For quite some time, many retail stores offered a Senior Day, a day that seniors could get a discount on a purchase. The age for a senior varies according to store. For example, at age 62 you can get a senior discount at Kohl’s department store. The day is generally Wednesday.

Museums, hotels and attractions may have a senior day as well. The discount and the age vary according to the venue. Some start at age 55, others 62 and still others 65. The discounts usually start at 5% and generally don’t go above 10%.

Local restaurants offer senior savings as well. Just take a look at IHOP, The International House of Pancakes. They have senior discounts as well as kids’ discounts.

In my latest A&P store flyer, I found an advertisement for Senior Appreciation Day. The age: 55, and the discount 5% with a $30 purchase. A coupon is required to get the discount and can be obtained from either the store flyer or from the online enewsletter from A&P.

I’m thrilled, in addition to double coupons and great sales I can now take advantage of Senior Day.

To take advantage of these bonus savings, check with all of your local retailers to see if they have a Senior Day or discount. Get to learn the different rules and regulations so you’re never disappointed, and if you find some new ones, send them along so we can all share.

Certain companies have set up programs to aid schools in acquiring equipment for technology, playgrounds, arts and sciences. Two of the oldest programs are Labels for Education sponsored by Campbells and Boxtops for Education sponsored by General Mills.

In each case a point system is developed by the company and schools create a setting for collecting and redeeming these points. In most cases the process is handled by the individual school PTA. Schools have been rewarded handsomely for participation. It’s best or have a committee organize your school for participation since a few people can work together best to maximize the potential.

You can check all the specifics of the 2 programs at each of the web sites.

Coupon organization is key to saving. If you can’t find a coupon, if you leave them at home, no matter how many coupons you have, you won’t save a cent. With a little bit of time, preplanning, and organization you can begin your savings journey.

Start with an organizer and divide it into categories just like the supermarket aisles. The categories should be in alphabetical order. Keep all varieties of the same category so you’re ready when then brand goes on sale. For example, in my detergent category I have coupons for All, Biz, Cheer, Dynamo, Era, Fab, Gain, and Xtra among others. When I recently found Dynamo on sale for $2.99 I could easily locate the coupon. With 3 Dynamo coupons, I snagged 3 bottles for $1.99 each, a great buy.

My cereal category looks the same. I’ll try and so will my sons try almost any brand if the savings are substantial. One of our favorite brands is Honey Nut Cheerios, so of course when it goes on sale, I’ll not only use coupons, but I’ll stock up. Trying new brands can be exciting too. Just recently Corn Flakes came out with a ‘Simply Cinnamon’ selection with a full purchase price refund. The new variety was delicious.

If you’re just getting started with coupons, try a few categories to ‘get your feet wet’ so to speak. Since household items such a detergent, cleaners, fabric softeners are among the most expensive start with that category. Then use the ‘sale plus coupon’ method and see how much fun saving money can be.

In the October 2010 issue of Consumer Reports a study was conducted on the quality, value and taste differences between store brands and national brands. The results were quite interesting and surprising.

I have always touted using National Brands when they are sale-priced combined with a coupon savings. This has given me a 50-60% savings each and every time I shop. So here’s what Consumer’s found. They used 21 test items for taste and quality. Of the 21, 7 National Brands came in first, 3 Private Labels were the favorites and the other 11 items were a tossup. On the value scale, Consumer’s concluded that Private labels could save up to 30% or $1500 over the year.

To put this in perspective, if you never use a coupon, Private Labels might be for you. However, the best way to save is to combine many methods: Store Sale, coupons, double coupons, private labels, store coupons and any other tool that saves. All of this should take a common sense approach and you’ll achieve the best methods for you.

It would be impossible to count, but the average supermarket contains about 70,000 different products and variations of the product that could make any shopper dizzy.

How do manufacturers manage to get your attention with yet another new product? COUPONS. Coupons are still one of the best forms of promotion, and as good shoppers we want to please the manufacturers by using them, and using them a lot.

Most new items are accompanied by multiple promotional techniques: taste tests, samples, media advertising, and coupons. In general these coupons are of high-value, and when accompanied by a store sale, can almost be gotten for free or at a sizeable discount.

Stacy Pita chips issued a $1 coupon accompanied by $1.99 sale. Each bag, now selling for $3.49 cost me $.99, about an 70% savings. Silk milk created Almond Silk. The milk was featured at $1.99 with a red dispenser coupon for $1. With the long expiration dates on the milk, I could stock up on at least 4 ½ gallons using a $1 coupon on each.

Most new products never make it past the first year. Depending upon its’ budget, information about the product floods the market during that time. Which mean more promotions, more coupons and more sales.

When I checked out with the 4 Almond Silk the register spit out more coupons, again a $1 savings on each ½ gallon. I’ll hold onto them for the next sale.

Many new products are variations of popular existing products, some involving another flavor, others offering reduced calories and others yet meeting special dietary needs such as gluten free, salt free or the whole wheat version.

These adaptations are more likely to make the cut, since the product is already proven. For example I always drink diet Coke; now there’s Coke zero, both are 0 calories; but Coke Zero is marketed for its better taste.

Arnold and Pepperidge Farm Bread have many varieties, one of the newer offerings is the Whole Wheat package. With Whole Wheat products being touted for better health, that’s another new intro that will probably make it.

Special diets have foods that have come a long way. My grandmother could not use any salt in her food. There were so few packaged products that she could use, everything had to be made fresh. If she was around today she’d have a ball picking and choosing from an endless selection of sodium free goods.

Enewsletters from many of the manufacturers also alert you to the new introductions and offer coupons and refunds on their web sites. That was the case with DiGorno Flat Bread sandwiches from Kraft. With a sign up, you could get a free coupon mailed to you.

Using high value new product coupons you will reduce your grocery bill and get to try lots of new items, so now it’s time to give it a shot.

One of the first refund offers I sent away for was Lipton Cup of Soup. I found the certificate or the write up in a local store. Today, I still find some of these on tear-off pads usually near the product itself or as a write up on the package.

These write-ups are most commonly found on cereal boxes, cookie wrappers, household cleaners and pet food. In refunders’ jargon we call them Specially Marked Packages. Kelloggs, Keebler, Hersheys and General Mills are among the most popular for these unique boxes.

A very big portion of rebates are now found on the internet. These range from rebates submitted directly online or more often where you can print out the necessary form.
I love the internet submissions because it’s easy and nothing to send off. Staples is popular for these easy-rebates as is Rite Aid.

But many other great offers are found on the company web sites under promotions or special offers. I always check that link to see what’s new. As a matter of fact, I daily postings are made to our www.couponqueen.com website so you can see all the new and current offers.

For anyone who sends me an email at: susan@refundlebundle.com I’ll send you a list of 100 plus refund offers to get you started.

Have you noticed how many coupons are issued outside the supermarket from books to clothes and everything in-between.

Competition and the economy are creating new and innovative marketing tools that can save us money on almost all of our purchases. That doesn’t mean that we have to run out and buy it all, it just means that if we need it, we can effect great deals.

For example, I received 3-$10 Old Navy coupons with a minimum purchase of $10. Each coupon was to be used one a week over a 3-week time frame. The first week I purchased 3 pairs of boxers for $12, my cost $2. Week 2 the handkerchief bags were on sale for a little over $5 each. I bought 2 for about $1. The last week I needed jeans, not on sale, still a good deal at $19.

Next onto TruValue hardware for the $5 coupon off a $25 purchase. I bought compact fluorescent bulbs in size R30 and R40 for our high hats. Both sizes were on sale, and I got enough to cover the $25.

The ever popular Bed, Bath & Beyond 20% coupon came in handy during a recent cold snap. I got the Lasko heater, priced at $50 for $40.

Before making purchases check for the likely places and coupon deals and add to your savings.

As you all know I live in New York. We have a number of major chains. They include A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaums, Shop Rite and Stop & Shop. Some smaller and specialty chains include Trader Joe, Whole Foods, Stu Leonards, Food Emporium, and DeCicco.

All of our major chains accept and double coupons with different limits. Some of them accept internet and competitors coupons as well. Most of these variations are highlighted on the store’s web site or weekly circulars. But I always verify this information before I shop.

For example, if the store is offering a BOGOF sale, I can only use 1 coupon since my stores consider that a single purchase. If the same item is on sale for 2/$6.00 I can use 2 coupons on this particular purchase.

After speaking with lots of good coupon shoppers here in Florida, I found the policies are different. On a BOGOF sale, shoppers here can use 2 coupons.

My point, check the options for your store carefully so you can maximize your savings fully.

Visit us at: Select Coupon Program

The store flyer is really a wealth of information, savings, and tips. I prefer the hard copy, but lately I have used the online versions as well. The flyer helps me determine my weekly purchases. So I use it before I ever enter the store.

First and most important is the organization of the flyer. It’s divided into the same categories as the supermarket so planning is made easier. Next special coupons and promotions are printed throughout.

The front page usually has all the best sales, sometimes called loss leaders. That means that items are sometimes sold at cost to attract shoppers. On the front page of the Tom Thumb flyer in Dallas, TX, a gallon of milk was selling for $1.49, baby carrots $1 for a pack, a head of lettuce $.77, and $.99 for Quaker granola bars. All fantastic deals.

The inside pages include frozen, beverage, snack, dairy, meat, deli, health and beauty aid specials among others. These are all legitimate sales. But as always some sales are better than others. Take the Quaker granola bars. The regular price is $2.99 each. Some sales are 2 for $4. At $.99 the savings is 66%. Now that’s a great sale and the time to buy.

So knowing the prices for the items you generally buy will help you decide the value of the sale and the reason to make a purchases.

Slash your grocery bill in half