coupon clipping service. One service I can recommend is My Coupon Hunter, because they have a lot of selection and delivery was really quick. If you go the eBay route, always check the shipping costs. You might be paying $2 for 20 dog food coupons, but the shipping could be $5. If you don't want to wait around on an auction, click the "Buy It Now" tab to narrow your search results. I try to look for sellers who offer free shipping or charge about .50.

The mail: You know the big bundle of ads you get near the beginning of the week, the ones wrapped around the grocery ads? Don't toss them until you read them! I've found great coupons for Lean Cuisines, Colgate toothpaste, and Skinny Cow ice cream in them.

* A word of warning: DO NOT buy preprinted IPs from a reseller. These coupons have a lot of fraud prevention features printed into them (special barcodes, text, pictures, etc.). These coupons might be legit, but they might not be, and if the retailer calls you on it, things might get uncomfortable. There are also people out there who try to make fake coupons, and I don't want you caught up in all that. Coupon fraud is a lame way to end up in prison.

Carolinas' Largest Baby Shower -- going on today through Friday!

Radio station WRCM (91.9 FM) is sponsoring the Carolinas' Largest Baby Shower, benefitting crisis pregnancy centers in the greater Charlotte area. For individual dates, locations, and wish lists, visit the event page HERE.

This is a great way to help some mommies in crisis. The wish lists all vary, but I've got deals on several things they have in common. By the way, this comes right as Target is wrapping up their January baby clearance, so you should be able to find tons of great stuff to donate.

Diapers (any size, but several of the groups are asking for sizes 3-6)
Huggies Little Snugglers or Little Movers or Pampers Swaddlers or Cruisers, jumbo packs, $8.99 each

Get a $5 Target gift card wyb 3 jumbo packs

- $2 off Little Snugglers or Little Movers, Smart Source 1/23 insert

- $1.50 off any Huggies, Smart Source 1/23 insert

= $15.97 for 3 packs of Little Snugglers/Movers after Target GC and (3) $2 coupons

Sleepers
Gerber 2-pack blanket sleepers are on clearance at Target for 50-75% off right now, should be $3-5 a package.

Clothing (some groups are asking for up to 12 months, others are asking for up to toddler sizes)
Clean out your kids' closets for the cheapest way to donate baby clothes. You can also find quite a bit of winter clearance at Target. I found a Carter's Just One You 2 piece fleece set, size 24 months, for $2.74 last week.

Shoes, toddler/preschool sizes 
Target is marking down most of their fall/winter shoe styles to 75% off. The pickings might be getting a bit slim, but you can find kids' shoes for as low as $2.50 a pair right now.

Baby toiletries (lotion, baby wash, shampoo, diaper cream, etc.)
Dollar Tree is always a great source for this stuff. You can get bottles of all these baby care items, as well as safety swabs and wipes for $1 each.
Target has Johnson & Johnson baby wash, baby lotion and baby powder for $1.97 each. If you have the $1 Johnson & Johnson baby product coupon from the 1/9 Smart Source insert, you can get these products for .97 each.

You may also find strollers, car seats, cribs & crib mattresses, along with all kinds of other baby stuff on markdown right now. If you have new or gently used baby gear at home just taking up space, bring it over to one of these Walmarts this week and give it to someone who needs it now.

9 Easy Steps to Get You Started with Coupons

I've heard so many people complain that they want to save money on groceries. I've also heard people say they'd like to give more to charity, but they just can't afford it. Well, when I tell them they can learn to use coupons and watch sales cycles, they tell me they can't. I've heard every excuse: it's too hard, it's a waste of time, it takes too much work, I don't get the paper, Walmart is cheaper for everything, blah blah BLAH. None of that is true! So I've written up 9 easy steps to start saving money using coupons. I PROMISE this isn't hard! You can do it!

1. Pick a store. It can be a grocery store, a drug store, or a big box store like Target. Focus only on that one store for now until you get comfortable with the process. I really recommend going with a store that actually has sales, not just “rollbacks”, if you get my drift.When you combine coupons with sales, you WILL pay a lot less than you normally would.
2. Start getting the Sunday paper. It's cheaper to have a subscription, but you can also pick one up at the store or the gas station if you don't want to make that kind of commitment yet. You can even ask friends or relatives for their unwanted inserts.
3. Get the coupon inserts and your favorite store's weekly ad. If it's a grocery store, you'll need to save one from the previous Tuesday, when they usually come out. You can also look them up online.
4. Look at the store ad and see what's on sale this week. Go through the coupons and see if there are any matchups. Clip the coupons that you want to use on your next shopping trip.
5. As you're looking through the ad and inserts, make a shopping list. Write down the items you're going to buy, and mark the items that you have coupons for (like with a * or a C). This will help you remember to use them. Write down the rest of the items you need, too.
6. Put your coupons in an envelope, a Ziploc, or another container that will keep them from getting crushed at the bottom of your purse, covered in Goldfish crumbs, or blowing across the parking lot.
7. Save the rest of the inserts. You can either clip the coupons for the items you might want to buy and file them in a coupon organizer, or you can mark the date on the top of the insert and file it away for later.
8. Take your list and coupons to the store. Buy only what's on your list so you don't overspend.
9. Take a look at your total and the bottom of your receipt. See how much you saved? That's YOUR money that you would've normally spent without thinking in the past. Now it's yours to save up, pay off bills, donate to charity, or just to spend on something else!

Coupon School: Coupon Myths vs. Reality

Okay everyone, settle down! Today in Coupon School, I'm going to review some myths about couponing and tell you the reality behind those assumptions. So sit up straight and pay attention!

Myth: All people who use coupons are insane.

Reality: Yes, there are “extreme couponers” out there who have 100 boxes of cereal in their pantries and guest room closets full of toilet paper. But most people who clip coupons are doing it because they want to save money on the things they buy.

Myth: Clipping coupons takes too much time and effort.

Reality: You can put in as much time as you want and still save yourself money. Personally, I spend about 15 minutes each week clipping the coupons I want out of the inserts from the Sunday paper, and about 10 minutes each week printing internet coupons that I'm interested in. That's all. And I still save hundreds of dollars on my groceries each week and save about 50-75% off the things I buy to donate.

Myth: I have to go to a million stores to get all these good deals. I don't have time for that.

Reality: You can stick to ONE store and still get great deals on all your favorite products, as well as find freebies to donate. It's all about patience and building up a stockpile.

Myth: Stockpiles are for crazy people! I don't have room in my house for that!

Reality: Yes, if you take it too far, your stockpile can take over half your house. But sales are cyclical, and you only need to buy enough to last your family until the next sale. Most items at grocery and big box stores go on sale every 6-12 weeks. Once you get used to looking for these cycles, it will be easy to remember how much you need to buy.

Myth: You're cheating (Target, Walmart, Harris Teeter, Bi-Lo, etc.) when you use coupons. Using too many coupons will cause prices to go up across the board.

Reality: Why on EARTH would a business take a piece of paper from you, take $x.xx off your bill, and lose money on the deal? It's not out of the kindness of their little hearts! No, Dorothy, the stores get back all that money. Here's how it works:

• You clip the coupon and take it to the store.
• You hand the cashier the coupon and the amount comes off your total.
• The coupons are bundled together by the store and sent off to a clearinghouse, where they're sorted, counted, and the clearinghouse submits the totals to the manufacturer.
• The manufacturer cuts the store a check good for the amount of the coupons submitted, plus an extra .08 for each coupon. That little extra is to cover the store's shipping and handling expenses and to encourage them to keep accepting coupons.

The manufacturers put out coupons SO YOU BUY THEIR STUFF. If a .50 coupon for Peter Pan will lead you to buy it over the Food Lion peanut butter, Con-Agra (the huge food conglomerate that owns Peter Pan) is willing to take that loss on the chance that your kids will get hooked on it and you'll keep buying it, whether you've got a coupon or not. That's why you'll see big, high-value coupons for new items right after they come out. You'll buy them, you'll get hooked, and now they've got loyal customers. It's in a store's best interest to take manufacturer coupons, because odds are, you've got other stuff to buy (produce, meat, pantry staples) that doesn't have coupons, and that's where they're making their money. You're not hurting anyone by paying for your stuff with coupons, so don't feel guilty about it.

Myth: The manufacturers only put out coupons for junk food; I don't feed my family crap, so I can't coupon.

Reality: This is a HUGE misconception! I have a 1-year-old, and I prefer to feed him natural and organic food whenever I can. There are coupons floating around for companies such as Annie's Naturals, Apple & Eve, Earth's Best, Plum Organics, Happy Baby, Stonyfield Farm, Horizon, and much more. Even if you don't buy this stuff, you still need toilet paper, toothpaste, shaving cream, shampoo and pet food. Why pay full price for this stuff? Clip coupons and you'll never have to again. I save my Seventh Generation coupons for Harris Teeter's Super Doubles events, and I get free dish detergent!

So take a chance on coupons! You don't have anything to lose, and if it's not for you, you can quit. But if you stick with it, it can really save you a ton of money. Class dismissed!

Harris Teeter Under $1 Deals , week of 1/19-1/25

Here are some things you can pick up this week at Harris Teeter for less than a buck. Follow the links for printable coupons. Jenny from Southern Savers does an amazing job each week of matching up coupons to grocery store sales. I'm only listing items that are commonly requested by food pantries and other charities in our area. Please go visit her page for the entire ad and to see more stores.

Buy One, Get One Free (B1G1) Deals

Rice A Roni or Pasta Roni, (.79 each)
use Free Pasta Roni wyb 3 Rice A Roni MQ, RP 1/2

= .59 each for 4 boxes

Campbells Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup (.42 each)

McCormick Chili or Taco Seasoning Mix (.49 each)
Maruchan Yaki Soba Noodles (.50 each)
Bumble Bee Chicken Breast, in water (.99 each)
Libby's Vienna Sausage (.40 each)
Ricola Drops (.99 each)
use $1/2 Ricola products, SS 1/16
= .75 each for 2 bags
Colgate toothpaste, assorted ($1.44 each)
use .50/1 Colgate toothpaste, SS 1/2
= .44 for 1 toothpaste

Just a note: Harris Teeter's buy one get one free items actually ring up as half price, but only if you buy ONE item. If you buy TWO items, one rings at full price, and the other one rings up as free. Harris Teeter does NOT allow a coupon on a free item. So if you want to buy 2 like items that are B1G1 (say, the Colgate), and use a coupon on each item, split up your order. You can view all of Harris Teeter's coupon policy HERE.

Get $20 Amazon gift certificate for $10 on LivingSocial -- through 8 am tomorrow!

I know this might be old news, but hurry up and get to LivingSocial and buy a $20 Amazon gift certificate for just $10! LivingSocial is one of the many deal-a-day websites out there now, but I wanted to let you guys know about this great deal. It ends at 8 am tomorrow (Thursday, 1/20), so don't wait!

Target Tutorial: Target's store coupons

I tend to post about deals I find at Target because it's really my favorite store to shop at. It's clean, their prices are competitive, stuff's easy to find, they have pretty predictable markdown schedules, and I can get a Cherry Coke Icee from the snack bar if I've been a good girl. Mmmm, Icees.

But the real reason I do most of my shopping at Target is because you can stack manufacturer coupons and Target's store coupons. "Stacking" means using 2 different kinds of coupons on one item at the same time. If are a smart shopper and wait for a sale, then combine the sale with manufacture coupons and Target coupons, your savings really add up!

You can find all Target's printable coupons HERE. After downloading some software, you can print 2 of each coupon on your computer. A few new ones are added to the site every week, so check back frequently, because there might be something you can use. If you see a coupon you might want, print it NOW. There are print limits on these things, and some of the really popular coupons (such as the $1 off any produce item that is sometimes available) run out within a few hours.

Target is sneaky, though, and not all the coupons on their website are store coupons (I'll call these TQs for short). Some are actually manufacturer coupons (MQs), and they're usually the same ones you can find on other coupon websites. You can't tell which are which until you've printed them. IF you only want to print TQs, here's a handy trick for you: right click on the coupon and click "Properties".

This will show the full link to the coupon. Look after the word "partners". If it says "manufacturer", "manufact" or a company name in the link, it's more likely than not an MQ. If it says "target", it's a TQ and you can pair it up with any MQs you have.

Let me show you how awesome stacking is! For example, Slim Fast bars (5 pack) are $5 this week. Print 2 of the $1.50 off any Slim Fast item TQ from Target's website, then use the MQ for a FREE pack of Slimfast bars when you buy 2 Slimfast items that was in the Red Plum insert on 1/2. You'll get 3 boxes of bars for $7, or $2.33 each. That's less than half the sale price!

One warning: many of the TQs do state "Limit one coupon per transaction." Some stores will hold you to this, and you might have to split up your order into multiple transactions if you want to use several of the same TQ. However, I've found that a lot of stores don't worry about this, and you can use multiple TQs in the same transaction. But don't go nuts and use too many at once! You never know when your cashier will be a stickler and you'll have to either put some stuff back or do a bunch of transactions.

That's it for today's Target Tutorial! Next time, I'll tell you more about Target's mobile coupons and how to use them.

FREE and cheap Bayer glucose monitors at Walgreens

Now through Saturday, January 22, Walgreens is selling the Bayer Didget and Contour USB blood glucose monitors for $9.99 each. You can pick up the Didget (a monitor just for kids) for FREE when you use the printable coupon found HERE. You can get the Contour USB monitor for $5 when you use the printable coupon HERE. Pick up a few and donate them to a free clinic near you. HERE is a listing of all the clinics in Mecklenburg county.

Charity Profile: Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry is located just outside Uptown Charlotte and helps families and individuals struggling to make ends meet. You can request financial assistance from them if your electricity or gas is in danger of being cut off or you're facing eviction. If you'd like to donate money to help this program, visit them here.

But what if you don't have any funds to donate right now? Well, if you're like a lot of people (including myself), you're probably working on a New Year's resolution to get organized and declutter your house. Crisis Assistance can help you out by taking your gently used stuff off your hands and making it available to those in need. They run the Free Store, which allows people to visit every other month (more often if they are homeless) and pick up clothing, household goods and personal care items, allowing them to spend their money on other necessities. Drop off your stuff at 500-A Spratt Street, Monday-Friday from 8-5, and Saturday from 10-4. They even have a drive-through donation lane, so you don't even have to get out of your car. Make sure to check their website for all the details. Don't forget to get a receipt for next year's taxes!

Target clearance toys possibly 75% off starting 1/13

I posted before about the Target toy clearance, but just to catch you up: Target puts many of its toys on clearance each January and July to make room for new stuff. But the stuff they're getting rid of is still likely to be popular with your kids, as well as children in need in Charlotte. I've seen Little People, Disney Princess, Toy Story 3, Thomas & Friends, Lego, Imaginext, Mega Blocks, and Leapfrog toys all marked down over the past few weeks to 50% off. Target usually marks down the toys on Thursdays, and since they've been sitting at 30-50% off for about 3 weeks now, tomorrow may be the day we see some really awesome prices for toys!

A handful of items were already marked to 75% off. Some of the steals I found last week were:
- Thomas & Friends Early Engineers Rock & Roll Quarry, was $39.99, paid $9.99
- Fisher Price Little People Stand & Play Rampway, was $39.99, paid $9.99

I also bought a few big-ticket items at 50% off:
- Step2 New Traditions Kitchen, was $79.99, paid $39.99
- Lego table, was $79.99, paid $39.99

Many, many toys that are normally very pricey will be available for less than $10 when clearance gets to 75% off. If you're going by Target tomorrow, check out the toys and stock up for upcoming birthdays. You can also find some very affordable toys to donate to Toys for Tots, Salvation Army, or Birthday Blessings.

Charlotte Rescue Mission needs flip-flops!

Just saw on Charlotte Rescue Mission's front page: they're running low on their supply of men's flip-flops. They need these to prevent the spread of nasty stuff like fungus and athlete's foot in the showers. I know flip-flops are hard to find in January, but has anyone seen them recently? Please let me know where I can find some, and be sure to donate any you find to Charlotte Rescue Mission.

EDIT:  Looks like they're available at Walmart right now for $1 a pair. So if you're out shopping, take $5 and help 5 men out by purchasing some flip-flops.

Vicks cold medicine deal at Walgreens

There is a great deal on Vicks cold medicine this week at Walgreens! You'll get $5 in Register Rewards (RR) if you spend $15 on participating Vicks products, and $10 in RR if you spend $20 or more on Vicks. There were several coupons in last week's P&G insert that make this actually a potential $7 money maker (MM). Please visit Wild for Wags to see all the possible scenarios. If you need the coupons, hustle over to eBay or My Coupon Hunter and order yours now. I usually receive mine in 2-3 days after ordering, which will leave you plenty of time to do this deal. Be careful and check where the coupons are shipping from; if you buy some from a seller in California but you're here in Charlotte, they may not make it before Saturday. Look for sellers on the East coast or in the South. My Coupon Hunter is based in Florida, so the9y'll get to you pretty quickly.

The Vicks coupons have a limit of 4 in one transaction, so if you plan on doing this deal 2 or 3 times and "rolling" the RR into another order, you'll have to do a transaction without Vicks in between 2c with Vicks. Let me explain:

Transaction 1:
(4) Vicks Sinex, 10 or 12 count - $16

- (4) $4/1 Vicks Sinex product, any -- 12/26 P&G insert

- $5 in RR

= $5 MM!

You can use this $5 RR to buy some other stuff on sale at Walgreens, like:

 - Walgreens Big Roll toilet paper, 2/$1

 - Progresso Soup, 4/$5
 - Mott's 100% apple juice, 64 oz., $1.79
* These items require coupons in the weekly ad, so bring yours from home or grab one when you walk in the door.

If I were to do these deals, I'd give the medicine to Charlotte Rescue Mission and the toilet paper and food to Loaves and Fishes.

Skip-Bo card game (holiday packaging) for $1.24 at Target

When I went to Target yesterday, I found a great little gift for next year's Salvation Army toy drive or Birthday Blessings. The Skip-Bo card game in holiday packaging (blue background with snowflakes) is going for 75% off, making it $1.24. It looks like it's similar to Uno, so it should be a good present or stocking stuffer for school-age kids. I found them on the back wall of the toy department, with the other card games. They were mixed in on the pegs for the regular version of Skip-Bo, so you might have to look around for it.