~Coupon Tricks and Tips!!!~

You know how sometimes you watch American TV shows, newscasts etc and see how they use their coupons? You know, where they can triple them, match them, etc? I used to be so jealous of the ways that they can use them down there. (Well to be honest I still am) but now I've learned a few tricks that work in Canada too!

Stacking: Stacking coupons is when you use more then one coupon on a product. For example: I went to purchase diapers today for my son. I of course went when they were on sale for $27.99 at London Drugs. London Drugs allows you to stack. So for my diapers today I used 2 X $5 off coupons, 2 X $4 off coupons, 1 x$3.00 off, and 2 x $2.00 off. They were all different coupons with different bar codes but all valid on the product I was buying. I did not reduce the total to 0, which is another rule. I ended up paying $4.39. $2.99 for the Pampers and $1.40 for the tax. I live in Western Canada and London Drugs is the only one I know of that will allow stacking here. In Eastern Canada I have heard that you can stack coupons at: Pharmaplus, A&P, Petsmart and sometimes at Loblaws chains. I personally cannot verify this so if you have any experience drop me a comment and I'll update this post!

Price Matching: Simply put, price matching is exactly what is says. If you want to purchase something at a certain store then you take a competitor flyer to the store and go to the customer service with it and ask to price match. Some stores call the store with the sale to verify the product and if it is available at the location. It can take some time. There are various reasons for doing this. You may do it so you can coupon stack, so you don't have to drive to the particular store having the sale, to get points or rewards, or to participate in a rebate program.

Mail in Rebates: Many manufacturers offer mail in rebates for their products. Often it's either a merchant Gift card, sometimes it is a cheque. Walmart partners with alot of companies to offer rebate offers. The trick with them is to use coupons to achieve the rebate. For example: Walmart had a rebate offer on Pampers Diapers and Wipes last fall. You had to purhcase a case of each and you would get a $15 Walmart Gift card back. So I used coupons on my purchase, the highest value ones I could find, and maximized my rebate. As long as you follow the terms outlined on the form. With these it is smart to copy your receipt and the form and keep them until you receive the rebate back. Make sure you read all the term of the offer and the processing time. Then sit back and wait till the cards come in! I like to plan out my purchases for the gift cards so they don't get wasted. I just got quite a few back from a couple of offers in the last few weeks and I used them to stock up on some new towels and a crock pot. They were items I didn't need right now but would be needing soon. They didn't fit in my budget so I got creative and waited till my gift cards came in.

Rainchecks: Many retailers will offer a raincheck on an item that they have advertised on sale if it is out of stock. Take advantage of these and ask for some if you know you can use it and/or have coupons coming in for the product. Alot of times they are only good for a limited time so make sure you read it carefully. I just go to the customer service desk for mine.

Buy One Get One Free Offers: Or Buy 2,3, or more offers. You can use more then one coupon on these no matter where you shop. So you use the B0G0 coupon plus another coupon for the other product and maximize your savings. I do this most often with frozen foods. Safeway often has a buy 3 for $8 deal on frozen items I buy. I have a coupon for save $4 when you buy any 3. Plus I have coupons for $0.50 off that product. So I end up paying $2.50 for my three products instead of $8.00, a savings of $5.50!!! This also works with points programs. If you have a coupon for a Buy one Get one and an item is on for bonus points at your favorite store if you buy two, use this coupon (plus another if you have one) and really maximize your savings.

I hope you found this info useful! I have lots more information headed your way. Just getting it drafted up right now and hopefully I will have a more steady stream coming your way! Up next: How to Online Shop and Save!!!