Share Your Story & Giveaway!
August 10, 2009
I thought it might be fun to swap stories. Couponing often comes with the issue of having to deal with people who just don’t get it! I tell people all the time that couponing is hard work. We spend a lot of time looking through ads, sorting, organizing and clipping coupons only to be met with ugly looks from people behind us in line and often having to justify coupons and explain that the terminology “one coupon per purchase” is not the same as “one coupon per transaction”.
I am lucky that the majority of stores that I shop are filled with trained cashiers and super friendly management. My biggest issue these days is finding ways to keep my boys entertained while I check out. I mean I can only justify oh so many suckers 
I did receive an email yesterday from a person who quite apparently did not take time to read or bother to request an explanation and instead chose to say that I was cheating and using coupons fraudulently. It is always fun to deal with closed minded people who refuse to believe there are actually honest people still walking around It has been a while since I had an encounter with a closed minded person in the stores but this experience sticks in my head and makes me chuckle when I think about it…
I was in a drug store trying to get a deal on some make up. The gal rang up my purchases and started scanning my coupons. One coupon beeped and so she said that the coupon was not valid. I took the coupon and checked to make sure I had not made a mistake. Once I made sure all was OK, I handed it back saying that it was indeed valid and asked her to please use it to discount the item purchased. After several minutes of going back and forth negating all of her excuses why the coupon was invalid. I pointed to the picture on the coupon and showed her that the nail polish I was attempting to purchase was actually pictured on the coupon. She looked me straight in the face and said–”yeah, but the one in the picture is a different color!” I could not help but laugh hysterically. After realizing that I was dealing with someone who would never “get it” I nicely requested a manager. Of course I got my free nail polish and a great story that still makes me laugh when I think about it.
We all have stories so I thought it might be fun, and even a bit cathartic to share stories. Let’s make it a giveaway too. I will randomly choose one person to receive a $10 Publix gift card. I will also include an envelope filled with great coupons to make sure that $10 covers as much as possible! All you have to do is share your story. I will choose a winner on Wednesday (8/12) around 11pm. Good luck and I can’t wait to hear your stories!!
My other quick story is i went to kroger. i had my husband check out in one line and I did another. i got done paying and went to his line. we were almost done with the coupons he had handed the cashier. the store mgr came up to me and the cashier and started inspecting the coupons and counting my items. He told me that i could not use all the coupons. i asked why he told me because that i could only use 2 on each type of item. they were coupons put of the paper not printed ones. He showed his butt and was rude. I told him ok that is fine hand me my coupons back and ill gowhere they will take then. he then said well you can do it this time. with all the hassle i paid 2.20 for 60 dollars and walked out with my head high. My husband said you showed him that you new the policy and I am proud the way you shop
I just started couponing about a month ago and have really enjoyed what doors it has open up for me. This weekend, my boyfriend and I did our bi-weekly grocery shopping at Publix. After shopping, we proceeded to get in a line to check out. Once we were at the register, I waited until the cashier ask me for my coupons, which were in my hand. The very first one he saw which was the free milk with $100 purchase, he said that he wouldnt take it. I asked him to get his manager, he did, and she said it was okay, as long as it was under $5 (I called before hand to make sure-I hate to be embarrassed). This was taking forever, with the manager checking the coupons and the cashier, that I polietly turned to the woman who was next in line to apologized. She said that it wasnt a problem, and she went on to ask what websites I used to print my coupons and I told her. By this time the cashier was 3/4 of the way through and a bagger walks up and starts looking at the coupons and was like I could’nt use them. The cashier proceeded to tell her that I could because the manager had just approved them. Well, she goes to get the manager and comes back which the manager again said that it was fine. The bagger was so rude that my boyfriend said that he would take over our groceries and she could leave. The lady behind us said that I was a inspiration to her, which made me feel great.
All in all, I saved $105.75 and paid $53. With some of the money we saved, my boyfriend and I are buying school supplies to fill up a box we have that we are going to donate to either a school or local a teacher. I have learned that even though others try to make me feel like I am doing something wrong, even though it is not, I am going to continue because it will allow myself (us) to bless others who are less fortunate.
My least favorite store on the planet is CVS, and here’s why. About 6 months ago I went to buy several items like I had dozens of times before. Of course, I always get followed because in my tiny town nobody uses coupons, let alone as many as I had that day. The guy refused to take the coupons because they read “One Per Purchase”. Couldn’t ask for the manager because it was the manager, and all my explaining went to deaf ears. He said if I wanted to use more than 1 coupon I’d have to do separate transactions. I was going to, and then he still gave me attitude and didnt’ let me. They were insert coupons, not internet printed. He accused me of cheating the system by using so many coupons, and when I wanted to return something he called me a thief. Many phone calls to his district manager later, I was given a gift card and an assurance it wouldn’t ever happen again, but we haven’t been back in there. We went to the other nearby store, in the same district, and my husband heard a cashier whispering to another “You have to watch those people”. I wasn’t even using coupons that day. You win some, you lose some in couponing, but CVS is just a complete loss to me in this area. Totally closed-minded about allowing people to save money when in fact I doubt they’d be in business if they didn’t accept coupons.
I have been tutoring a now fifth grade girl in math for nearly a year. Her mom asked if I could keep her for the full day when I tutored her this summer to which I agreed. On the days we had our sessions I would take her grocery shopping with me. This helped her to apply math to the real world. As for coupons, before going to the checkout, I would have her add up all the coupons. I showed her how it wasn’t difficult to do if you group like coupons together. She especially enjoyed using the free M & M coupons to get a treat. One of the best lessons using coupons was buyin Oxi-Clean at Target. I had intended to buy a small container which was on sale. As we walked away, I said, “I think I have a coupon for that.” I did, but it was for a larger container. We went back to the display, subtracted the coupon from the cost of a larger container. Then we compared costs by dividing each one by the number of ounces. She was able to conclude that with the coupon we got a better value by purchasing the larger size.
Ok I have to share… I have to admit I have just spent the last hour (had to go eat dinner inbetween) reading all of these GREAT comments and stories… I have not been doing the coupon thing for very long, only since June of this year. Oh and before I forget to mention it, I am the one who does the couponing, and my wife supports me very much. I have to admit that it is VERY interesting and FUNNY all the looks I get when I load my coupon box into the seat of the cart and have my “inserts” with me in another bag in the cart. I will tell you that I have a GREAT mentor and friend who has helped me get my savings going. I do not have any stories of bad cashiers, or bad experiences but I had to share that since most of the “couponers” are moms or women in general there are some of us guys out there that see the value and actually work at it. I just had to share the fact that it is VERY cool when my wife tells EVERYONE at work and when we are checking out that I do the cutting and planning and sorting and she just goes for the extra support and transactions. She has tried to get me to hold some “classes” for others who wanted to know how I was doing on my savings and why I sit at lunch at work and cut coupons. I just wanted to say thank you to my lovely wife for believing that eventually I will have a 97% savings trip. I am currently getting about 50-70% when I go. Thanks for allowing me to share.
Hi…I’ve been couponing for a while now and usually don’t run into too many problems with cashiers but when I do, it’s usually easily resolved when a manager is involved. Yesterday, however, was another story. I was at Publix, one that I’ve shopped at numerous times, purchasing some of the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers, which were on sale for $3 and I had manufacture coupons for $2.50 and a Target coupon for .50, so they would have been free. I had 5 Chef Boyardee coupons, which would have made them for free. I also bought some fruit and veggies to bring my total to $25 before coupons. Once the cashier was done, I handed over my coupons, one was a $5 off $25 purchase from Save a Lot. She told me that she couldn’t use the $5 coupon until all other coupons were scanned first. I proceeded to tell her that she’s supposed to scan it before other coupons, so she called the manager. The manager agreed with me but proceeded to tell me that she would not accept my $2.50 coupons for the Cafe Steamers because they were internet printables and the value was greater than $1. She also didn’t allow me to stack a competitor/store coupon with a manufacture coupon. She said that there was a new policy in place that would not allow them to take internet printables valued at more than $1. Also, she said that they would only be able to take 1 coupon per transaction, even though the coupons clearly states that it’s one per purchase. There was such a long line and I didn’t want to waste anymore time and energy going back and forth with the manager and cashier that I just took back all of the coupons that they gave me and just paid for my order. The next day (today) I called the manager at the store to ask what coupon policy was and she confirmed exactly what I already knew. I explained to her what happened to me the night before and she apologized like crazy and told me to come in with all of my coupons and my receipt. She would look to make sure that everything was valid and if so then she would give me my money back. When I went into the store she refunded me $20 and also gave me a $25 gift card just for the inconvenience of going through the hassle and having to make another trip back to the store to get it resolved. She assured me that it would not happen again. This is why I like shopping at Publix…for the most part
im pretty new to the coupon cutting, but i love it. its has become my new game. the other week i was at a publix and i had a whole lot of coupons for the cheif-boy-are-dee plus a couple of other items i randomly decided to pick up. after rings up my order the cashier, who was im guessing new, looked at me and asked if i reliezed that he had to ring all those coupons up one at a time. at first he seemed really annoyed as did the lady who was in line behind me. slow my total droped lower and lower by the time it was all said and done i had around 40 cans of cheif-boy-are-dee plus 4 cans of chicken and a 100oz bottle of purex for less than 3 dollars. not only did the attitude of the cashier change but so did the lady behind me. when it was all said and done they were writting down the name of this web site. got to love those shocked faces.