How to become Addicted to Saving Archives - Page 4 of 12

Publix Coupon Policy Changes Coming October 1st???

September 17, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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Update – I wanted to repost this today since this post was so popular yesterday with all of the Publix shoppers out there. I would love to hear your thoughts on the changes – leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I just got word from my blogger friend Amy that Publix will be changing their coupon policy starting in October. While Publix allows each store a lot of leeway in interpreting the company policy on coupons, we can expect that all stores will be affected by this change at some point. Please note that this is *NOT* official yet, and we will all need to wait until the official announcement comes to get 100% certainty.

However, until then, here are some of the changes you can expect to see. The new policy will supposedly be implemented on 10/1, with a grace period given until 10/18 to allow for shoppers to be educated on the changes.

If I can be honest with you, most of these changes will not even affect me. They are limited dollar off coupons (like our $5/$40 Publix or $5/$50 Winn Dixie coupons) to one per household per day, and that will be my biggest adjustment. Otherwise, I think it’s good that they are limiting us to 8 of the same coupons per day. This will drastically reduce shelf-clearing when there are free items to be had, and that’s a good thing imho.

Let me what you think about the new policy after you’ve had a chance to read over it below!

New Publix Coupon Policy includes:

We only accept coupons on identical items we sell.
We accept a manufacturer and either a Publix store coupon or competitor coupon on the same item. Maximum 2 coupons per item.
Manufacturer digital offers cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of the same item.
We do not accept percentage off items or percentage off total order coupons.
We do not accept coupons that Publix determines to be printed incorrectly. For example, a coupon missing a size requirement or other standard coupon details.
We do not accept coupons presented via a mobile phone or device.
We do not accept coupons that appear to be copied. All coupons must be originals.
For BOGO offers, each item is considered a separate purchase.
We limit coupon redemption to eight of the same coupons per day per household.
Managers approval is needed for individual coupons above $5.
Dollar off coupons will be limited to one Publix coupon per day per household. The total order before coupon must be equal to or greater than combined purchase requirement indicated on the coupons presented. We consider competitor coupons for a dollar off groups of items to be dollar off total order coupons and will only allow one per day per household.
Money due back to the customer at the end of the transaction involving coupons will only be provided on a Publix gift card.

New Rain Check Policy:

We will only issue one rain check per day per household for an item.
We will not issue rain checks for Publix, manufacturer or competitor coupons

Go HERE to see the current and upcoming Publix Weekly Ad & Coupon Matchups

Thanks who said nothing in life is free!

What Is Walmart’s Savings Catcher App?

September 1, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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Have you heard about the new Savings Catcher tool from Walmart? In an effort to make sure that they stand by their commitment to have “unbeatable” prices, they are trying to prove it in a pretty unique way.

Walmart’s Savings Catcher is designed to get you the lowest price possible on any item that’s featured in a local competitor’s ad. If Savings Catcher finds a lower advertised price, then Walmart will actually give you an eGift Card for the difference. Wow. You have to do it within 7 days of the purchase, so keep that in mind.

Here’s how it will work.

1) Go to your smart phone’s app center and search SAVINGSCATCHER, then download the app.
OR
Go to Walmart.com and Create an Account.

2) Enter your your receipt number online or scan the barcode by downloading the Walmart SAVINGSCATCHER App.

3) The app will search for the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product. If Savings Catcher finds a lower advertised price, you get the difference via a Walmart eGift Card!

Sounds pretty cool, right? Now I tried to do it on my latest Walmart run, but as you can see from the screenshot of my phone, it was 8 days ago.

Of course I have a ton of FAQ’s myself on this program, but here are some of the more common ones. To see the FAQ’s, go to Walmart.com and Create an Account and you’ll see the full list. Below is taken directly from Walmart.com as of 8/4/14. If this is incorrect, please let me know and I will update.

Is there a minimum purchase required?

No. There is no minimum purchase requirement. Simply submit your receipt to get started.

How many receipts can I submit?

You can submit up to 7 receipts per week to Savings Catcher.

What types of promotions does Savings Catcher include?

Savings Catcher compares eligible items on your receipt to items found in the print and digital weekly ads of top retailers in your area. The ads must be valid at the time you made your Walmart purchase and include a specific item price.

Does Savings Catcher compare all items on my receipt?

Savings Catcher applies to many items sold at Walmart stores. This includes:

Most groceries such as cereal, rice and most fruits and vegetables except for: store brand items, deli, bakery and weighed items like meat.
Consumable items such as paper towels, bleach and trash bags.
Health and beauty items such as shampoo and makeup.
Select general merchandise items.

Savings Catcher does not currently apply to:

Store brands, deli, bakery and weighed items like meat.
General merchandise items, (including, but not limited to, electronics, media and gaming, toys, sporting goods, housewares, small appliances, home décor, bedding, books and magazines, apparel and shoes, jewelry, furniture, office supplies and seasonal products).
Non-branded items.
Tobacco, firearms, gasoline, tires, prescription drugs, optical and photo products and services, or products that require a service agreement such as wireless, automotive or financial products.

Which retailers’ advertised prices do you compare to Walmart’s prices?

We compare advertised prices from the top retailers located nearby the Walmart store where you shopped. When you submit your receipt using our app, you will see the number of top competitors near the Walmart store where you shopped. The name of each competitor will then move across the screen.

What types of promotions does Savings Catcher not include?

Savings Catcher does not compare the following types of offers:

Items that require a separate purchase to get the advertised price (example: “Buy oatmeal to get cereal for $1.”)
Items with no actual price that require a purchase to get a free product (example: “Buy both oatmeal & cereal to get milk for free.”)
Items that require a purchase to get a gift card (example: “Buy a 12 pack of paper towels to get a $5 gift card.”)
Buy one get one free (BOGO) deals where no item price is listed (example: Peter Pan Peanut Butter, buy one, get one free. Save up to $2.50.”)
Going out of business or closeout prices.
Percentage off (example: “All mascara, 40% off.)

Does Savings Catcher apply to my online purchases?

No. Savings Catcher applies to your in-store purchases only.

Do my savings accumulate?

That’s entirely up to you. You have the option to accumulate your Rewards Dollars and build your balance in Savings Catcher or transfer it onto a Walmart Rewards eGift Card whenever and as often as you choose. If you haven’t redeemed your Rewards Dollars at the end of the calendar year, Walmart will automatically transfer them onto a Walmart Rewards eGift Card and notify you.

What happens if I use coupons?

No problem, you can still use Savings Catcher. If you use a coupon, Savings Catcher will compare the original Walmart price of the item, before the coupon was applied, to other stores’ advertised prices for the same item. For example: You bought cookies at Walmart. The shelf price was $3 and you used a coupon for $0.25, so you paid $2.75. If Savings Catcher finds that a competitor advertised those same cookies for $2.00, Savings Catcher will still credit you $1.00, even though you paid only $2.75 at Walmart.

Can I submit old receipts?

Your receipt needs to be 7 days old or less. For example, if you shopped on Tuesday, you have until the following Monday to submit your receipt.

What if I lost my receipt before I had the chance to submit it?

For Savings Catcher to work, we need to have the TC number and date from your receipt. We cannot process your receipt without it.

Why is my receipt invalid?

There are a few reasons why you me be receiving an “invalid” message when you try to enter your receipt:

The TC number and purchase date may have been entered incorrectly. Check the numbers carefully and try again.
Your receipt may be older than 7 days. For example, if you bought your items on Tuesday this week, you have until Monday of next week to enter it into Savings Catcher.
The Walmart store where you shopped is not eligible for Savings Catcher.

When will I get my results back?

Savings Catcher will send you your results within 72 hours of receipt submission. As soon as your results are ready, we will let you know by email or through the Walmart app. If for some reason your results are not ready within 72 hours, feel free to contact us using the “Contact Us” button in the Savings Catcher section on our full site and the “Give Feedback” option in the main menu on our app.

For more answers to your FAQ’s, download the app or go to Walmart.com HERE and sign up!

July’s Email Subscriber $50 Gift Card Winner!

July 7, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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July’s Email Subscriber $50.00 Gift Card Winner is b****[email protected]. To the winner, I have emailed you (check your junk email) and I will need to hear back from you by July 10th at 7:00 pm EST in order for you to claim your prize!

Every month, one Addicted to Saving email subscriber wins $50.00! Th winner can choose whether to receive a $50.00 Amazon, Publix or Target Gift Card! The winner is selected on the first Monday of every month!

All current Addicted to Saving email subscribers are eligible to win this monthly prize! To subscribe to receive Addicted to Saving’s Daily Email that is sent out around 4 pm EST, fill in the box below:

How to Use a B2G1 Coupon with a Publix BOGO Sale

June 18, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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b2g1-dial-body-wash-coupon

There has been a lot of discussion on the B2G1 Dial or Tone Regular or For Men Body Wash or Bar Soap, exp. 7/11/14 (RP 06/15/14) coupon that was in our Red Plums from Sunday’s paper (or for me, the Tuesday flyer b/c Red Plum no longer puts inserts in my paper!). Since there are some questions on how this coupon would work with a BOGO sale (and it’s on sale BOGO today for those of you who have a Thurs-Wed sales cycle), I thought I would take the time to explain how it works!

First of all, a B2G1 coupon can be used with a BOGO sale at Publix. However, the way the coupon will be applied depends on where you live.

If you live in the “land of true BOGO’s,” this means you pay full price for one item on a BOGO sale, and you literally get the second item for free.

If you live in the “land of 50% off BOGO’s,” this means each item is actually 50% off.

This is important because the coupon works differently in each scenario. So, as an example, I’ll use the B2G1 Dial coupon with the BOGO sale at Publix.

Scenario #1 – Land of True BOGO’s
Buy six Dial Body Wash, Assorted Varieties, 16 oz, BOGO $3.99 for two
Minus two B2G1 Dial or Tone Regular or For Men Body Wash or Bar Soap, exp. 7/11/14 (RP 06/15/14) coupons
Total Due: $3.99 or $0.67 each
Explanation
You’re buying three at $3.99 and getting three free.
$3.99 x 3 = $11.97 subtotal
Minus two B2G1 free coupons (coupon value in this case is $3.99 each)
Subtotal of $11.97 – $7.98 ($3.99 x 2) for the value of the coupons
Total Due: $3.99 or $0.67 each

Scenario #2 – Land of 50% BOGO’s
Buy three Dial Body Wash, Assorted Varieties, 16 oz, BOGO $3.99 for two
Minus one B2G1 Dial or Tone Regular or For Men Body Wash or Bar Soap, exp. 7/11/14 (RP 06/15/14) coupons
Total Due: $3.98 or $1.33 each
Explanation
You’re buying three at 1.99
$1.99 x 3 = $5.97
Minus one B2G1 free coupons (coupon value in this case is $1.99 each)
Subtotal of $5.97 – $1.99 for the value of the coupons
Total Due: $3.98 or $1.33 each

Additionally, there’s a $1/1 Dial Body Wash (Ibotta Deposit) deposit which makes the deal even better.

Hopefully this helps clear up any confusion you might have on how to use a B2G1 coupon with a Publix BOGO sale.

Check out the Publix Weekly Ad to see this deal and more.

FREE Federal Tax Return with TurboTax

April 12, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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Okay folks, we are up against the deadline! If you still haven’t done your taxes (don’t feel bad, our personal return hasn’t been filed yet either), then head on over to TurboTax and knock this off your to-do list! They promise to get your biggest tax refund guaranteed, with 100% accurate calculations, free help and step by step guidance so you are confident your taxes are done right.

With the TurboTax Federal Free Edition, you get:

• #1 Rated, Best-Selling tax software brand year after year
• FREE preparation, FREE printing, FREE efiling for your simple tax return (when referring to TurboTax Federal Free Edition)
• Easily get your biggest tax refund possible, guaranteed*
• Free Audit Support Center and live online help (I LOVE THIS!)
• Guides you like a GPS through your simple tax return(when referring to TurboTax Federal Free Edition)

Go HERE to get started on your taxes before you procrastinate any longer!

How to See Addicted to Saving on Facebook

April 8, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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**I”m reposting this since many of you have recently commented that you’re unable to see my Facebook posts. Enjoy my ~~rant~~ post. 🙂

Facebook.

Where do I start? I have been trying to carve out some time in this busy season to ~~vent~~ lament about Facebook, so I will try to keep it at a minimum and tell you how you can best follow Addicted to Saving in your Facebook account.

Did you realize that Facebook limits the amount of posts that you actually see from companies and blogs that you’ve “liked”? For Addicted to Saving, only about 20% of the people who “like” us usually see my posts. That was until recently. Facebook has made some changes to their algorithms, and now very very few of the 100,000+ followers of Addicted to Saving actually see my posts in their news feed.

For instance, let me show you a screenshot of my “insights” page, which allows me to see the “reach” of each post (ie, how many of you actually see the post). This is from two Saturdays ago right when Facebook made the switch, and you can see that they cut the amount of readers who can actually view my posts by basically 75%!

The number of Facebook likes who would see my posts before Facebook made the algorithm switch was around 20,000 for each post. After the switch, it was typically less than 5000.

**UPDATE** Facebook has recently decided to show even less page posts, whether it’s Addicted to Saving or one of your other favorite blogs. This is light of their recent findings that people engage less with page posts which are “text” only (and probably 3/4 of my posts are this way). You can read about this report HERE. You see the numbers above, but they are even worse now. Below is a screenshot from this morning’s posts:

Screen Shot 2014-01-22 at 10.11.32 AM

Now I could cry you a river about how this isn’t fair, but ultimately, Facebook can do whatever they want. And what they want is for business pages to “pay” to get their posts shown. They have recently allowed a lower starting point to allow you to see posts from pages you’ve already indicated you’d like to see (irony, anyone?). Here is an example of what I see as they suggest that I “promote” my posts:

Screen Shot 2014-01-22 at 10.12.08 AM

In light of all that, I am going to show you how you can best insure Addicted to Saving’s posts show up in your feed.

1) Go to Addicted to Saving’s Facebook page and look for the sections that say Liked and Follow right underneath the header:

2) Put your cursor over the Liked button and you should see the following:

3) Check “Get Notifications.” Also, make sure you are “Following” Addicted to Saving, as indicated by the red circle below. Now, if you want to go even further, then click “Add to Interest Links.”

4) Once you’ve clicked Add to Interests Lists, click New List:

5) Click “Next” on the next screen

6) Next you will name your List. In this case, I named it A2S. Then you’ll want to choose the security level (who can see your list) – Public, Friends, or Only Me. Once you chosen your security level, click Done.

7) This should take you to your Interest List. You can always access this page from your News Feed. It’s on the left hand side underneath most of your other “groups”; having an Addicted to Saving Interest List set up will help you quickly see all the posts I’ve made.

I realize that some of you do not have the updated Facebook view (with the Blue background), so if you don’t, you’ll need to follow #1 and #2 above, and click on Show In News Feed. In the “Settings” section, you should be able to check “All Updates” so that you can make sure you see them all.

If your Facebook doesn’t look like the screenshots above, all I can tell you is to putz around and see if you can find the settings that work on your view. Of course, when you do see my posts, make sure you “like” or “share” them occasionally. The more you interact with the page, the more Facebook “knows” to show you my posts.

There are other ways to stay in touch with Addicted to Saving too.

1) Join the Addicted to Saving Private Facebook Group. This will insure each post gives you an alert, and you can decide for yourself whether or not you’d like to look at that particular post.

2) Sign up for Daily Emails. I only send these once a day with all of the posts from the previous 24 hours. You also have a chance to win $50 each month just by being a subscriber!

3) Follow me on Twitter. Twitter doesn’t screen which Tweets they show. Then you can sign up to receive Text Alerts from Addicted to Saving, or you can use a parsing software like Hootsuite to follow the handles you want.

4) If you’re in the Tampa Bay Area, you can join the Addicted to Saving Tampa Bay Facebook Group. I think the name of this group is self-explanatory. 🙂

Of course, the easiest way is to simply visit my blog every day! Bookmark it on your toolbar, and, like your morning coffee, come visit me to see what you’ve missed. 😉

Coupon Usage in 2013 – State of the Industry (Yes, People Are Still Using Coupons!)

February 17, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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coupons

Back in early 2009, by necessity, I learned how to coupon. Then I told my friends. Then my husband convinced me to start this blog. Nearly 5 years later, I’m still couponing, and so are others.

A lot of people ask me if I think couponing is just a trend. My answer is nuanced – yes, I think it’s *HOT* right now (pun intended), but I also think that people have always couponed. In my seminars there is an interesting stat I give – those people who make more than $75,000/year are more likely to coupon than those who make less than $75,000. Surprising, right? But when you think about it, it makes sense. When people realize they can save money at the grocery and drug store, it gives them more money to spend elsewhere.

So do I think couponing is going away? It will probably cool off, but as long as people understand the value of a dollar, I think it will be around. With that said, I thought you might be interested in the findings of NCH Marketing Services, a Valassis Company, on coupon industry trends that helps give us a picture of the State of the Coupon World. (You can read the full report HERE and all of the below screenshots are credited to them.)

Here are the things I found interesting about the coupon trends for 2013.

People Are Still Using Coupons

In the study by NCH Marketing Services, they found that 84.4% of people either used more or the same amount of coupons in 2013 as they did in 2012. Only 11.2% said they were couponing less. So are people still couponing? You betcha!

coupon-trends-percentage-of-coupon-usage-from-last-year

The Average Value of a Coupon Went Up

Did you notice higher value coupons last year? If you did, that’s because they were higher valued on average. In 2013, the average value of a coupon went up from $1.53 in 2012 to $1.62, an increase of 5.9%. If you think about it, there are a lot of *HOT* coupons that come and go which are definitely in that high value category, which is why it’s good to check Addicted to Saving a few times a day to make sure you haven’t missed one. 😉

The Average Time to Use a Coupon Went Down

This is also not surprising. Coupons are expiring earlier, which means the manufacturer’s are counting on us redeeming them sooner than later. The average coupon was valid for just 8.6 weeks as compared to 9.3 weeks in 2012. I actually like this fact, because I use a lot of printables anyhow, and print as I need them. I don’t have to hang on to all my inserts quite as long!

Why You Didn’t Redeem Coupons – Your Product Wasn’t Available

According to the study, the predominate reason we didn’t use coupons is because our favorite product never had a coupon! Totally understand this one – seems like coupons for peanut butter and Heinz Ketchup are rare, so I don’t buy them as much as I used to. Then there were those who said we have to buy too much to be able to redeem the coupon – also makes sense. I love a $5.00 off coupon, but if I have to buy $50 worth of a certain product, I’m probably not going to use it.

coupon-trends-why-you-dont-redeem-coupons

The Most Coupons Were Redeemed at Walmart

Surprising? I don’t think so. Walmart is one of the biggest stores if not the biggest store in the country, so it makes sense couponers were redeeming them there. The first three spots – Walmart, Kroger, and Target – remained the same in 2013 from 2012. But I like the fact that Publix, my favorite store, moved up to the 4 spot from number 5 last year. Interestingly enough, Walgreens moved down a spot – probably because they are not as coupon friendly! (IMHO). 🙂

coupon-trends-retailers-where-most-coupons-are-redeemed

Couponers Are Redeeming Coupons at Grocery Stores More Often

This is a good sign, I think. It means couponers are spending more time at their local grocers than hopping from store to store. Maybe this is because time is a premium and we don’t always have time to drive around time getting the best deal. But I also think it means couponers are becoming more educated, and grocery stores are becoming more accepting of couponers, even if their policies are getting more stringent. I think the rush of couponers after the 2008 recession has caught many of the grocery stores by surprise, which is why so many of them had differing policies from store to store. Now they got their act together, and we’re all on the same page.

coupon-trends-where-coupons-are-redeemed

There was a ton more in this article. For instance, 315 billion dollars worth of coupons were issued in 2013, which was an increase from 305 billion in 2013. That’s a good thing for us!

So is couponing still going strong? I think the answer is a resounding ‘YES’! Things are changing, for sure, but as long as we have to eat and hate paying full price for anything, I think couponing will be around. Here’s to a great 2014!

You can read the full report on the 2013 coupon trends HERE. A big thanks to NCH Marketing Services, a Valassis Company, for their research.

Do You Have FAVADO Yet? Get All Your Favorite Store Matchups in One SmartPhone App!

February 9, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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If you’ve followed Addicted to Saving for more than 6 months, you know that recently I’ve made some changes to the way I do matchups. This has been in conjunction with the team from Savings.com to help make store matchups more relevant and easier for all of us savers!

Well now you’ll get to really see the scope of this project, which includes many other contributing blogs, to help bring you the new grocery app, Favado! Favado is going to be your go-to grocery app for many of you, and I’m excited to tell you how it works.

How to Get the Favado App:

1. Go HERE to sign up for free. You’ll need an email address and zip code so Favado can customize the app based on the stores in your area. Create a password as you’ll need to sign in once you download the app. **YOU MUST DO THIS STEP FIRST** Your screen will say Thanks for Signing Up!

2. Then check your email. You’ll receive an email from Favado almost immediately. Confirm your email address by clicking on the link provided.

3. Go to the APP STORE in your SmartPhone and search for FAVADO. Install the app.

4. Launch the app and login with your email and password and start exploring how you’ll be able to save!

Here are some of the highlights of what the Favado app can do for your shopping experience:

Store guides can be sent right to your phone (there are over 65,000 store locations in the Favado database covering all of the places you shop at like Publix, Winn Dixie, Kroger, Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, the Dollar Stores and more!
Compare deals from each store for the current sales cycle; for instance, view the BOGO deals at Publix versus the BOGO deals at Winn Dixie, or view the milk price at Target versus the milk price at Walmart.
Create a shopping list and email it to yourself with links to all the corresponding coupons.
Customize your preferences to include only the things you typically buy.

Visual Demonstration

Choose your stores and compare current deals by category (below shows Publix B1G1 sales compared to Winn Dixie B1G1 sales)

Shop by item or brand and compare prices that way

Add items to your shopping list

View individual products for coupons available and best possible matchup

Email your list or share it with a friend!

These are just a couple of the ways that the Favado app can help you. Not only that, but it will also feature many of the unadvertised deals available as well as coupon policies for each store. How cool is that!

How to Sign Up:

1) Go HERE to register with your email and password. This is how you will have access to Favado database and you must do this before downloading the app onto your phone.

2) Confirm your email after Favado sends you the confirmation email (should happen within 30 seconds).

3) Go to your phone’s App Store and search for Favado – install the app.

4) Sign in with your email and password and check it out!

I would love to hear your feedback on the app once you’ve had some time to play with it, so please leave a comment, good or bad. We work closely with the developers at Savings.com and will definitely be giving feedback!

Thanks sisters shopping on a shoestring for help formatting this post! 🙂

Get the Daily Email

New Publix Coupon Policy includes:

New Rain Check Policy:

Is there a minimum purchase required?

How many receipts can I submit?

What types of promotions does Savings Catcher include?

Does Savings Catcher compare all items on my receipt?

Which retailers’ advertised prices do you compare to Walmart’s prices?

What types of promotions does Savings Catcher not include?

Does Savings Catcher apply to my online purchases?

Do my savings accumulate?

What happens if I use coupons?

Can I submit old receipts?

What if I lost my receipt before I had the chance to submit it?

Why is my receipt invalid?

When will I get my results back?

People Are Still Using Coupons

The Average Value of a Coupon Went Up

The Average Time to Use a Coupon Went Down

Why You Didn’t Redeem Coupons – Your Product Wasn’t Available

The Most Coupons Were Redeemed at Walmart

Couponers Are Redeeming Coupons at Grocery Stores More Often

How to Get the Favado App:

Visual Demonstration

Add items to your shopping list

View individual products for coupons available and best possible matchup

Email your list or share it with a friend!

How to Sign Up:

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