At Your Service... about coupons!

One reader asked: "I have heard of people buying several papers on the same day to get multiple coupons, but I'm not sure why. Can you use two coupons on the same product?"

The main reason that people buy several papers on Sunday for multiple coupons is so that when there is a good buy on an item, they can buy several of that item at the cheap price. Generally you can not use two coupons on the same single item, (although some stores put out store coupons which they let you combine with manufacturer coupons occasionally), but you CAN buy MULTIPLES of that item and use a coupon for EACH ONE.

For example, if Captain Crunch is on sale for $1.50 a box and I have a $1 off coupon, I can get a box for 50c. If I have four coupons however, then I can get four boxes at 50c each. Expert couponers recommend that you get one paper with coupon inserts for each person in your household.

When you shop this way, it really helps you build your up your pantry as well as save tons of money. You will find that you slowly accumulate a plethora of food which means you don't have to buy items at full price because you can use the ones you got cheaply until they come on sale again! (Remember, sale items rotate... if you but enough of something to last you approx. 6-8 weeks, it should come on sale again before you run out... So if I eat pasta once a week and I buy 8 jars of sauce when it is on sale, I should have enough to last me until the next time it comes on sale.) It also means that you won't have to run out to the store because you don't have something! Additionally, this is a great way to build up food storage... especially if you buy a couple of extra sale items each week. :)

There are websites that do all the work for you and help you match the coupons with the weeks sales at your local grocery stores. Grocery Smarts is a good one, however not every state has this available yet and you have to know that passport number for your state. Here are a couple of passport numbers for states I know they service...

Utah: g84csg

Arizona: g85ro1

Southern California: g92ro1

Eastern Washington: g99ro1

Idaho: g83ro1

Let me know if you have any other questions about coupons! :)

Kohls...

Continuing our discussion on clothes and shoes and where to find the best deals, today I am going to talk about another favorite store of mine:

You don't have to be turned off by the high sticker prices at Kohls, you just have to know when to shop! Kohls is known for weekend sales, early bird specials and night owl specials. I have picked up shoes here on multiple occasions when they have said specials. For example, you might get 50-60% off on the weekly sale, but then they add an additional percent off if you shop during the special hours. (Kohls usually does this almost every weekend for a couple of months before Christmas!)

Kohls also quite frequently lets you earn Kohls Cash. (Example: If you spend $50, you earn $10 off a future purchase.) Additionally, they have times when they give you extra percents off just for using your Kohls card. (Just make sure you pay it off immediately so you don't spend more in interest than you save in percent!)

The best way to find out about Kohls sales is to sign up for their email alerts. Another perk to doing that is that they will send you a $5 coupon in your email for your next purchase. (Hopefully you signed up for them back in May when I first posted about it, otherwise just click here to sign up now.) Your coupon will arrive in a few days. :)

At Your Service...

Recently I wrote the post "Curious Minds Want To Know" where I asked you to let me know what kind of information you were looking for when it came to saving money. One reader asked:

"...Do you have any suggestions on where to get stuff for good prices when it comes to clothes & shoes (besides Park City outlets!) I'm afraid our clothes budget is going to be sky rocketing in the near future and any $ I can save would be helpful! :)"


I myself have kids that can be finicky about what clothes and shoes they are wearing. My (almost) 13 year old son thinks he can't wear any t-shirts that aren't Quicksilver, DC Shoes, Hurley, Fox, or one of the other "skater brands". Problem with that is that I am not willing to pay $25 for a t-shirt from the retail stores. So what is my solution? Well one of them is:

I can't tell you how much I love this store. It has all the brands of t-shirts my son loves, but I only pay $7.99-$9.99 for them there. I also am usually able to find a brand of tennis shoes he is happy with (Vans or DC Shoes) for $20-$25 instead of the $50-$75 ones in the retail stores, not to mention very reasonably priced jeans, sweatshirts and shorts!

I also get great clothes for my 15 year old there... dresses, shirts, cute sweaters, pajamas, shoes... you name it. Designer ties, pants and shirts for my hubby, great kitchen ware, picture frames and house decor... all for a fraction of what I would pay at say, Kohls! They also have a kids clothes dept where I have been known to pick up baby shower gifts at good prices. (Just stay away from the small toys dept... it is crappy and usually a GIANT MESS!)

The thing with Ross is that they have name brand stuff for the kids for a fraction of the price. However, it goes without saying that there are a few drawbacks to shopping here. First, they have what they have. You basically go to your size and pick from what they have in. One week they may have Nike's, the next week Reebok's, the next Sketchers. If you see something you like, get it because it probably won't be there the next week. Also, if they don't have something in your size, just move on. They probably won't get it in.

Second, you may find yourself having to sift/rummage through racks to find what you need/want. They also have some really crappy stuff, just as every store does. Also, some Ross' are more organized than others... you need to try different stores to find which ones you like.

Third, with bargain shopping can come bargain customer service. Depending on when you go, you may find yourself rolling your eyes at unhelpful employees and the lines can be a bit long to check out. However if you are willing to sacrifice these things to save some money, take a trip over and have a look.

There are MANY Ross' in Utah. Some are better than others. Our family has been known to drive all the way to Provo to shop before school starts at the end of summer because they always have a really good, big selection of things. I also like the American Fork store. If I have to stay in my area, the District isn't bad and neither is Draper... however, I am not particularly partial to the one in Taylorsville.

Finally, many people think Ross and TJ Maxx are the same thing. I beg to differ. I much prefer Ross and find a lot more there than I usually do at TJ Maxx... although with letting this little secret out of the bag, I may find less in the future! :)

Hope this helps.