How Do You Save With WIC and/or Food Stamps

There have been a few emails from my readers, and Facebook fans/friends, with questions like this.
I am hoping to have some input from readers, as to how they used to save, or do save, or any ideas they have on saving and maybe earning a few bucks for toiletries and things that are not covered with WIC or food stamps.
I will also be starting a weekly series, with ways to earn extra money, or gift cards, and I will only be posting with the ways I personally have earned money or gift cards. There are also ways to earn money crafting, or baking, doing anything that you can do in your community, online, with friends and relatives, etc, in order to earn a few extra dollars.
I would also appreciate if anybody has links or info on any state and government programs, that will help people during hardship, with bills, Christmas gifts, food, and help with clothing and shelter. I know these vary by state, so it may be hard to post all the states, but maybe a general idea would help for people to search online!
I have quite a few ways to make extra cash or stretch your food stamps, and even WIC, (another program I believe is under a different name in other states)
Please, again, if you have anything to add, comment!!
Ideas for WIC
I know there are limits on types of foods you can get wih WIC, and I know that in PA, you are allowed to use any coupons (for instance, buy 1 get 1 free), although, these are kind of rare.
You can also take advantage of buy 1 get 1 free sales, and I have seen cheese blocks as buy 1 get 1 free, at WIC approved stores, (in PA, Boyers, Giants, Weis). Walmart in PA also accepts WIC, and will price match! (you will have to have the sale flyer, it must be in date, and if it is to match a buy 1 get 1 free, it must specify the total price on the ad!)
There are also some pretty awesome mail in rebates, deals, and promos, with cereal! Not only do some of the WIC cereals offer prizes and upc deals, but Kelloggs is offering a $10 prepaid card for every 10 upc's submitted! You are allowed to send in for 5! That would be $50 in prepaid cards, and this expires on 12/31/011.
Crispix, Rice Krispies, which are approved WIC cereals in PA, are part of this promotion.
Crispix is one of my kids favorite cereals, so are Rice Krispies! But there are recipes you can use both for, Rice Krispie Treats of course! Yum!! Crispix mix is a fun to make, and very tasty snack! You can find that recipe here!
Another way to save with WIC, would be to make sure you take advantage of frequent shopper cards! They will usually offer so much for gas rewards, or even free turkeys, or 5-20% discounts on future grocery orders.
I know in PA that we have Weis Markets, who does the gas offers through Sheetz, and Giants Food Stores, who do this through the Giants gas stations.
The cashier can swipe your shopper card before your WIC transactions, and the total will be added to your gas rewards!
Food stamps, would have all the above included in ways to make your food stamps stretch, plus more, since you are not limited as much in what you can purchase.
You can in fact take advantage of buy 1 get 1 frees, and coupons, and the gas points or discounts on future grocery orders, and the mail in rebates for companies like Kelloggs.
I have noticed that, in PA, CVS and Rite Aid also accept food stamps. With that being said, there are often deals where you can earn extra bucks with food purchase items.
Most recently, CVS has been doing the weekly deal where you must spend $30, BEFORE YOUR COUPONS!!, and you will receive a coupon on your receipt, for a $10 gift card! You are also able to do this promotion 3 times each week!
I would not normally suggest purchasing your groceries at a CVS or any drugstore, however, when they have deals and sales, they end up being much cheaper then a grocery store! Especially with the Extra Bucks programs, and Up Rewards, and CVS gift card deals. The food items that I have seen in the CVS flyers, that are included in the gift card deals, have been very reasonably priced. I would definately suggest checking out your local CVS and Rite Aid flyers, each week.
I am not a frequent Target or Walgreens shopper, at least not in store. Because there aren't any around me. So, I will be checking into them to see if maybe they also accept food stamps and WIC.
I would like to continue adding to this article, and I would be super happy to receive any input on your ideas, as well!!