PYP Blog

As a coupon'er/bargain shopper over 13 years, I've discovered (and you may have, too) that coupons and sales run in seasonal cycles. Here's a comprehensive guide to cracking the what and when is on sale. It may be a repeat for some, but I believe it is worth repeating. Hope it helps!

Seasonal Sales Cycles

JANUARY - Historically, Quaker has hot deals on cereal/all items. We see Pepsi/Tostitos go on sale mid-January (again, rebates abound for these). Other items of note this time of year are chili, side dishes, anything for hearty/warm meals.
• Post-Holiday Sales
• White Sales
• Sports and Weight Loss Equipment
• Computers
• Winter Apparel and Accessories
· Organizers, Rubbermaid totes, shelf organizers, planners, filing cabinets

FEBRUARY – many of the same food items as January
• Electronics
• Floor Coverings
• Housewares
• Furniture
• Candy and Chocolates

MARCH - Frozen food month. You'll find many stores are offering free freezers or fill-a-bag deals. Between March and April, look for spring cleaning deals, so many cleaner items will be on sale. With Easter, looks for eggs, ham, Kraft products to cycle into good sales. Paper products like towels, napkins, plates are starting to come on strong. Beverage items.
• Spring Apparel and Accessories
• Winter Sports Equipment
• Gardening Supplies
• Luggage

APRIL –
• Spring Apparel and Accessories
• Coats and Hats
• Paint
• Wallpaper
• Jewish Foods and Eggs

MAY -
get ready for summer! Here come loads of deals on BBQ sauce, frozen veggies, baked beans, and condiments of all kinds, summer-time meats (ribs, hotdogs, and ground beef). Also with all the holidays, look for tons of paper goods that match the holiday and pick them up after clearance. These deals generally continue through September!
• White Sale - Linens and Towels
• Spring Cleaning Supplies
• Auto Maintenance
• Home Maintenance
• Sodas & Bottled Water, Hotdogs, Hamburger Meat, Condiments, Paper & Plastic plates & cups
* Raid/Off bug repellents and sunscreens

JUNE –
• Summer Apparel and Accessories
• Pianos
• Television Sets
• Building Materials and Hardware
• Dairy Products

JULY –
• Air Conditioners
• Summer Sports Equipment
• Sportswear
• Craft Supplies
• Sodas, Hotdogs, Hamburger Meat, Condiments

AUGUST –
• White Sale - Linen and Towels
• BBQ and Patio Equipment
• Back to School Supplies
• Bathing Suits
• Fresh Fish and Vegetables
• Breakfast foods (Cold cereal-Juice-Waffles-etc)
• Cold lunch items for in lunch boxes

SEPTEMBER - back to school; time to fill up on snacks! Pudding cups, Capri suns, fruit snacks, cereal sales start up hard again, peanut butter/jelly. Also, like clockwork, there will be Prego coupons in August, and plan on getting lots and using them in a hurry before they expire in September when the spaghetti sauce goes on sale. Sauce wars between Ragu and Prego this month. Campbell’s soups will go on as well and there will be coupons in the end of August for these as well. Lunchables are on sale this time of year, too.
• Back to School Supplies and Apparel
• Gardening Supplies
• Housewares
• Bicycles
• Canned Goods

OCTOBER - Stock up on holiday foods – Stove Top, turkey, instant mashed potatoes, broth, cranberries, marshmallow, ice cream, pie shells, whipped cream, pudding. Look for great Kraft deals again this time of year. Piggyback those Kraft coupons when you can. Crackers are a biggie - going on for $1 or less a box. Lots of extra deals like $ off cheese WYB crackers. The real kicker is the after Christmas food deals! Save your coupons because pie fixings, fried onion, broth and canned green beans will be on deep discount. I got those onions for .50 a can, normally almost $4. These generally continue through December.
• Cars
• Houses
• Fishing Equipment
• Crystal, Silver, and Glassware
• Candy
· Baking/candy-making items (choc chips, sprinkles, vanilla, corn syrup, nuts, etc)

NOVEMBER -
• Winter Apparel and Accessories
• Quilts and Blankets
• Heating Devices
• Turkey, Sweet Potatoes
• Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
• Baking goods

DECEMBER –
• Toys
• Gift Items
• Party ware
• Post-Holiday Sales
• Party Foods, Baking Goods, and Various Meat
• Canned goods (broth, soups, etc)

Year-round after a holiday, you can always pick up cheap cookie dough and any food related to a holiday.

Continual sales are candy, popcorn, chips, anything snacky, cereal (heavier in the fall/winter, but still around in the spring).
Frozen food sales seem to centralize on a brand and the switch brands the next month. I think the manufacturers buy slot time for sales. So last month, Stouffers was on sale hard, now lean cuisine is. Save the entire frozen coupon and then keep checking back for the brand of the month.

Frozen pizzas go on sale in the fall and then again the spring; not often in the summer because people don't want to turn their ovens on in the summer.

By all means, this isn't everything that you can get on sale, but if you follow the cycle and stock up (I never buy BBQ sauce in the winter), then you can get where you have enough on hand and only need to refill when the items are in season. The result is that you spend less and less with each successful cycle.

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Sources: Various numerous sites on the internet over years of time from an obsessive compulsive cpn-er

See PYP's forum of hints/helps for ideas and discussion.

Please Note: This is the third article (3 of 4) in a series about post Holiday clearance shopping. Part 1 & Part 2

When I teach coupon classes, the most requested non-coupon question(s) I receive is about Target and Target clearance shopping, in particular. What I am about to share can and will save you lots of money, not to mention is actually fun.

(I will cover day-to-day Clearance shopping at Target in another article as I want to keep this one focused on Christmas shopping, solely.)

Many retail stores are unpredictable, disorganized and plain boring when it comes to Christmas markdowns, but NOT Target. And that is what helps make its clearance one of the most shopped around.

Why Target Christmas Clearance is the best around:

Target Holiday markdowns are chain wide and happen automatically in the computer system. This automation allows Target shoppers in Utah or California to know if Holiday clearance has been lowered to 75% or 90% off as shoppers in Florida who have experienced the sale, will share on Pinching Your Pennies (PYP) the great news about lower prices and greater savings, not to mention some of the hidden gems found. Members of PYP are awesome to do this and share the great news. So be sure to visit PYP's Screaming Deals Around Town sub-forum each morning to see the latest updates.

Rumored Markdown Dates of Christmas Clearance:
*Dec 26- Jan1- 50%
*Jan 2- Jan 6- 75%
*Jan 7- 90%

Seasoned Targeteers know that Target Christmas Clearance won’t be just in the seasonal area.
- Be sure to check around the entire store.
- Check all endcaps
- Check in each aisle
- When in doubt, scan!
- Combine sales/clearances with manufacturer's or Target store coupons when one gets the chance. See Target.com printable coupons. This year, there are Target.com coupons for candy that can save one even more money.

Unexpected Christmas Clearance items found throughout the store from years past.

Toys:
Check it all. Every aisle.

Grocery:
Anything with a holiday box, label, wrapping, of any sort.
Christmas candies, cookies, gift pack food.
Print the candy coupons so you are armed and ready!

HBA:
The gift packs of lotions and potions.
Hair ribbons, bow, headbands, barrettes etc.

Pet:
Seasonal pet clothes.
Holiday gift packs or Santa stocking with chews, toys etc.

Linens:
Holiday sheets, table cloths, napkins, table runners, placemats, napkin rings etc.
Holiday bath towels, kitchen towels, mitts, etc.
Holiday throws, pillows, doormats.

House wares:
Dinnerware, glassware, serving pieces
Kids plastic dinnerware
Tabletop kitchen appliances like the roaster oven.

Clothing:
Shirts, pajamas, t-shirts.
Robes, house shoes.

***ALSO – boxed seasonal gifts in tins or the red pre-priced boxes.

Accessories:
Socks, mittens, scarves, gloves, totes, wallets, belts etc.

Jewelry:
All sorts of costume jewelry! Possibly even Christmas watches.
Large stand-up jewelry boxes are usually on clearance.

Paper Goods:
Plates, napkins, also while there, go around the corner and look for candles.
Christmas photo albums, scrap booking kits etc.
Christmas cards

Seasonal:
All Christmas decorations, trees, wrapping, ribbons, outdoor decorations.
Outdoor electrical extension cords, light hanging clips, etc.

Christmas Clearance is but one type of clearance shopping at Target. Later, I will address the best methods of Clearance shopping at Target on a daily basis. And yes, one could clearance shop there everyday and find great bargains.

Please note: This is the second article (2 of 4) in a series about post Holiday clearance shopping.

Grab the keys and let's hit the mall. Not! Unless you want to spend more money, take more time and simply be more frustrated. It is time to prepare for your shop before you leave home.

Clearance Shopping Guidelines

1. Familiarize yourself with the Bargain Huntress Holiday Clearance Rules.

2. Check out Pinching Your Pennies forums. Thismust stop on the internet will help you save time and money. There are over 60,000 registered members across the country, and it is nice to have all the extra sets of eyes doing research at stores and sales for you.
*Check out the Screaming Deals around Town to see what % off savings you can expect today (and decide if you want to wait for a higher saving %).
*Check out Your State forum to see if there is a Must -Have hidden gem in your neck of the woods.
*Check out your Favorite store’s thread (Target is mine, for example) to see what deals you might have missed, but now know to keep your eyes peeled for when you hit the store.
*Check out Printing Pennies for HOT Printable Coupons that might match with a hot clearance sale item. A great example would be $1 off Emerald or Diamond Nuts. Many nut gift baskets are at low clearance prices and a coordinated $1 off coupon would make for a great double play!
*Have a particular item you are searching for? Use the Find a Penny forum to get assistance in finding that $20 Christmas tree you are searching for, but cannot find at your local Big Lots. Others in nearby cities can check out their stores for you!
*Check out Screaming Deals Online forum. Many online retailers are having clearance sales, too. The staff at PYP are the best deal finders on the net, and you don’t want to miss out on some great gifts with savings of 75% or more.

3.Go shopping by yourself, if possible. And try not to bring your children. If you bring the kids, you have added items that you do NOT want into your cart and it is very easy to get frustrated, faster.

Here's an idea that might work for you... A good friend & I trade off clearance shopping days- one baby-sits while the other shops, then the next day we trade. Our kids have fun play dates and we get a day of Clearance Shopping by ourselves!

4. Remember that there is more to Christmas clearance shopping than leftover bows, tinsel and wrapping paper. Bath sets, Desk sets, and other unique gift items that you do not see at your store throughout the rest of the store are most likely Holiday clearance.

5. Be creative when shopping Holiday sales. Have a girl friend who loves to scrapbook? Look for Christmas scrap booking items that probably are on clearance. Continue to purchase Holiday themed clearanced supplies for your friend (I would wait til 90% off) and when it is time for her birthday, you have a unique and fun present that didn’t cost you much.

6. Have a person in mind when buying non-Holiday clearance items. This will prevent you from overbuying bath sets AND maintains control over your budget.

7. Limit how many stores you will shop. This may seem obvious, but try to stick to a few stores, even one mall, to maximize your shopping time and minimize wear & tear on you. If you focus on one or two stores, say Target, you can patiently wait for items to be marked down to a lower price in a few days (as it will be. See tomorrow’s blog entry for some golden Target clearance information)

8. Check out the store’s website for any information about sales, printable coupons and rebates to add to your savings.

9. Sign up for your favorite store’s newsletter and store loyalty rewards cards. Many times, you will be the first to hear about sales and rebates and new coupons. Bath & Bodyworks do this all the time. For example.

10. Get a Store Charge Card. (Disclaimer: I am NOT advocating using credit or going into debt simply to shop Holiday Clearance sales.) Please let me start by saying that I do not have store charge cards that I use, nor carry a balance. However, store card holders can receive special coupons and discount cards/codes that the general public cannot use. Kohl’s is the best example of this.

11. Get to know Target & its Clearance system. This is a whole entry unto itself and you will see it Monday morning. (This is one of my most requested shopping secrets)

12. Get creative with cheap clearance items. This is another blog entry, too. Stay tuned for some fun & unique ideas about Christmas clearance on Tuesday morning.


If you use the above ideas while Holiday Clearance shopping, you will maximize your monetary and time investment while minimizing stress & frustration. Happy Shopping!

If you are starting to accumulate lots of coupons you might be wondering the best way to use them. Just heading out to the grocery store and using your .35 cent coupon on tuna fish is not the best way to utilize your coupon. If you know how to use your coupons you can make your money stretch farther than you thought possible!

1. Wait to use your coupons. Don't use them right away. Wait closer to the expiration date for a good sale. For example, take a $1/1 Colgate toothpaste coupon. When Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, Albertson's or your local store has them on sale, THEN use the coupon on the sale price. many times these stores will have toothpaste on sale for $1, then you could get the toothpaste for free! Or when Walgreens offers Register Rewards on the toothpaste you can actually come out ahead when you use your coupon on the sale price, then get back a RR for the full purchase price!

Thanks to Supermod Wengmama for spotting this gem! FREE Hot Cocoa & Cookie for the kids at Barnes & Nobles Starbucks this Saturday, October 24th only! Check out the other printable money saving coupons B&N offers as well. PYP discussion.

Soybutter, I have to be honest, this one I am VERY interested in as I have a son who is allergic to peanuts so to be able to try a subsitute without having to purchase a whole jar...NICE!
Garnier Hair Care via Walmart.com
Zyrtec Allergy Medicine via Walmart.com
Eukanaba $10 coupon for Puppy Food for your new bundle of energy.

Just one of the awesome tools here at PYP...ready-made shopping lists. We scour grocery ads to find the best deals at many of your favorite stores, and match them with available coupons. Check the list below and see if you find your favorite store!

Idaho Albertson's Idaho Smith's Utah Albertson's Utah Associated Foods Stores Utah Bowman's Utah Dan's Utah Dick's Utah Harmon's Utah Kent's Utah Kohler's Utah Lee's Utah Lin's Utah Macey's Utah Ream's (Salt Lake & Davis counties) Utah Ream's (Springville) Utah Smith's Arizona Fry's Arizona Albertson's Arizona Safeway Arizona Basha's

National Walgreen's National CVS Nevada Albertson's Nevada Smith's Nevada Von's Nevada Food For Less Nevada Sunflower Market California South Albertsons California South Ralph's California South Von's California South Stater Brother's California South Pavilions California South Food For Less California South Rite Aid Washington East Albertsons Washington East Fred Meyer Washington East Safeway Washington East Walgreens Washington East RiteAid

This past year my family experienced a job loss and changeover, and we found ourselves without prescription drug insurance coverage. This was a shock for my family and our wallet as on average we were spending hundreds/month on co-pays from our previous insurance plans (we have medical conditions amongst family members that need to be managed). So now what?

Here is my story of how I trimmed my family’s medicine budget AND found resources available for those (including me!) who do not have prescription drug insurance.

1.Take inventory. You must know all of your prescriptions are before you can see what options you have. Write them down, including dosage, frequency and results from current medications. Once you know your medicine profile, you can start to seek alternatives and facilitate changes.
*Please note, do NOT do the following without consulting your prescribing physicians, first.

2.Seek alternatives. Contact your prescribing physicians and see if there is a cheaper alternative or a generic version of prescribed medication.

3.Double your Dosage & Split. Ask your doctor if he/she will double your monthly dosage, then you slice your tablets into half- thus doubling your supply, while reducing your cost. This option does require homework and footwork: check pricing with pharmacy to make sure it is a cost-effective option and if your physician will do this.

4.Seek Over The Counter or Herbal Options. Again, check with your doctor to see if this option for you. For my family, over-the-counter Prilosec proved to be a cost-friendly option for treating Acid Reflux. (see IF there are coupons available, too!)

5.Check out money saving programs from pharmaceutical manufacturers. Most major drug makers offer some sort of discount savings card (please note, these are NOT insurance cards). A great starting point is Glaxo Smith Kline’s site. One that I joined is Together RX Access and save 25% off my Imitrex.

6.Compare shop your local pharmacies. This option does require a bit of research, but the savings can be HUGE! For example, I take Topamax for migraine prevention. At a retail chain pharmacy, this cost me $60/month on my insurance plan and a few hundred without (yes, sticker shock!). I called area pharmacies looking for options when I came across a neighborhood pharmacy that had a pharmacy discount card that I was eligible for and my Topamax cost me only $30. HUGE savings!

7.Ask for Physician samples. Swallow your pride and ask your doctor if she/he happens to have any samples of either the medicine you need or an alternative that would work for you. That is what they are for! And your doctor would rather give them to you then see them go to waste.

8.Visit your prescribed medicine’s website. Many times there are discounts, coupons or instant rebates offered to users. Check out internetdrugcoupons for links to many medicines. Here's my success story... my husband needs the ulcer medicine, Nexium. We have tried the cheaper option of Prilosec, but it was like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound. So I visited purplepill.com and found that we could get a month’s medicine for $50 with Nexium’s saving card. Add a request to the doctor to double the prescription’s dosage for two months, and we are spending $25/month vs. $168 cash only.

9.Use pharmacy coupons to offset the costs. Many retailers offer store gift cards if and when you bring a new or transfer a prescription to their store’s pharmacy. These coupons usually appear in the Sunday ads. Check out the PYP boards for announcements.

It does take a lot of work and hoop-jumping to save money in any area, and prescription drugs are no exception. Above are proven suggestions that I know work! I have done it and managed to maintain the medicines that are necessary to keep us healthy without going into debt.

Do you have any other ideas that might benefit others?

HOT! HOT! FREEBIE through MyCokeRewards...

Only takes a few minutes, but well worth it. Whether you like Coke or not, you'll want to take a few minutes to sign up for this freebie through MyCokeRewards!

::Log in to MyCokeRewards (or sign up (account is free)).

*Click on the "Pick Up Points" tab

*Click on the "Get 25 Points" tab next to the T.G.I. Friday's logo.

*Sign up for the "Give Me More Stripes" program.

*Once you've signed up, you'll receive an email confirmation with a code that is good for 25 MyCokeReward points. Add these to your account and then you can choose to redeem them immediately for a FREE 20 oz. Coke, 18.5 oz. Dasani Essence, 32 oz. Powerade, or 20 oz. Minute Maid.

Pizza Hut
Use this online link and get any pizza (up to 3 topping OR specialty pizza) for just $10.99. Must use link and order online to receive discount price. Expires 8/23/09

Bath & Body Works
FREE Signature Collection Item with $10 purchase and this printable coupon. Exp. 8/27

Famous Footwear
Save 20% off with printable coupon. Exp 8/31

JoAnn's Fabric
Save 40% on a single item with printable coupon.

The Limited
Printable Coupon for $30 off $100 purchase OR $20 off $60 purchase

Yankee Candles stores
Save $10 off $25 purchase printable coupon (so wish we had these in Utah!)

While grabbing some Back-to-School supplies at Target, print a couple of coupons from coupons.com (group A)(thanks supermod Dewey for keeping track of these!)and get some FREE Cookies, too! Print the $1 off Pepperidge Farm cookies coupon (you can print two), grab the snack size packages (available by the front registers or the Dollar spot) and ENJOY!

Get your free movie rental today only from any Redbox kiosk using code 27HZ4KT.

Discussion.

Present this printable coupon or show coupon on your hand-held device to your local Starbucks barista on 7.21 ONLY and receive a FREE pastry with any beverage purchase. (Remember it is always a good idea to check if your area Starbucks is participating). Enjoy!

The Drugstore deals keep getting better and better. Save at Rite Aid with a printable $5 off $25 purchase coupon. Good through 7/31. Be sure to check out PYP's weekly Rite Aid shopping list created by supermod Rebecca, updated each Monday morning. (HOT deals happening through Saturday. Don't miss it!)

Use this PDF printable Nexcare bandage coupon at Target or any other retailer who cares travel sizes and these are FREE, or cost a few pennies. Perfect for purse, car, backpack or stashed anywhere to be prepared. Also, great for your scouts packs at camp this summer.

Other 3M Printable Products found here. Big shout out of thanks to Supermod Deweyville for keeping ALL our printables organized!

RedPlum.com reset its printable coupons and a HOT! Target store printable coupon has surfaced-- Save $2 on Degree Women Fine Fragrance Collection scents. IF you add this with the Man. coupon:

Degree Women Fine Fragrance Collection product, any $1.25/1 (8-9-09) RP-5/17 = HOT DEAL!

Let's do numbers...

Last time I was at Target, I recall the scents being around $3.79 (prices may vary) so - $2 Target store printable cpn + $1.25 man. cpn = $ .54/ea Good deal! (and this item is perfect for women's shelters or such charities, too!)

Here's the link to the Red Plum Target store $2 off printable.

BIG thank you to SuperMod SeaBrz57 for finding this gem online. The Glidden National Paint Giveaway! Starts 6/25 (while supplies last), pick your color and receive a cpn for a FREE quart of paint. Takes 3-4 weeks to receive your cpn via mail. See PYP forums for discussion. Happy Painting!

Sign up for Kraft First Taste and be the first to hear about new products, get coupons, samples, etc. This sign up is for a limited time only...don't miss it!