Rebranding the stockpile

“Stockpiling” is the term couponers have long used for shopping ahead of sales cycles, then storing groceries and supplies until the next sale. It’s a great strategy for shelf-stable, non-perishable or freezer-stable items because prices fluctuate. Buying at a low sale price, with coupons, e…

Readers save to win

Dear Jill,

Meaty savings

A recent column about saving money on meat struck a chord with many readers. Admittedly, getting coupon deals on meats is a little more difficult, as meat coupons aren’t always easy to find. If you’re purchasing brand-name meats, such as Hormel, Perdue or Butterball, you’ll find coupons avai…

Dig these digital savings tools

Dear Jill,

Getting credit for all of your coupons

Hi Jill,

Come shopping with me

Hi Jill,

Tales from the rebate front

Readers continue to weigh in on the pitfalls of mail-in rebates. The anti-rebate emails I receive far outnumber those singing their praises. Here’s a sampling.

Whatever becomes of a coupon?

You recently wrote about stores getting reimbursed by the manufacturer. As a long-time couponer, it's interesting to learn about couponing from the store and manufacturer's ends. I am very interested in how this reimbursement works. Do the stores hire people to submit coupons to each manufac…

Help! My groceries are shrinking!

Has this happened to you? You’re walking down an aisle at the supermarket and you pick up a product you’ve purchased many times before. Dish detergent, deodorant, a cake mix – it looks the same as it always has, but something just isn’t right.

A senior discount moment

Are senior discounts a right or a privilege? This week, readers share their concerns about shrinking, changing and vanishing discounts. Also, a creative reader offers her save-smart tip for cheaper meats. Take a peek inside my email inbox.

Save money, no scissors required

Jill Cataldo saves hundreds by making the most of the common coupon. You can, too. Here’s how.

A walk on couponing’s wild side

Judging by my inbox, there are far more coupon complaints than coupon cheer from shoppers these days. I always aim to promote couponing best practices in my column, my blog and my couponing classes. It’s clear, though, that the ill-advised actions of a few shoppers have an outsized impact on…

Give and take in the grocery aisle

I receive a lot of testy email from readers reporting on coupon usage and shopping habits of fellow shoppers. One topic that continues to burn up my inbox involves people perceived to take more than “their share” of coupons.

How good is your good deal?

One of the questions I hear most often is, How do I know I’m getting the best price? Here’s my standard. Whether I buy a bottle of barbecue sauce or a winter coat, my goal is always to cut the price by half or more. While I love to get “crazy” deals (such as matching a $1 coupon to that barb…

Many unhappy returns

Oh, the woe of the shopper who must return a purchase. Most of the time it goes smoothly, but occasionally some of my readers hit snags when returning an item they decided they didn’t want or need.

Are all shoppers entitled to the same coupons?

Recently, we heard from readers who feel it’s unfair that manufacturers and retailers use electronic coupons. They argue that consumers without computers or smartphones are unfairly excluded from these discounts. This week, readers continue to weigh in on so-called coupon entitlement.

You be the judge: Fraud or unethical?

Have you ever seen another shopper using a coupon in a questionable manner? Decide for yourself: Are the scenarios below fraud, or simply unethical?

Couponers weigh in on ‘battle of the brands’

Last week, readers frustrated with the increasing number of low-value coupons shared their views. One said that if a coupon doesn’t make a large enough dent in the price of a national name-brand item, she doesn’t use it. She buys the retailer’s store brand instead. Will this emerging “boycot…

Readers rant: Are coupon values going down?

Last week, I featured an email from a reader who felt there weren’t enough coupons for fresh meat and produce. He also had a comment on coupons’ values:

Couponer asks 'Where's the beef?'

Dear Jill,

Couponer’s lament: ‘Extreme Couponing’ ruined everything

Dear Jill,

Readers ponder taxing coupon conundrum

Last week, I featured an assortment of emails from readers who shared some of their coupon frustrations. There’s more where that came from! Claudia has a question on coupons and sales tax.

Readers share coupon complaints

My readers continue to share many coupon tips, stories and complaints via email. Here’s a sampling of what has landed in my inbox lately. First, Rick offers a strategy for dealing with coupons that a cashier incorrectly refuses to honor at the register:

Is that 'free' sample really free?

Dear Jill,

E-asy does it: The E-coupon debate revisited

Recently, I shared an email from a reader who believes there is a conspiracy going on with electronic coupons. My reader feels that companies offering coupons online and via phone apps are deliberately excluding discounts from the people who need them the most. I offered some budget-friendly…

Supercouponing Tips: When coupon restrictions go too far

As couponing has grown in popularity, some shoppers have sought to push the limits and maximize their savings by using coupons in improper ways.

Coupons: Knowing right from wrong

Last week, I shared an email from a couponer anxious to determine if it was OK to photocopy coupons. It isn’t. Photocopying coupons violates the “Coupon may not be reproduced” clause in coupon redemption policies. It’s also the most common form of coupon fraud. The reader said she learned th…

Attention shoppers: Stop bending the rules

I’d like to believe that the vast majority of shoppers are ethical and that they follow the rules and terms stated plainly on coupons.

Couponing success stories

Dear Jill,

Stores wary of printable coupons

Dear Jill,

The case of the phantom coupon

Dear Jill,

When pictures on coupons pose a problem

When a coupon carries a declaration that it’s good on any variety of a product, you’d think that explanation would be sufficient.

Getting a deal at the world's biggest store

I receive more questions by far about coupon policies at Wal-Mart than I do for any other store. So, last week and in today’s column, I set aside my “no names” policy to answer the most-asked questions about the big retailer.

Couponing at the world's biggest grocer

Since I began writing “Super-Couponing Tips,” I have avoided naming names. My column runs nationally, and my readers patronize many different stores, from Piggly Wiggly in Alabama to Price Chopper in Massachusetts, from Red Apple on the West Coast to Giant Eagle in the East.

E-e-e coupons: What shoppers need to know

Shoppers face an array of coupons in electronic form these days: print-at-home coupons, e-coupons that can be loaded to a store’s loyalty card and coupon apps for smartphones and tablets. Technology can make it easy to access discounts. But some shoppers feel that the rise of digital couponi…

SUPER COUPONING: Saving on ‘Back To School’

It’s back-to-school time again. Each year around this time I like to share some of my favorite tips for saving on school supplies. This year, the average person with children in grades K-12 will spend more than $688 per child on back-to-school supplies, up more than 10 percent from last year…

BOGO on the brain

My readers often ask about Buy One, Get One Free sales. Here are some recent BOGO-related questions in my inbox.

Sale shopping without coupons

I’ve seen this phenomenon many times: New coupon shoppers are gung-ho about getting started and saving money. But a few weeks into their coupon adventure, they start trying to use coupons for every purchase, and I receive emails like these:

Counterfeit coupons in the news

A big counterfeit coupon bust grabbed headlines last week, and authorities have called it the largest counterfeit ring to operate in the United States.

Rebate redux

My recent column on rebates generated a lot of email! Listen to these readers who wrote in to complain, ask more questions and defend mail-in rebate offers.

When rebates go awry

Do you enjoy rebates? My inbox is constantly filling up with stories of rebates gone wrong. Let’s continue the rebate discussion from a few weeks ago, and see why many shoppers – including me – are wary of them.

Reader feedback: Coupon tips and comments

I love receiving email from my readers, and they often write in with great coupon tips of their own! Here’s a sampling:

The ABCs of considerate couponing

Dear Jill,

Counterfeit coupons: Accidentally on purpose

Dear Jill,

Talking about safe stowaways

Dear Jill,

Extreme couponing: What you don't see

The TLC show, “Extreme Couponing,” is back for another season. And when the show starts up, the emails pour in.

The great rebate debate

People assume that because I am an enthusiastic couponer, I also enjoy rebates. Many products offer mail-in rebates that provide significant savings or free products when the rebate check or gift card comes back in the mail.

Not so loyal to your loyalty card?

Dear Jill,

Eek! E-Coupons!

Most shoppers use traditional paper coupons found in the newspaper when they shop for groceries and other consumer packaged goods.

Free products, not free money

If you've ever used a free or Buy one, get one free coupon, you've probably noticed a box at the top of the coupon. That box is where the cashier enters the selling price of your free item.