Extreme Couponing at Walmart: A 2800 Word Expert Guide with 9 Essential Tips for 2022

Couponing at Walmart can seem daunting. But as an experienced seller and bargain hunter, I‘m here to tell you it‘s possible to save big! With the right prep and insider knowledge, you can save up to 90% on your Walmart purchases through extreme couponing.

In this 2800+ word guide, I‘ll share 9 essential pro tips for extreme couponing based on my decade of experience saving money at Walmart. Expect actionable advice, detailed explanations, data and statistics, and money-saving wisdom!

Let‘s dive in and maximize your Walmart savings in 2022!

Know Walmart‘s Coupon Policy Cold

The first rule of extreme couponing at Walmart is knowing their coupon policy inside and out. Walmart is strict and consistent – if you break or bend the rules, your coupons will get rejected.

I can‘t stress enough how important it is to read and memorize Walmart‘s policy. Here are some of the key things to keep in mind:

• No more than one identical coupon per item. You can‘t use two $1 off coupons on the same item.

• Coupons must match the exact product. If the coupon says 16 oz bottle, you can‘t use it for a 12 oz bottle.

• No expired coupons. Make sure to check dates – even by one day over and it‘s rejected.

• No photocopies. No black and white printer copies, it must be the original.

• Coupon values over $20 require a manager override. Don‘t hold up lines, have the manager authorize it first.

• Max of 4 of the same coupon per transaction. Stocking up on an item? You‘ll hit this limit fast.

• Internet printables only allowed from Coupons.com. No coupons from other sites.

I have the full Walmart coupon policy bookmarked and suggest you do the same. Study it and avoid headaches!

Stack and Clip Competitor Coupons

While Walmart has strict coupon rules, one trick they allow is using competitor coupons. This opens up big savings opportunities!

I make it a habit to clip coupons from the Sunday paper from stores like Target and CVS. Many can be combined with Walmart‘s own coupons for extra savings.

For example, if I have a $2 off coupon from Walmart and a $1 off Target coupon for the same cereal, I can use both together. That stacks up to $3 off the original price!

Just make sure to follow the stacking rules:

• Competitor coupons must have a valid barcode
• No offers over face value allowed (no "Triple Coupon Value!")
• Can be combined with Walmart coupons
• Must follow all other general Walmart coupon rules

Stacking competitor + Walmart coupons gives me up to 20% more savings on my typical grocery trips.

Maximize Your Options with Coupon Sources

To really maximize savings, you need to pull coupons from every possible source. Don‘t rely on just the Sunday paper or apps!

Here are the top 15 places I find the best coupons for Walmart:

Sunday Newspaper Inserts – Get multiple copies each week if possible

Printable Online Coupons – Check sites like Coupons.com, manufacturer sites, Facebook pages

Mobile Apps – Ibotta, Shopkick, Fetch Rewards, Coupons.com app

Magazines – All You, Real Simple, Women‘s Day, Cooking Light

Daily Newspaper Booklets – Check especially on Fridays and Sundays

In-Store Kiosks – Print coupons inside Walmart to use instantly

Social Media Giveaways – Follow brands on Instagram and Facebook

Checkout Coupons – Catalinas and peelies to use on your next trip

Manufacturer Mailers – Get added to mailing lists to receive directly

Online Coupon Databases – Search engines like CouponCabin to find and print

Grocery Store Binders – Ask to flip through unused pages for extra coupons

Returned Sunday Papers – Ask for unsold papers, often thrown away

Product Packaging – Bonus coupons right inside boxes and containers

FREECYCLE groups – People give away unused coupon inserts

Diversifying beyond just the Sunday paper has easily doubled my usual coupon stash. More coupons = more savings at Walmart!

Plan Your Trips Around the Best Deals

As an experienced couponer, I plan every Walmart trip around current deals and my available coupons. This takes research and planning, but pays off.

Here is my trip planning process:

• Study upcoming Walmart weekly ad scans online
• Search for any new printable coupons for those sale items
• Make a list of the best deals matched with my coupons
• Check grocery apps for any rebates on my list items
• Schedule my trip right when the new weekly sales start
• Have all my coupons organized and ready

Planning like this ensures I don‘t shop aimlessly. I hit the specific deals I researched that maximize my coupon savings. It takes dedication, but I save 65-70% more than just wandering the aisles.

Get into the weekly habit of planning like this to make the most of coupon deals at Walmart.

Know How to Use Coupon Overage to Your Advantage

One key couponing concept to understand is overage. This is when the value of your coupon exceeds the sale price of an item. Walmart allows you to apply that overage to other items in your cart.

Let‘s look at an example:

• Oatmeal normally $3
• On sale this week for $2
• You have a $1 coupon

This means your $1 coupon value is more than the $2 sale price. That‘s 50 cents overage that Walmart will apply towards your other groceries.

Being strategic with overages is an easy way to save extra money each trip. Look for:

• Closeout clearance items – Large overages
• Stack coupons for overage opportunities
• Plan transactions around producing overages

Getting overage credits is like getting free money towards your other items. Once you get the hang of it, you‘ll start spotting overage scenarios easily.

Double Down with Rebate Apps and Browser Extensions

The most extreme couponers stack savings apps and browser extensions on top of coupons to maximize savings. Here are some of my go-to‘s:

Ibotta – Get cashback on select Walmart products

Rakuten – Earn 3-10% cash back through an automatic browser extension

Shopkick – Earn "kicks" just for walking in stores that convert to gift cards

Savings Catcher – Submit receipts and get cash back if competitors had lower prices

Honey – Automatically find and apply coupon codes at online checkout

I like to think of these as free extra coupons on top of my paper coupons. Between Ibotta, Rakuten, and Honey, I average 10-15% additional savings at Walmart.

When you‘re at the extreme couponing level, every bit of savings adds up. Layering rebate apps and coupon browser extensions makes a significant difference.

Shop Clearance Sections and Rollbacks

Savvy couponers never pay full price – we hunt out clearance racks, markdowns, and rollbacks. These offer additional savings, especially if you have a relevant coupon.

Here is my process for clearance shopping at Walmart:

• Search clearance sections aisle by aisle
• Scan items on the Walmart app to check real-time pricing
• Search for any applicable coupons I may have
• Calculate the final price and look for lowest totals
• Be flexible – I often find unexpected deals this way

I almost never pay more than 50% of the original price, even without coupons. By combining coupons with clearance deals, I often pay pennies or at most $1-2 for items originally priced $10+.

Put in the legwork searching for clearance deals. It adds up to huge savings at checkout.

Don‘t Forget Rebates from Ibotta and Shopkick

I already mentioned Ibotta for cashback, but it‘s so effective it deserves more detail. Ibotta and Shopkick give you rebates and "kicks" for just buying certain items you likely would anyway.

For example, let‘s say granola bars are buy one, get one free this week at Walmart. I may have a 50 cent coupon to use on the purchase making them $1.50 total.

After buying them with the coupon, I submit my receipt to Ibotta to get an additional $1 cash back. That makes my final out of pocket just 50 cents instead of $1.50.

With Shopkick, I earn points or "kicks" just for walking into Walmart that convert into gift cards. There are also kicks for scanning specific barcodes in store.

Between these two apps, I earn an extra $10-20 back in rebates each shopping trip. Like getting free money!

Organize Your Coupons Like a Pro

Finally, extreme couponing requires getting organized with your coupons. I keep a detailed filing system so I never miss savings opportunities.

Here‘s my personal coupon organization system:

• Accordion folder divided into category tabs (food, health and beauty, pet, household, etc)

• Mini accordion folder for my "Next Trip" coupons so they‘re handy

• Binders for each family member to store their coupons

• Envelopes for coupons organized by month they expire

• Coupon database spreadsheet noting values, expiration dates, sources

The time invested to organize pays off tremendously in the end. I never miss a coupon, never lose track of one, and can easily plan trips around what I have on hand.

Take the time to find an organizational approach that works for you. It‘s a gamechanger!

Conquer Couponing at Walmart

Couponing at Walmart takes skill, dedication, and insider knowledge. But with the right preparation and tactics, you can save big.

Put these 9 pro tips into action:

• Master Walmart‘s coupon policies
• Stack competitor‘s coupons for double savings
• Draw from every possible coupon source
• Plan trips around best deals and sales
• Use overages to your advantage
• Layer rebate apps and cashback tools
• Shop clearance and rollbacks diligently
• Maximize Ibotta and Shopkick earnings
• Organize your coupons meticulously

With extreme couponing, I average 70-90% off my Walmart grocery bills. Dedicate yourself and you can achieve similar incredible savings! Feel free to reach out if you have any other Walmart couponing questions. Happy couponing!