I can use an expired coupon? Tips for using coupons at Bed, Bath, and Beyond

I always seem to be getting coupons from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  It may be tempting to throw them away when they are expired, but don't! BBB accepts expired coupons! Here are a few other tips for using coupons at BBB:

• BBB has two different types of coupons: 20% one item and $5 off a purchase of $15 or more.  The $5 coupons come less frequently in the mail. 
• You can use more than one coupon per purchase, and use more than one type of coupon per purchase (as long as your purchase meets the requirements)
• Coupons work on clearance items, too, for even more savings!
• If you return an item, you can "ask" for the coupon back.  They will give you a receipt-like coupon to replace the coupon you used.
• You can use coupons on registry items--you can get a more expensive gift within your budget or spend less than your budget!

Here is one other important tip:

• The 20% off coupons are a better deal on items $25 or more; for purchases or items less than $25, use the $5 off coupon.

While the coupon has exclusions listed on the bottom, I was able to use the coupon on an excluded item.  I bought a place-setting of my china (Waterford) which was listed as excluded, but the sales clerk said we could use the coupon.   I can't promise every store will do this, but it worked for me!  I saved $25! 

$3.37 for a gallon of gas!?

No, that title is not a typo! This morning, when I filled up, I only paid $3.37 for a gallon of gas.  How did I do it?

I shopped at Kroger. 

Right now, for every gift card you buy at Kroger, you can earn 4X fuel points!  Here is how it works: for every $100 you spend at Kroger, you get $0.10 off per gallon of gas. With the current promotion, that means a $100 gift card is 400 fuel points--which equals $0.40 off per gallon! (Typically Kroger offers 2x fuel points for every gift card.)

I was at Kroger anyway to grocery shop, and I bought a $100 gift card for Target.  Yes, it seems like a lot to spend "up front."  But, let's be honest--who doesn't spend that much every time they go to Target?! 

I admit, I am not necessarily buying a gift card to give away, just buying it for a place I normally shop anyway. This is a great way to save money on gas, especially when gas prices seem to keep going up! 

You name the place and Kroger pretty much has a gift card--Amazon, Subway, Lowe's, AMC Movie Theaters, Target, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Chili's, Old Navy, DSW, Best Buy, Ann Taylor, Loft....and the list goes on. 

Why not take advantage of this deal---what do you have to lose?  :)

Extra 30% at The Limited!

Another great semi-annual sale going on now---30% off everything online and in stores at The Limited.  This great deal includes an extra 30% off on markdowns!  The online code is EXTRA30.

I really like Limited's clothing.  I consider them to be classic staples, for business and casual, and their clothes seem to last. 

Enjoy this great deal!

Say what? An extra 20% off at Victoria's Secret!

I mentioned that Victoria's Secret is having their semi-annual sale.  I just found out their sale bras are an extra 20% off in stores and online.  The coupon code for online is EXTRA20BRAS. 

Other select items on their website are also an extra 20% off.  That coupon code is 20EXTRA.

They also have free shipping right now (offer code SHIP13)!

An added bonus---items you buy online can now be returned in stores! This is a change in their policy from the past, and one I appreciate!

Happy shopping!

Stacking coupons? What does that mean?

Stacking coupons is a great, and easy, way to save money at stores like Target, Walgreens, and Ulta. 

But what does it mean to "stack" coupons?  Stacking coupons means you can use a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for the same product in the same transaction. 

To show you what I mean, let's take a look at a recent bargain I got at Ulta.

My plan was to use two manufacturer's coupons: $3.00 off two John Frieda products, and $1.00 of a Pantene product.  I also wanted to use an Ulta store coupon: $3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more.  Ulta store coupons are available in their mail circulars, in their Sunday ads, and on their website.

I bought a John Frieda shampoo and conditioner for me (sale price $5.49 each) and a Pantene shampoo for my mom ($3.50 on sale).  My pre-coupon, pre-tax total was $14.48.  I used the two manufacturer's coupons, which brought my total to $10.48.  (At Ulta, as long as your post-coupon, pre-tax purchase is over $10, you can use the $3.50 off coupon). Since my purchase met that criteria, I was able to use the Ulta store coupon also.  That brought my pre-tax total to $6.98 for the three items!

Here is an even better tip: you can use manufacturer's coupons and the Ulta store coupon on clearance items!  Just make sure your total meets the Ulta coupon criteria.

Just like with all store coupons, some exclusions apply so be sure to read the fine print. Also, Ulta doesn't print this coupon every week, so be sure to take advantage when they do.

Do you shop at Ulta? Let me know how this bargain worked for you!

$3.99 at Gymboree!

Yesterday, I posted about the semi-annual sales going on now.  Here is an example of a bargain I got at Gymboree as part of their "Big Red Balloon Sale":

The shirt for my nephew was on sale for $3.99 (originally $22.95). The pants are sale for 6.99.  A whole outfit for $10!

I also got some super cute long-sleeved shirts for niece.  Each shirt was originally $16.95 or $19.95 each.  I got each one for $3.99!

Plus, with this sale, you can earn Gymbucks. For every $50 you spend, you earn $25 in Gymbucks.  You can come back in a few weeks (in July) and use those Gymbucks (for every $50 you spend, you can use the $25 Gymbucks).

Gymboree has some really cute outfits, and my sister swears by their quality.  She also loves using their Gymbucks.

Happy bargain hunting!



Semi-Annual sales going on now!

Now is a great time to shop (wait, isn't it always a good time to shop?).  Several stores having their semi-annual sales right now---Victoria's Secret, Express, Yankee Candle, Gymboree, Bath and Body Works, Carter's, and Limited.

Here is another interesting tip: at Victoria's Secret, you have two weeks to make a price adjustment. One shopper told me she buys items now at the semi-annual sale, and goes back at the end of two weeks to get a price adjustment on the items that go cheaper. I've never tried this, but thought I would share it. In the past, at the end of their sale, their pajamas and lingerie on clearance are marked an extra 50% off the lowest ticketed price.  It may be worth it to wait!.

Ann Taylor and Loft have all of their clearance items an extra 40% off right now, and free shipping on purchases of $125 or more.  Just be careful: some of the items are labeled "Final Sale" which means just that---you can't take them back at all!  What is nice, though, is that items you order online can be returned in the store. 

Banana Republic has an extra 30% purchases made online or in stores now through Sunday (of course, some exclusions apply).  This includes sale items!  Free shipping on purchases of $50 or more, and again, you can return items that don't work out in stores.

The Children's Place is also having a "Monster Sale".  Visit their website to get a coupon for an extra 20% off through Monday.

What other sales are you loving right now? Let me know!

Incredible Savings at the Macy's One Day Sale!

Hopefully some of you were able to take advantage of Macy’s One Day Sale.   My best deal of the day: a pair of black dress pants for $2.49.  That isn't a typo! Don't forget to use your coupons tomorrow morning!

Here are some of the great bargains I found at Macy’s. I’ve listed the brand name of the item, the original price, the price I paid for it (sale price), and the percent savings off the original price.  These items were a great deal to begin with, and then I was able to use the $10 off $25 coupons!

The first outfit is a Style & Co. black sweater for $3.49 on sale after the coupon (84% off).  The white skirt is Calvin Klein, originally $89.00, on sale for $14.25 after the coupon, for a savings of 86%.

I picked up some Carter's pajamas for my niece. The set on the left is actually four pieces, originally $30.00, on sale for $3.98 after the coupon (savings of 87%).  The footed Carter's pajamas on the right were originally $20.00, on sale for $3.78 after the coupon (savings of 81%).

The final outfit is a pair of Calvin Klein dress pants, originally $89.00, on sale for $13.25 after the coupon (savings of 85%).  I saved 92% on a black Style & Co. sweater (different from the one above!) that was originally $27.98, on sale for $2.49 after the coupon.

There were some great savings throughout the store. Clearance items in the intimates department were an extra 60% off, many racks of men's and women's clearance clothing on sale for an extra 50% off, clearance children's clothing for an extra 40% off, and an extra 40% off clearance housewares, bedding, and bath.  I also found a pair of pajamas for 83% off, and a pair of Perry Ellis dress pants for my dad for 84% off. 

I would love to hear what great bargains you found!

Macy's Coupon--$10 off $25 or more

As promised, here is the link to the Macy's coupon for this weekend's sale:

$10 off a purchase of $25 or more (be sure to read the fine print for exclusions)

I'd love to hear from you about the great deals you get!

Insider’s (Unofficial) Guide to Target Clearance Shopping

It seems that every time I walk out of Target, I leave with at least four things I had no intention of buying.  I love shopping Target’s clearance section.  Here are a few tips to finding the best deals!

Items initially marked on clearance are usually placed on an endcap in the original department of the item.  These endcaps are usually on the outside perimeter of the store, so you’ll have to look around to find the endcaps. Almost always there will be a few signs marking the section. 

Target tends to mark down food, health and beauty products, and electronics starting at 15% off.  Clothing tends to start at 30% off.  Items that haven’t sold usually move to 50% off, then 70-75% off.  I’ve even seen holiday items for as much as 90% off!

For the most part, items on clearance get marked down further every two weeks. 

Each department marks down items on different days of the week.  Markdowns usually don’t happen over the weekend.  Slower stores, like mine here in Bloomington, seems to have a greater selection of items on clearance than my mom’s store in the Chicago area.  Individual stores vary in terms of what is on clearance when and for how much it is on clearance for.

Here is the typical schedule of when items get marked down:

Mon. — Electronics, Accessories, Kids Clothing, Books, and Stationary

Tues. — Domestics, Women’s Clothing, Pets and Food

Wed. — Men’s Clothing, Health and Beauty, Lawn & Garden items, and Baby

Thur. — Housewares, Lingerie, Shoes, Toys, Sporting Goods, Décor, and Luggage

Fri. — Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry

 

Take a look at this clearance tag:

 

On the left is the original price.  On the right is the mark down price.  I’ve been told that items ending in “4” are the lowest the item will go.  Look closely at the upper right-hand corner: this number is the percent off the item currently is.  Super handy!

Here is an example:

 

I recently bought a 4.2 ounce Matrix Amplify Volumizer.  The original price was $16.99.  It was on clearance for $4.24, a savings of 75%! I found this item on an endcap with several other products on clearance (soap, deodorant, facial tissue).  The posted sign said “30% or more” and this product was 75% off.  Look carefully for good deals!  These products were back in the paper products section (near the trash bags and toilet paper), and not in the health and beauty section.  When items are marked down so low, they tend to be placed together in one area even if the products aren’t from the same department.

Keep in mind you can use manufacturer’s and Target store coupons for items on clearance for even bigger savings! 

 

For instance, I bought this soap refill on clearance for $2.78 (30% off) and had a coupon for another $0.50 off.  That brought my savings to 43%!

Finally, I’ve gotten word that July and October are the big clearance events on toys, in addition to the after-holiday clearance sale in January.  July and January are the big clearance events on baby items.

How about you? What is the best deal you’ve gotten at Target? 

New York and Company--a sale AND a coupon?!

A great deal came across my inbox this morning: for two days only, 40% everything at New York and Company. Plus, you can combine the sale with coupons! 

• $15 off a purchase of $30 or more
• $20 off a purchase of $60 or more
• $30 off a purchase of $90 or more

I have used coupons like this before, and have gotten some great deals: a pair of dress pants (they sell petite, average, and long inseams) for $12! They are a classic pair of black pants, have had them for years, and wear them a lot. They wash well, too. 

You can combine items to get the minimum purchase amount.  Of course, the coupon has exclusions, so be sure to check for those. Also, while you can use the coupons online, you can't combine coupon codes. So, you can't use a coupon listed above and the free shipping code online.

Happy shopping! If you get a good deal at New York and Company, please post.  I'd love to hear about it.

Use Macy's best coupon--this weekend!

This weekend, Macy's is having a One Day Sale (actually the sale starts on Friday--so why is it a "one day" sale?).  These two days, you can use what I consider to be Macy's best coupon: $10 off every $25 purchase.  For those of you who don't like to do math, that is like an extra 40% off!  Here are the best ways to maximize your savings with this coupon:

• Search your local newspaper for inserts or printed copies of this coupon.
• Print a copy of the coupon from Macy's website (these are posted closer to the sale dates)
• Use the coupon with already deeply discounted items.  For instance, all clearance cookware is an extra 40% off.  Last sale, I scored a $100 Calphalon stockpot for only $20 using this coupon! That is 80% off!
• Watch for exclusions.  The coupon excludes their Morning Specials, Every Day Value items, Super Buys, shoes for women (darn!), electrics/electronics, and a few other things, so be sure to read the fine print.   
• The coupon is only good Friday and Saturday morning, from 8 am until 1 pm

Here are some other great sale items in which you should be able to use the coupon:

• Extra 40% off clearance Bed and Bath, including sheets, towels, pillows, comforters, and blankets
• Extra 40% off clearance Dinnerware and Serveware
• Extra 40% off Women's clearance clothing
• 70% off + 10% off Men's clearance dress shirts
• 70% off Men's clearance shoes

Remember, you can combine items to reach the $25 minimum. 

I would love to hear about all the good deals you find so please feel free to post! Happy bargain hunting!