Coupons & samples through TiVo

With Fall TV premiering this week, I am SO ridiculously excited for today because I have SIX shows going on tonight, 4 of which are premiering. Woot! I am SO thankful for my TiVo on days like that. Tonight, while I was going through my TiVo I noticed an ad for Pretzel M&Ms. I clicked on it and it allowed me to request a $1 off coupon via email! How awesome is that? I can't say TiVo is the first place I think of when I want samples and coupons but I've also requested samples through my TiVo before too. If you have a TiVo, what have you requested and received? I'm not sure if other DVRs offer samples and coupons. If you have some other brand of DVR and service, do you get coupons and/or sample offers through it?

Shut the front door!

(Click to enlarge)

Remember my Crest money maker at Rite Aid? Yeah, so I had no idea that it would qualify for TWO SCRs when I bought it. Usually I get an email notifying me that my SCR submission has been received and approved but this time, I didn't get one so I decided to check. When I first checked, I only noticed the first one which said I didn't qualify. I was annoyed because I thought there was a mistake. I even dug the circular out of the trash and prepared for a fight when I noticed that what I didn't qualify for was something I wasn't going for anyway so it wasn't a big deal. The deal was even sweeter when I noticed that I qualified for not one, but TWO rebates so that makes my money maker even better at $2.26! Woot! I love surprises like this.

New! Resources

I just added a new feature to this blog: Resources

I understand that there are many merchants out there with complicated sales and promos. I'll try to explain how some of those deals work, jargon, abbreviations, etc and hopefully you can better navigate through them in Bargain Tutorials found under Resources.

Also in Resources, you'll find helpful links.

You can access Resources any where on this blog by clicking the link on the top of the page.

Enjoy, and I hope it helps!

Rite Aid deals tutorial

I understand Rite Aid deals can get pretty confusing. In fact, I recently had a RA manager comment about how much of a pain the deals can be and he personally would rather they just put things on sale instead of making customers jump through hoops. I can't say I really blame RA...after all, you can't just expect them to hand out steals. Here's a little tutorial on how things work. Hopefully it'll help you score a great deal there.

First of all, some terminologies. I've bolded the abbreviations as that's what I'll use in my posts. I'll also try to post this list of terms in the bottom of my Rite Aid posts for references.

* W+ = Wellness + - Rite Aid's loyalty program
** SCR = Single Check Rebates - Rite Aid's rebate program.
*** +UP = +UP Rewards - Rite Aid's promo coupon program
**** RAVV = Rite Aid Video Values - get coupons for watching ads

Now, I'll break things down and explain what things are. A glossary of sorts. I'm going to list things in order of how basic it is.

W+ = Wellness + - this is Rite Aid's loyalty program. Basically, start here because you will need this card to trigger the deals. Wellness + works similar to grocery store club cards. You sign up for a card, which you can do in store or online here. Either bring the card (and you'll get one that's credit card size and 2 smaller, key chain cards) with you to the store when you shop, or remember the phone # you signed up with and they can look it up that way. Once they've inputted your card in the register, if the item you are buying is on sale that week with W+ then it will automatically ring up the sale price.

Use this card every time you make a purchase, including prescriptions at Rite Aid because you get reward points. It's a tier system so you get special coupons after you reach a certain amount of points. Points reward details can be found on their website here.


SCR = Single Check Rebates - this is their rebates program. It sounds confusing but it's actually ridiculously EASY! The weekly ads will tell you which items qualify for SCR, plus they also have a separate flyer that lists all of the SCR for that month/period. Once you buy something that has a SCR, all you have to do is go to the SCR website here, create an account or log into your existing account, click on #2 Enter Your Receipts, click on the icon that matches your receipt (you can do this with in store or online purchases) and type in your receipt info. That's it! They will figure it all out for you! They figure out what qualifies for a rebate, and how much. They will send you an email confirmation, and you can either log back into your SCR account to request a check, or they will automatically send you a check when that specific rebate cycle/month is over. The only trick is, you can only request ONE check per rebate cycle. Hence the name Single Check Rebate. So you have to make sure you are absolutely DONE shopping for that cycle before you request your check or just let it be, and they'll send it to you when that cycle is done. You can certainly input more receipts if you make multiple trips to buy SCR qualifying products, but you can only request one rebate check per cycle.


SCR qualifying items will be marked like this in the circular and often on the shelf space:



+UP = +UP Rewards - coupons! Here's what happens and how it works: When you buy qualifying products, and it'll be in the circulars and in most cases, the shelf space where the item is will be marked with a special yellow tag indicating it qualifies for +UP Rewards, a special coupon will print out at the end of your receipt. You MUST use your W+ card to qualify for the +UP Rewards coupons. What these coupons do is give you a certain amount off on your NEXT purchase at Rite Aid. Of course, be mindful of expiration dates. Just tear them off the end of your receipt and save them for use on your next purchase at Rite Aid.

A qualifying item will look like this in the circular:

She shelf space of the item will often have a tag that looks like the price inset in the ad.

Note: +UP Rewards don't help you in your current purchase, and it doesn't actually affect the cost of the current purchase, but many bloggers, myself included, often factor that into the final price of an item or order. It only benefits you in your next Rite Aid non prescription purchase because it's a coupon you can use next time.

RAVV = Rite Aid Video Values - these are also coupons. Basically, if you go to the RAVV site and watch some ads (they range from 15 seconds to around 3 minutes) you will be rewarded with a coupon to use at Rite Aid for the item that you just watched the ad for. They are manufacturer's coupons that can only be used at Rite Aid. Each coupon has a unique barcode so it can only be used once. While you are watching the ads, you also earn points that when you reach a certain amount, you get a $ off general use coupon for Rite Aid. (You'll need to create an account for that.) Keep in mind you must keep the browser/tab of the ad you're viewing in front otherwise the ad pauses. You must also pay attention to at least the very end of the ad because you'll need to enter a code presented on the screen within 30 seconds or you will not get a coupon. The RAVV coupons are of benefit especially when you stack them with W+, SCR and +UP deals. Of course, you can get even more of a deal when you can find other coupons & rebates to stack with the savings Rite Aid provides.

In short, these are the steps to scoring the best deals at Rite Aid:

1. Make purchases using Wellness+ card
2. Purchase items that qualifies for Single Check Rebate
3. Purchase items that qualifies for +UP Reward coupons (which prints out with your receipt)
4. Use $5 off/$25 purchase coupon Rite Aid often releases (if your order is over $25. Make sure you give the cashier this coupon first.)
5. Use any +UP Reward coupons from previous purchases
6. Use manufacturer coupons
7. Save any new +UP Reward coupons that prints out for future use
8. Submit receipt info for Single Check Rebate
9. Submit for any manufacturer's rebates (if applicable)

Sometimes Rite Aid will have other additional promos such as if you buy X amount of any specific brand or type of item, you'll get a gift card. In those cases you submit for them through the SCR website just like you would submit for a SCR.

I hope this tutorial is useful in helping you score some good deals at Rite Aid. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I read each comment left on this blog and reply as necessary. You can also contact me via email or Twitter.

Happy bargain hunting!

Did I have a money maker at Rite Aid?

I'd forgotten to snag a few things at Rite Aid last night so I went back there today. It was a good thing I did, because I think I have a money maker situation.

I dug through my coupons last night and came up with a few of them I could match up at Rite Aid so I took them with me. Here's what I scored:

(Keep in mind, purchases were made with the W+** card.)

Crest 3D White toothpaste - $2.99
$0.75 coupon from Sunday ads (I believe it was the 9/12 Smart Source)
Paid: $2.24
$1.50 + UP Reward*** earned (I don't think this was mentioned in the ad, I was surprised to get it. The deal is, if you buy $30 worth of specific P&G products you get a $10 +UP Reward, but I don't think the ad mentions you get anything for buying Crest, yet the $1.50 +UP Reward I got was for Crest.)
$2.00 SCR* #54
Final cost: $1.26 money maker!

Reese's Pieces - $2.99
$0.50 coupon from Sunday ads (I believe it was the 9/12 Smart Source)
Paid $2.49
$1.00 +UP Reward earned
Final cost: $1.49

Out of pocket amount due: $4.73
$3 +UP Reward from last night's purchases used
$1 +UP Reward from last night's purchases used

Total: $0.73
Used free $5 gift card from this promo : entire order free

The toothpaste was a $1.26 money maker. If you factor in my gift card usage, my purchases was a $1.99 money maker, not including tax.

I am, a happy bargain hunter. :)

Terminologies:
* SCR = Single Check Rebate - Rite Aid's rebate program.
** W+ = Wellness + - Rite Aid's loyalty program
*** +UP = +UP Rewards - Rite Aid's promo coupon program

A Comedy of Rite Aid

I went over to Rite Aid tonight to score some deals (which I'll mention later) when the funniest thing happened to me.

After I got what I needed, I headed over to the cashier to pay for my stuff. The cashier asked me for my Wellness + card and I handed it to her. She scanned it and handed it back to me then proceeded to scan my purchases. I made sure she scanned my coupons, and silly me, I neglected to do the math in my head beforehand. I had too much on my mind. Nonetheless, all of my coupons rang up and the total looked about right so I didn't think anything of it. I paid for my stuff and waited for my receipt. One of the items I bought should've gotten me a $3 UP reward but it wasn't on my receipt so I asked the cashier...who even asked me to make sure. When she realized that the coupon didn't print, she immediately paged the manager on duty. The manager arrived quickly along with another, younger employee. My cashier explained the situation to him, we all studied the item I bought along with the ad to make sure all was right. This is where the humor kicks in:

The employee that arrived with the manager promptly started giving me a spiel the moment he 'overheard' my cashier mention the UP coupon didn't print.

"There's actually nothing we can do about it, you'll need to call 1-800..." he said.

I looked at his name tag and his title said Associate. Uh, ooook...but your Manager is standing right in front of me, studying my purchase and receipt to actually try to figure out what the problem was. He's providing, oh, you know, customer service? Not customer dismissal. Who the heck are you to disprove him?

I said nothing. I ignored him right after 800 because like I'm going to commit a phone number to my memory while someone rattles it off.

It turns out my Wellness + card didn't scan. My cashier clarified that she did indeed scan the card, and I backed her on it. But wait! There's more! Associate boy wasn't done. "Well sometimes when you press the discount button, it..."

"I didn't press the discount button," my cashier said.

If I wasn't so frazzled, I would've high fived my cashier.

The manager asked for my patience and explained he'd have to refund my entire order, and ring it up again properly. It was a huge pain in the ass and I really felt for the manager and cashier. The whole ordeal was a pain but they got me taken care of and for that, I'm happy. In the end, I saved 33% off my order, and provided me some humor. Ah, to be young, cocky, and to know it all...I'm starting to sound old.

Anyway here are the deals I nabbed:

Kraft Mac n Cheese BOGO
Trident Gum = $.17/ea ($3/3 then used $1 off/3 coupon from this Sunday's coupons, plus $.50 coupon from Rite Aid Video Values and got $1 UP Reward.)
Children's Mucinex $8.99 - $1.50 Rite Aid Video Values coupon, $3 UP Rewards

Coupon Jargons

Are you a little lost when it comes to the myriad of coupon jargons? Thankfully, the Consumerist has a list for you.

AFC: A Full Cup, a popular coupon website / forum
Blinkies: Coupons dispensed by small, red machines with a blinking light attached to shelves.
B1G1 (or B1GX): Buy One, Get One (or some other quantity) free. Also written as "BOGO".
Catalina: A coupon dispensed at checkout from a special printer after your transaction is completed.
Coupon Binder: A binder kept by many couponers. It generally contains flexible plastic pages (the type used for baseball card collections) where coupons are stored by type. Other items in a binder might include weekly store circulars and supplements, a calculator, price book, and so forth.
CRT: Cash Register Tape. It's your receipt, often required for mail-in rebates.
Dead: A coupon deal that has expired.
Deal: Refers to putting together a transaction in a certain way to maximize savings, or a special sale/event where coupon use can maximize savings.
DND/DNT: Coupons labeled "Do Not Double" or "Do Not Triple" at the top.
DND5: A coupon labeled with "Do Not Double" at the top but with a bar code beginning with the number 5. DND coupons with a 5 at the beginning of the bar code will still generally double or triple at most stores.
DND9: Same as DND5 but because the bar code begins with a 9, these coupons will not double or triple.
Doubles: Coupons where the face value is doubled up to a set amount by certain retailers (Harris Teeter, for example).
ECB: Extra Care Bucks. These coupons are specific to the chain drug store CVS and you must use their "Extra Care" loyalty card. They can be spent just like cash on most items (there are a few exemptions, like cigarettes). You earn ECBs in two ways: CVS will run deals on certain items, for example, buy two get $2 in ECBs, which are supposed to be spent on your next visit. You also earn quarterly ECBs, which are based on 2% of your out-of-pocket spending at the store.
Filler: A small item purchased to reach a minimum purchase amount necessary to get a deal or if your total out-of-pocket cost is less than zero (most stores will not allow you to have a negative total).
GDA: Good Deal Alert. This is a heads-up from other couponers that there is an item or sale/event at a particular retailer where your out-of-pocket cost will be extremely low or possibly, zero.
Frees: Items that will be completely free after the coupon is deducted from the cost or on-sale price.
Hang Tag: A coupon hanging around the neck of a bottle (salad dressing, etc).
HCW: Hot Coupon World, a popular coupon website / forum
IP: Internet Printable coupons.
MIR: Mail-In Rebate.
OOP: Out-of-Pocket. Your cost after coupons, catalinas, ECBs, etc.
OOS: Out of Stock.
Overage: This occurs if your coupon value exceeds the item price. Commonly happens when a store runs a sale and the shopper uses a coupon. Overage may or may not be applied to the remaining sales total, depending on the store. For example: CVS runs a sale on M&Ms for $.49 and the shopper has a $.55 coupon; the coupon would generate $.06 overage, which may or may not be applied to any remaining balance to be paid.
OYNO: On Your Next Order. A coupon (most usually a catalina) that gives you a certain amount off your next order or transaction. You generally get these after meeting some sort of requirement, like buying a certain number of products or spending a certain amount of money.
Peelie: A coupon that is adhered to a product and that must be peeled off to use.
Price Book: A notebook kept by many couponers documenting weekly or monthly prices of items they purchase regularly and what the best price is that they've found on it. This enables the couponer to track whether the price is going up or down, and what savings they're seeing if a store puts the item on sale.
Rolling: Rolling savings generated from one transaction into another; for example, using a $3 OYNO catalina from your first transaction to pay for part of a second transaction.
RP: Red Plum coupons that come in the Sunday newspaper, or that can be printed online.
RR: Register Reward. These are specific to national drug chain, Walgreens. Like ECBs, they can be spent just like cash on most items (with the same exemptions) but unlike ECBs, you Walgreen's doesn't have a loyalty card that you must use to obtain these. You earn these from purchases only and there are no quarterly RRs.
SS: Smart Source coupons that come in the Sunday newspaper, or that can be printed online.
Stacking: Using both a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon on one item.
Stockpiling: Buying up multiple items or large quantities and storing them for future use.
Super-Doubles or SD: Special coupon events where a retailer will double coupons with high face values. For example, if a retailer normally doubles coupons up to $.75, during SDs, they may take double coupons with face values of up to $1.50 instead.
Tearpad: An in-store display with coupons that can be torn off.
Triples: Special coupon events where a retailer will triple the face value of a coupon up to a certain limit.
V: Valassis coupons that come in the Sunday newspaper.
Wine Tag: A coupon hanging around the neck of a wine bottle.
WYB: When You Buy. An action triggered after you meet a certain threshold. For example, "Get 2 bottles free when you buy 3."

Zhu Zhu Pets deal @ TRU

Hi all!  I'm so sorry I've been slacking on posting deals or at the very least, mailbox love lately. Things have been crazy, we're dealing with colds and such it's just been chaotic to say the least since school started.

Anyway, I came across this deal today that I just had to share with you if you have a kid in your life that loves Zhu Zhu Pets:

Toys R Us currently has a Buy One Get one 1/2 off deal on Zhu Zhu Pets and accessories (through Sept 18, 2010.)  Combine it with a $5 off $25 coupon (good through Sept 26, 2010) and you've got a pretty darn good deal on your hands, in plenty time for Christmas. :)