How to Understand Coupon Lingo to Get the Most Free Food at the Supermarket

No doubt about it coupons can net you a lot of free groceries! But the fine print on coupons can be confusing and misunderstood. The trick to maximizing savings is knowing what it all means!

Instructions

1. The most commonly misunderstood phrase on a coupon in "one per purchase." What this actually means is one per item. You are purchasing each item, are you not? So each item, no matter how many you have, is a purchase. It does NOT means one per transaction. If it meant that it would say so. Cashiers and even many managers misunderstand this phrase. If yours do be sure to politely ask them to check with their corporate office. Even better, volunteer to call them yourself (and have the number in your wallet or purse).

2. When your coupon says "one per transaction," it means that you can only use one when you are purchasing one or more items whether they are the same or not. You may use another if you pay for the first transaction and then do another transaction. As a matter of fact I have done as many as four transactions consecutively using identical "one per transaction" coupons in each with no problem.

3. "One per order" means the same as "one per transaction."

4. You can use a "one per customer" coupon only once for every time you enter the store. According to most corporate policy, every time you walk into a store you are a "new" customer. One exception to this is if you must use some form of customer loyalty card to use the coupon. Then you are trackable and they can verify if you have used a coupon or not. The way I maximize my use of these coupons is to take the goods from my first transaction out to the car, unload them, and go back for another transaction. Just to avoid potential hassle I may go to a different cashier or to the pharmacy counter. But if that's not possible I don't hesitate to go back to the very same cashier. It is definitely legal!

5. Buy One Get One Free (B1G1) are my favorite coupons because many times I can get free items with them. Here's the logic: all coupons are basically a check from the manufacturer to the store. The store will be reimbursed by the manufacturer. The B1G1 coupons will net the store the full price of an item. Now, when you combine these with a store B1G1 promotion you may well get the item for free because the store covers the cost of the second item. Read "How to use B1G1 coupons to get free groceries" for further explanation on the use of B1G1 coupons.

Tips & Warnings

• For an overview of how I use coupons to get free groceries read, "How to Use coupons to Get Free Groceries".

• To find out the steps I take to regularly save 90% on our groceries with coupons, read "How to Utilize Coupons to Get Free Groceries Part 1: Finding the Right Store" and "How to Utilize Coupons to Get Free Food Part 2: How to Efficiently Use and Keep Coupons"

• Save to have on hand coupon examples that feature "one per transaction", "one per order", and "one per customer." Use these to back up your argument when you are reasoning with a cashier or manager.

• You may need to appeal to the store manager or even the corporate office to convince your cashier to honor coupons according to the correct meaning.

Resources

• How to Get Free Groceries with coupons at Walmart
• How to Get Free Groceries with Coupons
• How to Utilize Coupons to Get Free Groceries Part 1: Finding the Right Store
• How to Utilize Coupons to Get Free Food Part 2: Efficiently Use and Keep Coupons
• How to Find Grocery Store Coupons and Where
• How to Find Coupon for Groceries in Stores
• How to Find Grocery Coupons in Print
• How to Find Online Coupons for Groceries
• How to Get Free Coupons for Groceries in the Mail
• How to Get Free Food Vouchers for the Supermarket
• How to Get Cheap and Free Food with Coupons
• How to Use BOGO Coupons to Get Free Groceries