Catalina Coupons: Savings in the Palm of Your Hand

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

Your groceries are rung up and you’ve paid the cashier. She in return hands you your receipt and some additional strips of paper from a little machine beside her cash register. What are they? Those mysterious strips of paper are checkout coupons called, “Catalinas.” Their name comes from Catalina Marketing, the company which provides them. You may have received Catalinas at the checkout and been pleasantly surprised by the savings they offer. You may also have noticed that you don’t receive Catalinas every time you check out and that not every customer receives Catalinas. Why these differences in their distribution?

The answer lies in the marketing strategy behind Catalinas. Catalinas represent very targeted advertising. Their distribution is based upon the items you purchase in a particular transaction. For instance, you may become eligible to receive a Catalina by purchasing a particular number of or a certain dollar amount on specified items. A Catalina offer may be, “Buy $30.00 in Company X products and receive a coupon worth $10.00 off your next grocery purchase.” While it is possible to unintentionally earn Catalinas by by purchasing certain items, you can — and should — plan your shopping in order to insure that you get a particular Catalina you want.

How do you know which Catalina offers are in effect? They may be advertised in grocery store fliers. Others are advertised on the shelf below the products, worded, for example, “Receive a coupon for $2.00 off your next shopping trip when you purchase 5 bottles of Brand X salad dressing.” When you purchase them, it triggers the Catalina machine to print your coupon, which you receive when you check out. Catalina advertising is not standardized so your best bet may be to consult the Internet to learn about all the offers available at at your store at any given time.

Some of the types of savings offered in Catalinas include:

Dollars off a future shopping order. Often the offer is for a significant dollar amount off a future shopping trip which can be spent on most anything in the store, with some exclusions which are listed on the coupon. This is like free money toward your next grocery shopping.

Percent off a future shopping order. Rather than a dollar amount, some Catalinas offer a percentage off your next shopping trip.

Savings off a product you purchased in this shopping trip. The Catalina machine knows what you bought, so it may reward you with future savings on items it knows you buy.

Savings off a competitor’s product. Based upon the types of products you bought, a Catalina may be generated on similar products from other manufacturers.

Savings off a local or national store or service. Catalinas for things like auto repair and department stores are commonly distributed

Do note that not every Catalina is not a coupon. Sometimes it’s a notification of a future coupon offer or a targeted advertisement for a product based upon your purchases.

Earning these valuable coupons is really just a matter of following the rules of the offer. Of course, you sometimes have to be willing to buy in quantity, change brands or buy items before you really need them in order to take advantage of the offer. Weigh those considerations when contemplating going for a Catalina. Will you really come out the winner by purchasing more or sooner? Are the potential savings worth a change in your shopping habits? If the answer is yes, then you should look into going for some Catalina coupons.

Seasonal Sales: What to Buy in August and September

by Miranda Marquit · 0 comments

One of the best ways to save money on merchandise is to look for sales on seasonal items. Many items go on sale at the end of the season, and now that August is heading toward a close, and September is right around the corner, it is a good time to consider buying a variety of items — beyond what you find at the back to school sales. Here are some items that offer seasonal deals in the months of August and September:

Patio Furniture

Now is a good time to look for patio furniture. As summer winds down, retailers are looking for space for their holiday displays. If you have been looking for a new glass top table, or maybe some patio chairs, now is a great time to find good deals. Look for display models and mismatched sets to get even better deals.

Lawnmowers

Snow blower season is coming up for many retailers, and that means that it is time to get rid of the lawnmowers. Look for great deals on close out lawnmowers. There might even be some of last year’s models available for even greater discounts. You might also be able to find good prices on edgers, tillers and gardening tools such as clippers.

Landscaping Plants

Now is a great time to do a little planting. Last year, my husband and I bought all of our landscaping plants in August and September — and saved big bucks. Many nurseries are having sales right now on trees, shrubs and perennials. It’s not a bad time to plant tees and shrubs, since they can become established before winter, and ready to bloom in the spring. Additionally, it does not matter if perennials are close to be done for the season; they bloom every year.

Camping Gear

I just bought a newer, bigger tent, ready for next summer, for a sizable discount. Camping gear is usually on sale in August and September, since it needs to be cleared out for next year’s items. As a result, you can find good deals on folding camping chairs, tents, camp stoves, lanterns and other outdoor gear. Carefully consider your needs, and the quality of the gear you are purchasing, though, since you want to make sure that it will last.

Swimwear

Another great option for the end of August and the beginning of September is swimwear. I just bought a swimsuit for my son at a huge discount. It’s too big for him right now, but it should be just the right size next year. Indeed, I almost always purchase my son’s swimwear in advance. This way I get a good discount. Other summer clothes and accessories, like shorts, tank tops and flip flops can also be found for good prices this time of year.

Holiday Travel

Finally, you want to consider your holiday travel plans. As we near Thanksgiving (and after that, Christmas), travel is going to become more expensive. If you are planning to go somewhere in November or December, now is the time to lock in prices. You will find better fares the earlier you book.

Avoiding the Coupon Trap: Don’t Spend Just to Save

by Gina Blitstein · 1 comment

It’s a fact that you have to spend money to save money. You can’t save without getting out there and proving your dominance in the marketplace by finding the bargains and partaking of them. A potential pitfall in your commitment to saving, however, is spending more than is appropriate just because you have coupons for certain items.

How do you know if the practice of using coupons is really helping you save money? When you convince yourself that your couponing habits are insuring low prices on the items you’re purchasing, you may lose perspective on the actual amount of items you are buying and on the amount of money you are actually spending.

How can you avoid the “coupon trap?” That’s the phenomenon that can occur when you believe you are saving but you are, in reality, buying more than you should and spending more than you intend. How does this occur? When you are confronted with a store-full of products and the potential bargains represented by a pocketful of coupons, you face a dangerous combination of factors. While you think you are in control of what ends up in your shopping cart, you may become unduly influenced by your desire to save.

Here are some ideas to bear in mind when shopping to keep your focus on saving, not on spending:

Don’t buy an item you don’t need just because you have a coupon for it. While the price of an item may be extremely cheap with a coupon, spending money on items you simply don’t need or won’t use is a waste of your money. Those little expenses on unnecessary items really add up in a short time, eating into your overall saving.
Determine if the coupon truly makes the product a bargain. Even when you can save a cool buck on an item, does that really make it your most economical choice? If it’s your favorite brand, you’ll appreciate the savings but if you don’t have a preference, be certain to compare cost per unit, even taking into account the coupon’s value.
Don’t buy in such quantity that you either forget that you have the items or they go to waste. Regularly take stock of what you already have on hand. Do you really need six more cans of tomato sauce or could you already feed a hungry army on what’s in your pantry? Be especially cautious with perishable items. If you are only going to throw away a significant portion of what you bought due to spoilage, it would have been wiser to pass on the purchase in the first place. Keep in mind that sales and coupons come around frequently – this is not the only chance you’ll get to take advantage of a good deal. It’s only a bargain when you’re using it – not when you’ve simply transferred it from the store’s shelf to your shelf.
Take related expenses into account. If you need to make a special trip to a certain store or travel a long distance to redeem coupons, remember that your time, effort and gasoline have value too. Make sure it’s really worth going out of your way to realize the savings from coupons or you’re simply trading one cost for another.

The best way to regard coupons is that they represent an opportunity for savings. It is up to you and your prudent spending habits to take advantage of that opportunity or let it slide until the next opportunity comes along.

Steps to Saving Money on Back to School Shopping

by Miranda Marquit · 0 comments

Right now, it’s time for back to school. Many parents and children are getting ready and excited for the new school year. But back to school usually means shopping — spending money. Before you hit the back to school sales, it is a good idea to prepare yourself. Here are some of the steps you can take to save money on back to school shopping:

Go through what you already have: One of the best things you can do is figure out what you already have. Some of the school supplies from last year might still be in good shape, or your children may not need as many new outfits. Know what can be re-used. A frugal lifestyle does not always need new things.
Make a list: In much the same way you can save money on grocery shopping by making a list, you can also save money on back to school shopping with a list. Make a list of what you already have, and compare it with what you need. Then, make a final shopping list, and coordinate with your coupon clipping efforts.
Stick to the list: Stick to your list, and avoid impulse shopping, which can quickly deplete your cash supply.
Look for quality: While you want to make sure you are saving money, you should also look for good quality items. Consider paying a little bit more for something that has a truly higher quality. That way, it may last through the entire school year — and maybe even be ready for re-use next year.
Avoid trendiness: Trends come and go, and that can mean that you pay more for something “in style”, and that your children may not still want in a couple of months. When it comes to clothing, make sure that most of it is classic, and that it can be mixed and matched. Buying one or two stylish items might be acceptable, but your money will go further if you focus more on longevity than on fads. When it comes to lunch boxes and pencil cases, the same rules apply. You don’t want to buy something that you child regrets a couple weeks after school starts. At the very least, wait until after school has started so your child has a better feel for what’s “cool”. My son just takes a high quality insulated, plain red reusable lunch bag similar to what my husband takes to work. It’s something we paid $18 for once, and that will last for at least another two or three years.
Let your child buy some supplies: If your child is old enough to be earning some money, or if you provide an allowance, you can consider letting him or her buy one or two supplies. My parents provide each of us with a set amount for back to school clothes. If we wanted something trendy, or extra, we had to pay for it ourselves. Having your kids put in their own money may encourage them to think more deeply about their purchases.
Make a plan for next year: You can prepare for back to school shopping next year by planning now. Use this year as a guide to estimate how much you will need for next year’s back to school shopping. Then, set aside a small amount each month to use next year. Put the money in a high yield account, or use something like SmartyPig (you can get a bonus if you get a gift card to the store you will shop at) to help you meet your goals. Spreading out the cost of back to school shopping can help you better prepare for it.

This post was also featured in the Festival of Frugality.

Maintaining a Good Reputation as a Couponer

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

Coupons are a great way to save money on things we buy every day. They are a valuable perk enjoyed by the dedicated shoppers who clip in order to save. Dedicated couponers know the coupon policies of our favorite stores and many of us build a shopping strategy based upon those policies. The savviest shoppers know which stores accept expired coupons and which double — or even triple — the face value of coupons. It’s all part of being an effective couponer. Stores, however, are under no obligation to offer these special incentives — it’s their way of enticing us to shop at their store rather than going elsewhere. For the stores, it’s all part of being an effective competitor.

We couponers appreciate when stores show their appreciation for our business by offering generous coupon policies. That’s why it is so very important that we show our appreciation in turn by respecting the basic rules of couponing. There is no guarantee that generous couponing policies will always exist. It seems every day we hear about another instance of a store cracking down on coupon acceptance due to misuse and abuse of the system. We don’t want to be part of the problem so it’s up to us responsible couponers to maintain a good reputation. Otherwise, we will all incur the consequences — and the added expense.

So, to avoid being looked upon as the pariahs of the marketplace, it is up to us to make a special effort to follow the rules and be courteous when using coupons. Here are four things we as couponers can do to keep a good reputation:

Don’t try to pass off expired coupons. If it is a store’s policy to accept expired coupons, then it is ok to use them. If it is not their policy, however, and you are counting on a unobservant cashier letting it slide, then it is considered coupon fraud.
Don’t try to pass off photocopied coupons. With the advent of Internet coupons printed on plain paper, it is all too easy for unscrupulous coupon users to use more coupons than they are legitimately allowed. Most coupon websites allow the printing of only one or two of any particular coupon.
Have your coupons ready at the check stand so you don’t keep other customers waiting. There is little so annoying as a delay at the checkout. Don’t be the annoying one holding up the line while you rummage through your purse in search of your coupons. The time to gather and collect your coupons is while you are shopping. By the time you are checking out, you should be able to hand over your stack of coupons to the cashier.
Tip wait staff on the full value of meal purchased with a coupon. Remember that a restaurant coupon entitles you to a discount on the cost of a meal — not on service. Don’t make your waitperson suffer by tipping on the discounted cost of the meal — they provided you full-price service.

These are just some of the things you can do to keep a good reputation as a couponer. We don’t want to be known as “the folks who take advantage of merchants.” We want to be known as “the folks who save responsibly.” If we don’t take that responsibility seriously, we may lose the saving opportunities couponing provides.

Is It Worth It To Pay More for Better Quality?

by Miranda Marquit · 5 comments

One of the debates that comes with frugal living centers around the idea of whether or not price is the only the consideration. Is frugal living really about getting the absolute lowest price? Or is it more about getting a good deal, getting quality items, even though you may have to pay a little bit more.

Sometimes it is Worth it to Pay More

Frugal living is not just about a knee jerk reaction to pay the lowest price all the time. Instead, it involves measured choices, and a long term view. Something of low quality may wear out and break early, requiring you to buy again, while something of higher quality may cost more up front, but last longer, saving you money over the long haul.

Even if you are not worried about an item breaking down immediately, there are some things that you should consider paying a little extra for. At Moolanomy, there is a great list of things that you should not cheap out on. These items include cars, mattresses, computers, TVs and Internet service. These are purchases that could have a big impact on you down the road. Cheaping out on a car now may mean more expensive repairs later. And, depending on your situation, it might be best to get high quality electronics since you use them a great deal and they are expensive to replace if they burn out in a year.

Another interesting thought is the mattress. Since so much of your health depends on sleep, a good mattress (it does not have to cost thousands of dollars) can be a wise decision, since you can forestall some health problems down the road if you get good sleep now.

Buying Used is Not Always the Best Idea

Buying used is a central tenet of the frugal lifestyle. However, it is not always the best idea. Some items bought used can result in bigger issues down the road. Used bike helmets, used tires and used car seats may not be safe. Used electronics may be in poor condition, or just a small step from breaking down.

When you do buy used, make sure that you inspect the item thoroughly. Whether you buy it at a thrift store or at a yard sale, you want to make sure that the item is in as good condition as possible. If you can’t look at used merchandise before buying, that could be a red flag. When you buy used items online, it is a good idea to confine them to inexpensive items that you can replace if the merchandise does not suit your needs.

Bottom line: Frugal living is about making solid choices and getting the best value for your money. Sometimes, the best value is not always the cheapest thing in the room. Instead of just looking at price, carefully comparison shop, considering the attributes of the item, how long you are likely to use it, and its overall quality. In some cases, it really is better to pay a little more for something that will last longer and serve you better.

Appliance Repair that Anyone Can Manage

by Coupon Shoebox · 0 comments

There are several small appliances that you have at home that seem to need a touch of TLC from time to time. Some appliance repairs you can manage at home, others require a professional, and others aren’t worth your time at all. Knowing how to make the repairs you make safely is an important aspect of any fix-it job.

Here are two jobs that are simple to handle.

Garbage Disposal Basics

It seems that all the new homes have a garbage disposal under the sink. If you use yours as much as I use mine, sooner or later you will need to make some repairs. For me it happened when a friend dropped a glass in the sink and it broke. Pieces jammed into the disposal and I needed to head under the sink to clear out the glass and repair the jammed unit.

First test the unit to see if it is jammed or the circuit has blown. Find the small red button on the body and press it. Try to turn on the unit again. If it works, great, if not, or it hums, you have a jam, time to get busy.

Unplug the cord. Most disposals come with a manual wrench that will allow you to turn the blades one way or another to wiggle a jam free. If you don’t have such a tool you can accomplish the same thing by sticking a broom handle down the drain and moving the grinding disc.

If this fails you will need to remove the unit from below the sink and open it up. This is a bit more advanced, but the disposal motor is held to the upper unit with a coupling ring. This should give you access to the hopper and the grinding area where you can remove any debris. Mine took a few good shakes before all the glass came out. Put the unit back together and viola!

Washing Machine Door Gasket Repair

Another common repair that you will run in to, especially if you have a front loading washer, is the need to replace the door seal or gasket. This piece of rubber keeps water from exiting the machine during use. It is unfortunately susceptible to tears.

Start by unplugging the washer.
Find the band that holds the gasket in place on the outside of the machine.
Look to see if it has any sort of tensioning hardware that needs to be loosened. If it does, loosen it, if not, you can skip this step.
Using a flat headed screw driver, carefully remove the clamp band.
Find the inner clamp band and do the same thing on the inside of the machine. This band connects the gasket to the inner drum.
Remove the old gasket.
Place the new gasket in place and reposition the clamp bands, inside one first. If the band is difficult to maneuver, apply a small amount of fabric softener over the area to reduce the friction.
Tighten any tensioning hardware.

Most homeowners can manage simple appliance repairs. A good tool kit, some research and a bit of elbow grease will keep your appliances running well for years to come.

This is an excerpt from the DIY Only ebook. Have you gotten your free copy yet?

What Do Coupons Mean for Brand Loyalty?

by Gina Blitstein · 1 comment

We all have our favorite brands of products. While we may not be brand loyal to every item we place in our grocery cart, there may be particular items for which we will willingly pay a little more, simply because we prefer them.

What about when you have a coupon for an alternative brand? Will you choose to purchase a different product than your ‘regular’ brand when you have a coupon offering you a few cents — or dollars off? What factors determine whether a coupon changes your buying habits or not?

I recently posed the question, “What do coupons mean for brand loyalty in your shopping cart?” to some savvy shoppers. There seems to be two major schools of thought as to why a coupon would entice them to break away from brand loyalty. Here’s what the shoppers said:

Opinion 1: I will try a new product with a coupon if the coupon makes the new product cheaper than my regular brand.

Anna M. Aquino, who is a writer and stay-at-home mom, declares, “Couponing blows my brand loyalty out of the water. Sorry brands — you know I love you, but we’re all trying to save money these days. I’m not a major couponer, but I can save about 20 to 30 dollars a month. Absolutely, couponing changes my brand loyalty.”

Shelley Frady has a savvy shopping blog, www.savorthesavings.com. She says, “I also teach coupon classes and one main point in the class is to let brand loyalty fly out the window on the way to the store. Couponing will allow you to try other products that you may like better than the brand you were loyal to very cheap or even free at times.”

Opinion 2: I will use a coupon to help rationalize purchasing a new product.

“Although loyalty is a driver of behavior, so is spontaneous brand switching: We quickly become habituated to the ‘same old thing’ and we like to try something that is slightly (but not radically) new or different,” explains Michael S. Minor, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing and International Business, College of Business Administration, University of Texas-Pan American. “A coupon from another brand is an incentive to try a (slightly) new product.”

Savvy shopper Shelley says, “Sure, I have my favorite brands but couponing allows me to try others. I can not think of anything I am brand loyal to. I have many brands that I prefer but it doesn’t mean I won’t pass them right by if I have a coupon for another.”

Of course, these two major reasons for abandoning brand loyalty can be combined, as Carletta S. Hurt, Ed.S. says: “I use coupons to assist with purchasing products I enjoy (brand loyalty) and to give me options to test out a new product at an affordable (less) rate. Also, I look at the price per unit which helps me see if the coupon is really giving me a better deal — brand or not, I want the best bang for my money.”

For the savviest of shoppers, brand loyalty – or the lack of it – probably does come down to that combination of determining factors: The opportunity to expand our choices while saving the maximum amount of money on our grocery purchases.

What factors will challenge your brand loyalty?

Tips for Successful Yard Sale Shopping

by Miranda Marquit · 7 comments

Summer is yard sale season. The weather is nice, and many people celebrate by cleaning out the clutter and offering it for sale. The great thing about yard sales is that you can usually find items that are in reasonably good shape for very low prices — no coupons needed!

Yard sale shopping is one of the essential tenets of a frugal lifestyle. But if you are a novice, it can be a daunting task to head out to yard sales. Here are some tips that can help you increase your chances of a successful yard sale shopping trip.

Preparing for Your Yard Sale Shopping Trip

The first thing you need to do is plan your route. You will need to be out early for the pick of the deals, and knowing where you want to go is important. Look in your local newspaper (most have a yard sale section), the local thrift publication, and on bulletin boards. Note the addresses of the yard sales, and what items are featured at each.

Once you know where the yard sales are, and have a general idea of what they offer, you can put together a route. Try to visit yard sales that are close together, with special emphasis on sales that have items you are particularly interested in. You can use a street map of your town, or an online map application like Google Maps or Mapquest to plot your course.

Once you know your route, prepare to bring home your bargains. Clean out your car so that you have room for your new purchases, and consider bringing boxes and bags to keep things organized. Most yard sales only accept cash, so make sure you have plenty of it. If you plan to buy small items, have a quantity of smaller bills and coins as well. If you want to limit your spending, be prepared with a list, and stick to it. You can visit the thrift store later for items that you couldn’t find at the yard sale.

Haggling for Better Bargains

In most places, haggling is part of the yard sale experience. You can get an even better deal if you offer a lower prices. However, before you begin haggling, it is important to understand some basic yard sale etiquette. This includes not referring to anything at the yard sale as “junk”, as well as being respectful of the posted start time, and being polite, rather than overbearing.

Here are some strategies that might help you as you haggle for better bargains at a yard sale:

Make it clear you are deliberating: Ostentatiously examine an item. Pick it up and look it over. Put it back and look at a few other things for a few minutes. Then come back and look at the item. In some cases, you might be offered a lower price. This is especially true if no one else has shown much interest in the item.
Make an offer: If you think a price is too high, you can always politely make another offer. Don’t be too ridiculous about it, though. If it’s a small item, you will have to ask for a smaller discount. Larger items can come with larger discounts, but you don’t want to undervalue the item.
Ask for a lower price: Instead of making an offer, you can ask for a lower price. Simply say, “Is there any way for you to go lower on this?”
Request a “throw in”: If you are buying a few items, you can request that a smaller, lower priced item be “thrown in” for free, or for a lower price. A variation of this is asking for a deal on two or more items. If you have four items that amount to $27, you can offer a $20 bill and see if the yard sale host is willing to deal.

If you see something you like, but the host isn’t willing to lower the price just yet, you can leave a card with your name and phone number, the item you are interested in, and the price you are willing to pay. Tell the yard sale host to give you a call the next day if the item hasn’t sold.

What are your favorite yard sale shopping tips?

Finding the Best Grocery Coupons: Where to Look

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

There are a myriad of places to find coupons these days but, no matter how many you find and redeem, it can remain a challenge to seriously cut our grocery bills.

More and more common are the legendary stories of the “super shoppers” who use coupons to buy a cartload of groceries for $6.00. While that would be awesome — and certainly something to aspire to — most of us are content seeing our coupons subtract a few dollars from our total at the checkout stand.

Let’s face it, most coupons we come across are for less than $1.00. A dollar saved is great but it’s a far cry from getting us that oh-so-affordable cartload. Where are the big-time coupons that can really make a difference in our grocery bill hiding and how do we find them?

One source for coupons of significant value are associated with your store’s loyalty program. Many stores offer savings to regular customers who have registered information with the store. These shoppers receive a card which identifies them as a loyal customer. These customers often receive coupons in the mail offering big savings on their grocery spending, for example, $15.00 off when you spend $150.00. These big dollar coupons are generally offered only to customers enrolled in the store’s loyalty program.

Check your store’s website for particularly valuable coupons. Sometimes grocery stores offer coupons right from their site when you register with your loyalty card account number. They are not necessarily printable coupons, either. They may be “electronic” coupons which means that you activate them on the website and that activation is recognized when you have purchased the items and use your loyalty card during checkout.

Catalinas are coupons that print at the checkout based upon your purchases. Sometimes you earn them by purchasing a certain number of a particular product, such as, “Save $2.00 on your next grocery purchase when you buy three boxes of Cereal X.” These coupon offers are not always advertised in sales circulars, so it’s important to read the signs advertising the Catalina offers on the shelves next to the qualifying products.

You needn’t necessarily be a loyalty program participant, however, to find some significant savings opportunities. Other stores may offer coupons of similar value through the mail. Many of us receive “general delivery” envelopes and shopper’s magazines addressed to “Resident” stuffed with coupons for local businesses. Your local grocery store may include something like a $5.00 off coupon off your purchase in these packets.

Occasionally you will come across a coupon for a free item, usually in the newspaper or a magazine. Sometimes it is contingent upon the purchase of another item or items, sometimes it is just plain free. Pay close attention to the price of the items you need to buy in order to qualify for the free item. If those prices are inflated, your free coupon is not as valuable as you may think.

When you take the time to seek out the bigger-value coupons, they are not as difficult to find as you may think. Obviously, the more the coupons are worth, the faster our savings will add up. We may not get that $6.00 cartload of groceries but we will make a dent in our overall grocery expenses.

Where do you find your big savings coupons?

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