10 Shopping SECRETS Michaels Doesn't Want You To Know!

[@thedealguy]

If you enjoyed this video, please give it a THUMBS UP and SHARE the video with a friend as it helps me in KZbin algorithm and allows me to make more videos for you all! 😀 What are your tips when it comes to Michaels? 👇 COMMENT BELOW 👇

[@angelaharris1112]

I can't wait to go shopping again. I will be soon. Just hoping more ppl get vaccinated in the mean time

[@robynseggblue6599]

They also have an “as is” section where items are heavily discounted.

[@mariannesouza8326]

I would never NOT, give you a thumbs up 👍🏼. You put a lot of work into all your videos; they’re always very informative, as well as very entertaining. 😀👏🏼

[@stacykelly9962]

@@mariannesouza8326 ditto!

[@bbrundage3409]

Michael's also gives the Teacher discount to homeschoolers.

[@kaseyklein940]

Hey, Michael's employee here! Just wanted to point out a few things: 1. Senior, military, and educator discounts only can be applied if you have a rewards account. It's through your account that you go online and enter your information. When you give your number in store, the discount should apply automatically. Also, these discounts are registered as a "% off total purchase including sale items" coupon, so the same exclusions apply; and if you're not getting sale items, just using the 20% off coupon is a better deal. 2. Coupons are not stacked. Vouchers aren't counted as coupons; they are rewards that you have earned, so they can be used in conjunction with other coupons. If you have a "20% off entire regular price purchase" coupon and a "40% off one regular price item" coupon and you're buying 3 regular priced items, you can use both coupons, but the 40% will come off the most expensive item and the 20% will come off the other two. It won't combine to make the one item 40%+20% or 60% off. 3. The price match guarantee is great, but there is a lot of fine print. One thing that is particularly tricky is that the other store has to be in stock of the item. 4. As far as I know, the clearance stickers indicate the time of tagging. So the actual meaning of the precise tag changes year to year. Every so often all of one color will go on further discount or pulled for grab bags, but it depends on when it was tagged. In my district, pink is the color of 2021. If it's still around next year, it might be further reduced, hence the double stickers. Any questions, feel free to ask!

[@jessbess394]

Why do the comments with the real truth never get a trillion upvotes? This this this! Your average consumer just doesn’t listen to those in the know unless it’s exactly what they want to hear 😆

[@jennifersmith9155]

As a fellow Michaels employee, thank you

[@cambelleharrison8226]

Hi! My dad is a P.E. teacher. If he shows his ID are they going to ask what kind of teacher he is? Like does it matter what you are teaching to get the teacher discount?

[@tonyetenario8706]

Also do not wait two to three weeks before if you want a specific holiday item. It might be cheaper but it might also no longer be in stock.

[@neutroginas]

Employee here too! I was about to comment the same things here, especially about the clearance stickers. Thanks for sharing homie!

[@DJ-nh6wq]

The reason holiday stuff is out so early at Michael’s, JoAnns and Hobby Lobby is because of you create for a living, you need the supplies months in advance to stay ahead of inventory.

[@lauriepetritis6434]

Great point! Hadn’t thought of that.

[@DJ-nh6wq]

@@ThisIsNotSoap sometimes even if you went back the next day! Some things are still like that out by me.

[@slinkybucks]

I came here to say that. Some crafters need to work on things all year long. The earlier seasonal items are out the better.

[@kimberlydlapp3441]

YES! Exactly! I wish more people could understand this and wanting to shop throughout the year when someone does have the money to afford to buy in advance of a money heavy holiday

[@kittymervine6115]

YES~. I make things for several local shops. The Winter holiday season, is up to 70% of the income for these small shops. IF you want these shops to carry you, you had better have inventory. It's also when I make a lot of money!

[@jemstout1884]

1.) Price matching with Amazon is kind of weird when it comes to Michaels. It has to be sold directly by Amazon. It can’t be through a 3rd party. 2.) At least at my store, grab bags are $5. They went up around the same time the 40% and 50% coupons went away. 3.) The clearance stickers don’t refer to specific items although they can help you determine how long something has been on clearance. Every so often the color is changed to be able to tell how long something has been on clearance for. 4.) Yes, most floral items are on sale at most times. However some floral items don’t go on sale very often and it’s easy to overlook. If you find a floral item with a white tag, it’s usually something that is sold year round and won’t have special discounts associated with. Seasonal floral with have some sort of color strip across it so you can reference sale signs and what applies. For example, the flower pot that was scanned in the video had a green strip across it, indicating that it was a spring item. That’s why it scanned at a discounted rate. 5.) The bins at the front of the store aren’t any more discounted. Some of the items are the exact same as you would find in other areas of the store. It’s basically just an area to display lower priced products in one area. Bonus 1.) Every so often Michael’s does a lowest price of the season week where you will find the best sales on many items. Bonus 2.) Sales are updated every Sunday. Hope that helps anyone who wants to save some money.

[@AnastaAnam28]

Any other help with the grab bags? I know 2 of my stores have them, yet I have never seen them.

[@olajordan9951]

Thank you. Great info.

[@ericajere9059]

Grab bags are usually done at the end of the seasons usually.. they don't advertise or announce when they will be out they are just first come first serve if you happen to be there when they are put out.. Employees don't usually know till the day they are going out that they have them so don't call asking about them especially if the Season is still going on

[@dianagonzalez3777]

when are end of seasons, as in what months? sorry if its a dumb question 😅

[@melodypondcosplays]

@@dianagonzalez3777 former michaels employee here, we did them in January to get rid of Christmas/winter stuff, May-ish to get rid of spring/Easter stuff, September to get rid of summer stuff But there's never set dates and we wouldn't know till that day People literally called everyday asking if we had grab bags, it was a nightmare

[@Brookemakesfreshies]

As a Michaels employee - we do not change out the label colors (at my store). I’ve been an employee for almost a year and we’ve only ever used the pink ones. If it goes to a deeper discount, we just stick another pink one on top. Also, if you’re a Michaels rewards member, keep an eye on your email. Michaels still offers 40% coupons. They email them out randomly.

[@jessbess394]

Ayy fellow employees unite! And agree we only use pink tags at our store too

[@jamieleemccartney8003]

We use different colors at my store... they send us something every 6mths I think to switch the tag colors

[@cyanartsy9477]

We just use whatever color is in the gun lol. None of that color coding business

[@beesquestionmark]

We only use pink too lol it’s just whatever color ya get. I didn’t even realize there were other colors

[@danielshort4887]

At my store ( In Canada ) the color of a ticketed clearance items is mostly to identify when products went clearance. They have also had clearance sales for specific colors, some will have more of a discount then others , at least in the past this is what has happened, nothing for this year so far.

[@SuperFrisco5]

@thedealguy I am a manager of a Michaels in Texas. 1. The pink tag on clearance items is a new thing and that is the color we will use from now on. 2. In a lot of stores the grab boxes are $5. 3. The reward voucher is actually like free money. It has nothing to do with the coupon program. When a shopper gets to the amount to earn a voucher, they use it at the end of a transaction just like a gift card, cash or credit card. It comes off of the total after all coupons and sales have been discounted. The vouchers keep growing as you shop. I had a neighbor who had a voucher total worth $110!!! Love your channel!

[@baklazanowa]

The clearance tag colors only mean when this product was clearanced out. Michaels changes the sticker color quarterly (usually). One quarter it might be blue, the next one will be pink. They dont have another meaning beyond that. #iworkatmichaels

[@HamperofHats]

Hey, Michael's fam~ I can also confirm. Every quarter we get a memo on what color we switch to and what color goes sweep/put in a grab bag. It is just a way to keep the clearance section fresh and on rotation. (Huge store wide markdowns happening atm. New planogram season, woot!) Currently I think we're labeling pink.

[@nightmarefanatic1819]

The ones I always see are yellow.

[@jadenyuki3138]

e u a payed actor?

[@christismepsn8878]

I love this video a couple things that are close to being right. You can use multiple coupons you just can't stack the same coupon. For example "Entire Regular price purchase" coupon and an "Entire purchase including sales items coupon." Which is what the military/teacher/senior discount, can be used in the same transactions. If the "Any one Regular price" coupon comes back you can use that with the other two. The voucher is more like a a gift card than a coupon. The clearance labels are how the company knows which clearance is going to either be "grab bags" or disposed of. They cycle the colors for different thing depending on when they went clearance. For the price match guarantee it has to be Amazon and not a 3rd party seller through amazon, for the brick stores like walmart or target it has to be its regular price; in stock, and store has to be withing 25 miles radius. There are exclusive deals for the "Buy online pick up in store" option that is only though buying online. I am a frameshop Manager at Michaels and have worked there for 12 years now and I always enjoy these kinds of videos keep up the good work friend!

[@musicgirl493]

Previous employee here: At our store the clearance tag colors didn’t mean anything. We just would grab the nearest gun that had tape in it. Sometimes I would be asked what my favorite color was and they used that tag when reloading the gun. 😂 We had a crackdown on our coupons/discounts/price matches right before I left. The price match has to be the website, not a screenshot. Discounts have to have an id/paystub and you have to be a member for it to be applied. Also as of when I left you can’t stack the off your purchase discount. If you use the teacher at 15% and a 20% coupon only the 20% will apply to the order. Also a lot of the time our seasonal stuff will sell out when we hit the higher percentages so if you really want something, it might be best to get it when the 40/50% discounts start.

[@samiquid7635]

as a michael's employee I appreciate tip 8. so many people come up to my register and get upset when an item is not listed as the price they were expecting, and there is little to nothing I can do about changing the price. also sometimes the price checkers are not always working but you can go up to almost any employee with an RF scanner and they can inform you of the sales price. aswell as the register has a price lookup so you can check the price before making your decision on purchasing it. please just don't yell at an employee if the item is not the price you wanted it's very rare that it's an actual pricing issue.

[@melissasmith3297]

There's also an as-is section. Items with some flaw that sometimes can be fixed or covered.

[@patriciatinkey2677]

Sounds like a (good) plan!

[@rockfeak10]

I love that section. Its a good chance to get something super cheap and fun way to get creative with fixer uppers.

[@jennifersmith-tu7xg]

The items I see that are marked "as is" are a joke, destroyed beyond repair (and I upcycle and teach art classes as a career). Glad your selection is "workable"

[@PinchiSam]

Can’t wait! I’m always at Michael’s. My tip is reading those sale signs. On the right or left bottom corner it has the end date for the sale. Sometimes it’s extended after try date but usually sales tend to end on a Saturday. Black Friday is also STEAL for Christmas trees!

[@daynad8104]

I've always bought my Christmas trees on Thanksgiving Day, or Black Friday!

[@stacykelly9962]

Forgot to thank you for bringing up the senior discount. I used to think senior discount was for 65 and up. Used to be embarrassed to use senior discount; not anymore!

[@lauriepetritis6434]

Yes! A lot of places start at 55 now, good for me! Thanks Deal Guy!

[@goldieff]

If you tell them in the app your age then it will automatically take the senior discount if they scan you app on your phone at checkout.

[@solclouds]

Michaels employee here! Our senior discount is 10%, teachers discount is 15%, and military is also 10%. All of these discounts can be aquired by signing up for our rewards program. Automatically gets applied on all purchases (excluding clearance items/great buy items). I have had vouchers pay for my whole total sometimes, which is pretty nice.

[@maryzoss608]

Great video. Suggestion: I just had a Birthday and received several emails offering free stuff. For example, sundae from Culver’s, cake from Portillo’s. How about a video on getting free stuff?

[@GringoLoco1]

Excellent idea! 👍👍 Happy belated birthday 🎉

[@gailmariage5318]

Love that idea..

[@ritas1433]

Great suggestion!

[@tishyj53]

That's awesome

[@catandcaboodle6492]

Fantastic idea! There's bound to bargain restaurants and some stores that offer free stuff on your birthday!

[@samm8895]

7:32 Michaels employee, we never hard tag seasonal, that would be way too chaotic. A lot of the time seasonal stuff will still be coming in already on sale. The key is to look at the tag and see what the specific seasonal line of products it came from and look for signs for that line of products. Each one will usually have a specific color to make it easier to tell. And I’ve never once heard anyone say anything about clearances tags being color coded. You just put on whatever color is in the machine 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@krystalsydow3110]

Hello! Former Michaels employee here (quit within the past month), and here are some of my tips: 1. You don’t need the app for the 20% off coupon, it’s also online, no info needed 2. Through rewards, register for military, teacher or senior discount. Takes off additional 10-20% in addition to sales and coupons 3. At least at my store, the colors of clearance stickers didn’t have any meaning, it was just whatever color we had on hand at the time

[@polarisow2]

Customer Experience Manager for a Michael's store here. Few things... 1. The clearance tag colors really don't mean much. We rotate the colors every few months so it is easier to find penny items and figure out what items go into grab bags. It also let's us know what items have been there longer. 2. Rewards members will always earn vouchers. It isn't just random times. Most of the time it requires you make a purchase of $25 BEFORE TAX to earn a $5 voucher. 3. Discounts.... You can stack a regular price coupon with a teacher/military/senior discount along with a voucher. The regular price will hit all regular price items, the teacher/military/senior discount will go on sale items. Please remember to give the cashier your coupons BEFORE your voucher! Otherwise we need to void the transaction and start all over again. Also keep in mind, coupons do not work on vinyl cutting machines, ALL Cricut items, Simply Tidy (craft storage organization, rolling carts, etc) and other various things. Read the exclusions. 4. We don't take manufacturers coupons. The coupon MUST be scannable. We will sometimes make exceptions when it comes to the "Sign up for 25% off" coupon, but we can't take coupons unless we distribute them. 5. Price matching... It needs to be an identical item (color, size, brand). To price match on Amazon, it needs to be directly from Amazon as a seller. Not another vendor going through Amazon. We can't accept screen shots either. You need to show that the price is active. 6. A tip with floral... Look at the sign and compare tags. Signs will ALWAYS say what type is on sale. The general floral will fall under the "ALL Floral" sale whereas seasonal will only be active during the "(insert season) Floral" sale. The tags will have a stripe through the center with the season on it. To avoid a headache at the register, always double check the tags.

[@DrummerGrrrl]

As a semi-professional painter, I normally don't purchase stretched canvas from Michael's (not as good quality as other brands, other stores like Blick or Jerry's Artarama), but some of the prices on drawing supplies are really amazing. I bought four mixed-media paper selections and saved a bunch of money. I need to go and buy some drawing charcoal and acrylic paint soon.

[@michaelalee1282]

I work at Michaels, and you can also use a coupon off of a regular price item with the coupons that are a percentage off the entire purchase. When they say “coupon stacking” it means you can’t, for example, use a 20% off your entire purchase coupon along with another coupon that is off the entire purchase.

[@shanavi4778]

Yes like AORPI can be stacked with entire purchase coupons for the purchase not the single item

[@hiawathasmith7647]

My life goal is to be as excited about everything in life at the same high level as the deal guy!

[@lauriepetritis6434]

I know, right!

[@RichardTheValiantFoolFox]

The Michael's app is also a valuable price checker you can scan the barcode with your phone. I work at Michaels and most of the pink tags i see while I am stocking ar usually on items that we are phasing out. not seasonal items but things we carried on a daily basis that are going away.

[@melissasmith3297]

You forgot the teacher discount that can also be stacked with coupons and rewards vouchers. My mom does it all the time.

[@Kelly-nd3cz]

He did state about the Teachers it was towards the end right after Military or before🙋‍♀️💜🙏🇺🇸

[@riarue4569]

The cashier told my daughter that you can't stack the teacher coupon w other store coupons. I have to read that policy. Good to know this!

[@Kelly-nd3cz]

@@riarue4569 I have the “Utmost Respect For Your Daughter being a Teacher”! God Bless Her and your Entire Family!🙋‍♀️💜🤗❤️🙏🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏🌺🌹

[@squish5871]

Its actually better to just use the 20% coupon online I work at Michaels and the teacher and military discounts are only 15%

[@krisgossett1570]

Can a teacher's discount be stacked with the senior discount? There are plenty of teacher's over the age of 55.

[@debbiekerr3989]

My aunt is a huge Michael 's shopper, and I don't think she knows about most of these shopping secrets. I'm going to share this with her, and thank you for sharing this video.

[@thedealguy]

Thanks Debbie ☺️

[@Lucinda_Jackson]

Same! I have a friend who’s been working on wedding and wedding shower stuff and I know she drops a fortune at Michael’s. I need to check with her to see if she knows these ways to save!

[@frand9174]

I am a crafter and a retired Michaels associate. I agree that it saves money if you wait to buy holiday crafting supplies, but as an employee I know that seasonal items are limited in supply. Sometimes there will only be a few shipments of these items. Once they're gone, that's it. Every year customers wait to buy Halloween or Christmas crafting items and are either disappointed, frustrated, or angry when they can't find what they need. My advice is to check out the seasonal supplies you want or need.when they first hit the shelves.Then watch for sales or use the discounts described in this video. Check store supplies often. When it looks like things are running low, decide if your project rates paying a higher price at that point. As a crafter I love to save money, but not at the expense of not finishing a project the way I planned it and having to alter my vision to substitute lower quality or leftover materials.

[@Samus419]

Anyone planning a wedding would LOVE this video!

[@NikkiStutzman]

As a crafter who refuses to shop Hobby Lobby, a million “Thanks!” for this video!! 💜🥰💜

[@aysyaw6038]

Can I ask why you refuse to shop Hobby Lobby?

[@coco667]

@@aysyaw6038 I WANT TO KNOW ALSO

[@minervamosaics1604]

Agreed - HL’s political and legal manipulations are reasons why I would never give them my hard-earned money! I try to shop small local businesses when I can, but if I have to purchase at a box store, I choose Michael’s or joann’s.

[@pearlejam7115]

Same. The things companies stand for has become important and definitely affects where i shop and eat.

[@yakarobed]

I started shopping more at Michaels since they now have curbside pickup. It's great! I hope it continues.

[@Whichofthefavors]

You can only use the 20% coupon on a regular priced item however there are items which are excluded like Cricut items. You can use the senior/military/teacher discount on Sale items but not clearance items. There are no reductions on clearance items.

[@Van-hb4gi]

I love that the deal guy loves his work so much. This is the best part of his videos. Thank you!

[@thedealguy]

Sure do!

[@debbiehekel2871]

I had no idea that there was a senior discount at Michaels. I will be sure to use that next time.

[@williamwarren9448]

I was able to add the senior discount to my app profile - that way its automatically applied ....everything helps :)

[@ValleyOakPaper]

Yes, and it starts at 55 years! That's very generous.

[@VictoriaKimball]

I didn't either! I used to work there (as an instructor) and never heard about it... and I'm turning 62 this month!

[@ForceFreeTrainergirl06]

Yes, I went the other day and they applied the discount automatically because I always forget that I am classed as a senior. If you join their rewards programme they send you vouchers by email.

[@elliemeow6167]

Im a michaels employee-the colors of the price tags are based on the quarter we are in. Each quarter gets a different color tag. Yes-orange tags mean it will become grab bagged bc it is 90% off. This means it has been thru multiple rounds of quarters. You can ONLY get the teacher, military, senior discounts if you are a rewards member! Rewards is better than it used to be. When spending $35 u get $5 voucher & $50 u get $10 so on & so forth. As far as i know-price match is instore price only! U cannot use a coupon on Great Buy or Great Value items.

[@melindawharton2939]

Matt, you are always giving us Great information!! Thank you for all you do!!! Bless you and your beautiful family!

[@enaidyeltneb369]

The reason Michaels starts seasonal products so early is because it is a CRAFT store first and foremost. Crafters need time to gather supplies then get their projects done in time to display/gift their creations. For those with storage space, luckily they can buy at the sales for the next year.

[@GodsOath_com]

If you’re 55 or older, they will allow a senior discount after the coupons

[@tinasimpson2222]

Only if its tied to your rewards card

[@GodsOath_com]

@@tinasimpson2222 I always have the membership account open on my phone, but in my case I said, yes, Im a member. Down here in Louisiana, there aren’t always trained people behind the counter, so you get a little more.

[@Brookemakesfreshies]

Hi, I’m a Michaels employee. The 20% percent off will apply to items not on sale, the senior discount applies to items that are on sale. They do not stack on the same item - hope this helps!

[@r.c.miller6161]

You must ask for the Sr Discount at checkout. It doesn’t apply to everything.

[@jeanewatsonjones1664]

@@Brookemakesfreshies I already get a teacher 15% discount but I am never certain which items that discount applies to, will I get the senior as well once I am eligible for it? How does that all work together?

[@jongmaster2]

I don't really know what the pink clearance labels are for since we mainly use that as the first and only clearance label. We sometimes use the other colors but not often. And as far as the special coupons for TEACHERS, MILITARY, SENIOR discounts through proof of ID. That NO LONGER is just a proof of ID in the store. You MUST sign up with a free rewards account and verify your information in the account. When you enter your phone number or email it will automatically apply your special discount to your purchase (no in store verification is needed). If you show up in the store with proof of ID for the TEACHERS, MILITARY, or SENIOR discount, Michael's *MIGHT* be able to give you a courtesy pass but it won't work all the time and you will have to verify through the account. Once again Michael's no longer accepts proof of ID in store. You must do that in your account before you come to the store to shop.

[@rosseastin6625]

Hey Matt, have you considered doing a shopping hack video for Oshkosh, Carters etc for those of us with little ones such as yourself. They seem to be outgrowing their clothes faster than I can keep up with and anytime I can save money updating their wardrobe would be awesome! I'd LOVE to see what all you could find!

[@michellesmixedmediamadness]

Thanks for the tips. One thing though, from a crafter's standpoint, there are those who want their holiday supplies ASAP. Waiting 3 weeks before Christmas is just not possible if you make and sell crafts at shows or vendor booths at stores. We are kind of stuck with our need to begin holiday crafts months in advance and the manufacturers and retailers know this. That is why all the other tips will be most helpful in purchasing our supplies when needed.

[@debicarter4119]

Thank you Matt for all the More Chanel’s info. I have been a rewards member there for years but I never knew about the price matching and 10%. The only thing I can say is if you are making seasonal craft a u have to start several months before the season (especially Christmas) in order to get everything completed in time. Therefore, you don’t always have the luxury to wait until closer to the holiday. But if u are a hard core crafting addict you are always up for increasing your ‘stash’ so it’s hard to pass i up a good sale. You just save it for the next year. The only problem with the grab bags are you never know exactly when they are going to be put out and if you don’t get there early on the day they come out you are out of luck. You do usually get great buys. For instance, one of the few times I got lucky and scored a grab box I got over 20 boxes of their high end Christmas cards. I am still using those several years later and after sharing with friends and family! Thanks again Matt.

[@thedealguy]

Thanks for the great info Debi!

[@beckiireland4720]

Wow! You have very knowledgeable people responding to your site! I’ve read through a lot of them so thanks going out them as well as you Matt! Another great video❣️

[@AnimalLover101195]

i used like 5 $5 coupons at once at the store and like 6 online. For the online purchase, they just let me. The cashier was like, 'you wanna use them all?" and i'm like, "can I?" and she was like, "yeah sure." so I got like $25 off and 20% on top!

[@shortermama8099]

Their timing is "crafter's timing." If you're creating something you need time to do it.

[@sandraspapercreations2025]

I don't shop at Michael's as much as I use to since they took away the 50% off coupons off their app and they also stop accepting Joanns coupons. They lost a good customer. I still go but I don't buy much from them anymore like I use to.

[@kmorri9]

Same here. It's pretty ridiculous.

[@samanthacresswell2318]

As a michael's employee, I wasn't told about sticker colors. Whichever one is available, is the one that goes into the pricing gun. Also the coupons state that you can one coupon of each type. Meaning if you have a coupon 20% off all regular price purchases and a coupon for 40% off one regular price item, you can use them together because technically they are two different types. You won't get an additional 20% off the 40% but it can all be done in one purchase. I didn't hear him mention it but in order to receive the teacher, senior and military discount you have to sign up to be a rewards member.

[@dittohead7044]

Great tips. Michael’s is much more expensive than I had ever expected

[@andrealazar9806]

Absolutely right. As much I don’t want to give my money to Amazon after my trip to michaels will happening. Even they do match Amazon price such a headache to wait for manager, wait for the head cashier.

[@suzannadannaTARDIS]

Never buy anything(except everyday value products) at Michael's at regular price. Sign up for the emails and you'll ALWAYS have a coupon products. Every once in a while, they will send out a 25% off INCLUDING sale price coupons, those are awesome.

[@ashtorbytheroots31]

I work at michaels, we’ll match price from only hobby lobby, Joanns, and the circuit website. It has to be very specific, and the exact item for us to honor it. We do not beat the price by 10%. The color of the tags help the employees understand how long the tag has been there. Every store is given a specific color to start and change throughout the year. Any color could be the most recent one. Just depends on the time of the year. If you look at someone who is tagging stuff, those get new stickers. Just don’t get those color things, because that’s the color of this season, aka the new clearance items. Been working since 2019

[@jongmaster2]

Here's a tip from Michaels employee. If you want to apply a coupon or don't know how to access coupons, ASK the cashier or someone on the floor and we will tell you all the available deals going on at the moment. If you are not sure a coupon can be applied, show it. Regularly available coupons will NOT automatically apply when you put in your phone number or email. You must show to the cashier any coupons you wish to use. However if you don't ask, we are not obligated to tell you anything.

[@lostintime248]

Over worked employee here in so cal the clearance stickers, The colors change regularly but they don't repeat so three sticker colors three diff years well use a color all year now to cut back on costs but remember there's only 6 colors so when you go thru them you start over. When the colors pile up they have an extra clearance sale on the already cleranced items but that only happens about two times a year.

[@victoria1111]

Great info!! The one thing I was really hoping to hear was when Michael's offers "3 for the price of 1" canvases. I paint a lot on the 4 X 5 ft size canvases and when you can get three of those for $99 it's amazing!

[@NataniaP]

Hey! Love your videos. Quick question, though: Why do you say March is both a good and bad month for buying floral decor?

[@nacho_wifey]

Probably good because they stock it up and the options are plentiful, but bad because it's not discounted and is expensive.

[@carlyfagnant9699]

It is so true that Michaels sells things for each season way ahead of time. I was so surprised to see Fall items discounted 75% off in the beginning of November... a time I would consider the height of the Fall season! I also definitely combed through the clearance florals at every Michaels I could while planning my wedding- never pay full price!

[@warpedg]

Apparently you have never been in a Michaels two or three weeks before a major holiday...everything is gone by then. So the early bird might not get the best deals but they definitely get the better selection.

[@ecat6423]

Manager at a Michael's. We have yellow tags for items that have lost their home but haven't gone clearance. The rest of the colors are swapped out about every 6-12 months when corporate decides that clearance inventory is getting too large so that they can hold a special discount event on certain colors of tags. If most of the clearance items are pink tagged, that's probably the current color. There's no order to it. I've worked here 6 years, and they've only grab bagged clearance tagged items twice, so I wouldn't count on that and our grab bags typically sell out within 30 minutes of opening and are only done for old seasonal items about once every two to three months.

[@hannahjerome6990]

I have been a Michaels manager for sometime now and you brought up some very great points that make it easy for customers to save tons at Michaels… though I will say that some of the things that you did bring up aren’t 100% true! -The different colors on clearance items are supposed to tell employees how much the item is discounted by. For example a pink tag might means the item is discounted by 60% and the tag color will change as the discount increases by 10%. I will say that not all Michaels are as organized as your examples were on tagging clearance items. Clearance is considered no mans land to employees so I would always double check the prices of items you are looking to get on clearance. -grab bags are actually $5 now and they don’t come around monthly … but actually when several items are marked down to 90% off. Typically that is after a season or holiday. I would watch the tags for those cuz grab bangs pop up out of nowhere. You can always call your Michaels a head of time to see if they have them! -Michaels no longer accepts competitor coupons … so to really save money the best bet is to wait for a sale or price match (but price matching can be VERY difficult… make sure that it is the EXACT SAME ITEM even down to the color and it can only be brick and mortar stores or directly from Amazon) -the best time to buy seasonal flowers or decor is in the late summer and winter months! As an example the spring collection is really similar to the summer collections. Spring rolls out right after Christmas and won’t go on sale till early Summer … that means when the summer collection drops it is already on a 40% off sale! No full price for Summer and late winter/Christmas decor! -great buy, circuit, candy, books, legos, flags, batteries, Christmas trees, grift card purchases … will NEVER work on any coupons except a price match. Great buy items are items that are the lowest they will ever be! -off the shelf frame sales can be tricky …but ya gotta love the buy 1 get 2 free sale. Make sure that you are mindful of the collect of frames you are buying from. All frames sold on the shelf at Michaels are from the brand Studio Decor… but newer the dimensions is usually the style of frames. For example the home collection, trendsetter collection, or gallery collection. Typically the poster frames, Belmont, and home collections are always on sale… the collage and gallery collections rarely go on sale … so when they do make sure that you grab them up! -the best time to get something custom framed is when there is a huge 70% off sale which comes around every now and again. Otherwise getting something custom framed can easily coast you hundreds to thousands of dollars The biggest fact about Michaels is everything is overpriced by 90% of what it is actually worth. 90% !!!!!! There is always at least a 20% regular priced coupon online! So….. never buy anything from Michaels without a coupon! Don’t pay full price! (also as a tip … employees no longer are allowed to keep coupons on register… so if you are gonna use a coupon you have to have the coupon or your gonna have to pay full price!)

[@ollieollieoxenfree3246]

And if you’re a framing customer, even if you don’t make a purchase still ask for an estimate. The framers will keep your number and should call you when a 70% sale comes around:)

[@mariachan5969]

Thank you for all the information !

[@Jojodancer20100]

didn’t know Michael’s priced matched. I went to Walmart yesterday just to buy bulky yarn at 6.99. Well no more. Thank you so very much. You saved me a ton of money

[@lizwestberry1751]

Hi, just to let you know, you have to be a Rewards member to get the teacher / military/ senior discount. You have no idea how many looks I get as a cashier from people who aren't members. Also you have to go online and register through your rewards that you are eligible for the discount. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it because it automatically comes up when you give the cashier your rewards info. Ask an employee they should be able to help.

[@micheleboyle3547]

I bought those bottle tripod devices and the little box cutter you talked about on a previous video and I am in love with them! Love your videos! 👍

[@alanaarjona320]

as a michaels employee i can for sure guarantee that the 20% coupon and $5 voucher does wonders 💀 had a customer buy like $300 worth of art supplies used the voucher and coupon and came down to like $150 ! and we do price check at registers/ ask an employee on the floor to check it for you since they typically have a rf gun (that says the price) ‼️‼️ DONT BE SHY TO PRICE MATCH, helps you know what the coupons will work on‼️‼️ price match from other stores too 😼we literally don’t care and i’d 100% do it too😭 and for the floral items please look at the tags with a lime green line in the middle, those are seasonal flowers !! please PLEASE read the labels and coupons through and through people confuse the floral sale a LOT 💀

[@celiagorleski2716]

Left out that if you are a rewards member, you can return items without a receipt because your receipt is kept on line for reward members. Also, Michaels is usually out of Christmas items well before Christmas. Their big sale is on Thanksgiving. Markdowns are even before that. My daughter works there. Employees and their family get a 30% discount even on sale items.

[@ma.ri.x.to.]

Granted, i left in 2017 and it may have changed. I did tagging on the items that were getting clearanced. The sticker colors were arbitrary (we used what was sent to us) until there was an "additional" off, which would be on a specific tag color, to clear that inventory. I remember using orange, then blue, and orange had that extra off promo.

[@abbytaylor9654]

They did this bcz the new CEO wanted to get rid of all the old clearence stores were hanging onto that no one would buy. So at the beginning of the year we grab bagged every bit of clearence and any that was specifically set aside so now we use pink stickers, but i dunno if they’re gunna do another overhaul like that again lol

[@fireeevee7577]

Quick correction Michael's will only price match with Amazon items sold by Amazon only. "No" 3rd party vendors that sell through Amazon will be matched. Also grab bags do very in price by state and size of bag or box. Please note if you see an item that has 2 colored stickers that doesn't guarantee that it will go into a grab bag due to the fact that it may have already been sold. Would like to correct the status discounts. All status discounts like; military, seniors, and teachers are now done through rewards members only. For memberships you can sign up for rewards online or in store however you will have to go online to add to add your military teachers or senior eligibility to your rewards membership. At that time every time you shop at Michael's when you put in your rewards number in that discount will automatically be applied to your purchase with or without coupon, with or without ID. That being said they can manually apply discount for new members who just signed up in store up to 3 times.

[@huntertray7456]

Not paying full price at a Michael’s is a must!! I use to work there and saw the cost of many many items. Example styrofoam cost $1.78 selling that item for $19.97. I no longer work there but never shop without coupons and always get my teachers discount.

[@paulaheuser5200]

I rarely shop at any of the stores you talk about, but I LOVE watching your show! I find you so fun! Thank you!

[@thedealguy]

What stores do you shop at Paula? I want you to be included!

[@paulaheuser5200]

@@thedealguy I live overseas.... the USA doesn't have the same stores. You are sweet!

[@KrissyAleigh]

I worked as a manager at michaels for 2 years and the pink means the item could possibly be 90% off if you find a pink tag you might want to scan it to be sure but I had to go around the whole store and remove all pink since they were 90% off and prepare them for grab bags

[@molliehuff8744]

the colored clearance tags are for which quarter the merchandise was 1st put onto shelf. Price match policy changed 7/1/21. Depending on area if you wait until product is within 2 to 3 weeks of holiday it could already be sold through.

[@catherinecleveland3987]

I work at Michaels and the color of the tags do not matter. The items are priced with whichever tags are in the markdown gun. The “stacking” of coupons: use the coupon for one item (it will come off of the highest priced item), then the 20% off all OTHER regular price items, THEN either 10% off (seniors) or 15% off (military/teachers)off of the sale price items. Some people do not take advantage of these discounts. The Vouchers should be viewed as payments not coupons.

[@catherinecleveland3987]

Those senior, military,and teacher discounts are for reward members ONLY.

[@jamesholcomb5615]

I also worked at Michaels and the colors on the labels dont mean anything. We just used whatever color we had avail at the time.

[@mercat3297]

A Michael's manager here... I've got another tip, when you bring your competitor ad with you it must be the physical ad or their website on your phone but IT CANNOT BE A SCREENSHOT. We need to see the actual dated ad. We are not allowed to just give it to you because you asked us too. We also don't have a scan sheet up front anymore for the military/senior/teacher discount YOU MUST BE SINGED UP ONLINE FIRST. We are not allowed to just give you any discounts without reasonable proof etc. as stated in our policies and we risk our jobs when pressured to do so. I don't care if soandso gave it to you yesterday. It's me today and I said no because this is my job and I'm not going to risk losing it for you. One other tip. DON'T BE RUDE TO US when we cannot deliver whatever discount, service etc. you were expecting. As employees we have a right to be treated respectfully and if you do not abide by that we are 100% allowed to refuse service to you. However, if you are a polite customer with genuine concern, we are more likely to work with you so that we can all go home happy. We are also bound by the system used in our registers meaning our registers will literally not let us override certain things that are against company policy (identical coupon stacking, for example.) There are things we have no control over because we are not corporate and in no way do we have their powers. A TIP FOR NURSING MOTHERS. You are 100% allowed to nurse as you please while you walk through our store. We will never ask you to cover up or go into the restroom. That is actually against our policies to do so. If another customer has issue with that, kindly direct them to a manager so we can politely educate them on how we handle these things. If you need a private place to nurse your baby, just ask us and we will provide one for you. As far as the pink clearance tags, we started using them in February of 2021 after the last major clearance event and I don't have any reason to believe that the color will change until next year and by that time everything with a pink tag may already have been grab bagged.

[@peggymarshall3403]

Woohoo! Crafters everywhere thank you for sharing these tips.

[@desert_iron_123]

As a Michael’s cashier I can verify that everything he said is true. Been working since November of 2020 and it’s lowkey not that bad, at least just my location

[@joanwood9480]

Preferred ACMoore when it was open. Never really found what I wanted at Michaels. Besides its 50 miles away now.

[@maribelroman]

I miss AC Moore 😪

[@lizcofano3000]

I loved ac Moore

[@ac5267]

Ac Moore was always at least a dollar cheaper.

[@darkblades1201]

My aunt works at michaels. She just told me that the color tags are how they keep track of inventory. "Every end of a quarter corporate tells us 'everything we have in a pink tag, pull it and put it out for five bucks' and by that point there's not a whole lot of product left to pull"

[@ForceFreeTrainergirl06]

Once you've subscribed to Michaels' Membership it automatically comes up if you are due a discount due to status when you take stuff to the check out. This is just as well because I constantly forget that so far as Michaels' is concerned, I am a senior and when I spent $144 the other day on artists' materials, once she had rung up my purchases, the lady on the check out said "oh, you get a seniors' discount" which I would not have remembered. I've spent a lot of money in Michaels. Once Covid hit, I didn't go there for a whole year (it was torture) but normally I buy a lot of paint, brushes and canvases. I wander around there like a child in a sweet shop, it has to be said LOL!

[@sburris65]

Even though I don't consider myself a senior. But hey I'm 56 so I'll take it.

[@strawberryme08]

woohooo veterans discount! thanks for that info

[@sakurablossoms420]

The color price tags signify that make downs for a certain quarter through out the year. Ex. Jan feb and March will have pink or any of the colors and it means in December or sooner they will be grab bagged

[@introvert22]

I noticed after Covid hit, my store in California closed to "disinfect" the store. It was also a opportunity to raise prices. Lots of new price stickers were obvious. Thanks for the information.

[@heatherg1706]

That is such a turn off. I have trouble going back to stores after that behavior.

[@eponymousIme]

Well, yes. Did you think that the extra work required for disinfecting the store, setting up curbside pick-up, and training employees in COVID safety would not incur extra cost?? Also, COVID affected global supply chains and many retailers faced 10X price increases from their suppliers.

[@ollieollieoxenfree3246]

This was not any sort of company decision lol, probably just a regular price change. If they had to close down to disinfect after opening back up to the public it was because someone in the store had Covid

[@cindymui]

OMG I had no idea that Michael's had a price-match guarantee!! This is amazing! Thank you for sharing all of your tips and tricks!

[@melodypondcosplays]

The price match rules are pretty strict, at least they were when I worked there. It has to be the other stores everyday price not a sale or clearance price and if it's from Amazon or Walmart.com it has to specifically say "sold by Amazon" or "sold by Walmart" not a 3rd party seller

[@thejman629]

I just moved to and area where micheals is in my shopping range i was so excited for this video!

[@thedealguy]

Woo!

[@AnimalLover101195]

i wish they price matched on blick because they have great prices but honestly the closest store is downtown and their regular free shipping takes a while. Whereas there's 2 Michaels nearby like 15 and 20 minutes away. Also, if you're an artist, when they have their canvas blowout STOCK UP! I got probably 10+ of the their best canvases of all sizes (4x4 to 20x20) for like $150 including shipping. (Which adds up on the big ones) They have these sales about twice a year.

[@dccrusin8290]

Thank you. I knew Michaels had been sold. When I finally went back in post sale of the company, I was very disappointed by the store NOT having what I wanted and NO 40% coupon. Interestingly, I found what I needed a Five Below which was almost next door and a better price than online, which was going to be my next option. Best of luck to your channel.

[@miraculousAnarchy]

Former Michael's employee. The pink price tag is for regular items that are almost always kept in stock.

[@RainyRunningRiver]

I don't know if this is "allowed" but "sharing" an account racks up rewards quick. Myself, my grandmother, and husband, all use the same phone #. It helps a ton!

[@jenniferlupresto2648]

The only thing is that Michael's puts out seasonal products early because we need time to be able to create artistic items. (Gifts) Otherwise, thank you! Great video!

[@jennieadamsMM]

You’re a shining star 💫💫💫❣️ Thanks for all you do for these videos. I now understand the vouchers.🤗💕🦋

[@ChrisR_4812]

Question about the grab bags/boxes: Are you allowed to look at what is actually inside them or is it like a mystery grab bag? Watch for the Buy 1, Get 2 Free offers - usually on certain frames and scrapbook paper packs from what I've seen (I use these items). I actually bought 3 large frames (smallest was 16" x 20" - not custom) for under $20 because of a coupon and the B1G2 offer.

[@dianananana8585]

It depends. Sometimes they are in taped boxes and other times in trash bags. I have gotten lucky a few times and have found them in regular shopping bags that you can peek through.

[@lmundiclan]

What about purchasing Michaels yarn, when is the best season for a big sale?

[@sadfiremccraven4579]

Your on a roll this week hiring up all my favorite stores I like to shop at . Let me know if there's any changes or new stuff going on . Thank you so much

[@jenma1793]

How to save money at the custom framing counter- A whole frame, mat and glass is at least $100, usually more. Look for a frame on the floor. Bring that to the custom counter and only pick out custom matting. Mats are the cheapest framing component and the easiest way to make your item look like it was custom framed. The framer will even put it all together for you at no additional cost.

[@SilverliningSnowpaws]

The price match guarantee also applies to Michaels Canada stores as well as those in the U.S.

[@nona104]

Many people do seasonal crafts so they need the craft supplies early. So Christmas craft supplies displayed in August isn’t unreasonable. When Jo Ann Fabrics puts out their craft supplies for Christmas they are 50% off right from the start.

[@sandylavigne7200]

Here in my part of Canada 🇨🇦, Michael's is the only real craft store that we have, besides the craft sections at Dollarama and Dollar Tree. I never buy anything at full price at Michael's and always use my 30% coupon that I download each month. As far as Holiday decor, Christmas, Easter etc. If I think it is something that will sell out quickly and I absolutely love it and have to have it, I'll use my 30% coupon, keep my receipt and as the item goes into a higher % off like 40% or 50%, I'll just return it and buy it back at that higher percentage.

[@melifrugalandfitmom126]

Perfect timing!! Was on my way to Michael's

[@thor9838]

Does any of this, these discounts, apply to framing ?? -- Getting a picture framed at Michael's ?

[@vernonzehr]

Michaels employee here. Everything you mentioned is not stuff they don't want you to know. They WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW EVERYTHING YOU SAID. That is how they get people to buy more stuff. As far as the colored price tag, we only have ever used one color. We are in the process of doing more with more colors but no one has told me what they mean and I've only ever seen or used one color year round. p.s. Funny but true. Today I had to go to a Hobby Lobby to buy something no one else has besides online and I hate buying online if I can pick it up and touch it. Michaels does not carry this product in store or online so I had to go to Hobby Lobby. My Michaels is not far from the Hobby Lobby. What I DIDN'T know was how many Hobby Lobby employees shop at the Michaels I work at! TWO EMPLOYEES stopped me and said "Hey! You're in the wrong store aren't you?".

[@nancyjohnstone3277]

Employees do not update the preprinted labels on the product, When an item is on sale. We only update the tags when an item goes on sale. As for price matching the product has to be the same product with an accompanying picture of the product and price difference.

[@IrisGLopez]

Thank you for sharing the 10 shopping secrets about Michael's Craft store, I truly learn a lot from you.

[@gailmariage5318]

This is an amazing video because I didn't know many of these tips at all. Thanks. Your shirt and tie look great today, as well. :)

[@joanncheesman1184]

Thanks for another informative video. Like your shirt and tie.

[@thedealguy]

Thanks JoAnn!