Nervous About Using Coupons?

I have had several readers leave comments about being nervous going into stores to use their coupons and scenarios, especially for multiple transactions. Here are a few tips I have found to be helpful.

1.) Study the ads-Know what's on sale and what's being included in the deal. Pay attention to size specifications and limits.

2.) Learn from others-Many people have been posting scenarios here. Don't be afraid to ask question or post your own scenarios for feedback.

3.) Take a quick trip to Walgreens (especially if you're new to Wags)-Know where to look for certain products. Check out how well stocked they are on items you intend to buy the next day. Some Wags may not be done restocking that day but just to get a general idea of how many items you may be able to get. Ask when they get their trucks in.

4.) Create scenarios-Share with others for feedback or questions. Go over them for any errors. Once I thought something was giving 4RR and created many scenarios based on that and when I checked back on the ad, it was only giving 2RR. Don't forget to add in fillers when need be.

5.) Create a Plan B-Items may not be stocked, someone else may have gotten to them before you did, so know what items you can substitute into your transactions.

6.) Be Organized-Get together the coupons that you'll need, separate them into their different transactions (like in envelopes or paperclips). Print out your scenarios and put it in your binder or purse with your coupons.

7.) When checking out-Take a deep breath. Ask the cashier if they'll do multiple transactions. If you don't want to push it, ask if they'll do 2 transactions.

8.) Be prepared for problems and how you'll respond-Whether it's the cashier's attitude, them telling you that you can't do such and such. Stay calm, breathe, and be polite. They're more likely to work with you if you remain nice. But remember, being nice and polite doesn't mean you're a pushover, so stand firm.

9.) Try not to draw attention to yourself-Sometimes it's easier to deal with calling the catalina company then having the manager print you an RR that didn't print out. They'll want to scrutinize your receipt. They may tell you that an RR didn't print because you used coupons. This draws attention to yourself. They'll know who you are and what you do. This can be a good thing or bad thing, depending on the manager's attitude with coupons. Being argumentative also draws attention to yourself. Getting lots of overage also draws attention.

10.) Be kind to the people behind you when checking out.-If there are people behind you, let them go and you can go back to your transactions. Or do one or 2 transactions, take your items to you car and go back in.

11.) Pay attention to your Q's-Make sure your coupons are for the products specified, make sure they're not expired. If a cashier catches this, they'll become skeptical and start inspecting all the coupons. The only downside is that it is time consuming to do that and they may become nitpicky ("the picture doesn't match your item"). And we don't want cashiers to get in trouble. So make sure your coupons are being used correctly.

*A special thanks to maree9304 @ afullcup.com for these tips!*