Shopping Tips 101: Walmart

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.) 

Founded in 1962, Walmart currently operates over 9100 stores in 15 countries. They are based in Bentonville, Arkansas. They became a public company in 1972 and have only grown since then. They currently employ over 2.1 million people.

See if there is a Walmart location near you.

Coupon Acceptance: (Per the Walmart Coupon Policy) Walmart accepts internet coupons that are legible, say Manufacturer Coupon, have a valid remit to address, have a valid expiration date, have a scannable bar code or are for BOGO if they have a specified price on them. They will accept internet printable coupons in black and white or color. You may NOT photocopy coupons (this is true at ALL times, not just Walmart). Walmart does NOT accept free item coupons printed from the internet.

 They also accept other manufacturer coupons. These may be for dollar/cents off, free items (IF they do NOT come from the internet) or BOGO. They must have a valid remit to address, valid expiration date, scannable bar code. They may NOT be copied.

Walmart does accept competitor coupons that follow certain guidelines. They must be for a specific item (brand and size) and have a specific price $X.XX NOT % off. BOGO competitor coupons with a specific price are allowed. They must have a valid expiration date and may be in black and white. That means you can print competitor internet coupons for use at Walmart as long as they meet all the other conditions!

They also accept "checkout" or "catalina" coupons from other retails that meet certain guidelines. They must be printed at a competitors' registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item, must say manufacturer coupon with specific brand/size, must have a valid remit to address, must have a valid expiration date, must have a scannable bar code, and may be in black and white (though most won't be). They can not be photocopied. Walmart only accepts coupons for merchandise that they sell. You must present the coupon at the time of purchase and they will only allow one coupon per item(s) purchased per coupon requirements.

There is no limit to the number of coupons used per transaction, but you may not exceed $50 off in coupons in one transaction. Walmart does not accept coupons with a face value over $20. Walmart does not accept competitor coupons for amounts off a total purchase ($/$$) Walmart will give overage. That means if you are purchasing an item that sells for $1.00 and your coupon is valid for $1.25/1 off that exact brand and size, you will receive $.25 back. If you have other items in your cart, they will apply it towards your purchase. If you do not have other items, they will give it to you in cash.

Price Match Policy: (Found here) Walmart will honor competitor ad pricing for identical items where the size and price in the ad is specified. They also honor shopper card prices under those same terms and fresh produce & meat prices when the same unit is used (lb for lb, each for each). You are not required to have the ad with you. They DO NOT match online pricing, BOGO that does not have a dollar amount noted, % off offers, buy A get B or similar offers, gift card with purchase offers, private label/brand offers or closeout/clearance pricing.

Method of Payment: (Found here) Walmart accepts American Express,Discover (including Walmart Discover), MasterCard, Visa, Walmart Credit, ATM/Debit/Check Cards (including: The Walmart MoneyCard, Those with a MasterCard logo on the front, Those with a Visa logo on the front) and Walmart Gift Cards and eGift Cards. Online they also accept Bill Me Later and Paypal.

Return Policy: (Found here) Walmart accepts returns in store with receipt within 90 days for most non-electronic and non-regulated items and items are refunded in the form of payment that you used. Walmart accepts returns with out a receipt with a limit of 3 non receipt returns in a 45 day period. Refunds will be giving in cash for values under $25 and in the form of a Walmart gift card for values over $25. Walmart.com purchases can be returned to a Walmart store. They must be within 90 days, have the packaging and shipping costs will only be refunded if it's an error on Walmart's part.


Other Need to Knows: Training on coupons can be spotty from store to store. It's not a bad idea to print off the coupon policy and have it ready. If the cashier still is not helpful, ask nicely to speak with a manager. If they are still unable to follow the policy, contact Walmart corporate for more assistance.

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Happy Shopping!

Shopping Tips 101: Save A Lot

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.)

Save A Lot has over 1200 locations in the United States. You can check to see if there is a location near you. Many locations are franchises and have some differences.

Their ads and cycles vary.  They tend to run two weeks at a time, but they do not always follow a set start/end day that I have been able to pin down. Many ads run Sunday to Saturday for two week stretches, but it does vary. Each store or group of stores decides what items they want to feature, though it appears they all choose from a core set from corporate.

Coupon Acceptance: (Per this link) At the corporate level, Save A Lot accepts internet and manufacturer coupons. BUT many of their stores are franchises and allowed to set their own coupon policy. You are best off contacting or inquiring at your local store about their policies. Save A Lot also offers a $5 off $25 store coupon for joining their Smart Shopper Club. When I used this coupon when I first signed up for it a couple years ago, the $25 requirement could be met BEFORE manufacturer coupons. I am unable to print the coupon again, so this may have changed, or it might be up to the individual store.

Method of Payment: (Found here) Most Save A Lot stores accept cash, checks, food stamps and EBT/QWEST cards, and some stores accept debit and credit cards. Again, because of the franchises, this can vary.

Return Policy: I was unable to find a specific return policy. I do know that my local store has exchanged merchandise with my receipt in the past. I expect this will vary by store as well.

Other Need to Knows: Take your own bags or be willing to pay for them. $.05 per paper bag, $.10 per plastic. When they have them, they leave the stocking boxes at the front for you to use, but you can't count on that. They will put your groceries into a cart and you will have to move them to the bagging area to bag yourself.

Notice something I missed? Please comment below.


Happy Shopping!

Shopping Tips 101: Pamida

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.)

Pamida operates over 200 stores in 17 states (primarily midwest). The stores stock a variety of food, clothing, electronics, domestics and other items.

Check for a Pamida location near you.

Pamida ads run Saturday to Friday each week and can be accessed on their website here.

Coupon Acceptance: (Per this link) Pamida accepts manufacturer coupons, internet coupons, Pamida coupons and competitor coupons. They run double coupon events on occasion where they double coupons with a face value of $1.00 or less. Coupons must have a valid expiration date. Limit one coupon per item. Limit 3 like coupons per transaction. Customer pays sales tax on the items. Pamida reserves the right to refuse internet coupons if they believe them to be fake. The will not double competitor coupons. If the value of a coupon is higher than the price of the product, Pamida will give you the product for free, but they do not give overage.

Method of Payment: (Found here) I could not locate the methods of payment on their main website, but found a local listing for a store in Montana. Please verify with your local store, but I assume all stores will accept the same methods: American Express, Cash, Discover, Master Card, Personal Check (in state), Travelers Checks and Visa.

Price Match Policy: (Found here) Pamida will price match items found in competitor ads. The ads can not be printed from the internet, must be within the valid dates and must be for the exact item and size you are purchasing at Pamida. To receive your price match, present the valid ad to the cashier upon check out.

Return Policy: (Found here) Most items may be returned with in 90 days with your receipt in the form of payment provided (checks subject to bank verification). Returns without a receipt will be returned as merchandise credit at current sale price. Games/electronic media may only be returned if unopened. Electronics/Game Systems/Appliances/Furniture returns are limited to the first 30 days with receipt. After that


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Shopping Tips 101: Menards

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.) 

Menards stores are best compared to Lowes and Home Depot, though one nice addition is the (limited) grocery section.

They have locations in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Wyoming, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. Menards is a great place to find many household gadgets and tools for as low as free (after rebate). These items make great gifts for men at the holidays or for someone moving out on their own. They put out an ad weekly that runs Sunday to Sunday for one to two weeks. There are usually special holiday ads several times a year.

Coupon Acceptance: (Per their Coupon Policy.) Menards accepts competitor and manufacturer coupons (mailed & internet). They must NOT be expired, they MUST have a scanable barcode and remit to address, must be for an item you are purchasing from Menards. Menards does accept competitor coupons for 10% or less off. Coupons that say not valid with other coupons or discounts will not be accepted on sale items. Coupons do not apply to Menards 11% off low price guarantee. They reserve the right to refuse coupons. (Some individual stores opt to not accept internet printed coupons due to fraud issues, check with your local store for their acceptance policy.)


Rebates: Free After Rebate (FAR) items at Menards once required an additional purchase to redeem the rebates, but as of 3/2011, that requirement was removed. FAR items are now FREE after rebate (less any tax you pay). When you check out, all qualifing items will have an individual "Rebate Receipt" printed at the bottom of the slip. You then need to pick up a rebate form for each item you purchased. Forms are located at the service desk. Any itmes that are going to the same address (PO Box 28 in Elk Mound, WI) can be placed in one envelope and titled "Menards Rebates" and mailed in one submission.

Please be careful to read the rebate forms and mail by the earliest required date. Each individual rebate form must have your name and address to be valid, however, Menards allows you to use address labels so you don't have to hand write each form. Once you have sent the rebate in, you can check your rebate status at Menards Rebate Center Online. Rebates from Menards only come back in the form of a Merchandise Credit Check and they are only redeemable in store for more merchandise


Suggestion: Save your Merchandise Credit Checks to purchase the next round of rebate items. You do not have to spend the whole amount on the check at one time. Their computer system will tell how much money is left and the cashier will hand print the remaining amount on the check for you and hand it back to you.

Return Policy: (See the full policy here.) Menards will return products for full refund in the method purchased within 90 days with receipt. Returns with a receipt after 90 days will be given in the form of store credit or Menards Card Credit. Check purchases will be issued a credit if less than 14 days after purchase and cash if more than 14 days after purchase. If you do not have your receipt, you may be able to locate your transaction on the in store kiosk. If in order, you will be allowed to return for in store credit and will be required to show photo ID. Products without the UPC attached may only be exchanged. Items that were part of a rebate and are returned WITHOUT the rebate receipt  will have the rebate amount deducted from the return. Menards reserves the right to refuse returns without a receipt.

Contact: Questions, comments or complaints not covered in the FAQ link above can be directed to Menards here.

Noticed something I missed? Please comment below. 


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Shopping Tips 101: Meijer

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.) 

Meijer was founded in Greenville, MI in 1934 and next expanded to Ionia and Cedar Springs. 1949 brought the addition of the all under one roof concept we see now with the opening of the 28th & Kalamazoo store in Grand Rapids, MI. Currently headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, Meijer operates over 200+ retail stores currently.

Coupon Acceptance: (Per the Meijer Coupon Policy)

Meijer accepts manufacturer coupons, including internet printables (see HERE) and select competitor "catalinas" (see HERE, and more details below). They do not accept expired coupons, reserve the right to limit quantities and do NOT allow overage. If a coupon has an amount higher than the purchased price, they will adjust it down. The use of one manufacturer and one store coupon on a purchase is allowed.

Meijer considers Mealbox (see more below) and mPerk (see more below) coupons store coupons. For example, you buy one Honey Nut Cheerios and have a $1/1 manufacturer coupon and a $.50/1 Mealbox coupon, you can use them both to get $1.50 off one box. If your manufacturer coupon is for $1/2, you need to buy two boxes, but then could use 2 of the $.50/1 Mealbox coupons.

Catalina/OYNSO/Checkout Coupons - These are manufacturer coupons that are issued after a specific purchase threshold has been met. They are sometimes in the form of Buy #, Get $ - but many times in the form of Buy $$, Get $ as well. A great example is the "Buy $25 in Select General Mills Products, Get $5.00 Off Your Next Shopping Order". These offers are typically "rollable" or able to be used to purchase the deal again and still receive the OYNSO offer again.

Double or Triple Coupons (see HERE) - vary by location. Per Meijer it is on occasion, but in West Michigan, Northern Indiana and Northern Illinois it hasn't happened in years. East Michigan, Ohio and most other areas see double coupons every day currently. Most stores that do double coupons will do so with the stipulation that the face value of the coupon is $.50 or less and that they only double two like coupons per transaction.

Competitor Ad Matching and Competitor Coupon/Catalina Acceptance: (from HERE and HERE) Meijer will match competitor ad pricing on all identical, in stock items in the General Merchandise categories. They include: "Men's, Women's, Children's Clothing, Shoes, Toys, Small Appliances, Floral, Garden, Hardware, Housewares, Plumbing and Electrical, Furniture, Gifts and Lamps, Sporting Goods, and Stationery." Meijer will honor the competitor's ad or coupon for an item if the price point is listed (ie: No % off, BOGO, clearance, etc.) and they have the identical item in stock. The policy states to stop at the service desk to verify that your competitor catalina coupon will be accepted. They will only accept competitor catalinas for General Merchandise per their policy.

Meijer Store Coupons: mPerks - Digital coupons that are linked to you cell phone number. Limit one time use per coupon. Limit one mPerk account per cell phone number. Limit one mPerk account per transaction. You need to sign up for and verify your account by receiving a text message and entering the code at the website. At that time, you can shut off text alerts and turn on email alerts to avoid future text messages. If you turn off both, it deactivates your account. To select mPerk coupons, go to the website and log in. "Clip" the ones you want and they will be saved to your virtual coupon file. You can then print the list for reference or email it to yourself (as I do and I can simply pull it up on my phone in the store).

To use mPerks, hit the mPerks button on the credit card pad in a cashier lane or on the screen in a self check lane. Enter your phone number, then your pin number as it instructs and it should then take off all the loaded coupons that match to items that have been scanned. *Important mPerk note: Some mPerks coupons now state that they can not be combined with other coupons. Per Meijer's coupon policy referenced above, they should still be allowed with a paper manufacturer coupon, but per the wording in mPerks it's not allowed. I have heard reports that it works in store and that it does not. Your Results May Vary (YMMV).

Mealbox - These coupons show up on the Meijer Mealbox website in the widget pictured below. I also insert this widget into my weekly Meijer posts to make it easy for you to print them with out ever leaving my site. There are no limits at this time to the number of coupons you can select and print.  You may only use one coupon per item(s) stated on the coupon. Meijer reserves the right to limit, but in most cases you can use multiples of the same Meijer Mealbox coupon in a transaction. These coupons will be handed to the cashier just like your manufacturer coupons.

To print coupons from the Meijer Mealbox Widget: Click "Specials" and look for the "Coupons" tab and click. Add the ones you want to print to your "Shopping List". After you have added all of them, click the "Shopping List" tab, then click "Print". Leave only "Coupons and Sale Items" checked. Then click "Print" or "Print as PDF" and print per your computer's instructions.

Meijer Custom Coupons - Can also be found via the Meijer Mealbox widget. Click "Specials" then "Custom Coupons" to view them. (I also include them at the bottom of the weekly matchups.) These offers are typically in a Buy #, Get $ format. For these offers you must purchase the required number of items and you will receive a "Meijer Custom Coupon" for the dollar value promised. These coupons can not be "rolled" or used to purchase another Custom Coupon offer and still receive the offer again. Attempting it will result in not receiving the Custom Coupon offer on the second purchase. 

Method of Payment: Meijer accepts most major credit cards, debit transactions, cash and check with proper identification. They also accept Food Assistance and WIC payments. 

Return Policy: (see HERE and HERE) Meijer accepts General Merchandise returns with in 90 days of purchase. Electronics with in 30 days of purchase. Other damaged and defective products are eligible for exchange. Some other exclusions apply, see the policy as linked above. 

Other Need to Knows: Meijer (as many other retailers do as well) treat coupon acceptance as a form of payment, not a reduction in price) when calculating totals for offer thresholds. If the requirement is to purchase $25 of select items to get $5 OYNSO, you can put $25 worth of products in your cart, scan, total $25, use your coupons, pay under $25 an the $5 OYNSO will still print. As always, some stores adjust policies as needed to combat issues they have had. If your store is not following the policies outlined in the links I've provided above, I urge you to contact Meijer corporate with your concerns. 

Notice something I missed? Please comment below. 

Happy Shopping!

Shopping Tips 101: Family Dollar

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.) 

Family Dollar has over 6700 location in 44 states in the US. Though the word Dollar is in their name, they are not a $1.00 store. They used to only price their items rounded to the dollar, but that too has changed over the years and we now see varying price points rounded to the $.05 mark.

Family Dollar ad cycles are not at all like any other store. They run coupon books that can be 4-8 weeks in length and sometimes have two coupon books at a time. They also run an ad from the last Tuesday of a month to the last Monday of the current month. In that time, they run a 10 day ad from the last Tuesday of a month to the second Thursday. They also typically run an ad from the third Sunday of a month through the fourth Sunday. There are also sometimes bonus store brand ads in there as well.

You can find your local store here. They also have their ad and store coupons printable online here.


Coupon Acceptance: (Per the Family Dollar Corporate Coupon Policy ) Family Dollar accepts manufacturer coupons, including internet printables. The coupons must be an original, have a scanable barcode, have an expiration date and be for an item that Family Dollar sells and you are purchasing. They allow the combination of manufacturer coupons and store coupons on items as long as neither coupon states that it's not valid with other coupons.

Coupons for free items are only allowed if a purchase is required to get one free. BOGO coupons are allowed. BXGY coupons are allowed. Free item coupons are NOT allowed. Family Dollar DOES allow for the use of a coupon such as a $1/1 to be used on an item that is priced at $1.00. You will pay only the applicable sales tax. If you have a problem with your local store, please contact Family Dollar and let them know what store you had the problem at. (Many people and myself have verified this with them via email.)

Method of Payment: Family Dollar accepts cash, personal check from local area w/ID and pin based debit transactions. Family Dollar does not accept credit cards/signature purchases in most of its stores. Check purchases may be electronically debited from your account the same day.

Return Policy: (Found here) Returns made within 30 days with receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment or exchanged. Returns made without a receipt will be credited to a Family Dollar card. Returns of items purchased with a food card will only be exchanged for other food items.

Notice something I missed? Please comment below.


Happy Shopping!

Shopping Tips 101: Dollar General

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.)

Dollar General has over 9300 in 35 states in the United States. They stock around 10,000 items including those from major manufacturers. The Dollar General name has been in use since 1955 and was originally a store that had nothing priced over $1.00. We now see varying price points rounded to the $.05 mark. They became a public company in 1968. Then went private again in 2007 and public once more in 2009.

Find a Dollar General Location.

Coupon Acceptance: (Per the Dollar General Coupon Policy)
Dollar General accepts coupons. They accept their own store coupons and manufacturer coupons. They do accept coupons printed from the internet. You can find printable coupons on the Dollar General website, including the occasional $/$$ offer.

Coupons must be original (no photocopies), have a scanable barcode, have an expiration date, must match items you are purchasing that are sold at Dollar General, and must say Manufacturers or Dollar General Store Coupon on them. They will NOT accept coupons that do not scan, have an invalid promotional code, are expired, are for items you are not purchasing or they do not sell, free item coupons printed from the internet or are coupons from other retailers that state they are only valid at other retailers.

Dollar General does allow you to use coupons for a dollar value that happen to make an item free (ie: product costs $1.00 and you have a $1.00 coupon it's FREE), I inquired to them through their contact page and received a phone call back. It works at my local store and many others, but I've been told by readers that the stores have the right to refuse coupons that make items free. If you have a concern about this policy/your stores preference, please contact Dollar General Corporate to work with them to resolve the conflict in your local store.

You can also use a $/$$ Dollar General coupon with manufacturer coupons, BUT you must satisfy the $$ requirement AFTER all manufacturer coupons have been applied. ie: $5 off your $25 purchase coupon, the $25 must be the total AFTER all manufacturer coupons have been taken off the order.

Method of Payment: (Found here) Dollar General accepts cash, EBT/Debit cards, checks with ID, Visa and Discover signature payments. They do NOT accept Mastercard signature payments.

Return Policy: (Found here) Dollar General has a 100% satisfaction guarantee on their DG Everyday, Clover Valley, and EverPet brands. If you are not satisfied, they will refund or exchange your purchase. I can not find an answer on other items. But, personally, I've never had a problem returning or exchanging other defective items.

Notice something I missed? Please comment below.


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Shopping Tips 101: Aldi

(Some of the links in this post may be my affiliate or referral links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.) 

Aldi has locations in Europe, Australia and the United States. They opened their first store in the United States in Iowa in 1976. They have 1400 regularly stocked items and a rotating variety of others.

Find your local Aldi location.

Aldi ads run from Sunday to Saturday each week. There are also mid week special buy ads that can be viewed on their website and run Wednesday to Tuesday.

Coupon Acceptance: Aldi does NOT accept coupons.

Method of Payment: (Found here) Aldi accepts cash, food stamps/EBT cards, and PIN-based debit cards. They do not accept credit cards or checks.

Return Policy: (Found here) Aldi has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. It does not apply to non-food Special Buys or Alcohol. If you are unhappy with qualifying item, you get the double back guarantee. You will get your money back and your item replaced.

Other Need to Know's: If you want to use a cart, bring a quarter. You will insert the quarter to detach the cart from the line. Once you are done shopping, you snap it back in and get your quarter back. (This way they don't have to pay people to corral the carts.) Bring your own bags or be willing to pay for them. They do not give you bags for free. You bag your own groceries. They will scan them and put them into a cart. You are responsible for moving them to a bagging area and bagging them. Information on how to submit questions or comments about Aldi can be found here.

Notice something I missed? Please comment below.


Happy Shopping!