HOW TO SHOP AT JO-ANN’S LIKE A BOSS

leafypeachy:

vicious-cosplay:

Since I posted this on a friends wall… I thought I’d share this with you.
This, and shopping in fashion districts, is literally how I afford to do the cosplays I do.

GETTING COUPONS

1. Sign up for the mailing list to get the physical coupons
2. Sign up for the e-mail list to get the email coupons
3. Get the smartphone app for even more coupons
4. Go to this site to get MORE coupons. This will give you another generic email coupon sometimes as well as the semi-broken mobile joanns app that has EVEN MORE coupons
5. If you’re not buying fabric or sewing notations, bring Michaels and AC Moore coupons since you can use AS MANY as those that you can use since they accept all competitor coupons

THINGS ABOUT JO-ANN COUPONS

• The mobile app for apple and droid give out different coupon codes
• Mailer coupons (like the ones with your name on it), I’ve so far noticed, have unique codes per customer
• E-mail coupons that are unique per customer if it has your name on the coupon (like mailer ones)
• The derpy mobile Jo-Ann’s app has a different code than the apple/droid mobile Jo-Ann’s
• If the code is different by 1 number, you can use both coupons in one purchase
• All Michaels and AC Moore coupons (including mobile/digital) works on all Jo-Ann’s products other than sewing stuff

RULES OF THUMB

• Jo-Anns runs 50% coupons during major holidays, two coupon commotions per year, and usually every 3 weeks otherwise
• Looking for Casa Fabric? Wait for Prom, Easter, and Christmas
• Casa Fabric I’ve noticed goes down to flat rate prices of 3.99-4.99/yrd three times a year. Want that 18/yrd fabric? Wait till its 4 bucks.
• Looking for Brocade, Unique Fabrics or Patterns? Wait for Halloween
• Brocade tends to go 50% off at least once every two months I’ve noticed
• Looking for Fleece? Wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas
• Blizzard Fleeces go on crazy sales around Black Friday, but it can be extremely hard to get it on those days so be weary
• If your fabric is on sale this week for 30% off, and you have a 50% off coupon for the next two weeks, wait for the sale to drop and pick it up with a coupon
• Patterns tend to go on sale for $1-2 every couple of weeks. It normally is a one day sale for a certain brand one week, and then a one day sale for another brand the week after. Stock up on patterns you think you may use (This is especially good around Halloween)
• Unless you’re pressed for time, always wait for the 50% off sale or the 50% off coupon
• Mobile and digital coupons are unlimited. If you’re not too far from your Jo-Ann’s you can make multiple trips
• You are more likely to get a 50% off coupon to use on non sale fabric then you are to find it on sale for more than 30% off
• If you’re shopping online and find the Teacher Discount code, you can use it without being a teacher! They can’t check online and thats an extra % off.

And my biggest rule for shopping at any craft store?

50% OFF OR BUST!

EDIT:

From Pancake Police

1. 1. If you’re a student, sign up for the Student Discount Card! When you run out of coupons, it’s nice to have this extra bonus that takes 10% off of your purchase. I believe it’s good for sale items too?
2. If you can’t find enough coupons from Joann’s, they’ll take competitor’s coupons too! (This is a little tricky— for fabric, they won’t take Michael’s or AC Moore’s because their competitors won’t sell it, but it’s good for beads, wire flowers, basically everything else. Hancock’s Fabric coupons should work for fabric, though!

From Srwar

• Not all mailer coupons have different barcodes per person, only the 40/50% off ones on the back of the mailer are different. Anything inside the mailer will be the same coupon code and thus you can’t use duplicates on the same transaction.
• Don’t be afraid to combine % off your total purchase coupons with % off items coupons. The % off your total purchase coupons will just come off of anything that the other coupons don’t apply to, including sale items. 
• Be nice to your cashier and hand them your coupons in the order that they should be scanned! Highest percentage off individual items first, moving down, and any % off total purchase coupons last. It makes your transaction faster and gets you the best deal possible. 
• Very occasionally, the notions wall and thread will all be 50% off, sometimes with a % off your total purchase coupon available simultaneously. Take advantage of these times and stock up on notions and thread! 25% off of notions already 50% off is nothing to sneeze at. (The last time this happened was New Year’s and I believe it happens at least one other time every year.)

Fantastic for those of you who have a Joanns nearby! We don’t have any here in the south 😥