It's time for...

I'm so excited to be starting a series of posts! Mostly because, now I will always have something to post about... at least on Tuesday. :)

As mentioned in this post, I will kick off my "Here's a Tip" series with a little coupon knowledge. This will make my other new series "Weekly Deal Round-Up", more easily understood.

TODAY'S TIP 2/16/10:
First, let me start by saying that to take full advantage of the Weekly Deal Round-Up, you need to buy the Sunday paper for the biggest city around you. I live in a smaller town 40 minutes outside of Raleigh, but I get the Raleigh News and Observer, NOT my small town Sunday paper. They issue coupons regionally, and the values differ even from city to city around the same state.

Here we go: :) :)

This will be the format in which the Deal Round-Up will be posted. I will do my best to explain each abbreviation, and decode the deal for you.

This is how the deals will look:
Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield Toothpaste or Rinse $3.50 = $3.50Ecb (Limit 2)
Use the $2/1 coupon from the 2/7 PG (good for any Crest rinse)
Final Cost FREE + a $2 moneymaker!

This is what they mean:
Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield Toothpaste 4.2oz or Rinse 14.8oz $3.50 = $3.50ECB (Limit 2)
The first line will list the item that is for sale, the size and sale price. It will also let you know if there are any rewards for the purchase, such as ECB’s. It will also tell you if there is a limit to the number of times you can earn those rewards. Here, there is a limit of 2.
Use the $2/1 coupon from the 2/7 PG (good for any Crest rinse)
The second line will list what coupons to use. In the example here, there is a coupon for $2 off the purchase of 1 Crest Rinse, which will look like this $2/1. If there is any stipulation to the coupon, such as size restrictions, it will be listed here as well. It will also tell you where to find a coupon. Here, it's in the Proctor and Gamble Insert from the Sunday paper that came on 2/7/10.
Final Cost: FREE + a $2 moneymaker!
The Third line is the Final Price after the sale price and coupon are combined.

FYI:**YOU MUST HAVE A CVS CARD IN ORDER TO EARN THERE ECB REWARDS. It's free and simple to sign up if you do not have one**

Here is another example:

Listerine Mouthwash 1 L, Whitening Rinse 16oz, Smart Rinse 595 mL: $4.50 each- $5 Gift Card wyb (3)
$1/1 Listerine printable or printable
$1/1 Listerine SmartRinse printable
$1/1 Listerine Smart Rinse, Agent Cool Blue Any RP 1/3, 12/6
$1/1 Listerine Antiseptic, Any 500 mL. + RP 1/3, 12/6
$1/1 Listerine Whitening Rinse, Any 16 Fl. Oz. RP 1/3
Final Cost: $5.50 for 3


Listerine Mouthwash 1 L, Whitening Rinse 16oz, Smart Rinse 595 mL- $4.50 each- $5 Gift Card wyb 3
Again, first line is the item for sale, the size, and sale price. Also, there is a reward for this purchase. You will earn a $5 Target Gift Card when you buy (wyb) 3 participating items!
$1/1 Listerine printable or printable
$1/1 Listerine SmartRinse printable
$1/1 Listerine Smart Rinse, Agent Cool Blue from the 1/3 RP,
$1/1 Listerine Antiseptic, Any 500 mL. from the 1/3 RP
$1/1 Listerine Whitening Rinse, Any 16 fl oz. from the 1/3 RP
Here is an example of having multiple coupons available for a particular item. You may only use 1 manufactures coupon and 1 store coupon (issued by Target, CVS, Rite-Aid, etc, NOT the manufacturer) on an item. All of the coupons available to use are listed, that way, in case you already used a particular coupon from the paper, they are other options for printables. Or if you already reached your print limit for a coupon, there are newspaper insert options for you as well!These newspaper coupons are from the January 3rd Red Plum (RP) insert. Also, the printable coupons will be hyperlinked to direct you exactly where to print them.
Final Cost: $5.50 for 3
Final Price after the sale price and coupon are combined. This example factors in the Gift Card you will receive buy purchasing the items.

**The 3 newspaper insert abbreviations you will see are PG (Proctor and Gamble), RP (Red Plum), and SS (SmartSource). One of these 3 names will be printed on the front of the newspaper insert. Usually, Red Plum and SmartSource come weekly, while Proctor and Gamble is a monthly issue.**

**The Crest deal is actually in affect from 2/14-2/20 at CVS. This is a GREAT one to start with, as you will only pay $1.50 out of pocket, and they will give you $3.50 in Extra Care Bucks(ECB). An ECB is a dollar value good on your next purchase that will print out on your receipt. So after you buy this mouth rinse or toothpaste, you will have, essentially, a $3.50 gift card to use towards your next purchase***
**The Listerine deal is in affect from 2/14-2/20 at Target. This is one you can take advantage of if you have no accumulated any newspaper inserts**

I know this is alot to read and might be confusing, so please, if you have any questions at all, leave a comment or send me an email! Good luck and happy couponing :)