Publix: How to make free coupons save you even more

You've received a free coupon, yay!  What do you do with it - run out and get your free item?

If it's about to expire, go get your free stuff.  But if you have more time, here are a few ways to save even more:

• Wait until the product goes on a buy one, get one free sale.  Then you'll get two for free instead of just one!
• If your coupon is a manufacturer's coupon, use it along with a store coupon for the same product.  You'll make money on the transaction, which you can use to offset other purchases.
• Hold on to the free coupon until you have a dollars-off coupon (like the $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie coupons from the Enjoy the City booklet) but you don't have enough good deals to meet the minimum required amount ($30, in this case).  Buy your free item then - the product cost will count toward the minimum purchase, perhaps putting you over the minimum.

I used the third strategy on my recent trip to Publix.  I only had $25 in products, so I used a free Purex detergent coupon I had from doing a Purex Insiders blogging campaign.  (ETA: This wasn't a coupon given to me for a giveaway - it was a thank-you from Purex after having run a giveaway.) The bottle of detergent cost $6.99, bringing my total over $30 and allowing me to use the $5/$30 coupon.

Hope these tips help you save even more!

Here's what I got at Publix:

2 Original Cheerios @ $1.99 = $3.98
- 2 $0.50 off ONE BOX Original Cheerios cereal
= $2.98 for two, or $1.49 each

2 Kikkoman soy sauce, 5 oz, @ $1.23 = $2.46
- 2 Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) Kikkoman product
= 46¢ for two, or 23¢ each

2 Ragu sauce @ BOGO $2.57
- $0.40/2 Ragu Item, exp. 8/25/13 (RP 07/28/13 R)
-  $1/2 Ragu Pasta Sauces, exp. 8/2/13 (Publix Meals On The Go Flyer)
=  $1.17 for two, or 59¢ each

2 Kraft Deluxe macaroni & cheese @ BOGO $2.99
- $1/1 Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese Dinner, Rotini & Cheese or Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Home Mailer, exp. 8/30/13 (Publix Stocking Spree Home Mailer)
= $1.99 for two, or $1.00 each

2 Crisco extra virgin olive oil @ BOGO $5.99
- $0.75/1 Crisco oil Publix digital coupon
= $5.24 for two, or $2.62 each

2 Wishbone salad dressing @ BOGO $2.89
- $0.65/2 Wish-Bone or Western Dressing, exp. 8/25/13 (RP 07/28/13 R)
- 2 $1/1 Wish-Bone Dressing, exp. 8/2/13 (Publix Meals On The Go Flyer)
= 24¢ for two, or 12¢ each

2 Vigo arborio rice @ 2/$2.89 (clearance) = $2.89

2 White House applesauce cups @ BOGO $2.69
= $1.35 each

1 Purex detergent @ $6.99
- FREE Purex coupon (value up to $6.00)
= 99¢

- $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie coupon (Enjoy the City)

- $10 gift card (May Running Out? Run In rebate)

Tax: 42¢
Total spent: $4.07
Total saved including rebate: $55.05

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