Friday, June 24, 2011

Skinny Cow at RiteAid 6/26


I used to have an unspoken rule that I would not buy new candy bars.  The few that I had tried just never seemed to be as good as the regular candy bars I've been enjoying for years.  For whatever reason, I wavered from my unspoken rule and purchased a Peanut Butter Skinny Cow at the register one day while shopping at Walgreens.  And the rest is candy bar history.  I absolutely love these things!  And you can't find them just any ol' place.  Walgreens seems to have discontinued them.  Walmart didn't carry them.  I finally found them at Market Place ($3.75/box) and I spotted them at Rural King (didn't check the price) and now I see that RiteAid has them on sale next week for $2.99!  Guess what I am going to be buying next week?

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Get Your Pringles Next Week

Wow, Pringles will be on sale all over the place starting Sunday (6/26)!

Walgreens: 4/$6, get a $2 Reward; like paying $1 each

CVS: 3/$4, $1.34 each

Kmart: 3/$4, $1.34 each

Rite Aid 3/$3.99, $1.33 each

With a $1/3 coupon available, you should be able to stock up on Pringles!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

My Coupon Caddy

Have I mentioned how many times I've changed the way I keep my coupons?  I started off with a binder and baseball card sleeves and kept that for a while.  Then I tried using clipboards.  Then I tried using baggies.  Then came the little plastic divided organizers from the Dollar General.  And now I have the Coupon Caddy. 

I had already made dividers for my coupons to go into a little plastic box I found at Walmart, but it just wasn't quite right.  Then I realized the dividers fit perfectly into an old wipes box that I just couldn't throw away.  And then I realized that two wipes boxes would fit inside an old craft caddy I had been hanging onto!  I had used the craft caddy as a diaper/bottle bag when the kids were little and I loved the idea of repurposing it!  I had to gut it, and that was sort of traumatic for me, but I made it through it.  Everything fit so perfectly, it was like it was always meant to be.

It's still kind of bulky to carry around the stores.  But, I love the handles and all the pockets.  I still prefer to keep it in the car while I'm shopping and use the little DG divider inside the stores.  There's nothing that will draw more attention while you shop than a huge binder!  I'm always in the market for a better way to organize, though!


Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Sargento, Efferdent Printables

zip: 07039







zip: 07039; Only printed once!







http://www.coupons.com/

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

V8 V-Fusion + Energy Printable

As you can see in the picture, this product is "Available only at Walmart".  I do imagine it will be available in other stores in the future.  If you want to try it, but don't think Walmart has a great deal, hang onto the coupon and see if these drinks pop up in any of your other favorite stores...at a better price!  Mine printed with an expiration date of August 8, so plenty of time for it to go on sale.  Coupon reads:  Save $1.00 on any ONE 8oz, 6-pack of V8 V-Fusion + Energy beverage or V8 V-Fusion juice.  I actually thought the V-Fusion products were available at Kroger, but I could be wrong.

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Staples 6/26 Weekly Ad Sneak Peek

Staples 6/26 weekly ad preview.  I got this in an email, not sure if the link will work for you!  Looks like it's time to get ready for back to school shopping!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)
http://weeklyad.staples.com/staplessneakpeek/Default.aspx?action=browsepagespread&storeid=2563620&pagenumber=1&promotioncode=Staples-110626 

Coupons.com Printables

I spotted a couple new/returned coupons at Coupons.com this morning.  They are all under zip 80003.

Was able to print this one twice!







This one only printed once!







This one has consistently appeared in the listing, but if you've printed it recently, you're probably not going to be able to print it again!






Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Selling Coupons: Like it or hate it?

I found this interesting article while googling coupon origins.  I thought she had been featured on Extreme Couponing, but apparently she has not.  http://www.jillcataldo.com/no_more_selling_coupons 

I had wondered about the buying/selling of coupons from the beginning of my coupon craze.  I really liked Jill's statistics about how much a manufacturer is spending when a consumer redeems a coupon.  But, I feel that if the manufacturer is printing thousands of coupons, the manufacturer better be able to absorb the loss created by the redemption of those coupons.  In today's couponing world, manufacturer's should be expecting a lot of their coupons to be redeemed.  Don't mass produce a coupon if you can't back it up.

And it's not just the couponers making this happen.  If you scan the store ads, you'll start noticing more and more items featured each week with an available coupon.  Selling something with an available coupon is a win-win for the store and the consumer.  Consumers save money, stores make money when consumers purchase the product.  Winning!  (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Market Place Change for a Change

I am almost hesitant to post this!  Read my next couple of posts and you'll understand why!

Ok, the revamped Change for a Change plan goes something like this....Find items on sale or with available coupons to purchase for about $3 to add to your donations stockpile.  I'll be focusing on Market Place because they double 50-cent and under coupons and accept internet printed coupons!  These matchups are reported as accurately as possible.

  • Mahatma Chicken Flavored Rice Packets $0.88 - 50-cents/1 (RP 5/1); FREE after double, buy 1
  • Idahoan Potatoe Pouches $1.05 - 75-cents/3 (http://www.idahoan.com/); buy 3, pay $2.40 ($0.80 each); keep two, donate one = $0.80
  • Carnation Evaporated Milk $1.25 - 50-cents/2 printable (www.verybestbaking.com); buy 2, pay $1.50 ($0.75 each); keep one, donate one = $0.75
  • Nestle Morsels, small bag $1.78 - 50-cents/2 printable (www.verybestbaking.com); buy 2, pay $2.44 ($1.22 each); keep one, donate one = $1.22
Spend $2.77 for $4.96 in donatables, save almost 45% off the original price. 

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Couponing At Market Place

Oh me, oh my, will the coupon trials and tribulations never cease at Market Place.  Now, with that said, I love to shop at Market Place.  I feel like I am shopping among my people when I shop there, probably because my people (aka: my family) have shopped at Market Place for as long as I can remember.  After some shopping trips, though, the only saving grace for Market Place is their customer service rep, Carrie.  She's great.  If you've ever had a problem with or a question about Market Place, she's probably the person on the other end of the 1-800 number. 

Today was not so much a coupon incident as it was just a random series of events.  I had put a few items on my shopping list to price check during my shopping trip today.  I do this all the time.  But, today, as I began jotting down prices, my ink pen stopped writing.  It's as simple as that.  And it was one of my favorite pens, to boot.  So, ever resourceful, I pulled out the camera phone and started taking pictures.  Then up walks a store official who tells me, rather nervously, that I'm not allowed to take pictures in the store.  And I am completely fine with that.  I completely understand that.  I obediently put the phone away.

Here's the head scratcher.  I asked him if he had a pen I could borrow, since mine had stopped working.  Wait for it....He said, Market Place doesn't allow you to write down their prices either!  I would have loved to have seen the look on my face.  Really, I think it might have been priceless.  He said that they had had problems with competitors coming in and checking prices, yada yada yada.  I asked if the manager was available (he was at lunch) and I really don't know what I said after that, I hope I wasn't "one of those couponers".  But I did pull out my phone and immediately called Food Giant Customer Service and chatted with Carrie as I finished up the rest of my shopping.  Now, I do not condone calling "corporate" for most matters.  I think I've only called twice, once as a naive beginning couponer and today.  Sometimes you just need a second opinion to put things into perspective, you know?  Most of the time you can probably get that just by calling your best coupon pal.  Sometimes you need to call corporate.

Did I mention that Carrie's great?  She seemed just as confused by this encounter as I had been, and I learned that the Food Giant Coupon Policy is now available on the website.  She did a little research, returned my call, and to my utter disbelief, informed me that Market Place doesn't allow you to make a list of prices.  I asked, what are they going to do if they "catch me" writing down prices and she really didn't have an answer.  I seriously doubt that I'll be getting an escorted trip out of the store, or I certainly hope that doesn't happen!  She asked me to explain why I was making the list in the first place, clearly I'm not an undercover price checking spy for crying out loud! 

Maybe this will by my new mantra:  I am a couponer.  I will not be deterred.  I will use my valuable, money saving coupons at the lowest priced retailer to get the most mileage out of those coupons.  And I'll price check to find the place that'll save me the most money.

I'm going to try and take this weird incident in stride because I know that the coupon revolution has been hard on retailers who may not have been up to date on coupon use before Extreme Couponing exploded all over the place.  I'll keep shopping at Market Place because, like I said, I love to shop there.  For now.  I can only hope that we continue to see a positive improvement toward couponers. 

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/23/2011)

Keeping Prices A Secret?

It's me again, Margaret.  After writing up the previous post about my shopping experience at Market Place, a question occurred to me:  Why would retailers want to keep their prices a secret?  As a consumer, if I can get my milk at Store A because it's cheaper than Store B, I'm going to buy it at Store A, aren't you?  I'd guess that shoppers have been spreading the word about great prices for years and years, it's not a new thing just because we have ease of access via social media these days!  Of course, you used to have to wait until you got home and use a landline to tell your best friend about a good sale.  Now, it's a little easier to do in real time with cell phones, texts, email, twitter, facebook, etc, etc.

Traditionally, Market Place has a four page ad each week with very few products you can save money on.  The real savings are achieved by doubling your coupons and finding things that are unadvertised sales.  With the sudden explosion of couponing, I can see how the store might perceive a down side to the double coupon courtesy.  And it is a courtesy.  Grocers do not get reimbursed for the double, they only get reimbursed for the face value plus the service fee (that's why you don't get overage from a doubled coupon).  There was some mention of couponers taking advantage of the store and I can only imagine that the double couponing was in play here. 

Here's the thing, Market Place will double 50-cent and under coupons for any customer who presents a valid coupon.  It shouldn't matter if twenty customers present one coupon each, or if I present twenty coupons in one shopping trip.  I hope the store doesn't view me as taking advantage of the double coupon courtesy because I had the knowledge/ability to accumulate twenty double-able coupons.  And as you all know, a double-able coupon very often makes an item free or very, very cheap.  That's what makes them so great.  That's why couponers want to use them at a store that will double.  I have a hard time imagining the store losing money, all of a sudden, because of double couponing.  I know I'm just a beginner, but folks have been couponing for over a hundred years (http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/articles/history/).   I'd guess stores have been doubling coupons as an incentive to get shoppers into their stores for a very long time.

Even if the store looses some money on the double, they are certainly not losing money on coupons that do not double.  They receive the full face value plus the service fee paid by the manufacturer's on every coupon.  So that $1 off coupon, is just like money in the store's pocket that didn't have to come out of my pocket.  Why aren't they hanging banners and shouting the sales over the PA system.  "Hey shoppers, do you have a coupon for that box of cereal?  It'll save you money, and we'll make money off it, too!"  Am I right?

Once again, I'm going to hope patience pays off at Market Place.  We've seen improvements at Walmart, albeit baby steps, but improvements just the same.  I keep telling myself, coupon improvement does not happen over night.  I'm not sure what a reasonable amount of time would be to start really seeing the shift in attitude.  I jokingly told Carrie that Market Place needs a Coupon Relations department to help the store go from coupon hostile to coupon savvy.  Anyone want to apply for that job? 

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer

Walgreens Stockpile Making Deal

If you're looking to increase your stockpile, this Walgreens deal may be just what you're looking for.  If you happen to have the $3 off Tide Stain Release coupon from the 6/5 P&G insert, better yet if you happen to have 6 copies of that coupon, you could score your free pack of Charmin and pay only $5.94 out of pocket for 6 bottles of Tide Stain Release and a package of Charmin toilet paper!    Sorry, I misreported that!  You'll only be able to use 4 of the Tide Stain Release coupons together!  So, you could buy 4 Stain Releases and one package of Charmin Basic, pay $9.45 and get a free package of Charmin!  Beware, it'll be hard to find the Tide Stain Release in stores!  You might want to do a precheck on the available stock at your favorite store to see if it'll be worth trying to catch this deal!  Keep an eye on http://www.wildforwags.com/.  I'm sure Christie will have some great scenarios for this deal!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Get Pringles at Walgreens Next Week!

Be sure to add Pringles to your Walgreens shopping list for next week.  The before Reward price is $1.50 / can, the same as Walmart's everyday low price.  Use the $1/3 coupon from 5/22 Red Plum (Or check the 6/26 paper for coupons!).  Buy 4 cans, pay $5 (or $1.25 per can) and get back a $2 Register Reward!  How sweet is that?  I'll be shopping for the BBQ flavored ones so don't clear the shelves!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Goodnites Printable

A year ago, I'd be jumping for joy to see this $1 off Goodnites printable coupon!  I'm happy that my kiddos are finally potty trained, but I couldn't miss passing this coupon along to anyone who has "Potty Trainers".  If you use these products, ask your entire family to sign up and print these coupons for you!  http://www.goodnites.com/na/promotions-offers/coupon.aspx?activity=coupon

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Sunbelt Snacks Printable

"Like" Sunbelt on Facebook for this printable:  http://www.facebook.com/SunbeltSnacks?sk=app_201389029892925  "Save $1.00 on any (1) Sunbelt Family pack Granola or Fruit & Grain (with a SRP of up to $2.59) and any (1) Little Debbie Family Snack Pack.  Hmmm, the regular 6 count box of Honey Buns doesn't say "family snack pack" so I wonder if that is the larger, more expensive box?  This coupon might not make for such a great deal if you have to purchase the larger boxes to use it!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Heinz 57 Printable

Need a coupon for Heinz 57?  Go here:  http://offers.heinz57.com/Coupon/?utm_source=Heinz_57&utm_medium=Organic&utm_campaign=Organic_Traffic

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Goya Printables

You'll need to sign up to print these Goya coupons.  Has anyone seen the Goya rice in Hopkins County?  http://www.goya.com/english/coupons.html

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Southern Savers: How To Avoid Burnout

Southern Savers is one of my favorite coupon websites.  This article couldn't have come at a better time for me!  http://www.southernsavers.com/2011/06/real-extreme-couponing-avoiding-burnout/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SouthernDealsAndFrugalSteals+%28Southern+Savers%29

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Southern Savers Printables List

Here's a list of printables compiled by Southern Savers!  http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=26f0eadeeb8f7809641f15416&id=7ca732f14a&e=42a1f9e23a  Several of them are no longer available, and some are direct print links.
Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)

Hip2Save Printables List

Hip2Save has a great list of printable coupons!  http://hip2save.com/2011/06/new-coupons-voskos-breyers-lip-smackers-glade-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hip2save+%28Hip2Save%29

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (6/24/2011)