Support (Home Page)

Check out the Training Videos...

1st Things First...

If you would like to Purchase this software click here...

Latest Update...

NEW Series Two ** Important Update Information: Click here for all the details...

Series Two - v2.0.03, 10/15/2015 click here to update... (NEW Barcode Reader Function) With this update you can scan coupons into la Coupon-Tracker using Barcode Reader...

Series One - v1.0.19, 01/25/2012 is the last update click here for more information...

Check Out Our New Product...

Username and Password Management Software

Scanning Coupons more information...

Basic Tips...

Tooltips - if you move your mouse over any header, a tip will be displayed about that field.

To select any item listed on any grid, Double Click the gray box to the far left.

Use TAB key to move from one field to another.
Use ENTER key to accept a Command Button when button is active.
During any screen session, you must select the Save All button to save all applied changes back to your database. This allows you to Quit without saving any changes.
It's always a good idea to backup your Databases, backup the files CouponTracker.accdb and the laSystem.accdb (just copy them to a flashcard)
On any data table view, you can select any header to sort by that header ascending or descending.
On any data table view, you can select items by using the mouse and Shift key or Ctrl key. To select all - click the gray box in the top left corner. Then use Ctrl C to copy and Ctrl V to paste. You can copy/paste into any other Windows program including Word and Excel.
Pull-Down Menus are sorted alphabetically, use your mouse or keyboard to help make selection. Example: your looking for Hunt's in the name brand pull-down, enter the letter H, it may not go right to Hunt's but it will go to the first H. Then use your mouse or up and down arrow keys to find Hunt's then press TAB key to make selection.
Remember the Name Brand is the primary match key and the product and coupon Description is the secondary match key. Keep this in mind when setting up your Name Brands, Products and Coupons.

Editing and Saving Changes

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As you open each screen; the products screen, coupons screen or any other screen. You're working in what is referred to as a screen session or file maintenance session. This design allows you to make many changes to many different records within the same session. Then when ready you can Save all the changes that you made back to the databases, or you could choose not to Save any changes at all. As each screen loads, it loads all the records into that session for you to view, modify, add or delete.

Most all screens look similar to this one, you have your basic Add, Delete, Save All and Refresh buttons at the very bottom and the Edit, Apply and Cancel buttons in the Current Record section. After making a change to any record, you select the Apply button to apply that change to your session. (memory only) When you're finished making all your changes, select the Save All button to save all changes back to the databases.

Add - add new record.
Delete - delete current record highlighted
Save All - save all changes back to your live databases.
Refresh - reload all data from current databases.
Edit - edit current highlighted record. (you can also double click record to edit)
Apply - apply change to current session (memory).
Cancel - cancel any change to current record being added or edited.

Example: You made a change to a coupon and apply it, then you deleted an expired coupon. But you then realized that you deleted the wrong coupon. Select either Refresh or Quit without saving all.

To Quit or Exit any screen session, click the X in the upper right corner of that window. This includes the Main Menu Screen.

Match Key Filters

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This system has two match keys used to match products and coupons together when working with the coupons file and the shopping list.

Name Brand - by default Name Brand is the primary match key. (the system works best when the Global System Option (One) is set to ON, see System Options)
Description (product or coupon) - by default is the secondary match key.

As you select the Name Brand when working with the Coupon file, the products table is filtered down to the Name Brand. As you type the description, the products table is then filtered down even deeper to the secondary match key.

You can use the Match Filter checkbox to toggle between match Name Brand Only or
match Name Brand + Description.

Basic Idea

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The basic idea of this system is to catalog products and coupons using the Name Brand as the primary match key, this allows you to utilize the products table during Coupon file maintenance. And utilize both the products table and coupons table during the Shopping List file maintenance. The Name Brand insures that products and coupons can be matched up when creating your Shopping List. For that reason the Name Brand is selected from a system Pull-Down menu rather than typing it over and over.

It also keeps the Name Brands consistent throughout the system.
The Name Brand is the common dominator between products and coupons.

Shopping List

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The shopping list is designed so you can have multiple shopping list going on at the same time. The system can do this by utilizing a Shopping List Header (master) table and a Detail Line Item Shopping List table. The header holds the name of the store and shopping date while the detail holds each shopping list line item and coupons that go with each item. The shopping list works much like an order entry type program. You process your shopping list, print and clear your shopping list from here.

Shopping List Items - add, edit and delete line items in the highlighted shopping list.
Print Shopping List - print the highlighted shopping list.
Clear Shopping List - clear the highlighted shopping list.
Note: After completing a shopping list, and before clearing, you should Edit the shopping list making any changes as needed so the coupon counts will continue to be correct.
Note: Clearing Shopping List will remove (delete) all line items for that shopping list.
If you Delete a Shopping List Header, it will also remove (delete) all the line items and is the equivalent to Clearing Shopping List.
Tip: Laurie Ann never deletes a shopping list header, she will Clear Shopping List for a completed list. And then she will reuse that header by changing the shopping date and starts a new shopping list. Again she can reuse the header because she has Cleared the old line items from the detail item table.
Tip: Laurie Ann will use any sale ads from newspapers while working in her shopping list, by selecting the Name Brand she can tell if she has coupons for that item.

The Basics when setting up Shopping List...

Add a line item.
Select Name Brand.
Browse the products table to locate the product (double click to insert)
If product is not found, make up the product description.
Insert Coupons as needed for that line item.
Note: Coupon counts are deducted at this point. (that's why it's important to make any changes before Clearing Shopping List)
Note: All product Unit Prices are saved back to the product table. If you never double click from the product table, then it cannot associate that line item back to product table.

Getting Started

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Laurie Ann's Coupon-Tracker Database comes with hundreds of Name Brands, Categories and Products already loaded. Follow steps below to get started...

Use the File pull-down to access all file maintenance screens.
All files are customizable.
Modify the Stores File to fit your area and needs. You can change store names.
Browse the Categories and Name Brands File to modify as needed or required. Please keep in mind that some products may be assigned to existing name brands or categories.
Start adding your coupons, if a name brand does not exist, Save All and add it using Name Brand file maintenance. Note: you can add new products during Coupon File Maintenance.
Start a New Shopping List.
Print Shopping List and go shopping.
After completing shopping list, modify any changes and Clear Shopping List.
The Print Shopping List requires Microsoft Report Viewer to be installed, this should have installed during the initial installation, If you get an error when trying to print shopping list you should install that FREE add-on software. To install Now - click here Microsoft Report Viewer..

If you like this program? click here to purchase...

Backup and Empty Tables Utilities

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Under the System pull-down menu, you will find a menu option called Utility. Under that Compact Database, Backup and Restore and Empty Tables options.

Compact Database (feature discontinued in Series Two Version) - use this to compact and repair the CouponTracker.accdb database. Basically this will pack if you will, the database, decreases the size and allows the program to run faster and more efficiently.
Backup Database - use this to make a backup copy of the CouponTracker.accdb so you can easily restore if needed.
Restore Database - use this to restore from one of two backup copies. One is before a Compact is run from above. The other is the copy created by the Backup Database option from above.
Empty Tables - use this to empty data (delete) from any or all tables. The system comes with hundreds of Categories, Name Brands and Products pre-loaded. Most users would rather empty those tables and start over with their own Brand Names and Categories. Use this if you wish to empty any or only certain tables.

Transferring la Coupon-Tracker from one computer to another...

NOTE: The latest version Two series is a completely different database than the series One, the new series Two version uses an embedded SQL Ce database. We no longer use Access databases.

Series One version number starts with 1 like v1.0.15 - used Access databases.
Series Two version number starts with 2 like v2.0.15 - Embedded SQL Ce databases.
Important: Series One and Series Two Versions are NOT compatible with one another.

Let's say you have got yourself a new computer... Great! Now you need to get la Coupon-Tracker and your data transferred over to your new computer. Follow instructions below to do that...

Note: click here to open this instructions page in a new window... (outside la Coupon-Tracker)

Using your New Computer....
Download and install la Coupon-Tracker again from this website. (Series Two Only)
Start it up just like you did before, it should set the 14 day trial...
After la Coupon-Tracker is installed and running in the 14 day trial mode on your new computer, logon to your old computer...
Make sure la Coupon-Tracker is not running...
Using a thumb drive or memory stick copy and paste these two files from your old computer to the thumb drive or memory stick, or what ever media that you may be using.

CouponTracker.accdb (Series One)
laSystem.accdb (Series One)
CouponTracker.sdf (Series Two)
laSystem.sdf (Series Two)

Both files are located in the C:\laCouponTracker folder of your old computer.

Now plug the memory stick or media that you may be using into your new machine.
Make sure la Coupon-Tracker is not running.
Copy and paste those two files from the (media) into the C:\laCouponTracker folder on your new computer. (making sure to overwrite the existing files)
Startup la Coupon-Tracker on the new machine... you should be good to go...
Once you're satisfied that your data has been transferred over to your new machine, you should un-install la Coupon-Tracker from your old machine.

Note: You should not have to re-activate the product...

Warning: under copyright law and the EULA (end-user-license-agreement) that you agreed too, requires that you should un-install la Coupon-Tracker from your old machine since you have installed it on another.