Tips & Tricks for Rookies (and Vets, too)

[bluechicken]

I have been coupon clipping for two weeks now, and it feels like I almost have no time for this. I have a household and school work and work and other things... this has consumed so much time.:frown:

It will get to be easier as time goes and it become second nature. I no longer feel the need to check out this board every 2 minutes and run to the store for everything. One week I was in Walgreens everyday (it is right by work). Then I realized that I just needed to pick a day, look through posts, pull q's and go to the store. If a deal came up the next day and I had the time to go I would, but if I missed it . . . well it would come around again. It also helped me to find a better way to organize my q's and find one place to keep a list instead of 3 for the same week at the same store. Perhaps you need to just work on one deal at a time or two deals and not worry about the rest till you get the hang of those.

[d12672]

Ok, I have been purchasing a few items using my CVS card. How do I know if I am doing things right... At the bottom of my receipt it says something like Winter 2008 : 11.50

and some other stuff, but is the 11.50 by ECB's? or what is is? How much moeny I have saved? I am still confused. I have been coupon clipping for two weeks now, and it feels like I almost have no time for this. I have a household and school work and work and other things... this has consumed so much time.:frown:

The $11.50 is not ECBs. It is how much you have spent or saved during the winter quarter. Your ECBs should be printing at the end of your reciept. Have you been getting them when you purchase the items that are shown in the ads? (Of course, only the ones that say you will get ECBs count...you don't get ECBs on everything you buy.)

Also, I have been doing the CVS thing for a couple months and have decided that I don't need to do every deal!! I don't need Excedrin or Hershey's easter candy so I'm not going to clip the coupons and add them to my deals and use my precious $5/15 coupons for things I don't want. But count me in for the Tressemme and Lypsyl and other things this month. It takes me a LONG time to read the threads, clip coupons, print coupons, etc. so I don't do every deal that comes out. If you only have time to do one visit per week, then do what you can on that visit. You won't be getting $0.12 OOP deals like the pros do, but you'll still get good deals. I always check the ads but I often just "wing it" when I get to the store and I almost always come out ahead.

Don't let it stress you out! If it ends up stressing your schedule, you'll get frustrated and quit.

Hope you get some good deals!

[shami]

Ok, here's my tip. This only applies if you have a flexbile spending account for your health care.

DO NOT use ECB to pay for these items. If you do, you are wasting ECB.

For instance, I purchased Excedrin (i get lots of headaches). I had coupons and they earned ECB. I use my credit card to purchase them and then turn it into my healthcare FSA. My reimbursement comes before my credit card bill is due so I'm really not out anything and I earned ECB.

Hope that makes sense. Feel free to PM if you need help.

Here's a sample.
2.99 Drug1
1.00 MFQ
1.99 + tax is the oop cost (pay with CC)

Earn 2ECB

Basically, I'm floating my OOP so that I'm never really OOP. If I used ECB to pay for Drug1 then I can't claim it.

It works great for all over the counter meds.

ETA: FSA will reimburse even tax paid!

[cuzisaidso]

where's the thread that explains the cycle of things when they go on sale? I read it when I first joined...but can't find it now.
Also...the thread that gives guidlines on bottom prices to pay...(i.e. - I thought something was a good deal and purchased it...now it's going to be pennies... )

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums...est-price.html

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums...es-cycles.html

[razmtaz]

I'm not a veteran and maybe someone has already thought of this but when I had extra ECB's to use at the cash register, I was throwing things in like gum and candy. Now I have too much of that and I don't want to be tempted by it. So now, I am ready with things like trial size toothpaste (for vacation), sm. wet wipe packs, travel toothbrushes, etc. I just check it out before I go to the cash register and even carry one of something along with me. If I don't need it, I run and put it back. They don't seem to mind. Linda

[debranator]

even the veterans get stuck last minute and have to add [and subtract] stuff.
I always keep 1.00 items around just for this.
But, and this does happen, If the prices ring up a little lower,
you have to grab your extras.
I do about 75 transactions a week and should know better,
but just today, on 2 transactions, to make my oop under a buck,
I had to add reeses. lots of reeses.
I came home with 12 reeses cause I had to balance my man Qs at the register.
I do not worry when things go a little off,
as It costs me so little and I get soooo much.

:beg3:P>S> a little tip for newbies.
Please use your spell checker and proof read your posts.
If they are easier to read and understand,
You have a much better shot
at somebody taking their time to help and explain things to you.]

[vloglady]

I have a special tote bag that I put all my CVS materials in. Each CVs card is in a cardboard photo envelope from the photo dept, just pick up a few. Each envie contains the CVS card and corresponding ECB inside. On the inside flap, I write the name of the person that the card is for.

Put an index card inside each envelope for the month, to keep track of which deals you've done. Or someone usually does a small spreadsheet, just print it out and put it in the envie. Keep track, if you can't buy all 5 deals at once, just put down how many you've done. At the end of the month, toss the card you've written the deals on and get a new one.

In this special tote bag, I put in all my $/$$ coups, special printouts, special photo envelopes and a brightly colored envelope with the current month's coupons. In this bag also goes any rainchecks and anything I've picked up in the CVS store.

so every time I go to CVS, just grab this special bag and go. And of course, your regular coupon box. But I love having all my CVS stuff in one bag.

[savaholic]

I have a special tote bag that I put all my CVS materials in. Each CVs card is in a cardboard photo envelope from the photo dept, just pick up a few. Each envie contains the CVS card and corresponding ECB inside. On the inside flap, I write the name of the person that the card is for.

Put an index card inside each envelope for the month, to keep track of which deals you've done. Or someone usually does a small spreadsheet, just print it out and put it in the envie. Keep track, if you can't buy all 5 deals at once, just put down how many you've done. At the end of the month, toss the card and get a new one.

In this special tote bag, I put in all my $/$$ coups, special printouts, special photo envelopes and a brightly colored envelope with the current month's coupons. In this bag also goes any rainchecks and anything I've picked up in the CVS store.

so every time I go to CVS, just grab this special bag and go. And of course, your regular coupon box. But I love having all my CVS stuff in one bag.

OMG, what great details! I've become overwhelmed b/c I've definitely stepped up my game and am having trouble keeping track of everything. In fact, today I accidentally max. the Dawn twice on same card and raised a big 'ol flag w/ the mgr. all b/c I wasn't organized enough. Thanks for the tips!

[debranator]

Unfortunately, as I am sure most of you know,
no matter how perfectly organized you are,
something always goes wrong now and again,,,and again.
I have the best set up in the world, and either I will forget to take a Q out of my hand,buy too many or too few or do it all perfect and then the ecbs won't print because of something or the other.

[nova147]

Use the coupons in the right order, it lowers your taxable amount:

I use $x/x, then ECB's, then CVS coups, then man. coup.

I've been doing CVS for a while, but I'm trying to get better at it, so I was reading this thread. This one confuses me. I've always done $x/x, CVS coupons, man. coupons, and then ECBs. Why/how would I use ECBs before coupons? How do I know what value ECB to use?

MJ