How To Read A Coupon Matchup

One of the questions that I am asked frequently is how to read a coupon matchup. They can be a little bit confusing, so let me talk you through them. When I write a deal in a post, it typically looks like this:

Buy 1 Excedrin Tension 24 pk at CVS $4.99
Use $1.50 EXCEDRIN Tension Headache coupon
Pay $3.49, Get $2 ECB (Limit 1)
Final Price: $1.49

When I am writing a coupon matchup, there are easily forty or fifty deals that I’m working on in the list, so they look more like this (for example at Walgreens):

Glade Candle 7.9 oz, Automatic Spray Kit 6.2 oz or Wax Melt Warmer $7.49
Get $1.50 RR
Use $2 Glade Large Candle from 11/1 SS
Use $1/2 Glade Jar Candle from 10/25 SS
Get $2 New Glade Large Jar Candle (Ibotta Deposit)
Use $3 Glade Large Automatic Spray Starter Kit from 11/1 SS
Get $2 Glade Automatic Spray Starter Kit (Ibotta Deposit)
Use $3 Glade Wax Melts Warmer from 11/1 SS
Get $2 Glade Wax Melt Warmer (Ibotta Deposit)
Final Price: $.99 Automatic Spray Kit or Wax Melt Warmer (with $3 coupon and $2 Ibotta)

or

Hershey’s Miniatures, Kisses or Nuggets 19 to 26 oz $5.49
Use $1 Hershey’s Chocolate Minis, Nuggets or Kisses from Walgreens Oct coupon booklet
Use $1/3 Hershey’s Miniatures Assortment, Hershey’s Kisses or Reese’s or York Miniatures from 9/13 SS
Use $1.50/3 Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat, York, Almond Joy, Mounds, Pay Day, Milk Duds or Whoppers Snack Size Bags from 10/18 SS
Use $.75 Hershey’s Assortment Snack Size Bag from 10/18 SS
Final Price: $3.74 (with $.75 coupon)

So let’s dissect these, starting with the first one (PLEASE pull up the list of abbreviations if you aren’t familiar with them, as there are many used in this post!)

#1 Glade Candle 7.9 oz, Automatic Spray Kit 6.2 oz or Wax Melt Warmer $7.49 – These are the items on sale as well as the sale price.

#2 Get $1.50 RR – This means that you will receive $1.50 Register Reward when you purchase one. If there is no specification that says “Get $1.50 RR wyb 3” or “Get $1.50 RR wyb 2,” you can assume that you only need to purchase one to receive the reward.

#3 Use $2 Glade Large Candle from 11/1 SS
Use $1/2 Glade Jar Candle from 10/25 SS
Get $2 New Glade Large Jar Candle (Ibotta Deposit)
Use $3 Glade Large Automatic Spray Starter Kit from 11/1 SS
Get $2 Glade Automatic Spray Starter Kit (Ibotta Deposit)
Use $3 Glade Wax Melts Warmer from 11/1 SS
Get $2 Glade Wax Melt Warmer (Ibotta Deposit) – This entire section is the list of available discounts that you can use for this purchase. It usually includes manufacturer’s coupons as well as digital rebates like Ibotta, Checkout 51 and SavingStar.

#4 Final Price: $.99 Automatic Spray Kit or Wax Melt Warmer (with $3 coupon and $2 Ibotta) – This section is what your final price will be and what you should use to receive this price. In this case, you can get your Glade Automatic Spray Kit or Wax Melt Warmer for only $.99 each when you use the $3 coupons from 11/1 SS, pay $4.49 out of pocket and get both a $1.50 RR and $2 deposit from Ibotta.

Now let’s dissect the second one:

#1 Hershey’s Miniatures, Kisses or Nuggets 19 to 26 oz $5.49 – These are the items on sale as well as the sale price.

#2 Use $1 Hershey’s Chocolate Minis, Nuggets or Kisses from Walgreens Oct coupon booklet – when a Walgreens store coupon is listed, you ALWAYS use this in conjunction with a manufacturer’s coupon. There is no limit to how many times you can use it, so if you buy 10 participating items, you can use a single Walgreens coupon from the coupon booklet and get 10 reductions.

#3 Use $1/3 Hershey’s Miniatures Assortment, Hershey’s Kisses or Reese’s or York Miniatures from 9/13 SS
Use $1.50/3 Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat, York, Almond Joy, Mounds, Pay Day, Milk Duds or Whoppers Snack Size Bags from 10/18 SS
Use $.75 Hershey’s Assortment Snack Size Bag from 10/18 SS – These are the entire list of available coupons for this deal.

#3 Final Price: $3.74 (with $.75 coupon) – This tells you that your final price of the item will be $3.74 when you use both the Walgreens coupon (you will need to know to use this in addition to a manufacturer’s coupon) along with the $.75 manufacturer’s coupon listed.

Not to answer a few questions –

Why do I list so many coupons? No one has every coupon or has access to every coupon. If you don’t have the $.75 coupon that makes for the best deal, you can still use another coupon listed to get a good deal. If a printable disappears midway through the week, you already know what alternative coupons you can use. Bonus information is better than only listing coupons for the best deal (in my opinion).

Why isn’t tax included in a coupon matchup? We all have to pay it! That is 98% correct. Most states/cities do charge tax, but many charge more than others. In Chicago we have a 10.25% tax. In other cities it’s a 6% tax. To incorporate tax into a coupon matchup is misleading step since it truly is different everywhere. Therefore, there is no tax mentioned in matchups, you just have to know that you will have to pay whatever tax is required in your area.

Why don’t you write coupon matchups the same way you write a deal in a post? When I am writing a deal for a single post, I am usually tying it to a single coupon – your best deal. When I write a coupon matchup I feel it’s very important to let you know ALL of the coupons available to use. Therefore, this is the format I use.

Ready for more? Check out a list of other Couponing Tips here!