Q & A

From an email...

Coupon Clipper: I cannot thank you enough for showing me and everyone else how to use coupons. I have saved so much already. I am just amazed at the results.

On Saturday, I was able to buy the Palmolive and Campbell's soup. Everything went really smoothly. Yesterday, I was able to get the free Colgate Walgreen's toothpaste -2 tubes and the free cottenelle toilet paper 36 rolls with the use of six coupons.

So between these two days, I have already recouped my expenses on your class and this week's papers.

The deal I am most proud of happened today. Jacob, my son, is sick and we were given a list of prescriptions and over-the-counter stuff I needed. Prior to your class, I would have went to CVS and paid $26.00 for the needed items. However, I thought how can I make this any cheaper with coupons? I had three coupons that were generated from my previous purchases at CVS. I had a "new/transferred prescription get a $25 gift card", "$4 off a $20 purchase", and "$1 eb"

So I bought my Rx's for $10 total and used the gift card coupon. Then I asked for a second transaction and purchased a nasal spray, children's Zyrtec and my hubbie's favorite face soap as a bonus just to bring my bill up to $20. So after the use of my $4 off coupon, $1 eb and the use of the gift card. I paid $10 out of pocket and walked away with $7.33 for future CVS purchases. In other words all this stuff cost me only $2.67!!!! ($30 in savings)

What a blessing to learn this method and to start thinking differently about how I spend money on these items. I just had to tell you. I walked out of CVS today with tears in my eyes at how the Lord really provides :)

I do have one question. Today, after I went to CVS, I walked into Walgreens to buy two more tubes of toothpaste. The deal did not work the way I thought it would. So I was wondering if you could tell me what I did wrong?

I bought the 2 tubes of Colgate for 2/$3.00. This time I had $1.00 coupon, $0.75 off coupon and $1.00 in RR (earned from my previous Colgate Toothpaste deal) . I handed all three to the cashier and I think he rang up the RR first then the $1.00 off coupon. When he came to the $0.75 off coupon, it would not take it. So my total was $1.18 vs. $0.43. I also did not get my $1 RR. (Maybe the cashier forgot to give it to me in the confusion or it did not generate.) I tried to explain what I was trying to do, and the cashier tried to enter it manually but it was no good. I just paid the $1.18, since it was still a good deal.

So I am wondering if I messed up the order of how the coupons should be rung up? Or when I looked at my receipt I noticed that the RR and 1.00 coupon both were listed at manu coupons, could that be the problem? (The cashier did say that I had reached my maximum of coupons prior to the $0.75 coupon) Or could it be that since my RR was earned on the same deal a day earlier, you cannot use that RR on the same deal a day later- you need to use it on something else in the store? Any of your thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks for everything!

Me: Yay! You are doing great!!!

Walgreen's will accept 1 coupon per item purchased- and the RR's scan like a coupon (because they are manufacturer rewards). You essentially were trying to use 3 coupons. Walgreen's also will NOT allow looping. Looping is taking the RR from one deal and 'looping' it into the next- for an identical deal.

For example, you received $1 RR for your first two tubes of Colgate toothpaste. If you choose to use your RR on your next purchase of two tubes of Colgate- your RR's will be voided in the computer system. This is a protection by the manufacturer so that you won't 'clean out' the inventory of an item.

*I have also found that if I use a RR from Wyeth (makers of Robitussin) to pay for another Wyeth product... my RR's will not print. So it is best to know what companies make the products that you are planning on purchasing.

If I were you, I'd return your 2nd batch of toothpastes and rebuy them (especially with the coupon's found on the link in my post about Colgate... both tubes will be FREE!

Happy Shopping! (you will only get better and better at spending your money!!!