This time of the year can be painful on your wallet.   Even with careful planning and preparation, the costs can add up fast.

If you shop online, there is a great site called Ebates.  They PAY you to shop!  No, seriously, they pay you to shop.

The concept is simple:  Go to Ebates.com and sign up for a FREE account.  Right now, they are offering gift cards to new members.   Once you are there, find the store you want to shop at.   We will use Kohls as an example.  Today if you shop at Kohl’s online through Ebates, you will get 4% cash back on your entire purchase at Kohl’s.

In order to get the cash back through Ebates, you must click on the Kohl’s link from the Ebates site.  They create a tracking ticket and can track the shopping you do.

The percentage of cash back varys from store to store.  Keep up on the news from Ebates because during the holiday season, some stores like to DOUBLE or TRIPLE their cash back percentages.

You can track your earnings and when they cut checks, you will receive a check in the mail.  I have used this AND earned money back from shopping!  Last year, I did some Christmas shopping through Ebates and received a check in the mail by February.

What are you waiting for?  Sign up and start earning - and get that Christmas shopping done!

Ho, Ho, Ho!   The shopping days between now and Christmas are numbered!  Get your grocery shopping out of the way AND at great prices this week.  Check out the great deals our local grocery stores have going on right now.

Are you a deal blogger?  Find out how to join our Grocery Deal Round up – emailmarketing@iowacouponnetwork.com to learn more!

Deals from Confessions of a Frugal Mind:

Julia’s favorite Fareway Deals :

Banana’s – $0.38/lb

Meadow Gold Sweetened Condensed Milk – $0.99 each

Fareway Broths – $0.38 each

Julia’s favorite Hy-Vee Deals:

Hy-Vee Eggs – $0.88 each with In Ad Coupon (limit 1)

Hy-Vee Cream Cheese – $0.79 each with In Ad Coupon (limit 2)

Imperial Spread qtrs – $0.49 each with In Ad Coupon (limit 1)

Julia’s favorite Dahl’s Deals:

Hershey’s Baking Chips – $1.67 each

Knorr Rice or Pasta Sides – $0.88 each

Deals from The Millennial Housewife:

Sara’s favorite Fareway deals:

C&H Pure Sugar (4lb) – $1.88 each

Campbell’s Spaghetti O’s – 5/$3
Buy 5 and use $1/5 coupon from the 12/4 Smartsource insert
$0.40 each after coupon

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – $1.79/lb

Reames Noodles – $1.88 each
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 11/20 Smartsource insert
$1.38 each after coupon

Walmart Coupon Policy

We gladly accept the following types of coupons*

• Print-at-home internet coupons
  • Must be legible
  • Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
  • Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
  • Must have a valid expiration date
  • Must have a scannable bar code
  • Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons with a specified price
  • Are acceptable in black and white or color
  • May not be duplicated
• Manufacturers’ coupons
  • For dollar/cents off
  • For free items (except those printed off the Internet)
  • Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons
  • Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
  • Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
  • Must have a valid expiration date
  • Must have a scannable bar code
  • May not be duplicated
• Competitors’ coupons
  • A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99
  • Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price
  • Have a valid expiration date
  • Are acceptable in black and white
• Soft drink container caps
• Checkout coupons (“Catalinas”)
  • Printed at our competitors’ registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item
  • Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” with specific item requirements printed on them
  • Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
  • Must have a valid expiration date
  • Must have a scannable bar code
  • Are acceptable in black and white
  • May not be duplicated

We DO NOT accept the following coupons:

• Checkout coupons
  • Dollars/cents off the entire basket purchase
  • Percentage off the entire basket purchase
• Print-at-home Internet coupons that require no purchase
• Competitors’ coupons
  • Dollars/cents off at a specific retailer
  • Percentage off
  • Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons without a specified price
  • Double- or triple-value coupons

*The following are guidelines and limitations:

• We only accepts coupons for merchandise that we sell.
• Coupons must be presented at the time of purchase.
• Only one coupon per item.
• Item purchased must be identical to the coupon (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc).
• There is no limit on the number of coupons per transaction.
• Coupons must have an expiration date and be redeemed prior to expiration.
• If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.
• SNAP items purchased in a SNAP transaction are ineligible for cash back.
• WIC items purchased in a WIC transaction are applied to the basket purchase and may not be eligible for cash back. Refer to state-specific WIC guidelines.
• Great Value, Marketside, Equate, Parents Choice, and World Table coupons have no cash value and are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.
• The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:
  • 40 coupons per transaction.
  • A coupon of $20 or greater on one item.
  • $50 or more in coupons in one transaction.

We would like to welcome our guest Katie from Iowa Couponing.

“Realistic” Couponing without doubling coupons

When I tell people that I “coupon” one of the first things that people say is “how can you do that here? We don’t have any stores that double coupons!” I’m sure they are thinking this because one reason they know about couponing is through watching and hearing about the show Extreme Couponing.  But let me tell you, this is not the case.  You can get big savings without doubling one coupon.  Here are 5
ways you can maximize your savings without doubling coupons:

1. Stack store coupons with manufacturer coupons.
   Stores like Walgreens, Target, Dollar General and even grocery stores
   will offer store coupons.  You can stack those coupons with manufacturer coupons to double your savings.
2. Walgreens has a program called Register Rewards.
   When you but products that give you register rewards back you can then
   use those rewards to buy other products getting them for free or very cheap.
3. Price match and then use coupons on top of that.
   Walmart and some area grocery stores will price match competitors
   ads.  When looking through your weekly grocery ads don’t just look at what store has what products, look at where you can get the best price for an item, then price match that if the store that you are buying your bulk of grocery items that week isn’t offering a better price.  THEN, make sure you use a coupon on top of that matched price for extra savings!
4. Make sure you watch sale prices and know what your stock up price is.  Even if you have a coupon and it would double it means nothing if the regular price is much higher than you would normally pay.  When items that you buy regularly go on sale that’s the time to pair them with a coupon and stock up!
5. Take advantage of B1G1 free sales and coupons. At Walgreens you can use a B1G1 free manufacturer coupon AND use another manufacturer coupon on the item that you are buying at full price.  Other stores have similar policies and at Target if you have a manufacturer B1G1 free coupon you can use a Target store coupon on the item you are buying at full price and the other way around if you have a B1G1 Target store coupon.

These are just a few ways that you can keep saving money even if you live in an area that doesn’t double coupons!  Happy Couponing!