Once you see how much you can save at Dollar General and see all these huge hauls you may feel a need to chase after every Dollar General deal you see. Well my advice is to slow down. Couponing is about saving money and stocking up on essentials when there are good deals. Not going broke just because there is a deal or others have these huge hauls! Many deals and sales on products follow a cycle (about every 6-8 weeks). Figure out how much of a certain product your family will use in a 6-8 week period and stock up on that item when there is a good sale.
Coupon Lingo and abbreviations:
When following coupon blogs and social media sites you soon realize that couponers have a language of their own. It may leave you a little confused at first so here is a list of what all the jargon means.
*P&G-Proctor and Gamble
*SP-Stockpile
*SS-Smart Source coupon insert
*PG-Proctor and Gamble coupon insert
*RP– Red Plum coupon insert
*Peelies-sticker like coupons found on products.
*MQ-Manufacturers Coupon
*DQ-Digital Coupon
*NLA-No Longer Available
*OOP-Out of Pocket Expense
*Q or CPN-Coupon
*YMMV-Your Mileage May Vary (A deal may work for someone else, but may not for you.)
*TMF-Try Me Free offer
*FAR-Free After Rebate
*CAT-Catalina coupon (Manufacturer coupons that print out from a machine at the register depending on what you buy.)
*B1G1F, B2G1F-”Buy one get one Free”, “Buy two get one Free”
*UPC-Universal product code (those black straight lines with numbers under them)
*POP-Proof of purchase (like a product label or UPC)
*DCRT-Dated cash register receipt
*GC-Gift Card
*MM-Money Maker or overage
*Glittering/Balaced-Using a coupon on the wrong product, wrong size, or quantity. (This is illegal and frowned upon) Just because it scans doesn’t make it ok!
WYB-When you buy
WYS-When you spend
Getting Started
The best way to start saving is just getting organized. Get familiar with stores coupon policy, check store flyers, clip coupons, start a coupon binder if you want use paper coupons. Follow our Dollar General Coupon Group for deals and breakdowns, download money saving apps such as Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, Checkout51, & Kellogg’s Rewards. Make shopping lists, and stick to a budget.
FAQ
How do I use the Dollar General app?
The Dollar General app is a great tool to find prices for your store and check what digital coupons will work with products. It is not a very good tool for making scenarios. The app rarely predicts correct price when trying to figure out scenarios with instant savings or the $5/25 store coupon. Just be aware of this when using the app.
To scan items to find out matching coupons go to either coupon tab or list tab. In the upper right hand corner you will see a barcode symbol. Click that and then scan barcode of product to find matching coupons.
To check prices of products simply use search icon which looks like a magnifying glass. Type in product and it will show prices of all those products as well as similar products. It will also show you any deals or coupons available for those products!
To change stores (stores prices vary depending on location) go to more icon in the bottom right hand corner. Then go to stores. Then change location.
I have found that if my app starts acting weird simply delete app and then download again. This usually takes out any kinks and updates app.
Where do I find the coupons?
Go to Dollar General website and sign up under digital coupons. Follow the step-by-step directions and then start clipping. The coupons will be added to your account.
You can also find coupons in your Sunday paper, and printable coupons from our Julies Freebies coupon print page- HERE. Check manufacturer websites for coupons and email companies and tell them how much you love their products. They may mail you coupons as a thank you! Also check products for peelie coupons that are attached to the product you are purchasing.
How do I use the Dollar General digital coupons in-store?
Using the coupons are very easy. Just buy your products and enter the phone number associated with your account in the pin pad at checkout. They system will then deduct all applicable coupons from your total.
Can I combine a Dollar General digital coupon with a paper coupons or other digitals?
In most cases no. Most Dollar General digital coupons are manufacture coupons and can not be combined with the same or similar coupons. You can however combine a manufacture coupon with a store coupon. (See examples below.) This is called stacking and is allowed.
What is Dollar General’s Coupon Policy?
We have provided a direct link to Dollar General’s Coupon policy HERE. To find other store’s policies simply search their websites. You should always check each store’s policies before trying to coupon at that particular store.
What can I do if some of my coupons do not come off properly?
There are a few different things you can do in this instance. First of all make sure that you have clipped the coupon. If you are sure that coupon is clipped you can ask cashier to check your digitals and sometimes they will manually take off coupon amount. Or you can void the transaction. But please be kind and offer to put back merchandise. Lastly you can go ahead and purchase product and return at a later date.
When do new Dollar General coupons come out?
Most coupons come out on Sundays just like the coupon inserts that come in the Sunday papers. But periodically check your digital accounts throughout the week because they usually release a few throughout the week as well. Make sure and clip any coupon that you want to use ASAP. If you don’t clip them right away they can become NLA (no longer available to clip) and you will miss out on deals.
Why do some people have different coupons? Or why can’t I find a coupon that others have?
Some digital coupons are only released for a short period of time and then they become NLA to clip. Meaning if you did not clip it already its gone. That is why it is important to check your accounts often.
Some coupons are also regional. Based on the zip code you provided when signing up determines what coupons you will receive. Some areas may get a $0.50 off coupon and others may get a $1.00.
Do Dollar General stores loose money when we use coupons?
The answer is most definitely NOT. Coupons are a form of payment. Each store mails coupons back to manufacture to receive compensation. They also receive a handling fee for paper coupons. Coupons are used as an incentive from the manufacture to get customers to buy their particular product vs the competitors.
How do I figure out how many products and coupons to use during a B(x)G(x) sale?
When there is a sale for example B2G1 (buy 2 get 1) and you have coupons that are B1G1 (buy 1 get 1) it can get a bit confusing to figure out exactly how many products you should buy and coupons you should use to save the most money. We have provided a chart to help. (see below)
How do I get the lowest OOP when using the $5/25 Dollar General Coupon?
The best possible way to get a low OOP (out of pocket) is to wait when your coupons can be stacked with a $5/25 or other store coupon. I always figure out what will be the most expensive item I need and combine that with free or low oop items. For example I need dog food. The store has Alpo Dog food for $7.95 with a $1.00 off coupon. I will combine that with free or low oop items so that most of my $5 store coupon goes towards the remaining balance of the dog food. Make sure and check with our Dollar General Coupon Group for Dollar General Digital Coupon scenarios!
What order do I give coupons at checkout?
I personally always put in my digital number first. That way all store coupons are applied first, then manufacturer digitals, then I hand over paper coupons. You can give paper coupons first if you would like or if you have a paper coupon that has a higher value than a digital. Just make sure you put your phone number in pin pad before cashier hits total.
Does my total need to be $25 before or after coupons to use my $5 off $25 Dollar General store coupon?
You total needs to be $25 before coupons are applied but $25 after all instant savings and sales are applied. For example if you buy bath tissue that has an instant savings such as Spend $15 Save $3 instantly the $3 will be automatically applied and only $12 will go towards your total.
How do I find out if there is a coupon for a certain product I need?
Use the Dollar General app to check if there are products with coupon matchups. Read coupon details to ensure that the coupon does not exclude certain sizes, varieties, or count.
Why won’t cashier let me use more than one coupon even though I was buying two products?
Make sure you are reading your coupons very carefully. Some coupons state ONE COUPON PER TRANSACTION PER DAY. Meaning you may only use one coupon period. Other coupons may say 2 per transaction or shopping trip. Some coupons do not state a limit but Dollar General policy will only allow 5 like coupons.
How many times can I use a Dollar General digital coupon?
Digitals are a one time use only. Once it is been used it is no longer available for other transactions.
What if a coupon is a higher value than product?
This is called overage or a MM (money maker) and is allowed as long as coupon is being used on correct product/size. Coupon overage can not be paid to customer and you will have to buy other products for overage to be applied to.
If I have a paper $5/25 and a digital one can I use both in the same transaction if I buy $50 in products?
No. These types of store coupons can not be combined. You can however do multiple transactions of $25. Keep in mind digitals are a one time use.
I can’t find some of my digital coupons I had clipped and why is my app not working?
If some of your coupons are not showing up in your app then try using a web browser and go directly to Dollar General Website. The app rarely shows all available coupons.
If my Dollar General App shows a coupon attaching to a product it excludes is it still coupon misuse?
Yes! Sometimes the way a coupon is coded allows it to work on wrong variety, count, size, etc. ALWAYS read coupon details to ensure you are not using a digital coupon on an excluded item. Even though it may work to make an item free or cheap does not mean you should. This is still considered as glittering or balanced couponing and it is wrong. These types of transactions/hauls can not be shared or approved in any of our groups.
Don’t Get Discouraged
When you first start off with Couponing at Dollar General you may feel a bit overwhelmed. Start slow and watch what deals others are sharing. If a cashier or store are not particularly coupon friendly then try a different store or shop at a different time of day. If you are trying a big haul let others know behind you in line or move to end of line so you don’t get nervous or aggravate people in line behind you. Just remember that any savings is better than no savings and if you stick with it then you can save $100s of dollars a month!
