Centsable Andersons

We are (slowly) working on some changes around here to make things easier to read and find. We won't be posting as frequently on here or on Facebook while these changes are being made! Be patient and wait until you see what we've been up to!

Let's face it, no matter how many groceries we have, how big a stockpile of food, or even if we have leftovers ready and waiting, going out to eat still happens. Heck, it is always a welcome treat! We always get asked don't we get tired of eating at home? Well, yes, occasionally. Everyone loves to eat out at some point, and let's face it, it makes date night just a bit more special!!

So how, do you save money and still get to at out? Coupons of course! (Girl, I can find a coupon for almost anything I want if I truly set out to do so.) So, were do you find these elusive restaurant coupons?

Walgreens’ promotional incentive is Register Rewards aka RR. RRs are coupons (money to us!) that print out when you purchase certain items at Walgreens. RRs do expire, so make sure to keep up with dates on them.

You can find out what the best RR deals are by checking online ahead of time or waiting and look in the Sunday advertisement. The key is to find free after RRs or find RRs deals with coupons that make them free-cheap. For example: Dove Deodorant on sale for 99cents and I get $1 RR for it, it is like getting it for free. Another example: Bayer Glucose Monitors on sale for $20, I have a $30 coupon (it will be adjusted to fit the sale price) and earn $10 RR. The monitor was free after coupon plus I made $10 in RR! That is a money maker. Of course, I don’t need these, so I donate them to our church.

To earn more RRs, you have to do multiple transactions. When you buy one of the RRs items, you only earn RRs once, as in per transaction. So, I buy one, Bobby buys one. We may go to a few stores just to stock up on a particular item for free-cheap.

Walgreens does allow stacking. Remember, this is using one Walgreens coupon with one manufacturer coupon for more savings. Count your items and your coupons before you check out. You must have the same amount of items as you do coupons. If you need a filler item, look for cheap candy, cups, pencils, etc.

Also, be sure to hand over manufacturer coupons over first and all Walgreens coupons last. For some reason, if you hand the Walgreens over first, it won’t stack coupons. If this happens, you will get the dreaded beep and “sorry, it isn’t taking this coupon”. Another thing to make a note of is that you can’t use a RR to purchase the same item. Example: Remember that Dove Deodorant we got for free after RR? I cannot use the Dove Deodorant RR to purchase another Dove Deodorant.

What do I buy with RRs then? There are two things I use my RRs for. Sometimes, I roll the RRs. Rolling RRs means I save this week’s RRs and use them to purchase next week’s RRs deals. It is possible to just pay with RR every week once you get good at this.

I personally use the majority of mine at Publix. See, RRs are actually manufacturer coupons. Publix takes all of them because they, too, can be reimbursed by the manufacturer. That is the true secret to getting my grocery bill so low each week. Again, keep up with the dates on these because neither Walgreens nor Publix will accept these once they expire.


Questions? Feel free to email us at centsableandersons@ gmail.com (no spaces).

Babies R Us is having a month of March events you are going to LOVE!

Breastfeeding 101
Basics of Breastfeeding Workshop
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 6:30pm
Ready, set, PUMP! Get the scoop on breastfeeding and all of the great sure to make it easy to feed naturally. Sponsored by Medela.

SUPER Baby Shower
Saturday, March 13th 12pm-3pm
We're hosting a baby shower for all expectant moms, as well as their family and friends. Come learn about the must-have products for every Mom's baby registry, valuable tips and ideas for planning a baby shower, plus enjoy great savings and giveaways.

Buckle Up and Boogie
Car Seat Workshop
Tuesday, March 23rd 6:30pm
There's no wiggle vroom when it comes to safety! You'll learn how to choose and use a car seat to keep baby safe...with rules of the road provided by Safe Kids Worldwide. Sponsored by Graco

PLUS for those of you too tired to shop (Girls, I remember how bad my swelled up!), you can shop online and get free shipping on orders of $100 or more.

Where do we find all of our coupons?

This is a question we both get a lot. When we started, we had no coupons except for inserts from the papers we bought on Sunday. Now? We have more coupons than you can imagine. So, where do we get them?

1. Newspapers
Well, the first and obvious answer is of course, in the Sunday newspaper. The common Sunday coupon inserts are RedPlum (RP) and Smartsource (SS). Usually on the first Sunday of the month, a Proctor and Gamble (P&G) insert will be included. Coupons are regional. For example, Pensacola often gets “better” and higher dollar coupons than we do in Mobile. Occasionally, we will buy the Pensacola paper because of the coupons in it that week.

2. Manufacturer’s Websites
I am always amazed at how few people have written their favorite manufacturer! Did you know that by writing many companies a quick comment, they will send you a coupon? Many companies LOVE to hear from their consumers. Think of what you use. Think of what you would like to use but maybe cannot afford. Write that company a short email of praise or mention you are curious about their product. If you feel comfortable, ask if they have any coupons they can send you. Honestly, most of my emails were simple praise and thank you notes. Occasionally, we will just get a
thank you. Sometimes we have to hear the dreaded words “NO, we do not just give out coupons”. Shrug it off and write someone else!

Be sure to sign up for different manufacturer emails. We use one of our side email addresses for this (just be sure to check it often!). A lot of companies and brands will send weekly or monthly email updates, recipes and random news. Occasionally in these emails, they will also send you a coupon just for being on their email list.

3. Internet Prints
Internet prints are all over the internet. As mentioned above, you can often find coupons on a manufacturer’s website to print off. Also, Smartsource and RedPlum have sites to print from, too! These coupons reset at the beginning of each month. If you have been directed to a site like RedPlum or Coupons.com and cannot find a coupon mentioned, try a different zip code. Just like Sunday coupons are regional, so can IP coupons. We check 90210. It’s silly, but works. Also, feel free to ask other online couponers what zip code they are using. We are all in this together!

Before you learn this lesson the hard way, let us warn you. Do NOT print every single coupon offered on these sites. It will become an overwhelming mess quickly. Besides, you probably will not want, need or use every single coupon on there anyway.

You will also come across bricks coupons. If you are sent to a link to use a Bricks coupon, first print the coupon. BUT WAIT! Click back three times. Woohoo! You now have that coupon TWICE!

4. Blinkies
What is a blinkie? Have you ever noticed those little red or black machines hanging on a shelf as you shop? They spit out little coupons and have a blinking light and usually go beep beep as you pull
a coupon out. Take a few, but please don’t be greedy. Taking every single one is just rude.

5. Tearpads
Tearpads are found in several places. One location is hanging off of a shelf. Check out displays. You know those big beer displays you always walk by? You can sometimes find GREAT tearpad coupons them! Next time you stop for some gas and a drink, check the gas station out! You can find tearpads on their displays, shelves and sometimes in their drink coolers! Tear you off some coupons, but again, please do not take them all.

6. Peelies
Peelies are coupons found on the items and can be peeled off. Now, there is a great debate in the coupon world regarding coupons. Should you peel and steal or leave it and miss a deal? There are two sides as always on this subject. If you take it, knowing you will use it, knowing it is on sale somewhere else or will be, you save! Of course, then if you do, you are taking that savings from whoever is actually buying the item the peelie is on. Some consider taking a peelie off of an item without buying that item, stealing. Others call is fair grounds. We don't peel and steal. Our thoughts are that is just isn't right.

7. Books
Books are pamphlets with information and coupons found in them. Publix has books that it gives out. As usual, these are regional. Sometimes our Publix gets the books, sometimes they do not. Walgreens also has their own coupon books they put out. Some are monthly books, some are specific like a Diabetes magazine. You can also find manufacturer books in other stores, too. Once again, check out those displays! We recently found some with eight coupons in each book. In less than a week, we had used three of those coupons already!

8. Magazines
Magazines are a great place to find coupons, too! Next time you are flipping through pay attention to the advertisements. You never know where you are going to see a coupon! Also, start buying ALL YOU magazine. This magazine is full of coupons and is often listed in the coupons needed for sales. We never miss an issue, and sometimes buy two. ALL YOU can only be found at WalMart or you can get a subscription. We do need to mention though that recently there was a sale at Publix and in the coupon matchups, ALL YOU came up several times. The problem? It seems the subscribers did not get some of the major coupons found in the same magazine bought in the store. We buy ours.

9. Store Coupons
Store Coupons are different from a manufacturer’s coupon. A store coupon is obviously distributed by the store and can actually be used with a manufacturer coupon. Target, Publix, Walgreens, RiteAid and CVS all have store coupons.

For Target’s coupons, go to their website, scroll towards the bottom and you will links for different areas of the site. You will see a link for Grocery Coupons. You are allowed to print Target coupons twice from each computer. Some of the coupons offered are store coupons, and some are manufacturer. The only way to know which you are getting is by printing. They will also mail coupons and feature coupons in their advertisements so keep an eye out for these!

For Walgreens, RiteAid, and CVS check the front of the store and back by the pharmacy. These stores also have online coupons! Check each store’s online website. RiteAid is slightly different with theirs. They have a site that gets you to watch videos to be able to print a coupon (for whatever item you were watching in the video). Sign up for emails from these different stores and you can receive special coupons! CVS is notorious for sending their email subscribers $5/$25 or $4/$20 purchases.

We get a lot of questions as to what the abbreviations mean in couponing. Here are the basic terms you will see.

SS- SmartSource insert found in your Sunday newspaper
RP- Red Plum insert found in your Sunday newspaper
PG- Procter Gamble insert found in your Sunday newspaper
GM-General Mills insert found in your Sunday newspaper
Q- means a coupon
MQ- Manufacturer coupon (often found in weekly newspapers or mail outs
IP- Internet Printable i.e. a coupon printed from the internet
Blinkies- When shopping, you will see red or black machines on shelves that blink with coupons in them.
Tearpads-Usually found on shelves and on displays, a coupon you literally tear off to take. When you are @ gas stations, check their displays and cooler doors, too!
Books-Usually found on displays or counters, these have coupons in them, too
Peelies-Found on a product and can be peeled off (please don’t steal these off a product you are not purchasing right then)
Catalina-Is actually the name of the machine that prints these. You will notice at Walgreens and Winn Dixie, that when you make a purchase, you will often receive coupons the “register” aka the Catalina machine prints out.
Rain Check-When a store runs a sale, you sometimes run into the problem of the item being sold out. A rain check can be given out by a store that will allow you to purchase that item within a certain time frame while honoring the sales price.

MIR-Mail in rebates
WYB- When You Buy
Double Coupons or Doubling-Certain stores will double the amount of a coupon. Some stores like Fred’s only do this on certain days (Saturday). Many will have a limit on the value (usually only coupons for 50 cents or lower) or how many you may use.
Stacking- Using a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on one item
B1G1 or BOGO- Buy one item get one item free
$/$$- Make a $20 purchase and get $5 off your total purchase
PG, 10/18- Smartsource, October 18th insert
Exp- The expiration date of your coupon
RR- Register Rewards (given out at Walgreens)
ECB- Extra Care Bucks (given out at CVS)
SCR- Single Check Rebate (given out by RiteAid)

I guess the recession truly has hit everyone/thing! At least even family pets know to drive to Publix to save money. :)

If you coupon, you know we print. A LOT. A WHOLE LOT. Which of course means we need ink and we want it cheap.

TODAY ONLY Walgreens is offering 54% off of 1 Printer Ink Refill. This is a GREAT DEAL! There is a limit of one refill per customer and you must have this printable coupon.