Target haul, coupon FAQs and a great deal at Albertsons

I'm a Chatty Cathy today, but it's just because I've got so much information I want to share with you about how to save some money on beauty products this week (and in the weeks to come). So please take a moment to read through this if you can--I hope it helps some of you!

In my frenzy to show you the deals I scored at Rite Aid this week, I completely forgot to mention my Target shopping trip! I won't get into the details of what I purchased (paper towels, band-aids, laundry detergent, stuff like that) but I DO want to mention a few things to help you maximize YOUR savings the next time you shop at Target.

I purchased $54 worth of products at my local Target yesterday and only paid $35.16. How? By combining Target coupons with manufacturer's coupons (and of course purchasing products that are on sale doesn't hurt either)! The Target coupon booklet that was sent in the mail last week was FULL of items that I already had coupons for (clipped from the Sunday paper) so it only took a minute to pair the coupons up for extra savings. And I got an even better price on the products that just happened to be on sale this week.

For those of you who are skittish about trying to "stack" coupons, let me reassure you that this is completely legitimate and most stores (Rite Aid, CVS, Target, etc.) will let you do this. Still not convinced? You can find confirmation of this directly on Target's website. From Target.com:

Reminder: We accept one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon for the same item unless either coupon prohibits it.

So if you experience any issues when making a purchase (this has happened to me before), I've found that some cashiers are not aware of this policy. So when it doubt, ask to speak to a manager because chances are, Target WILL accept both their own coupon + a manufacturer's coupon (unless there is fine print somewhere on the coupons that prohibits this). There is absolutely no harm in trying, and if it doesn't work, just kindly let your cashier know that you no longer want to purchase the item. Don't ever feel like you're locked in to making a purchase just because it's already been scanned. It's your money, and you have the right to cancel the transaction if you're not getting the savings that you had planned on getting. :)

Another thing I want to mention is that, if you see a coupon in the paper, etc. for something that you already love or use on a regular basis, clip it, no matter how small the savings. Before I became a coupon-clipping maniac, I remember seeing a coupon for $0.25 or $0.50 off and thinking, "Meh. Why bother? I only want the coupons that are for $1 off or more". But as I illustrated in my last post, sometimes you can stack these smaller coupons and sometimes you can use them on a product that's already on sale that week, and BINGO, you're looking at saving a lot of money (or possibly getting the item for free).

Also, be sure to READ your coupons carefully. For instance, in last week's paper, there was a $0.75 off coupon good for any Dial Body Wash or multi-pack bar soap. At first I thought, "OK, I'll clip and it maybe a good sale will come around. On its own, this isn't too great of a deal." But then I re-read the coupon and discovered that the fine print ALSO said that this coupon was good toward Dial HAND SOAP. Now we're talkin'! Dial has released hand soaps in the same fragrances as their new NutriSkin Body Wash line, and they're fantastic. Also, the regular retail price of these hand soaps is just $1.25 at Target. So using my coupon, I was able to snag this hand soap for just 50 CENTS!

I've just got to share my best deal from my trip to Target this week with you, because I know a lot of you will be able to appreciate this. lol! I wanted to get Mr. R some new inserts for his work boots. Target is currently having a sale on Dr. Scholls inserts and the price for the men's inserts is $8.59. That is a heck of a deal, considering that the exact same inserts retail for $14.95 at my local Albertsons. But I also clipped a coupon from last week's paper for $2 off one pair of Dr. Scholls inserts, bringing my cost down to just $6.59. Compared to $14.95, I am just so proud of this deal! :)

Moving on to Alberstons! I always, always scan the haircare, body care, facial care, deodorant, lip balm and makeup sections at my local grocery stores, because you NEVER know what kind of crazy deals you might find. Depending on the particular store, a lot of products tend to go on clearance rather regularly. The reason you can find such great clearance prices at your local grocery store probably has a lot do with the fact that grocery stores have VERY limited space on their shelves. If products are simply not selling, they need to get rid of them ASAP to make room for products that WILL sell. Or, maybe a brand is undergoing a makeover, in which case the store needs to get the old product off the shelves ASAP in order to bring the new products in. So their loss can be our gain, and I've found probably my best deals to date on beauty products at my local Albertsons, Vons, Ralphs, etc. You never know what you might find, so don't overlook these sections the next time you're at the grocery store.

For example, it's no surprise that everyone and their mother has Pantene products on clearance right now. We all know that Pantene has undergone a major makeover, so retailers need to get the old stuff off their shelves ASAP. In addition to finding the old Pantene products at places like Big Lots, definitely check your drugstores (Rite Aid currently has all the old Pantene products on clearance for 50% off) and DEFINITELY check your grocery stores because you might find something like this:

Now, I don't know if Albertsons will let you use the Pantene coupons that were in last week's paper ($1 off 2 products) but if so, you're looking at two full size bottles of Pantene haircare for just $3. Let me know if you've tried using Pantene coupons with clearance items. I'd love to know if it worked for you!

Thanks for reading!