Michaels

Tips and Tricks to Save Money at Michaels

A crafter's paradise, Michaels gives customers a huge variety of products and lots of ways to save. Here's what you need to know to sort through the discounts, coupons, and exclusions to save the most money at Michaels, in store and online.

How to Get the Best Deals at Michaels.com

• Use a coupon code. Michaels always has a variety of coupon codes available, including the usual code for 40% off one regular price item and other codes for specific discounts (20-30%) off certain brands or types of products. Only one coupon code can be used per transaction and codes expire every Saturday. Visit CreditDonkey for a list of current coupon codes.

• Sign up for emails. Michaels sends out exclusive deals and coupons to email subscribers. Some coupons only work online and others only work in store, so be sure to read the fine print before using.

• Ship to store. If there is a Michaels near you, take advantage of the free ship-to-store service on most products to avoid paying shipping fees. Most items arrive at the store in about a week, where they are then held for pickup for a few weeks. Ship-to-store allows you to take advantage of online-only deals without worrying about shipping costs.

• Bundle items. Shipping costs are based on the total amount of your order after coupon codes are applied, meaning shipping costs are higher the more you spend. Save money by combining all of your purchases into one order—it is cheaper to ship one $30 order ($7.95 standard shipping) than two $15 orders ($6.95 standard shipping per order). Michaels occasionally releases free shipping codes, but not on a regular basis.

• Return in store. Michaels doesn’t cover the expense of shipping return items, but you can return online purchases in the store at no cost. Depending on the store, you may also be able to exchange an online purchase for a similar item, which you can’t do online.

In store

• Use a coupon. Michaels releases coupons in the Sunday paper, with discounts that run from Sunday-Saturday. There is typically a coupon for 40% off one regular priced item each week, as well as a framing coupon for 40-60% off. On occasion, there are additional coupons for special events. The same coupons can also be printed from the Michaels website.

• Use the mobile app. Besides other features, Michaels always has coupons on its mobile app. These coupons can’t be combined with printed or newspaper coupons, but it is a more convenient way to get a deal, and you’ll usually have access to a better selection of coupons. For instance, a typical week of app coupons includes 40% off one item, plus a few coupons for 40-50% off certain brands or even your entire purchase in certain areas. To use in store, simply pull up the coupon and have the cashier scan the barcode. New app coupons are released every Sunday, but they don’t always follow the Sunday-Saturday schedule of printed coupons.

• Apply a discount. Michaels offers 3 discounts every day. These offers can’t be combined with other offers, so they might not always get you the best deal over using another coupon. Teachers get 15% off their entire classroom-related purchase, military personnel and families get 10% off by showing their military ID at the register, and seniors over age 55 get 10% off by showing their ID at the register.

• Use a competitor’s coupon. Michaels accepts coupons from AC Moore, JoAnn Fabric, Ben Franklin, and Hobby Lobby, but the coupon must be for a percentage off a single item, not off the entire purchase. For example, Michaels will accept a Hobby Lobby coupon for 40% off one item but not a JoAnn Fabric coupon for 20% off the entire purchase. You can combine one of the allowed competitor’s coupons with a Michaels coupon to maximize savings.

• Follow on social media. Michaels often announces flash sales and extra discounts on its Facebook page, such as an extra 20% off in store purchases for one day only.

• Join the text club. Learn about the latest deals as they happen by signing up for the text club to have updates sent to your phone. To join, text JOIN2 to CREATE.

When to Shop at Michaels

• Sundays and Mondays. Michaels releases new sales and coupons every Sunday. To get the best selection of sale items, head to the store early in the week.

• After holidays. Michaels has a large seasonal section around large holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. Items typically go on clearance right after the holiday, starting at 30-50% off and moving up to 90% off. You can get a deeper discount the longer you wait after the holiday, but the selection won’t be as good. Clearance is typically cleared completely from the shelves within two week of the holiday.

• Late June-early July. Michaels spends the summer trying to get rid of inventory to make room for new products. From late June to early July, much of the store features discounts of an additional 70% off clearance and reduced items.

What to Buy at Michaels

• Wedding invitations and décor. Michaels has a large selection of wedding items, both pre-made and do-it-yourself. The wedding section doesn’t go on sale very often, but using a coupon on normal prices will give you a better deal than similar products elsewhere. One of the best deals is to purchase a DIY invitation kit with a coupon to save hundreds of dollars over other invite options.

• Frames. Michaels frequently runs sales in the pre-made frame section of buy one, get another for a penny. The custom framing department also has regular coupons in the weekly ad for discounts ranging from 40-70% off, which is a great deal for custom framing.

• Grab bags. Sporadically throughout the year (especially after large holidays), Michaels puts together $2 grab bags of old clearance and outdated products. You can’t see what’s in the bags and all sales are final, but the surprise products are always worth much more than $2. If you’re up for taking a risk, you can get great deals on seasonal and gift items.

• Fun Finds. An aisle lined with bins of bargain products, the Fun Finds section is typically towards the front of the store and tends to feature small gift items like notebooks, lotion, craft kits, and kids’ items. Items usually cost $1-$3, which is already a great price, but the entire aisle is discounted towards the end of each season to make room for new items.

What Not to Buy at Michaels

• Cricut machines and accessories. Michaels’ coupons don’t apply to Cricut products, and the machines and accessories are rarely discounted.

• As Seen on TV items. Coupons don’t apply to items in Michaels’ selection of products from TV infomercials, and the items rarely go on sale. The same products can be purchased for lower prices elsewhere.

• Large items online. Heavy and bulky items are subject to extra shipping costs when purchased online. Avoid the fees by purchasing the items in the store, using the ship-to-store option, or looking somewhere else.

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