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Blog Post: Rolling Catalinas and Stockpiling

March 10, 2010 at 2:48 pm By coupongeek


I shared with you the other day on how to roll ECBs at CVS. Well, I am so excited that my friend, Christy, was able to do an excellent example on how to roll Catalinas at a grocery store.

If you are wondering what a catalina is, it’s just a coupon that prints out after you check-out at a store that can be used on your next purchase. See her picture on her posting for an example.

In her posting, she spends $5 for 15 boxes of fruit snacks, but still has $3.50 in catalinas to use on another order–$.10 a box! Talk about a great way to stockpile.

So if you want to see a little insight into rolling catalinas and stockpiling, check out Coupon Gal’s posting.

Great write-up, Christy!

Filed Under: Couponing Basics, Resources

How To Roll ECBs at CVS

March 8, 2010 at 5:40 pm By coupongeek


Several of you have asked me in the past on How to Roll ECBs at CVS and I promised you a step-by-step walk through. Well, I finally made it to CVS on one of the weeks where there was a good “rolling scenario” to show you how to do this. If you have the right coupons and stock in the store, you can do this same transaction through Saturday, March 13th, 2010.

First of all, if you haven’t already, make sure that you sign-up for a CVS card. It’s your key to savings. You can sign-up online but I usually recommend that people do it in store as you get your cards instantly. The thing to know about CVS is the term “ECB” which stands for “Extra Care Bucks.” These are what I like to call “paper cash” that you can use in your store on your next purchase after you earn them. So while some things may say “Free after ECBs,” you must remember that the initial money will come out of your pocket. Eventually you’ll have some ECBs to “roll” and that out-of-pocket expense will become less if you keep rolling them.

Now the first thing you are going to do is check out your newspaper to see what you have that’s a good deal that week. The big thing to look for is FREE after ECBs in the ad. Those are the ones that not only can you get for FREE but are potential “money-makers” if you happen to have a coupon that you can use on it.


I see right away in my ad this week that the Oral B Cross Action Toothbrushes are on sale for $4 with $4 ECBs. At this point, I can search my coupons to see if I have one, if I clip them or I can also check a blog, such as Common Sense with Money, that types up the weekly deals. When I do check Mercedes’ site, I find out that there’s one for $.75 off in the 2/21PG.

OK, now you are saying, what is a 2/21PG? Well this is how you read those: In the February 21st newspaper, there was a Procter and Gamble insert. That’s where you’ll find it. Now if you haven’t grabbed that paper in the past for those inserts, you are either out of luck or you’ll have to find somewhere that has the coupon, such as eBay or Collectable Coupons where you can pay for their coupon clipping service. I took a picture of the insert and the coupon for you to see:

Now comes a little planning and a little luck that they’ll be in stock at the store! If you are just going to pick up the toothbrush, there’s no planning there aside from clipping your coupon. But if you want to “roll” your ECBs while you are there, here’s where you need to think for a minute.

The first transaction is easy. I’m going to just buy the toothbrush which is $4. It will take off $.75 for the coupon, costing me just $3.25 plus tax. My total ends up being $3.53 for my area. This is what my receipt looked like:

At the very bottom of that receipt were my ECBs for $4. I quickly ripped those off and did a second transaction to “roll them.” I got lucky and the store was empty so I just checked out twice in a row.

Here where the “rolling” gets tricky. I can’t just go and buy another toothbrush because my coupon will take off the $.75 leaving my total below $4 and the ECBs are for $4. So I must find a “filler item.” This just has to be something small. I recommend picking something you actually need–or have been wanting. I saw earlier in the morning that I still had a $1 Off Starbucks Frappuccino Printable Coupon. When I checked in the store, they were $1.99, making them only $.99 after coupon. This was exactly what I need as a filler. This is what my receipt looked like:

The toothbrush was $4, minus another $.75 off coupon. The Starbucks was $1.99, minus my $1 off Starbucks Frappuccino printable coupon. Both items came to $4.24 plus tax making it $4.55. Now don’t forget, I earned $4 ECBs from my first purchase that I used. So my end total? $.55 out-of-pocket. And I earned these:

Yes, another $4 in ECBs. Now this particular deal has a limit of 2 per card, so I can’t do this same transaction again. But I do have $4 in ECBs to spend on another trip, which I’ll save for next week.

So, let’s review what my expenses looked like. In my first transaction, I paid $3.53 and in my second transaction, I paid $.55. This makes my total out-of-pocket expenses as $4.08. But I also have $4 in ECBs for another purchase. Isn’t that amazing? This is when you’ll hear bloggers say “It’s like spending $.08 for two toothbrushes and a StarBucks Frappuccino!” 🙂

This is the key to really keeping to your budget and getting the household items that you need. Anyone who has been a “CVSer” for any time at all will give you this advice—never pay cash for a toothbrush! And from the transactions above, you can see why! There are several deals throughout the year where they are either free or $.99 after ECBs. And there is almost always a coupon available that will either turn it into a “money-maker” or help you get it for free. (So definitely save those toothbrush coupons!)

Now since I already have a plethora of toothbrushes, I am going to donate these—and then treat myself to a Starbucks Frappuccino for my good deed. Sound like a good deal for $.08 doesn’t it? 🙂

I hope this has helped illustrate to some of you how to “roll” ECBs. Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: These transaction pictures and posting are copyrighted and cannot be shared without written permission from Coupon Geek.

Filed Under: Couponing Basics, CVS, Resources, Stores

Video: Rolling ECBs and RRs

February 17, 2010 at 9:27 am By coupongeek


I know that when you first start off shopping at CVS and Walgreens, learning how to “roll” Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) and Register Rewards (RRs) can get kind of confusing.

My sister-in-law sent me this great little video clip from a local Chicago station here where a reporter did a small “rolling” shopping trip series. I thought it might help you see a little on how it all works.

I’m hoping to get in a series here soon explaining it all and showing you a few trips I’ll make on how to start out. I’ve been waiting for the weather to warm up some because let me tell you, it’s not fun to shop when it’s 12 degrees and it’s almost considered a “heat wave.” 🙂 But I promise I’ll get one going here soon. So stay tuned and check out the video for a little help in the meantime.

Also, I wrote up a posting on Register Rewards, Extra Care Bucks and Stacking Coupons. I’m hoping that will offer a little more help, as well.

Thanks for sharing the video, Jodi!

Filed Under: Couponing Basics, Resources

Couponing Basics: How To Organize Coupons

July 11, 2009 at 9:13 am By coupongeek

First, there is no right or wrong way to organize coupons. The only right way, is the one that works for you. There are several methods for organizing coupons, but here are the Top 3 that I’ve seen:

(Photo from Super Jenn)

1) Coupon Binder – This is some form of zippered/closed binder that they put “baseball card sleeves” in to hold the coupons. The coupons are “clipped” and folded into the slots of the sleeves so that you can just flip through your coupons page by page. To see how to organize one, Super Jenn has a posting HERE.

(Photo from Money Saving Mom)

2) Coupon Box – This is some form of box where the “clipped” coupons are usually kept in some type of labeled envelope system. If you go with this method, I’d highly advise a box with a secure lid! Usually, when they shop, the box is put in the child seat of the cart for easy access.

3) Coupon Insert Method – This is where the coupon inserts from the Sunday paper are kept intact, and either not clipped or partially clipped, and filed by week. Usually an expandable file folder that has tabs for labeling is used.

I currently use the Coupon Insert Method. Now you may ask, if you don’t clip all the coupons, how can you possible use them? Good question! It’s important to know what coupons are out, so each Sunday, I’ll flip through all my inserts to see what I think I might need. I clip those right away. I then label each insert with that week’s date, so this Sunday’s inserts would be 7/12/09 SS, 7/12/09 RP and/or 7/12/09 P&G, if there was one. I’ll then file them under July. It looks something like this:


(Photo from Coupon Geek) 🙂

The coupons that I clip, I put into a mini-expandable file coupon holder that fits nicely in my purse so I always have the ones I think I’ll need with me. It looks something like this:


(Photo from Coupon Geek) 🙂

Typically blogs will list where you can find the coupon needed for a deal. They say something like, “Use the $1/1 from the 7/12 Smart Source.” I’ll then go to the 7/12Smart Source insert, find the coupon and clip it. It saves me from having to clip out all those coupons, but I still have them handy in case I can get a good deal on something.

The disadvantage to this method is that you don’t have all your coupons with you when you shop. But I look at it this way, while I may miss out on a clearanced item or two; it also prevents me from “impulse shopping” and buying something that’s not on my list. I can always jot down the deal and take a chance at picking it up later in the week if I’m out again.

Now, if you make up your shopping list and you are buying, say Skippy Peanut Butter and Hunt’s Ketchup, you can go to one of the coupon databases out there and see if a coupon exists for those products. My favorite one to use is Coupon Mom. You’ll need to register, but it’s free and easy to use. Just sign-in, choose grocery coupon database and then your state. I always sort it alphabetically. For these items, I’d look for Skippy and Hunt’s. If they are listed, you’ll need to see what insert they are in. For example, the Skippy Peanut Butter says 6/14SS, I’d then go hunt down my Smart Source insert from 6/14 and clip it.

Like I said, there’s no one right way to organize coupons. You may even switch over time. I’ve tried all of them! Personally, I hate cutting out coupons and I have little spare time, so that’s why I stick with the coupon insert method now.

Always keep in mind; coupons are “regional,” meaning some areas/states get some we don’t. So you may see some listed on blogs that aren’t going to be in your inserts.

Filed Under: Couponing Basics, Resources

Couponing Basics: Where to Find Coupons

March 24, 2009 at 7:26 pm By coupongeek


So you’ve been bit by the couponing bug and now you want to find even more coupons, but you don’t know where to look. Here are the top places to find coupons:

1) Sunday Newspapers – These are the biggest sources of coupons. To find additional copies, check recycling bins or ask your family/friends if they are using theirs. There are anywhere from none to three inserts per paper. For a preview of upcoming coupons, you can check Sunday Coupon Preview.

2) Mail – You can sign-up for coupons from Red Plum here. You can also check out their printable coupons, too.

3) Free Samples – Signing up for free samples is a great way to get some higher dollar coupons. I’d advise creating a separate email address for “freebies.”

4) In-Store – You can often find coupons called “blinkies,” which are the little machines that spit out coupons by the products they are for. There are also “tear-pads,”as well. You can sometimes even find “peelies” right on the products themselves.

5) Printable Sites – Some of the big printable sites are Coupons.com, RedPlum, Coupon Network and Smart Source. These coupons rotate week after week and usually have maximum printings that when the limit is reached, they are pulled off the site. So if you see one you think you might need, you should print it. (You can usually print two per computer.) Other sites are for eCoupons are Saving Star and Cellfire.

6) Blogs – Blogs are a great place to find coupons. I stumble upon several at my fellow blogger’s sites throughout the week. I compile them throughout the week and post them on Mondays.

7) Search Engines – If you are looking for a specific coupon, just type the brand name followed by the word coupon and you might be able to find one that way.

8) Join Groups/Surveys – There are some groups you can sign-up for that will offer/mail you coupons from time-to-time. Some are:
Vocal Point
Shoppers Voice
Upromise
Ebates
Recycle Bank

9) Manufacturers Websites – More and more manufacturers are hosting coupons on their own sites now. If you use a lot of a particular item/brand, check their website to see if they offer coupons. If they don’t, email/mail them and request some.

10) Magazines – By far, the magazine with the most coupons lately has been All You magazine, which you can only get by subscription or at Wal-Mart. The price of the magazine is well worth the coupons inside. Make sure you check your magazines to see if there are some inside.

11) Free Periodicals – Some stores will have local newsbooks that have local area coupons inside. (For Chicago, try Chicago Parent and Family Time)

12) Forums – There are several great forums out there to check into. The top ones I’ve found are WeUseCoupons, HotCoupoxnWorld and AFullCup. You have to register at each of them, but it’s free.

13) Store Websites – Make sure you sign-up for your local store’s loyalty programs and register at their websites so you can get emailed coupons. You can add eCoupons to your card through Saving Star and Cellfire.

14) Phone Book – Don’t forget to check your phone book for coupons for your local area businesses.

15) Entertainment Books – The Entertainment books have coupons for restaurants, entertainment, retail stores, etc.

Here are a list of common sites that regularly offer coupons:
Coupons.com
RedPlum
Coupon Network
Smart Source
Pillsbury
Very Best Baking – Nestle
Family Cents
Eat Better America
Box Tops for Education
Red Plum
Target Coupon Generator
Saving Star
Cellfire

Filed Under: Couponing Basics, Resources

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