A-B-C Frugality

For those of you who are new to couponing, and those of us who occasionally get burntout, all the clipping-cutting-filing can get monotonous for coupons that are .35 values.  We sometimes wonder…where have all the High Value Coupons gone?  MoneywiseMoms has a great article up with her 5 tops tips for scoring high value coupons.  To read the whole post, go here.  In summary, her tips are:

1. Compliment a brand/company you like by writing to their company directly (or emailing…much faster and saves you the cost of a stamp) and expressing your satisfaction with their product. I personally have done this and scored (2) $5.00 off any Johnson & Johnson product coupons! I try to email 5 companies every day, and this has always resulted in a steady stream of coupons and free product coupons in my mailbox (along with all the freebies, of course.  There is a Google doc that I came across, and I would love to give huge props to the creator (if I knew who she was).  You can find it HERE and it lists over 700 companies to write, what the author recieved from the company, and the direct link to contact them.  Contact even one or two a day and you’ve got a year’s worth of high value Manufacturer coupons coming your way. Bonus:  Most coupons directly from the Manufacturer have much later expiration dates than our Newspaper Q’s.

2. Sign up for Rewards & Loyalty Programs. This was a great point for her to emphasize. Diaper companies like Huggies, Luvs and Pampers as well as the formula companies like Enfamil, Similac and Nestle all have loyalty programs where they will mail out high value coupons.  Huggies especially mails out high value Q’s, I often get $3.00 off any pack coupons.  Luvs is another generous company, whom I just received a $5.00 off coupon from.  Think outside the box, too. Airwick has a new club where you can enter UPC’s to earn coupons and prizes, and MyCokeRewards lets you earn coupons and prizes.  Many brands have loyalty clubs that will reward you with High Value Coupons.

3. Join Review Panels. Many companies like Psst, Vocalpoint, Houseparty and BzzAgent will provide you with full sized products and/or free product and high value coupons in exchange for your promise to share the coupons and your opinions about the product with your family and friends.

4. Look in your Magazines. I personally would not recommend going out and buying a magazine just to hope there are coupons inside (except for All You…available at WalMart, this magazine usually has over $100 of coupons inside and costs less than $3).  BUT, most of us get our magazines for free, so scan them for coupons when you get them. Good Housekeeping, Women’s World, even my Parenting magazine usually has a small insert with high value coupons in the back.

5. Keep an Eye on your Manufacturer’s Coupons. From time to time the coupons we get in the papers ARE high value coupons.  Take the Airwick $6 off coupons that scored many of us some free air fresheners a few weeks ago.  And Marcal has been putting some free product coupons out in my area, as has Truvia (the new sweetener…there was a Q a few weeks ago for a free box).  Keep your eyes peeled and stay alert and you’ll find high value coupons!

And a few of my own tips for scoring High Value Coupons…

6. Remember the printables! If I have an item on my list that I don’t have a newspaper coupon for, I do a quick Swagbucks search for the brand name, and I might even visit the manufacturer’s website directly to see if there are any printable coupons that the deal seekers and bloggers may have missed (the internet is a HUGE place and we are all only human, remember!).

7.  Watch for product samplers at stores and fairs. I have often scored product samples and high value coupons by running across sampling booths at WalMart or Women’s Expo’s.  Plus, Expos are often free and are a fun way to get out with the kids.  Last year we rounded up our daughter and the stroller and headed to the Women’s Expo at the convention center in Reno and had a blast!  I scored some great Luna Bar coupons and samples and my 2 year old got to play with puppies from the humane society.  Frugal fun at its best!