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.

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?

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!)

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!)

Credit goes to Supermod Deweyville for this awesome (and FUN) freebie!

Barnes & Nobles Kids Summer Reading Club for grades 1-6

Details:

Here’s how it works:

1. Kids read any eight (8) books of their own choosing.

2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs the journal when it's complete. You can also get a Spanish-language Reading Journal.

3. Children bring their completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 26th & September 7th, 2009.

4. We'll give them a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.*

See PYP forum thread for all details and club link.

Donating to one's local food bank or communtiy food pantry is easy through this prgram.

1. Simply place non-perishable food items in a grocery sack (many letter carriers already have providied these) by your mailbox on Sat. May 9th.
2. Your letter carrier will pick up your sack and others in your neighbhood to be delievered to your local food bank. Here they will stay in our to help feed our own.

To help out our local food banks and be sure that our postal carriers have something to pick up today, PYP's blog is having a little contest. SHARE YOUR STORIES! In the comment section today!

The best story of donation, whether funny, original, crazy or just heartfelt will be our winner. Usual PYP rules apply with a few more, incl:

*must be a PYP member with at least 25 posts
*the incident/story must be told here (Not forums) in the comment section of this blog entry
*no obscene language, profanity, tall tales, etc.
*story must be TRUE
*story must be from this year
*a team of judges made up from PYP food bank experts will be making the final call
*all decisions are final
*deadline for submission is Sunday 12 noon MDT

There will be 3 prizes (small but FUN!)

1st- $15 Target Gift card
2nd- $10 Albertsons Gift card
3rd- $5 Target Gift Card

Good luck and lets open our hearts and our usable food storage!

There will be a FREE PYP coupon class this Thursday, May 7th at 7 pm at the Standard-Examiner building in Ogden. (332 Standard Way, Ogden)

Call Mike Eames at 801-625-4415 or email him at meames@standard.net to reserverve you seat.

This is a fabulous opportunity to learn more about saving money with coupons and shopping smart, or to introduce your friends and family to couponing!

These classes are a lot of fun and very informative. PLUS there will be a fantastic grocery give-away!

PYP's Discussion thread!

Hope to see you there, and bring a friend!