Simple Saving Savvy/index

HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY !! Yes To Carrots Giveaway

>> Monday, March 1, 2010

Not only do we have a new look but we're ONE YEAR OLD!

That's right, on March 9, Simple Saving Savvy will celebrate her one year blogiversary! But we're gonna celebrate all week long!

All week long you can expect to find special guest posts, great giveaways and lots of new information to help you save more, give more and live intentionally.

So to get this party started...let's talk about carrots and tomatoes and cucumbers and no I'm not talking about gardening. I'm talking about the Yes To family.

If you're unfamiliar with the Yes To family, I'm referring to Yes To Carrots, Yes To Tomatoes and Yes To Cucumbers. These are families of Paraben Free products especially suited to your face, body, hands and hair.

All of the Yes To products combine the fresh, unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables with the purifying and moisturizing properties of 26 minerals harvested from the ancient world's most renowned spa- the Dead Sea.

Yes To Carrots is a complete family of skin and hair care products that combine the anti-oxidant power of Beta Carotene from orange organic fruits and vegetables, with Dead Sea Minerals. When it comes to natural ingredients, carrots are the best known vegetable source of Beta-Carotene, a powerful anti-oxidant that helps reduce daily damage to your skin and hair. Together with Dead Sea Minerals, Yes To Carrots is the perfect solution for normal to dry skin.

Yes To Tomatoes is a complete family of skin and hair care products uniquely combining red organic fruits and vegetables and Dead Sea Minerals.
In addition to their amazing skin-balancing properties, that gorgeous red color comes from Lycopene, a potent anti-oxidant, excellent at fighting free radicals. Together with Dead Sea Minerals, this special combination not only promotes healthy skin, but also absorbs excess surface oils, perfect for balancing oily/combination skin.

Yes To Cucumbers is a complete family of skin and hair care products combining the refreshing, soothing and calming power of green organic fruits and vegetables, with Dead Sea Minerals. Cucumbers are naturally hydrating, and are a fantastic source of both vitamins C and K. Combined with Dead Sea Minerals, this is a wonderful treat for sensitive skin.

Formulated specifically for three different skin/hair types, there's a family for you! But don't limit yourself to just one family, explore them all as some formulas can be used for all skin types.

I, personally, am an exfoliating nut. I love the Yes To Carrots Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser. It's blended with carrot seed oil, carrot juice, pumpkin, sweet potato and dead sea mud. It's gentle enough to use everyday and I love the clean fragrance.

Today I have THREE Yes To Carrots Travel with C Shower Essentials kits to give away. Each kit contains a trial size bottle of Daily Pampering Shampoo, Daily Pampering Conditioner and Carrot Rich Shower Gel in a fun little pouch that can definitely be reused.

To enter for a chance to win: complete and submit the form below

For two additional entries into this giveaway:

Become a Simple Saving Savvy Facebook Fan

Follow me on Twitter.

Be sure to complete the form for each entry. This giveaway will end on Friday, March 5 at 10pm. Available to US residents only.

Disclosure: Yes To Carrots was not involved with this giveaway. All opinions are mine and were given freely. Information about Yes To Carrots products was taken from their website.

Welcome to the NEW Simple Saving Savvy

Well? What do you think? You like?

Maria and I have been hard at work for the past few months to bring you a NEW and IMPROVED Simple Saving Savvy.

I really hope this new layout will be alot more user friendly and efficient for you all. Let me introduce you to some of the new features.

First of all, I am a bit on the conservative side when it comes to design and I think Maria did an excellent job of capturing my personality but also giving us a fun and trendy new look.

You'll notice we now have tabs at the top of the home page that link you to different pages covering different topics. This gives the blog more of a "website" feel and also helps me keep things more streamlined and from looking overly crowded. It also helps you find your way around better. And I hope it will help new coupon users not to feel overwhelmed by the wealth of information at their fingertips.

We now have iframes for Coupons.com, Redplum.com and SmartSource.com so you won't even have to leave Simple Saving Savvy to print your coupons. Just click on the tab at the top of the page and VOILA! Be sure to check out the sidebars on these pages for more coupon resources.

We also have a Resources page. This is a great place to send your friends who are just learning to use coupons. This page contains all the information I teach in my coupon classes. These posts will explain to a newcomer where to find coupons, how to use them strategically and what to consider when organizing. They also feature detailed store guides.

If you have any questions or feedback about the new site, please email me or leave a comment on this post.

And before I close, I just have to say a HUGE Thank You to Maria! We worked mainly by email and I know I bombarded her inbox with one thing after another and changed my mind a thousand times. Through it all she was a saint! Always willing to help and seeming to know exactly what I wanted. I would highly recommend her for any graphic design project you might have.

Coupon Organization: Three Ring Binder

>> Thursday, February 18, 2010

Target Store Guide

Shopping at Target can be very expensive. Some grocery items are comparable with Walmart but for the most part they tend to be higher priced. It is possible, however, to shop at Target and save. But there are a few things you need to know.

Target publishes their own store coupons. These coupons can be stacked with manufacturer coupons to increase your savings. Target printable coupons are available on the Target website. Sometimes Target publishes coupon in Sunday inserts. And they also send direct mailers filled with coupons. If you have a Target Red Card, you most definitely will receive these coupons by mail. Make sure you register on the Target website to receive updates which will increase your chances of receiving mailed coupons.
Target is now offering mobile coupons - a service where you can register your cell phone to receive weekly text messages that contain special offers.
Target also runs gift card promotions which would be the equivalent to CVS Extra Care Bucks or Walgreens Register Rewards. These promotions require that you buy specified products to receive a Target gift card at the end of your transaction. Often these promotions are advertised in the weekly circular but there are often unadvertised offers as well. You are allowed to use coupons on these promotions.
Target also offers "temporary price cuts" similar to Walmart Rollbacks. It's a temporary sale on a specified product that lasts for a certain length of time.

Target Shopping Strategies

Target allows you to stack one Target store coupon with one manufacturer coupon per item. Look for items that have coupon matchups with both a Target coupon and manufacturer coupon. Many times the item ends up being really cheap and better yet, FREE.
A better strategy, if you can work it out, is to use manufacturer coupons, stacked with Target store coupons on items that are part of a gift card promotion. You'll lower your out of pocket expense with coupons and often end up getting the items for next to nothing after the gift card is applied.

EXAMPLE: Target runs a gift card promotion on Gillette Fusion razors. The razors are sale prices at $6.99 and you have to buy two to get a $5 Target gift card. There are coupons out for $4.00/1 Gillette Fusion. So you buy two razors ($13.98), use (2) $4.00/1 coupons which reduces your out of pocket expense to $5.98. At the end of your transaction you'll receive a $5 Target gift card which makes your final cost only $0.98 for both razors. If you had a Target store coupon for Gillette Fusion, you could use that as well to further reduce your out of pocket and make the razors FREE.

And of course you'll want to keep an eye out for temporary price cuts that can be matched with coupons (manufacturer and/or Target store coupons).
Target also has a price matching policy. This can save lots of time and money if you can utilize it effectively. Pay attention to advertised sales at other stores and look for items with coupon matchups and better yet, Target store coupon matchups combined with a gift card promo. Be sure to check out the price match policy . Knowing the guidelines will save you frustration in the long run.

Target Tips:

Carry a copy of the Target Coupon Policy and the Price Match Policy with you while you shop. In case you run into a new cashier that is unfamiliar with policy, you'll have something to show them. This often saves time because a manager does not need to be called.
Be sure to hand manufacturer coupons to the cashier first and then Target store coupons.
When participating in more than one gift card promotion in the same shopping trip, break up your items into separate transactions to minimize your out of pocket cost. For example, on the Gillette Fusion promo described above, if you bought four razors in one transaction with four coupons, your out of pocket would be $11.96 and you'd end up with (2) $5 gift cards. That's a great deal but you've still spent $11.96 cash. Instead, buy two razors in one transaction, pay $5.98 and get the $5 gift card. Then do your second transaction with two razors. Your subtotal on the second transaction will be $5.98, use the $5 gift card from the first transaction and you'll only pay $0.98 out of pocket plus get another $5 gift card. So your total out of pocket for both transactions is only $6.96 and you still have a $5 gift card for your next shopping trip.
Look for clearance deals. Most Super Target stores place clearance items on the endcaps of the main aisles. Become familiar with where your particular store places these items and make it a point to check each time you shop. You never know what you'll find.
Always check your receipt immediately after you shop to make sure you received the right discounts and gift cards. It's always easier to resolve a situation when it happens. I have found Target Customer Service to be exceptional in making things right. If, for some reason, you are unable to resolve a situation with the store personnel, then call the Target Guest Relations lin at (800)440-0680.
While it is unofficial, Target seems to have a patterned markdown schedule:

Monday – Electronics, Kids Clothing and Stationary (Cards, GiftWrap, etc
Tuesday – Domestics, Women’s Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)
Wednesday – Men’s Clothing, Toys, Health and Beauty, Lawn & Garden items
Thursday – House Wares, Lingerie, Shoes, Sporting Goods, Movies, Music, Books, Decor and Luggage
Friday – Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, & Jewelry.

Holiday Clearance Schedule
50% off day after holiday for three days
75% off fourth day after holiday for three days
90% off seventh day after holiday for 1-2 days.

If you have any other questions, please email me or leave a comment on this post.

Walgreens Store Guide

Walgreens accepts one store specific coupon plus one manufacturer coupon per item.

Walgreens published a monthly in-store coupon book as well as other periodic in-store promotional coupon publications. You can also find "bonus" printable coupons on-line. Just go to Walgreen.com and click on weekly ad. In the upper right corner of the ad page you'll see "extra coupons".

Walgreens accepts internet printable coupons.

Walgreens offers a customer rewards program in the form of Register Rewards. This program does not require a loyalty card.

Follow these steps to see how it works.

Step #1 Purchase Promotional Items to Receive Register Rewards
Register Rewards are linked to the purchase of specific products advertised in the weekly sales circular and on displays in-store. Sometimes you only need to buy one item, sometimes you receive them for buying a certain quantity or dollar amount of specific products.

Register Rewards (RRs) are $ off coupons that are printed using the small Catalina Marketing printers located next to the register. Register rewards are received as a promotional “perk” from manufacturers to entice you to buy their products. For example: You buy a Gillette Fusion razor and a $4 Register Reward (RR) prints – this register reward is provided by Procter and Gamble. It is good for $4 off your next purchase at Walgreens. When you use your Register Reward, Walgreens will then submit that coupon to Procter and Gamble and get reimbursed.

Let's say Gillette Fusion razors are on sale for $8.99 with a $4 RR. If you bought the razor for $8.99, you would receive a $4 RR. Your final cost on this item is $4.99. (Please keep in mind that you still pay sales tax).

Let's say Crest Pro-Health Rinse was also on sale that week for 2/$7 with a $2.50 RR when you bought two. Your final cost is two for $4.50.

Here's the math:

8.99 Gillette Fusion Razor
3.50 Crest Pro-Health Rinse
3.50 Crest Pro-Health Rinse
15.99 Total (plus sales tax)
6.50 Earned RRs
9.49 Final Cost

By spending $15.99, you have accumulated $6.50 worth of RRs to be used like cash on your next shopping trip.

(For the sake of this outline I applied the RRs to the Total of this transaction to show you how RRs can save you money, however, RRs are usually applied to each transaction at time of use to get a more accurate out of pocket figure)

Step 2 - Purchase Promotional Items w/ Coupons
Walgreens allows you to purchase promotional items (those offering RRs) with coupons which brings down your out of pocket (OOP) and stretches your dollars even further. Let's view the above trip summary again but this time add in coupons.

8.99 Gillette Fusion Razor - $4 coupon
3.50 Crest Pro-Health Rinse - $2 coupon
3.50 Crest Pro-Health Rinse - $2 coupon
15.99 Total (plus sales tax)
-8.00 amount of coupons
7.99 Subtotal
6.50 Earned RRs
1.49 Final Cost

You now have accumulated $6.50 in RRs but have spent only $7.99 OOP.

Step 3 - Roll Those RRs
This is the KEY! Many people stop short at Step 3. They earn RRs and then turn around and spend them on just anything. The REAL deal is to use your RRs like cash on other promotional deals to generate more RRs and then use those RRs to do more promotional deals to get MORE RRs all the while matching up your coupons to the deals to bring down your OOP and make the deal even sweeter. Get the picture? We call it ROLLING.

Follow the four steps listed above and before you know it you'll have gotten more stuff for free than you ever imagined. Your cupboards will be overflowing....and at this point, don't forget those less fortunate than you.....give, give, give.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when rolling RRs. Here are afew FAQs that will help us put it all together:

Can I use a Register Reward to purchase items from the same promotion it came from and receive more RRs?
No, if you go in and buy a Gillette Fusion razor that generates an RR and then use that RR to buy another Gillette Fusion razor, your RRs will not print on the second trasaction.

If I do two of the same Register Reward deals in one transaction, will I receive double RRs?
No. Only one RR per promotion per transaction will print. This is Walgreens way of limiting the deals. However, if you repeat the deal, but in a separate transaction, you can earn more register rewards.

If I have an RR from the Gillette Fusion deal, can I use it toward the Crest Pro-Health Rinse and receive RRs?
No, both Gillette and Crest are made my Proctor & Gamble. If the manufacturers are the same, the deal will not work. If you are using a Register Reward coupon from one offer to pay for another promotional offer, make sure the offer is not by the same maker who issued the Register Reward being used as payment. You may, however, use a Register Reward from one manufacturer toward the balance on a different promotion by another maker and receive the RRs from that promotion.

Two more tips:

Register Rewards are considered coupons. You may use one coupon per item in the same transaction. So if you are using RRs toward your balance, you will need to purchase an item to stand in the gap for the RR. Try to find something super cheap to act as a “filler”. You will need one filler for every RR you intend to use in a single transaction.

I have A $4 and a $2 RR and I am doing this deal:

8.99 Gillette Fusion Razor - $4 coupon
3.50 Crest Pro-Health Rinse - $2 coupon
3.50 Crest Pro-Health Rinse - $2 coupon
15.99 Total (plus sales tax)
-8.00 amount of coupons
7.99 Subtotal

I am already using one coupon for each item I'm buying. So if I want to use the two ($4 & $2) RRs toward the $7.99 balance, I will need to add TWO more items to my order. Then my coupon to item ratio will be equal.

Register Rewards are only applicable to the amount of the sale before tax. They cannot be applied towards tax. When using RRs, you will need to make sure your before tax amount is equal to or more than the value of your RRs, otherwise the register will beep and not accept the RR.

CVS Store Guide

CVS allows you to stack their store coupons with manufacturer coupons.

CVS accepts internet printable coupons but reserves the right to limit them at the store managers discretion.

CVS offers a customer rewards (or loyalty) program called the CVS Extra Care Program in which you earn Extra Care Bucks on promotional items that can be used like cash on your next purchase.

The comment most people make when I mention I shop CVS is "it's so expensive". I have to agree with that. However, the key to making CVS shopping worth it is to participate in the Extra Care Program. Combining weekly sales, with coupons and extra care bucks (ECBs) can result in a substantial amount of savings. The purpose of this outline is to elaborate on how to do this. Once you have read it, I hope you will feel comfortable trying it on your own.

Step 1 - Get a Membership Card
The Extra Care Program utilizes a membership card. This card must be scanned in order to receive sale pricing, to be eligible for ECB promotions and also to track the limit on ECB promotions. The easiest way to get an Extra Care Card is by going to your local CVS. They’ll issue you a card right there and you can complete your information on-line later.

Step 2 - Purchase Promotional Items to Receive ECBs
Extra Care Bucks are earned by purchasing certain products during a promotional period. Some promotions are weekly deals and others last for the entire month. Monthly deals do not reset at the beginning of each week but rather the limits are set for the whole month. You may participate in each deal according to the limits set, usually ranging from 1-5. Your membership card will track when you have reached the deal limit and a deal summary will print at the bottom of your receipt. Any ECBs earned from that trip will also print at the bottom of your receipt. These can be used “like cash” on most items sold at CVS.

(As a general rule, ECBs cannot be used to pay for prescriptions, gift cards, tobacco products, alcohol, stamps, and milk. This may vary according to your local store policy.)

Try to find promotional items that offer a high amount of ECBs in ratio to the total cost of the item. For example: one week, there was a three-day sale on Irish Spring Body Wash. If you bought the body wash for 4.99, you received 4.99 in ECBs. Your final cost on this item is FREE. (Please keep in mind that you still pay sales tax).

Another promotion that week was for Colgate Max White 4.6-6oz toothpaste. Buy it for 2.99 and you receive 2.99 in ECBs. Again, final cost is free.

And then they had Dry Idea Roll-On Antiperspirant sale priced at 2.99. You get $2 in ECBs when you buy it and there's a limit of 2 on that one. You get the picture.

Here's the math:

4.99 Irish Spring Body Wash
2.99 MaxWhite Tooth Paste
2.99 Dry Idea
2.99 Dry Idea
13.96 Total (plus sales tax)
11.98 Earned ECBs
1.98 Total OOP (Out of Pocket)

By spending $13.96, you have accumulated 11.98 worth of ECBs to be used like cash on your next shopping trip.

(For the sake of this outline I applied the ECBs to the Total of this transaction to show you how ECBs can save you money, however, ECBs are usually applied to each transaction at time of use to get a more accurate savings calculation)

Step 3 - Purchase Promotional Items w/ Coupons
Purchasing promotional items (those offering ECBs) with coupons, brings down your OOP and stretches your dollars even further. Let's view the above trip summary again but this time add in coupons.

4.99 Irish Spring Body Wash - .50 Q
2.99 MaxWhite Toothpaste - .75 Q
2.99 Dry Idea - $2 Printable
2.99 Dry Idea - $2 Printable
13.96 Subtotal (plus sales tax)
5.25 Amount of coupons
8.71 Total
11.98 ECBs Earned

You now have accumulated 11.98 in ECBs but have spent only 8.71 OOP.

Step 4 - Roll Those ECBs
This is the clincher! Many people stop short at Step 3. They earn ECBs and then turn around and spend them on just anything. The REAL deal is to use your ECBs like cash on other promotional deals to generate more ECBs and then use those ECBs to do more promotional deals to get MORE ECBs all the while matching up your coupons to the deals to bring down your OOP and make the deal even sweeter. Get the picture? We call it ROLLING.

Follow the four steps listed above and before you know it you'll have gotten more stuff for free than you ever imagined. Your cupboards will be overflowing....at this point, don't forget those less fortunate than you.....give, give, give.

FAQs
Now we'll cover some frequent questions that come up. And remember, if anything comes up that I have not covered or you have questions, email me.

What is CVS coupon policy?
According to corporate coupon policy, you may use one manufacturer's coupon (Q) and one CVS coupon per item.

Keep in mind, that although this is general policy, corporate also gives their individual store managers discrepancy with coupon policy. One store may take unlimited IPs while another may say no duplicate IPs.

Also keep in mind that the "one coupon per item" policy does not apply to $x off $xx CVS coupons (see below).

Where do I get CVS coupons?
CVS coupons come from a variety of sources. Some are mailed, some are emailed (once you link your Extra Care Card to your on-line account) but most are found printed at the bottom of your cash register tape along with your ECBs.

The ones printed at the bottom of your receipt are usually for $x off a specified item, similar to a regular manufacturer's coupon. On occasion CVS also gives coupons good for FREE items, usually CVS brand.

As a thank you for shopping at CVS and to get you to spend more money, $x off $xx coupons will sometimes print at the bottom of your receipt. In other words, when you spend a certain dollar amount, you will receive a certain amount off your purchase. The $x off $xx coupons may be used over and above all other coupons but only one per transaction.

Some CVS stores have kiosks that have a coupon printer. You can scan your card before your shopping trip and receive coupons before you shop. These coupons will be for items CVS wants to push that week or for the types of items you normally buy using your Extra Care Card.

When a promotion says I need to buy $20 worth of a certain product to earn ECBs, is that before or after coupons?
The total is calculated before coupons.

Do I have to finish a promotion in one transaction?
Not usually. For instance, if the promotion states buy $20 worth of Proctor & Gamble and get $10, you could buy $10 in one transaction and $10 in another. Your ECB would print at the end of the second transaction after your total spent reached $20. On rare occasions, the ad will mention that you have to complete the promotion in one transaction.

How many ECBs can I use per transaction?
As many as you want. However, the register will stop accepting them if they will make your subtotal (pre-tax total) negative.

What are quarterly ECBs?
These are earned based on the amount you actually spent (OOP) at CVS and from prescriptions filled during that quarter. You will get back 2% of what you actually spent out of pocket and a $1 ECB for every 2 prescriptions you have filled online or in store.

The quarters run from January to March, April to June, July to September and October to December. Your quarterly ECB will print on or after the first day of the month following the end of the quarter.

Can I use my ECBs on someone else’s card?
No, the ECBs earned on your card are coded to only work for transactions completed with that same card.

Can I have more than one card?
You cannot have more than one card in your name. In the past, CVS has allowed one card per member of your household. Although they have not formally changed policy, they are trying to get away from this. If you call corporate, they will tell you that you can have more than one card per household, however, managers are increasingly starting to frown upon this, mainly because people have abused it.

Since there is not an official policy in place forbidding multiple cards, Simple Saving Savvy leaves this up to your own discretion, however, we personally advocate one card per household. Trust me, the first time you go to CVS to do a deal and they are out of stock because that person with five cards came in before you, you'll understand why we take this stand.

I have only one card for my family and I get plenty of FREE stuff all year long.

Can I use my $5 ECB on an item that only costs $3?
You can, but you would lose money. You have to use the full amount of the ECB because you will not get money back.

When they have a "Buy xx worth of ________, and earn $xx ECBs" promotion, and the items are on sale B1G1 Free, do both of them count toward the promo?
If the ECB deal is based on buying a specific DOLLAR AMOUNT in order to obtain the ECB, then only the one you actually pay for counts. The free one does NOT count. However, if the promotion is based on buying a specific NUMBER of items in order to obtain the ECB, then both items will count.

If CVS has an ECB deal that is unlimited or has a limit of more than one and I buy them all in the same transaction, how do the ECBs print out?

All of the ECBs earned in a given transaction for EACH promo will be combined into one larger ECB.

What if a promotional item isn't in stock?
You can ask for a rain check. In this case, the cashier should write your rain check with the ECBs figured into the cost of the item. Some stores do this differently though and give a rain check for regular cost with a note regarding ECBs. Then when you cash in your rain check, they either force ECBs from the register or give you a gift card.

Can I earn the advertised ECBs when I shop online?
No. Advertised ECBs are earned for in-store purchases only.

Can I use my ECBs to pay when I shop online?
Any ECBs earned in stores cannot be used to check out online. The only ECBs that may be redeemed online are the quarterly ones. And since those are usually only a couple of bucks at the most, it doesn't even pay for shipping.

Considering A Coupon Organization Method

There are many different ways to do this and everyone has her own opinion on the best method. Whatever organization method you finally settle on, the most important thing is that it works for YOU.

Here are some things to consider when choosing an organization method:

1) What are your money saving goals? Do you want to save a little or a lot? Are you happy with saving $10 a week with coupons or are you wanting to see the big savings roll in? Are you looking to save only on what you use on a weekly basis or are you wanting to stockpile in order to cut future costs? Your answers to these questions will help determine what method you should choose. If you're only looking to save a little money here and there on the products you already use or only on the things you buy on a weekly basis, then I would recommend a simple organization method that doesn't take much time (see coupon organization methods page). If you choose an extremely detailed and time consuming method, you will end up putting more time into it then you save and will become discouraged. If, however, your goal is to save BIG and/or stockpile in order to save in the future, then you need a more advanced, better organized organization method (see coupon organization methods page).

2) How much money do you have available to spend on supplies? Some organization methods will require a bigger investment than others. If you only have a few dollars to spend right away, then it might be best to start with a simpler, less expensive organization method and then use your savings to switch to a more elaborate system later.

3) How much time to you have to spend on organization? Some systems simply take more time. It will ultimately be up to you to determine how much time you have to spend AND how much time you ACTUALLY WILL SPEND on organizing your coupons.

4) What method will you ACTUALLY use? You know your personality and your schedule better than most. What method will you actually use? It's one thing to like the idea of using an elaborate and time consuming organization system but are you the type of person that will actually put the time into it? Do you actually have the time? If not, then choose a simpler method so that you don't take the chance of becoming overwhelmed and frustrated.

These are just a few tips to help you determine how to organize your coupons. It may be that you already know which method will be best for you. It may also be a game of trial and error until you get the hang of the couponing game.

Remember to keep it personal. Whatever method you decide on, make it your own. Everyone shops differently and thinks differently so what works for one person may not feel right to you.