Thursday, January 31, 2013

How to Shop at Rite Aid

Hope you have a snack, because this could be a long post!  I've had a request to explain UP rewards at Rite Aid, so I'm going to take the opportunity to share my RA secrets with you.  First of all, I try to purchase as many of my groceries, toiletries, cleaning products, etc. as I can at either Rite Aid or CVS. There are lots of reasons.

1.     Prices are often better than grocery stores.
2.     You can earn cash back in the form of UP rewards and Extra Care Bucks
3.     At Rite Aid, you earn points all year for shopping. When you hit different milestones,you qualify for
       10%, 15% or 20% off your purchases for the rest of the year. Easy peasy!
4.     STACKING coupons.
5.     The drug stores have the most liberal coupon policies and the cashiers are the most coupon friendly.

First things first, if you don't have a Rite Aid Wellness card, run to your nearest store and sign up. It's free.  Also go to www.riteaid.com and register your card with the website. You'll start to get email from them that includes exclusive coupons that can be stacked with a mfg. coupon.  Also on the website, there is a link called video values. You watch short videos and get store coupons, again stackable with mfgs. I usually play the videos in the background while I do something else!!  If you like RA on Facebook, you'll also get coupons that aren't available anywhere else.

Next, you'll want to scan the weekly flyer for things that are on sale. Some words to look for are UP rewards, BOGO, BOGO 1/2 off, or 10/10.  These make the best deals. Next, look through your ever growing coupon stash to see if you have matches.  Finally, look through your RA store coupons to see if you can stack.

An UP reward looks like this:

This John Frieda hair care was Buy $10.00 worth of products and get a $3.00 UP reward. Pretty good, but I had coupons that made it better. I bought two of the curl products for $6.99, then had a $2.00 coupon for each one for a total of $4.00 off.  I received a $3.00 up reward. UP's print on your shopping receipt when you check out.
One big difference between Rite Aid and CVS is that CVS extra bucks can be used immediately, while UP rewards can be used starting at 6:00am the next morning.

Some UP rewards are not listed in the flyer. You can find them by just scanning the shelves while you shop. There are also monthly UP rewards that aren't listed. You can find them on the RA website. Here's a money maker I picked up today.

These art supplies were BOGO, so I got two for $1.79. They were also listed as a monthly UP on the website, so I received $2.00 in UP rewards. A moneymaker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another one that you might not notice was for DiGiorno pizza. Because of the Super Bowl, it's on sale everywhere for the same price of $5.00 each. In last Sunday's paper, there was a Buy 2 Get One Free coupon that I used. Rite Aid had these as part of a Super Bowl UP reward, so by purchasing them there instead of Martin's, I got an additional $5.00 back. 3 pizzas for the price of 1!

Now comes the beautiful part!  Once you get the hang of UP rewards, you can roll them (which is how I do so much free shopping). As your coupons increase and your stockpile increases, you obviously don't need as many things. So you use your UP rewards to buy more things that qualify for UP rewards and just roll them forever!

Example:  I earned $13.00 UP rewards on my trip today. Next week, I'll check the flyer for new UP deals, and match them with my coupons. When I check out, I'll use my $13.00 to pay, meaning no money from my wallet. Plus, I'll earn more UP rewards for the next trip.

There is also a great website called iheartriteaid.com.  They do all the coupon match ups for you, but I would recommend practicing yourself first before looking there.

Is your head spinning?  You should be jumping up and down screaming "YES"!!!!!!  Welcome to another level of couponing.

Am I Crazy or are Groceries More Expensive?

Am I crazy, or are food prices rising with every grocery trip?  I didn't know if I was just more conscious of pricing now, or if food really did cost more, so I tried to find out.  I started keeping a "price book" of some of my favorite brands, meats and dairy and guess what - it's not my imagination!

According to the US Department of Agriculture, food prices are expected to rise 3.5% - 5.0% in 2013.  The price increase is mostly due to a 40% jump in the price of corn, soybeans and wheat due to a drought in the Midwest.  The average family of 4 spends roughly $12,000 per year on groceries. If we use the 5% number, that's around $615.00 additional dollars for food this year.

As if that isn't enough - have you seen the change in your paycheck this week? Payroll taxes are increasing for everyone as a result of a credit that was not renewed.

Have I made the case for couponing yet?


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

In Sunday's Paper

Coming up in this Sunday's "real" papers are two inserts. One Smart Source and one Red Plum. Not nearly as many as last week, but I'm still buying.

The Formula for Savings

I'm amazed that the number of readers who took the time to email or FB message me this week. To be honest, I"m amazed that anyone is reading this at all!!!  I can see that you're all quick learners and ready to move on, so fasten your seat belts!

The key to getting the most out of your coupons is to layer them. Remember, it's going to take a month or so to get a good coupon stash. Here's how to layer.

1.     Look at the sale ads for your favorite stores. I recommend starting with one drug store and one grocery
        store.

2.     Using a marker, circle all the BOGO's. UP and ECB rewards or 10/10 sales.

3.     Check your coupon stash for items that match up.

4.     Make a grocery list from what your matches tell you.

5.     If you see a good deal but don't have a coupon, check out a coupon database that will tell you if
       there are any Internet coupons you could print.  More on this later.

6.     Look for any store coupons - you can stack one store coupon and one manufacturers coupon at any
       store.

7.     Pay for your purchases with UP reward or ECB dollars, then keep the new ones you have earned for
       the next time.

Repeat, repeat, repeat until your stockpile allows you to only purchase free items each week. It will happen, I promise!

As a treat for reading this far, there is a great coupon on Redplum.com for $2.00 any bag of Florida grapefruit or 100% grapefruit juice.  Wal Mart has Ocean Spray for $2.48, making it only .48 after the coupon. And you can print the coupon twice!

Monday, January 28, 2013

My Amazing Trip to Rite Aid Today!

I know I'm going overboard on posting today. I'm not updating on Facebook so my non-coupon friends don't get annoyed!  Just stopped at Rite Aid on the way home from a meeting and had a great trip. Everything in the photo below (plus a King sized Reeses Cup that didn't make it) was only $1.65.  And I got back $13.00 in UP rewards - money to spend tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's what I used (most of these are from yesterday - meaning, you too can do this)!

Bought 4 Glade Expressions Starter Kits. 4@$3.99 is $15.96.
     -Used (4) coupons $2.00/1
     -Got back $6.00 in UP rewards.

Bought 2 Pantene (shampoo and conditioner) 2/$7.00.
     -Used $3.00/2 coupon from this Sunday.
     -Got back $2.00 in UP rewards.

Bought 5 Planters Peanuts. 5@$3.00 is $15.00.
     -Used (5) $1.00/1 coupon from this Sunday.
     -Got back $5.00 in UP rewards.

Bought 2 L'Oreal Shampoo and Conditioner 2@$4.49 is $8.98
     -Used (2) $2.00/1 coupon from this Sunday.
     -Used $2.00/1 Rite Aid Video Values coupon.

Bought 1 Aleve for $6.74.
     -Used 1 $2.00/1 coupon.
     -Used 1 $2.00/1 Rite Aid Facebook coupon.

In addition, I had $28.00 in UP rewards on my card from the last trip, making my total out of pocket $1.65.










Free Birds Eye Vegetables

Head over to the Birds Eye Facebook page. Like them then look down their newsfeed. There is a coupon available for $1.00 off any Steamfresh. You can print the coupon twice. These go on sale all the time 10/10 so you'll be able to score two free!

Vocabulary List

In order to coupon, you have to speak the language!!!  Here are some of the terms I'll use to describe deals.

BOGO - buy one get one free.

B2G1F - buy two get one free.

OOP - out of pocket

Magic coupon machine - A big red machine at CVS that gives you great coupons!

Peelie - a coupon attached to something you purchase. You peel it and use it!

Blinkie - the little black boxes you see on store shelves that spit out coupons.

Rock bottom or stock up price - buy as many as you can!

ECB - Extra Care Bucks at CVS

UP - the rewards program at Rite Aid

Stacking - using a manufacturers coupon on top of a store coupon.


Free Keri Lotion

Since I just posted "take it slow and don't panic" this post may seem funny. But head over to Smartsource.com and print a coupon for $2.00 off one Keri Lotion. It will be free at Rite Aid starting Sunday, February 3rd.

It's No Time To Panic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard from lots of you yesterday who were overwhelmed by the amount of coupons in the paper. Some of you even clipped and set up binders. DON'T PANIC!!!!!!!!!!  The work you did yesterday, even purchasing papers, is going to pay off in the next few weeks.

Remember my first rule of couponing - there is always another deal waiting. No stress! We are couponing to help our budgets and to stockpile a few things for emergencies. If nothing else, it's a great feeling to squeeze out the last of the ketchup and have a spare waiting in the wings!

But, big results take time. I recently started knitting and I'm frustrated that I'm not making sweaters yet. Same thing here, it will take time to get a good binder of coupons, to know where to find the deals, and to create a stockpile. If you try to do it all at once, you're going to quit.  Focus on a small goal.

A great goal for yesterday's coupons is just to redeem the BOGO's - Buy one get one free. On your regular grocery runs, start checking the prices of the items that you have a BOGO for. If they are on sale (or better yet on clearance; or better still at the Dollar Tree) buy them.

If I can learn to knit, you can learn to coupon!


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Exciting Coupons This Week!

A quick note before I start a busy Sunday. It's going to be a great week for shopping! If you haven't already purchased "real" newspapers today - DO IT!  Just hold onto the coupon sections and we'll talk about them later. Hint - it's a great week for Dollar Tree Shopping and for BOGO's (buy one get one free).

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Organize, Organize, Organize!!!

I've spent the evening playing on the computer and getting ready to coupon. I know, I need to get a life!  In anticipation of the big coupon haul tomorrow, I thought I would show you how I organize things.

This is my coupon binder - the legal way to print money!!!  It goes with me EVERYWHERE! Even if I leave it in the car, I can always run out to grab a deal.

I have a table of contents in the front and each section is numbered. For coupon storage, I use baseball card holders. Sometimes I have to fold coupons, but it's usually no big deal.  My first section is specifically for BOGO deals (buy one get one free).

Believe it or not, there is some controversy over how to store coupons. Some people keep their inserts intact and file them by date. Others, like me, are clippers. I just hate to think of a coupon I need that's stuck in a file at home.

If you're just a beginner, you can use a white envelope, an accordion folder or an empty pencil case. If you follow my tips,you'll quickly outgrow it!

I usually clip and organize on Sundays. If you know me, you know that my Sunday's are full with church, youth group and Confirmation classes. It doesn't take very long and I can do it at the kitchen table while watching football with the family.

It doesn't really matter how to store and organize. Find a system that works for you. Remember, NO STRESS!

My Grocery Store Receipt this Week

To show everyone my coupon "style" I've decided to share this week's grocery shopping with you. Please don't judge the items I've purchased!!  Everyone needs a treat now and then. You'll notice that my total was NOT zero. That's not realistic in my house. I bought meat and 20 frozen dinners for my Mom. This is what I needed to cook meals for the week (I make a mean homemade chocolate pudding).

Total cost before coupons:               $211.70

Cost after coupons:                          $99.59   A 53% savings.

If you're really interested, here is the rundown. I've starred the items I received totally free.

Kosher salt
2 bars Perugina Chocolate
2 bags Cape Cod Chips
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
2 cans Del Monte tomatoes
Wesson canola oil
Sparkle paper towels 6pck
2 bars Dove chocolate
2 cans Progresso Soup
8 32oz bottles Gatorade
3 boxes Zatarains Rice
4 cans Redpack tomatoes
Canada Dry Gingerale (FREE)
2 Duncan Hines Deluxe Cake Mix
4 boxes South Beach Diet bars (ALL FREE)
2lbs bananas
10oz bag kale
2 Perdue Chicken nuggets (1 FREE)
2 Perdue Chicken cutlets (1 FREE)
5lbs ground beef
2 boneless pork roasts (1 FREE)
20 Smart Ones frozen meals
2 Pillsbury ready to bake cookies
2 Mueller yogurt
1 Liberte yogurt
18 eggs
Old Bay seasoning.







Friday, January 25, 2013

Olive Oil Deal

Do you use olive oil as much as I do?  There's a $1.00 coupon right now on coupons.com for Filippo Berio olive oil. You can print it twice. Keep it for next week when it will be on sale at CVS for $3.99. Less the coupon that's $2.99. A great price to stock up!

Martins Deal

I'm going to post my weekly shopping trip later this evening, but wanted to give you a heads up on a free item at Martins. On coupons.com there is a .50 coupon off of any one Zatarain's Rice or Pasta Dinner. I noticed today that these mixes are 10/10.00. When the coupon is doubled, you'll the it for free!  You can print the coupon twice, but Martin's will only double one of them at a time. That means you have to leave the store and walk back in to get 2 free.

A Friday Quickie!!!

Here's a quickie to get your couponing weekend started!  Go to Kohls.com and sign up for email sale updates. Not only will you get info on exclusive sales and discounts, but you'll receive a FREE $5.00 to spend on anything you want!!!!!!  With the clearance racks full right now, you can score something totally free.


Why the Strange Name?

I've had several people ask why I named the blog The Underground Couponer. The answer - I've been couponing for years in secret!  The only people who knew were my family and the cashier who helped me on grocery day. I wasn't embarrassed to be couponing, I knew it was the right thing for our family's budget. I just didn't want to be labeled as "one of those" couponers!

As I started to come out of the clipping closet, I have received a lot of teasing. But I've also been stopped in a store more times than I can count! People want to know what I"m doing and how I'm doing it. There are those who make a snarky comment as they walk away, but most people genuinely want to know how to save money on groceries.

I'm now toting my binder on all shopping trips, not gritting my teeth any longer that I missed a great deal by leaving it in the car. I'm out in the open!!! Make fun of me all you want - bet my grocery bill is lower!


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

It's Coupon Sunday!!!!

Time to head to your nearest Sheetz this Sunday and pick up some big city newspapers!!!  The Cumberland Times-News has terrible coupons, but a short drive this weekend will put you in coupon heaven. It's one of the heaviest coupon weeks of the year. Big papers will have 1 Smart Source, 2 Red Plum and 1 Proctor and Gamble insert each!  When they're this good, I usually buy 2 Baltimore Sun's and 1 Washington Post. Sometimes, I'll even sneak in a Pittsburgh Post. The Sun and the Wash. Post are usually comparable, but Pittsburgh sometimes has some unique coupons.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

I Offer Proof!

Took a little shopping trip this morning to Rite Aid and wanted to share it with you. It demonstrates my simple system and the results that it brings. I didn't have to go today, I just felt like getting out of the house. No stress - remember go at your own pace!

Purchased:
3 Simplify Glass Cleaners
1 Clear Conditioner (hair)
2 Sure Deodorants

Used:
$4.00 Rite Aid Reward loaded to Wellness Card
1 Rite Aid Video Values coupon for a free Clear hair product
Sure deodorant was buy 1 get one free

Paid:
$2.05 out of pocket

Received:
$4.00 UP reward from Sure
$2.00 UP reward from Simplify Glass Cleaner

Almost a $3.00 money maker!  Here are my photos for the record.



Free Sample and Coupon for Purina One Dog Food

OK troops...here's another easy one. Score a free sample of Purina One Dog Food today. Free samples usually come with good coupons but always go quickly. There is also a $3.00 off one bag coupon.  Here's the link:  http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedRenderContent_ektid120297.aspx#/home


Why I Hate Extreme Couponers

Have you ever watched the TLC show "Extreme Couponers"?  I hate that show!!!  As with most reality television, it portrays couponers as selfish hoarders who would throw their grandmother down in the produce aisle to score some free bananas. And what do they end up with?  75 bottles of hot sauce and 100 jars of baby food. Gee, that will feed my family this week!

Real life couponing is much different than reality television. Could I do what those ladies do....yes. Would it help my family....no.  My style of saving is a little different. I strive for a 40-60% yearly savings rate on my groceries and drug store purchases. Last year, Alan estimated that we saved almost $9,000 through my couponing. That's a lot of hot sauce and baby food!

In that savings are things that a normal family needs to survive - laundry detergent, pet food, milk, eggs, bread and meat. I still pay money at the check out, but I have what I need at a decent savings. I have a stockpile too, but it contains lots of tomatoes, pasta, toilet paper, laundry detergent and toothpaste. No use stockpiling it if my family won't eat it.

If this type of savings appeals to you, then follow my blog. If you want more, there are tons of books and websites about extreme couponing. Just Google the subject!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

No Coupons Needed Deal!!!!!!

Here's a great deal to start with - no coupons needed!  Free Sure deodorant at Rite Aid this week. Sure is listed in this week's circular as a Buy One Get One Free Item. It is also part of Rite Aid's monthly UP rewards program. Here's what your transaction would look like.

Buy 1 Sure Deodorant for $3.29.
Get 1 Sure Deodorant for FREE.
Get $2.00 UP reward on your Wellness card.
Total:  FREE plus a .71 cent moneymaker!

You have to have a Rite Aid Wellness card to take advantage of this offer. Don't worry - they're free. Just ask for an application in the store. This deal can only be done once per wellness card.

****I've had a question about this deal. You will actually get 2 UP rewards on your card. That's how it's free.

The Key to Success

I'm always asked for my "tips" and "tricks". Are you ready for the most important one......it's just couponing! No one is going to suffer if you don't get every deal, clip every coupon or pay too much for a bag of chips!!  Start slowly. Do one deal a week (although I"ll be you get hooked and can't stop at one). Or start with clipping this Sunday's coupons and organize them in an envelope.  Decide to save at least $5.00 this week. Just start. And follow my blog, of course!!!

Saturday, January 19, 2013

To Get You Excited.....

I'm going to start very simply, with tips you can actually use in your "real" life!  But, just had to give you a sample of how this works.   On Sunday, Feburary 3rd, Rite Aid will offer a 15oz bottle of Keri Lotion for $5.99.  Hidden in their weekly ad will be a coupon for $5.00 off making the total cost .99. There is a coupon available for $2.00 off any Keri lotion on Smart Source, making it FREE.  http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/2009/05/get-your-smart-source-coupons-here.html


Making Friends in the Dollar Store

My "underground" status is in jeopardy!  I met two wonderful women at Dollar Tree yesterday who noticed the huge, black binder I was carrying. Unlike most people who just stare and make snide comments, these two brave ladies asked me if I was couponing. After a few quick questions, I realized they were really interested!

So, this post is for you Jan and Heidi. We're going to get together for lunch and I'm going to teach you how to coupon. Yesterday was a red letter day for me, and I can't wait to share!