Helping You Save! - Orange County Employees Association

Helping You Save!
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DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: The information
contained in this presentation is provided by the
Orange County Employees Association as a service
to its members with the understanding that OCEA
makes no warranties,
warranties either express or implied,
implied
concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability,
or suitability of this information. OCEA does not
endorse any commercial providers or their
products. The use of this information by any OCEA
member or other person is strictly voluntary. OCEA
does not warrant that the use of this information is
free of any claims of copyright infringement. The
following program should not be used on County
computers or printers.
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Internet
Coupons emailed
l d to you
Coupons in newspapers/magazines
Coupons in the mail
Discounts, coupons, “Kids Eat Free” on OCEA
website
M
Many
discounts
di
t and
d coupons may b
be used
d only
l
online. You can receive additional savings
online by going through a website that gives
you a rebate on your purchase. Others may be
printed and used at stores near you.
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Start by setting up a hotmail.com or gmail.com account.
This protects you against receiving junk mail in your main
email box.
Always have anti-virus software installed on your computer.
(If you have a Bank of America account, they offer MacAfee antivirus software free for one year. If
you agree to this, be sure to change to the non-renewal status once you have signed up. Then if you
want to renew, you will get an offer of 50% off towards the end of the year’s subscription.)
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Go through rebate portal websites and be sure to look at
each coupon to verify that it is current/valid.
current/valid Samples of
rebate portal websites are:
◦ www.mrrebates.com
◦ www.ebates.com
Remember to have the coupon
code from the rebate website
when making your purchase.
If you purchase something
online that also has a store near,
you may return the item to the
store.
On some websites you may use
two or more coupon codes. For
example, % discount coupon
d and
d ffree shipping
hi i
d etc.
t
code
code,
On Ebay, depending on what
you bid on, you may get up
to a 3% rebate on what you
paid by first going through
www.mrrebates.com.
g a rebate p
First g
go through
portal website.
(www.mrrebates.com, www.ebates.com, etc.)
If you are unable to find a discount through a
rebate website, go to a coupon code website
like www.retailmenot.com.
Always check to see if there is a coupon
available in the form of a coupon code and/or
printable coupon.
1. Register on OCEA’s
website. You must
be an OCEA member.
member
2. You must login in
order to see the
orange “Buy Ticket
Online” button.
3. Go to the OCEA
Tickets and
Discounts section,
then Theme Parks.
You may purchase
several types of
amusement park
tickets on-line with
your debit or credit
d
card.
4. Print your tickets on
your home printer.
OCEA E-Ticket Program: Aquarium of the Pacific, Castle Park, Discovery Science Center, all types of
Disneyland tickets, Knott
Knott’s
s Berry Farm, Knott
Knott’s
s Soak City, LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Newport Landing Whale Watching, Six Flags Magic Mountain,
Universal Studios, Wild Rivers, Tickets At Work, and more.
OCEA’s
Discounts
section has a
variety of
discounts!
Assisted
ss sted Living,
g, Automotive,
uto ot e, Candles,
Ca d es, Flowers,
o e s, Chiropractic,
C op act c, Cosmetics
Cos et cs & Skin
S
Care, Coupons, Dental Services, Electronics, Entertainment and Travel, Home
Improvement, Jewelry, Kids Eat Free, Party Rentals, Photography,
Restaurants, Salon & Spa, Special Occasion, Veterinarian Care
and Wellness
The Kids Eat Free section
is located under the
OCEA Tickets & Discounts
tab, then go to OCEA
Discounts tab, then
Kids Eat Free!
(Call restaurants ahead
of time to make
sure that the discount
is still available.)
www.redplum.com
www.valpak.com
Coupons on groceries,
restaurants, and
more.
Shop
p the
supermarket
sale cycle. Food
staples like
cereal and
chicken hit their
lowest prices
once every 12
weeks. Make a
note when you
see sales and
you’ll know
when to load up
on those items.
www.albertsons.com
www.shortcuts.com
Shortcuts.com electronic coupons
are a convenient way to save
money at the grocery store. Free
coupons load directly to your
participating grocery store
savings card, so there is no paper
tto llose or fforget.
t
Just 3 easy steps to FREE coupon
savings: Sign up at
Shortcuts.com and register your
grocery store savings card.
Select the electronic grocery
coupons you want.
Swipe your card at checkout.
Coupon discounts are deducted
automatically.
1. Sign up for CVS’s
ExtraCare.
ExtraCare
2. View items on CVS
website and flyer.
3. At time of checkout
at the CVS store,
you will receive
Extrabucks attached
to your receipt to
use towards future
purchases.
Rite Aid has a similar
program. Walgreens has
a weekly ad with various
discounts.
$61.12
-$39.24
$21.88
$10.00
ExtraBucks
Coupon
N
Newspaper
Coupon
Total Cost
After
Coupons
ExtraBucks
coupons received
at time of
purchase + 3
more, total $10
Total cost of products
Grocery and
ExtraBucks coupons used
Total Cost
Also received $10
ExtraBucks from this
purchase, to go towards
f t
future
purchases
h
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www.plasticjungle.com
www.giftcards.com
ABC Gift Cards is the largest online
secondary discounted gift card
marketplace, selling gift cards at
reduced prices. You can use these
cards yourself and save money on
your purchases. (Also, see website for
selling and trading your gift card,
terms and conditions.)
Remember to go
through a rebate
portal website first to
get a rebate coupon
code, if possible.
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www.goldstar.com Discounted entertainment, baseball,
comedy
circus,
etc.
d shows,
h
i
t
www.overstock.com $2.95 shipping on all orders.
www.groupon.com How It Works. Each day Groupon
features something to do at a great price. You only get
it if enough people join that day. Check back the next
day for another Groupon!
www.livingsocial.com Deal of the Day!
www.billshrink.com Audit your cell-phone bill to find a
cheaper
p plan
p
that fits your
y
calling
g habits. Also has
television services, gas station with cheapest prices in
your area
www.mint.com Budget website
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Free to AAA members
Daily Credit Monitoring of your
Experian credit report
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Email Alerts
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Fraud Resolution Support
1.
2.
3.
4.
First, go through a rebate
portal website.
If you decide to purchase
an Entertainment Book,
register your book on the
website. You’ll be able to
use coupons in the book
and also login to
Entertainment Book’s
website and receive more
coupons and discounts.
You will be eligible for
discounts in all areas that
Entertainment Book
covers.
covers
Example: Type in zip
code 92686 (Orange),
and select Dining. Pat &
Oscars has a printable
coupon
for $5
p
$ off the
purchase price of $20 or
more.
Remember, coupons
expire within 14 days of
printing, so be sure of
when
h
you want to go,
before printing. Discount
can be used once every
three months.
See website for other terms and conditions.
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Mommy Saves Big (printable coupons)
http://www.printable
coupons.blogspot.com/
http://www printable-coupons
blogspot com/
Freebies! www.beauty.com Click on “free samples”
at beauty.com, where you can add three products
to any order, gratis.
You can also receive give-aways by going to sites
like:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
www.gwpaddict.com
www.mygiftwithpurchase.com
www.freebies4mom.com
www
www.freestufftimes.com
freestufftimes com
www.freemania.net
www.thunderfap.com
Select Dinner
of the Month
Club or Gift
Cards for your
best deal.
Before purchasing, view
restaurants (and their
restrictions) in your area
or purchase gift certificate
for other on-line retailers
retailers.
Available throughout the
United States.
Some restrictions may include:
•Minimum purchase of $35.
•18-20%
•18 20% Gratuity added prior to discount
discount.
•Present coupon prior to ordering.
•May not be valid on holidays.
•May not be valid for alcohol.
•There may be a minimum of how many entrees you may be able
to purchase with discount.
Available throughout the United States.
•Available
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So now you have your incoming stream of coupons and you
have a handle on how to interpret them. Next step? Get organized!
A coupon-cutter never lets sweet deals expire. One expert recommends using
baseball card
ca d holders
holde s or
o sheet protectors
p otecto s in a binder.
binde It’s a flexible
fle ible solution
sol tion
that can help you keep tabs on which products should be added to your
shopping list and you can take it with you each time you’re ready to shop.
You can organize your collection any number of ways, such as by expiration
date o
or by p
product
oduct catego
category.
y Both
ot have
a ep
pros
os a
and
d co
cons.
s O
Organizing
ga
g by
category, for example, will take more time upfront, but your coupons will be
easier to find when you come across a deeply discounted product begging for a
$1.00/1 or B2G1 (one dollar off or Buy 2 Get One).
How To Organize Your Shopping Lists
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Composing a shopping list can make your grocery shopping, or any household
shopping, more management and less expensive.
Shopping with a list will help you keep an eye on exactly what you need and
cut down on impulse buying
buying. This will not only save money
money, but will also make
sure your kitchen is stocked with all the necessary foods to get you through the
week.
The next step is to get familiar with coupon lingo and policies.
Are your coupons stackable? Meaning you can use a manufacturer’s coupon in tandem with a store coupon.
Do stores in your area offer double coupon deals? Meaning at certain times you can use a coupon and it’ll be worth twice its face value.
Next, brush up on the acronyms. Here’s the secret code for deciphering coupon jargon:
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AR – After Rebate.
B&M – Brick and Mortar,
Mortar a real,
real physical store,
store not an online store.
store Some coupons are exclusive to these and can
can’tt be used online.
online
BOGO or B1G1 – Buy One Get One.
BOGOF- Buy One, Get One Free (Also BOGOFREE)
BVG – Best Value Guarantee, offered by some credit cards.
CC – Credit Card
CSR- Customer Service Representative
CPN – Coupon
ECB or ECB’s’ Extra Care Bucks,
k which
h h are printed
d coupons from
f
the
h register after
f
a speciall purchase
h
at CVS drugstores.
d
Use like
l k cash
h on future
f
purchases.
EXP – Expired coupon or deal.
FAR – Free After Rebate- ( May require a mail in rebate or a MIR, also)
GC – Gift Certificate
GDA – Good Deal At
IR – Instant rebate
MFG – Manufacturer
MFR – Manufacturer
MIR – Mail in rebate
OOS – Out of stock
P & G- Proctor and Gamble- the company that produces a lot of family favorites, Tide, Downy, Bounce, Pantene, etc. Coupons are widely sought on
these brands, which is why you’ll see a lot of references to them.
PM – Price Match. In other terms, outside of savings sites, also means “private message”.
RB-Rebate
RP- Red Plum Coupon from either Sunday insert or online @ redplum.com
RR- Register Rewards- which are printed coupons from the register after a special purchase at Walgreens. Use like cash on future purchases.
SASE – Self Addressed Stamped Envelope
SI- Sunday Insert (the coupon booklets in the Sunday papers)
S/H – Shipping and Handling
1/$1- Means one coupon (or one product) at a dollar off. Numbers will change, but that
1/$1
that’s
s the essence.
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Knowing how much money to spend on food is tough job for anyone in charge of
managing the family budget. If you ask experts, you’ll get an answer that falls
anywhere between five and 15 percent of your overall household budget. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics say the average is 12.5 percent, while the Department of
Agriculture chimes in at 9.8 percent (source AP). What can be taken from this
discrepancy is that food spending is one of the more discretionary line items in any
family budget. You can inexpensively feed your kids instant soup and white bread or
you can shop for organic vegetables and grass-fed beef on the other side of the
money spectrum. So what’s right for you may not satisfy your neighbor. But any
way you cut it, spending money on groceries instead of in a restaurant is a great way
to save money each month.
If you aren’t an experienced coupon user, the best place to start is by trolling
through your local Sunday newspaper. This is where you can strike coupon gold.
Look for “buy one, get one free” coupons on items your family regularly enjoys.
Check with your local grocery store to find out if they have double-coupon days. This
is a great way to save even more money.
You should always look in your pantry, fridge and freezer before you shop and make
a list of what you need. Planning meals comes in handy as well. If you have a tight
food budget, using what you already have ensures that you have enough money to
need.
buy
y what you
y
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Your supermarket is designed with the psychology of the shopper in
mind. Every single thing in that store is placed for a reason, from the
end caps of sale products to the location of the milk and bread.
Those displays at the end of every aisle are there to distract you from
your shopping list. Food companies pay the store a lot of money to
highlight their products and inspire impulse buys.
Also, because
Al
b
milk
ilk and
d bread
b
d are staples
t l and
d among th
the mostt
common items purchased at the supermarket, the store places them
as far back in the store as possible. This forces you to traverse to the
back of the supermarket in order to get your milk, and you’ll likely
make even more impulse
buys.
p
y
And let’s not forget shelf placement. Kid-friendly items are found at a
child’s eye level, where a kid can simply reach out and grab them.
Companies also pay more money to put their products at our eye
l
level,
l so we’re
’ more lik
likely
l tto pick
i k th
those it
items off
ff th
the shelf.
h lf
Another good way to save at the grocery store is by buying in bulk. Chances are you have a
membership-only bulk savings club in your area. You can get great savings on pretty much any
food item you can think of by buying in bulk. But don’t fall into the trap of getting too much of
something you don’t often use. You don’t want to end up with a five gallon tub of mayo and a
monster box of mac and cheese in your pantry that you’ll never use. Just like with coupons, stick
with items you know you’ll use
use, no matter how much you save
save. It’s only a good deal if you actually
eat the food.
Truth About Generic Products
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Investigate store brands, or generic versions of foods you love. It has been found that generic
brands can save you up to 60 percent. Studies have shown that the ingredients and nutritional
value
l
are sometimes
ti
th
the same as name b
brands
d and
d many ti
times, it’
it’s th
the exactt same product
d t iin a
different package. Just remember to compare ingredients labeled on foods and vitamins to make
sure you’re getting what you expect. When manufacturers advertise their brand name goods,
these costs get built into the price you pay. Generic brands aren’t typically marketed, so those
savings are passed on to you.
If you can’t
’t partt with
ith your big-brand
bi b
d items,
it
make
k a ttrip
i tto T
Target.
t It h
has b
been shown
h
th
thatt overthe-counter drugs and hair products were found to be up to 50 percent cheaper at the big-box
retailers than at local supermarkets.
What if I find a coupon AFTER I have purchased
the item?
If you ever buy something and realize later that you had a coupon for it at home, most stores will
allow you to bring in your receipt along with that coupon within 30 days and they will reimburse
you. Check with each retailer to verify their coupon policy.
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Shoppers who use coupons in an extreme fashion are going to come
up against brick walls on a regular basis. Maybe it’s a cashier who
insists
coupon with
i i t you can’t
’t use a manufacturer
f t
ith one you gott from
f
the store, or a manager who is adamant that the coupons you printed
online are unacceptable.
The trick to dealing with this sort of situation is to have the store
store’s
s
coupon policy on hand and ready to go.
Some stores’ coupon policies are listed online, while others you have
to ask for.
for Once you obtain hard copies,
copies it
it’s
s a good idea to keep them
in your binder. Then if there is disagreement over the details of a
transaction, you can show whoever is checking you out the relevant
portion of that particular policy.
Always remain respectful and polite. You might find cashiers and
even managers who are simply unfamiliar with their store’s coupon
policy and by being friendly and helpful about it, you’re much more
likely to achieve positive results.
Albertsons promotes a coupon friendly shopping experience and encourages customers to participate in store, manufacturer and internet
coupon use. The following policy guidelines are current, but Albertsons may change this policy at any time and policy changes may not
be advertised. Coupon redemptions are subject to the policy in effect at time of redemption. The current policy information can be
discussed with individual store management, but is not posed in each store.
Coupons—Definition: Coupons are a form of tender to reduce an order total based on merchandise purchased. Retailers are not
required
i db
by llaw tto acceptt manufacturers’
f t
’ coupon. C
Coupons can b
be iin print
i t and/or
d/ iin electronic
l t
i fform, and
d may b
be iintegrated
t
t d iinto
t the
th
register systems where they are deducted automatically when all purchase requirements are met.
General Coupon Acceptance Guidelines:
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Coupons are accepted in accordance to the stated requirements on the coupon at the time of purchase. These requirements
include, but are not limited to: product type, flavor(s), size(s), quantities and minimum/maximum dollar purchase limits.
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Coupons are intended for one time use and cannot be redeemed more than once.
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Coupons have no cash value.
value
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Albertsons only accepts original coupons and does not accept photocopied or reproduced coupons (including multiple prints of same
series internet coupons).
Albertsons does not accept expired coupons. Printed expiration dates are verified in addition to scanning the coupon for validity.
Coupons stating “on next/future purchase or visit” cannot be used in the transaction in which they are generated. Next purchase is
defined as a separate transaction.
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The coupon redemption value on “free”
free coupons may not exceed the value of the item.
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Albertsons will accept ONE manufacturer coupon and ONE store coupon on the same qualifying item.
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Albertsons does not accept competitor coupons (Coupons generated by any competitor with competitor logo are considered
competitor coupons.)
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All applicable sales taxes are paid by the customer at the full value of the item.
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Albertsons reserves the right to refuse any coupons at its discretion.
Manufacturer Coupons: Coupons issued by manufacturers contain redemption guidelines including
including, but not limited to: “terms
terms of
agreement”, “face value”,“expiration date” and the verbiage “manufacturer coupon”. Albertsons adheres to all manufacturer
redemption guidelines.
continued…
Albertson’s Store Coupons
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Rain checks for store coupons will be given out as long as the store coupon does not state on it “while supplies last”.
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Coupons issued by Albertsons contain redemption guidelines including, but not limited to: “terms of agreement”, “face value”,
“expiration date” and the verbiage “store coupon”.
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Albertsons offers store coupons in various forms of media including,
including but not limited to,
to print,
print electronic,
electronic newspaper,
newspaper direct mailers,
mailers
kiosks and Company websites.
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Albertsons may issue “store coupons” in advertisements that state “redeemable only at Albertsons” in which Albertsons is the only
retailer that will accept.
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Store coupons may require that the discount applies only with Preferred/Loyalty/Rewards Card use.
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Twice the Value store coupons can only be used in combination with a $1.00 or less manufacturer coupon (a printed face value of
$1.01 or greater cannot be combined with Twice the Value store coupons).
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Albertsons DOES allow manufacturer coupons that state they cannot be ‘doubled’
doubled to be used in conjunction with a Twice the Value store coupon.
coupon
The Total Shopping Experience
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In an effort to serve our all customers better than our competitors, and provide a timely checkout, Albertsons requests that
customers do not exceed three (3) consecutive transactions.
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Additional lanes will be opened to serve all customers in a timely manner if the current business and staffing level permits.
Ralph’s
Ralph
s Digital Coupon Policy
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Customers choosing to participate in the digital coupons are required to have an active online account with a valid, associated
shopper card. Kroger (Ralphs) employees or partners are prohibited to set up or otherwise maintain an online account not
specifically associated to that employee or employee household.
A valid shopper card or an alternate ID is required for the use of digital coupons at the time of purchase.
Digital coupons and offers are deducted from a customer purchase prior to paper coupons or any other discounts and cannot be
added
back o
or removed
card
scanned.
add d ba
o d once
o
a d has
a been
b
a
d
Limit one use per digital coupon per transaction
Digital offers cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item
Digital offers do not double
A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time
The store manager has the right to accept, decline, or limit the use of ANY digital coupon or offer.
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www.myfico.com-- FICO scores.
www.annualcreditreport.com -- Receive a free credit
report once a year. Request one from Experian in
January, another one from TransUnion in May, and
another
th one ffrom Equifax
E if
iin S
September.
t
b
Thi
This will
ill k
keep
you up-to-date throughout the year for free. You do not
need pay for this service.
www.balancepro.net -- Money Management (free service
if you belong to the Orange County Credit Union). Also
offers free budgeting forms on their website.
www.creditcardconnection.org credit card ratings
` Keep
p
on Saving!
g