Whether you call it a discount card, a loyalty card, or a store card, the CVS Extra Care Card can reap you generous rewards, if you use it right.

The Extra Care program allows the customer to purchase items and receive rebate coupons for later purchases printed on a receipt-like coupon. These coupons are called "Extra Bucks Rewards".

Using store circulars, grocery coupons, and your CVS Extra Care Card, you can get items for free or at least at deep discounts on a regular basis. They work very much in the same way that store rebates work, only you do not have to wait as long to get your money back.

I don't know if you have an ALDI Grocery Store in your neighborhood, but there is a good chance you do.  ALDI grocery stores were first introduced to US consumers in 1976 in southeastern Iowa. Now there are over 850 store in the United States (5000 internationally) and the store is ranked 24th in gross sales for grocery stores in the nation.

Shopping at ALDI is an interesting experience.

It was recently announced that the Kroger grocery store is partnering with several consumer-goods companies to deliver coupons via the cell phone.

My first thought was "how do you clip mobile coupons?"

I recently came across a story about a coupon train. A coupon train happens when a group of people gets together in an effort to share coupons.

The first person (the conductor) cuts all coupons from the paper and takes what they need. They pass the other unwanted coupons to the second person who takes what they need from the coupons and then adds their unwanted coupons to the pack.

Each consecutive person does the same thing, discarding any expired coupons along the way. Coupon trains are usually limited to a group of 10 or so people, and each person pledges to keep the train going. The group may re-start the train with the beginning person, and add or drop members at the end of each train.

I came across a special deal on Restaurant.com some time back where they were offering $25 meals for only $3. Needless to say, I purchased 10 of these coupons. The thought of getting a $23 savings on a restaurant meal was too good to pass up. My husband agreed.

While this was an extraordinary deal, Restaurant.com normally offers discounts of $15 selling $25 gift certificates for only $10. This is still a great deal.

I stopped clipping coupons a few years ago when I left New York. In New York, where most people's housing expenses topped half of their income, coupons were a necessity. Stores catered to coupon shoppers with double coupons and no cap on the amount. This meant that you could have a coupon of $1.50 and save $3.00 on the item when it only cost $2.97. Yes, you could make money at the grocery store!

However, when I moved south, where housing was much more reasonable, I found that the grocery stores were less accommodating to coupon shoppers. Few stores offer double coupons and most put a $1.00 cap on savings.

However, considering the condition of the current housing market, it may be time for me to break out some of that brightly colored money in the form of coupons.

Whether you're headed to the Redmond Town Center, the Oakbrook Mall, the University Mall, or the Mall of America...  Whatever your favorite mall happens to be, there are a few ways that you can actually save money when mall shopping these days!

Sometimes we just go there to hang out and other times we go there with particular items in mind, but most of the time when you head to the mall, you go with the intent of spending money.

Below are a few ways to decrease the amount of money you spend at the mall so you can keep building your savings, while still being able to buy what you need (or want!).

If you're anything like me, then every time you go to the grocery store you always end up getting more and SPENDING more than you thought you would.

I've compiled a few tips I've learned over the years to make sure I don't spend more than I need to.

As you know, shopping (both online and in brick & mortar stores) is incredibly popular during the months of November and December.

Not only is all of the hoopla surrounding Black Friday sales events getting bigger each year -- to the extent that many shoppers behave like maniacs on the day after Thanksgiving... But now, the retailers themselves are getting more competitive and doing more things to win over the average consumer.

This means YOU... and you can save big money, as a result!

As one example, for the first time ever, many retailers opened their doors at midnight on the night before Black Friday this year.

With more and more retailers fighting for your shopping dollar, there are a handful of ways that you can save big when you're shopping -- both online and in stores.