Coupon Question and Answer: Ask I Heart Publix 2/13
February 13, 2013
If you have a question about couponing at Publix, this is the place to find the answer! Each week my buddy Christy over at Winn Dixie on a Dime and I have a little coupon question and answer session here on Ask I Heart Publix. Keep sending in those questions – we love to answer them! Just remember if we didn’t get to your question this week…we will do our best to cover it another week!!
Remember–there is a tab at the top of the site under “About” titled “Ask I Heart Publix” where you can find the questions and answers from past weeks!
Here are this week’s questions:
- What is the biggest shopping mistake you have made?
- Can I get the Publix GreenWise Ad deals at my (regular) Publix?
- Does Publix accept this type of competitor coupon?
- What insert coupons do you get excited about?
- How do I figure out which items are cheaper at which store?
And here are the answers!
1.Happy wants to know: What’s the biggest shopping mistake you have made?
Michelle: I have one that jumps out because it makes me double check buying pasta sauce every time I pick up a jar! A long time ago I decided to stock up on Bertolli Pasta Sauce. I remember it was a good deal and I had gathered a bunch of coupons. I put 16 jars in my cart and continued to shop. At checkout my total was quite a bit higher than I expected. I had the boys with me so I didn’t have time to deal with it.
I got home and saw that I paid full price for almost all of my pasta sauce! I had accidentally grabbed Organic which was not included in the BOGO sale. I think I spent over $30 on pasta sauce – YIKES! I was so mad at myself and didn’t want to go through the trouble of dragging all those jars back to the store and admitting my mistake. Everytime I opened a jar of that pasta sauce I cringed – tee hee!
Christy: I make two big shopping mistakes from time to time:
1) I don’t make a list, but instead grab all my “these should be good” coupons and try to make a shopping plan on the fly. I really ought to know better at this point. I never save as much when I don’t have a list!
2) I make a list, but go shopping when I’m hungry. Not the best idea, as I’m sure many of you know! I always come home with impulse purchases that I don’t really need. 
2. Marie wants to know: I’ve noticed that you started posting the Publix GreenWise Ad on Thursdays. Can I get those deals at my Publix even though it’s not a GreenWise Market store?
Michelle: You will have to ask your store. This will definitely be something that will vary by store. I know some folks have been able to price match so it can’t hurt to ask!
Christy: There has been some chatter in the comments about this. Most people say that you can’t get these deals at a “regular” Publix, and others say that you can (and recommend bringing a digital copy of the ad with you to your “regular” Publix store). I put it to the test – I called my store and asked my customer service manager. She said that if I had a digital copy of the ad, they would honor the price.
Now – this may not be the “official” policy on price matching the GreenWise ad…so I would recommend asking at your store!
3. Candy wants to know: I got an Albertsons flyer in the mail yesterday and in it are several store coupons that state, instead of a dollar off amount, the price you would pay. For example, there is a coupon for a $1.49 5lb bag of Idaho Potatoes. Can I use these at my local Publix (yes, my Publix does accept Albertsons as a competitor)?
Christy: Unfortunately, Publix does not accept coupons listing the price instead of a $ off amount. They consider that kind of “coupon” to really just be an advertised sale price – and since they do not price match other stores, they will not honor it.
Michelle: Nope, that is more like price matching. Publix will only accept coupons that deduct a specific amount.
4. Tina wants to know: I’m just curious…what coupons are you always happy to see show up in the weekly inserts (Other than Ovaltine, that is! )?
Christy: I’m always happy to see good value coupons show up for items we use every day. Off the top of my head, I’d say: Starbucks coffee, any high value non-dairy creamer, pasta, Rotel and other canned tomatoes and vegetables, and high value paper product & wipes coupons.
Michelle: Definitely Ovaltine I also was happy to see that new Mahatma coupon. In general I like meat coupons, cheese coupons and produce coupons. Like everyone – I like the ones for items that I use constantly!
5. Amy wants to know: I am new to couponing and still working out some kinks. One of the things I am most confused about: Is there a price list or some way to compare what is cheaper at what store…for those of us who don’t have the super neat phones with the advanced apps. I am dreading going to the store and writing down the name, size, and price of everything I buy …. and then going to multiple stores and doing the exact same thing. Any help would be great, the stores I tend to frequent most are CVS, Publix, Sweetbay, Target, and unfortunately Wal-Mart. Thanks in advance.
Christy: You CAN do all the work of a price comparison if you really want to know where to find the cheapest non-sale price for your family’s staples….but keep in mind that store sales and coupons can GREATLY impact how much you actually end up paying for a particular item. On paper, a particular store that I hate might have lower shelf-tag prices for many items. However, when you find a great sale and coupon…that “shelf-tag” price doesn’t matter anymore.
I think you will find that after couponing for 4 to 6 months, you will start to see where you can get your best prices for what kind of item. I used to shop at tons of stores, but as time has gone on, I’ve found that I really appreciate being about to get most or ALL of my groceries, toiletries, etc at one store…and I think that’s why we all Heart Publix!
Especially since I work from home and provide my own childcare , driving around town and searching out the very best deals is not an option for me anymore…it’s just too time consuming! Instead, I keep an eye on my favorite sites….and if I see a “just can’t pass that up” deal, then I’ll consider driving to grab it
Michelle: We have talked about this before and I always go back to the fact that price lists vary dramatically based on location and personal preference. A bag of sugar will vary in price from Florida to Georgia and then vary again from store to store. Each person’s “buy it now” price will vary based on personal consumption. As an example, some folks may consider $1 a good price on cereal. In my world $1 cereal is nothing to get excited about…we just don’t use that much so I need it to be 50¢ or less to make me smile 
Like Christy, I consider my time very valuable – running around spending $5 in gas to save 10¢ on toothpaste doesn’t work for me. The really good deals just can’t be predicted and can be anywhere and then your price list is out the window.
I really think taking a little time to create your own price list and then calculating your family’s product usage will give you a better picture of your spending and probably help you with your budget as well.
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.
typo… Michelle’s “but it now” should probably be “buy it now” on the last answer.
In response to Amy’s question:
I have now hit 6 months couponing but remember being in exactly the same place when I started! I tell you…I now shop at 3 stores (& only because they are a block from my house) and they are Publix, CVS & Rite Aid. Sometimes (VERY RARELY) I will go into Walmart because it is right across the street & open 24 hrs but I have found I can have a more pleasant experience in Publix. I may pay a little more for some items that aren’t on sale…BUT the fact that I don’t leave wanting to physically hurt the jerk that ran over my heels with her buggy 12 times in one aisle or the hoards of people having family reunions in EVERY AISLE (is this only in my WM?!) is so much more pleasant!
If Publix is having a great sale wk & I wonder about the pricing in comparisson with another store, I create a spreadsheet of the items I want & run over to the store with my list. I will fill in any regular prices that I am unsure about or that I want to compare with another stores sale. Basically, I SCOPE OUT the sale before I shop! I don’t take coupons…I just run in for about 20 min to gather info (and any coupons they may have)! This has helped me GREATLY when trying to decide if I want to go to Kroger’s sale that week or stick with Publix. 98% of the time…Publix wins regardless!
I don’t think any of us saved hundreds on our first few runs…it just grows & gets better over time! Couponing started to click with me after about a month. Now, my system & organization keep me on track every week!
“Marie wants to know: I’ve noticed that you started posting the Publix GreenWise Ad on Thursdays. Can I get those deals at my Publix even though it’s not a GreenWise Market store?”
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Yes, all Publix stores should have Greenwise pricing in their system. Notice the bottom of your weekly ad. It states this clearly, at least in So. Florida.
Hi Michelle! Publix does take those albertsons coupons that state a price. They must clearly be a coupon. The cashier has an option for”other” on her register under the raincheck option. This came about the same time as the new coupon policy about a 18 months ago.
Hmm… this seems like one of those grey areas that the coupon policy doesn’t address in writing. I’ve never tried such a coupon when shopping at Publix (because their competitors here just don’t put out those kinds of coupons).
In-ad sale-price coupons always been a grey area. For instance, Wal-Mart considers a competitor’s in-ad coupon as the “advertised sale price” under their Price Match Guarantee program. Target, however, views this in-ad coupon as a coupon and will not match the price under theirs.
I would talk to your store manager about this one, just to be sure.
Amy, it is indeed important to know roughly what regular and sale prices are likely to be in your area. A Publix competitor often does meat BOGOs available only with their loyalty card. I noted a while back that boneless, skinless chicken breast was running 1.99 on sale there one week, the next week it was not on sale at 2.99 and the following week it was a highly advertised BOGO at 3.99. Those are the ‘grocery games’ the stores play on us and encourage me to more and more ‘coupon games’. Initially I felt Publix BOGOs were nothing to get excited about because they seemed to focus on carbohydrate saturated products. Their shelf prices are higher than their competitors and their normal sale prices are about comparable. Their coupon stacking policy, however really makes it worthwhile and Michelle does an excellent job of helping us with the stack.
Over time I have learned to check the site 2-3 times per day and print coupons as they become available. Usually Sunday night I trim and file the stack of coupons while watching TV and then go through my list to pull what I am going to use for the week’s sales. While my binder is with me with the rest of my coupons in case I find additional good deals, I go into the store with the list and a clip of coupons.
I buy stuff we won’t use only when it is a money maker or free and I make sure it gets donated rather than sitting around and cluttering my house with the fantasy that ‘maybe someday we will need it’. This week I have been to the store a couple of times, sent about $150 of full price product down the belt that after the BOGOs were pulled out was about $100 and couponed the rest down to about $23. Several packages of Sundown Natural supplements that were money makers went into the donate box along with several bottles of Sunlight Dish Detergent (I like Dawn). $5 on $25 competitor coupons were used on each visit to help supplement the cost of groceries that were not on sale.
It takes some getting used to, but it does become second nature after a while. And $150 worth of groceries for about $23 works for me quite nicely.
I remember when I first started couponing, and it was so complicated, but you’re right, it becomes as natural as breathing after a while. I find myself couponing all the time. You find that the “couponing mindset” begins to worm its way into all aspects of your life.
I was out to lunch with some co-workers around Christmastime and the restaurant had a gift card deal. (Buy one a gift card, get a second gift card of half the amount of the original gift card for free) This deal was, of course a no brainer for me, since I was already eating there. I asked the waitress if she would sell me a gift card before I paid for my meal, and my team looked at me funny. When I told them about the deal, half of them rolled their eyes and the others laughed. (They’re used my coupon craziness by now) I used the original gift card to pay for my meal and only just used the second “free” gift card last week.
Yay coupons!
Amy – I’ve been couponing for four years now. Although I there are circumstances where I would (and have) recommended a trip to each store just to make a price list, it isn’t something I generally recommend. First of all, it is very time consuming, and I know time is valuable. Secondly, just the fact that you shop at different stores makes me think that you already go to specific stores for specific items and/or to get the best price on a particular item. So you probably already know prices on your favorite and most frequently used things. And lastly, I bet if you really sat down and thought about it, there is one store that you visit most often, one that you prefer over all the others; if that is the case, any list that you create may not ever be used or could be quickly tossed aside when you realize that running from store to store grabbing every deal isn’t really worth the time/hassle….which brings me back to my first point – time is valuable. Now, some people enjoy the “chase” and have the time, but I have found that more often than not it gets old pretty fast.
So my suggestion for you is this: Since you have just started couponing, concentrate on one store – your favorite, or the one you frequent the most. If you want a “master price list” start with them. As you shop, jot down prices to the items you are buying (regular and sale prices). Do this at every store you visit – just a few items at a time – and over the next few weeks or a month, you should have a master list.
After you have a complete list and compare each store, odds are you’ll end up doing most of your shopping in one stop at one store.
Angela you are exactly right. I am trying to teach a lady I work with how to shop the sales. I told her to focus on one store at a time. Then start adding coupons with those items. She already sees how much money she is saving just by shopping the sales. Once you’ve been couponing awhile, you learn what price is a good deal. And you know which stores have the better sales. There’s not really any need for a price list for any store but the one you frequent the most.
Good Q&A this week!
“a particular store that I hate might have lower shelf-tag prices for many items”- too funny! I walked through there last week for the first time in months, and wondered how ppl can afford it!
For the pricelist idea, I just generalize acceptable prices for each of the product categories. Cereal- $1, cheese- less than $3/lb, meat- less than $2/lb, yogurt- $0.25/cup, fruit- $1/lb (except strawberries), bread- $1, diapers- $5/jumbo or $12/box, toothbrushes & toothpaste- free. Its much easier than listing every product in every store!
You can also use your receipts to start a list.
I use couponmom.com for comparing prices. You can login and search for the current sale prices on all of the stores in your state or you can search the price history for a item at a specific store.
Will WDOAD be coming back?
had to add to the worst mistake ever made, and hopefully a learning lesson to others.
A few years back while first learning how to coupon, and using this site, I spent a very long time making a list and getting all my coupons ready. (You know how long it takes to get organized when you’re new at it.) Only to get to the store and realize I had done it for the previous weeks ad. Sad thing, I did this twice within a few months time.
I just had a dear friend who is new to couponing do the same thing a few weeks ago, she told me about it almost in tears, I felt her pain!
Trust me when I tell you a triple and quadruple check I am making a list for the right week now!