Tuesday's Talk - Do your Research!

This weeks topic may take a lot of space, but I think that in light of Andi's comment this week, it will be helpful. You need to know what stores take what coupons and their rules for stacking coupons. I will share with you what I know here in Sparta, starting with my favorite, Walgreens. I will just give you my thoughts the store and the rules as I know them. Please comment if you know more.

Walgreens

1. They take all coupons (except PW) including Internet coupons
2. You can stack Manufacturer coupons with Walgreens coupons on sales for extra savings.
3. Register Rewards – check out those first in one transaction and then use them to pay for anything that is not Register Rewards. CANNOT USE RR TO PAY FOR TRANSACTION IN WHICH YOU ARE GETTING RR. Also, RR does have extra rules in the fine print, like it can't be used to pay for dairy, cigarettes, prescriptions, etc. You cannot have more RR and coupons than items. I actually ran into this last week. I try to use coupons for everything, and actually did once, and could not use my RR to pay for them.
4. EasySaver Catalog - Sales go the entire month, so wait until the item is on sale and stack the coupons with the sale. There are free things every month in the form of Rebates. Enter your rebates on the computer and add the refund to your Gift Card, you will receive an extra 10% refund.
5. If something is on sale at Walgreens in the Weekly Sales Flyer for Buy One Get One Free, you can double up a BOGO manufacturer coupon when you buy 2 and you will get them both for free! I love these sales! It happens often on Oust recently!
6. A lot of the coupons you get in the paper, will have them on sale in the next month at Walgreens, so be patient with your coupons.

Wal-mart

1. The best thing about Wal-mart is that they match ad prices. As long as the item you want is the same thing and same size, you just bring the ad in and they match. I don't usually do this for Walgreens or Piggly Wiggly, just because I would have too many, but if there is something from Festival Foods, Woodmans, or Target, I will so I save myself the gas!
2. They take all coupons including Internet coupons!
3. Their samples section has a wide selection, so watch them for freebies on coupon items that are $1 or $2 off any size. Sometimes the manufacturer coupons don't specify size, so you can often get things for free this way.

Piggly Wiggly

1. They do NOT take Internet coupons or match prices!
2. Only buy the advertised sale items when shopping. Buyer Beware because all other things are much more expensive than the other stores in town!
3. You should have their Free PW card.
4. If the sale requires buying $20 to get $5 off, then only buy the $20 worth. The $20 is before coupons are taken off - so stick to items that you need and can get a coupon off in addition to the $5 off. This sale seems to come up about every other week. I always add up exactly how many I need to make the sale.
5. You can only do one of #4 transactions at a time, but you can do it multiple times by paying in between. Don't be embarrassed by doing several transaction, just have it organized when you get there.
6. If you bring your own bags, they give you $.05 off your purchase for each of your bags that they use. It doesn't seem like much, but it can add up!

I hope this is a help this week! I hope to add a favorite recipe that I use to not only use up all those cereals you get great deals on, but to also save on buying granola bars! Please comment to let me know what you think!