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I’ve committed to saving even more money in 2016, so I started out the new year with a killer shopping trip to Target and Rite Aid. After coupons and rebates, I paid only $30.18 for $200.56 of stuff—that’s over $160 in savings! I’m sharing my haul and eleven steps you can take today to save more money on your groceries in 2016!
1. I SUBMITTED CASH REBATES WITH THE IBOTTA APP.
Quaker oatmeal cups were on sale, so I bought two of them. I didn’t use any coupons at checkout, but after I got home, I uploaded a pic of my receipt (the same pic I sent to Checkout 51) and a picture of the bar code on the Oatmeal cups to the Ibotta app and earned a $1 credit! Total savings on two oatmeal cups: $1.32.
Ibotta is the best rebate app of them all! It has tons of offers at dozens of retailers. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love this app!
Ibotta Tip: Scan products in the store before placing them in your shopping cart to reveal whether there’s a matching rebate! Even better, hand your phone to your kid and let them do it!
For current deals, see today’s Quaker coupons.
2. I signed up for coupons from TABLESPOON.COM.
I made my own sale by combining coupons to save on Yoplait Greek yogurt. I bought two yogurts, used a fifty-cent-off coupon from Tablespoon.com, a 25% off Target coupon, and paid only $0.53 each. I saved $1.02.
Tablespoon.com offers coupons for General Mills brands like Yoplait, Cheerios, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury. Before you can print, you must sign up for a free account. Sign up for Tablespoon’s free email and score up to $250 per year in coupon savings. Plus, stay on top of your food game with free recipes for doable dinners, delish desserts, party snacks and more! SIGN UP FOR TABLESPOON.COM NOW!
Tablespoon.com Tip: Create a new email address before signing up for new coupon sites like Tablespoon. It’ll get you the access you need and prevent you from having an overfull inbox!
For current deals, see today’s yogurt coupons.
3. I uploaded my receipt to CHECKOUT 51.
Target had a BOGO sale on Special K cereal (buy one at $2.69, get another for 50% off). I bought two boxes, used a dollar-off coupon, and submitted a picture of my receipt to Checkout 51 for another dollar via rebate. In the end, I paid $1.02 per box and saved $3.34!
Checkout 51 is a free app that releases new offers every Thursday. Select the rebates, buy the products, then upload your receipt to get the savings. Once your account reaches $20, cash out! DOWNLOAD CHECKOUT 51 NOW.
Checkout 51 Tip: Upload any receipt (regardless of whether you selected offers before you shopped). You can even upload confirmations of online purchases! Upload your spouse’s receipts, your in-law’s receipts, your neighbor’s receipts—just keep uploading to earn more cash!
For current deals, see today’s Special K coupons.
4. I printed coupons from COUPONS.COM.
My favorite granola was also part of the BOGO sale, so I picked up two bags. I printed two high-value coupons each worth $1.25 off per bag from . Instead of paying the retail price of $3.24 per bag, I only paid $1.18. Between the sale and the coupon, that’s $4.12 in savings!
Coupons.com runs the largest printable coupon program in the country. The first time you print a coupon, you’ll have to download Coupons.com software onto your computer. It’s pretty painless and completely safe. Once installed, you’ll never have to mess with it again, and printing will be a breeze. PRINT A COUPON NOW!
Coupons.com Tip: Print two coupons per device! I print two from my laptop; two more from my husband’s laptop; two more from my phone, his phone, and our tablet! It’s hard to run out of coupons in 2016.
For current deals, see today’s granola coupons.
5. I added offers to my TARGET CIRCLE.
By combining a coupon and a rebate, and redeeming a 25% off coupon from Target Circle, I was able to get these new Centrum VitaMints for free! Total savings: $7.99.
The Target app has hundreds of offers for food, clothing, toys, and gear in Target stores. Each offer saves you around 5-50%. Make sure to click the offers to add to your Cartwheel before you buy. Then, show your phone to the cashier at checkout, and they’ll scan the digital barcode for instant savings.
Target Circle Tip: Connect to Target’s free Wi-Fi when using the app in-store. Even better, take a screen grab of your bar code and keep it in your photo stream for easy access at checkout if you run into poor connectivity.
For current deals, see today’s Centrum coupons.
Related: Target Circle: Insider Secrets You Must Know
6. I created my shopping list on the KRAZY COUPON LADY APP.
Saving a couple bucks here and there is awesome. But, what really gets me going (and makes it all worth my time) is finding deals like this one on the Krazy Coupon Lady app! I bought five items: one Febreeze, one Tide, one Glad, and two Charmin. The total value of the items was $55.70. I used a digital coupon, five paper coupons, submitted three rebates, and ended up saving $35.75.
The Krazy Coupon Lady website and app are filled with coupons and pre-made shopping lists to maximize coupon savings and minimize time spent! I would never have the time to craft these deals on my own. I select my stores, browse hundreds of new deals and coupons every day, and build my shopping list in minutes! DOWNLOAD THE KRAZY COUPON LADY APP NOW!
Krazy Coupon Lady Tip: The best day to create your shopping list is on Monday. New sale cycles begin on Sundays, and hundreds of the hottest deals are live on Krazy Coupon Lady by Monday morning!
For current deals, see Tide coupons, Charmin coupons.
7. I saved an extra 5% with my TARGET REDCARD.
My total after coupons at Target was $43.44 plus tax. I saved an extra $2.17 automatically by paying with my Target debit card, bringing my out-of-pocket total to $41.27. Then, I submitted $10.50 in rebates and got a $5 Target gift card. Not too shabby.
The Target debit card is an easy way to save an extra 5% by doing nothing. Trust me, I ignored the sales shpeel from my Target cashiers for nearly a year. But when I realized that you could actually sign up online, I took the plunge and never looked back. The debit card doesn’t pull your credit, and since it’s not a credit card, you never have to ‘make a payment’ or worry about interest rates. SIGN UP FOR TARGET REDCARD DEBIT NOW!
Target RedCard Tip: You’ll need to have your Social Security number, bank account, and routing numbers as well as your driver license number handy for the online signup process. Gather up those items before you begin, and you can sign up in under five minutes!
8. I printed coupons from PGEVERYDAY.COM.
Next, I headed to Rite Aid for a killer deal on diapers, and while I was there, I picked up two bottles of Crest mouthwash, on sale for $3 each—plus $1.50 in Rite Aid Plenti Points for each bottle. I visited PGEveryday.com to print Crest coupons worth $1 off. I used two of them, paid $4 out of pocket for two bottles, and then got $3 back in Plenti Points. That’s like paying $0.50 per bottle—a savings of $7.58!
PGEveryday has great coupons for brands like Bounty, Tampax, and Crest, but you have to sign up for an account to access the savings. SIGN UP FOR PGEVERYDAY.COM NOW!
PGEveryday.com Tip: Save paper and ink! Now you can load coupons directly to your store loyalty card at dozens of stores nationwide, including Rite Aid. You’ll have to enter your card info at PGEveryday on your first time. Sign up through the link above!
For current deals, see today’s Crest coupons.
9. I entered diaper codes at PAMPERS GIFTS TO GROW.
It’s deals like this one that got me couponing in the first place. Diapers were on sale plus promotion at Rite Aid: buy four packs ($36), get $20 worth of Rite Aid Plenti Points. I printed four coupons worth $2 off, and after points, it’s like I only paid $2 per pack. That’s extreme savings!
I didn’t stop there. I went home and entered my diaper codes (found inside each pack of Pampers diapers and wipes) into Pampers Gifts To Grow loyalty program. With one kid in diapers (both Huggies and Pampers), I earn at least 1,000 points per year, which is enough to grab a Melissa & Doug toy or a couple photo gifts from Shutterfly. Pampers covers the shipping, so points actually get you something for nothing. SIGN UP FOR PAMPERS GIFTS TO GROW NOW!
Pampers Gifts to Grow Tip: Follow Pampers on Twitter for regular bonus codes.
For current deals, see today’s Pampers coupons.
10. I got an instant rebate in my PayPal account from MobiSave.
Overlapping P&G promotions at Rite Aid led to my greatest deal of the day and (since it was Jan 1) the year! I bought four bottles of Tide and three bottles of Pantene (as per the shopping list I built in the Krazy Coupon Lady app). I used five coupons, submitted one MobiSave rebate, and got $20 in Rite Aid points for a future purchase, essentially making the shampoo and detergent totally free—a savings of $54.93!
MobiSave is the newest rebate app, and it’s making a good case for being my favorite. No minimums mean I actually get paid via PayPal for every rebate I submit. I don’t have to reach a $10 or $20 minimum to cash out. Plus, like some of my other favorite apps, I can upload receipts from any store—brick-and-mortar or online. DOWNLOAD MOBISAVE NOW!
MobiSave Tip: Spotty signal isn’t a problem with MobiSave. Load your offers when you have service, then browse the app anytime, with or without signal.
For current deals, see today’s Pantene coupons, shampoo coupons.
11. I paid with a discounted gift card from RAISE.COM.
My entire Rite Aid purchase rang up at $50.86 after coupons. But the next step for me wasn’t for me to swipe my Visa card. Instead, I paid with a Rite Aid gift card I had previously purchased for 12% off at Raise.com, saving me an extra $6.10, and bringing my total savings to $61.03.
Raise.com sells discounted gift cards directly from the retailer. You can buy physical gift cards or digital codes, many of which can be redeemed in-store or online. I save somewhere between 5-15% on all my purchases by planning ahead and keeping gift cards for my top retailers in my purse. SHOP RAISE.COM GIFT CARDS NOW!
Raise.com Tip: Be aware of sister companies that accept each other’s gift cards. Use an Athleta or Old Navy gift card at the Gap. Use a Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma card at West Elm. Shop around on Raise to see which cards have the greatest discount!
WRAP-UP REPORT
Total Items purchased: 27
Retail Value: $200.56
Total Saved: $166.28
Out-of-Pocket Expense: $86.03
Post-Purchase Savings: $56.25 ($41.50 Plenti-Points, $5 Target Gift Card, $5 Ibotta, $3.75 MobiSave and $1 Checkout 51)
Final Price: $30.18 (86% savings!)
Related: 5 Mistakes Couponers Make at Walmart
This post is sponsored in part by General Mills.
