Coupon101 Archives - MyLitter - One Deal At A Time

How to Print Coupons from Mobil

May 2, 2017 By Tiffany Leave a Comment By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

Want to print from Mobil? Here are some tips to help you do that. I am going to be using a special link for some coupons that will be very mobil friendly coupons to print.

This will be a much easier way, and I will try to remember which coupons you can do this with so that you will know.

This is what to do:

Connect your phone to ANY wifi printer
Click this link HERE
It will automatically detect a user on their mobile device
Follow the prompts
You will be texted an authentication code
Hit the print button in the top right and you can print!

This will be much easier then having to go to the app, or if you don’t have a certain printer this will work with ANY wi-fi printer!!!

Yay!! Life changing for me!

Yes, We Were On Extreme Couponing!

January 20, 2017 By Tiffany 6 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

Paul and I were the very first season of the first episode of the TLC show Extreme Couponing. Many of you might have not known that and so I wanted to share a few insider things with you. In our contract from EC we were required to follow any and all coupon policies from the store. We were also prevented from using the show to get coupons. For example, we could not have contacted companies and asked for free product coupons because we were going to be on the show. Our store actually tightened the coupon policy going from allowing 3 coupons doubled or tripled to only allowing 1. The total we spent was $1100, and we paid $43!!! The total difference in double coupons was $6.50. That’s it. So don’t let the fact that you might not double or triple coupons to keep you from savings money or thinking that you can do it! We also had 3 days to get ready for the show and didn’t know until the day before if we would be shopping at Kroger or HEB for our episode.

People often complain of coupon fraud on the show. There was some, we saw it on a few episodes, that fraud is solely on the individual and their ethics NOT on the SHOW. The show did not encourage it or in any way allow it. The producers and photographers are not couponers, they would have no idea if you were committing fraud or not. They trusted what you were doing was legit. We did hear of one store who allowed a couponer to break the policy but the store came out and apologized.

The show was good for a few reasons: 1. It got people excited about couponing again. 2 It showed people that it could be done. 3. It gave hope to thousands of people who didn’t know how they were going to take care of their family. Just like anything good there are going to be people who ruin it, who abuse the system and who are greedy. For the most part they fade out and can’t keep up their bad habits and go away, or finally get a clue and should be or are embarrassed for their actions. Couponing has even a blessing for our family, we were able to save our home and maintain a lifestyle when Paul was laid off because we couponed. It has let us bless the lives of people around us and give more then we ever thought possible.

I just wanted to take a second to share a few of these thoughts with you, and encourage you to learn to save money for your family!

How I Get Ready for a Coupon Shopping Trip

January 12, 2017 By Tiffany 2 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

I quickly put together a video for you on how I get ready for my coupon shopping trips. This can be for a big trip or even for a small trip to the store.

If you are on mobil, you might have to watch the video HERE.

P.S. I know it should be “shopping” and not “thopping!”

This one I happen to be getting ready for the Kroger mega event coming up. I would do the same steps for a trip to Target, CVS, Walmart or any other store.

1. Choose your stores match ups where you are shopping.

2. Make my shopping list by clicking the items and adding them to my shopping list (see picture above).

3. Printing any coupons that I need.

4. Printing my shopping list.

5. Clipping Sunday insert coupons.

6. Go to the store.

For this specific trip it only took me 35 minutes to get ready to go!

How to Save Money on Paper Products

December 3, 2016 By Tiffany 2 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

Toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, and more. Paper products are one item that everyone wants to save money on but has no idea how to begin. What if I told you, you could cut your budget in half for paper products, or at least save 25% on every purchase you made at the very least? It can be done and there are multiple ways to get there but they all lead to saving you MONEY and who doesn’t love saving money, right?

Use Coupons and Cash Back Apps

Every week we see more people asking for the best deals on paper products and where to find them. Your local drugstores will often run special sales to get you in the door on those very items and the sales usually pair with brand new coupons that have come out. (We usually see Angel Soft, Cottonelle, and Charmin on sale pretty often)

Cash Back Apps like Ibotta, Checkout51, MobiSave, SavingStar, and more are all FREE apps that reward you when you purchase select items. Many of the paper product companies offer cash back through these apps on all kinds of name brands like Scott, Angel Soft, and more. You don’t even have to use a single coupon for them and just earn cash back for items you’re purchasing anyway. (Great way to save money and stash it away for Christmas shopping)

Try Using Reusable Items

If you ever grew up with your mom hanging a towel on her shoulder while she cooked or one hanging from the handle on the stove it might not have made sense back then but boy does it now. How many times do you find yourself washing your hands and using paper towels just once to dry them? Try having an old hand towel that may not be the best looking for the bathroom but will serve perfectly for drying hands in the kitchen quickly.

If a mess isn’t too germy or gross and can be cleaned up with a rag then do it, then make a load of laundry solely for your dirty kitchen rags. You can also try these Clorox Handi Wipes Towels which can be washed and reused multiple times per cloth and are fairly inexpensive. (They also work really well for spills and such and you can then wash and reuse)

Buyer Beware of the Ply and Size
You may have noticed the super awesome deals are often too good to be true and sometimes they really are. You may find a sweet deal on that favorite brand like Scott 1000 only to find it’s thinner than a sheet of notebook paper and are sad. So pay attention to the ply ladies and gents. When checking out those deals spy the tiny fine print on the 2 ply-3 ply sheets.

Here is one of our favorite Angel Soft Toiler Paper Deals

You may also see all this mumbo jumbo about double rolls, mega rolls, and more and that’s because we’re using more and more these days so companies are advertising items in a new way that makes them seem like we are getting more. You want to make sure you are NOT paying more for a double roll than you would be for two single rolls, for example don’t pay $0.75 for a double roll if the regular size rolls are only $0.25. As a basis don’t pay more than $0.50 per double roll or $0.25 per single roll as these prices are what we can usually find them for on sale and with/without coupons to help.

Shop Online Stores

Shopping online maybe seem a bit redundant with paying shipping costs but you’d be surprised how often online stores like Staple’s and Office Depot have free shipping offer. On a regular basis we’ve found these stores offer coupon codes for free shipping, a percentage off purchases, or just a set dollar mount off your purchase. ($5/$25, $10/$50)

You can also sign up as first time members for FREE with these websites and get a special new member coupon code to use on your next purchase. So how does that turn into REAL savings? You wait, and use those coupon codes when they have a sale just like you would in a grocery store. Amazon is another great place that often has paper products in bulk for cheaper than we can find in stores without coupons.

What coupons can you use where? Store vs. MFQ and Store Logo.

April 29, 2016 By Tiffany 18 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

It can be confusing when you are printing and cutting out coupons to know where you can use them when you first start couponing. But quickly you will be able to see some differences and understand what they mean.

When you look at the above coupons before you print them, you can see a few differences. Mostly that 2 of them have a store logo. The top one has none. The middle coupon with the HEB logo is actually a manufacturer coupon that can be used at any store, although it has the HEB logo. The bottom coupon has a Target logo and also says “Redeem only at Target” and when you print it, it is a Target store coupon. Which can only be used at Target, and can still be combined with manufacturer coupon.

This is what they look like when printed. Well, except I already printed and used the 3M coupon, so I printed the Softsoap coupon (you can see below) has a Walmart logo before printed.

You are looking at the top of the coupon to see if it is a manufacturer coupon or a store coupon. A manufacturer coupon can be used at ANY store as long as there as no exclusions listed on the coupon. A store logo isn’t an exclusion. UNLESS IN THE STORES COUPON POLICY THEY SPECIFICALLY SAY THEY DONT TAKE THEM. Even with another stores logo the store can still redeem it and get reimbursed for it.

The Target coupons above both say on them “Redeem Only at Target” even if these coupons are manufacturer coupons, they could only be used at Target. Because the coupons have an exclusion saying they can only be used at Target.

Now, these coupons above all have the Walmart logo on them. The logo says “Available at Walmart” basically letting you know that Walmart carries the product. Plus, they are hoping you think to yourself when seeing the logo, “I am going to use this at Walmart.”

What you need to do is read the coupon:

Coupon 1: USA Kids – Manufacturer coupon, Walmart logo, but says “Redeem ONLY at Walmart” This coupon can only be used at Walmart.

Coupon 2: Softsoap – (you can see this coupon printed above) Manufacturer coupon, No Walmart logo when printed, no exclusions can use anywhere.

Coupon 3: Purex Crystals – Manufacturer coupon, Walmart logo, says “Redeemable at Walmart.” This coupon can still be used at any store that will accept it. They are telling you Walmart carries the product and suggesting you use it there.

Finally, this is pretty much the ONLY coupon type that you can’t use at Walmart or any other store but the store it says on it. That would be a specific STORE coupon.

Clear as mud right?! It really isn’t that hard. The best thing to do is just print the coupon and read it all the way through. I also try to tell you ahead of time if we know that it is Target coupon so you don’t print it if you wanted to use it somewhere else.

Any questions feel free to email or leave a comment and we will help you understand any questions you have!

Find a Coupon Buddy – Even one who looks like this!

February 24, 2016 By Tiffany Leave a Comment By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

My coupon buddy!! ^^^^ That guy!

:: Use the Buddy System ::

FIND A BUDDY!! I get so much good information from readers and friends everyday that I would never be able to find on my own. Encourage your sister, best friend, Mom, husband, neighbor, co-worker, aunt, daughter etc. to jump on this ride with you. It is SOOOOO much more fun with a friend. Plus, you can encourage and support each other on the way.

Steer clear of the “haters,” people who don’t like it when you succeed or flourish. Or people who complain a lot, it just isn’t fun that way. Find a friend that is thrifty and frugal, who you can go shopping with. Someone who likes to save money just as much as you or NEEDS YOU to teach them how. YOU can be the leader and show others how to take some stress out of their life by having a little wiggle room with their budget.

The TRUTH About Extreme Couponing

February 15, 2016 By Tiffany 17 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

Sigh, I am going to set the record straight on the truth about Extreme Couponing. Today there was a marathon TLC Extreme Couponing day on one of the local stations, which means I get all the standard comments and claims on my Facebook and social media pages about how it was rigged, or fake, or EVERYONE committed some kind of COUPON FRAUD. Etc. etc. etc.

After 5 years you would think people would get their facts straight. But no, they read something 4-5 years ago by some blogger(s) who wasn’t (weren’t) on the show, but are just trying to get traffic by posting bait articles to get you to click. Congrats, you clicked and made them some money… but you are just dumber for reading their made up “facts” and speculation.

My husband and I were on the very first season, the first episode of TLC’s Extreme Couponing. You can see our episode HERE.

I am going to answer a few of the rumors or claims that ALWAYS go around that are completely false or mostly untrue:

Stores changed their coupon policies because of the show:

FALSE. OMGosh, this one gets so old. Stores did not change their policies because of EC. It was not that big of a show. Stores do not change their polices based on a cable TV reality show. It also takes months or years to get a policy change into effect. The week our episode aired in Houston, the Kroger Southwest region changed their policy to exclude doubling and tripling. Kroger is the LARGEST grocer in the country. They don’t make a major change to a policy in a few days. It takes FOREVER to make a change like that. Our episode just happened to air the week they did it. Which then, for people who have no idea how a grocer or corporation works might assume that a tiny show had something to do with it, when in fact, corporate wasn’t even aware of the show at that time.

Kroger is the LARGEST grocer in the world. The WORLD people… They are even considered larger then Walmart as a traditional grocer. They don’t give a crap about a cable TV show that only lasted 3 seasons.

Also, if you know anything about our story, you know that our local region actually TIGHTENED the policy for our shopping trip. At the time we were able to double and triple three of any coupon. The day we went shopping they only allowed us to double or triple ONE of any coupon.

Grocery stores, Kroger in particular, changed their coupon policy in 2011, & 2013 because the massive polling they do through Neilson showed that the average consumer used under 10 coupons in a trip and wanted a gas program and prescription drug program over a coupon program. You see, stores PAY the doubling and tripling amount. Not the brands. That marketing money was switched to gas and prescriptions.

Customers voted. The majority won.

The trip is staged or fake:

FALSE: What does that even mean? I am not even sure what people are implying here when they say this…. TLC sets it up? LOL, not a chance! I was given about 4 days to get ready for my trip. People usually have the opportunity to pick the store they want to shop at. Because mine was such short notice we didn’t get to choose, but sent out requests to all my local stores. The one who said yes first was the one we were using. Thank GOODNESS it was Kroger!

I was given (0) ZERO help. They don’t do anything but send a local film crew and one 20 year old “producer” to ask you questions.

I had to sign a contract that I would not pitch companies for coupons, and that I would follow my stores coupon policy.

Some people had time to plan a trip longer then I did. They are able to order product ahead of time. Good for them! I was not. We only had a few days to get ready for the trip. So I did the best I could with a new baby, sitting on the floor of my grocery store nursing her, planning a shopping trip for TV.

Yeah… but, but, but, some people committed coupon fraud!:

TRUE: Yeah, a few did. Just like they do all day long at your Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, and every grocery store. Some did it on purpose and some did it on accident. There are about 180 episodes of EC and out of all those there are a few where the people actually did commit coupon fraud. But it was not that many. AND, if they did, they had to go against the contract they signed and against the stores coupon policy. That isn’t TLC’s fault. That is a moral/ethical issue of that person. Just like it is with the people who commit coupon fraud everyday at your local stores.

Lumping everyone who was on the show into that “fraud” category is irresponsible and ignorant on your part. It is like saying, “Oh, so you are a couponer? Then you commit coupon fraud!” People who think that are idiots, just like the people who think everyone or even most people on the show committed fraud. That is just stupid.

In conclusion:

Complaining about the show, or ignorantly making claims that you have no idea about are offensive to those who were on the show, who busted their asses to have a good trip and show people what can be done. It is offensive because we worked hard to give you a cool trip, with lots of good food and useable items, cleaning, hygiene, and even milk and produce. For crying out loud, Paul had 14lbs. of steak! instead of asking “How did he do that!!?” People assume that you did something fraudulent because they are ignorant of how to coupon.

I find that the people who speak out against the show usually have tried to Extreme Coupon and failed at it or were not very good at it. So, they have to disparage anyone who is good at it.

Extreme Couponing is an awesome show for a few reasons. It got people excited again about couponing. It has helped THOUSANDS of people provide for their families. It reminded people how fun couponing was and got them thinking about doing it again. There are so many positives!

If you want to go to a FREE class, you can check out the dates and times HERE. Class is totally free and taught by me.

Shopping This Weekend? Here is some HELP!

April 10, 2015 By Tiffany Leave a Comment By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

Are you shopping this weekend? Need some help? I have tons of help… there are printable shopping lists for over 20 stores, with the coupons matched up to the sales, there is a coupon database where you can find coupons that you might need for things you are buying, there is Facebook where you can ask questions and get help, and places to print coupons as well!

How to NOT fail as a couponer.

January 17, 2015 By Tiffany 6 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

Tried couponing? Too much work? Can’t keep up and don’t know what the best deals are and when to use coupons. Sick of dragging the kids to the store and meeting people in the parking lot to buy inserts?How to NOT fail as a couponer….

I am really getting very sad watching the “new wave” of couponers trying to succeed at this, only to give up after a short time. Remember that these OBSERVATIONS are coming from someone who could be called an “Extreme Couponer”

How to be a short term couponer and fail:

Learn to coupon on Instagram or Facebook.
Buy dozens of inserts a week
Chase every deal
Try to have a stockpile that looks like the corner store
Turn a room into your house into your stockpile that you NEEDED for something else
Sell inserts
Steal tear pads and peelies and sell them online
Buy cut coupons by the 100’s
Drag the kids to the store at 11pm for a “HOT DEAL”
Start missing family time or things because you are “couponing”
Hide stuff from your husband/boyfriend
Spend more money on “deals” than you would have spent not couponing
Stop cleaning your house and making dinner because you don’t have time
Buy inserts from people who stole them and don’t care
Meet people in unsafe areas just to buy inserts to save $.10 over getting a subscription delivered
You have plies and piles of unused coupons and inserts
Get overwhelmed and quit
Spend more than 1 hour a day cutting coupons, looking for deals, on IG and Facebook
Double your gas bill for your car
Look over your shoulder in the store because you know you are doing something wrong
Disregard store coupon policies

Then at some point you just quit. It is too much and you are not saving as much or spending too much time or just flat out have too much stuff.

PLUS if you sat down and figured out how much you were spending on inserts, coupons, over buying items and all the hours you spend on it you realize you are MAKING $.67 an HOUR doing this. WOW. Not worth it. I don’t blame you.

How to be a long term couponer and NOT fail:

Get a subscription to the paper and get as many inserts each week as people you are couponing for
Start small get familiar with one grocery store and one drug store
Realize that deals come around again and don’t chase ever free item
Buy what YOUR family will need for a 3 month period, anything more is unnecessary
Be polite and make friends with cashiers
Find a coupon buddy
Make a grocery list, use match ups, and buy what is cheap that week
Use a coupon ONLY on a sale
Use the match ups, which are cross referenced with the weekly coupons and buy the items I tell you are stock up items
Use the whole insert method of filing coupons to save time
Be consistent but not a hoarder

Couponing should not change your life in a bad way. It should not make your husband/boyfriend mad at you. It should not be difficult and hard to do. It is a LONG TERM way of living and NOT a short term “get all I can for free” and give up thing.

:: Resources ::

Houston Chronicle for $1 a week delivered to your house (up to 5 papers)
Are you confused at all the RP, SS, P&G, YMMV things that couponers say and write? Well, go HERE to figure out what all that coupon lingo means!
Interested in setting up a coupon binder? Go HERE to see how I do mine.
Like Videos? There are a lot HERE to check out!

:: FREE PRINTABLES ::

Shopping List – Feel free to print this off and keep it on the fridge to jot down those items that you need to pick up from the store!

Favorite Recipes – This form will help you make a list of the top recipes that you make for your family.

Freezer Inventory – Take stock of what you have already so that you don’t overbuy. But also so that you know what you are looking for.

Pantry Inventory – Keep track of what you have on hand. Then make a plan on what you are using a lot of and stock up on that.

Monthly Menu Planner– By planning a monthly menu you can better follow the sales and know what you need to buy.

Price Page – This is an important one. Either keep it in your head or write it down. But have an idea of what the lowest prices are at your store.

My Price Sheet – These are what I consider “but it now” prices for my stores in the Houston area, yours will probably be a little different.

Shopping This Weekend? Here is some HELP!

November 16, 2014 By Tiffany 2 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

:: WEEKLY ROUND UPS ::

Weekly Best Laundry Deals Post Round Up
Weekly Best Pet Food Deals Post Round Up
Weekly Best Paper Products Post Round Up
Weekly Best Diaper Deals Post Round Up
Weekly Free Stuff Posts

Amazon Deals

Drug Store Deals

Kroger Deals

Latest Freebies

Local Deals

Latest Recipes

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