Coupon Question and Answer: Best of Ask I Heart Publix 10/10
October 10, 2012
We’ve been answering questions for Ask I Heart Publix for over two years now, and we’ve definitely found that some questions keep popping up as new couponers write in. So every month we’re going to feature a “Best Of” Ask I Heart Publix, where we post some of our favorite questions and answers from past weeks, months, and years.
Don’t worry….we’ll still be answering the new questions you guys send in, too, so keep sending in those questions! Just remember if we didn’t get to your question this week…we will do our best to cover it another week!!
Don’t forget to look under the “About” tab where you can find the questions and answers from past weeks!
Here are this week’s “Best of” questions:
- How do you prevent your receipts from fading?
- How do you deal with the customers in line behind you getting upset over your coupon usage?
- Can I use coupons from a Florida Publix coupon booklet at my store in Alabama (or any other state)?
- Do you have any good tips for how to remember what great coupons you have so that you can definitely use them?
- How do you interpret the Publix Promise?
And here are the answers!
1. Kristi wants to know: How do you prevent your receipts from fading? I wanted to submit a receipt for a rebate and it was so faded (it was stored safely in my binder folder) that I was not able to submit it.
Christy: From what I’ve read, the chemicals in the receipts can react to different elements- in this case, plastic – which can make them fade more quickly than normal. You might want to store your receipts in a paper envelope or folder and see if that makes a difference. Another thing that can react with the receipts is heat – so make sure that you keep your binder cool if you’re going to keep your receipts in there!
Michelle: Christy is right. I keep my receipts in an accordion folder that stays beside my desk. I don’t have many issues with fading…but a receipt left in my car will be quick to fade. Also, if you know you will be sumbitting a receipt for a rebate –make a copy so that you can submit it with your original receipt. I usually make a copy and store a copy as a file on my computer in case there are any issues with the rebate.
2. Nicole wants to know: How do you deal with the customers in line behind you getting upset over your coupon usage? I had a man today make me feel awful for using so many and holding up the line. I normally don’t make eye contact to avoid confrontation but he was huffing and puffing saying “man, there’s more??” every few seconds. I looked at him and told him that I have 7 kids and every bit saved helps. But he still kept making comments. What do you guys do? And yes…I do have 7 kids ?.
Christy: I make sure to smile and make eye contact with whoever is in line behind me right away, and if at all possible, I tell them BEFORE they start to unload their stuff on the belt that I have a number of coupons so it may be a few minutes. In many cases, people actually thank me for telling them and go to another line. If they stay and wait, though, I always thank them for their patience after my order is done (for the record, I always thank my cashier for their help as well – it’s got to be a little daunting to face a pile of coupons like the one I’m usually carrying!). However, in a case like you’re describing, there probably wasn’t anything you could do – it sounds like that guy really just wanted to be a jerk. I think you handled it as well as you could!
Michelle: I do the exact same thing as Christy…I give people a forewarning and let them decide if they want to wait. Often my store will open a lane just for me to make everyone’s life a little easier! There will always be the occasional person who acts like those five minutes of waiting is sheer agony. For each of those rotten eggs there are five others who will cheer and congratulate you for your savings!
I have to admit I have a little devilish side. When someone behind me starts up with comments and huffing and puffing. I make a point to make a comment…Wow, $65 in savings! Then when they huff again…Wow–over $100 in savings–boy my savings account is looking good!
3. Veronica B. wants to know: I live in Birmingham, AL. On a recent trip to Florida I went to a Publix to look for coupons, and I picked up several booklets that I have not seen in circulation in Birmingham. Am I able to use those coupons in my Birmingham store?
Christy: Yes, you can absolutely use those coupons at your store as long as they’re still valid (or longer if your store accepts expired Publix coupons!) – to the best of my knowledge any Publix will accept any coupon with an LU# on it. The only exception here is if the coupon specifically states that it’s valid only at a particular store (but most of them don’t say that).
4. Christie wants to know: I print a lot of the printable coupons that you feature. I don’t keep a binder for my coupons; instead I use envelopes (I keep them in cosmetic bag). I always end up forgetting what coupons I have printed and they end up expiring! Any good tips on how to make sure they get used?
Christy: I’ve been struggling with the same thing for a while now, and finally I just started to keep a separate envelope marked “Really Good Coupons.” Yes, it’s one more envelope I have to look through as I get ready for my shop, but it’s helped a lot so far! Commenters, do you have any other tips you’d like to share?
Michelle: I also have a pouch of coupons that I keep at the front of my binder with any coupon that I like. It can be high value coupons or coupons that I want to use before they expire. Each week when I am making my list I go through that pouch to see if there are any that I want to add to my list for that week. I would also love to hear any good tips that you guys have to share!!
5. Elizabeth from the comments wants to know: How do you interpret the Publix Promise?
I ask this knowing that your answer is going to be, “It depends on your store”!! Really what I’m wondering is how you think this scenario should work out: I went to Publix specifically for refrigerated parmesean cheese. I saw that the sign in the fridge case said they were BOGO. That seemed a bit odd to me, because I thought they were BOGO the previous week, but there was no date on the sign, so I thought maybe it was an unadvertised sale and I grabbed 2.
When I checked out, they rang up full price, so I told my cashier about the sign, and she gave me one free. I am definitely not one to argue, but I really thought I should’ve gotten both free. It seems to me that they offered me the falsely advertised price (which I think any grocery store would do) and that they weren’t really honoring the Publix Promise. What do you think?
Michelle: Nope…this one is easy as it is stated on the Publix website:
Our Publix checkout promise guarantees that if during checkout, the scanned price of an item (excluding alcohol and tobacco products) exceeds the shelf price or advertised price, we will give the customer one of that item free. The remaining items will be charged at the lower price.
So you should have only received one free and the other should have been charged at the display price.
I hope our answers to these questions were helpful! Make sure you ‘tune in’ next week for even more Q&A with I Heart Publix. If you have a question you’d like to see answered, email me at contactiheartpublix@gmail.com.
About the publix promise.. i went to Publix (Tampa) last week and bought the pizza crusts that were BOGO (not the fresh dough from the previous week). It didn’t ring up BOGO at all, and when i went to customer service the cashier said that i would actually be getting both free due to the Publix Promise which i was unaware of.
I agree! That makes sense. If the items ring up, just say 3.00 each, and the sign said bogo if they only give you one free then they are just honoring the bogo sign. no compensation for ringing up the wrong price.
But if they give people every one of the item(s) that has the wrong sign free, then what is stopping someone from grabbing each and every one off of the shelf in expectation of getting them all free.
One free and the rest at the correct, lower price seems totally fair.
Now, if you’re in true BOGO, they may be giving you the item you pay for free, then the other is free with the BOGO sale. That makes sense.
I would think that in true BOGO-if the sign says the item is BOGO and they both ring up full price that you would get both for free-one for free with the Publix Promise and the other for free with the due to the BOGO sale that is on the sign. If not-the Publix promise really would not do anything except get you the sale price.
It must vary due to true bogo or not. I live in half price bogo and have had that happen a few times. Each time the first one is free, and the rest are half off.
I had this happen a few weeks ago with the frozen Tyson chicken nuggets that were bogo. I got back the amount of both packages. I wasn’t expecting it but it was the Assistant Manager and she was confident that it was correct. I’m in Florida, so true bogo.
I work for Publix. You should get both for free in Florida. Otherwise you get one for free and up to ten at the sale price on the sign (at least at my Publix) or ten deals if it’s BOGO. The exception is alcohol – you can’t get it for free, only the sale price.
By otherwise I meant if it’s a different sale and not BOGO.
@Nicole, it’s always a challenge to deal with people like that. I typically look in their cart and see whether they have something I can give them a coupon for. I also try to keep a couple extra $X/XX Qs with me and give those away to the people behind me (I live in an apartment complex and you would not believe how many people toss their Qs in the trash). I have had people refuse to accept those Qs, even when I tell them it’s like I’m handing them $5.
If I still can’t get a smile or at least a pleasant face, I just walk away shaking my head and smiling at my own savings. And wondering what is going on in their life that they couldn’t even smile in the grocery store.
Nicole, you handled that very well. If people don’t have a lot of goods, I will let me in front of me in line. I also give warning that I have a lot of coupons to work through. Now, for the super rude… they don’t get nice me. I am infamous for telling especially rude people that they should get to the store earlier next time. That way they won’t have to wait behind me in line.
@Nicole, When I get “one of those people” behind me, I tell them that I am saving $X in coupons today and that if they would like to simply give me that amount in cash, I’ll forego the coupons and get them on their way quicker.
No one has ever taken me up on my offer. I guess their time really isn’t more valuable to them than saving money is to m.
I do the same thing as Dave. I offer to let them pay for my groceries in lieu of waiting on the coupons to be scanned. I’ve never had any takers either.
I also make a point to say “look at that- I got to keep $xx in pocket today by using coupons. They’re they same as money you know.” The expression that comes across their face is priceless when they equate coupons as being the same as money.
I think that the advice from Christy and Michelle is spot on. I too will warn the person that steps up behind me that I have a lot of coupons and it may take a little bit of time. This allows the person to decide if they want to wait or move to another line and, most importantly, it allows them to feel in control of their situation. Sometimes people move to another line, but sometimes they stay and watch the whole show. And I too always thank the person behind me for their patience and the cashier handling my complicated order.
PS – Since I have been couponing, I have found that Publix has a lot of incredible cashiers.
They really, really do. The cashiers, managers and baggers are great with me. I’ve only had one really rude person behind me. On my next weekly trip, the cashier who I’d had while dealing with said rude person, sought me out to say how horribly she felt that I’d had to deal with that person. She could tell it had stressed me out and not to worry about it because some people are just intent on being mean.
I have only ever had one cashier huff and puff at my coupons–at publix!! I was floored. Normally they are all very cheerful. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t say anything that time, because, hey, we all have bad days. I went through her line the next time. she was better, but not much:/ so now i just avoid her.
@Mariah Sounds like you & I might be shopping at the same Publix LoL I’ve only had one rude one in my Kissimmee store, but luckily, I have 3 other stores nearby to rotate between so I don’t have to deal with that rude cashier at all any more
@nicole. I simply offer the person behind me the chance to pay for my groceries and I will be more than happy to kep my coupons. No one has taken me up on the offer!
Oh I like that even better!
I do the same things Michelle and Christy suggested, but like Nicole found sometimes there are people that are just rude. I would have never had the nerve to do this, but one time my boyfriend was with me and when the man behind us continued to huff and puff and roll his eyes, my boyfriend looked at him and said, “I tell you what – give me $100 cash for what she is saving and we will not use our coupons.” The man stopped immediately.
I have been told (by people who worked at Publix) that if the item is still marked BOGO, you get both free. Maybe that’s because I’m in FL and it’s a true BOGO state? I haven’t had the luck of finding this myself, but a friend who shops at the same store has had this happen and got both items free. A friend who worked as a stock boy at Publix said they had people at his store who would show up on the morning of the day the sale changed and check every item that had been on sale the previous week and get everything for free.
Im a binder couponer. I go through my binder on the 1st of each month. I pull out all the ones for the next month. For example, I pulled all of Novembers out on October 1. I keep the ones I want in a baby wipe box. I go through it weekly and add to my list the ones that are gonna expire before I go to the store the next week that are gonna make for a good deal. That way I NEVER miss a good coupon and I never have expired qs in my binder.
@christie….I used to use the envelope system for my coupons. I was always leaving something behind:( Although I thought it was SUPER nerdy, I finally switched to a binder. I felt so silly carrying it into the store at first. haha. But now, it has really streamlined the way I organize my coupons and has most definetly cut down on the time I spend getting ready to go shopping.
I did spend quite a bit getting it set up…$30 or so. I couldn’t find an inexpensive binder, and at the time, all I could find for those baseball card holder inserts was a pack of 100 for $20. Of course, I have saved that initial $30 a hundred times over by now:) well worth it. I even printed out inserts from another couponing site, to help me get organized.
anyways, sorry I am rambling. I know we all have different ways of being organized, but the binder truly saves time and energy, and you can’t forget coupons (unless you leave your binder at home!:)
Like you I used to feel the same way but now I couldn’t coupon without carrying my binder in the store. Where else would I put my scissors for the green and yellow flyers?
And packages of plastic inserts of different sizes are available on Ebay for great prices.
Be careful –
Having left one binder in the cart (and not getting it back, of course but that’s a story for another time…) I now have a rule that my binder goes in my car before any groceries are unloaded from the cart.
When we’re tired or in a hurry or distracted, it’s easy to forget that binder in seat of the cart.
Terrific questions today!
I haven’t figured out a coupon system I love yet. I went an got these envelope pocket things http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/372697/Wilson-Jones-Tabbed-Binder-Envelope-Assorted/ and have them sorted by like “meat” and “frozen” etc. Then I can put them in a binder all cut out then, because I hate hate hate shopping without coupons now and the husband likes to randomly stop places and then buy all the thigns I have coupons for at home.
I have to share since this was a perfectly timed story. Last night I was shopping for the end of sale run I usually make on Wednesday (I live near Clearwater FL). Anyway, I was checking out and the cashier was about half-way through my coupons when the person behind me started sighing loudly. I did ignore it since I knew that I would be done soon. As I was leaving the line, the person in the line next to me must have noticed the pile of coupons I had and asked me how much I saved, I gladly turned around and proudly said “$104″, thanks for asking. I think that quited the “sigher” that was behind me and I proceeded to talk to the other lady about couponing and refered her to IHP as a great source and time saver!