Don't be Afraid to SAVE $$$

So many people I know seem somewhat afraid of saving money... they are afraid to use the resources available for their own benefit.  Personally, if there are coupons, special codes and good deals out there then I am going to use them!  I certainly agree and admit that saving money takes some time and a bit more effort, however then benefits of saving and the feeling that you "won" when you are shopping outweigh the time and effort.  Once you learn some tricks and become more aware of policies and promotions, shopping will become even more fun and less painful.  Here are some stores around the South Bay and some tips and tricks you may not know about that will allow you to be more frugal and friendly as we continue to go through some hard times.  (In addition for those procrastinators, PEETS Coffee and Tea will be offering FREE coffee and tea ALL DAY 12/24.  So get your caffeine and hit the shops)

OLD NAVY
Right now at Old Navy, through 12/24, you can save 20% on all gift card purchases.  This means if you buy a $100 gift certificate you will really only have to pay $80.  (click on this link for the 20% off GIFT CARDS and then print it and take it to the store) Whether you actually plan to give the gift card or card is another story.  If you shop there throughout the year or if you are buying something now as a gift for someone, you can buy the gift card first and then decide what to do with it.  I suggest buying the gift card for whatever amount you were planning to spend and then using it to shop in combination with coupons.  I also suggest going to oldnavyweekly.com to get a different coupon everyday that you can use when you shop.  (if you have more than one coupon they will ring you up on separate transactions so you can use them all)  At oldnavyweekly.com you have to play around the site to get coupons.  Be sure to look around under each calendar day, on each page etc.  Scroll your mouse until the pointer turns into a hand and then click.  Wallah! You may then send yourself an email with the coupon to print out.  EX: Click on the gift for December 23rd, on the top of the pop up box it says, "FAB-U-LISTER" when you place the mouse over those words it will turn into a hand allowing you to click.  You will then earn a 20% off your entire purchase.  Be careful, these coupons all come with expiration dates but if you go daily, you can score some pretty awesome deals.  I found this link at Bargain Briana that has hints for this weeks coupons.

Another tip I recently found out and verified with the employees at Old Navy is that you can get a price adjustment up to 14 days after a purchase.  That means that 2 weeks ago when I went to Old Navy at 8am to get $5 Sweatshirts, but they were sold out so I did not get any... I did not have to do any of that.  What I could have done is gone any day before the one day sale, bought the sweatshirts and then ON THE DAY OF THE ONE DAY SALE I could have gone in with my receipt and they would price adjust it for me, refunding me back the difference.  You can also use a coupon on the day you buy the goods at that same discount will still apply when you get the price changed.

Bed Bath and Beyond
Did you know that BB&B price matches?  Well they do!  I was told they do not price match to large price clubs, i.e. Costco/Sams, however they did for me recently.  All you do is either bring in an ad or a print out from the internet showing the sale price and the dates eligible and they will adjust the price for you.  If you do not have either one but you saw the price online, they will even look it up on the internet if you ask them to and then adjust for you.  What makes the deal even better is that you can use the BB&B coupons together with the price matching.
I don't know about you but we get a 20% off coupon about twice a month and at least once a month I find one in the Sunday paper.  Although the coupon asks you to provide personal information, use only per customer and it will expire on x date... NONE of this is necessary.  You can take up to 5 COUPONS on one transaction as long as your total and item count all match up (5 coupons for 5 items etc) and not fill out anything and they will take them all the same, even if they expired 5 years ago.  This can make a shopping trip to Bed Bath Beyond very budget friendly.

TARGET
Target will also price match items, but they require you to bring in the actual ad.  For example, if Best Buy is selling G-Force for $19.99 and Target has it for $22.99, then bring the ad for Best Buy to Target and they will price match.
Another great thing about Target is that they offer some great coupons for their store and more times than not you can pair up their coupons with Manufacturers coupons giving you extra super savings. Click HERE for coupons you can print that are manufacturers and or Target exclusive.

Example: If target is selling Crest toothpaste for $2.99 and Target is offering a $1 off coupon and there is a manufacturers coupon for $1 off, then when you present them both to the cashier you will get your toothpaste for $.99.  Manufacturers coupons can be found in many newspapers, mostly in packs bundled near the comics on Sundays, or they can be printed on the internet if you give yourself a chance to search.  (using google, the easiest thing to type in is "printable coupons" or if you are searching for something specific you can type "printable dove body wash coupon" and see if a link comes up.)

CVS
CVS is most certainly one of my favorite places to go and it does need more time and commitment to be able to understand their Extra Buck Program, but once you get it, you will be consistently saving money on everyday needs and some bonus items.  There are many blogs out there that discuss how to use CVS to the best of your abilities.  One of the sites I share the most is I HEART CVS  If you take a look around you will see all there is to get a good deal on, what others have gotten and how to understand the system.

There are so many ways to save money and to not spend full price on the items you are buying this year.
a few places to go that are helpful and worth your browsing are:
CVS
Couponmom.com
Upcoming Coupons at Taylortown Preview
Target Coupons

There are so many more ways to find great deals and print great coupons on the internet.  Give yourself a couple of minutes before you buy, to search and browse the web.  Searching in google for "printable coupons" will be a great way to start.

I hope this helps and inspires some of you this season.  Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping
Erin