I received an email from Redbox advising that the purchase of an Extra Value Meal from McDonald’s will also get you a a free one night DVD rental from Redbox. This means dinner and a movie for the price of an Extra Value Meal. Redbox is conveniently located at most McDonald’s so this makes it convenient to pick them up at the same place.
Posts Tagged ‘Coupons’
Free Redbox Movie Rental Code
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009Coupons Available Upon Request
Friday, June 5th, 2009Occasionally while checking out at the grocery store, a cashier will ask me how I obtained one of my coupons. Most of the time it’s either out of the Sunday inserts or from the All You magazine that I subscribe to. I also get coupons by requesting a sample, and a coupon will sometimes arrive with the sample. I will often email a company and compliment their product which will sometimes result in a coupon being sent to me. I also sign up for any mailing lists that may result in a coupon for a product that I would normally use. I am not a big fan of printing coupons if I am required to download software to my computer. This software is typically malware designed to track my comings and goings on the internet, and it slows my computer down. Here are a few of my favorite places that do send coupons in the mail:
Honeysuckle White provides turkey products that our family enjoys. We frequently purchase the tubes of 93/7 ground turkey and use this in place of ground beef. Use the “Contact us” page to request coupons. They can send coupons to you every three months so if this is a product you enjoy using, you will need to mark your calendar and email them every three months.
Farmland provides bacon, ham, pork, and hot dogs. They send out a sheet of coupons twice a year to your mailing address after you register to be on Farmland’s coupon mailing list.
Gold’n Plump Chicken provides coupons available to print from their website. You must register to be able to print the coupons or request a coupon be mailed to you. The coupons change so check back on their site to see what new coupons are offered.
Wholly Guacamole will email a coupon monthly with their newsletter that can be printed without downloading any software. Sign up on their site by clicking the “Join the Guac Party” in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
Coupon Power: How To Win at Coupons
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
Ever notice that when you walk into a grocery store with a big stack of coupons, you always get the feeling you’re going to get a hard time from the cashier? I get that feeling every time. I can look at a line of cashiers and tell immediately who is going to give me a hard time. I suppose they somehow feel that you’re getting too good of a deal – “getting over” on them. If you have ever been in line and had a fast talking cashier tell you that your coupons are invalid or that you simply misunderstood how the coupon works, join the club! My advice is to know the coupons inside and out before you leave for the store, particularly if the coupons are conditional and require multiple purchases. There are other strategies but generally the best one is to be detailed, polite, and street smart.
Here are tips to get the cashier on your side or to win at using coupons:
- Immediately strike up a conversation with the cashier. Don’t be skeptical about personal relationships, particularly if you are a regular customer.
- Put your “free” items at the back of the conveyor belt so that the cashier doesn’t have to look these up – the cashiers appreciate this. Tell them you did it as well.
- Keep track of the type of cashier that you work with the best. I recommend going through the high school kid’s line. The high school kids don’t care a lot about your coupons. Other than young kids, there is no profile of age, gender or race that is the best. It has to do with your personality. It’s worth standing in a longer line if you know there is a cooperative cashier who you’ve worked with before.
- Put your coupons in order so that the bar codes face the same way. Cashiers appreciate this.
- Know your coupons! Know how they work. Know your store’s coupon policy. If the cashier encounters any problem, their tendency is to try to bamboozle you into not using them. Make sure they know you’re going to stand there until it’s done right. In other words, have a winning mentality.
- Do not raise your voice. Don’t start a war with a cashier. If there is a problem, make sure they know you’ll wait patiently until a manager comes to solve the problem. This is another good strategy.
- If all else fails, ask that the item be removed from your grocery order. I have found that the prospect of the cashier having to replace an item or multiple items on the shelf inspires a new attitude regarding my coupons and “working it out.” No employee, particularly at local stores, wants to explain to management why a customer is buying less or why a customer is unhappy.
- Remember that you are a regular customer and your business is valued by the store management. You are important and have power. This is particularly true if you aren’t just coming in for coupon items and you’ve got a basket full of other stuff. The store gets reimbursed for your coupons!
Don't forget the Rain check!
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
I remember hearing the term “rain check” as a child growing up while shopping with my mom. At the time I really thought it had a lot to do with rain (wow, was I sheltered!). A rain check is another great tool to use for shopping that I frequently forget about.
Here’s the drill: you go shopping at your grocery or drug store and the item that is on sale isn’t in stock anymore. You make a mental note to remember to get a rain check for this item because it’s a great price. The thing about sale prices are that they are cyclical and will normally come back around again. Due to inflation and our economy we can’t guarantee that the price will remain the same the next time it’s on sale, so this is where a rain check will really help you out. At most grocery stores you will simply need to go to their customer service counter to request a rain check. At drugstores like Walgreens and CVS you can ask while checking out at the register.
Rain checks are a great way to save money. On occasion an item will be excluded from rain checks, but any other time a rain check will definitely save you money in the long run. Rain checks also come in handy and can save you some money on items where you get the sale price of the item and you have a coupon that will give you even more savings. If it’s something you use on a regular basis, get a rain check. Check your local grocery store for their procedures on issuing rain checks and when they expire. CVS has rain checks that never expire, while Walgreens will put a time limitation on theirs occasionally.
Featured Blog: Northern Cheapskate
Monday, April 27th, 2009I really like this site because this woman is quite a bit like me. Her site focuses on deals, freebies and also frugal living. Like me she also has three children, two of which are twins. The site is heavy on coupons and freebies and definitely worth a look if you shop on the internet as well. Check out the site:
All You Magazine
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
All You magazine is produced for Wal-Mart for sale either by subscription or in Wal-Mart. It is a good magazine not only for the articles and the recipes but for the great coupons that can be found in it each month. The savings each month vary, but average somewhere around $30 each month in savings. The coupons are sometimes unique and not what you would normally get in the Sunday inserts. All You is another source of coupons that I use each month and just like the Sunday inserts, while I don’t use every coupon in each magazine I use the ones that work for me.
Has downsizing affected your bottom line?
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
Product downsizing isn’t a new concept, but with talk of the economy a part of almost every news program, it is certainly worth taking note of. Merriam-Webster defines downsizing as a reduction in size. Downsizing is a result of the manufacturer’s need to reduce the product to maintain their bottom line; because most consumers are price-sensitive this is the best solution for the manufacturer.
Downsizing finally became reality for me when I noticed that a bottle of name-brand dish washing soap (Palmolive) that I had recently purchased felt a little smaller than the last bottle. Sure enough when comparing the two products, the old bottle was 13oz and the new bottle was 11oz. The new bottle actually looks similar to the old bottle, as the height is the same, but the width of the product is much slimmer.
For the average consumer the reduction in size of a product probably goes undetected. It is because of downsizing and other factors that consumers should be diligent about their purchases in keeping expenses down for their family. The manufacturer is only looking out for their bottom line, and it is the consumers responsibility to look out for their family’s bottom line which can be accomplished by watching the sales and using coupons to get the lowest possible price on a product. In the end I think that the creative consumer is the one who wins by using coupons and purchasing items on sale.
Grocery Shopping: Think outside the box
Monday, April 6th, 2009
Think outside the box when you do your grocery shopping to maximize your savings. Normally when we think about grocery shopping one or two major stores come to mind. Often there are other alternatives for grocery shopping that can be just as rewarding as shopping at your regular grocery store. The key is to find those other sources for grocery shopping but only purchase those items that are a bargain. I have access to five major grocery stores and two major drug stores where I purchase our groceries and my shopping varies at those stores based on what is on sale for a particular week.
Shop the loss leaders: loss leaders are those items that are priced at rock bottom prices and are used to lure you into the store in hopes that while you are there you will purchase other items. I have one grocery store that is so overpriced that I can only purchase their loss leaders and a few other items with a coupon to be able to shop there. When I initially started shopping the loss leaders at this overpriced store I felt guilty since their expectation is that I would also purchase other items that would make up for their loss leader items. I no longer feel guilty since I’m not looking out for the stores bottom line but mine and I faithfully shop their loss leaders to stock my pantry if the price is right.
Purchase items on sale with coupons: I know this is common sense but before I started really using coupons I would actually purchase items at regular price. Sometimes I had a coupon for the item and sometimes I didn’t. I only shopped at one store (up until about 3 years ago) and since an item only goes on sale occasionally I would usually make my purchases when things that I needed were not on sale. To maximize savings wait until your item goes on sale whether it is at your regular store or at another store that you shop at infrequently and use a coupon to really increase savings.
Use a shopping list and create a menu based on items that are on sale: A shopping list will help you stay on track with your budget. Splurging every once in a while is fine, but those items really add up fast. We have perpetual items in our pantry, freezer, and refrigerator that allow us to put a meal together out of a few basic things that we always keep stocked. As we use our groceries we add them back to our shopping list if we run out of a something. One of the easiest ways to plan a menu and stay on budget is to create your menu based on items that are on sale that week. Plan your menus based on the season since produce that is in season is usually going to be more economical than something that isn’t in season.
Basic Coupons: Couponing 101
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
How can I save more money at the grocery store?
In addition to purchasing items on sale, coupons play a role in saving money on your grocery budget. Using a coupon in conjunction with a sale is a nice way to end up getting products for almost nothing. Additionally, many times when purchasing an item I am not brand loyal and will purchase another item of equal or better quality if I have a coupon that will make the price attractive.
Where can I find more coupons?
I subscribe to the Sunday paper for the coupons and I ask my family and friends for the coupons that they aren’t using.
Coupons found at the grocery store
Some grocery stores have product displays and many times a coupon will be on a tear pad attachment on the display. Sometimes a coupon will be attached to the product itself. These are referred to as “peelies.” Many stores also have small machines placed next to a product that distribute coupons. Some stores print coupons on your receipts.
Coupons found on the internet
Try complimenting a company directly on their website about a product that you enjoy using, many times the company will send you a coupon to use on a future purchase. Sign up for a free sample that is being offered and sometimes in addition to the sample a coupon will be sent. Print a coupon directly from the manufacturer’s website (Zyrtec allergy medication). However, when printing coupons on the internet, beware of spyware that could be loaded on your computer if printing the coupon requires downloading software.