Basic coupon questions

[CandleontheWater]

So, I'm trying to start couponing as a way to save some money, and I'm still trying to get a handle on the "rules". If I have two coupons for one item, can I use both coupons? Right now I have a $1 off coupon for Huggies diapers and a $2 off coupon. Could I use both coupons and get $3 off my pack of diapers? Is that considered "doubling coupons"?

What if I wanted to buy two packs of diapers, would the coupons work on both packs, or would I need a separate coupon for each pack? If I wanted to buy 10 packs of diapers and I had ten separate coupons, would the store take them?

Thanks in advance!

 

[angierae]

So, I'm trying to start couponing as a way to save some money, and I'm still trying to get a handle on the "rules". If I have two coupons for one item, can I use both coupons? Right now I have a $1 off coupon for Huggies diapers and a $2 off coupon. Could I use both coupons and get $3 off my pack of diapers? Is that considered "doubling coupons"?

What if I wanted to buy two packs of diapers, would the coupons work on both packs, or would I need a separate coupon for each pack? If I wanted to buy 10 packs of diapers and I had ten separate coupons, would the store take them?

Thanks in advance!

If you have two manufacturers coupons for one item, you generally can't use them to buy only one item. You could buy two packs of diapers and use the $1 on one of them and the $2 on the other, though. "Doubling coupons" refers to stores that will give you double the face value of a coupon, not using two coupons.

However, if one is a STORE coupon and one is a manufacturers coupon, you can do that.

If you have one coupon and buy two packs of diapers the coupon will only work once. You'd need a coupon for each pack of diapers.

As for the ten coupons for ten packs of diapers, that depends on the store. Often, stores have a "like coupon" limit, so you can only use 3 or 4 of the same coupon in one transaction. (But there's nothing stopping you from going back to the store the next day and doing it again with the rest of your coupons.)

 

[JaxJags08]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm also new to couponing and have a question. If I have a buy 3 get one free coupon and the store is having a BOGO promotion on that item, would it make sense to not use the B3G1 coupon because I'm paying for 2 no matter what?

 

[ThisIsTheYear]

I'd like to add that it can depend on the store also. Target usually takes multiple coupons for 1 item. It's probably not in their policy but the Target by me is pretty lenient with accepting coupons. I would never get away with that at A&P though.

 

[Marionnette]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm also new to couponing and have a question. If I have a buy 3 get one free coupon and the store is having a BOGO promotion on that item, would it make sense to not use the B3G1 coupon because I'm paying for 2 no matter what?

It depends on how the store handles their BOGO transactions. Some (like CVS) will consider the free item as if it was a "buy". So if you have a coupon for B3G1, then you could pick up 5 of the same item and only pay for 2 when you hand over your B3G1 coupon - 2 BOGOs for the store sale and one free for your coupon.

 

[julieanddanny]

It depends on how the store handles their BOGO transactions. Some (like CVS) will consider the free item as if it was a "buy". So if you have a coupon for B3G1, then you could pick up 5 of the same item and only pay for 2 when you hand over your B3G1 coupon - 2 BOGOs for the store sale and one free for your coupon.

I would actually only purchase 4 total. Get 2 of the B1G1 offer and use coupon at same time - turns it into a B1G3

 

[leight]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm also new to couponing and have a question. If I have a buy 3 get one free coupon and the store is having a BOGO promotion on that item, would it make sense to not use the B3G1 coupon because I'm paying for 2 no matter what?

Actually it is the best time to use that type of coupon if your store will accept it. The best way to get the most out of your coupons are to match them to store sales . Say you have the B3G1 on a $2 item and Publix is offering their BOGO sale plus they have a $.50 off each item in their yellow flyer. In effect(if your Publix allows it)when you buy 4, you can use the B3G1 free manufacture coupon, plus 4 $.50 publix coupons and you will get all 4 for free (plus any applicable tax). Basically you would pay $2 for the first item. The B3G1 free minuses $2, and the second $2 is minused by the 4 $.50 coupons.

Its important that you find a blog that will help you in matching the sales and sales cycles in your region to the coupons you have. I buy 4 sunday papers(I have 4 family members) and it works well for me. I will never be an extreme couponer because I don't often buy extra papers or pay for coupons- and they don't double coupons in FL. But I've lowered my grocery shopping bills by nearly $300 a month.

 

[Marionnette]

I would actually only purchase 4 total. Get 2 of the B1G1 offer and use coupon at same time - turns it into a B1G3

No, it works as a "pay for 2 get 5". For each one you put in your cart at the store, you get another one free. You place 4 in your cart. You have a B3G1 coupon, so for 3 of the ones in your cart, one more free. Total of five items in your cart for the price of 2.

If you have a second B3G1 coupon you could use it too. Then you would end up paying for 2 and getting 6. That's the only way you would end up with a final B3G1 scenerio.

 

[21yankees]

I'd like to add that it can depend on the store also. Target usually takes multiple coupons for 1 item. It's probably not in their policy but the Target by me is pretty lenient with accepting coupons. I would never get away with that at A&P though.

Wow, after reading this thread I went and tried to use a 20% off green coupon with a 12/31/10 expiration date and IT WORKED!!! Woo-hoo! Thanks OP as I never would have tried if not for this thread.

You both knowingly/unknowingly are commiting forms of coupon fraud. And just because the cashier/store/etc let you "get away with" it doesn't make it right.

These actions are causing coupon policies, etc to change.


steph

 

[kellyg403]

Wow, after reading this thread I went and tried to use a 20% off green coupon with a 12/31/10 expiration date and IT WORKED!!! Woo-hoo! Thanks OP as I never would have tried if not for this thread.

Not only is it considered coupon fraud, but the poor cashier who may not have noticed the expiration date is possibly in trouble for taking your coupon. Coupons will scan even after the expiration date. It is up to the consumer to properly use coupons. Not only that but the store will NOT get their money back, since they have a small window to turn the coupon in to the clearinghouse.

Honestly..it causes problems for everyone. Stores are losing money as it is with the economy. Cheating them out of more is just going to cause higher prices.

I don't honestly know if you realize it or not. But, really. How many times do we hear vents that the cashier micromanaged the coupons, made the customer feel terrible they were using coupons. Guess what, this cashier will be the one doing that next time. She probably is already in trouble and she is going to inadvertantly make someone legitametly using coupons to feel like they are doing something wrong. Its not the cashier or the couponer who should feel bad, IMHO.

Kelly

 

[kellyg403]

I'd like to add that it can depend on the store also. Target usually takes multiple coupons for 1 item. It's probably not in their policy but the Target by me is pretty lenient with accepting coupons. I would never get away with that at A&P though.

Target is the only store I am aware of at this time that will take a store coupon coupled with a manufacturer coupon. Part of their policy. You can not use 2 store coupons or 2 manufacturer coupons. One of each for one item does work at Target.

The only other exception I can think of that comes close is CVS bucks and Walgreens Register Rewards. They can be used off any order and don't actually count as a coupon towards a specific item. Its usually a $$ off coupon.

Kelly

 

[kellyg403]

So, I'm trying to start couponing as a way to save some money, and I'm still trying to get a handle on the "rules". If I have two coupons for one item, can I use both coupons? Right now I have a $1 off coupon for Huggies diapers and a $2 off coupon. Could I use both coupons and get $3 off my pack of diapers? Is that considered "doubling coupons"?

What if I wanted to buy two packs of diapers, would the coupons work on both packs, or would I need a separate coupon for each pack? If I wanted to buy 10 packs of diapers and I had ten separate coupons, would the store take them?

Thanks in advance!

Most stores have a 1 coupon per item policy. So you would have to have an item for each of your coupons. In your scenario, 2 packs of diapers and 2 coupons.

Doubling coupons is usually when a store will allow so many coupons up to a certain amount to be doubled. If you have a 50 cent coupon for ketchup, during the doubling you would get 1.00 off the ketchup, thus doubling the coupon. Usually they limit the double to 'up to 99cents' meaning the coupon itself can not be doubled if it is more than 99 cents. I don't have any stores in my area who double so I am not 100% certain that is correct.

Some stores do limit the number of coupons per items. Lately P and G coupons have been stating a limit of 4 coupons in one transaction. My local grocery has a limit of 10 like items with coupons. In your scenario, 10 coupons for 10 bags of diapers would be the limit for one transaction.

HTH

Kelly

 

[PatsMom]

Target, CVS and Rite Aid are three places that definitely allow you to use a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon for the same item. It is not fraud to do this since the store policy allows for it. And you can get some great savings. I always check out the Rite Aid video values coupons and whatever store coupons CVS is printing out.

Most of the time a coupon will not scan if it is expired. I would never try to deliberately pass one through. The CVS, Rite Aid and grocery store I shop at know that I am careful to sort my coupons and make sure none are expired, that I have purchased the correct size, etc. The cashiers are always nice about the pile of coupons I hand over because they know I am not going to try to sneak something like an expired coupon by them.

I use a web site called southernsavers.com. It has each weeks sale ad for CVS and Rite Aid, and matches coupons up to the sales. There are links to legitimate internet printables and references to the Sunday paper inserts. I don't clip all my coupons anymore, I just file them by date. I flip through them on Sunday morning looking for the ones I know I want and any I want to take to the grocery store after making my list from the weekly sale flyer. Then I take one shopping trip and do all the shopping. I don't put as much time into it as some people do so I probably don't save as much as I could.

Best way for me to get the Sunday paper coupons is from friends and family. My mother reads two Sunday papers, my brother gives me his and so doesn't my grandmother. A couple of ladies at work don't bother with coupons and they bring theirs to me as well. I also know that at least one of the newspapers my mother subscribes to has a location you can go to on Monday to buy Sunday's leftover newspapers at a reduced price. I suppose if I were really a great couponer I would do that when there are a lot of couopons in there!

 

[punkin712]

No, it works as a "pay for 2 get 5". For each one you put in your cart at the store, you get another one free. You place 4 in your cart. You have a B3G1 coupon, so for 3 of the ones in your cart, one more free. Total of five items in your cart for the price of 2.

If you have a second B3G1 coupon you could use it too. Then you would end up paying for 2 and getting 6. That's the only way you would end up with a final B3G1 scenerio.

At some stores, you might need to get a total of 7 items total to use the B3G1 coupon in conjunction with the BOGO deal (since you aren't actually paying for the 2nd item in the BOGO). It probably depends which offer they take off first and/or how strict the store is about stacking coupons. So you would end up paying for 3 items and getting 4 free.

 

[PatsMom]

At some stores, you might need to get a total of 7 items total to use the B3G1 coupon in conjunction with the BOGO deal (since you aren't actually paying for the 2nd item in the BOGO). It probably depends which offer they take off first and/or how strict the store is about stacking coupons. So you would end up paying for 3 items and getting 4 free.

CVS and Rite Aid treat the free item as though your bought it. So if you have four items in your cart and they are BOGO, you pay for two. Then if you have a coupon for B3G1, you get a third free. CVS (or at least my store) will not allow you to use a BOGO coupon with a BOGO sale. Some CVS's used to do that basically allowing you to get two free items.

I'm not sure how my grocery store would treat it since that scenario hasn't happened to me there. I do know that they treat a BOGO as though you are buying two items. So if laundry detergent is BOGO and I have a coupon for $1 off two, the coupon will go through. And it is the store policy to allow it.