iQpons

Thursday, February 2, 2012

For the Americans! Or cross border shoppers...

Some freebies at Target with their in-store coupons!

Free mac & cheese & single roll paper towels =)

go to target.com and print the coupons (2 per computer) or email me and I can send you a copy!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Shoppers Drugmart (math & beyond)

One of the best ways to combine couponing & smart shopping is also racking up points while doing it! My favourite place to do this is at Shoppers Drugmart.

Now while some prices may sometimes be higher there and by a quick glance at the point system they use it doesn't seem easy to accumulate enough points to make it worthwhile, I have a few tricks that might make you reconsider!

1) Only shop on 20x points days (they advertise it in their flyers, announce it on the radio, etc). These happen roughly once a month and have a minimum spend of $50

2) By shopping ONLY on a 20x points day and spending the $50 minimum, you will get 10,000 Shoppers Optimum points (regularly you would only get 500 points when spending $50)

3) Do this 10 times and you will have 100,000 points and will have spent $500.

100,000 points on a regular redemption day is worth $170.

On a bonus redemption day it is worth $200.

And on a Mega redemption day (only once a year!) it's worth a whopping $250!

4) On those 20x points days, buy what you need for the house! Most Shoppers' have a grocery section that sell milk, eggs, cheese, juice etc. Also, they have awesome 2 day sales that usually feature a cheap toilet paper and cheap laundry detergent.

By stocking up on your basic necessities during these days, you eliminate buying them at a higher price when you run out of it unexpectedly!

Bottom line: $500 worth of groceries throughout the year and by December time, you will have a free $250 to spend on merchandise at Shoppers!

Tips: You can also use coupons on these days to combine with sale items (I do this ALL the time) and even spend less than the $50 required. As long as your pre-coupon amount is $50 before taxes, you will still get the points. Don't listen to the cashier who will tell you otherwise!

Also, move your prescriptions there too because as far as I know, you get points on the full value of your prescription too!

Tips & tricks

It's obvious but I can't not mention it! The best way to use your coupons is wait for a good sale and match the coupon with a flyer deal. It's basically the cardinal, ground rule of coupon usage.

Secondly, (and I'll assume if you've come this far, you know this already): KNOW YOUR PRICES. All smart shoppers know what a certain item costs regularly.

And of course, lastly, only buy what you need or what you know you will definitely use, otherwise it isn't saving money, it's spending money on items that may or may not be useful!

[Corollary: Don't buy just because it is cheap or on sale]