Coupon Question and Answer: Best of Ask I Heart Publix 2/20
February 20, 2013
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:
- I remember reading that you stock up on milk – how do you do that?
- If my coupon says “limit one coupon per purchase,” can I really only use one?
- Many times you indicate there is a coupon at Target.com but when I go there, I can’t find the coupon. It doesn’t look like changing the zip code matters. Am I missing something?
- Is there a way to know when certain items will be on sale at Publix?
- What items do you never buy unless they’re free or near free, and what do you almost always find yourself paying full or near full price for?
And here are the answers!
1.Kelly wants to know: I remember reading that you stock up on milk. I want to stock up on Smart Balance milk this week but was wondering how you do that without it going bad? My husband read somewhere that you can’t freeze milk. What do you do?
Michelle: Honestly Kelly, I have never frozen milk. Not because you can’t but because I used to only have the freezer attached to my refrigerator (thus not enough room!) I love buying the Smart Balance as it typically has a very long expiration date! The cartons I bought in December are not going to expire until late February. I just keep them in my refrigerator and we use them as we need them.
UPDATE: Even since I got my upright freezer…I still have not had a chance to freeze milk. That SmartBalance can still hang out in my fridge 
Christy: I ALWAYS freeze milk…my mom did this when I was growing up so I never thought it was unusual until I started talking to other couponers about it! Even things like the Smart Balance which has that super-long expiration date go in my freezer because I have a small fridge and there’s just no room for more than one container of milk! Milk keeps for at least 6 months in the freezer. Some people complain about the texture or color of milk after it’s been frozen….but I never notice a difference at all, and I LOVE always having (super cheap) milk on hand!
2. Scotty wants to know: Say you want five of one item and you have 5 coupons for that item. The coupons read “Limit one coupon per purchase.” Can you purchase 5 of that item and use the 5 coupons?
Michelle: The wording is correct…and you are only using one coupon per item.
NOW…had it said one coupon per transaction then you would only be able to use one coupon total no matter how many items you bought (that is when you would need to do separate transactions).
The wording is there so people will only use one coupon on each item purchased…believe it or not some people think they can use more than one until the cost of the item is $0…that is a no no!
Christy: Michelle is absolutely right on this one. I’d just add that I’ve actually had a NUMBER of cashier question me on this during my time as a couponer. The way I usually explain it is this: “Yes, it does say ‘one coupon per purchase’…I interpret that to mean that I can use one coupon per item I am purchasing. Since I am purchasing 4 of that item, I should be able to use 4 coupons.” Works every time 
3. Carie wants to know: Many times you indicate there is a coupon at Target.com but when I go there, I can’t find the coupon. It doesn’t look like changing the zip code matters. Am I missing something??
Michelle: Target coupons, like any printable, can come and go very very quickly! I depend on a coupon database to do my matchups. It would take me days to go through and check every single matchup listed…so I depend on you guys to give me feedback. I try my best to go through the comments every few days and add/delete what I can to make sure the matchups are correct.
Also, if you have already printed a specific Target coupon, it will no longer be visible on the site. So, if you don’t see it it might be possible that you have already printed it
Christy: I do my best to print Target coupons I think I will use at least once a week because those competitor coupons are really helpful in getting my grocery totals down…the last thing I want is to wait to print and find out that the coupon is gone when I need it!
4. Lisa wants to know: Is there a way to know when certain items will be on sale at Publix?
Michelle: Not really….I post the ad on Monday for the upcoming week and every once in a while a company will email to give us a heads up on an upcoming deal but that is about all there is.
There are some promotions that repeat at the same time each year and we see similar really great deals. The Italian Days promotion is one of my favorites…I look forward to it each year!
Christy: I wish we could predict sales a little better…I’ve read that most sales cycle every 12 weeks so we should see most items go on sale at least once every 3 months.
5. Andy wants to know: What are the best and worst items to coupon – in other words, what items do you never buy unless they’re free or near free, and what do you almost always find yourself paying full or near full price for?
Christy: That’s a good question – I’m interested to see if my answers and Michelle’s answers are similar on this one!
My best couponing items (that I always get for free or near free): salad dressing, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body wash, makeup, shampoo, crackers, cookies, granola bars, cereal, cake mixes & frostings, broth & stock, bread crumbs, pasta, rice, dish soap, SUNDOWN VITAMINS , dog treats, tissues, cold medicine, pain relievers.
My worst couponing items (that I generally pay close to full price for): Publix bread, specialty cooking ingredients my husband demands that I buy (miso paste, tahini, artichoke hearts, infused vinegars or oils, etc), produce, meats, beer & wine, and butter.
Michelle: I love this question too!!
Things I don’t pay for (or only pay a few cents) salad dressing, yogurt, all health & beauty (soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, razors, makeup, meds, etc..) rice, pasta, cookies, cakes, cereal…honestly most of the things in the middle aisles of the store!!
Things I pay for: Most of the things on the outside aisles..meat, veggies, eggs, bread. Then of course any specialty items (like Ovatline 
) or splurge items. I would say meat & produce are 40% – 50% of my yearly budget.
I want to hear what you guys best/worst items include!
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.
Best Items: granola bars, cookies, pasta, health & beauty products, cereal, pasta sauce, butter, tea bags, candy(around the holidays), dog treats…
Worst Items: Milk (I just dont know about the freezing thing .. lol), peanut butter (Im a Jif snob), fresh meats, bread, dog food, sugar(sweet tea-aholic), fresh veggies..
I was hesitant to freeze milk also, but give it a try! I found through online research that milk with fat in it can get watery and discolored (doesn’t affect taste) when you thaw it out, but we only drink fat-free milk, so it isn’t an issue at all. Just set it out in your fridge a day or so before you need it and you are good to go!
Is the Smart Balance milk on sale for 2.50 again this week? I missed seeing that on the current and new ad previews.
“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.”
I’m always paying a full price on milk, because I’m always going for a shortest expiration date. The longer milk’s expiraton date, the more preservatives are in it. Lately i switched to Publix Greenwise milk, as it has much shorter expiration date then Organic Valey or Horizon organic milk. Thank you, Publix!
This is probably an odd place to mention it, but I’m wondering if anyone has received the $5 rebate from Blue Moon for the beef or oranges purchase. It was offered about two months ago, perhaps a little later when it was announced on this site. Thanks.
I was wondering the same thing yesterday. It probably said 6-8 weeks for the rebate. That’s just my guess!
I have not received either rebate, and I am about to submit the apple rebate. However, I only submitted the beef and orange rebate forms about a month ago.
still waiting for mine, too!
“Also, if you have already printed a specific Target coupon, it will no longer be visible on the site. So, if you don’t see it it might be possible that you have already printed it”
That may be the case if you are using an Apple computer, but if a Target coupon is still available but I have printed it already, I will see the item with “coupon already printed!” in place of the “select to print” option. If a coupon I have already printed is no longer available, that coupon will no longer be visible on the site.
Freezing Milk. TOday is the 20th, so let’s say that the expiration date is on the 28th. I write the number 8 on it and this tells me that once it defrosts; I have 8 days to drink it. I don’t recall where I read it but it works.
I live in a two-milk household (2% and fat free). I am the only one who drinks fat free, so when there is a deal to be had on gallons, I pour half of mine into a rubbermaid half-gallon container and freeze it. I have never noticed a change in taste or texture when it’s thawed.
I agree with the Smart Balance that the expiration dates are fabulously long, so when there is a deal on those with a coupon, I buy as many as my fridge will hold and keep them stored in the back to maintain the freshness. I just used my last Smart Balance that was expiring on February 18 (finished it on the 16th), and it really was still fresh. No “off” taste or smell right up to the end. I had purchased it in early January.
For those who drink milk alternatives, I would recommend considering soy milk. They also have a phenomenally long shelf life! When I was drinking “milk” regularly, I always preferred the unflavored refrigerated soymilk. (Note: I always went to Bi-Lo for this to get their store brand. It was my favorite… Forgive me, fellow-Publixers!)
I recently cut out wheat and legumes from my diet (ie: cereal, cookies, and soy products), so I don’t actually buy milk anymore. I have a stock of shelf-stable evaporated milk from when it was BOGO during the Thanksgiving sale. I use it for cooking and baking, but I don’t drink it. LOL… I really think that’s the last time I bought milk!
My family doesn’t drink milk, but we go through a lot of butter, though. And we only eat real butter- no margarine, etc. Does any one have recommendations for sales and coupons on real butter? Or a brand preference?
Dawn, that’s a great idea!
I’m not a “super couponer”, I never buy more than my one paper, or order coupons or get more than 4 prints (from two computers). So my best are probably not nearly as many as others. Items I always get for free or pennies – deodorant, salad dressing, toothpaste, toothbrushes, pain reliever. My worst is fresh meat (though I get a lot of frozen items cheap), BBQ chips – my husbands addiction, and produce. My in between itmes (ones I won’t buy without a coupon but still pay a decent price for because we use them a lot) are cereal, lunchmeat, frozen veggies (plain un-seasoned – we’re not a fan of any of the seasoned ones that all the coupons are for), soda, and coffee.
I just received my $5 rebate for the pumpkin two weeks ago.
You can freeze milk. When you pull it out of the freezer you have 10 days to use it. Remember to always defrost the milk in the refrigerator or under old running water.
I from the Silk milk once and when I defrost it – the texture was so yucky to even look at that I ened up dumping them, but with the Smart Balance, I have never noticed the texture changing at all and the taste is the same. I didn’t give the Silk brand a chance bc it was just watery looking with some clumps (or it looked like)
I do freeze the regular milk too and it’s fine after defrosting.
The “one per purchase” coupon issue has been a problem for me at every store at some point. At some stores (Publix) it only occurs rarely with untrained or new cashiers. At other stores (WalMart) it seems to happen every time that I shop. When I’ve encountered the issue, I always POLITELY explain that there is a difference between “one per purchase” and “one per transaction” but I am only successful half the time. When I get a stubborn cashier, I don’t argue…I just walk out.
Ditto that, Bryan. I’m a big fan of voting with your feet. There is always another store to shop in…
Just wanted to comment on the Target question. There are actually some Target coupons not available if your computer goes to a specific store site such as Melbourne. Example… I type in Target and my cookies recognize that I purchase items from the Melbourne store site. I always go to Target.com and then type in coupons. I was helping a friend who could not find the $5.00 off 530.00 grocery and that is what I found was happening. Hope this helps.
One suggestion when freezing milk is to go ahead and open and pour about a half cup out for immediate use. When milk freezes it expands and you need a little extra room or the top may pop off or the container may split.
I had a problem with the “one per purchase” wording at WalGreens and that $3/1 advil coupon.
We think Smart Balance milk has a weird thick texture after freezing. I will use it for cooking but nothing else.
To Kayla the Jif snob from a recovering Jif snob: try Planters (regular…don’t know about the nut-trition variety). After 48 years of only liking jif, I bought some planters to use when i give the dogs their meds. Tastes exactly like jif to me!
I always freeze Smart balance milk. There have been a couple occasions that the milk got very thick after it was defrosted for a few days. Not sure what happened, but 2 out of 20 times aren’t bad odds.
Growing up, we were required to drink milk. When we were teens, we could drink tea with meals IF we drank a glass of milk first. Sodas were a no-no at our house. LOL No problem, I loved milk and it wasn’t that expensive. My boys drank milk with all meals. (You know, you SWEAR you will never be like your mother but find yourself doing the same things.) They were like me, they wanted something to drink, they got milk…not water. As prices rose, the Piggly Wiggly near my house marked their gallons down when they were within 3 days of expiration. I drove by on my way home from work so I would run in a buy a couple of gallons every couple of days. They closed and bv then, my boys were young teens. I informed them they were not growing like they once did and it was time to seek a new beverage. Amazing, they started drinking water.
I still bought a gallon occassionally and it lasted. Now, it’s a treat for me. I buy 1/2 gal if I know I’m cooking something that requires milk and drink the rest. Saves me a bundle and there must be truth to the old saying. None of us have ever had a broken bone.