• Quick and easy changes you can make today to have more money in your pocket.
• It is NOT about depriving yourself and making depressing cut backs.
• It IS about making sure you're not wasting money, enjoying what you have, and looking for ways to have more fun!
• Be sure to check your email for the bonus surprise freebie!
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If it's your first time here, be sure to read our Introduction To Couponing article!
Walmart is a fixture in a huge percentage of American cities. You’re a convenient distance from one almost anywhere. They’ve built their reputation on having low prices, but you can’t alway count on that. I never trust Walmart to automatically be the best price on anything. They are usually at the lower end of the price scale, so when you can find a way to work a deal you can get some absolute steals when couponing at Walmart!
Clearance
Walmart’s clearance is probably the easiest way to get something for next to nothing. You’ll have to be a little clever to find it, though. Many stores have small areas of clearance merchandise, so definitely learn where your local likes to put it. It’s often out of the way, around the edges or to the sides, or near a section they’re currently rearranging.
Scanning Barcodes
You’ll also want to locate the scanning machines. Always scan your clearance merchandise before you take it to the register, so you’ll know if you’ll have to ask for the marked price.
The better clearance to find, though, is the hidden and unmarked clearance. It’s much less likely to be picked over when it hasn’t been collected together yet. This is especially worthwhile shortly after holidays. Early in January look for anything with snowflakes and scan it. Later in February, look for the hearts. Makeup tends to go clearance after Halloween – especially anything with a hint of goth packaging. Sometimes clearance prices will be marked on the shelf but still mixed in with other merchandise. This is absolutely hunting, but when it pays off you’re often able to find things for pennies on the dollar. For real, 90% off deals are common.
Coupons
You can also use manufacturer coupons – the ones clipped from the Sunday paper or printed from company websites – at the register. It’s a little easier, at least in my experience, to use them at Walgreens or CVS, but they will work at Walmart as well. If you’re ONLY using a coupon, and not able to combine it with some other sale or discount, Walmart is often the best option. Coupon + the best regular price will, of course, be your best deal. Be really nice to your cashiers if you’re couponing there. At least where I live they don’t seem to get a lot of training, so they might struggle a little with getting your coupons entered. Being patient will pay off big time.
Discount Apps
Ibotta is also a great tool for shopping at Walmart. The list of deals is usually super long for Walmart, and they’re the most likely to have “free after cash back” offers of the places I shop. I typically plan my grocery shopping around special deals at Walmart (or Hy-Vee, my major local grocery) when shopping for the week. I go to Walmart to collect up my foods with cash back offers, then fill in the rest of my list with Aldi.
Working through my list this way keeps food more interesting that just shopping Aldi (as much as I love them, they don’t always have a lot of variety), but also keeping my food costs way down. Like, ridiculously low compared to friends and family I’ve talked it over with. While I’m at Walmart I also pick up any household goods that are hard to coupon – they’re reliably less expensive than drugstores at regular price. Target’s a good choice for that, too, but for me they’re too far away to visit every week.
I definitely find Walmart to be great as the fill in between your lowest cost grocery option and your most coupon-able local drugstore, and when you have a manufacturer coupon that you can’t use with a discount at a drugstore!
• Quick and easy changes you can make today to have more money in your pocket.
• It is NOT about depriving yourself and making depressing cut backs.
• It IS about making sure you're not wasting money, enjoying what you have, and looking for ways to have more fun!
• Be sure to check your email for the bonus surprise freebie!
