If you are just getting started, couponing can seem a little overwhelming. To understand how to maximize your savings, think of couponing as a game.
In fact, it’s a little like baseball…
Base Hit: Finding a Sale
The most basic, but probably most important, couponing play is to find a sale. This is where a good chunk of your savings can be found. Those who are just clipping coupons & using them without a sale are probably not saving much. In fact, I would guess that these people would be better off just buying generic. A sale is the first step and key to saving money.
I’m going to build on the following example as we go along:
Box of Cheerios, $4.50
-50% off Store Sale
=$2.25 per box
2nd Base: Finding a Sale + Using a Coupon (or eCoupon)
After you’ve found that great sale, add a coupon (or eCoupon) to the game. If you’re confused about coupons, you can read about coupon definitions and rules. I also have some information on how to register for eCoupons. Use one (or both of these – Safeway allows you to combine both paper coupons and ecoupons) to save even more.
Example:
Box of Cheerios, $4.50
-50% off Store Sale
-$1.00 off Coupon
=$1.25 per box
3rd Base: Finding a Sale + Using a Coupon (or eCoupon) + Catalina Promo
So far you’re doing pretty good, you’ve found a sale and you’ve used a coupon (and you’ve saved almost 75% off that box of Cheerios). When you add a Catalina promo to the game, you can often score big. Basically, a Catalina is money back in the form of a coupon to use on your next order. I keep a list of these promos under “Catalinas” above.
Example:
Box of Cheerios, $4.50 x 4
Buy 4 boxes & get back a $4.00 OYNO Catalina
-50% off Store Sale
-$1.00 off Coupon x 4
=$0.25 per box after Catalina Savings
Homerun: Finding a Sale + Using a Coupon (or eCoupon) + Catalina Promo + Mail-in Rebate
It doesn’t seem possible, but your savings can grow even larger. Many manufacturer’s offer full rebates for their products. When you combine this with all of our above savings you can GET PAID to take your groceries out of the store. Most of the time, these rebates are based on the price that your item rang-up as (not the price after coupons).
Example:
Box of Cheerios, $4.50 x 4
Buy 4 boxes & get back a $4.00 OYNO Catalina
-50% off Store Sale
-$1.00 off Coupon x 4
-Free Mail-in Rebate (for your first box – most often you would get the price the box rings up as, $2.25 in this example)
=Get paid $1.25 to take 4 boxes after Catalina Savings and Rebate
See how the savings can stack-up?
I invite you to join me as I search for Grand Slams and enjoy America’s favorite past time.
