Thank You for Reading our Blog!
Are you new to coupons and frugal shopping? It can all be a little overwhelming at times, but soon you will be saving your family tons of money and you'll be a pro before you know it! And remember, we're always here to help you!
A big tip to remember, is that just because you have a coupon for an item, does NOT always make it a great deal. Coupons are AWESOME and I never leave home without them, however the best way to get the best deal is to use the coupons in conjunction with a store sale, a store incentive offer or store coupon. Obviously, if it is an item that you need at your house and you have a coupon for it, by all means use it. But, by creating a stockpile of items that you have purchased at their lowest sale price using coupons and buying enough items to get you through until the next big sale, you will then realize how much more valuable coupons can be to you and your family. The Frugal Friends can help you get to that point!
This blog is intended to help you find great deals and learn how get more bang for your buck. You'll find coupon match ups, store deals, rebate offers, freebies and lots of other money saving ideas and tips. When reading this blog, a few things to know that will help you along your couponing journey are:
1. The abbreviations we use:
BOGO - Buy One Get One
wyb - When You Buy
SS - Smart Source Coupon Insert
RP - Red Plum Coupon Insert
P&G - Proctor and Gamble Insert
GM - General Mills Insert
IP - Internet Printable Coupon
MQ or MC - Manufacturers Coupon
IVC - Instant Value Coupon (Walgreens)
2. Store Rewards: Each store has rewards that are basically the same thing. You purchase an item that has a store reward offered for that week, and after your purchase you receive a reward. The reward is good toward your next purchase and is usually printed at the bottom of your receipt or as a Catalina coupon along with your receipt. The following are store rewards referenced here most often:
- Rite Aid - +up rewards (+up)
- Walgreens - Register Rewards (RR)
- CVS - Extra Care Bucks (ECB)
3. Store Match ups: Each week you can check here to see what deals I think are worth checking out at various stores. You will notice that each coupon will reference the insert and the date. This is the easiest way to organize your coupons and fastest way to find them. If you are unfamiliar with our organizational system, please check the Organize! tab for more info.
4. Internet Printable Coupons: There are 3 main Internet printable coupon sites. They are:
Red Plum.com
Smart Source.com
Coupons.com
If you have never printed coupons from the Internet, you will need to download a free program offered by these sights -Coupon Printer- to properly print your coupons. You will be given the option to do so when you visit their site and begin to print. Remember you can usually, unless noted, print 2 coupons per computer.
Each store has different policies and ways they accept coupons. For more information, take a look at the Store Guides Tab. This will give you a general overview of several stores mentioned here.
