First step, you’ll need a Smiths Fresh Values card.

Sign up for Smiths Fresh Values card at checkout lane or customer service.  Your Fresh Values card entitles you both to savings in the store and to rewards!  Earn one point for every dollar you spend at Smiths.  Get paid quarterly; 500 points equals $5.00.

Second step: Learn the kinds of coupons accepted by Smiths

Manufacturer Newspaper coupons: These coupons are found in the free standing inserts in your Sunday paper: Smart Source, Red Plum and Proctor & Gamble.

Printable Coupons: Safeway accepts printable coupons.

eCoupons: Load these coupons directly onto your club card. When you swipe the card or present your phone number to the cashier, you will automatically receive the savings & you can see them on your receipt. eCoupons are only good on one product; you cannot buy 10 of the same and expect the savings on more than one. The cash register will still accept a manufacturer coupon in addition to an eCoupon, but they both are manufacturer coupons. I’m guessing that as e-coupons become more mainstream they’ll find a way to limit this use. For now, the e-coupon websites say things like “they don’t suggest” using eCoupons with manufacturer coupons– whatever that means. . . There are 4 eCoupon providers:

• Cellflire: Cellfire has lots of coupons that can help you save loads of money! Sign up for Cellfire, it’s free!

• Upromise: really great coupons here! Instead of receiving cash off your purchases, your savings goes into your Upromise account, where it can earn interest for tax-free college savings, pay off student loans or receive a check for college expenses! Sign up for free!

• P&GeSaver
• Shortcuts

Catalina Coupons: At Smiths, you’ll find the gray Catalina machines sitting at the registers. These machines dispense long, receipt-like coupons. Don’t let your cashier forget to hand them to you! Catalina coupons may be store or manufacturer coupons. You may receive a catalina worth $2 off your next purchase of $10 from the produce section. Or you may get a catalina for $1.00 off planters nuts, it just depends on the coupon. The catalinas at Smiths must always be redeemed at Smiths (unless you have a local store who accepts competitor coupons).

Step Three: Wait for the stars to align

Wait until the sale price or promotion matches your coupon, so you can save big!

Smiths runs Catalina promos like: Spend $25, save $10 on your next shopping order. When we combine a deal like this with coupons, we can yield those really high savings of over 70%. Whenever you see a minimum purchase like “spend $25, remember that total is the subtotal you must reach before redeeming any coupons. If you can spend $25 and redeem $12 worth of coupons, you’ll still receive a $10 catalina good on your next shopping order.

You will also see promos like this: Buy 5 select products, receive $5 on your next shopping order. Krazy Coupon Ladies separate their transactions, buying 5 products at a time and then roll the “$5 on your next shopping order” catalina from one transaction to the next.