It seems like the dollar doesn’t go very far these days. But, four dollars? That’s a different story. Using “extreme couponing” tips from Massachusetts mom Kathy Spencer, four dollars can buy an entire week’s worth of groceries -- for a family of six! And Kathy, author of How to Shop For Free, is sharing some of her secrets on how to become a more savvy shopper.
Tip 1: Become a Savvy Coupon Collector
The first step in becoming an extreme couponer is to collect as many as you can. Think of coupons as a form of currency, like cash, and look for them everywhere. They’re not just in the Sunday paper anymore. You can find coupons all over grocery stores in “blinkies,” those small coupon-spitting machines with blinking lights scattered in the aisles, on “peelies,” the peel off stickers on actual products and at the service desk on the racks that hold the store circulars. You can also grab them from the refrigerator doors at gas stations and convenience stores and, if your supermarket sells wine, you’ll find discounts or mail-in-rebates on the wine tags that hang around the necks of wine bottles. And if you don’t have a coupon, check out the store’s website or google the store or product name along with “printable coupon.”
One place Kathy says most people don’t know to look is eBay. You’ll find individual coupons or groups of coupons up for auction. Many sell for as little as $.99 for 20 coupons, and there are even a few ultra cheap deals where you can get 100 coupons starting at under $.10. You can buy groups of assorted coupons or same item coupons for everything from pain relievers to restaurants to dog food. You name it, and you can probably find a coupon for it. And Kathy adds it’s worth the couple dollars you’ll spend in the savings you’ll get.
Tip 2: Maximize your Coupons
When it comes to coupons, how you use them can really pay off. Of course you should take advantage of double coupon days, but also look for chances to combine store coupons and manufacturer’s coupons, and you may be able to get two items for the price of none! How does it work? Let’s say your local drug store is having a buy-one-get-one-free sale on mascara and you also have a buy-one-get-one-free manufacturer's coupon for that same mascara. While you get one free from the store through its sale, you can use your manufacturer’s coupon to get the other mascara for free. When you use your coupons this way, the store pays for one and the manufacturer pays for the other, so you get both for free.
Tip 3: Be a Smart Shopper
Now, while using coupons is a great way to save, Kathy tells us they're just the beginning when it comes to getting great discounts. When you hit the mall or the outlets, stop at the customer service center or mall office first to ask about any extra coupons or unpublished sales. These happen more often than you might think! Also look for stores that match other retailers’ coupons; you may find that you can get great deals at your local stores -- even when a non-local store is having a sale. And look for opportunities to get big discounts on buying bulk. For example, Lowe’s and Home Depot have a contractor’s booth, where you can save on projects that will cost more than $2,000 in materials. Even though the booth is meant for contractors, Kathy says they will usually let you do this, even if you’re not one. She’s tried it out a few times and has never been turned away. It helped Kathy save 17% on a new deck.
Tip 4: Look for Local Deals
While these tips work all over the country, Kathy has also uncovered special deals for New England bargain hunters that provide super savings. Shaw’s (and sometimes Stop & Shop) will have promotions she calls “cat deals” that reward you for spending a certain amount of money on a specific product, by giving you money off your next grocery order. This reward coupon comes out of the coupon printer sitting by the register. For example, you’ll see in the store’s flyer that they’re having a deal like: “spend $30 on selected products, get $15 off your next grocery order.” When you check out, if you’ve spent the $30, you’ll get a $15 coupon for your next visit. What makes these deals great is that, they don’t just give you money off a specific product, the discount is off your entire next purchase. It’s like getting free money.
Sounds great, right? Well, that’s not all! Kathy explained how, if you play your coupons right, you could not only get the discount, you can even come out ahead! You see, the machines that print these coupons add up the amount you spend in your order, and if you’ve hit the target, they print the coupon. The good news is that the machines do this based on the pre-sale pricing; that means if you’re using coupons, you may not even have to spend the required amount -- in fact, depending on how many coupons you have, you might spend far less.
For example, let’s say Shaw’s is offering $15 off your next grocery order if you spend $30 on detergent. You could buy, say, 6 bottles of detergent for $5 each ($30) and get the $15 coupon for your next order -- it’s like getting half off! But, if you also have a coupon to buy one detergent, get one free, you’ll only have to pay for 5 of those bottles ($25) and you’ll still get the $15 off your next order! It gets even better if you can combine coupons! For example, if you have two more buy-one-get-one-free coupons and three coupons for $1 off each bottle of detergent, you only need to buy 3 bottles ($15) and you’ll get $1 off each of those -- so you only spend $12, and since the machine thinks you’ve spent $30 ($5 for 6 bottles of detergent), you still get the $15 off your next order! You’ve made $3!
Tip 5: Cross the Border
If you're up for a little road trip, traveling north of the border, Kathy says to check out some rebates you usually can't find in Massachusetts. Down the alcohol aisle in grocery stores in New Hampshire, the ones that are allowed to sell beer and wine, you'll find lots of tear-off pads for mail-in-rebates on food. Now, if you live in New Hampshire, you'll have to purchase the beer or wine to earn the rebate. For Bay Staters, it's even better. If you read the fine print, many will say there's no alcohol purchase required if you're a Massachusetts resident -- and you still get the rebate!
$20 off the royal peek
