Coupons, Coupons and More Coupons

OK here's some neat information for you. Did you know that Michael's Arts & Crafts accepts all competitor coupons? Did you know that restaurants often accept expired coupons? And so does Bed, Bath & Beyond - and they take up to TWO coupons for one transaction!! Did you know that Lowe's and Home Depot honor each other's prices with an additional 10% savings of the difference? And have you heard about restaurant.com?

1. I am a crafter. And I never ever go into Michael's without a JoAnn's coupon. First, I don't always buy the paper and when I do there isn't always a Michael's flier in there. But when you walk in the store and go to customer service, there is a sign posted that reads something to the effect that we honor competitors coupons. So go to JoAnn.com and sign up for the online newsletter and coupons! Print those suckers out and leave them in your car for the next time you need a birthday gift or a craft item. You'll be surprised at how much you save.

2. I like Valpack coupons and the Reach magazine has good ones too. Some local restaurants honor their expired Valpack or Reach coupons. All you have to do is ask! I did!

3. Bed Bath and Beyond has two kinds of coupons - $10 off $30 purchase and 20% off one item. You can use them both at the same time. AND you can use expired coupons - so don't throw these away either! Save them for the next time you need something, anything - Yankee Candle, some kitchen-y or bath item you might get at Target or Kohls is now cheaper at BB&B.

4. When we were building shelving for our garage last year, Wes bought a bunch of lumber at Lowe's. We went the next weekend to Home Depot for the kids' event (I think the girls built a sailboat) and I was pricing the lumber behind me while they worked on the boat. Well wouldn't you know the wood was cheaper. So Wes bought it all again at Home Depot and since I had the Lowe's receipt with me, we could prove the prices at Lowe's so they we got the discounted price PLUS an additional 10 percent off the discount. Another instance where it pays to know the cost of things.

5. Restaurant.com is a website that offers prepaid coupons/gift cards online to local restaurants (no chains that I can see). This past week they ran a special where the coupons were $5 for $25 gift certificate. And we bought 6, 3 to a restaurant we love and 3 to new ones we wanted to try; we spent $30 to save $150. Now you must be warned that some of these coupons have a minimal spending of $35 and one coupon per family per night (just read the fine print). For my family of 4 it isn't hard to spend $35 on a meal, even without drinks. So the $35 meal will cost us $15 out of pocket plus the tip we would have had to pay anyway.

I LOVE COUPONS! Take the time to cut them out or print them out. Then organize them. Then use them! (Just don't use a coupon to get something you didn't need just because you have a coupon.) This help me save a little bit for the new Lilly Pulitzer dress I have my eye on, and I hope it helps you save enough to get your expensive treat, too!