So I have been asked and asked and asked by family and friends about my new couponing and price matching addiction and how I do it....So, here is my lesson on how to do it :)
First of all if you want to get a lot of coupons for super cheap...Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune Sunday edition. There is a special right now for $0.50 a week for 26 weeks you can get the Sunday edition with all the coupons in it. Great Deal!! Call 1-800-311-8500 (offer code X974) after the 6 months it goes to full price.
While you are waiting for your subscription go to www.icouponlp.com and read everything on their website. They have coupon books for sale too, which are great to have. Also, this is run by a couple of local women so if you can make a donation to their page to keep them happy and to help us by continuing to receive all their couponing knowledge it would be appreciated! This website will answer a lot of questions!
Next, you can become friends with the ladies that started the icouponlp website on their facebook page La Porte iCoupon Group. This is a fantastic group of ladies who will swap coupons with you, exchange area sales and give great advice on how to coupon and price match.
This is where I have learned everything.
Well, that and at www.krazycouponlady.com That website has all the web printable coupons I use too. Just click on the printable tab and all the coupons that are good right now come up in alphabetical order. I always check for a coupon when I know I am going to the store for something...that and now I look for local ads to price match at Walmart.
Which brings me to my next subject: Price Matching...this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I wasn't around before bread was sliced..but I can just imagine how genius it was.
Our local Walmart will price match with any stores sales ad within 50 miles. That means Chicago area stores are included. It is amazing. Here is a list of the stores I price match with:
CVS
Dominicks
Family Dollar
KMart
Martins
Menards
Pay Low
Rite-Aid
Strack & Van Til
Target
Town and Country
Walgreens
Walmart
Wiseway
Walts
Hardings
Als
Central Market
Fresh Country Market
Now, I am not an expert whatsoever. Leave that to the icouponlp girls. They also give classes too once you get into it a little you will have questions and these classes will help answer your questions.
But, this is how I do it....
I visit each website and click on the weekly ad section. I go through (or print) each page and click on the items I am shopping for that week. Most sites have a "shopping cart" that will save your items and you can just print out your shopping cart.
I then use the spreadsheet the icoupon ladies have on their website to right down my shopping list and at which stores had the sale. It makes it much easier to look at one sheet instead of a bunch of ads.
Then I shop! I always look at Walmart's price..a couple of times the stores ad is more or the same cost as Walmart's everyday price..so make sure you pay attention. My first few trips I wrote down all the prices so I could really compare at home how much I saved. I used to save about $30 on a $100 trip. Now, I am up to $45-$50 on a $100 bill. But that is using my coupons too.
Here is what I do when I get to the checkout lane... I tell the cashier that I have some price matching but I am going to do the non-price matching stuff first. I pick out everything that I am not price matching and put that on the conveyor first. Then when the cashier is ready, I will tell her/him each items price. Have your ads in your hand so that you can be ready if they ask you to see the ad.
That's it...then I had them my coupons. :) They take any manufacturer's coupon. So as long as it says "manufacturers coupon" they will take it at Walmart. I get a lot of Kroger coupons in the mail that I use at Walmart because most of them say Manufacturers coupon on it..some do say Store Coupon, which won't work...
I am in no way an expert, I probably can't even answer any of your questions..I am just here to show you to the people that I believe can help and that is the ladies on the icoupon website and facebook page. But, I do know that it has saved me a ton of money and I am grateful for that! :)
