Deciding How to Use Albertson's Double Coupons

I've had a few questions about how to choose what coupons to use when you have doubler coupons, such as the ones that have been coming out for Albertson's. Since I've heard a rumor that Albertson's might actually be doing this quite often, I thought I'd take some time to answer the question.

To be honest, there isn't an exact science on it, but I'll tell you a couple of ways I know that it can be done. Some are easier, some require a bit more time, but you can always do it however you want, these are just some ideas to help you get going. I'm going to list these in order of easiest to hardest (although they're not really hard, just maybe more time intensive).

The first way to determine good deals using the doubler coupons is to check the PYP forums. Usually, at least the last week or two, when the Albertson's doubler coupons come out, the PYP forums will show posts of good deals. The lady that does the Albertson's list will post some of the good deals if you use the doubler coupons. In addition, other people will add posts of things they've picked up using the doublers. So without too much effort, you can look for these posts and see what good deals are available. One drawback about this method is that it's based on someone else's opinion and there may not be many posts.

The next thing you can do is go to the list. I will usually scan down the Grocery Smarts or PYP lists and look for anything that has a coupon associated with it (in column 4) of the sheet. Then I figure up the price in my mind with the coupon doubled. Now, remember that for the Albertson's doubler coupons, they will only double a coupon up to $1, so if the coupon is more than that, you have to move on to the next one. Also, if you see a DND in the coupon description, that stands for Do Not Double and that is not a coupon that can be doubled. This is a still quick and easy and doesn't require a whole lot of effort. But it does miss out in some of the deals that are available that aren't already on the list. For example, if an item is 2 stars, the lady that does the list doesn't usually even put it on the list. Sometimes when you can double a coupon, the item can move from a 2 star to a 4 or even 5 star deal. So there isn't really a way to determine these deals.

The last method you can use is to take a look at all of your coupons, clip all of the $1 coupons, then head to the store to see if any of the sale or regular priced items are a good deal with the coupon doubled. For example, my mom was able to pick up Dannon La Creme Yogurt for $.59 for a 4-pk. They were either on sale or regularly priced for $2.59 and there was a $1 coupon available. Now $1.59 (using the coupon without being doubled) was not really a good deal for yogurt, we all know that it's been priced a lot better than that. However, when you double the $1 coupon, that brings the price down to $0.59 - which is a fabulous deal for yogurt! There are some drawbacks to this process however. You do have to sort through all of your coupons and clip the ones you want to check out. If you're like me and have them all in a big filing box, that takes a lot of time and energy and if you don't use them, then you have a bunch of spare coupons you have to keep a hold of. For those of you that clip all of your coupons, this is probably a really easy method. One other drawback is that it does take time wandering around the store trying to match coupons to items - if you don't have a lot of time or a bunch of little ones you tote to the store with you, that may not be a good thing. As you do this a few times, I think you'll already know the regular prices on a bunch of items you use and you'll be able to know what will be a good deal with your coupons doubled and what will not, so your pile of coupons will probably not be as large each time you go.

Of course, you can always wait for friends and family to do the last one, call you to let you know of the good deals, and then reap all the rewards of their hard work! I have to admit that I've been the recipient of this many times (thanks Mom!).

However you want to determine how to use your doubler coupons is completely up to you. There's really no right or wrong way. Above are just a few ways to determine some good deals. If you have found other ways to do it, please let me know as we are all looking for ways to reduce time and energy on things like this!

The one thing I do want to mention though, is that you don't always have to double a high value coupon to get a good deal. I did hear about someone who only doubled a smaller amount coupon and felt bad because they felt like they weren't able to save as much as they could have. First of all, let me just point out that we all buy different things, so for example, if your family doesn't eat or like yogurt, then of course using your doublers for yogurt is not a great idea, regardless of how good a deal it is. You might have figured this out already from my earlier post about my doubler deals, but I doubled a $.35 coupon this week - did I feel bad about that? NOT AT ALL! By doubling that $.35 coupon, I was able to get Totino's Pizza Rolls for $.30 a box - A GREAT DEAL! They were on sale for $1 each, then with the $.35 doubled ($.35 x 2 = $.70), that made them only $.30 a box! So don't feel that just because you aren't doubling a $1 coupon you're doing something wrong.

(CAUTION: Pep Talk Ahead!)

The other thing I want to mention, and I probably should remind us all of this more often, is that you don't have to save hundreds to have succeeded at this process! Every time you save more money that you normally would have, you have succeeded! Even if that amount is $5, just remember that is $5 more that you had before! Ladies, we don't all have to be coupon queens to make this process worthwhile!

Sometimes I feel we place too many expectations on ourselves to perform to a certain level. And I feel somewhat to blame for this. I do feel that seeing examples of other people's savings can be a good thing so that it motivates us to keep trying and it helps us see what good deals other people are getting. But sometimes I feel that it can depress us because we aren't saving as much. I just want you to remember that I have been doing this process for almost 9 months and have practiced quite a bit at it. I also have a fully stocked pantry and only need to pick up the good deals that I need to re-stock, so most of my weekly purchases are only for the great bargains. My family also eats and uses different items than any other family. You wouldn't feel obligated to buy the exact same items as I do right? Then it's definitely not fair to assume you would save the same amount as I do. We are all different, have different styles, use different products, have different amounts of time to prepare and shop, and are at different stages in stocking up. Keep that in mind as you compare your success to others! If you are just starting out, or even if you're still in the middle of getting yourself stocked, remember it takes patience and most importantly practice to really get the extreme most savings you can.

I could give you example after example of mistakes I made when I was first getting going. Thinking back, I laugh at all of those silly mistakes and now realize that they were all just learning experiences along the way. No one is perfect at this and none of us should expect ourselves to be perfect. If you are working hard, saving money, and most importantly, having fun, then you are doing great!

Congratulations to us all for finding a way to use our time and effort to help provide for our families. Especially in today's economy, that's something that's hard to do and we should all be proud of ourselves!