Chester County Moms Savings Week at Wendell August (FREE Hand Hammer & Coupon) 12/14-12/17

Main Street at Exton

103 Woodcutter Street

Exton, PA 19341

Phone:610-363-2426

Our friends at Wendell August Forge in Exton, have made us an offer we couldn’t refuse…. Stop by between December 14th – December 17th for a FREE Hand Hammer activity for the kiddo’s and incredible savings for your wallet….did someone say…TEACHER GIFT?

(If you have trouble downloading this coupon please let us know us and we will email it to you)

General Coupon Pointers

You’re ready to rock and roll with your coupons! There are only a few more tips that you need to know before you start saving big. They are:

Read the Coupon’s Fine Print
You want to walk into a store brimming with confidence about your coupons. One of the ways to do this is to educate yourself. Read the fine print on the coupon. Does it say “do not double?” Are you able to use one coupon per transaction or one per item purchased? When does it expire? How many items do you have to buy to use the coupon? What specific item and size of that item is the coupon for? Knowing exactly how your coupon may be used can help at the checkout in case one won’t go through, or your cashier raises any questions. You can provide a knowledgeable response because you have done your research!

Know the Store’s Coupon Policy
Stores should have their policies available at the customer service desk. Many stores also have their policies available online or can email you a copy if you request one. Just as it is important for you to read your coupon’s fine print, it is equally important that you know your store’s coupon policy. Do they double, and if so, how high? Is there a limit on how many coupons they’ll double? Do they accept printable coupons? Do they accept competitor’s coupons? These points are crucial for you to be aware of when planning your grocery lists!

Double Coupons
It is becoming fairly common for stores to offer some sort of double coupon policy. Be sure to confirm how your store’s policy works before planning your shopping list. Many stores will double coupons up to 99 cents. This means that any coupon from $.01-$.99 will be doubled at face value, for instance a $.99 coupon would be worth $1.98 off of your purchase. Some stores will only double up to $1, meaning that the highest amount you can save is $1.

Remember That Your Time is Valuable
A popular saying on many coupon websites is “YMMV” which stands for “your mileage may vary.” Simply put, that means you might be able to use a coupon at one store, but get hassled when you try to use the same coupon at another store. Stores will sometimes refuse to honor a coupon. Does that mean they’re right? No, not necessarily. You can always ask for a manager or call the corporate office. Keep in mind though that your time also has a price and there will always be another sale. Before escalating into an angry coupon tirade, ask yourself if it’s worth it. More than likely, it’s not. Smile politely, take your coupon back, and know that another good deal is just around the corner.

Coupon Stacking
A great way to save big bucks and many times get items for free is to shop at a store that allows “coupon stacking.” Some stores will allow you to use ONE store coupon stacked with ONE manufacturer coupon together on ONE item! Walgreens is one store that lets you stack coupons. There are many opportunities for free products when you match a Walgreens circular coupon with a manufacturer coupon.

Bottom line: The more you educate yourself about your coupons and the stores that you are shopping at, the more successful you will be!

Devon posts regularly on her blog, www.mamacheaps.com. When she is not blogging or designing personalized candy wrappers for her store, Winterwood Press, she is spending time with her husband and her 9 month ol

Organizing Your Coupon Stockpile

Okay, you’ve accumulated all of this new coupon lingo, and are ready to start stockpiling your own coupons. If you’re going to be a serious couponer, it is crucial that you have some sort of organization technique.

Many times you will find an ad scenario that looks like this: $3.99 Secret Deodorant- Use $2/1 SS 2/15. Translated into plain English, this means, Secret Deodorant is on sale for $3.99. Use the $2 off 1 deodorant coupon that was in the Smart Source insert in the Sunday paper from 2/15.

I’ve gotten advice from several friends on how to go about organizing my coupons, and here’ is the method that has worked the best for me.

First, I write the date on the very front page of each insert.

Then I file away all inserts from that day in their own file folder. I don’t have to waste time clipping coupons that I might never use, and when making my shopping list I can quickly access the coupons I might need.

Hot tip: Did you know that some dollar stores sell the Sunday paper?! I scored these three at my local Dollar Tree! If you are in coupon stockpiling mode, you might want to pick up 2-5 papers each week. As long as you use $2-$5 in coupons, you paid for the papers!

Other ways to organize coupons: http://tipnut.com/coupon-organizer-system/

Bottom line: You need to find a method that works for you! You don’t necessarily have to clip every single coupon and take them all to the store with you every week (though some people do!). Pick a method to try, and don’t be afraid to try a different one if it’s not working out!

Devon posts regularly on her blog, www.mamacheaps.com. When she is not blogging or designing personalized candy wrappers for her store, Winterwood Press, she is spending time with her husband and her 9 month ol

Coupon Stockpiling

“I noticed you got 5 free deodorants today. How did you get not one, but FIVE for free?!”

The answer? I STOCKPILE MY COUPONS!

One of my favorite things to do when I come home from the store is to take a picture of my “loot pile.” I then upload this picture onto my website and blog about the deals that I found at the store. Frequently you will see that I was able to grab several of the same item because of a great sale/coupon combo.

I am able to get more than one of the item because I have a coupon stockpile, meaning, I usually have more than one of every coupon. How do I do this? I buy several copies of the Sunday paper.

I’ve seen some websites recommend buying 1 paper for every family member in your home. Other people have different methods of deciding how many to buy. My method is simple: I buy 5 papers. There’s no real reasoning behind it, other than 5 papers seems to be enough to get a lot of items from the store!

If I get a tip that the upcoming inserts hold especially valuable coupons, I might pick up 1 or 2 additional papers. I save money on buying so many papers by purchasing them at the dollar store. Check to see if your dollar store sells them!

Next week’s topic: Organizing Your Coupon Stockpile!

Devon posts regularly on her blog, www.mamacheaps.com. When she is not blogging or designing personalized candy wrappers for her store, Winterwood Press, she is spending time with her husband and her 9 month old daughter.

Coupons, Coupons, Everywhere!

Okay, so you want to use coupons to save money. You know the lingo, you know to wait for a sale, but where can you find good coupons?!

Good coupons are EVERYWHERE!

Types of Coupons
Some of the different kinds of coupons out there include:
– Inserts: Manufacturer coupons found in the newspaper inserts in the Sunday paper
– Printables: Just as the name suggests, these are coupons that can be printed off of the internet. Many stores are leery of accepting these (some actually have written policies rejecting them). That is because they are frequently targets of fraud, through reproductions, barcode altering, etc. Make sure you know your store’s policy before trying to use them.
– Tear Pad: Coupons found in the store on a tear pad usually located right near the product they are advertising
– Catalinas: Coupons that print out of the little machines next to the register at grocery stores, drug stores, etc.
– Peelies: Coupons found on the actual product that you peel off to use
– Hang Tags: Coupons that hang from the actual product (most common on bottles, such as wine)

Next week’s topic: Coupon Stockpiling


Devon posts regularly on her blog, www.mamacheaps.com. When she is not blogging or designing personalized candy wrappers for her store, Winterwood Press, she is spending time with her husband and her 9 month old daughter.