Acme is running a deal right now on General Mills cereal. Buy 4 boxes, must buy 4, for $10. Then you will receive $4 instant savings at checkout. So 4 boxes for $6, or $1.50 each.

There are many coupons out there to get the $1.50 down. You can click here to get to the General Mills website and get yourself some $0.75 off coupons, which Acme will double to $1.50. Also, last week, there were coupons in the paper for $1 off 2 boxes of GM cereal.

If you buy 5 boxes of GM cereal, the catalina machine at the register should spit out a catalina for a free gallon of milk. This is a hidden, non-advertised deal that’s been going on for a while, so no one seems to know when it will end.

In any event, you should be able to get 5 boxes of cereal AND a gallon of milk for much less than $4 or $5.

Happy shopping.

I was trying to explain to a friend the other day how to do a deal. She said “My head is spinning. How do you remember all this stuff?” First, I know some of it is genetic, lol. If you knew my Nan, you know how she was about deals and bargains, and she trained me well. Quite often when I am getting a great deal, I think “Nan would have loved this one!”

Second, it will get easier, I promise. Once you get used to looking for deals, it gets easier and easier. If you see an offer in a store like “Buy 4 of these items, get $5 off” your brain will start to instantly go into deal-mode and you’ll be figuring out how you can get the lowest out-of-pocket possible to get your $5. Before you know it, you will be turning up your nose at boxes of cereal for $1, because you’ll think “oh, I don’t pay that much for cereal.”

Start small. Focus on one store first. Decide which program you want to master and focus on it. Whether it be the ECB program at CVS, RR program at Walgreen’s or learning the e-coupons and double-dipping at Acme–pick one, focus on it, learn it, then add another store to your repetoire.

You have to enjoy it. If you do not have fun with this, it’s harder. I like doing it. I love, love, love standing at the register at Acme–and the cashier, the bagger and the person behind me are amazed at how much comes off my total. I love when I’m at CVS or Walgreen’s, and the cashiers get all bug-eyed when they give me my final total, and then they get even more bug-eyed when their registers spit out more $$ for me to use on my next trip. I love being able to try new cosmetics all the time, without having paid for them. I’d be lying if I told you this didn’t take some time, especially in the beginning when you’re learning. But if you’re watching tv in the evening, sitting down, why not just clip & sort coupons at the same time?

Also-know this: Stores, manufacturers, retailers, marketers, advertisers–they’re not that bright, creative or clever. Very seldom am I wowed by the originality of a deal. It’s the same deals recycled over and over. You’ll get used to seeing the same offers come up again every couple of months, which makes it easier to learn.

Get the Sunday paper. You don’t have to clip all the coupons, or any for that matter. But at the very least, pull out the inserts and keep them in a desk drawer or something. Then, at least if I reference a particular coupon, you’ll be able to go back & you’ll have it. You won’t be kicking yourself saying “man, I wish I had that coupon, I could’ve gotten free…..(whatever).”

I’ve added a list of terms and abbreviations to the side of the blog to help.