Catalina's
Catalina: Coupons that print out on separate machines next to cash registers at various stores.
Many of you know that Catalina's are one of the many coupon resources at your fingertips!
For my locals, the following stores have Catalina printing machines. Kmart, Kroger, and Ingles.
These coupons are triggered by certain purchases you make or certain amounts that you spend. Most of the time you don't know if you are going to get one or what you bought that caused one to print out for you. It's a game of chance for the most part!
There are forums on hotcouponworld that talk about current Catalina deals or Catalina's that are printing out. Members of that site post their findings to help everyone out!
Most of the time the Catalina's are for cents or dollars off of a certain item but occasionally they will print out coupons for a certain amount off of your next order when you purchase so many of one certain item!
Here are the 3 types of Catalina's
1.) An $ amount off of your next purchase when you buy 1 product.
Example: The most recent Catalina deal that I was able to take advantage of was at Kmart during one of their first "Double Coupon" days. If you purchased 1 Maalox liquid bottle you receive a Catalina for $2 off of your next order. The price of the Maalox was $4.XX and I had a $2 coupon that was doubled making the price of it less than $1. I received a $2 coupon and therefore profited on that purchase!
2.) An amount off of your next purchase when you buy multiples of 1 product. These Catalina Deals are advertised on Catalina's themselves BEFORE the deal goes into effect. They will have the start and end date along with the specific items required for purchase.
Example: This last summer Kroger ran an awesome Catalina Deal on Planter's Peanuts (I don't remember the exact prices so please don't quote me on this...I am just using it as an example). Here is what it would look like on the advertising Catalina...
Buy 2 Planter's Peanuts and get $2 off of your next order
Buy 3 Planter's Peanuts and get $3 off of your next order
Buy 4 or more Planter's Peanuts and get $6 off of your next order
To make the deal even sweeter there were multiple $3 off planters coupons and $3 off (I think that was the right amount) on any Kraft Cheese when you purchased 2 other Kraft product (Planter's is a Kraft product) coupons also! Ultimatley I was able to purchase 12 cans of peanuts and 6 packs of cheese for FREE using all of the coupons combined PLUS I profited $18 from the Catalina's!
3.) Cents or Dollar amounts off of a product or "Free" product Catalina's. These coupons often have higher amounts off of a product than regular manufacturer coupons. Normally you would see a $1/1 coupon for a product in a manufacturer coupon but a Catalina may be for $3 off of that same item. I have been able to get numerous "free" item coupons from Ingles. Some items have included Coffee and Cottonelle Wipes along with many others.
FYI: Catalina's are actually manufacturer coupons that can be used at any store that accepts coupons. Most stores WILL NOT take them if they have another store name on them. You will notice that each Catalina has the following information above the bar code..."Redeemable at XXX".
Tips: Keep an eye out!
It is corporate policy for the cashier's to make sure that they hand the Catalina's to the customer's. Occasionally they will forget but it is AGAINST there policy to keep them for themselves. Most of them just throw them away while others place them on the counter for other customer's to take! Self-Checkouts are a great source of outcast Catalina's. Many times they are just left hanging on the machine from the last person who checked out! Any time I see them I grab them!
My daughter is even in on the game! Any time she goes shopping with me she scouts them out and usually sees some before I do! I also look through the tops of the small trash cans that are located at the self-checkouts! I don't touch them if food or drink trash is in them but most of the time they just have paper trash in them!
I always ask the cashiers if they have any laying around! Once the cashiers get to know you they may even save a stack for you!
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