Couponing Tip: Bring Store Ads with You When You Shop

As a Couponer, you are probably scanning the ads and doing matchups at home every week, but you can benefit even more by taking the store ad with you when you shop!

• Verify sizes and varieties: Most sale items are only valid on certain sizes and flavors/varieties, so you can double check your store ad for specifics. And if you can’t find the correct product, it helps to have the ad when asking an employee for the product location.
• Store coupons: Not sure which store coupons you’ll be using or don’t have time to clip them all? Bringing the ad with you and only clipping those you’ll use can be a time saver.
• Price verification: Store ads are great for double checking prices both in the aisles and at the register. This is especially nice on the first or last day of the sale when sale prices might not all be in the system.
• Rainy day: If a product is out of stock, have the store ad with you to show the cashier so they can write you a rain check for the correct product, including size restrictions, included varieties, and limits.
• Circle it: To make things easier to find while in the store, circle the products and prices of what you want.
• Time shortage: If your schedule is tight and you haven’t had a chance to do coupon matchups, store ads can still help. Grab a copy at the entrance to find the best prices on items like produce, meat, bread, and dairy.
• Price matching: When matching ad prices at supercenters like Target and Walmart, it helps to have the applicable competitor ads with you. Note that the Target policy requires the ad, while the Walmart policy states that you do not have to have the ad with you (but you’ll find it helps to have it just in case!).