Craft Store Coupon Tips




In honor of National Craft Month, here are some coupon tips for shopping at craft stores:

• Because it's National Craft Month, you can get some pretty sweet coupons this month. Be on the lookout.
• Don't forget Mommy$avesBig. Also check the store sites/weekly ads.
• Many craft stores (like Michaels, AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, and Joann) accept competitors' coupons, so keep that in mind whenever you need something.
• Almost all craft store coupons can be used once per day, per person, per store. That means you can print the same coupon more than once and either 1) go to multiple stores in one day, 2) go to the same store as many days as the coupon is good for, 3) take someone with you and each of you purchase something separately with the coupon, or 4) any combination of 1, 2, and 3.
• The majority of craft store coupons are for one regular-price item. This is important to remember, because the sale items change each week, so keep an eye on that as well.
• You can find all sorts of stuff, not just normal crafty stuff, at craft stores (like home decor items, baking/candy supplies, small gifts, etc.). Just beware that they may be overcharging for stuff you might find at a regular store, so compare the price using the coupon with the price it normally goes for elsewhere.
• You can also shop online at Joann, so you don't have to drive to a store if you don't live close to one. They almost always have online coupon codes. I haven't done this yet, but I think I'll order some fabric online (they're notorious for long lines at the fabric cutting station). I'm planning to use one of their printable 50% off coupons for some sewing items I need before Saturday. You can also shop online at Hobby Lobby.
• AC Moore has a rewards program, if you live near one. There aren't any around here (sad face), but they used to be my favorite craft store, because they always have good coupons, sales, and the rewards program (and they accept competitors' coupons). Hobby Lobby is now my favorite, by the way.

Happy couponing and crafting! Please leave a comment if you score something with a coupon and/or put these tips to use! Share your craft projects, too!

Printable Coupons

I'm not trying to get you to spend a bunch of money (because, let's face it, sometimes coupons make you want to buy stuff you wouldn't buy normally), but if you plan on buying stuff anyway, you might as well use coupons! In fact, here's a good rule of thumb: Using a coupon is only a good idea if you would buy an item and/or need it before you know about the coupon.

I've come up with some tips specifically about printable coupons for this post:

• A good site for printable coupons is: Mommy$avesBig. Check it out! You must! You can also, of course, check the store sites/weekly ads.
• If a coupon has a bar code on it, try to print with normal or best quality, so it will scan at the store.
• If you go to a certain store a lot, sign up for e-mails. They often include printable coupons.
• Make sure before you print coupons from the web that they aren't expired and that what you want isn't excluded on the coupon. Also make sure you can use the coupon locally (sometimes they're only for certain locations, but not often). In other words, read the coupon before printing.
• Many coupons can be used once per day, per person, per store. That means you can print the same coupon more than once and either 1) go to multiple stores in one day, 2) go to the same store as many days as the coupon is good for, 3) take someone with you and each of you purchase something separately with the coupon, or 4) combine 1, 2, and/or 3!
• Beware that some more specialty-type stores may be overcharging for stuff you might find at a regular store, so compare the price using the coupon with the price it normally goes for elsewhere. This is where some of the work comes in; you have to already know or go to the stores selling the item(s) to price compare.

Remember that couponing takes time, effort, and ink/paper (for printables). It also requires being more aware of your options (like price comparing), which you may need to get accustomed to. The most important thing is to be willing to wait for a good deal. Coupons are only good for a certain amount of time, so wait for a good one if the item isn't needed immediately.

Our First Sweet Deal of 2011

Our kitchen in our townhouse is quite nice, but there is a spot next to some cabinetry that is open because if there was much more cabinetry there, it would block the walkway.

We don't have a pantry now (and we have much less cabinetry and drawers than in our NC house), so we decided to put one in the space, rather than using precious cabinet space for food items. As a temporary solution, we used an old bookcase that was previously in Jennifer's craft room.

It worked, but as you can see, it wasn't exactly attractive. So, after months of trying to find something that would fit in the space, hide the mess, and sort of blend in, we finally achieved success.

And a shot of the inside:

It's actually a little bit deeper than the bookcase, so that works out well. Here's the best part: We got it 40% off! Office Depot sends us occasional coupon e-mails (because we have a rewards card; like the grocery store cards, not a credit card). Well, they sent a coupon for 40% off any one item (except electronics), which included furniture. So, we found this baby and they let us use the coupon even though they didn't have any in stock. AND they delivered it right to our door four days later, no extra charge. All we had to do was assemble it. So, since it was originally $100, we only had to pay $60 + tax. Sweet!