Coupon Conundrums and After-Christmas Sales

"3 for $1.00" the sign proclaimed. On each package was a coupon for $1 off three.
In other words, the meat was free.

And yet, I hesitated.
My children didn't really like them.

Of course, at that price (FREE), I did pick up a few packages.

I shouldn't have bothered. After a few tries, my children all agreed that this particular product is barely edible.

Which brings us to the common coupon conundrum; should we use coupons to purchase items we wouldn't otherwise?

For years, the day after Christmas meant I would head to one of the larger towns to check out the after Christmas sales, whether I needed anything or not. While I no longer travel just for sales, I did head to our local Walmart early this morning, intent on snagging some of the AXE gifts sets and Dana perfume sets I had coupons for. ($3.75 off the AXE sets, $2 off the perfumes) Despite the fact that there was a large quantity of both sets available just the day before Christmas Eve, there were none on the shelves. I asked one of the women working in the Christmas aisle where they had gone and she said the manager had them pull many of the gift sets. I still managed to get some of the Olay sets for $3.75, after my $1 coupons and Venus razor gift sets for $2.75, after coupons. Since the Venus razors retail for $5, and are one of my girls favorite razors, I would have purchased these sets even without the coupon savings.

What about you? Did you do any after-Christmas couponing?

Black Friday, Coupon Style

Black Friday, 2009. A method of taking advantage of Black Friday prices outside of the long lines waiting for a cheap television or $5 headphones. Also, a good explanation as to why this holiday season will be especially difficult for me. My husband was my shopping partner and best friend. Taken from the archives of my blog, http://marypotterkenyon.com,

My husband and I have only done the Black Friday early morning gig once in our 20 years of marriage, braving crowds and cold weather with a toddler Katie (who is now 10). The free after rebate items at our local Ace Hardware were just too enticing. David and Dan both got tools in their stocking that year. While we were out and about, we also stopped at Theisen’s farm store for the batteries that would also be free after rebate. Unfortunately, standing in a long line with a toddler means we left that store with a stuffed animal we didn’t need or want. We vowed never to do it again, at least not with a toddler in tow.

I’ve heard the stories that make the Black Friday debacle appealing. My sister-in-law, Julie, goes shopping with her mother every year, getting up early and hitting the stores that offer the free gift cards or the doorbusters that appeal to her. They shop till they drop, then enjoy a good breakfast together. That sounds like fun. Then there are the experiences like my daughter’s yesterday morning: http://tinyurl.com/2w59wul

This year I actually wanted to do some Black Friday shopping. The house was still nice and clean in anticipation of my Thanksgiving guest’s arrival. Our youngest child is 7, old enough to stay with her siblings for the day. I wasn’t interested in shopping for drastically reduced electronics, half-price cameras, or cheap $3 appliances.

No, I wanted the free-after-register rewards items from Walgreens.

There was no pre-dawn rushing out the door for us. David and I left town at a respectable 8:30 a.m. Before I left the house I used a Black Friday 20% off code and ordered a custom-made box full of Littlest Pet Shop toys from a woman on ThredUp, the premiere place for bartering clothing and toys. My children are fine with getting used toys for Christmas. In fact, my 17-year-old son still talks about the huge bin of used Legoes I gave him several years ago.

The parking lot of our Walmart was still full when we drove by. Our first stop in Marion was the Salvation Army thrift store. We had the store mostly to ourselves as we perused the racks that were labeled with a hand-written sign “6 for $1.” Yes, the Salvation Army was having an unadvertised sale on both plus size and t-shirts. Thanks to working at my sister’s store, I know what brand to look for: a dozen Vanity and American Eagle tees went into the cart. Plus size was easy too: CJ Banks labels were an automatic yes. So were Lane Bryant and Venezia. Thanks to these sales, I’ll have an entire rack of women’s plus sizes at my next garage sale. Tops I paid less than a quarter for will be snatched up at $1.50-$3 a piece. Some two-piece outfits and jeans (yes, they were also 6/$1) can be priced as high as $5. Books were 6 for $1 too, but the selection was very limited. I did manage to unearth two large books about digital photography, a writer’s resource book, two old readers and some newer fiction paperbacks which will go to HalfPrice Books my next trip there. Last time they gave me $18 for a box of books I’d gotten at Salvation Army that I hadn’t paid more than $3 for.

It was 10:00 before we hit the Walgreens store, and every product that was issuing a register rewards coupon (now called Jingle Cash) was still in stock. The trick was to make sure to use a coupon on each item so that after the register rewards it would not only be free, but I’d be paid to take it out of the store. Some highlights? Colgate Total toothpaste was on sale for $2.99 with a $2.50 register reward. I used a $1 coupon, so netted a profit on that. The Olay body was $3.49, with a $2.50 register reward. The Secret body spray was $3.49 with a $3 register reward. Purchasing the two products together, I could use a $5 coupon, which means I essentially got both products free and, in fact, made money on them! David and I each did an order, paying $24 and $16 for our orders, but leaving with more than $15 in catalina coupons each. .  
After we went to the Hy-vee store for a marked-down breakfast buffet ($3.99 each for scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, and all the coffee we could drink, normally $6.99 without the coffee) we headed back to Walgreens to use some of our Jingle Rewards dough.

Not pictured? The three Littlest Pet Shop toys that were marked $6.99 each or 3 for $13.98, the $6.99 Scottissue 12-pack, four packages of batteries, and a 2-pack of Phillips Sonicare heads for the toothbrush David’s dentist recommended. The toothbrush heads normally retail for $30 each. David had to add some candy for the kids in order to use several of the catalina coupons (there has to be one item per catalina coupon) After his Jingle cash, David paid less than $15 for all of this, and $3.64 was tax. I did another order of free after rewards items, so now we have $24 in Jingle cash to spend at Walgreens before December 10th.

On the way home I asked my husband if he’d had a fun day. After all, it was really my thing to rummage through used clothing and books for gems, and my thing to fill carts with free merchandise. He mostly follows me around, watching me, and his head starts to spin in circles when I try to explain why I am adding yet another bottle of shampoo to the cart, shampoo that will be 99-cents after register rewards, and free after my $1 coupon. He doesn’t even try to understand my obsession, but he does support it.

“I love watching you do your thing,” he answered, taking my hand in his and squeezing it tightly. “I love being alone with you.”

I knew then that our Black Friday shopping trip wasn’t all about the deals.

It was way more about the company I was keeping and the time spent with my best friend

COUPON FATIGUE

I'm a fraud. A sham. A charlatan. At least that is the way I felt at my last couponing workshop when one of the attendees pulled out a coupon binder twice as thick as mine and found it necessary to correct me on the proper use of K-Mart register reward coupons. "You can use them the same day," she said when I informed workshop attendees they wouldn't be able to use the register coupons until the following week. Her correction threw me off a bit; what if the K-mart policy had changed, and I hadn't been aware of it?  Let's face it~ I haven't been on top of a lot of things since my husband's death seven months ago, including keeping up with this blog which hasn't had a posting since late August. (I checked the Kmart ad this weekend and their current register coupon offers were the same as I had remembered; the coupon would be good on a purchase the following week) 

Here I am, working on a couponing book that will be published next September, writing a weekly couponing column for a newspaper, and a workshop presenter for local community colleges, libraries and women's groups, and  for the past six months, I've *gulp* barely used coupons myself.

When I lost my husband in March, I lost all interest in extreme couponing, despite maintaining an avid interest in the phenomenon itself. David had been my shopping partner, my couponing comrade, for over 30 years. For months, I couldn't even get through a Hy-Vee store without crying. Oh, I rallied a bit when an Extreme Couponing television producer led me to believe my couponing "love story" might have a shot at appearing on their program. I enjoyed several superb shopping trips, stockpiling things like razors, Febreeze, Glade and feminine hygiene products. That stockpiling ended about the same time the e-mails and phone calls from Sharp entertainment did.

I'd had no qualms continuing my couponing workshops, however. After all, I'd been an avid couponer for over 30 years. I am an expert in the topic, even when I am not an active participant. My two-hour power point presentation is entertaining and I always give a fun drawing prize. The fact is, however, that my coupon binder has been more of a prop than a powerful tool in the battle of the budget recently. That point was made vividly clear in my last workshop when one of the women pulled out a bulging binder that put mine to shame. It doesn't bode well for a couponing instructor when one of her students has a coupon holder bigger than hers. My own jaw dropping, whether in dismay or awe I wasn't sure, I managed to ask, "Why exactly are you taking this class?"

It turned out she hadn't signed up as a student, she'd only been sent to the center to unlock the door.

It was still an eye-opening experience for me; What happens when an avid couponer experiences something like "Coupon Fatigue?" In my case, I'm assuming it is only temporary and brought about by my husband's demise, but it could just as well have been the birth of a baby, stockpile overload, or a new job that changed my avid couponing habits. I guess what might happen is that we then become an "average" shopper, casually clipping coupons and using a few every week. According to recent research from the Promotion Marketing Association (PMA), a survey of 1000 people found that 89% used coupons when shopping, with 97% of primary shoppers using coupons at the supermarket. Those coupon users report an average of seven percent savings on their grocery bill with coupons.

Oh, I can hold my own with the typical shopper. Just taking the time to clip a few coupons every week and matching those coupons with sales, I've done as well at 20% on some of my bills, and even better with the few well-planned trips I've embarked on since March.

My thin, unorganized binder is a reminder to me of just what a new couponer could accomplish in a little time. This week's Fareway grocery ad inspired me to get back in the saddle and start saving more.

"Combine your store coupons with manufacturer coupons to maximize your savings," I always advise in my workshops. This week's Fareway ad is a good example. The store ad includes a coupon good for $8 off 10 listed items. It didn't take long for me to go through the slim pickings of my coupon binder to unearth some nearly forgotten $2 off Oscar Mayer deli sliced meat coupons when you purchase Kraft deli-sliced cheese. I pulled four of those from my binder, knowing we could go through at least four packages of meat for sandwiches. The Kraft Fresh Take coupons in my binder were expired and I nearly despaired of additional savings until I checked the online printable coupon source,/http://www.coupons.com/. Lo and behold, there were coupons for Planters nuts (I love the Nutrition products), Kraft Miracle Whip, and Kraft Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I felt that old familiar surge of adrenaline when I entered the store, reminiscent of my "good old days" of couponing before David's death. With very little advance planning, I managed to save a respectable $27.45 on a $111.00 grocery trip; not the best I've ever done but decidedly a good start in getting back into the coupon game.

The bottom line lesson to all this; even new, or fatigued seasoned shoppers, can save money on their weekly groceries without spending hours clipping and sorting coupons...
...and I need to clip the stacks of coupons so kindly shared with me, and beef up my binder a bit before my next workshop!

Heads Up, Couponers! Dollar Tree Accepting Coupons!

This is big news for couponers everywhere, so big I wondered why it wasn't on the front page of the newspaper. As of Sunday, August 26th, Dollar Tree stores nationwide will begin accepting manufacturer's coupons. I cannot tell you how many times I would visit a Dollar Tree store with my husband, where everything is actually ONE DOLLAR, mind you, and lament the fact that they didn't accept coupons. Free toothpaste, free make-up, free deodorant...If only.  And now a casual comment on the Dollar Tree Facebook page netted the admission that yes, they will begin accepting manufacturer's coupons on August 26th. Here is their official coupon policy (scroll down to the bottom of the page)  Dollar Tree Coupon Policy
Dollar Tree did not officially announce this with a press release but word spread fast among coupon bloggers and there were many questions posted on the Facebook page that leads me to believe it might be a bit of a mess at Dollar Tree stores until all the cashiers and managers are trained in coupon acceptance. If I lived near a Dollar Tree I might rush out the door Sunday morning just to "test the waters," but I, for one, am thrilled at this new coupon policy that will mean many items will be free with the use of coupons.

They're Everywhere! They're Everywhere!

"You can find coupons everywhere," I tell attendees at my workshops. "In the newspaper, in magazines, on the Internet, on pads on the grocery store shelf, hanging on bottles (hangtags), and even on the package. (peelies)  What I've never told them, what I've never seen before in 30+ years of couponing was a coupon on my roll of toilet paper. Not on the package, mind you, and not in the package, but literally attached to the toilet paper roll!

That's a first for me.
Apparently I will have to change my workshop presentation a bit and add, "You can even find them on your toilet paper!"
It was a good one, too.

Where was the most unusual place you ever found a coupon?

Can You Smell a Good Deal?

"Everything in this cart $1.00" I spotted the sign immediately when I entered our Walmart to pick up some medication. When I saw what was in the cart, I turned around and asked Katie to fetch my coupon binder from the car; Glade sprays and candles, and Febreeze products~all marked down to just one dollar. I knew I had more of the $2.00 off Glade Expressions coupons and several $5.00 off five Febreeze product coupons inside my binder. I nearly forgot about the medicine as I counted coupons against products I was putting inside my cart. I also knew I was going to have to add some more things to my cart as the $2 off Glade coupons would give me an additional $1 off my purchases. That's right, Walmart's official coupon policy states that coupons that exceed the price of the product can still be taken and the remaining amount above the product price can go towards the other purchases in your basket. The blue "eco bags" that normally retail for $4 at Walmart were also in the cart. These bags fold down to a manageable size and have very sturdy handles and a bottom insert that makes them perfect for book sales and/or grocery shopping, so I added four of those to my order, along with some yogurt (not pictured) and a bottle of iced tea. I also added four Ivory soap bar packs that retail for $1.24 a pack because I still have several of the $1 off any Ivory soap coupons to use before the end of July.

My first order included most of the Glade sprays in the cart and all of the Febreeze products, but I knew I had some Air-Wick coupons and more Glade coupons in my uncut inserts at home. So then I did what any red-blooded, self-respecting American couponer would do; I rushed home and sat on the couch, hurridly clipping through several stacks of coupons and went back to the store fifteen minutes later, nabbing the Air-Wick refills ($1.50 off the $1 refills) and the smaller Glade candles that I now had "Buy Two, Get One Free" coupons on. $2 for three of the candles wasn't a fantastic deal, but my additional $2 Glade Expressions coupons would pay for the other two candles.Two other ladies digging into the $1 cart were thrilled with my offerings of Glade coupons so that they, too, could make a good deal even better. I added another four packages of the Ivory soap to this second order. I ended up paying less than $12 for everything pictured.
Now, that makes for a sweet-smelling deal!

I Love it When I'm Right

A week ago my weekly coupon column in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald newspaper advised my readers to clip out the Glade $2 Expressions collection coupon as I was certain we would see some good sale prices in the coming weeks.  At recent couponing workshops I'd also mentioned the Glade $2 off one Expressions coupon because I predicted this product would either be steeply discounted or clearanced out soon. Why? Because I'd purchased a couple of cans the last time we saw a high-value coupon and I noticed two things: #1) it is a really pricey product at nearly $4 a can regular retail and, #2) the can's design is not user friendly. It is really difficult to squeeze the lid in order to get it to spray. I assumed that some stores would find it a slow seller and put it on clearance. I believe I actually said in one workshop, "I can guarantee you this will be a product we will see clearanced out and eventually, discontinued.  It remains to be seen if it will eventually be discontinued, but today I did, indeed, discover it on a clearance shelf, marked down to $2.50 a can.

After my $2 coupons, I paid 50-cents each for spray with an amazingly delicious scent. (It is almost worth the $4) I bought the remaining 12 on the shelf.