To do this is very easy. Thanks to WikiHow,  Below are steps to take for each type of web browser.

Internet Explorer 9

1.  Open Settings > Safety

   Once your browser is open, click the gear at the top right to open the settings menu. Then, select Safety and Delete Browsing History… Or, optionally you may simply press Ctrl-Shift-Delete to open the Delete Browsing History window.

2. 

    Choose what to delete

   Select Temporary Internet Files. You will also need touncheck all the other boxes, especially Preserve Favorites website data. This option makes the window also delete objects from websites in your Favorites folder, which is necessary to completely clear your cache.

3. Click the Delete button near the bottom of the window to perform the operations (i.e. clear your cache by deleting temporary files).
4. Your computer will work for a moment, and then the process will be complete. You’ve successfully cleared Internet Explorer 9′s Cache!

Internet Explorer 8

1. 

    Click “Tools”.

   Once your browser is open, click the Tools menu. Or, optionally you may simply press Ctrl-Shift-Delete to open the Delete Browsing History window (and skip step 2)

2. 

    Delete Browsing History…

   Click on Delete Browsing History…

3. 

    ”Temporary Internet Files”.

   Select Temporary Internet Files.

4. Click the Delete button near the bottom of the window to delete your temporary files (i.e. clear your cache).
5. If you want the browser to automatically clear the cache whenever you close it, click theAdvanced tab. Click to check the box next to the Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed option (in the section labeled Security). Click OK. This will delete everything except cookies.
   • Note: IE8 has a “feature” which retains some cookies even after you clear your cache if you do not UNCHECK the “Preserve Favorites Website Data.” If you truly need to clear your cache, you will want to uncheck this!

Internet Explorer 7

1. 

   

   Open IE 7 and click the Tools menu. Click the Delete Browsing History link at the top.

2. 

   

   Under the Temporary Internet Files heading, click Delete files…

3. 

   

   Click Yes when you see the prompt asking if you are sure you want to delete all temporary files.

4. Alternatively, clear your cache for just the current page you’re visiting. Press and hold [Ctrl] on your keyboard, then Press [F5] or click on the Refresh button (square button on the toolbar with opposite-facing arrows).

Firefox

Firefox 4.0 / 5.0 / 6.0 +

1. 

    Firefox Menu

   Click the Firefox menu in the top left corner. Next, select the right arrow next to History >, and click Clear Recent History (or click on Tools then Clear Recent History if you don’t have the FireFox Menu) Or, you can press Ctrl-Shift-Delete to open the recent history window.

2. 

    Select ‘Cache’

   Make sure ‘Details’ is expanded, then select Cache from the list. Uncheck everything else.

3. 

    Choose ‘Everything’

   In the Time Range to Clear: drop down, select Everything.

4. Select Clear Now.
5. Your computer will work for a moment, and the process will be complete. You’ve successfully cleared Firefox’s Cache!

Firefox 3.5 / 3.6

1.  Tools > Clear Recent History

   Click the Tools menu, then select Clear Recent History.

   • Note: If you don’t see the Tools menu, hold down the Alt key then press the T key to access Tools.

2. 

    Everything

   Choose the time range of cache you’d like to clear.

3. 

    Cache

   Click on Details and make sure Cache is checked.

4. Select Clear Now.

Firefox 1.5 / 2.0 / 3.0

Below is the full method, although it is possible to simply go to Tools, and select Clear Private Data.

1.  Tools > Options

   Go to Tools and select Options… (on Linux, go to Edit thenPreferences).

2.  Privacy > Settings

   Go to the Privacy tab and click the Settings button.

3. 

    Clear private data

   Make sure Cache is checked on the list of options to clear.

4. Return to the Options menu and click the Clear Now button.

Firefox 1.0

1. Click the Tools menu and select Options (on Linux, go to Edit then Preferences).
2. Click the Privacy button and select the Cache tab.
3. Click the Clear Cache Now button.

Google Chrome

Chrome v10 +

1. 

    Click on the wrench

   Once your browser is open, select the Wrench icon (the settings menu, located in the upper-right corner) then,Tools, and Clear Browsing Data…. You can also access the Delete Browsing History window by pressing Ctrl-Shift-Delete, or clicking on this link: [chrome://settings/clearBrowserData].

2. 

    Check ‘Empty the Cache’

   Select the Empty the cache check-box. Uncheck everything else to avoid deleting data unintentionally.

3. In the Obliterate the following items from: dropdown menu, select the beginning of time.
4. Click the Clear Browsing Data button. Chrome will work for a moment, and then the process will be done. You’ve successfully cleared Chrome’s Cache!

Chrome v1 – v9

1. 

    Tools menu

   Once your browser is open, select the Tools menu (the wrench in the upper-right corner) and select Options (Preferences on Mac).

2. 

    Clear browsing data

   On the Under the Hood tab, click the Clear Browsing data… button.

3. 

    Clear cache

   Select the Empty the cache check-box.

4. 

    Select your time period.

   You can also choose the period of time you wish to delete cached information using the Clear data from this perioddropdown menu.

5. 

    Done!

   Click the Clear Browsing Data button.

Safari

Safari for Mac OS X

1. 

    ”Click Empty Cache”

   Once your browser is open, click the Safari menu and selectEmpty Cache….

2. Click Empty.

Safari for Windows

1. Once your browser is open, click the Edit menu and select Empty Cache….
2. Click Empty.

Opera

1. Once your browser is open, select the settings menu and click delete private data.
2. Click the details button.
3. If you do not wish to delete cookies, saved passwords, etc., remove checks from them in the list.
4. Press delete.
5. If you are using the browser, go to History (accessible from the start page (press start button) & extended toolbar) and touch Delete All.
6. Then go to the start page again and touch Settings.
7. Then scroll down until you find Delete Cookies and touch that.

Mozilla SeaMonkey

1. Once your browser is open, click the Edit menu and select Preferences.
2. In the left-side list, open the Advanced node and select Cache.
3. Click the Clear Cache button.

Konqueror

Related posts:

1. Cleaned your Cache?
2. Q&A – Printing Coupons
3. Trouble Printing?

So often we get emails or comments asking where to get a three ring coupon binder. Well there are a lot of different options. We use a Case-It brand binder. Right now there are some good sales on Amazon for Case-It binders and others:

Case-It binders as low as $17.95

No name binders for a few bucks

Vertical Photo Pages for 3-Ring Binders, Holds 6 – 4″x6″ Photos/Page, 10/Pack AVE13401 or you can get them
As low as $2.58 HERE

These are some great links to help get your self a pro-coupon binder

Related posts:

1. My Coupon Binder
2. Case It My Coupon Binder- AKA my number one tool to saving over $8000 in 2010
3. My New Coupon Binder!!!!!

Click here for Online
Couponing 101 Class

Related posts:

1. TLC Extreme Couponing
2. Does Extreme Couponing include milk and meat?
3. Extreme Couponing – Price Comparison Shopping – does it work?

Question from one of my readers…

I  have a question for every couponer out there. Do you ever get sick of couponing? I’m s a stay at home mother of 3 and I’ve been couponing for about a year now and I’m starting to hate it. I have two weeks of inserts not cut and I haven’t even looked through yet. Am I in a coupon funk? I use to love clipping and organizing and seeing all my savings but now I’m loathing going to the supermarket. Has anyone ever gone through this before?

Answer…

YES YES YES!!!!  As much as I love couponing even I get sick of it sometimes, here a few tips:

It’s ok to miss a sale-  If you are like me you get a little rush every time you get a Thrifty deal.   But it is best to take it slow, pick your top “Thrifty Deals” for the week and just try to snag those sale items.

Only shop 1 or 2 stores- It is FUN to get the hot item of the week at each store, but if you run to every store that offers a good deal you may have an awesome stockpile…but you WILL hit coupon burn out way to fast!

Don’t get behind on your clipping- I have to admit that clipping and putting away my coupons is my LEAST favorite job.  But it should only take  30-60 min each week to do this.  To view my video on how I clip my coupons  click here…the only thing I do different now is staple them together before I cut them.  If you do get really behind it is OK to just leave those weeks uncut…and start fresh ( you can always go back just clip the ones you need, but that way it is not so overwhelming)

Take a break-  Yes I said it is OK to take a break. (but still check in my blog…wink)  Before I wrote my blog I would  take a few weeks off from couponing when life just got too busy.  Live off your stock pile for a bit, that is what is there for right!  All it takes is one trip to the store and paying FULL price for a cart of things I know I can get for free to get me excited to coupon again…but the break is nice.

Count your savings-  Keep track of how much you are really saving.  That is why I do my weekly budget review, it helps me see the big picture of how much I really save.  It makes me feel like my hard work is really paying off…and yes proud of what I have done. It gives me the energy to keep it up!

Save for something fun-  Take the money you are saving from couponing and put it towards something fun.  Like a surprise family trip.  Start out saving for something small like going to the movies,  or night out with your hubby… so you can reap the rewards of saving.

Get a coupon buddy- I know lots of people shop with a friend, it is fun to hang out with your girl friends and save at the same time.  OR I know some people coupon with a “buddy” ….you shop one week and your buddy shops the next week and share the weeks savings.  That way you never miss out on the sale, but you only have to shop every other week.

What are your feelings on this….and what tips do you have?   Would love to hear from you all!

Related posts:

1. Q&A- Are you in a coupon Funk?
2. How To Start a Coupon Stockpile- Q&A
3. TLC Extreme Couponing

Thanks to Kelly for passing this along….

I wanted to send this to you and tell you THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! I have always used coupons BUT since reading your site daily I have learned soooo much more! Im sharing with you just a sample of what I am donating this week at our church. Every so often we are given paper grocery bags at church and asked to bring it back with items in it for our local homeless shelter and food pantry. I am always amazed how many people take them and saddened when I dont see very many come back. Times are so hard one everyone! We have an unemployment rate in our town of 12% (much of our area used to be manufacturing) and the recent numbers on how many people are using our food banks are astounding!

Today I took 2 bags. I know I have a fairly decent ( although nothing to call TLC about…not that I would ever do that! )  stockpile of many things. When I got home I was AMAZED and what I had. I was able to fill 4 paper bags AND a small plastic bag full of items! While pulling items they need I realized that with the exception of peanut butter and Ocean Spray Juice I paid less than $0.50 for each item and my entire donation of toothpaste, brushes and floss as well as Vicks were completely FREE!

Without your site I never would have learned how do coupon the right way and ultimately I never would have been able to give back this much to my community and pay so little for it!

I thank you from the bottom of my heart! See the attached pictures of what is being donated!

Im calling them my Coupons for Christ donation!

Related posts:

1. Extreme Couponing?- ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE?
2. Does Extreme Couponing include milk and meat?
3. Extreme Couponing vs. Grateful Couponing- Guest Post

I have a question on starting a stockpile. How do you get started and what do you start with. Do you start with what you can get free ? It seems that when Im able to get something at a realy good price, and for one I may  only have four coupons per item, I dont know how to get more but by the time a sale runs on the same item again, I have already used what I was able to get from the last time, I guess I feel that I cant keep a stockpile its always gone. How do you fix that problem. The only thing I have been able to get free is floss,and my family cant live on that And I also was wondering do you just take extra money and start your stockpile that way. If I had more of a stockpile it would be easier to add to it, but like I said when you only have a few of each item it doesnt last long in my house. Just wondering how and what you did to start your family stockpile .

What tips do you have for starting or maintaining a Coupon Stockpile?

Related posts:

1. Extreme Couponing – Do you have a Healthy Stockpile?
2. Q&A- Start slow
3. Start small and it will grow, place an order.

How does a coupon that say’s $2/2 work? Is that 2 dollars off each item when you buy two?

Answer:

This is a great question, and something many new coupon shoppers ask.  The above coupon would take a total of $2.00 off of 2 items purchased (or $1.00 off each product purchased).

$1/1- will take $1.00 off one item

$2/3 will take $2.00 total of 3 item or a $.67 savings per item

To read the recent post we did on the question what does One Coupon Per Purchase means Click Here

If you are new to the couponing world the “coupon lingo” can be a little hard to understand at first.  Here is a list of commonly used Abbreviations you may find useful.

B1G1 or BOGO – Buy one get one free

B2G1 – Buy two get one free

Blinkie – In-Store SmartSource coupon dispensed near product, usually from a red blinking box.

CAT – Coupon dispensed at register after purchase, usually has a red border, redeemable only at the store that it printed at or at stores that accept competitor store coupons.

Catalina – Coupon dispensed at register after purchase, usually has a red border, redeemable only at the store that it printed at or at stores that accept competitor store coupons.

DND – Do not double, a coupon with this wording is not supposed to be doubled at stores that double coupons. However coupons that have aUPC code that starts with the number 5 will often times still double, while ones that start with a 9 will not.

Double Coupon – Coupon that a grocery store doubles in value. Only certain stores double coupons, please check the coupon policy of your local stores.

GM – General Mills

Hangtag – A coupon or form found hanging from a tag around the neck of a bottle or jar.

Insert – Booklet of coupons found in the Sunday newspaper, insert coupons.

IP – Internet printable, a coupon or form you can print from the internet.

MIR – Mail in rebate.

MM – Money Maker, a deal where after coupon or rebate you make money with overage of some sort.

MQ – Manufacturer Coupon, a coupon issued by a manufacture (as opposed to a store coupon, which is issued by a store).

OOP – Out of pocket

OYNO – On your next order, wording on Catalina or register reward coupons for which you purchase an item and receive a coupon that is for money off your next order.

Peelie – A coupon that you peel off the package.

PG or P&G – Proctor & Gamble Sunday insert coupon.

POP – Proof of purchase, required for a refund or other offer that is physically taken from a package

Printable – A coupon that you print from the internet and your computer.

RC – Rain Check a slip of paper that a store issues when an item is out of stock allowing you to purchase that item at a later date at the sale price.

RP – Red Plum Sunday supplement coupons (formerly Valassis).

RR – Register Reward, the name of the Catalina promotion at Walgreens.

SCR – Single check rebate, Rite-Aid store rebate program.

SS – SmartSource, a company owned by News Marketing America that issues a Sunday insert, Blinkie coupons, printable coupons and other forms of coupons.

Stacking -When you use an instore coupon along with a manufacturer coupon

Tearpad- coupon found in store,  normally on a display case in a tearpad

V – Valassis Sunday supplement coupons, has been renamed Red Plum.

VV – Video Values (Rite Aid)

WAGS – Walgreens

WYB – When you buy

YMMV – Your mileage may vary – the success of the attempt may vary at your store.

Thanks Hot Coupon World

Related posts:

1. Q&A: One per purchase
2. Extreme Couponing?- ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE?
3. What are you talking about…Coupon terms

I used to fly passed any store matchups that didn’t pertain to me. For ex:, there are no Meyer’s or Albertson or Kroger’s out my way. Here’s the “Duh” part, it finally occurred to me to still look at the printable coupons for me to print—Aaahhh, yes. Sometimes there a Qs that I want and would/have missed out because that store is not one of “my” stores.

Related posts:

1. SAVE MART & LUCKY FOOD STORE MATCHUPS THRU 4/26
2. Save Mart & Lucky Food store matchups thru 4/19
3. Give your favorite store a Shout Out!

One of our readers Mandi wrote an excellent article on Suite101 about her inner battle to coupon or not. She wanted to share it with us:

Coupons are a trend that is picking up speed in our society, with today’s economy. With National Coupon Month at a close, I find it an opportune time to discuss the dollars and sense of coupon clipping. There is a lot of hype on whether or not it is cost effective to clip coupons; so, what better way than to put coupon clipping to the test.

I found myself sitting in a coupon clipping seminar this month and thought, “why not?” So, I put my scissors to work during the last half of September. I have often clipped a coupon here and there for items that I thought I might use, only to find that by the time I remembered they were in my purse, they were expired. I sat in awe as I listened to a stay-at-home mother explain how she purchases around $1000.00 worth of groceries a month for no more than $200.00.

I tapped myself into a couple of local coupon blogs that did most of the work for me and I found it a little easier than I had anticipated. There are a plethora of websites and blogs out there that will give you a list of all the weekly ads and the best deals for the week, for just about every grocery store out there. Not only do they tell you about all the deals, they even direct you straight to the coupons you will need. Talk about taking the work out of it for someone on a time crunch.

I pretty much stuck to one store, simply because it is close to my house and I like to shop there. I was already subscribed to the local Sunday paper, so that part was easy; and, many newspapers will have specials for subscribing to multiple Sunday papers. I didn’t find myself organizing my coupons as well as I would have liked, but I did use a little plastic envelope with dividers that worked pretty well. All-in-all, with clipping, printing, sorting, and a little extra time in the store, I spent around three to four extra hours a week preparing for the deals.

So, how does three to four extra hours a week compute to spectacular savings? Well, I have been carrying around a little notebook with me, keeping track of grocery lists, the best deals, the coupons, and the receipts. I took a little time to add it up today and found that I purchased $924.33 worth of groceries for $376.43. Fifty-nine percent is pretty spectacular savings, especially considering I shopped fairly conservatively and was feeding a family of five for about $700.00 to $800.00 a month for the last several years. The extra money spent went to stocking up. That is right, I actually stocked up! I am not talking about a little stocking up either. My freezer is full, my pantry is full, and my cellar shelves are on their way.

Now I have to get to the good stuff. ‘Coupons are just for foods and products you would otherwise never buy,’ you say? Well, I like to feed my family healthy food. I buy organic milk, eggs, yogurt, bread, cereal, fruit, vegetables, and more. Yea, I know, ‘organic isn’t necessarily organic.’ Here’s the thing, there are a number of ingredients that I like to avoid, including growth hormones, antibiotics, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and partially hydrogenated oils. When I buy organic, I know those are not in the ingredients (I don’t like to spend a lot of time reading ingredients). Well, for some of the organic items that I purchase on a regular basis, I ‘paid someone for their time,’ and purchased them online for pennies on the dollar. The coupons arrived fast, too.

Doing the math on my savings, I calculate that even with me being completely new at this and figuring things out as I went, I spent right around seven hours over a two week period and saved $547.90. That is $78.27 per hour for clipping coupons. That seems like a pretty good income (or savings) for doing a job with kids in tow the entire time. I did figure out that it does save on time to go to the store when it is less crowded and the cashiers are a bit more patient. I am also cutting down on my time as I get the hang of bargain hunting and develop methods for my clipping and organizing.

Let’s admit it, the coupon industry is a big one. According to the Promotion Marketing Association, consumers redeemed nearly 3.2 billion coupons in 2009, saving nearly 3.5 billion dollars. That is over a dollar per coupon. In addition, coupon redemption increased by 7.9% in the first half of 2010, and consumers saved almost 2 billion dollars in that time. The coupon industry is a growing trend and manufacturers are catching on. Coupon distribution increased by 11.4% in the first half of 2010, as well. Internet coupon usage has grown by a whopping 79% from last year, but only represents 1.2% of coupon distribution. Finally, the projected redemption value of online coupons in the United States in 2010 is 12.7 billion dollars.(Coupon Facts 2010)

Who says clipping coupons doesn’t pay? My $78.27 per hour says it does. I definitely say, “Money Maker!” What could you do with an extra $547.90 in a time of decreased budgets and tightened belts?

Read more at Suite101: Coupons: Money Maker or Time Waster?

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1. Coupons – Money maker or time waster
2. Extreme Couponing 101
3. Does Extreme Couponing include milk and meat?

I know I will get a question on a good place to buy a second fridge or freezer, and  no we not paid for this – but Zach over at Complete Appliance is the place we use. They give every appliance a free complete warranty on all of their second hand product. Its clean and and all flaws are repaired.

To read more about our fridge buying experience, and to print off a coupon for 10% off CLICK HERE.

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1. Does Extreme Couponing include milk and meat?
2. Extreme Couponing – Price Comparison Shopping – does it work?
3. Extreme Couponing – Do you have a Healthy Stockpile?

We all need to be aware of coupons and keep a look out for the signs of a bad coupon. If we all realize that there will always be another sale and that cheating the system now does not help them or anyone in the future then we wouldn’t have to worry about bad coupons.

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3. The new MAC operating system

But the thought of why a couponer does their shopping differently is slightly a different thought process. Just in French class this week we talked about the different buying habits of societies. The “old school” of grocery shopping is to go down to your local bakery or butcher or grocery shop and purchase the items needed for eating that day. The way this began was that there was no refrigeration process available. This daily shopping habit also became a social habit. The shopping became more of a way to hang out and talk with friends as you shopped. In the United States, since our country is so “new” compared to the rest of the world, we never developed deep social patterns. Grocery shopping or heading down to the bakery isn’t a social event in many cases. We seem to be more pressed for time. And either it is an economic reason or simply did not have the room, many families today only buy the food needed for a day or two.

With couponers we tend to develop a “stockpile”. Now with shows like Extreme Couponing on TLC, that term “stockpile” becomes more of a negative term, with these piles of food to the ceiling, and bottles of soap to last 1,000 years. But a true and “healthy” stockpile is just the opposite. A healthy couponer tries to build a healthy stockpile. A healthy stockpile is a supply of food that can be rotated through. An ideal stockpile  is one that can support that individual family for a year. Why a year? Well in real life terms this is to protect the family in case of an emergency. Now that can be both an economic emergency or an environmental emergency.

Not to be presented as a scare tactic, but if something where to happen like the disaster in Japan, what would your family be able to live off of? The grocery stores in the region were long since empty and now what. Even here in the states, when a major “threat” of a storm comes in there is the mad rush to the grocery store. What if that were to happen and a major storm did come through that shut down the town for days or weeks. Would you have enough to live on, knowing there was nothing left in the stores?

When Matthew was born, and we basically lived in hospitals out of state and we relied on our stockpile. Long before we started this coupon site A Thrifty Mom.com , we were able to live on our stockpile for many months. Sarah would live in the hospital and I would fly to visit her and Matthew on the weekends. How could we afford this? Well, about a year prior to his birth, we were in debt about $11,000. We scrimped and saved and paid off our debt. Sarah also wanted to get our mortgage paid off 6 months in advance. So we continued to eat ramen noodles and potatoes and paid off our mortgage and bills 6 months in advance. We also strengthened our food storage or “stockpile”. So once he was born and the worry moved from bills to support Matthew and his stay in hospitals, we didn’t have to worry about anything else. We didn’t have to worry about our mortgage and the money I would of spent on the house, I spent on plane tickets. When we were home, we didn’t have to go out shopping. We stayed home and lived off our food storage. Later in our marriage when I was laid off and I started school, we didn’t have an income while I was in school. So how did we eat….Our Stockpile.

Think to your self – do you have enough in your pantry to live on if stores were closed or you couldn’t afford it? Follow A Thrifty Mom.com and we will show you proper and healthy ways to protect your family both in your finances and living thrifty.  One can of food at a time, you will be on your way – to a healthy food storage.

To see how we use our stockpile or food storage, in our daily menu plan click here.

Related posts:

1. Extreme Couponing – Price Comparison Shopping – does it work?
2. Does Extreme Couponing include milk and meat?
3. Extreme Couponing- Nathan Engels on tonights show

Anther question we are asked very frequently is:

I wanted to know what is the best and easiest way to compare store to store and prices? How do you plan to know how much your retail is to cost from one store to another to know you are getting the best deal? I may be overlooking and just can’t seem to find it.

Well it depends. There are endless factors that come into play. And each person will have their own factors that weigh more to them then the other. So many different scenarios that come into play that do not make one answer more correct then the other.

Here are just a few of the factors: distance, gas prices, each store has different sales each week, complete over all savings, coupon friendliness, brand availability, product availability,  cleanliness, shopper traffic, produce and department size or amount and variety amounts, and your time…
time does cost money and sanity..

If the majority of items are cheaper at one store and a few things a little more then at the other, and the over all store is closer or maybe easier to get in and out of… like easier process of going through the check out, verses taking for ever at the other store in check out lanes.
Or maybe the one is more “coupon friendly” and have less overall issues verses the other store.
Take into account the entire picture, not just one or two items.. take into account the entire picture to save you the most time..
Comparison pricing from one store to the other will drive you nuts. Each week prices and deals fluctuate. Try to get the ultimate lowest price is not worth it and will drive you nuts, or at least your family nuts.

I (Matt) used to sell cars. One thing that really made sense to me in the buying process is to ask your self – Am I happy with this price?

It’s not if it is the absolute lowest price in the city, or state or even the country. Trying to find the ultimate lowest price will drive you nuts and waste your time or even money searching for the best… Just say to your self – Am I happy with this price and if I continue to look for the best price will the overall time and money put into finding that “best price” truly save me more money then if I just got this one in front of me?

I used to see buyers travel all over from state to state, and repeatedly visit the same store over and over trying to get the best overall price. Only in the long run save maybe $100 bucks. They spent numerous days shopping, the cost of gas to drive from dealership to dealership , over and over. If you take into account the cumulative cost they spent searching for the best cost, they spent more in the search then the immediate savings on the sale itself.

This is amplified in couponers. I never understood why a couponer would drive 5 miles to one store and buy $2o worth of products. Then drive 5 miles to the next store to get $20 worth of other products. Then drive 10 miles back home only to save 20 more cents on items at store “A”. And then save 50 more cents at store “B”. When they drove all that way and burned up that fuel that really is out of site out of mind all to save a few cents here and there.

So that everyone knows – Sarah shops at TWO stores – One Albertsons store, and one Walgreens. Every know and then she may stop at Walmart (like maybe half a dozen times in a given year). And maybe another store every few months… And still our last years overall shopping was 87.25 % off.

DON’T DRIVE YOUR SELF NUTS. Start small and keep your focus on saving but not going insane…

Related posts:

1. Does Extreme Couponing include milk and meat?
2. TLC Extreme Couponing
3. Extreme Couponing?- ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE?

Hey there. I am hoping that maybe you can help me. I have been working for 7 years at the same job and I just had a new baby on the first of March. Our family is now a family of 5 with 2 dogs. I am trying to help my husband since he is now the only income and he doesn’t want me going back to work. I am trying to start coupon again…..I have tried but failed horribly in the past. How do I get deals on the items that I use the most? Like meats and milk? I don’t want my home to be like the people on extreme couponing I just want to be able to save on our trips to the store.

Certain everyday items like milk, eggs, and butcher cut meat (or non-brand meat) normally do not have “coupons” for them. They are usually a bonus or grouped with other promotions or deals that enable you to get them cheap or free. Recently there have been “free milk promos” with cereal. When you bought a certain brand cereal, you got back a catalina for free milk. So you use coupons to get the cereal and with that you got free milk.
Currently at my local store there is a promo if you buy from 12 selected items then you get free eggs. And with the coupons you can use to get those selected items discounted and add that to the free eggs you get, it’s a Thrifty Deal!
Meat is sporadic. Every now and then there is coupons for brand name meat,  or there is in-store deals on butcher cut meat. Like last spring there was a deal like buy 2 bottles of salad dressing and get $2 off on meat from the butcher department. And in addition to that there was a manufacture coupon on the dressings, so it essentially worked out to be that you bought 2 salad dressing bottles for 50 cents and got $2 off on meat. So at that time we stocked up on salad dressing and meat.
Having an additional fridge/freezer is a great plus in these scenarios. But it seems like Milk and Meat always seem to be the focus from questions we get from followers on ways to save money. I think where the focus should really be is where else can I save. What I mean by that is if I can save 90% on all of my “other” shopping, then paying normal price on meat and milk will be offset by the savings I get on everything else.
See not everything we want or need will have a coupon. But if we can save cumulatively on everything then the one or two products we need and have to pay full price for wont be as bad to purchase when we have already saved 90% or more off everything else.

Related posts:

1. TLC Extreme Couponing
2. Extreme Couponing 101
3. Extreme Couponing?- ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE?

First I want to thank you for your thriftymom website.  I’ve been
couponing for a year now and I still have questions.  I learn
something neew everyday about coupons….I do have a question after
watching TLC’s Extreme Couponing, in the show the couponers bought a
large number of items and used coupons for every item…… I’ve read
the fine print on the coupon and most of these coupons have written on
them “one per purchase” or “one per purchase of like item”……..I’ve
tried to use multiple coupons, for instance, Act Popcorn at Winco and
the cashier refused my coupons because they read, one per
purchase……on the show there were items the couponers purchased and
i have the same coupons and mine read “one per purchase”.  So does
this depend on the store and cashier to take these multiple coupons?
does it also depend on the store and cashier to double a coupon that
reads “do not double”.  I hope you can explain this to me.

Answer: This is a great question and asked at every coupon class I teach, so I thought it would be a good topic to cover.  First let me say the fine print on a coupon should be read and honored.   A store has the right to refuse a coupon  ( which is silly they get reimbursed the full amount plus 8 cents).  That being said this is what the fine print means…

If your coupon says ” One coupon per purchase”

That means you are only able to use one coupon per item purchased.  ( NOT buy 5 items and scan the same coupon 5 times).  If you are buying or purchasing 5 items you can then use 5 coupons.  Ask yourself or the cashier how many items did I purchase….5, so that means you can use 5 coupons  (One per purchase). You can have multiple ”purchases” within one transaction.

If the coupon was to say “One coupon per transaction” then yes you are only to use one coupon for one item on that shopping trip.

If the coupon was to say ” One coupon per House Hold” then you are only use one coupon , not even on a new transaction or next shopping trip.

Many of you may have noticed P&G a few months back changed the wording on there coupons.  They now reads ” Limit one coupon per purchase, Limit of 4 like coupon in the same shopping trip” The top line means the same as above, one coupon per item or purchase ( you can buy 3 of the same items and use 3 coupons)…. but then the next line gives you even further instruction.  Only 4 like items in the same shopping trip.  So you can buy as many P&G products as you want in one transaction….but limited to 4 of each product. So 4 toothpaste, 4 shampoo, 4 bodywash…you get the idea.

The main thing is to remember a transaction is different than a purchase.  A transaction is the sum of all the items or all the purchases you made.

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To be honest I use to think coupons were a waste of time. I would clip just a few and throw the rest in the trash. But my eyes have been opened. Now I look at a coupon as money in my pocket. Hope this info helps, let me know what other question you have.

1. Dairy – milk, Ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, butter, cheese, other dairy
2. Breakfast- Kellogg’s cereal, Post cereal. GM cereal, other cereal, granola bars, Quaker products, breakfast mix, frozen breakfast, other breakfast
3. Beverages- soda, fruit juice, veggie juice, powdered, other
4. Canned- fruit, veggies, soup Campbell’s, soup other, broth, chili, sauce, other
5. Condiments- mayo, pickles, olives, salad toppings, salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, peanut butter, jelly, other
6. Grains- Dry pasta, mac& cheese, Hamburger helper, rice, side dishes, potatoes, baking- Brownies, cake, muffin, frosting, sugar, oil, flour, other
7. Snacks- fruit snacks, nuts, popcorn, gum, candy, chocolate, crackers, cookies, chips, other
8. Frozen- bread, rolls, pizza, dessert, pasta, veggies, dinners, meat, Asian, other
9. Food misc.- diet, health, Mexican, Asian, meat, other
10. Baby- diapers, soap, food, other
11. Medication- laxatives, aspirin, Tylenol, cough drops, muscle pain, cold meds, tums and pepto, first aide supplies, other
12. Paper – tissue, t.p., napkins, paper plates, cups, Ziploc bags, glad bags, other
13. Soap- hand soap, body wash, Dove product’s, Olay products, Shampoo with 2 full sheets,
14. Personal care- deodorant, feminine, razors, shave gel,
15. Toothpaste- Colgate, crest, kids, mouthwash, toothbrush,
16. Make up- cover girl, olay, Revlon, maybelline, other, skin care, lotion, chap stick,
17. Dish soap- liquid, powdered, laundry soap and products,
18. Home- other cleaners, carpet, floor, window, Clorox, Lysol, bathroom, glade, air wick, oust, febreze,
19. Pets- food, care, other
20. Batteries

Related posts:

1. TLC Extreme Couponing
2. A few fun facts about couponing!
3. Blessing of couponing…

I wanted to alert you that TONIGHT, December 29th, at 8pm (eastern), Nathan Engels (MrCoupon) or Nathan Engles (they misspelled his name) along with three other people will be featured on TLC Extreme Couponing and you bet we will be watching it. Extreme Couponers are what many non-couponers call us and it will be fun to see how they portray those who love to live Thrifty by using coupons. We hope that it is positive, but whatever the outcome our goal continues to be one that inspires people to use coupons!

We may be a little ‘extreme’ but our desire and hope is for families that need to save money will check out couponing!!!

Nathan wanted to hint towards something that he built, that was about 15 feet tall!! They filmed it’s creation and it was almost entirely donated to local foodbanks! TLC also filmed the giving aspect of couponing!! During this episode they donated around $6000-$7000 in product to a fantastic pantry!!! (they shared this not to brag, but to lead by example, giving is such an amazing aspect of couponing!!!)

So check out TLC Extreme Couponing on The Learning Channel at 8pm TONIGHT.
To visit Nathans site WeUseCoupons Click Here

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2. Couponing and Food Storage
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You can read Part 1 Here

And Part 2 Here

These issues will never change as long as people out there try to fake the system. And in an economy like ours that is so up and mostly down, with so many out of work or simply struggling survival instincts kick in and people will do anything to stay alive. Or people are unethical and produce fake coupons simply because they can.

We really have a hard time posting ANY kind of PDF coupon. In almost every case in which we do post a link for a PDF coupon on major brands we almost always state that is comes directly from the manufacture.

If there is any doubt we will rather forgo the deal then post something questionable to the point where we or you could get in trouble. There is a nonprofit group that works with manufactures to help find and prosecute makers and users of fake coupons. They are called the Coupon Information Corporation or CIC. They have a link HERE that is updated frequently when ever a fake coupon comes out.

They even have rewards to help find people who produce or teach people how to produce fake coupons, like this link to their $25,000 reward pdf here

Related posts:

1. Can You Spot the Fake? Part 1 of 2
2. Can you spot a fake? Part 2 of 2
3. Coupon Fraud…

Photo: ABC news

There are many people and sites that insist that the couponer is the main reason why stores stay in business. And by this they teach couponers to feel so empowered that they are the only one in the store and no else matters.

We have always tried to teach people how to use coupons. We feel that it is not an entitlement to coupon but rather a privileged to have the opportunity to save so much and are very thankful to stores, manufactures, managers and the cashiers that we befriend.

We are nobody’s mother, or father (since I am the one typing). We can only ask that we treat those that we shop with and from the same way that we would want to be treated. Just the other day Sarah was at a store she shops at frequently, and the cashier told her of a comment that a shopper had made. She said that a shopper told her that we ” A Thrifty Mom” said to do a transaction that wasn’t kosher. The cahier handled the situtation while thinking to her self, that she knew Sarah and knew Sarah would not of said that.

One thing we need to remember is that we are in a store with their rules. We need to follow proper ethics and be polite and kind with everyone in the store. A good example is when Sarah is at Walgreens, she almost always uses the cosmetic cashier to do her lengthy checkouts. When Sarah sees another person coming to check out there as well, she pulls her shopping cart aside, and insist that the customer go ahead of her. Sarah does this no matter if she just started her check out or is one or two transactions away from finishing. She feels that by allowing a customer who is purchasing normal items and is not trying to roll catalinas to go ahead. It not only shows respect and portrays kindness to the customer, but then the cashier too realizes how kind and thoughtful Sarah is to both the stores customers, and to the store employees also.

Now I know some cashier can be down right rude, and make couponing at nightmare.  But that is a whole different blog post.

One of our long time readers sent us this email below that inspired me to make an additional comments and include this in a post.

I was at Albertsons today and was talking to my favorite checker.  There was no one behind me so we had time to visit.  She told me a story that made me a bit upset.  One day last week she had a customer come through her line that had coupons.  Some of the coupons had been cut in a way that the expiration date was cut off.  My checker explained that she could not take coupons without an expiration date.  The lady then proceeded to throw a fit insisting yes she would take them.  She started screaming, being rude etc.  She informed the checker that “it is people like me who are unemployed and use coupons that are the reason you have your job”. She made such a scene that my checker said she (the checker) was in tears after it was over. Please don’t be this person when you coupon.  If you feel that the checker is wrong, which can happen, calmly ask for a manager.  You can even go to customer service after your transaction is finished and speak with someone.  Being calm and polite does not hurt anyone and will leave you feeling better as well as those you deal with

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Reader - I don’t understand the of buying Vaseline sheer lotion and spending $6.00 to use $1.00 off. You are still initially spending $5.00. Even though you are getting RR’s for $5.00, you wind up buying something or spending on something you don’t need. When you use the RR the next time and have a manufacturer coupon, they don’t let you use 2 coupons.

A Thrifty Mom -This is great question, and I hope I can try to answer it for you. First off Vaseline happens to be my favorite lotion, so I am excited every time there is a deal on it. That being said, the key to getting the best deals at Walgreens is to “roll your register rewards” from week to week. A Register Reward is just like cash in your pocket there are just rules to using it.

On the example you stated, The Vaseline was $5.99. and you get back a $5 RR after you pay. I was able to use a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off making my total out of pocket only $4.99 plus tax. Now I could just pay cash, but instead I paid with a $5 John Frieda hair catalina I got last week…..now because I used 1 coupon and 1 RR it messed up my coupon item ration (ratio 2 coupons 1 item). So I bought a black halloween cup for a filler item that was only $.13 for it. I can now pay (because my coupon item ratio is now 2 coupons, 2 items) Which means I pay $.12 plus tax and get back another $5 register reward that I can “roll” towards my next set of deals at Walgreens. Walgreens can be a little tricky to get the hang of… but worth learning because every week you can find a thrifty deal!

Do I ever buy things I do not need? Yes some times I do, but just because I do not need them does not mean they are going to waste. There are needy families every where. It breaks my heart I can not do more. It feels great to be able to give someone a really nice bottle of lotion, shampoo, razor…. that I only had to pay pennies for.

WALGREENS TIPS

• To view Walgreens official coupon policy click here
• I always check out at the cosmetics counter, and if anyone comes behind me I let them go first, so I do not hold up the line.
• One thing to remember about Walgreens RR (register reward) is you can not use a “chap stick RR” to pay for another chap stick and have another RR print. BUT you can use a “toothpaste” RR to pay for chap stick and have another RR print.
• Also remember that Walgreens has a coupon item ratio rule, you can only use as many coupons as you have items. They count RR as coupons. So if I was only buying 4 items ( all of which had manufacture coupons which meant my item coupon ratio was already 4 to 4) I wanted to pay with a RR I would need to ad a filler item something cheap like a pencil. This would then make my coupon ration 5 ( 4 manufacturer coupons and 1 register reward) and my item ratio 5. I then could pay with my coupons and RR with no problem. An instore coupon does NOT count as a coupon in this ratio….just as a sale price.
• Also remember that only one RR per product will print per transaction. For example If wanted to buy 3 bottles of Aussie shampoo. In order to have 2 RR print for each one I had to buy them in 3 transactions. My store is happy to let me go thru the line more than once ……but some store will limit you.
• You can not pay for sales tax with a RR

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