Special Guest Blogger: Syndi Knowlton, Rett mom and couponing expert
Being a special needs parent comes with a hefty price tag. Co-payments for appointments, dozens of medications, home
modifications…. And trying to maintain gainful employment to afford it all is
more stress than we need. Take all
of that stress and times it by 3 and you have my little family. All of my children have major medical
issues. We were faced with two
options: work an insane number of
hours to cover the monthly bills or live intentionally below the poverty line. I knew I was capable of working. I also knew I could be craftier about
the way I spent money. That’s when
I turned to couponing. In the
beginning, it was slow going, but as I learned the tips and tricks, I have cut
it down to less than 2 hours per week (including the trip to the store). I was
asked to share some of what I have learned. If you have questions along this path, feel free to email me
at Syndi@Utahkidsfoundation.com.
Point #1
There is predictability in
most things you purchase for your home. I am attaching a list here to see a more complete list. A lot of it is common sense. Think of January. We all make New Year’s Resolutions. Many of them include losing weight and
getting healthier. This is a great
time to purchase your exercise equipment and stock up on vitamins. You are also half way through the
winter. Many stores will offer
great deals on winter clothing. Try to plan purchases you might make each year
around when the sales are to save a lot of money.
Point #2
You can order just the Sunday
newspaper in many cities. Most
newspapers have a couponers special and you can get a steal on up to 4 papers
delivered for a low cost. The rule
of thumb is you want one paper for each person in your home. I am allowed to purchase 4 and I pay
just $20 a year for delivery each Sunday.
You can coupon without getting any deliveries.
You can even coupon some
without having a printer! Many
stores have their own online coupons.
Kroger chains have a Fresh Value Card. Log in to your account and add coupons to your card before
you head to the store. There are
smart phone apps that also do couponing, but it saves up your savings and you
can cash them out for cash or gift cards.
Some examples of the apps to coupon in a rebate format are:
Checkout 51 – go to http://www.checkout51.com Scan your items and receipts and you earn money
without using coupons. This can be
redeemed for Paypal funds when you reach $20. New items added on Thursday.
Receipt Hog – go to http://app.receipthog.com/install/bv5d5cqw Scan your receipt, save for Paypal funds. You can redeem at $5. You now can scan all stores, not just
grocery stores.
iBotta – go to http://ibotta.com/r/ipsbBw Scan
your receipt and items to gain Paypal funds or a few gift cards. Also certain restaurants and movie
theaters etc have money back in this app.
JingIt – go to https://www.jingit.com/?ref_id=103311&s=e They
offer small rebates on your every day staples: Milk, bread, eggs, etc
Snap – go to https://snap.groupon.com/app?ref=9dcb83b076d8f78d This is
an app from Groupon that also redeems rebates.
If you share these links with your friends, you build a
larger money saving team and in some applications, work towards big bonuses.
Point #4
You can print a lot of the
same coupons that would come in the Sunday paper. Here are a few of my favorite sites:
www.commonkindness.com – this has more obscure coupons on this site and you
can donate a portion of the coupons you use to a charity
www.smithsfoodanddrug.com – digital coupons to use with your card. Every Friday they have a free coupon.
http://www.retailmenot.com/: This
gives you coupons for almost every store (not groceries) to instant savings and
online coupons listed. Deals both
online and in stores
Also, register with your
favorite brands. They often have
coupons for their products on their own websites.
Point #5
Now you know where to get the
coupons, and rebates. The next
step is to coordinate the sales with your coupons to get more bang for your
buck. My go-to site for what sales
are at most stores and what coupons to match with the sales can be found at http://www.grocerysmarts.com/national/lists/indexnatbdv.php
Select your state and the
store you want to shop at. It will
show you everything on sale that day.
If you notice the far left column, it reads Stock Up scale. This is a classic rating system to help
you know if this is the bargain of the week or if it’s just "ok." Even the money you save on a basic
coupon is still savings. If you are
wanting to only get the great deals, on the upper right side of your screen you
will see a button that says Shrink.
This cuts out the fluff.
There are oodles of websites
for price matching. Certain stores
(including WalMart) will price match but only within a limited area. For example, I live in Utah. I know that most produce is grown in
California and shipped here. I
can’t find an amazing price in California and have them give me the same deal. Ask your friends what price matching
sites they use locally to ensure you are getting the correct data.
I want to stay on WalMart for
just a moment as it is mostly universal for our families. Walmart is one of a few stores that
will actually give you cash back.
For example, Ladies Speed Stick, the smaller stick, is $.89 at my local
WalMart. If I had a coupon worth
$1, Walmart would actually give me the $.11 back. They apply it towards the rest of the purchase but if that
were the only thing you were purchasing, they will hand you $.11 minus the tax
for the item. Other stores
typically zero out anything you would receive back if the coupon is worth more
than the item.
I am sure many of you are aware
of WalMart’s Savings Catcher program.
At the bottom of all receipts at Walmart, there is a code you can enter
either on their website or your smart phone app. This will then go search all local stores and if a lower
price is found, you will be offered a gift card to use for future
purchases. They have a promotion going
on right now. If you go to the
kiosks where they have gift cards for sale, grab an American Express BlueBird
card. This is a card you can
preload money on to. Now until the
end of February, the usual $4.95 fee for the card is waived. Also, if you run the Savings Catcher
program, you can have the difference of the lower price added to this card and
they will DOUBLE the money back.
The refund from Walmart that goes on this card can only be used at
Walmart.
Point #6
Buy
smaller quantities / volume!
Stores like BJs, Costco and Sam’s Club are great for buying in
bulk. On average, you are saving
15% off retail for the same quantity at your local store. I no longer shop at these stores
because I do much better with coupons.
Let me give you an example:
I have a coupon for $.50 off
French’s Mustard. If I buy the
largest bottle, I am spending $1.83.
After the coupon, I am spending $1.33. If I use the same coupon and apply it to the smallest
bottle, the bottle is priced at $.99.
After the coupon, it’s just $.49.
If you take the ounces in the large bottle and divide it by the price,
and do the same with the smaller bottle, you are getting your quantity
cheaper. This is where multiple
coupons are great to have.
Point #7
Watch the information on your
coupons and your stores coupon policy.
I always print and take a copy of the store’s policy with me before I
go. They can be found on most
stores’ websites. If I am not sure
about the policy, stop and ask at customer service before you shop. Some stores limit the number of
identical coupons that may be used at one time. Many coupons also limit similar transactions to 4 in one
day.
Point #8
A quick shout out for Kroger
brand stores. If you are a
Kroger’s shopper, you know that there are points for every sale that can be
used towards money off the cost of gas up to $1 off per gallon of gas. I fill all of my prescriptions here as
well to boost points for cheaper gas.
They have a lesser known
program that can save your family a lot of money. I have a son, 15, with Autism. He has a terrible habit of losing and/or destroying small
electronic devices. He is higher
functioning though and wants to be like his friends. I also like being able to know where he is. Kroger owns a cell phone line called iwireless. You can get non smart phones from as
little as $4.99. The same points
you accrue to get cheaper gas, you can also use to pay for your cell phone
bill! It is not a one or the
other! My son never uses his
phone. I have just a 100 minute or
text plan that is $10 a month. When
his bill is due, I log in to iwireless and use my points to prepay for the next
month of service! I haven’t paid
for his cell phone usage in 2 years and if he destroys a phone, it’s maybe $10
for a new one. Pretty slick
deal! They do also have smart
phone unlimited plans as well and their service runs on the Sprint network.
Last little nugget
Some of you reading have Food Assistance Programs. If you use coupons, you do have to pay for the tax on the coupons. However, it is usually far less than the money you would save by using the coupon. If the tax was $.06 and you are saving $1, it’s still saving you $.94. It can help you build up a food storage quickly!
Some stores offer double
coupon days. This adds another
level to your savings. Many stores
also have store coupons. You can
stack a store coupon on top of a manufacturer’s coupon for extra savings. All of the apps I mentioned in Point #3
can be added on top of these.
