MrsDrPoe: A Beginners Guide to Couponing, Part 9

Happy Money Monday to all!  Today we'll be revisiting out "Beginners Guide to Couponing" series with some tips on how to save money at a store I've gotten a lot of great deals at recently, JCPenny.


Initiation


Like most department stores, anyone can shop at JCPenny and get sale prices on items without a store credit or membership card.  However, in order to better take advantage of the deals at JCP, you should sign up for the JCP Rewards Program and link up to three of your credit or debit cards to your account so your purchases made at JCP with the card(s) can earn rewards for you.  If you wish, you can also apply for a JCP Rewards Credit Card (platinum, gold, or red) for 25% more rewards points and other perks (this may be a good option for you if you're credit card shopping to avoid monthly debit card fees).


The rewards program gives you 1 point per every $1 spent in store and online with your registered card(s) (including the purchase of clearance items).  For every 250 points you earn, you will receive $10 in JCP Rewards, usable toward anything in the store.  Also, each month you spend at least $1.00 at JCP, you will earn double points (2 per $1 spent) the following month.


Preparation

Just as with any other couponing adventure, before going to the store, you should make a list of items you're interested in and see what coupons are available.  Every week, I receive a text and/or an email with a x% off or $y off a purchase of $z.  (In September I got two texts for $10 off a purchase of $10 or more in Liz Claiborne and in Call It Spring items.)  You can often obtain additional 15-20% off coupons by reviewing a previous purchase (must be done within one week of the purchase date).  Although most coupons do not stack, you can use the $10 JCP Rewards that you earn with percentage off coupons, making your rewards even sweeter.


Another aspect of couponing at JCP that one should be aware of is the awarding of bonus points for shopping on a certain day or for purchasing a certain brand (these are indicated on the "bonus" and "my accounts" tabs on the JCP Rewards site).  For instance, I earned 25 points just shopping on Columbus Day, 50 points for purchasing a clearance Liz Claiborne shirt, and 50 points for purchasing a Total Girl shirt- 125 points in addition to those earned for each dollar I spent.  So in a single purchase ($4.26 OOP), I ended up over 1/2 way to earning a $10 reward for this month.


Implementation


When I go to my local store, I look around for the types of items I had on my list, snatch them up, and try them on when necessary.  Then I make my purchases, present my coupon(s), and check-out with my registered card.  When record of my purchase shows up on my JCP Rewards online account about two days later, I double check to make sure everything is correct, and look forward to my next reward.  Also, at the end of each month, I've also received an email with links to brief video adds that I could watch for 50 rewards points each.  




I hope this information helps you...especially with the holidays coming up!