I have been following a couple of blogs by extremely coupon savvy women. CJ Sime possesses a knowledge of how to attract money. She clips coupons and found 18 cents one day while on a run. Almost makes me want to start running again. Almost.
Tiffany has made an art of saving money and/or getting things free. She has a system for organizing coupons and even the order in which they must be given to maximize her savings. She's kind of a freak of nature but the woman cracks me up. One of the funniest and smartest women in blogland. Don't believe me? Read this.
And I am completely enamored by her baby.
The mother of this adorable baby is the cause of my grief. Last week I clipped and downloaded as many cereal coupons as I could so I could hit a sale at Albertson's. The coupons were ONLY for Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats or Raisin Bran. I calculated carefully and chose as many boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats I thought our family could stand. However, I threw in other Kellogg's products since they were on sale.
Once in the self check-out line I scanned the items, my card and the coupons. And on. And on. I couldn't believe how many coupons it would take. The checker told me the computer knows when the coupon limit has been met so I kept scanning until it could scan no more. It was a screamin' good deal.
Once in the car, I reviewed my receipt. The computer allowed me to scan coupons for ALL Kellogg's products. I was elated and disturbed. What's the ethical action at this point? Go back in and demand I pay more money or be content that I tricked the computer? If I choose option #2, how will I answer my bishop when he asks me if I'm honest in all my dealings with my fellow men?
Define fellow men.
I chose option #2.
Yesterday I decided to really jump in with both feet. I bought a newspaper and and looked at the coupons, comparing them with the sale this week at Walgreen's. How could I maximize my savings using coupons and Register Rewards? This answer became apparent to me while I was walking down the hall to my office this morning. It occurred to me that the local newspapers donate publications to our school. I was soon seen scrounging in the recycle bin, squealing with delight when I found the coupons. This should have been my first indication that this might be a bad idea.
After cutting out HUNDREDS (I kid you not) of coupons, putting them in half hearted piles (organization is not my strong suit), and stuffing them into envelopes, I made my trek to the local Walgreen's.
Let me set the stage for you. I'm in Utah. I live among Mormons. Mormons are encouraged to be "provident." Provident is just another word for cheap. Mormons have a lot of children. I am competing with all the other "provident" women within a 20 mile radius. The shelves were picked clean. What they did have sported big signs designating that only one item per category could be used for Register Rewards per day. In other words, my great idea to stock up on Fusion razors for super cheap was shot. Even if they had any - which they did not - I was only allowed one today.
As I wandered around, not knowing where anything was, I asked a passing sales clerk to direct me to the toothbrushes. Little Miss Bossy Nicotine Teeth went to the back and held a box of toothbrushes from my reach. "You may only buy one," she said. She handed me a bright pink one. Seriously? Is this really a business?
"What if I am not using them for Register Rewards?" I countered. She reluctantly gave me a second hot pink toothbrush. Cool. Matching toothbrushes for my family. Just what I always wanted.
Okay, so I kind of know the drill. You buy one thing at a time. However, if you have two coupons - one manufacturer and one RR - you must buy two items. The nice young man who was checking me out was very helpful. He pointed me to some 40 cent caramels for "fillers." I had eaten four by the time others came to his line. So I continued shopping.
With the contraband of razors (NOT Fusion, mind you) and one toothbrush safely stashed in bags, I went back for doubles. The boy clerk was so amiable, I thought it wouldn't be a problem. By the time I returned, he had gone home and some nasty cashiers had replaced him. These women policed everything. Ismuggled bought another toothbrush and another razor, collected the RR before more people came to check out.
At this point I returned to the pharmacy where I had a prescription waiting for me. I was informed that my 90 day supply was received by Walgreens Mail service so I was not eligible for my 30 day supply. I was then informed that my copay for the 90 day supply would be $100.
At this point I may have had a mini stroke. The pharmacist had to snap his fingers in my face a couple of times. And then the light turned on in my head. I had a prolific flash of genius. I had a coupon for up to $35 off this prescription per month for a year in my purse. I may have screamed at the poor man, "Cancel the order! Transfer it HERE!" It took some telephone calls, waiting, and shuffling, but my prescription ended up costing me $6.
On my way out, I grabbed one more toothbrush and used my RR, got it for tax, got another RR and almost cried. I had been in that store for 1 hour and 45 minutes. When I walked out the doors, I was stunned to see it was still summer. It felt that long.
Summary:
Two packages of Venus razors
One package of Noxema razors
Three toothbrushes
Three tubes of lip balm
One bag of cough drops
Two DayQuil
4, maybe 5 stupid caramels:
$11
Throwing the stack of coupons in the garbage on the way out of the store: Priceless
This post violates at least 10 copyright laws. For that, I sincerely apologize.
Tiffany has made an art of saving money and/or getting things free. She has a system for organizing coupons and even the order in which they must be given to maximize her savings. She's kind of a freak of nature but the woman cracks me up. One of the funniest and smartest women in blogland. Don't believe me? Read this.
And I am completely enamored by her baby.
The mother of this adorable baby is the cause of my grief. Last week I clipped and downloaded as many cereal coupons as I could so I could hit a sale at Albertson's. The coupons were ONLY for Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats or Raisin Bran. I calculated carefully and chose as many boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats I thought our family could stand. However, I threw in other Kellogg's products since they were on sale.
Once in the self check-out line I scanned the items, my card and the coupons. And on. And on. I couldn't believe how many coupons it would take. The checker told me the computer knows when the coupon limit has been met so I kept scanning until it could scan no more. It was a screamin' good deal.
Once in the car, I reviewed my receipt. The computer allowed me to scan coupons for ALL Kellogg's products. I was elated and disturbed. What's the ethical action at this point? Go back in and demand I pay more money or be content that I tricked the computer? If I choose option #2, how will I answer my bishop when he asks me if I'm honest in all my dealings with my fellow men?
Define fellow men.
I chose option #2.
Yesterday I decided to really jump in with both feet. I bought a newspaper and and looked at the coupons, comparing them with the sale this week at Walgreen's. How could I maximize my savings using coupons and Register Rewards? This answer became apparent to me while I was walking down the hall to my office this morning. It occurred to me that the local newspapers donate publications to our school. I was soon seen scrounging in the recycle bin, squealing with delight when I found the coupons. This should have been my first indication that this might be a bad idea.
After cutting out HUNDREDS (I kid you not) of coupons, putting them in half hearted piles (organization is not my strong suit), and stuffing them into envelopes, I made my trek to the local Walgreen's.
Let me set the stage for you. I'm in Utah. I live among Mormons. Mormons are encouraged to be "provident." Provident is just another word for cheap. Mormons have a lot of children. I am competing with all the other "provident" women within a 20 mile radius. The shelves were picked clean. What they did have sported big signs designating that only one item per category could be used for Register Rewards per day. In other words, my great idea to stock up on Fusion razors for super cheap was shot. Even if they had any - which they did not - I was only allowed one today.
As I wandered around, not knowing where anything was, I asked a passing sales clerk to direct me to the toothbrushes. Little Miss Bossy Nicotine Teeth went to the back and held a box of toothbrushes from my reach. "You may only buy one," she said. She handed me a bright pink one. Seriously? Is this really a business?
"What if I am not using them for Register Rewards?" I countered. She reluctantly gave me a second hot pink toothbrush. Cool. Matching toothbrushes for my family. Just what I always wanted.
Okay, so I kind of know the drill. You buy one thing at a time. However, if you have two coupons - one manufacturer and one RR - you must buy two items. The nice young man who was checking me out was very helpful. He pointed me to some 40 cent caramels for "fillers." I had eaten four by the time others came to his line. So I continued shopping.
With the contraband of razors (NOT Fusion, mind you) and one toothbrush safely stashed in bags, I went back for doubles. The boy clerk was so amiable, I thought it wouldn't be a problem. By the time I returned, he had gone home and some nasty cashiers had replaced him. These women policed everything. I
At this point I returned to the pharmacy where I had a prescription waiting for me. I was informed that my 90 day supply was received by Walgreens Mail service so I was not eligible for my 30 day supply. I was then informed that my copay for the 90 day supply would be $100.
At this point I may have had a mini stroke. The pharmacist had to snap his fingers in my face a couple of times. And then the light turned on in my head. I had a prolific flash of genius. I had a coupon for up to $35 off this prescription per month for a year in my purse. I may have screamed at the poor man, "Cancel the order! Transfer it HERE!" It took some telephone calls, waiting, and shuffling, but my prescription ended up costing me $6.
On my way out, I grabbed one more toothbrush and used my RR, got it for tax, got another RR and almost cried. I had been in that store for 1 hour and 45 minutes. When I walked out the doors, I was stunned to see it was still summer. It felt that long.
Summary:
Two packages of Venus razors
One package of Noxema razors
Three toothbrushes
Three tubes of lip balm
One bag of cough drops
Two DayQuil
4, maybe 5 stupid caramels:
$11
Throwing the stack of coupons in the garbage on the way out of the store: Priceless
This post violates at least 10 copyright laws. For that, I sincerely apologize.
We don't have coupons in Australia, but it sounds like a pain in the neck, you can't put a monetary value on stress, I did get a giggle reading it though. Lxx
ReplyDeleteI most certainly did not just fall on the floor laughing from reading that. Well, okay, so I did. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why I'm hesitant to get in deep with the couponing. Is it really worth 2 hours of your time to save $20? I think my time is worth a lot more than that, but to each their own.
ReplyDeleteLOL you are too funny girl! I must admit that I have done that myself - and the throwing them in the trash afterwards was a GOOD sign! HA!
ReplyDelete1. i don't like shopping walgreens because it's usually well picked over.
ReplyDelete2. try pinchingyourpennies.com. it helps match up sales-prices AND tells you where to find the coupons. it's free.
3. i've also enjoyed DealsToMeals.com to help me find good prices (no coupons mentioned). It's a $4.95 monthly subscription, but i save more than that each month. if you want to see what this lady does before paying for the subscription, let me know.
That is hilarious! I am a coupon clipper but not an extremist. Honestly because I live in nowheresville which means the grocery store alone is about 20 minutes away...I dont have time to go to multiple stores to get the best deals of the week. But I do my grocery shopping once a week...I buy as many things as I can that are on sale and that I have coupons for and stock up when I can. I only buy meat that is on sale and stock up for our extra freezer...I usually save about $75-$100 every week between coupons and store card.
ReplyDeleteI have too many thoughts to comment on your post. First and foremost, you are too kind to reference me as having the "knowledge of how to attract money." If you think it is true perhaps it is.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest comment is "HOLY CRAP YOU THREW AWAY COUPONS?!?!?!" I bought 8 papers this week then went back for 6 more. THe thought in the back of my mind is how can I get more for free because I just spent $14 on papers.
Utah, more specifically SLC area, is the single worst place to try to coupon. Unless you want to break the Sabbath (GASP!) you will never one up Walgreens. And because there are so many couponers, the stores have to be extra mean about rules and regulations.
I am sorry your trip was such a . . . . complete fiasco. Wait I take that back, you did get 4, or 5, carmels. Almost a complete fiasco.
BUMMER! I feel partly responsible. When you emailed me about couponing, you were the 5 person I was corrosponding with about getting started. I totally forgot to warn you how rough of a town SLC can be.
I am going to gather some info for you on Target/Super Target. They have their own store coupons and they -from what I hear- don't get AS picked over. In fact, aside from screamin deals at other store, I do all my grocery shopping a S. Target because it is the cheapest- even without coupons (except for cheese and fish and perhaps a few other things).
HOW LONG IS THIS COMMENT.
out.
I subscribe to the couponing goddess blogs because I enjoy the coupon porn: aka look-at-all-the-stuff-I-bought-for-three-dollars photos.
ReplyDeleteI have proven that I am too compulsive for a real coupon life. My family has forbidden it after that palette of Hot Pockets took over our service porch.
I am also helpless at ECB equations.
You are very brave.
I have been "couponing" since April now and it only took me 1 time of going to Walgreens for me to decide to NEVER go back. They must have a policy where they can only hire people who are mean. ;)
ReplyDeleteI get 5 of the Sunday papers so I have 5x the coupons. I don't run all over to use the coupons, either. If you take your ad with you to Walmart, along with the coupons, you will get your items at the discounted price and can use the coupon(s) with it. And you're not limited to purchasing 1. I use www.savvyshopperdeals.com to find out what stores are having sales on what items and when I got the coupon for that item so I can get it for less. Alberstons will have awesome deals that will also be on the savvy shopper site. Pinching your pennies is great but for me, I can follow Savvy shopper's lists easier than PIP's.
Oh- and there's a quicker, easier way to organize coupons that doesn't require you to cut out every coupon. ;)
I hate them...Duke loves coupons and announces how much he saves each day. Nerd.
ReplyDeleteLOL! My first couponing excursion was a bust too, and the second one wasn't much better. This week wasn't half bad though, but then I'm in CT where apparently everyone except me and all the old people think they are too good to coupon. Walgreens was still stocked full of everything today, except toothbrushes.
ReplyDeleteAt least you know how to make these things funny for the rest of us ;)
Bahahahahahaha! I used to cut coupons. Then I realized the "store brand" was still cheaper then the name brand with a coupon. I no longer cut coupons.
ReplyDeleteI admire people who can handle the coupon thing ... I am not one of them. It takes a lot of time and planning and flexibility in what you'll eat. Your little excursion sounds very draining and exhausting!
ReplyDeleteWow... I may be cheap, but I don't have the patience (or the time) to do that with the coupons or the 1:45 in the store. I am envious though. Love the business model though :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband is the coupon king. He lovingly pores over the newspaper and cuts out everything that catches his fancy.
ReplyDeleteAnd the trick at Walgreen's? You have to go early Sunday morning, before everything is gone.
And he has this knack of determining the ideal price for a product, and won't purchase it until that price is obtained...I am amazed by his level of success in this endeavor.
My grief is the baby. Making me 'clucky'. {grins}
ReplyDeleteYou kill me! Seriously you crack me up...
ReplyDeleteSo I spent an HOUR cutting coupons yesterday and forever trying to organize them today.. all I can hope for is some caramels...
I seriously love you, way toooo funny! If I could only put into word as well as you some of the couponing experiences I have had, it would be a best seller.
ReplyDeleteAs far as stealing my kids pictures, as long as you babysit, TAKE THEM!
No really, those are 2 of my favorite photos. That kid is the sweetest baby EVER. I should know, I have had a bunch of them. He is a real life doll.
I also can't believe it took me 24 hours to read this post, where have I been???
I like your writing style! The Albertsons in our area are closing down their doors this Month. I had only visited them once since moving here.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the story when Tesco in the UK stuffed up with a promotion.
ReplyDeleteThey had bananas on a special offer where they gave you back 400 reward points if you bought a kilo of them. Then they put them on special at two pounds sterling per kilo. (sorry no "pound" symbol on my aussie keyboard!) This meant that anyone buying them would earn back more in reward points that they paid in money.
A man asked to buy ALL the bananas from their warehouse. He gave them to homeless shelters and made a tidy profit!
Well, I have recently started to coupon and I have to admit, it is a little taxing on the nerves! I had such good deals I was SURE someone would say, "Hey, that's not right!" and drag me out of the store. My face was flushed and it really felt as if I was watching myself in third person and maybe had a gun in my pocket I would pull out and finish robbing the store with.
ReplyDeleteI am on a roll of spending $20 a week and saving over $100. That seems to make my husband happy even though he would be perfectly content if I spent as much as the suggested price. I can't stomach the thought of that and am really sick to think of all the times I paid full price!
A friend of mine turned her nose up at couponing and said, "Isn't that something poor people do?" so I thought, maybe you don't NEED to coupon so it could be turned into a savings plan or a splurge plan. Take the money you save on a shopping trip and put it into a "me" account or vacation account. That way you don't feel guilty when you blow it all!!! I personally NEED to save it but I savor the thought of the day when I can save it for the big splurge...as long as my splurge is on sale. HA!
I saw someone mention that she purchases the store brand versus name brand. That is the best way if the name brand is not on sale. The key to couponing is to match the sale item with a coupon. I usually only buy the B1G1 (buy one get one free) sales and at my store it makes each item half off and I use a coupon for each AND they double. Love love love Publix.
Southernsavers.com is a great site if you are in the southeast US. She gives you grocery lists, coupon links, as well as the insert days to find the coupon. Because of this, I don't bother clipping. I just put my coupon inserts into a sleeve and find the appropriate coupon when the item is on SALE! I don't buy items I wouldn't usually get unless they are under $1. At that point it's not a huge loss if I don't like it.
I have to admit, I haven't gone the route of the drug stores yet. They too scare me as I have heard many similar stories! Also have heard Walgreens is the worst of the big three (CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens).
Good luck if you decide to coupon again! It is a scary but worthy road...especially if you can DUMPSTER DIVE for coupons! Recyling centers are gold mines too!!! Be brave woman!!! Go get your caramels!!!