Are you having trouble printing coupons?

Maybe one or more of the following is happening:

• You get a “please wait” message and then nothing happens
• You get asked to install the coupon printer over and over again

If so, try the following tips to avoid these problems:

A printable coupon will have a unique url (web address), so you can simply change a few letters in the url (depending on the browser you are using) to make the coupon print.

For example, let’s say you are printing a Bricks coupon

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qetefel30843030&bt=vi&o=56697&c=BA&p=RE9Wd6Dc

The vi in the url is the part you will change to make the coupon print for you depending on the browser you are using, these are the letters you should put in that spot:

Internet Explorer: vi or wi
Firefox: vg or wg
Safari: xs

Just check the web address to make sure it’s the right one for your browser, if not simply change those key letters and you should be able to print

Thanks Surviving the Stores

Sorry that I am a day late, in this case I am hoping that it is better late than never

Here are some Couponing Tips:

• Be on the lookout for coupons everywhere you go - I am always on the lookout for coupons, newspaper, online, stores.
  
• Choose Your Stores – Select 1 or 2 stores that you will shop most frequently and pay attention to deals there. If you try to get every deal at every store you may drive yourself crazy.
• Print / Clip Coupons when you see it, not when you need it - Most printable coupons only have a certain number of prints available per campaign. So if you hold off on printing them, you may never get the chance too. Get any coupons when you see them, and set them aside until you’re ready to use them.
• Create a Stockpile – Whenever there is a Great Sale, buy a few of that items so that you can stock up on it. If you do this, you won’t ever have to pay full price for it. This may be difficult to do with perishables but it’s great for canned goods, cleaning products, toothpaste, paper goods, etc.
• Change the way you shop – Learn to shop based on the coupons you have available. I sometimes hold off on a particular item until I get a coupon for it (this is why creating a stock pile is so important). Check out the sales and match them with coupons (this is basically done for you when you click on the shopping lists of weekly deals), and buy those items. This will be hard at first, since you don’t have a stockpile to use from until the next sale. But hold off and wait until there is a good deal and a coupon, you will see that it’s worth the wait.
• Do NOT feel you have to use every single coupon you clip right away – If you use a coupon when a product is not on sale, then you’re usually not getting a good deal at all. So do your best to wait for a sale and then use your coupon. You will be spending less and getting more for your money.
• Learn the Store’s Coupon Policy – If you do, it may save you time and frustration if there is a problem at the register. I print a copy of the policy and leave it inside my coupon bag just in case I need it.
• DON’T be brand loyal – Be open to Trying & Purchasing New products you wouldn’t normally use. In my opinion, if it’s FREE it’s worth trying it out. If you do not like it, you can give it to a friend or family. You can even purchase the FREE items to donate to someone in need.
• Buy the smallest size possible that the coupon will allow – Sometime you will walk away with a smaller version of the item, even the trial size (when not excluded) for FREE and if you have enough of those coupons you can get a bunch for FREE that may equal to the bigger item that would have cost you $$$.
• Stick to your budget – There are going to be some great deals you are going to want to take advantage of. However, unless it’s FREE, if it’s not in your budget, it may not be worth it to buy it. There will always be another deal down the road. I tend to this alot and it can get pricey. Coupons are meant to help you save…so Save!
• Use rain checks if necessary – If you are out shopping and the store is out of an item that is on sale or has a great deal, ask the customer service desk or manager for a rain check. They are usually only valid for 30 days. if you are planning on using a coupon with it, make sure you redeem the rain check prior to the coupon’s expiration date.
• Get a Facebook Account – If you don’t already have one you should consider getting a Facebook account because there are many coupons that are available to only Facebook members. I actually have a personal one and one I use solely for coupons. But, you don’t need to do that, alot of people simply use their personal account and that is fine.
• When clipping coupons ask yourself these questions–Will my family use this product? If we can get it for FREE will we use it? Can we give it to someone we know? Can we donate it? If you answered NO to ALL those questions, then you don’t really need to save the coupon.

Do you have any tips you would like to share?

Have any questions? Feel free to email me

Should You Call Corporate?

My answer is YES. I believe that communication with Corporations for both complaints and compliments are very important.

There are times when you come across some very friendly people who take the time to help you or patiently wait as you go through your stack of coupons. If that is the case, a nice way of thanking them is to call Corporate to express that gratitude.

On the other hand, if you ever have a problem at a store using your coupons…whether it’s because they won’t accept the coupon, they act as though you are bothering them by using your coupons, the best thing to do is to call Corporate. In this case, calling corporate is not simply about filing a complaint or trying to get someone in trouble…it is about clearing up any confusion in the hopes that it will not happen again.

When it comes to resolving a coupon issue, it is important that we each do our part…when we are united, the chances of being heard and the problem being fixed is more likely to happen. If you assume that someone else will call, maybe they are thinking the same thing…so in the end No One Calls.

So here are some of the reasons in which you should contact corporate

• A good shopping experience
• A bad shopping experience – Cashier and or Manager were just plain mean and rude or anything else.
• Change in Coupon Policy – accepting Internet coupons, competitor coupons, stacking coupons, etc.
• Questions in general

You should be prepared before calling, here are some tips:

• Look on the receipt for the store number and/or location handy. If you do not have that handy, they can look it up for you.

• If you are calling about a specific person, whether for praise or a complaint, you should know their full name.

• If you are calling about a specific product, you should probably have that product with you just in case they have any specific questions about the product (i.e. upc code).

Corporate Contact Information:

Bi-Lo: 1-800-862-9293 or email

CVS: 1-888-607-4287 or email

Food Lion: 1-800-210-9569 or email

Harris Teeter: 1-800-432-6111 or email

H-E-B: 1-800-432-3113 or H-E-B Web Survey

Kroger: 1-866-221-4141 or email

Office Depot: 1-800-463-3768 or email

Office Max: 1-877-633-4236

Publix: 1-800-242-1227 or email

Rite Aid: 1-800-748-3243 or email

Staples: 1-800-333-3330 or email

Target: 1-800-440-0680 or email

Walgreens: 1-877-250-5823 or email

Wal-Mart: 1-800-925-6278 or email

Winn Dixie: 1-866-946-6349 or email

If you have any comments you would like to share or if you have any questions please leave a comment.

Here are some of my favorite sites to print coupons from:

Coupons.com

RedPlum

SmartSource

Target coupons

Things to Remember when Printing Coupons:

• You should be able to print most of the coupons at least twice.
• Brick Coupons: Click the back button & hit the refresh button when you see “webpage expired”, so that you are able to print the coupon more than once.
• Red Plum Coupons: You should be able to print 2 times, just select the coupon again after the 1st set prints.
• Smart Source Coupons: Click the back button until you see the smarts source logo and the status showing that it is printing again.

Helpful Hints:

If you are using a Mac with Safari, some of the sites may say that it isn’t supported. Simply hit the back button a couple of times or try to print 2 times in a row.

Ok, so now you know what coupons are and how to get them (if you have read my previous Teach Me 2 Save Tuesdays Posts) so now you are probably wondering how to store them all….

There are various methods:

Accordion Style Coupon File – Allows you to sort your coupons by the categories of your choice. They are often small and easy to carry with you to the store. This is ideal if you don’t have alot of coupons and want to keep it in your purse or car.

Coupon Box – You can create your own coupon box using a recipe box or other small storage container (like a baby wipes holder)and add dividers by the categories of your choice.

Coupon Binder– These are binders with page protectors that store all of your coupons in one place. This is the method I use and Love so I will go into more detail about it next week.

Professional Coupon Organizing Systems – There are several pre-packaged coupon organizing systems available online and in stores.

Clip/Print As You Go– Store your coupons in an organized fashion (file folders by date and type of insert) and cut and print your coupons as you need them. For example, when you are look at Store Deals, print & cut the coupons you will be needing for that grocery trip. I tend to not like to hold off on printing a coupon because they may reach their print limit, but I may not cut it until I need it.

Next week I will elaborate on the Coupon Binder.

How do you organize your coupon?

You can also read Previous Teach Me 2 Save Tuesdays Posts

Do you have any specific questions you would like me to address on Teach Me 2 Save Tuesdays? If so, Please email me

We have discussed where to get coupons, let’s go over some manufacturer’s coupon basics so that you are able to shop with confidence when using coupons.

A manufacturer’s coupon is a piece of paper with a specific discount for a specified product printed on it. A manufacturers coupon can be used at most stores that carry the specified product. A store coupon can only be used at that specific store…unless, they accept competitor coupons. To receive your discount you must purchase the indicated product and give the cashier the coupon to be scanned. The amount indicated on that coupon will be deducted from your purchase.

Coupons may only be used once and for the # of items indicated on the coupon. For example, let’s say you have a $1 off of 1 can of soup and you want to buy 3 of them…you would need 3 separate manufacturer’s coupons…you can’t use one coupon for 3 cans of soup and expect to get $1 off of each one. You may only use one manufacturers coupon for the indicated item purchased.

You may not more than 1 manufacturers coupon on one item. You may not buy one box of cereal and use 3 different manufacturer’s coupons on it. You may only use one of your coupons on the cereal. This does not apply when you have 1 manufacturer coupon that you want to stack with a store coupon.

Coupons may NOT be copied..it is illegal!!! If you need more coupons, you can purchase more from:

TheCouponClippers

CouponsThingsByDede

Read the actual wording of the coupon and disregard its picture. Manufacturer’s usually put a picture of their most expensive product or a product they are trying to promote on the coupon. However, if you actually read the coupon, it will typically say “save on any brand of ABC product.” If that is the case, you can use the coupon for a less expensive item from that Manufacturer.

Sometimes a coupon will say “one coupon per purchase” or “one coupon per transaction”…there is a difference!. “one coupon per purchase” means you are allowed to use one coupon for 1 item. For example, if you purchase 4 bottles of laundry detergent, you will need 4 separate coupons and you are allowed to use them all. However, if the coupon says “one coupon per transaction” you would only be able to use that coupon 1 time for that transaction…so if you had 4 coupons you wanted to use, you would need to do 4 different transactions. This is important and tends to come up alot!

You can use a manufacturers coupon on an product that is on sale or clearance.

If you are using your coupons properly, don’t be afraid to speak up if there is a problem. In most cases the cashiers are not familiar with their store’s policy on coupons or are misinformed. Simply explain why you feel you should be able to use your coupon to the cashier…if they still won’t budge, kindly ask to speak to the store manager. That is why it’s always a good idea to carry the store’s coupon policy with you. I do and I have no problem sharing it with the cashiers and store managers when need be.

Don’t feel bad or make apologies for being a savvy shopper!

You can also read Previous Teach Me 2 Save Tuesdays Posts

Do you have any specific questions you would like me to address on Teach Me 2 Save Tuesdays? If so, Please email me