Saturday, July 16, 2011

This Week's Bottom Line

Here's my week in shopping....

Walgreens
Finish = $0.49 after RR
(I also used a $2 RR to pay for the Finish)
Cottonelle = $3.00 each after Q and RR
(I also used the $1 Finish RR to pay for the TP)

Without Coupons = $13.49
With Coupons/Rewards = $6.49




Kroger
Tombstone Pizza (3) = FREE after ME & Q
(we ate these before I could get a picture!)
Waffles = $0.49 after ME & Q
Deer Park Water (5) = $0.49 each after ME
Wisk = $1.49 after ME & Q
Always Liners = $2.12 after Q

Without Coupons & ME = $30.04
With Coupons & ME = $6.55


Staples
Binder Clips = $1.00
Pens = FREE after Q

Without Coupons = $6.00
With Coupons = $1.00






Target
Kool Aide = $0.97 each after TargetQ & Q
PopTarts = $1.50 each after TargetQ & Q
Sierra Mist = $1.75 after TargetQ
Pens = $0.02 each after TargetQ

Without Coupons = $16.23
With Coupons = $8.23





Walmart
Cat Food (4) = $0.79 each after Q
Refried Beans (6) = $0.46 each after Q
Yogurt (8) = $0.25 each after Price Match & Q
(only six yogurts pictured!)

Without Coupons = $20.92
With Coupons = $7.92






All together a pretty good week in couponing for me!  I saved no less than 50% on each shopping trip!  Now that's how I like to save!  I'd be the happiest couponer if I could find a coupon for each and everything I purchase!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

Printable: Eight O Clock Coffee

Save $2.00 when you buy any TWO bags of Eight O'Clock Coffee.  I am not sure if this brand is available in the tiny packages, but there is NO size restriction on the coupon!  Good luck!
http://www.eightoclock.com/

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

It's Almost Meet & Greet Time Again!


The next Couponers Meet & Greet is fast approaching so be sure to update your social calendar!  Check out the RSVP in the WeUseCoupons forum for additional information!  http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/kentucky/188131-7-25-couponers-meet-greet-hopkins-co-ky.html#post2384084

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

This Saturday's Dollars & Sense

Check out this weekend's edition of Dollars & Sense:  http://www.isurfmuhlenberg.com/local/press-release/9607-dollars-and-sense--like-button-addict.html  We all love to "like" on Facebook!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

"It's Like Getting It For Free"

This post goes along with the Ronco pasta post I just made.....

"It's Like Getting It For Free" is one of my least favorite things to hear out of a cashiers mouth.  Another thing I loathe is "it's like stealing".  In most situations, I don't think the cashier realizes she has just insulted you by making these comments.  The implication is that you are getting a product without paying for it because you did not hand over any $cash$ for the purchase.  But, you are in fact paying for the product.  Your coupon is your currency. 

We live in the backwoods of couponing (as I like to think of it) and there is a misunderstanding of coupons.  My coupon is every bit as valuable as a dollar bill issued by the United States Treasury.  In fact, most coupons are more valuable to a store than an old fashioned dollar bill.  Manufacturers routinely reimburse the store for the face value of the coupon, plus a handling fee (usually 8-cents), and on top of that they reimburse the cost of shipping, too.  Coupons have been around for over a hundred years.  If it wasn't profitable to accept coupons, no store would accept them. 

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Coupner (7/16/2011)

Couldn't use my Ronco Coupon at Market Place!

If you took a peak at the Coupon Matchups for Market Place last Wednesday, you probably saw that Ronco pasta is on sale this week for 2/$0.98 (or $.49 each).  I had been hanging onto my Ronco coupon for $0.55 off any Ronco pasta from several weeks ago.  And this sale was a perfect time to use it!  BUT, I wasn't able to use the coupon after all because Market Place does not have any stipulation in their coupon acceptance policy to dictate how they handle a coupon with a value higher than the price of the product.  I was simply told by the cashiers that "it'd be like getting it for free" (my least favorite expression, ever) and that Market Place would not accept the coupon.  They were also unable to adjust the coupon value in the register. 

We all know (and love) that the coupon would have been happily accepted at any Walmart.  Even Walgreens would have adjusted the credit amount and then accepted the coupon.  If Market Place had accepted the coupon, adjusted the credit down to 49-cents, they would have been reimbursed the full 55-cents plus whatever handling/shipping fees the Ronco Coupon Redemption Policy allows.  Because Market Place is still behind in their coupon acceptance guidelines, they lost that sale.  Sure, it would only have amounted to about a buck.  But, a hundred couponers wanting to use that coupon and hitting this road block is a 100 buck loss.  Assuming this happens to 100 couponers in all of the (nearly) 100 Food Giant stores through out 8 states, you can quickly see that total rising from a buck to over $10,000.  Wow, that total even amazed me.  Anyone else think Market Place is losing money?  If you think my estimate is out of the ball park, it was reported that 36 million people were using coupons back in 2008.  It's now 2011 and Extreme Couponing has taken the couponing world by storm. 

Market Place, if you are reading this, you have GOT to get your coupon acceptance policy up to date with your competitors.  Doubling coupons is not going to be enough to retain your shoppers if (or when) Walmart implements a double coupon policy.  I am a big fan (inspite of everything) of Market Place shopping but even I am going to shop where the prices are lower and where my coupons are accepted most easily.

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

Cheapest Advil $3.48

I price checked Advil at Walmart and the cheapest box I could find is $3.48.  After the $2 off coupon you'd pay $1.48, but I was hoping to have my out of pocket even less than that!  Maybe Advil will go on rollback for back to school?  I see it's on sale at Walgreens next week, with a mail in rebate, too!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

Still Have Your $.75/2 M&Ms Coupon?

Still have this coupon from your 7/10 RedPlum?  Use it at Walmart on the King Size bags of M&Ms and get both packs for $1.25.  Or, unless I misread the size, use it on the 50-cent bags of Pretzel M&Ms to get two packs for only a quarter!


Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

All You Tombstone Pizza Q Update

I posted a link for the coupon list in the August issue of All You a couple days ago.  The $5 Tombstone Pizza coupon sparked my curiosity, and I am unhappy to finally find out that the coupon is a save $5 on Rango DVD when you buy 3 (I think) Tombstone Pizzas.  So, that turns out to be a coupon not worth having!  Well, unless you're planning to buy Rango on DVD!

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)

Sign Up for Right At Home


Sign Up for the Right At Home email Newsletter and have access to printable coupons!  Right now you can print a Save $1.00 off 2 Ziploc brand products.  Sign up here:  https://www.rightathome.com/offers/pages/2011-07-ziploc.aspx?sid=coupon&cid=ziploc201107&rid=127064188&om_rid=NspPva&om_mid=_BOIHSwB8cWT1XU

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)