Extreme Couponing: The scoop on overage & walking away paying nothing!
Here is another post in my series of Extreme Couponing tips for beginners! This post is about overage and how to use it wisely when shopping at stores. Overage can change the entire outcome of your shopping trip! By utilizing the tips below you can walk away with a lot of products free or just pay the tax!
Continue reading below to see the entire post!
So how do people end up with several boxes of cereal, bottles of laundry detergent and more absolutely FREE at the store? Besides finding items at ROCK BOTTOM prices Extreme Couponers utilize this sweet little gem; overage.
What is Overage?
When the value of a coupon exceeds the price of a product, that is what overage is. For example, if you have a $.97 Travel Size Tooth Paste and a $2 off ANY size Toothpaste coupon, you pay nothing and the $1.03 overage applies to your basket (or is given back in cash in some cases, if after tax there is still a remainder).
This is a wonderful strategy for getting free and low cost groceries & every day products at the store. The stores are literally paying you to shop and get their items. This is what Extreme Couponing is ALL about!
How Does Overage Help when Extreme Couponing?
Extreme couponers know the value of overage in their cart. This is part of the reason that we end up buying multiples of the same products. In the example above, a couponer might buy 20 of that toothpaste (providing there is no limit on the coupon, and if there is you must split up the transactions), turning around with an extra $1.03 each or over $20 worth of free credit to spend on other products at check out. Plus at stores like Walmart you can actually get back the cash you're owed in overage instead of applying it to your cart total walking away with MONEY and paying nothing!
Where can I use overage? What stores allow you to use it?
Here where I live the only store that I know of that allows overage AND will give you cash back is Walmart. However, you can utilize overage at stores like Walgreen's and CVS with catalinas (Register Rewards (RR) and Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)).
For example; Let's say you are purchasing 2 $3 tubes of tooth paste at Walgreen's and you have 2 $2 off 1 Coupons for that tooth paste. You pay $6, minus your $4 in coupons = $2. BUT after you buy you get a $3 Register Reward. Now you have your products "free" and $1 in "overage" or a "money maker"!
Here in Florida at CVS I have been told several times by cashiers to run and grab something worth $.40, or $1 etc because my total was coming up negative.
Stores like Publix allow overage only if the extra is applied to the other items in your cart as well. You can not end up with a negative balance! So let's take this for example;
BOGO Free Sale on Peanut Butter and the cost is $1.99ea.
- You have 2 $1 off 1mfg coupons (you can use 2 coupons a bogo free sale)
- and 1 $2/2 Publix Coupon (Or Competitor's coupons at Publix also accepted). * This is known as "Stacking" coupons
After Buying 2 at $1.99 and using all 3 coupons you now have $2 in overage! If you were to repeat this deal lets say 5 times (if there is no limit listed on the coupons, hypothetically) – then you now have 10 jars of Peanut Butter for FREE plus $10 to use on other groceries in your basket!
On another note.. Let's say in your basket you have $30 in groceries priced at only $10 because of your coupons. You buy 10 jars of the peanut butter resulting in $10 in overage… Following me? You walk out of the store with 10 Jars of PB ($20 value), and $30 more in groceries, totaling $50 FREE!
If your store allows overage, clearly, this can be a great way to reduce your bill or even walk away with a cart full of FREE items. You do not have to be "extreme" to walk away spending nothing! Call your local stores or check online with their coupon policies to find out how your individual store handles overage. Remember, stores have the right to adjust a coupon down – it's our privilege if a store allows us overage. The store will be reimbursed the entire face value of the coupon regardless if they give you the remainder or adjust it down.. if your store allows for overage they're passing the savings along to you – but if they do not that is their right.
Find the stores in your area that give overage (or shop at Walmart!) and utilize your coupons and overage when shopping to get the best deals and bang for your buck!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
i have one thing about the way you explained overage above… if the coupons states limit 4 .. why do people keep telling people .. buy 20 for a 20 dollar overage???
Because you do not necessarily have to buy 20 at one time! You can split up your transactions over 1 shopping trip or several days 4 at a time if the coupon states a limit! Often times coupons don’t list a limit and this makes it easy to buy multiple of 1 item. I do not however condone clearing a shelf off!I updated the post with a notation about limits and splitting transactions!