By Dana Zeliff
Columnist

One of the great secrets of couponing is coupon stacking. Once you realize that some stores allow you to use both a store coupon and a manufacture’s coupon on one item, the whole world of coupons seems a bit brighter.

Stacking coupons allows you to increase your savings and walk away with even more free or almost-free products than using single coupons.

There are two important rules to remember when stacking coupons. First, not all stores allow coupon stacking or offer store coupons. CVS, Rite Aid, Target and Walgreens are all national stores that offer the opportunity to stack coupons.

Second, you can’t use two manufacturer’s coupons on one product. The fine print on coupons expressly forbids combining two manufacturer’s coupons on one product. One of the coupons you are stacking must be a store coupon. You should always follow any restrictions set forth by the manufacturer or the store.

See the example below in order to better understand how coupon stacking works:

Buy one box of Trix Cereal at $2. Use $1 off one box of Trix manufacture’s coupon. Stack with $1 off one box of Trix CVS store coupon. You get free Trix cereal after coupons.

The best way to maximize coupon stacking is to shop during a sale or to submit a rebate after purchase. CVS’ regular price isn’t $2, but a weekly sale may include this lower price. Purchasing the cereal at full price with coupons will save you some money, but you won’t get as great a bargain as you could with a sale.

Do not forget about coupon stacking when you shop online. Some stores, such as Kohl’s, will allow you to use multiple coupon codes on a single purchase. You could stack a percent-off coupon code with a free shipping code to get a great bargain.

So remember, coupon stacking equals more cheap or free products for your home. Take advantage of stores that allow you to use multiple coupons on one product and let coupon-stacking increase your savings.

Dana Zeliff lives in Chesapeake and writes a blog full of money-saving tips, coupons and advice. Visit her blog at www.thecouponchallenge.com.