Each week, our resident Couponista, Amy Leneker, shares her personal shopping experiences and extreme couponing tips so that you too can be a Coupon Expert!
In the land of couponing, it doesn’t get much better than a store that accepts competitors' coupons. This allows you to comparison shop for the best advertised deal and get that price, minus any coupons and savings you can stack on top. With just a little planning this can equal big savings.
Power Tools and Pedicures
If your house is anything like mine, there is always a list of home improvement projects in the queue. I am fortunate to have a handy husband (and an even handier father-in-law!) which means lots of trips to Home Depot and Lowes. Both Home Depot and Lowes will match each other's prices, plus give you an extra 10 percent off. That can equal big savings!
Recently we thought we were going to need a washing machine so I got to work comparison pricing. Lowes was offering a better deal for the washer we wanted so we planned to buy it at Home Depot, who would match it plus give us an extra 10 percent off. Plus I had an extra 10 percent off coupon (from signing up online) and they were offering free delivery. So we were going to save 20 percent off the best Lowes price, plus get free delivery. Not bad!
(Turns out we didn’t need a new one because I was able to negotiate a repair beyond our warranty date—but this is a blog about couponing, not extending warranties, so I won’t bore you with all the details).
The Savings Breakdown at Home Depot
Washing machine priced at $599
10% off match guarantee - savings of $59
Extra 10% off coupon - savings of $54
Total potential savings = $113
Now about Those Pedicures
As much as I love saving money on home appliances, I would much rather save money on the really fun stuff, like pedicures. Do you get the ValPak coupons? I do and I love them! For the last several months ValPak has been including coupons for $5 off a spa pedicure at a particular salon. The only trick is their salon pedicure is more expensive to begin with, so even with the coupon, it’s not a great idea.
The salon that I go to doesn’t advertise with ValPak, but they accept competitors coupons. Plus, their price is great to begin with, so once you add an extra $5 savings, it’s hard to justify not treating myself to a regular pedicure!
The Spa Savings Breakdown
Spa pedicure priced at $20
Coupon savings of $5
Some time to myself = Priceless!
A Girl’s Gotta Eat: Saving on Groceries
Savings from competitors' coupons can add up on the little stuff too, like groceries. Walmart accepts competitors' coupons (but there are restrictions so make sure to read the policy). On a recent trip to Walmart, I was able to use competitors' coupons to save on diapers (-$3), granola bars (-$2), body wash (-$2) and chips (-$1). Walmart will also price match other stores’ ads, so even without a coupon, I was able to save on shampoo, conditioner, frozen pizza and juice boxes. Not bad!
Using competitors' coupons may sound like a lot of work, but it isn’t at all. It just takes a little planning. Before you know it, you’ll have saved enough from competitors' coupons to treat yourself to a spa pedicure.
