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Dollar stores are the place to get deals on your household goods and supplies. Dollar General is a popular dollar store that has quickly become home for extreme couponers.
Stocking up on huge grocery hauls for cheap, getting freebies, and buying penny items are among a few of the Dollar General couponing tips you’ll be learning about. Keep reading to learn these tricks to help you get the most bang for your budget!
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14 Dollar General Couponing Tips
These Dollar General couponing tips are great for anybody who can shop their local Dollar General. We’re revealing couponing hacks, how to get the most savings, tips on getting one cent and free items and so much more. Check out our 14 Dollar General couponing tips below.
1. Get the App
Dollar General has a free app that you can download to your cell phone. This app is a goldmine to the latest sales, coupons (including digital coupons) and free shipping offers the store offers.
There are many features including:
Weekly Ads: This section is dedicated to your current DG ads. You can view the actual ad right on your cell phone to check out the deals and sales going on for the week.
Digital Coupons: It’s just that, Dollar General digital coupons to help you save money. You’ll most always see the $5 off $25 Saturday deal along with coupons off other name brand and store brand products.
When you find a coupon you want to snag, just click the “+” symbol to that digital coupon to the “My Coupons” section of the app. To redeem, complete your DG shopping trip and type your phone number into the pin pad at checkout. Easy!
Shop: This section of the app lets you shop online right from your phone. You can use the store locator tool in this section to find a DG store close to you.
Store Locator: Locate a DG store near you in this tab of the app, along with in the Shop section (above). Once you locate a store, you can Call Store, Get Directions, or Remove the Store (if previously saved).
One feature you love about the DG app is the Coupon Policy, available right in the Settings. If you’re at the register and there is ever a question from the checker, you can whip out the coupon policy right there! It’s also great for glancing at while shopping in store, if you are unsure about a deal.
2. Use Store Coupons
In addition to using the app, you can also visit the Dollar General website and print store coupons. Do this! These coupons can be used alongside manufacturer coupons for maximum savings.
All the places to find DG coupons:
- Digital coupons via the app
- Printed coupons via website
- On your DG receipt
3.) Use Manufacturer Coupons
Dollar General accepts manufacturer coupons. This includes printed coupons and digital coupons. Not sure where to get coupons? Check out these 14 best places to get coupons!
The easiest way to get manufacturer coupons are from your local newspaper or the mail. Stocking up on half a dozen newspapers isn’t unheard of in the couponing community. The savings will far outweigh the cost of the papers.
You can also get coupons right in the mail. How? Ask for them. It’s really that easy.
Step 1.) Contact the manufacturer
Visit the manufacturer website and find the “Contact” page, then reach out.
Step 2.) Craft your pitch
Express how much you love the product or give another compliment. Be honest, talk about how you use the product and don’t forget to mention the product by name. You don’t necessarily have to ask for coupons, but you certainly can. Give your feedback and share what other products you would find helpful for your family.
That’s it! Here is a huge list of manufacturers and contact information to get you started!
Need more places to scope out coupons?
4. Get familiar with DG’s Coupon Policy
You can find their coupon policy here. Read over it and get familiar. You can also find it on their app. A few key points you’ll want to remember:
- Free item coupons not accepted
- BOGO coupons accepted
- Visible, valid expiration date on coupon
- Original coupons, no photocopies
- Stacking is allowed in certain scenarios. Read more on stacking here
- No expired coupons
- No screenshot coupons
- No internet coupons without a barcode
You’ll want to go over the coupon policy thoroughly. The more you coupon, the easier it should get.
5. Take advantage of $5 off $25 Saturdays
Every Saturday, DG gives you $5 your order of $25. There’s a limit of one coupon per transaction. If you shopped DG during the week, usually the $5 off Saturday coupon is printed right on the receipt. It’s also available on the app.
The $5 off $25 deal is considered a Dollar General promotion. You want to pair this with another coupon (stacking) to get more savings.
6. Check out the clearance aisles
Clearance aisles are where the best savings are. You can find BOGO, 50% off, and other great deals so keep your eyes open. I’ve gone to the register before with a clearance $5 toy truck and paid $0.35 for it! Here are some key times you’ll get good deals from DG’s clearance aisles:
- Seasonal transitions (Winter to Spring, Summer to Fall, etc.)
- After holiday (Halloween, Christmas, etc.)
Don’t miss the clothing aisle either. The kids collection offers some incredible deals, where you can get matching sets (sweatsuits, pajama sets, etc.) for single digit prices sometimes.
7. Scope out the $1 aisle
The $1 aisle is like being a kid in a candy store for couponers. You can get awesome savings on name brand items. If you pair that deal with a coupon, your final price can end up being very low, making your wallet happy.
Examples of $1 goods you can find:
- Large snack size chips
- Hand soap
- Toothpaste
- Zipper sandwich bags
- Cleaning supplies
- Snack cakes
- Baking mixes
Make it a point to check out this aisle for every Dollar General shopping trip you take.
8. The Weekly Ad
This ad comes out every week and contains the store’s sales and discounts for that period. Look for the ad in your local newspaper, at the entry of your Dollar General or on the app.
9. Get on the Facebook groups
Dollar General couponing has a cult following. Head to Facebook and find these DG couponing Facebook groups and you will learn a lot.
Here is a list of groups to get you started:
- One Cute Couponer
- Couponing at Dollar General Too
- Dollar General Penny Shopping
- Dollar General Couponing
10. Find deals on YouTube
Like Facebook, there are extreme couponing experts taking to YouTube to share their amazing finds at DG. Subscribe to their channel to get the latest on penny deals, freebies, and more. Here are some YouTube personalities to check out:
11.) Check up on couponing deals on blogs
Check these couponing blogs to find out how to stack coupons and get cheap and free stuff at Dollar General:
If you sign up for notifications, you can get alerted when new deals have come out or “glitches” happen. A glitch is an error that Dollar General has that provides huge benefit to the consumer. These “glitches” can result in getting free items, huge discounts, cash back toward your purchase and more! When a glitch happens, in most cases you have a limited time to take advantage before DG realizes the error and corrects it.
Here are some examples of recent DG glitches that happened, shared on blogs and on YouTube:
These glitches happen more often than you would think. Those who are lucky enough to benefit from the glitch are usually subscribed or signed up for couponing blogs and social media. If you don’t want to miss out on these deals, consider subscribing to your favorites.
12. Aim for Overages
An overage happens when the value of the coupon exceeds the price of the item. That means if you buy an item for $1 with a $2 OFF coupon, you have a credit for $1. Now, you won’t get cashback from the coupon but you can use that $1 credit to apply to the rest of your order. Being mindful of overages can help you lower your bill down a lot.
13. Coupon Stacking
This is how overages can happen! Stacking means you are using multiple coupons to get the most savings. You can combine a manufacturer coupon and a DG coupon, for example.
Here’s an easy way to do it:
Combine a manufacturer coupon with the $5 off $25 Saturday deal.
Another example from Yes We Coupon:
Step 1.) BUY 5 Angel Soft 12 pack $5
Step 2.) USE $5 off $25 Dollar General Digital Coupon and USE (5) $1 off Angel Soft bath tissue, 12 roll+, or 6 mega roll+
Step 3.) Enjoy a final price of $3 each!
Try this out. There are a bunch of ways you can combine and stack coupons for ultimate savings.
14. Go for Penny Items
What the heck are penny items? You might be thinking this. I’ve mentioned penny items a few times above. Here’s how it works.
These items have been marked down and still remain unsold. When you buy them, they will be $.01!
The inventory can vary greatly and once they are identified as $.01 on the register, DG employees rush to pull them off the shelves.
There are whole communities dedicated to DG penny shopping so savings can be passed onto consumers. Read all about DG penny items and hacks right here.
Final Recap
There is tons of opportunity to save with Dollar General.
Need some more tips? Pair these DG couponing tips with these shopping hacks to save even more.
With this local gem available in most areas, you don’t want to miss out! Share your Dollar General couponing tips down below in comments!
