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Hi there, I'm Jess!
This week I’m going to tell you about my fourth tip:
Smart Savings Tip # 4 – Take Advantage of Manufacturer Coupons
Coupons! Some people love them, some people hate them. My husband is embarrassed to use them, but I’m not. What’s so embarrassing about saving money?!
Where do you find coupons? What types of coupons are out there? Let me shed some light on this matter…
Manufacturer Coupons (MQ for short) are coupons that are authorized by the manufacturer. On the coupon (usually near the top), you will see the words ‘Manufacturer Coupon’ printed.
Example below:
These coupons can be found a number of places. They can be found stuck on the product like a sticker. These are called ‘Peelies’ because you peel them off of the product and use them.
The most common place to find coupons is in the Sunday newspaper. I have two newspaper subscriptions, so that I can have two of each coupon. It’s best to have two of each coupon because some stores let you use two coupons on a BOGO (buy-one-get-one) deal, but we’ll get into that later.
MQs can also be found inside of a product. One time I bought batteries and there was a bunch of coupons inside, not just for batteries, but also for other products that company makes.
Have you ever been to the grocery store and seen those Smart Source coupon dispensing machines? They are usually placed right near the item listed on them. These coupons are called ‘Blinkies’. I’m not sure why, but I’m guessing it’s because the machine has a blinking light on it.
I’ve also found MQs in magazines. For instance, ‘Parents’ magazine almost always have coupons for Gymboree and Crazy 8 in them. Another magazine that has a lot of MQs in it is 'All You' magazine.
Sometimes manufacturer coupons will print out of a printer attached to the cash register at the store. These coupons are called ‘Catalina’ coupons. I think they are called ‘Catalina’ because that is the name of the machine used to print them.
‘Reps’ (company representatives) usually leave coupons at the customer service desk of grocery stores for the store to hand out to people. Sometimes they put up a display, where their coupons will be hung. If you’ve ever been to an event, like an expo or fair, company booths usually hand out coupons.
Manufacturer coupons can be printed online, either from the manufacturer’s website or from coupon websites. This is one of the easiest ways to get coupons because you can search for specific brands or items. My go-to websites for printing coupons are:
Lastly, some stores have MQs available in digital format, called Digital Coupons. This means no printing needed! I really like this type of coupon because it saves me money on printer ink, which can get pricy. In order to use Digital Coupons (DQs) you have to create a Log In on the website for your store and add the coupons that you want to use to your account. When you check out at the store, you either use a store savings cards or type in your phone number to redeem the Digital coupon. The coupon will automatically come off of your bill. Oh the technology!
As you can see, manufacturer coupons can be found almost anywhere. Now that you know where to look, you can get them and either use them on your item that day or save them for a future shopping trip.
That’s all for this week. Stay tuned for next week’s post in which we will talk more about the types of coupons and how they can be used.
May the sales be ever in your favor!
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