Today’s top plays
Clip it. Stack it. Read the fine print.
Coupon stacking: when a manufacturer and a store coupon combine
Stacking means using a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on the same item. Here is which stores say they allow it, and the limits that come with it.
CVS ExtraCare and ExtraBucks Rewards, explained
How CVS's free ExtraCare program issues ExtraBucks Rewards, how to send them to your card, what they can and can't buy, and how they sit next to coupons.
Kroger digital coupons and fuel points
How Kroger's digital coupons load to your card, the one-coupon-per-item rule, and how the rewards program's points (long known as fuel points) are redeemed and when they expire.
THE CLIP-AND-SAVE DESK · weekly
One coupon sheet a week, store rules included.
Each week: a handful of savings plays with the store rule behind each one, so you know what will scan before you reach the register.
The play feed
Every play cites the store’s own policy page
The holiday shopping calendar: when categories go on sale
Work from the rule that sets each holiday, not from a sale prediction.
6 min read · Marisol Vega
Stockpiling without waste: the six-week sale cycle
Track your own low prices for the staples you buy; no store publishes a sale cycle.
6 min read · Marisol Vega
Real freebies: birthday rewards and loyalty sign-up perks
Join the free loyalty programs at stores you already use and fill in your profile.
5 min read · Callie Brooks
Price adjustments and price matching: what big retailers say
Keep your receipt and know each store's window and price sources.
6 min read · Callie Brooks
Rain checks: what they are and where to ask for one
If an advertised grocery item is out of stock, ask customer service for a rain check.
5 min read · Marisol Vega
Cash-back apps: Ibotta, Fetch and receipt scanning compared
Add Ibotta offers to your list before you shop; they pay only on matched items.
6 min read · Callie Brooks
Costco member deals: how the monthly savings work
Leave the paper manufacturer coupons at home: Costco says it doesn't accept them.
5 min read · Callie Brooks
Walmart clearance and rollbacks: what the signs mean
Treat Rollback as a temporary price cut and Clearance as stock being sold off.
5 min read · Marisol Vega
Target Circle: how the free loyalty program's offers work
Join the free Target Circle tier and sign in to the Target app.
6 min read · Callie Brooks
myWalgreens: cash rewards and clipped coupons
Join myWalgreens free and give your phone number at every checkout.
5 min read · Callie Brooks
Unit prices: reading the shelf tag to find the real deal
Compare items by the unit price on the shelf tag, not the package price.
5 min read · Marisol Vega
Coupon fine print: "one per purchase" vs "one per transaction"
Read the limit line on the coupon before you count how many to bring.
5 min read · Callie Brooks
How to start couponing: paper, digital and app coupons explained
Learn the difference between a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon.
6 min read · Callie Brooks
This month on the shopping calendar
Only dates set by a fixed rule, like the fourth Thursday or a fixed calendar day. Store sale events are left out because no rule sets them.
Halloween
A fixed date. Read candy coupons for quantity limits before you stack.
Thanksgiving
Fourth Thursday rule. Build the list, then match it to the ad.
Black Friday
The day after Thanksgiving. Read each store's price match exclusions.
Small Business Saturday
The Saturday after Thanksgiving. Local shops set their own policies.
Cyber Monday
The Monday after Thanksgiving. Clip online coupons before checkout.
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