Q&A : I Heart Publix

Joe wants to know: Where do you get the coupon information for the matchups that you list on your site? Sometimes the information you have listed for a particular coupon is misleading or even wrong.

I use a coupon database to do matchups. Coupons vary by region so what may seem incorrect may actually be correct for another area. I try to list as many matchups that I can find and often use several different databases to double check my matchups. Back to the Nivea example…some areas received a $1/1 Nivea while others got the $4/1 Nivea. If you saw a $4/1 listed in the matchup (when you got the $1/1) that would not be an incorrect matchup…it just means that somewhere someone received that coupon!

Also, I am human and so I will make mistakes I try very hard to make sure that all is correct but my days are crazy busy and with my schedule and two small boys running around –some days there will be mistakes!!

Brandi wants to know: I’m new to couponing and your site and I’d like to know: Where do I find the (non-printable) coupons listed in red and green under each deal?

Let’s look at a couple matchups from this week’s ad to answer this question:
Fresh Express Salad Blends, Assorted Varieties, 4.5 to 12 oz bag, BOGO $3.99
-$.55/1 Fresh Express Salad Blends And Complete Kits, Any Tearpad
-$1/2 Fresh Express Salad Blends Publix Family Style Magazine

Welch’s 100% Grape Juice or Grape Juice Cocktail, Assorted Varieties, 64 oz bot, BOGO $3.99
-$1/2 Welch’s Sparkling Juices Or Juice Cocktails, Any – 03-21-10 SS
-$1.50/2 Welch’s 100% White Grape Juice Or 100% Juice White Grape Blends, Any 64 Oz. (Manufacturer’s Coupon With Kroger Logo)
-$1/1 Welch’s 100% Grape Juices, 100% Juice Blends, Any 64 Oz. Or 96 Oz. – 02-07-10 SS
-$1/1 Welch’s PRINT

Coupons listed in red are manufacturer’s coupons and those listed in green are store coupons (either Publix or competitor coupons). The last coupon, a $1/1 Welch’s that says PRINT and is bright blue is a link that will take you to where you can print the specified coupon. All the rest of the coupons I list are paper coupons, and the information included in that matchup line tells you where it was found.

Now to the description: the “-$.55/1 Fresh Express Salad Blends And Complete Kits, Any Tearpad” is a manufacturer’s coupon that was found on a tearpad in someone’s store. It will not necessarily be in your store today. Keep an eye out for it and check your binder as you may have picked it up at another time. The “-$1/2 Fresh Express Salad Blends Publix Family Style Magazine” is a Publix coupon (with a LU#) that was found in the last Publix Family Style magazine. Finally, the “-$1/2 Welch’s Sparkling Juices Or Juice Cocktails, Any – 03-21-10 SS” is a manufacturer’s coupon that was found in the Smart Source (SS) coupon insert in the 3/21/10 Sunday paper. The other abbreviations that are used to designate Sunday coupon inserts are RP (Red Plum) and PG (Proctor & Gamble). You can always go to the Basics Tab at the top of the site to see the definitions of the lingo used here on the site!

Keep in mind that I may not have all the coupons that I list in the matchup – I use a coupon database that tells me about all the coupons that have been reported to be found for a particular item – so you may not have access to everything that is listed. I’m just trying to give you all the information I can about the coupons that exist for that item. This is critical to know so that if you see a coupon that you want you can trade or go to a clipping site and get what you need in time for the sale!!

Ian wants to know: Is there a way to have the Aisle #’s to our shopping lists? I have only shopped at Publix twice, and I was running around like a rat in a maze.

Christy: I have at least 10 Publix within a 10-mile radius of my home, and each store is a little different – and some of the newer stores are a LOT different. It’s simply not possible to include aisle numbers here because they’d differ for every store.

Michelle: I would seriously have to put on a cape and call myself wonder woman if I even tried to attempt that one Every store varies so that would be next to impossible!

Kelly wants to know: How did you come to start this blog?

I think it was a combination of things… before I started the blogs I had a group of friends that asked me to share my deals with them. Each week I sent out an email with all of the great deals that I had found. Around that same time I met Valerie Hoff over at 11Alive. Apparently I had lost my mind as I agreed to do a couple of things for her on TV. I remember after doing a story where I got $70+ worth of groceries for less than 25¢–Val told me that I should just start a blog. That stuck in my head and one day instead of emailing my friends the deals I just turned on the computer and that same day I had I Heart Publix up and running!! I almost wish I had a screen shot of how the site looked as it was very funny!!

Melinda wants to know: You said the other week that you print 137 coupons in a single week – do you use all of those coupons or do you trade them?

Christy: I don’t know if I print quite as many coupons as Michelle does, but I do print plenty every week, and I certainly don’t use them all. The way I see it, though, you never know what’s going to make for a great deal later on, so I’d rather print more than I need. I do trade whenever I can, and I’m also a member of a coupon train group. If all else fails, I always recycle whatever (printable) coupons I don’t use! For the record, too, I’m looking for a few military families that might be able to use my expired insert coupons – email me at haphazardlyhobbying at gmail dot com if you know of anyone who could use a new source of expireds!

Michelle: I may have a bit higher total than some people as I print coupons that I hope to use AND I often print coupons to test them before I report them here to you guys! It is getting easier to spot dead coupons but sometimes I print the ones I am not sure about. That way I can try to make sure that I am giving you guys accurate information. I also print a bunch of coupons if I think I might use them. For example–the goldfish coupons that were available over the last few weeks. Even though there was not a sale at that time I printed as many as I could in hopes of a sale…and voila they are on sale this week!! If I had waited I would be out of luck!

Sarah from the comments wants to know: How does your new coupon database work?

I HEART the new database!!! If you haven’t played with it yet, it’s HERE. You can access it at any time by clicking the Coupon Database tab at the top of the site. This is how it works:

Type the brand name of an item (i.e. Kraft) into the Description box and hit Search. The database will pull up all the valid coupons for Kraft items. If you want to find only the coupons for, say, Kraft Singles, then enter that into the Description box and hit Search again to narrow your results.

If you don’t get any results at all after you hit Search, there are either no coupons to match what you’re looking for or you’ve spelled something wrong, so double check!

You’ll see that to the far right there’s a link that says Suggest a Coupon. If you find or have a coupon for an item that’s not showing up on the database, you can actually help to add it by clicking on that link and entering the coupon details on the form that pops up! These suggestions go to the company that hosts the database – they review the information to make sure it’s correct, and then add the coupon to their lists.

Similarly, if you click on a coupon link in the database and the coupon is no longer active, you can help to take it down by clicking on the link to the far right of the coupon details that says “Report.” When you do this, the company that hosts the database will check to make sure that the coupon is inactive and then remove it from their lists.

As I’ve mentioned before the database saves me a TON of time behind the scenes but I hope it helps you to plan your shopping, too!

Danielle wants to know: Sometimes I see things in the weekly ad or on your sneak peek that are not labeled in my store as being on sale. Do I go by what is labeled in the store as being on sale, or what is in the weekly ad? Can stores choose to only participate in some of the advertised weekly sales?

Christy: Always go by the ad in your store – it’s possible that a shelf tag didn’t get put up or got knocked off by another customer. Your store will always honor the price listed in their ad, and will give you a rain check for any items they’re out of.

Michelle: The ad I list is the metro Atlanta version of the ad. There may be variations in price or even ommissions or additions based on your area. The list I provide is meant to help you make a plan but you will definitely want to check out your ad to confirm items and pricing. If it is in your ad you should find the item at that price. If you don’t then you might be able to take advantage of the Publix Promise.The Publix Promise guarantees that if during checkout, the scanned price of an item (excluding alcohol and tobacco products) exceeds the shelf price or advertised price, they will give the customer one of that item free. The remaining items will be charged at the lower price.

Shanna wants to know: How long should I expect to wait for you to answer my “Ask I Heart Publix” question?

This is actually a great question! Each week we try to pick out a good variety of questions and we do our best to answer older questions first. However, we get a lot of questions that we’ve answered before – I try to email people with duplicate questions to let them know where to find the answer, but I’m sure one or two has slipped through the cracks. If you’ve waited more than three weeks to get your questions answered, email it again – we WILL try to get to every question we can as quickly as we can.

Gayla from the comments wants to know: Michelle, I am so impressed with your budgeting skills. Where can I get more info on how you budget? I’d love to learn from the master.

Gayla you are too cute…budgeting is really very simple. It is a bit easier if you can take some time to track your spending. If you are able to understand what you are averaging in specific areas it will be easier to determine what to set aside or what areas might need modification. There are a million books and websites devoted to how to set up a budget. I am an online person so I do everything online. I like to be able to have a visual of my spending by category as well as how well I am meeting my short term and long term goals. Programs like Quicken or Microsoft Money are great as are free online programs like Mint.

It is very eye opening to examine your monthly spending. If you are trying to reduce spending you need to know your baseline. I record every penny that I spend so I can determine where all of my money goes each month! I highly recommend tracking your spending as it is critical to know where your money is going each month if you are looking to save or shift money to a different budget category. After all you have to know what you are spending to determine what areas can be cut or modified. I will see if I can work on a post detailing budget ideas!

Organizing

Rika wants to know: How do you organize your stock of coupons? Do you use a binder/plastic sleeve system, coupon clutch or do you just file the insert by date and cut coupons as needed?

Michelle: After trying every method possible…I do a combination. I file whole inserts by date in a filing cabinet and only cut them when I need them. I also have a big accordian file that I take with me when I shop. Within the accordian file are groups of like coupons sorted by categories in zippered vinyl pouches. I just randomly chose categories that worked for me. I keep all my printables, tearpads and other loose coupons in my “binder.”

Christy: I’ve tried a number of different systems, but the one that works best for me is a binder/plastic sleeve system – I file everything in the binder and carry it all with me when I shop. I like being able to pull coupons right then and there if I find an unadvertised deal or something on clearance.

Valerie wants to know: I have my system down pat when it comes to the coupons from the newspaper inserts and the full ads from Publix. But the printables are KILLING ME! I print everything when I see it, twice, and proceed to try to cut and file. There has to be a better way, right???

Christy: If there’s a better way, maybe Michelle knows it, because that’s exactly how I do it. IPs are a pain to cut and file but so worth it when you save a little extra!

Michelle: These are the piles I was referring to in the previous question. I also print quite a few coupons. Once my pile is so big that it is driving me crazy –I will quickly cut and file them.

Valerie wants to know: I have my system down pat when it comes to the coupons from the newspaper inserts and the full ads from Publix. But the printables are KILLING ME! I print everything when I see it, twice, and proceed to try to cut and file. There has to be a better way, right???

Christy: If there’s a better way, maybe Michelle knows it, because that’s exactly how I do it. IPs are a pain to cut and file but so worth it when you save a little extra!

Michelle: These are the piles I was referring to in the previous question. I also print quite a few coupons. Once my pile is so big that it is driving me crazy –I will quickly cut and file them.

Stephanie from the comments wants to know: I was thinking about starting to file my inserts whole like you and Christy do, but I’m wondering what you do if you come across a clearance or unadvertised item that wasn’t on your list. Do you just know what you have by memory?

Christy: I always worried about this too, but I’ve found that it’s not as big a problem as I assumed it would be. When I file my inserts every week, I take a little while and flip through past weeks, clipping anything that’s expired for my military envelope. I find that this helps me to keep a good idea of the coupons I do have without requiring all that time for sorting and filing!

Michelle: I will be honest…I do miss some deals BUT not enough to make me go back to clipping!! Every once in a while I see an item where I know there is a coupon and I have to pass up the deal. My free time is very limited and the last thing I want to do is spend it clipping inserts. Missing a deal every now and again is a trade off I am willing to accept!!

Michelle from the comments wants to know: In your opinion, what is the best way to organize your coupons? I like not clipping them every week but then I forget what is in the inserts!

Christy: I wrote about my filing system HERE, but I neglected to mention something important: I go through my inserts weekly and clip expired coupons to send to my military base. I find that it’s a quick, easy process (especially when like pages are stapled together!) and it has the benefit of ‘reminding’ me what coupons I have. That way I almost always have a good idea of what I do and don’t have coupons for.

Michelle: We might have to open this one up and get reader comments since my answer will be atypical! Due to the websites I am always looking at coupons, checking coupon databases and just living in the world of coupon overload…so I kinda know what is out there. I do go through my inserts on Sunday and will take note of ones that I expect to use and will even clip and file them if I KNOW I want to use them! When I am making my shopping list on Sunday night I will go through the database looking to see if there is anything new or just to make sure I am not missing a coupon that might save me more money.

I think filing whole inserts by date will always be easiest for me. I just don’t think cutting and filing inserts will ever be worth my time!! I go through my binder once per month and pull the expired coupons. I find that this helps me know what I have and gives me a chance to check the dates to make sure that if there is a coupon I want to use I can do so before it expires!

I’d love to hear what you guys do…how do you remember what is out there?

Planning, Shopping, & Checking Out

Holly wants to know: Every time I use a lot of coupons, the cashier misses some. How can I be sure they are all counted? I organize them very well, but the printed coupons tend to stick together which I think may be part of the problem.

Michelle: I rarely step up to checkout before I am completely organized! I have all of my coupons organized and in a little bag ready to go before I even walk in the store! I have all the like coupons together and I actually hand them to the cashier in sets while verbalizing the coupons…EX–”Here are four coupons for Juicy Juice”. I then make sure the coupons are scanned by keeping an eye on the screen. I do this to make sure that the coupons are counted but also to make sure I am using the correct coupons. If an item I had intended to purchase was not available I will be able to pull that coupon as I filter through my stack. I also shop with a spreadsheet so I usually know what my total should be…if there is a big discrepancy I can check my receipt before I leave the store.

Christy: This can be a problem, especially if you hand all your coupons over at the beginning of the order. What I do is make sure I know the total number and total amount of all the coupons I hand over. That way I can watch the monitor to make sure my total has reduced by the appropriate amount. If I think there’s been a mistake, I check the receipt before leaving the store and talk to customer service about it; they will almost always refund me the amount I’m due right then and there.

Malinda wants to know: How many times a week do you shop, and on which days?

Christy: I generally shop at Publix twice a week – once over the weekend to grab any really hot items I think might sell out early in the sale (and also because I’ve noticed that I find the most blinkie/tearpad coupons, MIRs, and booklets during the day on Saturday or Sunday), and (if I have time) again during the week towards the end of the sale. I also shop every Sunday morning at CVS and Walgreens to get their cheap/free items and my Sunday papers.

Michelle: I usually shop on Monday morning as that is generally when I need to replace the basics like milk & bread. Monday is also the only day that I don’t have to take the boys to an activity so I can go at my convenience. I try to only shop once per week but if there is a hot deal I might make a second trip

Rika wants to know: On average, how long does your typical grocery shopping adventure take? Do you usually shop with your kids, or go solo?

Christy: We don’t have kids yet, but I always try to go solo – my husband used to be a professional chef, and when he’s in the store with me he always ends up wrecking my total by adding 10 non-sale things to the cart because he has decided to make a particular dish for dinner that night (I know, I know, I shouldn’t complain!!! ). That said, though, I find that I can concentrate much better when I’m alone in the store. The actual amount of time it takes me to get in and out of the store depends on the length of my shopping list – if there are only a few sale items I need to pick up, I can get in and out within 10 minutes. If I have a much longer list, though, I’ll allot at least an hour for my shopping trip – that way I have the time to look for new blinkies and tearpads, unadvertised sales, etc. I know how lucky I am to be able to spare this much time, and I’m taking advantage of it while I can!
Michelle: Oh I am so jealous of Christy’s stress free trips…I always have my 2 year old and 4 year old in tow!! I try to go as early as possible on Monday to avoid the crowds. My 2 year old is a bit of a booger and he can make my shopping trips VERY difficult! I always bring a snacks and drinks for the boys and even toys to keep them entertained!! I have a very exact spreadsheet prepared and all of my coupons are bagged and ready for checkout!! Most weeks I can be in and out in an hour. If the boys are being cooperative I will take a few minutes to price check items and chat with all the great people who work at “my” store. Checkout can be stressful but the great gals at the bank (who are now all couponers) will come to my rescue with a sucker if they see the boys are getting antsy and I often stroll by the bakery right before I finish to snag a free sanity saver cookie! It can be a rough adventure but seeing my receipt once I am done is kinda like my little reward!!

Katie wants to know: Do you ever forget to use a coupon? If so, is there anything you do about it when you get home and realize your mistake?

Christy: Unfortunately, this happens to the best of us. If I realize my mistake before I leave the store parking lot and I have the time, I might go in to the customer service desk and ask them to credit me for the coupon if I have it with me. Otherwise, though, I just chalk it up to a learning experience.

Michelle: I totally agree with Christy…most of the time I just let it go and save the coupon for another time. If is was a really good coupon I might head over to the service desk

Missi wants to know: What’s your checkout procedure – do you give the cashier your coupons up front or hand them over by item or what? Like you, I normally shop with 2 and 4 year old boys in tow, so I’m all for a more efficient way to check out!

Christy: I obviously don’t have kids with me while I shop or check out, but checkout can still be a stressful experience (frankly, I’m in awe of you ladies that manage to do all that you do with kids in tow!!). However, here’s my procedure:
As I shop, I transfer coupons from one envelope (marked “shopping list”) to another (marked “purchasing”). This way, I know that everything in my Purchasing envelope should be in my cart. I keep all the coupons organized in the envelope by item – so if I have four coupons for GoGurt, for example, they’re all together. Often before I check out, I stop in a quiet aisle and do one last run through of my list and my coupon envelope to make sure I have everything ready to go.
When it’s time to check out, I try to pick aisles with cashiers I know, but if my favorites aren’t working, I’ll generally try to pick an aisle close to the customer service desk so that managers are nearby if necessary. If I have time, I’ll stack the belt with my items in groups – pantry, household, frozen, etc) so that my bagger can bag items in a way that makes it easiest for me to put stuff away once I get home. If nothing else, though, I make sure to unload all like items together on the belt so that the cashier can easily see how many of a particular item I’m purchasing.
I ask my cashier before they start scanning if they want the coupons first; most of them do, so I hand them over right then and there. However, if I have a $X/$XX competitor coupon or the like I’ll often indicate that I have it but hold on to it until the end of the order – I’ve had experiences where a cashier got flustered and it got “lost,” so that’s just a safeguard for me.

Michelle: Christy and I might be two peas in a pod!! I too have a envelope or ziploc with all my coupons ready. I prepare my spreadsheet and coupons at home. I have my coupons sorted and all like coupons are together. I don’t do a separate envelope for the coupons I may not end up using. Instead I go through the coupons at checkout and actually hand the cashier coupons in groupings. I let them know how many of each coupon I am giving them so that they can be sure they scan the correct quantity. So… I will hand the cashier the coupons while stating “here are four yogurt coupons” As the cashier scans I can watch to ensure they are being scanned and get my next group ready. I always put any free items at the end of the belt so that they can easily confirm the price to enter. Not every checkout experience is stress free but I do try to make sure the boys are content before I get in line. I am very lucky that the folks at my store are super and will actually entertain them if they see things are starting to go downhill

Marla wants to know: What are some ways to be more efficient and cut down on the time I spend preparing for a shopping trip?

Christy: I think that the question of efficient couponing is one we ALL wonder about from time to time – I know that there are at least a few days every month that I throw up my hands and complain that there HAS to be an easier way to do all of this!!

Here’s what’s worked for me: as I find a deal during the week, I pull/print the coupons I need for it RIGHT THEN and put them in my weekly shopping envelope, then I make a notation on the envelope with the details of the deal. I’ve found that this saves me a TON of time when I’m putting together my shopping lists because I don’t have to try to remember what the deal was and where I found it! I also try to make my list right after I’ve done maintenance on my coupon stash, so that I’m more likely to recall what coupons I have that might match up to particular deals in the ad.

Lastly, whenever possible, I try to make my lists for two weeks at once – so after Michelle has put the ad up on Monday, I’ll go back to the current week’s ad to make that list (to shop Tuesday or Wednesday) as well as use the sneak peek for next week’s list (to shop Thursday or Friday). This way I only have to go in and pull coupons twice a month, which saves me a bit of time and frustration, plus I can do things like price check the next ad’s deals while I’m shopping on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Again, I know there are things I do that I could streamline – I’d love to hear the time saving things that you all have come up with!

Michelle: Well since I type the deals –I usually have a good idea of what I want to get. I also print all the coupons that I think I will use as while I do the matchups or post the deals. This helps as I can check them to make sure the links are working AND to make sure I get my prints. We all know that printables can come and go very quickly so printing as early as possible means I get my deals I take those coupons and place them in a ziploc to be used later. I shop on Monday mornings so that is a week after I list the sneak peek. So throughout the week whenever I see a new deal, I gather the coupons and stick them in my ziploc. Every Sunday night I sit at the computer go back over the ad and super deals, create my spreadsheet and organize my coupons.

I bet if I tracked the amount of time it takes to do all this I imagine it is at least two hours. The fact that I save hundreds of dollars each week…I’d say that is a pretty good hourly wage! Doing it a little at a time makes it a bit easier to maintain my sanity!

Like Christy–I’d LOVE to hear your time saving tips!!

Holly wants to know: I have seven kids and I seem to spend A LOT of time shopping – it takes me at least three hours of actual shopping, never mind how much time it takes me to keep my coupons in order and up to date. Do you have any tips to make the process go faster?

Christy: First of all, I have to tell all of you that manage to be coupon goddesses (& gods!) with kids in tow – you are all amazing to me! I know how easy I have it right now since my husband and I haven’t had kids yet – I literally can’t imagine how you guys manage everything you do.

As far as trying to streamline your shopping process, my ‘answer’ would actually be a number of questions about how those three+ hours in store break down – once you’ve identified what takes the longest amount of time, you can try various things to try to streamline:

Do you shop with all the kids, and if so, can you arrange for a babysitter (even just for a few of the kids) every once in a while? If you could do this even once a month you could cut down on your overall time shopping.

How much of your time in the store do you spend looking for things like tearpads, booklets, peelies, etc? I know I’m an in-store coupon junkie – I can spend HOURS in the store just trying to find new awesome tearpads or booklets! (Michelle can definitely attest to this, since I’ll often call her and gloat about something new I’ve found. ) So instead of looking for such things while I shop and having the whole process take forever, I try to take an hour or two on my least busy day once every couple of weeks and run to a store in my area with the express purpose of coupon & deal hunting. If you have couponer friends you might even split this task up by week – one of you watches the kids for an hour while the other runs out and looks for coupons & unadvertised deals.

Do you shop with a ‘set in stone’ list, or do you decide to make other purchases (and therefore spend time digging out coupons) on the fly? If you do a lot of on the fly purchases, I’d suggest that you try one week of shopping JUST by your list and see how much time that saves, if any.

I hope my questions & suggestions help you to start the process of streamlining!

Michelle: SEVEN–oh my I thought it was bad with two!! I always shop with a list and try very hard to stick to that list. I know my store very well and when doing my spreadsheet I will admit that I am a nerd and group items based on how I shop. I start with grocery then produce, dairy, meat and end with frozen. Basically I follow a routine and move quickly through the store. I bring snacks and even let the boys bring toys to play with in the cart. Anything I can do to keep them happy makes for a less stressful trip!!

Christy wants to know: When is the best time/day of the week to shop at Publix when the shelves are usually fully stocked?

Christy: This will depend on your store, of course – you might want to ask you managers when the shelves are generally restocked – but for the most part, I’ve found that early morning (7 – 9 am) or later in the evening (7 – 9 pm) during the week are the best times to find fully-stocked shelves (and, as a bonus, it’s much easier to get in and out quickly, too).

Michelle: It will vary based on the store’s delivery schedule. Most stores get multiple trucks each week so I find that they are constantly re-stocking! I typically shop on Monday mornings and they are always busy restocking in many departments.

Jessie wants to know: Where do you buy most of your produce? I find that vegetables and fruits that are not on sale at Publix are more expensive than other grocery stores.

Christy: I usually just use every coupon I can to reduce my overall total at Publix, so I kind of feel like that savings offsets any regular price purchase I need to make each week. Even though produce might be a bit more expensive at Publix when it’s not on sale, I’d rather not make separate trips to other stores each week.

Michelle: I agree with Christy–it just is not worth a trip to another store to save a few cents! Publix always has a group of items on sale each week in their produce department. I usually base my meals on those sale items. When peaches are 99¢ a pound I make my Peach Chicken…when they are over $2 a pound I don’t I think Publix has great prices…this upcoming ad you can get FREE blueberries, corn for 15¢ and ear, limes for 20¢ and kiwi for a quarter–those are great prices!! When you find great deals like the corn –buy extra blanch it and freeze it for later! I also grow some of my produce (my tomatoes are looking great!!) and I will also stop at little farm stands near my house.

Jaclyn wants to know: Do you only purchase and use items that are on sale or do you have a brand loyalty for certain items? If so, what do you do when the item is not on sale and there is no coupon available?

Christy: For the most part, I’m not very brand loyal – I’ll use most brands of paper products, frozen pizzas pretty much all taste the same to me, and BOGOs have made it so I’ll never run out of cereal choices (I literally have 16 different unopened boxes of cereal in my pantry right now). However – and this is a big however – my husband used to be a professional chef (I know, poor me, right??) and he is very picky about certain types of things. For example, he literally won’t touch any kind of mustard but Grey Poupon, isn’t interested in deli meat if it’s not Boar’s Head, only likes Publix bakery bread, etc. This frustrates the deal-seeker in me, because do you KNOW how much that stuff COSTS?? (Of course you do!)

When stuff he loves does go on sale, I buy TONS – there are probably 16 Grey Poupons in my pantry right now, too – as much as we’ll use before it expires. But when a particular item that he wants isn’t on sale and there’s no coupon, I just suck it up and pay full price. Even though it goes against all my couponing principles, I gotta keep my cook happy .

Michelle: I don’t have a ton of things but there are a few. That is why I think having matchups for the entire ad (and Advantage Buy flyers) is very useful. Everyone has some things that they prefer and it is nice to know when they are on sale or when there are coupons available. Most of you know that here at my house Ovaltine is a must. I was so thrilled when the $2/1 printables came out and I was able to add about 15 canisters to my stockpile as I normally had to pay full price.

For things that I need (or want) to buy where there is not a sale or coupon–I usually try to plan my trip so that I can use overage to absorb some of the cost. I also make sure there is wiggle room in my budget and take these items into consideration when I make my weekly shopping list. If I am getting other things for next to nothing–a high cost item is not that big of a budget buster if I plan accordingly!

Holly wants to know: I love your Publix Excel Spreadsheet and I use it for my shopping trip! I am on a strict budget (even with coupons) and I like to know my total before I go into the store, so my question is about how to calculate sales tax. Do I calculate sales tax on the total before coupons or after coupons?

Sales tax is calculated based on your total BEFORE manufacturer coupons, which can make a big difference in your total out of pocket price. I *think* store coupons reduce your taxable amount but I am not positive. Maybe there is someone out there who can give us the scoop.

I know different things have different tax rates and I just can’t keep up so I do not bother attempting to calculate sales tax! If you know you will be cutting it close you might just estimate using the highest tax rate and that way there will not be any surprises at the register!!

Christy from the comments wants to know: When is the best time/day of the week to shop at Publix when the shelves are usually fully stocked?

Christy: Remember my acronym from a couple weeks ago: IDOYS? Yup, that’s right, it depends on your store. In my area, I’ve found that Monday mornings are really good – if the shelves aren’t fully stocked, they’re being re-stocked, which is just as good! Plus, the stores are pretty quiet in the mornings, so you don’t have to worry as much about causing a huge line when you checkout with your stack of coupons .

Michelle: I usually shop on Monday morning and rarely have had to deal with getting a raincheck! We all know that the occasional super hot deal will be the exception. Items that are free with coupons or a moneymaker will usually be gone the first day the deal is reported!

Finding Coupons

Cathy wants to know: I only buy one or two papers every week, and my Publix doesn’t usually have booklets, so I never really have enough coupons to trade. How can I get the good non-inserts or booklets?

I thought this would be a good one for both of us to answer for the most options.Michelle: Just because you don’t have a bunch of coupons doesn’t mean you can’t trade!! Many traders are willing to trade for things such as stamps, Box Tops For Education, Mail In Rebate forms, etc… Don’t mark trading off your list just yet You might also consider “buying” for your traders. If I find that a person is wanting a large quantity of a specific coupon I can buy them from Ebay and have them shipped directly to them or add their request to my Coupon Clippers or Taylortown order and then we both get what we want!!Christy: One option is to start purchasing more papers – I usually get mine at Walgreens or CVS every week and use Register Rewards or ECBs to ‘pay’ for them, so I’m not spending extra money for my inserts. Once you have more coupons, you will be able to trade for the coupons you want. You can also find a site that runs coupon trains (I use this Yahoo group) for more random trading.
Another option is to purchase the inserts on eBay (or a similar site) – you can usually find lots of 4 or 5 of a particular insert for only a few dollars (including shipping). You can also usually find Publix coupons and/or booklets on Ebay, but be warned that these usually get more expensive if there’s an upcoming sale that the coupons will work for.

Margaret wants to know: What is your opinion of buying coupons from Ebay or other sources? I know they say the coupons are technically not ‘for sale’, but it seems that even the transfer of a coupon can make it fraudulent and void.

Like many things in the world of coupons…y0u should do what makes you comfortable! I look at is as paying someone for their time to clip and send what I need. I am paying for the service rather than the coupon

Jennifer wants to know: I’ve heard that at the end of the day, the newspaper no longer needs their extra coupon inserts, but I called my newspaper to ask about getting some extra inserts on a Monday and they said that would violate their contract with the vendors. Any suggestions?

Christy: To the best of my knowledge, even though the paper may have no use for the inserts, they are not allowed to distribute them in any way other than with the sale of the paper. You might want to try asking friends or neighbors that get the Sunday paper if they will use their coupon inserts – if not, I bet many of them would be willing to let you have them!

Marie wants to know: I was wondering if you knew of any sites or alternative ways to get Publix booklets. I haven’t been able to find any in months (and that’s even with going to the store multiple times throughout the week)!

Christy: The only things I could suggest here are trying to find booklets for purchase or trade – and I’d try trade first! There are a number of websites out there – this one included – that have very active trade boards and many people who trade seriously often have a lot of all kinds of coupons you might be looking for – including booklets. However, you might have more luck just trading for a particular coupon or two from the booklet rather than for the booklet itself – so make sure you know what is in the booklet and what you will actually use before you trade or purchase.

Michelle: I agree with Christy –trading is your best option!! Those booklets can be hard to find but if you can find coupon buddies then you all can be on the lookout for each other!!

An anonymous commenter wants to know: How do you get multiple internet coupons? Is there any way to get more than two if I only have one computer

Unfortunately, you do need to have another computer if you want to be able to print more than one set of internet printables at home. However, there are plenty of other ways to get legitimate printables- have a friend who won’t use them print for you, or use the trade section here on the site to find a few reliable people that you can trade printables & other coupons with regularly.

Kim wants to know: Is there a way to get the Sunday inserts at a discount? I know you can use a clipping service but I was wondering if people pay full price for each paper they get at home or if there are any tips on places that sell them for a discount? I heard someone once post about a “double insert” paper at CVS – do you know anything about that?

Christy: As I think I’ve written before, I almost always get my Sunday papers (I usually buy four a week) at Walgreens or CVS. I use my Register Rewards or ECBs to pay for my papers in order to reduce the amount I pay for the inserts. I’ve read that a lot of couponers get their papers at the dollar stores every week because that’s the cheapest price they can find. Also, if there’s a double insert paper anywhere, I’d love to know about it!

Michelle: Here in Atlanta we have what is called a Sunday Double…it is the Sunday Early Edition (comes out on Saturday) and the regular Sunday paper bundled and sold for $3. If you purchase each paper separately you pay more–crazy huh?!!

You can buy full inserts from clipping sites like Coupons & Things By Dede and I have heard you can even buy inserts by the pound. I have not purchased by the pound so maybe those who have could give us a review?

Yajaira wants to know: How can I get the green and yellow advantage flyers and coupons?

These flyers should be in the turnstyle at the front of your store with the weekly sales ads. If you don’t see them, you can check with your customer service desk. As a last resort, you can post a request for a number of the flyers here on the Trades board – I’m sure there are a number of people that would be happy to mail you some of the flyers.

Lee wants to know: How do I find out if there are any coupons for those few items I need every week that are NOT on sale?

Christy: Any of the coupon databases will help you here – you might try the ones at We Use Coupons or Hot Coupon World. You can search the particular brand you want and these databases will tell you what coupons exist for that item, what kind of coupon it is, and where you can find it.

Michelle: I often check them all…I go between A Full Cup and Hot Coupon World databases to search for coupons.

Andrea wants to know: Do you know of any good resources for organic food couponing (coupons, sales, websites, etc)? I’d like to start buying more organic food but still want to keep my totals down!

There are actually several great coupon resources–here are my favorites: Mambo Sprouts, Organic Valley, Delicious Living, Whole Foods. Make a list of your favorite organic items–head over to those brand websites as you will often find coupons! There are also many blogs devoted to Organic deals–try Organic Deals & Coupons and The Thrifty Mama.

Shannon wants to know: I can never seem to find any tear pads at my Publix – do you have any suggestions on how to find them? I see all the great coupon matchups and often there’s a tearpad coupon included but I can never get my hands on them!

Christy: The best way to get tearpad coupons when you can’t actually find them in your store is to trade for them- it seems that there’s almost always someone on this site that has the coupon you need!! If you can’t find someone to trade with, though, you can always try ebay or maybe even a clipping site! Just be sure to order your coupons as soon as you know that you’re going to need it so that you’re sure to get them before the sale ends.

Michelle: About the only way I get tearpads is via trades with other couponers!! I almost never find coupons at my store so I try to keep a look out for tearpads that have been spotted or reported and try to grab them if it is for an item I know I will use!!

Tracy wants to know: Is there a way to get Publix to mail me Advantage Buy Flyers and other coupon booklets? My store never seems to have booklets and runs out of advantage flyers quickly.

You know I have no idea!! I have heard that people have had some success requesting booklets but I honestly do not know the rate of success. I would definitely talk to your store about possibly keeping the booklets/flyers at the customer service desk so that there is less of an opportunity for them to be depleted as quickly. If anyone out there has has any success with requesting booklets/flyers please let us know!!

Stephanie from the comments wants to know: I’m fairly new to couponing, and I’ve noticed that coupons from magazines are sometimes mentioned in the matchups. Which magazines are best for finding coupons?

Christy: Hands down, the best magazine for coupons is All You – although you should be aware that subscribers don’t get as many coupons as newstand buyers do. Other magazines that frequently have coupons are Good Housekeeping, Rachel Ray, Ladies Home Journal, and (in my area) Sunset.

Michelle: I am not sure I even know how many magazines I currently subscribe to…I get a TON of magazines delivered to my home! I always get them when they are super duper cheap!! I am always posting great magazine deals on I Heart Saving Money and I am going to do my best to remember to post them over here too. Here are some of my favorites that I found with a great deal:

Good Housekeeping (2-year) at Amazon only $10 after Summer Savings discount–that is $5 per year!!
Marie Claire (2-year) at Amazon only $7 after after Summer Savings discount–that is $3.50 per year!!
Everyday with Rachael Ray at Best Deal Magazine –use the code PXSS711 through July 11, 2010 to get 15% off, making each subscription just $3.99
Shape at Best Deal Magazine –use the code PXSS711 through July 11, 2010 to get 15% off, making each subscription just $3.99
Woman’s Day at Best Deal Magazine –use the code PXSS711 through July 11, 2010 to get 15% off, making each subscription just $3.99

Jennifer wants to know: Where do you find the coupon calendars you list in your matchups from time to time?

These are usually only available in South Florida as they correlate with an event specific to that area!! These are hot coupons and so they are often available via trade and online at sites like Ebay. I personally traded for my copies. Once they are spotted they will go quickly!

Sarah wants to know: I’ve heard you talk about coupon trading trains or sites. How do those work, and where can I find them?

Christy: Coupon trains are a way to trade coupons with people in various areas around the country, and they are usually organized on some sort of coupon-centric message board. Personally, I use THIS ONE, but a quick google search of “coupon train” will yield plenty of results – for example, the boards at Mommy Saver s or Hot Coupon World look pretty active. Generally, a “train” will be made up of four or five “passengers” and one “conductor.” The conductor puts together an envelope of coupons and mails it off to the first passenger. That person receives the envelope, takes what they want/will use, replaces what they’ve taken or things that are getting close to their expiration dates with their own unwanted coupons, and sends it along to the second passenger. This continues on down the line until the last passenger sends the envelope back to the conductor. Trains are often organized around the type of coupon people are looking for [baby items, pet items, general grocery, household, high value (over $1), under $1 (for doubling), etc], so they are a great way to find coupons you might not otherwise get without spending more than the cost of a stamp.

Michelle: Be aware that to ride a train you need to have some pretty good coupons to trade. I used to do a fair amount of trains until I had a couple of bad rides. I got tired of people sending insert coupons and junk while I was sending out tearpads, hard to find coupons and making an effort to match wishlists!! I find that trading for specific coupons is my best bet! I get what I want as does the person I am trading with–there is no guesswork! Please understand I am not trying to sway you to not participating in a train–they can be lots of fun!! It is often a matter of luck

Stephanie from the comments wants to know: Often in your weekly shopping tally, I notice that you use coupons for free products. Where can I get those?

The easiest way to find free coupons is to watch the site – whenever I find an offer for a free coupon, I post it right away! Often you’ll have to sign up for a company’s mailing list or “like” them on Facebook in order to receive your free coupon. Look over the packaging of items you’ve already bought, too – sometimes you’ll be able to send in for a free or high value coupon with your proof of purchase. Vocalpoint and Kraft First Taste are also good resources for free or high-value coupons and samples, too.

You might also consider contacting (emailing) your favorite companies and giving them feedback about their products! Often companies will compensate you with coupons — those few minutes of effort can really pay off!!

General Coupon/ing Questions

CarolinaGirl wants to know: Is it ok to use multiple “WYB” coupons if you’re only buying one of the items each coupon requires you to buy? For example, there are currently 3 coupons out for free items wyb Kingsford charcoal. Can I buy 1 Kingsford charcoal and use all three coupons?

Christy: Michelle and I have talked about this before, and I think we disagree somewhat about this. Here’s my take: The coupons attach to the alternate items (in this case everything EXCEPT the charcoal), so I look very carefully at the coupons, and if they don’t say anything about “cannot be used in conjunction with another coupon,” then I let Publix decide for me – I take them with me to the store and ask my customer service desk if it’s ok to use them all in the way I’m going to use them. If they say yes, I go ahead, if they say no, I modify my shopping plan.

Michelle: I believe that you can only use one “when you buy” coupon per qualifing item. I will admit that I totally see the logic in Christy’s version and since there is no coupon rule book so it is best to ask your store their position on this type of coupon!!

Becky wants to know: I’ve been using your site since late April and have LOVED it. This summer I will be living in Canada and can hardly imagine going back to full prices at Safeway. Do you know if I can bring some of my manufacturer coupons with me and use them there? I can’t seem to find a policy by googling the subject.

Christy: I’ve done a bit of research today and it seems like you might not be able to use US coupons in Canada. However, if I were you, I’d try calling the stores in the area that you’ll be living in and ask a manager. It’s possible that they do honor all coupons and in that case, it will be worth the space in your suitcase! Also, keep googling – I tried “Canada Grocery Savings Safeway” and came up with a few different message boards that had links to savings sites, etc. Nothing quite as good as this one, of course ( ), but something’s better than nothing!

Ellen wants to know: Why can I never find all the All You coupons you list in the matchups in my copy of that issue of All You?

Christy: I’m glad we’re addressing this here because I think it’s something that many people don’t know – or at least, it’s something that I didn’t know until I read the comments from last week’s “Ask I Heart Publix” call for questions! (So before I answer, I have to say a huge “thanks!” to Jo from the comments for the info!) The reason you might not have all the coupons in your All You is because the subscription version of the magazine is different than the version you can purchase at Walmart – the off-the-shelf version has more coupons! I was a little annoyed to find this out at first, but since I so rarely go to Walmart, it’s worth it to me to miss out on a few coupons and pay SO much less for my subscription.

Michelle: Yes there can be some variation in the home delivered and store bought version. This is actually my one little irritation with the magazine. I agree with Christy in that the couple of coupons that I might miss is in no way going to entice me to deal with the less than pleasant experience of a Walmart trip

Jennifer wants to know: What does DND 5 mean?

DND is a code used on manufacturer’s coupons – it stands for Do Not Double. Coupons that begin with a number “5″ WILL automatically double at the register (unless manually suppressed by the cashier). In contrast, coupons that begin with a “9″ will not automatically double, and will require the cashier to manually double the coupon.

Tamara wants to know: I tell so many friends and family members about couponing, and all they say is “that sounds like too much work”… any ideas about how to help them get started an easy way?

Christy: I’m sure that most of us can relate to this question – I know I’ve tried to talk friends and family members into just giving couponing a try, and that’s almost always the answer that I get, too! The one thing you might try is clipping a few coupons for them, or, if you’re in the same area, maybe even calling or emailing with info about a deal for that particular week that you know they’ll be able to use. However, you need to keep in mind that couponing isn’t for everyone, and if that person isn’t willing to put the work in, they’re not going to reap the benefits!

Michelle: I have a few tactics that have worked pretty good. First I tell them how much I spend each week for a family of four. I then show them my stockpile and explain that most of the things they see were free or only cost a few pennies. Then I show them a few receipts just so they can actually see that big ol’ thing with the tiny tiny total! If they still complain that they don’t want to put forth the hour or so it would take to save I go back to the receipt and show them the savings. I kid them and ask how much they make per hour and show them that I average over $50 per hour when you consider the time I spend and the amount I save!! It is really hard to argue that fact!!

Couponing is not a job where you are constantly having to learn a new skill Seriously think about what you make per hour as a couponer…I am guessing that most of you make a pretty penny as a smart shopper!! Of course it may take a little more time for a beginner but once they get the hang of it they are set.

If you have the time you could offer to help them with their first trip…many times when a person sees that first really great savings and gets that shoppers high…you might have a little savings addict on your hands!!

Veronica wants to know: What’s the deal with the coupons that say “Manufacturer’s Coupon Redeemable at Publix Stores Only”? Is this the same as a store coupon, and if not, can I stack it with a store coupon?

What you’re describing is a handled just like any regular manufacturer’s coupon. It can be stacked with any Publix coupon with a LU# OR a competitor’s store coupon.

Jenn wants to know: I don’t have access to a printer right now; do you have any recommendations for a good coupon printer??

I use an inexpensive HP Photosmart Printer like this one: HP Photosmart C4680 All-in-one Printer. That one is priced at $59.99 and I am sure I probably paid about the same! I love it as I can scan, copy or print VERY easily!! I turn in ink cartridges to the office supply stores to get the $3 recycling credit and then combine that money with a good coupon and I can score ink fairly cheap too!

Susan wants to know: Where do you find the best deals on printer cartridges or refills? I hate spending money for replacements and they get used up really fast printing all those IPs!

Christy: I have an old laser printer so I can only tell you how I get my toner more cheaply. I take advantage of the deals and the rewards programs at the office supply stores; because I’m on their mailing list, my office supply store (a national chain) often sends me coupons for $X/$XX that will offset the cost of my toner, and then I earn rewards on top of that.

Michelle: I go where the deals are When Walgreens offers cheap refills I get them there. When I get my Office Depot Rewards Gift Card (for recycling old cartridges and other spending) I get them there–of course I wait for a good printable coupon to use too! If Target is offering a gift card when you buy ink–I go there! I try to watch for deals and snag them ahead of time so I don’t have to run out and pay full price when it is time to change the ink cartridge!!

CarolinaGirl from the comments wants to know: Do ‘twinpacks’ count as one item when you use a BOGO coupon?

If the twinpack has a single UPC code – and it should – then it counts as a single item and you will be able to use the BOGO coupon on two twinpacks.

Mary wants to know: I have a file system that I use to organize my coupons. How long should I keep my filed coupons before I toss them?

Christy: When I file my inserts – usually 4 or 6 of each insert each week – I do a little extra work and put all the like pages together. That way I can get rid of pages from the inserts once I’ve either used all those coupons or once they’ve expired (whichever comes first). However, I usually don’t start really purging pages from my inserts until they’re about six months old or so.

Michelle: I usually go through my coupons every 4 months and do a scan to see if there are any that are still valid. Every once in a while there will be one or two in the insert that is still valid. I usually just clip those few coupons and file them in my binder to clear out my filing cabinet. I think it will depend on how much storage your filing system has! I have a two drawer filing cabinet so I can easily go 4 or 5 months –which is great as cleaning out my coupons is not high on my list of favorite things to do.

Erin wants to know: What you do when you get “Coupon Burnout”?

Christy: I don’t know if I’ve been couponing long enough to actually hit ‘burnout’ stage, but I will share with you what’s happened to me over the last few weeks. I’ve been traveling for most of June and I haven’t been able to catch good deals, print coupons, even buy my weekly inserts (!) so it actually feels like I’ve been out of the couponing loop for quite a while and I’ve been a little overwhelmed trying to get back into it. I tried to make my shopping list on Sunday and I just couldn’t manage to get it all together because I felt so unorganized. But instead of getting down about it, I just decided that I’m going to take my time and get back into the groove – and if I spend a little more over the next few weeks, my savings over the last year has certainly made up for it! I think that’s what we all need to remember in such situations – we save TONS of money every week, and if something goes wrong every once in a while and we end up spending a little more than we want to, it’s just not the end of the world.

Michelle: I have had weeks here and there where I have blown my budget and you know that is A-OK! The good thing about couponing is that there is always another deal to be found!! I used to stress out and feel like I had to go grab every deal that I heard about. All that did was wear me out and I think I spent more on gas than I saved getting the deal! I am sure many of you have noticed by my weekly totals that I don’t get even half of the deals I post!

Some weeks I have so much on my plate that something has to give–If running by Publix and grabbing a Rotisserie meal makes my day a little easier then that is what I will do! My budget is flexible for just that reason. I have long term goals set and I am always re-evaluating and making modifications–so my burnout is minimal! I also allow for splurges and mistakes in my budget so I don’t feel pressure to be perfect every week!! For me couponing has become a way of life so it is really just part of my weekly routine! My goal is to have no payments (except utilities) in five years! I want to have our house and all vehicles paid free and clear!! If I want to make that goal a reality then I need to stay on track. I plan for possible detours–for example…one of our AC units decided to stop working today–the day after we bought a new car! A couple of years ago I would be in a panic–but today I have my household maintenance account that I can pull from–no crisis!

Hannah wants to know: I have a small dog, and he is like my child so I really want to be able to buy him good dog food. But all the good dog foods (Pedigree, Purina, etc.) are really expensive! Do you have any tips or tricks to getting good pet food for decent prices?

This one is all Christy since we don’t yet have the joy of a pet

Christy: I know EXACTLY what you mean about the high cost of pet food, because my menagerie (2 medium-sized dogs, 3 cats) tries to eat me out of house & home most months! I try to feed my animals the best foods possible, too, and though I can’t get as cheaply as I want it (I’d really like it if it was free ), I figure any savings is better than none. For the best deals, there are a few things you can do – and actually, this doesn’t JUST apply to pet items, I’d give the same advice for trying to save on any high-priced item!

Watch carefully for coupons on the brands you like. Purina and Pedigree go on sale relatively frequently, but ideally you don’t want to have to buy food until it’s on sale AND you can stack a MQ and a Publix/competitor’s coupon with it. I usually try to search Ebay at least once every couple weeks for my brands, and if I find coupons that don’t expire for a few months, I’ll usually buy them even if the item isn’t on sale yet. If Publix or a competitor (that your store accepts, of course) comes out with a coupon for your brand, even better – stacking coupons always makes for a MUCH better deal.

Keep a log of sale prices on your brands, and keep careful track of how long it takes your dog to finish a bag of food; that way when you stock up you can buy only as much as you can reasonably store/your dog can eat before the food’s expiration date.

Finally, if your brand doesn’t go on sale before your coupons expire, figure out if it’s worth it to use your coupons without the sale – often you can still make a pretty good deal for yourself. Just last week I had a bunch of Publix $2.50/1 Tidy Cat coupons that were expiring and I was running low on litter, so I stacked my Publix Qs with some $2/1 MQs and ended up saving 50%. It’s not the BEST price I could have gotten, but I’d much rather get it at 50% off than run out and have to buy it at full price!

Beverly wants to know: Do you know of good coupon websites for grocery stores in other states? I’m teaching my mom about coupons but I don’t know the good sites for Vermont!

Christy: I only know of a few out-of-state sites, and I don’t know of any that are as comprehensive or store-specific as I Heart Publix (I’m not at all biased ). However, Frugal Coupon Living is one that comes to mind right away – it has deals for a number of grocery chains as well as links to other sites, so it might be a good place to start!

Michelle: Try BeCentsAble–they have a very comprehensive list of bloggers that cover specific stores.

Sam wants to know: Will the BP Gas Card deal ever return? Now that the leak has been stopped, I need cheap gas!!

Christy: Sam, I was just wondering this myself the other day!! (I was also wondering if it was politically correct to WANT a BP gas deal. ) I guess we’ll just have to wait and see – cross your fingers with me!!

Michelle: I too was wondering if this one would return–I just used my last card a week or so ago. Fingers and toes crossed on something soon!

Sherri wants to know: I often refer people to your site and try to explain some of the basic ideas of couponing. Where would you suggest I start with someone who is completely new to couponing (much less stockpiling or menu planning)? Should I point them to a specific place on the website, or just give them an overview of couponing, stockpiling and menu planning and turn them loose?

Christy: I think an overview of couponing and stockpiling is the best place to start, but I’ve also found it helpful to try to sit with (or shop with!) a new-to-couponing friend once a week for a month or so to continue to explain some of the tricks of the trade. As we all know, it’s really the experience of couponing that teaches us the most, but it’s also one of the more daunting things to a newbie – so whenever possible, try to make it less scary and more fun!

Michelle: I am working on a introduction to couponing that I hope to have done in the near future…finding extra time in the day is often difficult–but I will get it done

I always recommend that new couponers start off with the Super Deals. The deals are great and it is a easy for a new couponer to see how effective a coupon can really be!! Getting something for next to nothing is always a great rush and a good way to get you hooked! I also always recommend shopping with a grocery list and sticking to it…just by shopping the sales a person can save close to 50% without using a single coupon! Create a menu and a list based on the sale and you will save money. When you add coupons to this mix you increase your savings and can easily save 60% without much effort!!

April from the comments wants to know: What’s the best reaction you’ve had from a cashier? Do you have cashiers you prefer? I have 2 cashiers I truly prefer because they are so great about my coupons, and I love how much fun they have seeing what I save!

Christy: My favorite reaction from a cashier (which I’ve gotten a number of times now) is the double-take when they tell me my total and/or how much I’ve saved – it’s just so much fun! And I definitely have my favorite cashiers at each store – the ones that know me know that I’m really careful about their coupon rules, so they’re much less likely to act like I’m trying to steal the store out from under them (which is, unfortunately, something I’m familiar with as well). My absolute favorite cashier is a younger guy who always tries to guess my total after coupons before he rings it all up – good cashiers make the checkout process so much more fun!

Michelle: Honestly –I have the best store ever!! I know most of the people at my store and love to shop there. I don’t get any of the big reactions anymore but just the fact that I can go to my store and everyone is so kind to me and the boys just affirms why I Heart Publix so

Mary from the comments wants to know: Have you found that you eat healthier since you do your couponing, or do you eat more processed, prepared foods? I feel like if we’re not careful, all this extra food in our pantries could be bad for us!! Sometimes it seems hard to find the healthier food on sale.

Christy: We’ve talked a little about this HERE, but this question is a good one for me because my husband and I have really been making an effort to eat a lot healthier, and while it can be easier and cheaper to eat processed foods, it’s certainly not impossible to save a lot of money on healthy things. My strategy at this point is to use overage deals (which my store allows) and $X/$XX competitor coupons to reduce my totals on produce, meats, and more expensive healthy items. If the overage deals are for items we won’t use, I donate them to the local food bank on my way home from the store. I also make it a priorty to spend as little as possible on staples like grains, oils, dairy, etc. In the end, my percentages might not be quite as good as some, but I’m happy with what I’m bringing home!

Michelle: This is probably one of the questions I get the most. I honestly don’t think that couponing need dictate cooking style. If you made a habit of serving processed & prepared foods prior to using coupons then it is likely you will serve it as a couponer. I always remind people that just because there is a coupon for an item that doesn’t mean you have to use it! There are coupons for just about anything you can think of–healthy items and not so healthy items. A good couponer shops so that he/she uses coupons to bring home groceries and still stay within budget!

I get a fair amount of emails asking about my grocery list each week and why I don’t purchase all the super deals and other hot deals that I might list. It is really simple–I only buy what I need and what we will eat! Remember that you can use coupons to cut cost in other areas so that you have more money to spend on items that may be more expensive. I think finding that balance is what can make or break a budget!

Using Coupons at Publix

Missi wants to know: I’ve heard that you can’t use more coupons than items, and your coupon savings can’t be over $50 in one grocery order. Is this true? Is there a limit to how many coupons I can use in a single transaction at Publix?

Publix registers are programmed to require a manager override if you exceed $50 in coupons. Publix registers also require that the number of coupons and items purchased be equivalent. If you have more coupons than items, a manger override will be required here too. Many people prefer to do multiple transaction to avoid these issues. I typically shop with my boys and live 20+ minutes from my store…so that is just not an option for me!! If you think you will need an override for either reason you might consider talking to a member of management ahead of time as they may be able to assist you during checkout to ensure that the checkout process is as quick as possible.

Stephanie wants to know: I have manufacturer’s coupons that have another store’s logo on them, and my Publix doesn’t consider that store a competitor. Can I still use the coupon at my Publix?

You should be able to use the coupon as long as the coupon clearly states that it is a manufacturer’s coupon (begins with a 5 or 9) and does not have any wording requiring redemption valid ONLY at a specific store. A logo is more of a suggestion not a requirement.

Monica wants to know: Maybe it’s just my imagination but it seems like my store really doesn’t like coupons – my customer service desk claims they never have booklets and the sales clerks/mangers that ring up my coupon purchases seem put out, like it’s some kind of inconvenience for them. What’s the deal?

Each store’s policy on coupons can vary greatly, as can a store employee’s attitudes about coupons. If the store manager is very strict with customer service reps and cashiers about coupon practices – for whatever reason, be it a misunderstanding of proper coupon usage or a recent experience with fraudulent coupon users – they can come to think of coupons as a ‘bad’ thing that can potentially get them in trouble and pass that attitude on to you, the couponer. Publix has phenomenal customer service and strives to ensure that each customer is a happy customer. While I have never worked in retail I can imagine how difficult it must be to deal with so many people and still maintain a smile!! I haved watched a cashier get verbally abused and still manage to tell that customer to have a nice day!! Keep in mind that everyone has bad days…if you get someone who may be having “one of those” days try a little honey or maybe see if there is another person that may be able to assist you.

Christy: I’ve come up against this attitude a number of times (more often in stores other than Publix), and I always try to be courteous about it. In the rare instance when I’m really treated rudely, I always make a point of telling a higher up – manager on duty, store manager, or even district manager or corporate headquarters – about it. Otherwise, I just make the effort to be the most by-the-book couponer that I can be, and hopefully my store will come to recognize that I’m not out to break any rules or ‘hurt’ them in any way.

Brian wants to know: Why doesn’t my store double coupons or accept competitor coupons? I live in south Florida where there are no more Winn Dixie or Albertsons. Why won’t my Publix take any other competitor coupons (i.e. Target/Wal Mart)?? They also won’t double coupons here – is there any way for them to offer that service?

Michelle: The key here is the amount of competition in the area. Here in Georgia there is a fair amount of competition and all the grocery stores compete for your business. In Georgia Publix is one of several big chains, so they offer incentives such as double coupons, penny item deals, etc. As far as competitor coupons–each store is allowed to determine who they consider a competitor.

Christy: Which stores each Publix will accept as a ‘competitor’ is at the discretion of the store or district manager, so there’s not much you can do in this case. If you have another Publix nearby, you might call and see if they accept competitor coupons – I have a number of stores nearby and they all have different rules. Also, to the best of my knowledge, none of the Publix in Florida double coupons (mine won’t either); I think we’re just out of luck as far as doubles are concerned!

An anonymous reader wants to know: How do you get Publix to take coupons that will result in overage like the recent deal with the disposable razors? I can’t get my store to take them.

Like many of the questions this week, this is one that depends on the individual store’s policy. If you are planning for an overage and the store doesn’t allow it, it can be very frustrating. It is best to know your store’s policy regarding overage before you head to the checkout line!! Stores are reimbursed for manufacturer coupons so you should get the full face value of the coupon. If the overage is the result of stacking a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon you will need to ask your store if they will allow the overage.

Stephanie,Joelle, and Tammy want to know: Does my Publix get reimbursed the full face value of my coupon even when they adjust the amount down to avoid overage? Tammy writes that “Several weeks ago there was a manufacturers coupon where you bought trash bags and got $3 off Clorox wipes. At that time, the wipes were on sale for $1.99. The cashier outright accused me of coupon fraud and proceeded to throw the coupons in the trash can. I very politely told her that I was happy to accept $1.99 off the wipes if this particular store did not allow overage. She refused the coupons outright until I pressed her further regarding overage. She didn’t understand the term “overage.” In the end, she took $1.99 off my bill (very reluctantly) and when I asked her if Publix would be reimbursed the entire $3 plus 8 cents, she took a sharpie and marked through the $3 and wrote $1.99 on the coupon. So, will Publix get the face value of $3?”

Christy: Unfortunately, we’ve all been in that situation more than once. There are just too many cashiers out there that don’t understand the way coupons work and who have probably been given incorrect information by other workers. In my understanding, the store WILL get the face value of the coupon (plus 8 cents) for every coupon it sends in to the clearinghouse. However, it is still the store’s choice to allow overage or not. If they don’t, you just need to prepare for that. Think of it as a tradeoff for all the competitor coupons you’ve been able to use at Publix since you’ve been couponing – because Publix certainly doesn’t get reimbursed for those amounts. By the way, Tammy, I think you handled this situation perfectly!
Michelle: Each store can make their own rules regarding overage and what coupons they will allow to be used. Most stores welcome coupons as they are a form of payment that is treated like cash tender in the cashier’s drawer and in store procedures.
Coupon redemption is automated so the fact that that cashier wrote $1.99 means nothing to that scanner reading the bar code at the clearinghouse The store will be reimbursed the face value plus a small handling fee. To learn more about the life of a coupon visit THIS site.

Does Publix get reimbursed when you use a Walgreens Register Reward as payment?
Pam wants to know: What happens when you’re purchasing a BOGO item and your manufacturer’s coupon is also BOGO?

In the land of true BOGO, this makes for a great deal: the manufacturer essentially pays for one item, and Publix gives you the second for free. You pay nothing, and the manufacturer reimburses Publix for the cost of one item.
In the land of half-price BOGO, this is still a good deal, but not quite as exciting: the manufacturer pays for one “half-price” item, and you pay half price for the other – still, you get two items for half the price of one, not too shabby!

Maggie wants to know: Will Publix allow me to use a FLIP for a Food Lion brand item for a Publix brand item?

This will vary store to store– you always want to check with your customer service desk the first time to be sure your store will honor the coupon!

Does Publix get reimbursed when you use a Walgreens Register Reward as payment?
Veronica S and Lisa want to know: How does a B2G1 coupon work with a B2G1 sale?

Christy: When you use a B2G1 coupon during a B2G1 sale , the deal essentially becomes a B1G2 – you pay for one item, the manufacturer pays for the second, and the store gives you the 3rd item free. If, like in the case of the Chobani yogurt coupon in the Yellow Advantage Buy flyer, the B2G1 coupon is a Publix coupon, you can even stack the coupon with manufacturer’s coupons (they would attach to the first and the second item).

Jen wants to know: Have you heard of any changes in Publix coupon policy? My store recently told me that I can only use one manufacturer’s coupon for a BOGO deal (I live in FL).

Christy: As we talked about last week, Publix doesn’t have one specific coupon policy. If your store has had changes in management (either for the store or the district) or if they have recently retrained their staff on coupons, that may account for the differences you’ve noticed. If you call your district manager, you should be able to get him or her to answer the questions you have about changes at your store.

Marla wants to know: Can I use more than one of the same Publix coupon in a single transaction? For example, if I have three Advantage flyers, can I cut the same coupon out of each one and use all three at once (if I’m buying three things) or do I have to do three separate transactions?

Christy: You can usually use multiple Publix coupons in a single transaction as long as you only have one Publix coupon per item you’re purchasing, UNLESS the coupon specifically states “one per customer.”

Kailin wants to know: How strict is Publix about enforcing those store coupons that state “One Deal/Coupon Per Customer”? I know some of the Green Advantage Buy coupons say something like that, as do a lot of the cookingwithkraft.com coupons.

Christy: Like most things to do with accepting coupons, this one is going to depend on your store. I’ve had no problem using multiple coupons that state “One Per Customer” at my store, but you probably want to ask at your Customer Service Desk to be sure. If your store will only accept one, then you’ll have to decide if the deal in question is worth multiple shopping trips – and with the price of gas in the south, I doubt it is!

Michelle: Definitely ask your store. This wording can actually be your friend as this limits one person from wiping out an entire quantity in one trip!! We all know that the super hot deals will go FAST!!

Angela wants to know: Do you adjust your “freezer habits” for the summer (hurricane season) months? I was without electricity for eight days straight in central Florida with Charley and the thought of a stockpile melting makes me fearful of freezing anything other than a two-day supply of ice cream between June and September!

Christy: I live in North Central Florida, and I haven’t had to deal with a long-term power outage since I moved down here in 2006 (knock wood!), so I don’t really change my buying habits in the summer. You bring up a good point, though – I really don’t know what I’d do if I lost power to my deep freeze for more than about 6 hours, and frankly, I need a plan (and maybe a small generator)! I think I might start keeping an eye on Craigslist to see if I can find a good used generator for just that purpose. Until I find one, though, I’ve got to think about it like this – at least the contents of my deep freeze cost me 50-75% less than they did a year ago!

Michelle: Living in Metro Atlanta this is not an issue I have had to think about. I have to agree with Christy–if I had that as a possibility I would be working to save money to invest in a generator! We were affected by the flood last year and luckily out power was restored in time to prevent any loss. I remember thinking that a generator would have been a great thing to have on hand. I imagine if you could score one at a great deal having one at a time of need would more than cover the expense!!

I’d love for you guys to chime in on what you all do during hurricane season…I know I have a bunch of readers where this would apply!!

Katy wants to know: I had a Publix cashier tell me that you can use any name brand coupon on the equivalent publix brand item. By doing this I was able to get some publix allergy medicine really cheap with a Zyrtec coupon. I was wondering if this is really the rule or if the cashier has misinformed me. Do you know what the official policy is regarding using coupons on publix brand items?

Christy: I’ve not heard of this policy before (as with everything coupon-related, though, it depends on the individual store’s policy; there won’t be anything that is a policy chain-wide). I’m curious to know if other readers have been able to do this – commenters??

Michelle: I have never heard this one either–I would definitely double check on this one as the store will not be reimbursed for the coupon if it is used on the incorrect item!

Marilyn wants to know: After researching Publix’s coupon policy on your site, I thought I was ready for a good shopping/saving experience at Publix. I contacted my local Publix to make sure that they would take Target Web coupons and manufacturer’s coupons together; they said “yes” that is fine. I was excited because I had a lot for cereal so I new I would be saving some money. I had to go to work and knew there was another Publix near me (with a Target close by), so after work I went to that store instead. I gathered up the items that matched the coupons and proceeded to the checkout. When the cashier went through my coupons, she checked with her manager and the manager came over to tell me that they did NOT take Target coupons with manufacturer’s coupons. I told her that I had spoken with corporate and called the store about it and she kept telling me “no” that was not their policy. I ended up walking out of the store with nothing and took my coupons to my local Publix, where they took all the coupons with out any hassle. I did verify once again with the customer service representative at that store that they do take target coupons along with manufacturer coupons and she said “yes.” What would you do? Should I contact corporate about this issue?

Christy: There are a few details to this story that I’m fuzzy on, Marilyn – did you (Scenario #1) call the store near your work that you shopped at, and then that same store turned down the coupons they earlier said they would take? Or did you (Scenario #2) call the store closest to home for their policy, and then go shopping at another store that you DIDN’T call? Since I’m not sure, I’m going to discuss both scenarios, even though my answer for both will be very similar.
If it was scenario #2, and you called one store for their policy but then shopped at another, then you’ve unforntunately experienced the reason why we say “it depends on your store” (IDOYS! ) so frequently, because the acceptance policy is not the same from store to store, even when those stores are in the same general area. Always call the store you actually plan to shop at and make sure to get the name of the person you spoke to, so if you have problems you can at least reference the person by name. If this was the case, and the stores in question are in the same area, I would consider calling the distric manager for those stores to discuss your experience; Publix is so focused on customer service that I’m sure they would at least take the time to explain the reason behind the differences at each store. Plus, you never know, your complaint might be the reason that the policy eventually changes!
If it was scenario #1, and you called the same store that later turned down your coupons, then I would call the store manager to explain the situation and find out the TRUE store policy, and to complain about your experience – in this case, your goal is to make sure that everyone in the store knows the policy and that you don’t have to go through that situation again! You could also consider calling the district manager in this case, too, because re-training is likely to be a more serious priority if it’s on the distric manager’s radar.

Tracy wants to know: Have you noticed that your Publix is not allowing more coupons than items lately? I often have more coupons than items since my store is great about accepting competitor coupons. In the past, the cashier would call the manager over and they’d put in a code to accept the last few coupons. However, during the last two visits the computer has “scanned” the coupons, but it doesn’t come off the total. Two visits ago I didn’t notice it until I got home, so when I went today I wanted to make sure to watch when I checked out. I put 3 Publix coupons at the end since they specifically name the coupon, but only 1 rang up even though she entered all 3! There was a line after me and my 2yo was having a melt down, so I didn’t ask about it. However, I just wanted to know if you had heard/seen anything like this in other stores.

Christy: I haven’t noticed a change at any of my local stores, so you might want to ask your store manager if they’ve made any policy changes lately. If not, you’ll be able to tell your cashier that you’ve spoken to him/her about it if they give you any sort of trouble.

Michelle: Tracy I feel your pain as checkout can be crazy with kids in tow!! I have not heard anything and had to have a manager over-ride for my last 4 coupons on Monday as well. When I saw this question I had to go look at my receipt and I was happy to see that all of my coupons were listed. I know this will be one of those easier said than done statements…but–if possible try to watch for this issue as it will be easier to find the issue while the cashier/manager is entering the coupons. It could be that an incorrect key is being pressed?? If anyone else has had this issue –leave a comment and let us know your findings!!

Shanna wants to know: How do you determine when to use a FREE coupon? Is there a strategy?

Christy: I keep my free coupons in a see-through zipper pouch at the front of my binder to remind me that I have them. I wait until the last week the coupon is valid, hoping that the item will go BOGO so I can get two for free. If they haven’t gone on sale by that last week, I just use them as normal.

Michelle: Since I live in the land of half price BOGO it is not as important for me to wait for a sale since I will just get one free whether they are on sale or not. I do hold my free coupons as they can be great if you have a $x/$xx coupon! Not that I generally have an abundance of these coupons but… Say I had a $5 off $30 coupon–the more freebie coupons that will get me to closer to that $30 threshold means more of the $5 of free money can go towards something that I don’t have a coupon for.

Suzanne from the comments wants to know: I seem to miss out on all the freebies that involve an advantage flyer coupon with a manufacturer coupon. The shelves are always bare. Can I get a raincheck that allows me to use the Publix Advantage Buy coupons on items that are out of stock?

Christy: This, too, depends on your store. I’ve definitely read about people who have been able to to essentially get coupon rainchecks – a note from their store that allows them to use an expired publix coupon once the item is back in stock. Definitely talk to your customer service desk about this – in my experience they are really helpful whenever you have an issue with an item that’s out of stock.

Michelle: I agree with Christy–Talk to your store! They are usually more than willing to work with you to make sure you are able to get what you need!! I am patiently waiting for President Fat Free Feta to be restocked so that I can use some coupons that expired before I was able to grab the cheese!!

Chrissy wants to know: I have been using $10/$30 World Market coupons at Publix with no problem, but today it was refused. A few months ago I sent Publix corporate an email asking if our local store accepts competitor coupons such as WM and when the district manager called me he said absolutely. If the DM says it is ok why would the store refuse it?

Christy: It’s possible that the district got a new DM, or it could just be that the store employees haven’t been trained on that particular issue. If I were you, I would call your distric manager again to discuss the situation, and I would ask specifically if you can have the store call HIM next time they refuse you. I bet you’ll get results!

Stacking

Jennifer wants to know: Can I stack manufacturer’s coupons with a Publix coupon that reads “may not be used in conjunction with any other coupon”?Most stores will allow you to use both coupons as the wording is understood to mean that you can’t combine that Publix coupon with another Publix coupon. The majority of manufacturer coupons have similar wording. This verbage is necessary to prevent people from stacking multiple coupons to get an item for free. Since Publix allows you to use a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon you should be able to use one of each per item purchased. Be aware that each store can decide whether they will allow you to stack the coupon.

Michelle wants to know: Can I stack a competitor’s coupon with a Publix coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on a single item?Publix coupon policy allows you to use one store coupon and one manufacturer’s coupon per item. A store coupon is either a Publix coupon or a competitor coupon. You need to choose one- so when choosing between the competitor’s coupon and the Publix coupon, choose the value that is higher to get yourself the best deal. Note: there are the occasional stores that will allow the use of all three but I do not post a scenario using three as that is not available for the majority of folks.

Beth wants to know: How many coupons can I stack with a manufacturer’s BOGO coupon?

This is another grey area of couponing. Both sides will argue all day saying that their way is the correct way…so it will just be easier if I tell you both versions and then you can ask your store which version they prefer:

A) You can use one coupon per item purchased. If you are purchasing two items you can use a BOGO coupon and a $1/1 (or the like as long as it discounts the ONE item) The BOGO coupon attaches to the first item and the other coupon reduces the cost of the 2nd or qualifying item. Nothing on the BOGO coupon indicates that you must pay full price for the qualifying item! The coupon used on the qualifying item must be only for that item only (you can’t use a BOGO and a $1/2 on two items!!)

B) A BOGO coupon attaches to both items so you can’t use an additional coupon on the qualifier for the free item.

Here on the site I post deals based on version A. It is my opinion that you can use one coupon per item purchased. Remember in both scenarios you can also attach store or competitor coupons to the manufacturer coupons.

Romy wants to know: Are you supposed to use peelie coupons in conjunction with manufacturer coupons? It was allowed at my store in the past, but i wasn’t sure if it was supposed to go through or not. I don’t want to be a fraudulent coupon user.

No, you should not use peelies in conjunction with other manufacturer’s coupons – a peelie is a manufacturer’s coupon too so you can only use one. Pick the one that will work best for you and save the other for another deal. Remember you need to look at the coupon carefully to determine what type of coupon you have. The vast majority of coupons are manufacturer coupons. A manufacturer’s coupon will begin with the number 9 or the number 5 and have a barcode. It does not matter if you have a peelie, a tearpad, a blinkie or an insert coupon–you can only use ONE per item (as specified by the coupon). Please note that you must determine how many items are required to fulfill the coupon requirements. If a coupon is $1/2 you must buy TWO items to use that coupon. In the instance of a $1/2 you are still using one coupon per item–the coupon attaches to and discounts both items!

Mandy wants to know: Can I use a coupon against an item that I am already getting free? For example, if I’m using a “FREE Hillshire Farm Deli Select Lunchmeat with the purchase of Two (2) packages of Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausages,” can I also use a coupon for “$.55/1 Hillshire Lunchmeat”?

No, you can’t use another coupon in this scenario, because the FREE coupon is counted as a manufacturer’s coupon that applies to the lunchmeat rather than to the smoked sausage. However, you CAN use another manufacturer’s coupon to reduce the price of the sausage in this case.

Jessica wants to know: Can I use a $1/2 MQ and a free item MQ at the same time if I am only buying 2 of that item?

Christy: I know it seems like we answer a variant of this question every week (examples HERE and HERE), but it’s obviously something that we all question from time to time. In my opinion, the free item coupon attaches to one of the items, so you’d have to buy three of the item in order to use both coupons.

Michelle: I know it can be super confusing but if you think of a coupon actually attaching to an item it will be easier to know what you can and can’t use (in your mind think about stapling that coupon to the item(s) it goes with). If a coupon reduces the cost of multiple items– that one coupon attaches to all those items and nothing else can be used on them!

Danielle wants to know: Can you use 2 manufacturer’s B1G1 coupons and get both items free?

Christy: Nope – the conditions of the coupon are that you purchase one item (regardless of the price) in order to get the second item free. Now, if you have 1 manufacturer’s B1G1 coupon and 1 Publix B1G1 coupon, that’s a different story. In that case, Publix is essentially buying the first item for you and the manufacturer is buying the second item.

Stephanie wants to know: Can you stack a MQ with a manufacturer’s Buy 1 Get 1 coupon, or does the B1G1 attach to both items?

This is one of those grey areas where you will often get a different answer based on who you ask. I personally think that a buy1 get 1 coupon attaches only to the free item, so you can use a manufacturer’s or store coupon (or both!) on the qualifying item. I write deals here on the site based on that premise.

Amy wants to know: Can I use a manufacturer’s coupon for a free item and stack it with a publix coupon for $1.50 off that item?

Christy: This will depend on your store – mine won’t allow me to use another coupon on a free item, but if your customer service desk says it’s ok, then go for it!

Lindy wants to know: I was wondering how many coupons you could use with certain deals/coupons. For example, if Gatorade is 10/$10, and I have a hangtag coupon for 5 free wyb 10 AND 10 $.50/1 coupons, can I use all 11 coupons on 15 items?

Christy: This will, as usual, depend on your store, but the way I understand it, you should be able to use all 11 coupons – the 10 $.50/1 attach to those 10 items, and the hangtag attaches to the 5 free items. I’m sure other people will see this differently, which is why it’s always such a good idea to check with your customer service desk if you’re unsure.

Michelle: I agree that the $.50/1 attach to the ten you are buying and the free coupon attach to the other five that you are getting because you bought the required amount. As Christy said–when in doubt…ask your store!

Competitor Coupons

Maja wants to know: If I have a competitor’s coupon for $X off a $XX purchase, does that come off before or after all my other coupons? In the past, I’ve given my cashier the $X/$XX first, then my other coupons, but recently I was told that the $X/$XX had to come off last.

I am going to let Christy handle this one as my store only accepts competitor coupons that reduce the cost of a SPECIFIC item. I cannot use competitor coupons where a minimum threshold must be met!!Christy says: For this answer, let’s assume we’re talking about a $5/$50 coupon. I, too, was able to use such coupons – Publix or competitor – last year when my total BEFORE coupons was over $50. However, in the last few months, the Publix in my area have begun requiring that that coupon be saved until the end of the order, and they will only put it through if the total AFTER coupons is $50. In the end, it’s your particular Publix that decides this – so ask at your customer service desk before you check out so that you can plan accordingly.

Jenni wants to know: I’ve seen a blog where the blogger has many, many $5 off/$25 spent coupons from one store and used them all in one transaction to get $40 off the total. Is this typical? Can I use more than one $X/$XX competitor coupon in one transaction? What about multiples of the same coupon?

Although each store can make their own rules as to what/how many coupons they will accept….in my experience, Publix will only accept one $X/$XX coupon per order.

Shirae wants to know: Will the Publix pharmacy accept a CVS or Walgreens coupons for a “get a free $XX gift card when you transfer a prescription” coupon?

This is yet another question that depends on your particular store – ask at your customer service desk before taking the coupon to the Pharmacy.

Kathryn wants to know: My Publix does not consider Target as a competitor. But why is it that they will not take a manufacturer’s coupon printed from the Target website that has a Target logo? Isn’t it still just a manufacturer’s coupon??

Unless a coupon states “Redeemable only at XYZ store” then your store should take a manufacturer’s coupon no matter what store logo happens to be on the coupon. The logo is a suggestion but not a requirement. It may just be that the cashiers haven’t been properly informed about which coupons they can take and which they can’t. You might want to speak to the manager for clarification. Once again…each store can make their own rules but it can’t hurt to ask!

Carrie wants to know: My Publix doesn’t accept Target as a competitor, but they will accept manufacturer’s coupons with the Target logo on them. Unfortunately, it’s hard to figure out which is which on the Target site! Is there a way to tell before printing if the particular coupon I want is a manufacturer coupon instead of a Target coupon?

Christy: Unfortunately, I don’t think that there is a way to determine which is which from the website. One thing you might try in order to save yourself some ink is to look the coupon up on any of the coupon databases (A Full Cup, Hot Coupon World, etc) and see if someone has noted whether or not it’s a Target coupon. You can also utilize the comment boards here – Michelle’s readers are super helpful, and I bet nine times out of ten someone will know the answer! Your last resort might be to print ONE coupon on a piece of scrap paper – if you can’t save ink, at least save paper!

Angela wants to know: Does Publix get reimbursed when you use a Walgreens Register Rewards as payment? My store keys it in as a competitor coupon, not as a manufacturer’s coupon like it states on top of the RR.

I am not sure about this one. I have asked three different stores and no one could tell me with any certainty either way!! If anyone has a definite answer I’d love to hear it…we will open this one up to the readers!!

Amy wants to know: Can I use a competitor $X/$XX coupon and a CVS ECB or Walgreens RR to reduce the amount of my total?

Christy: Like most things, this depends on your store. I know that there are some people who are able to stack these types of coupons, but you should always ask at your customer service desk before you attempt to use them.

Coupon Doubling

Masa wants to know: How does a manufacturer’s Buy One Get One coupon work for an item that is under $.50 if your store doubles?

Masa let me know she purchased an item that was .45¢ and she used a BOGO coupon. When the cashier typed in her discount she received a savings of .90¢ (the .45/1 coupon doubled). I’d say this is a pretty rare scenario since most BOGO items are usually over .50¢ but just in case…the register is programmed to double any coupon amount .50¢ and under when the coupon begins with the number 5.

Soccrbug wants to know: If my Publix doubles manufacturer’s coupons up to $.50, do they also double store coupons? What about competitor coupons?

Publix will only double manufacturer coupons. Store/competitor coupons will be redeemed at face value.

Beth wants to know: What do you mean when you talk about stores doubling coupons and how can I find out when my store does this?

Many stores double coupons up to and including 50¢ as an incentive to shoppers. So a $.50/1 will yield a $1 discount as the coupon automatically doubles at the register. I am sure you all can correct me if I am wrong but I believe all Publix stores with the exception of stores in Florida, Coastal Georgia and Coastal Alabama participate in this promotion. If you are unsure if your store doubles coupons–ask at the customer service desk they should be able to give you the scoop on their specific coupon policy!!

Kris wants to know: When a grocery store doubles (or triples) a coupon – who pays for the doubling? I bought something at Kroger last week that cost 89 cents. My coupon was for 50 cents so Kroger only gave me the 89 cents. I’m not complaining as I still got the item for free but it just made me think about who pays the extra money – the grocery store or the manufacturer?

Christy: Man, I am so jealous of you coupon doublers (except for when my true BOGO makes for a better deal ). I would think that the store ‘pays’ for the doubling, since it is the equivalent of the accepting-competitor-coupons policy in that it’s a strategy to get you to shop at Publix versus any other store. However, I plead doubling ignorance if this is the wrong answer.

Michelle: As far as I know, this is an incentive to get you in the door and paid by the store. The manufacturer is only responsible for paying the face value of the coupon plus a small handling fee.

Leigh Ann wants to know: If I have a Publix store coupon that is $.50 or less, (and my store doubles), will it double?

No-only manufacturer coupons 50¢ and under will double. Store and competitor store coupons will be redeemed at face value.

BOGO Sales

Heather wants to know: I live in the land of no doubles. When Publix runs a BOGO sale, and my coupon is $1/2, do I have to buy four of the item in order for the coupon to work?

No, you only have to buy two! Even though the items are BOGO, the cashier is still scanning two items- and that’s all the register needs in order for the coupon to work. Both items in a BOGO are a purchase so you are entitled to the discount!

Brittany and Tiffiney want to know: How does a manufacturer’s ‘Buy One Get One’ coupon work if Publix already has the item on BOGO that week?

If your store has true BOGO and you’re using a manufacturer’s BOGO coupon on a Publix BOGO item, both items are free! (You’ll still pay tax for each one if the items are taxable, though.) Essentially, the manufacturer’s coupon “pays” for the first item and Publix gives you the second for free.If your store rings BOGO at 1/2 price you will get one item free with the coupon but you will have to pay for the 2nd item. The second item that you are paying for rings at half price so it is a good deal but not as good as folks with true BOGO!

Natasha wants to know: If an item is BOGO, what’s the best way to pair it with a B2G1 coupon? For example, if Coke 2 liters are BOGO for $2 and you have B2G1 coupons, would you A) Grab 3 and get all 3 for the price of 1, or B) Grab 4 and get all 4 for the price of 1?

Christy: While scenario (B) gets you the best price, your store may give you a hard time about using that coupon – mine requires that I actually PAY for two if I’m getting one free, so I generally plan on scenario (A). YMMV, of course!

Michelle: In my area BOGO rings half price…so for us we would buy three items and pay the equivalent of one full priced item (1st item is half price with BOGO, 2nd item is half price with BOGO, 3rd item is free with coupon)

In areas of true BOGO you should be able to get four items for the price of one as the coupon covers the price of one item and BOGO covers the cost of the other two!

Kim wants to know: How do those Target ‘Buy 3 Get 1 Free’ coupons work with Publix items that are already on BOGO?

For our answer, let’s say we’re talking about the ‘Buy 3 Oscar Mayer bacon get 1 Free’ coupon and Oscar Mayer Bacon is BOGO at $3.99. This would be the best deal in the land of true BOGO, where the scenario looks like this:
Buy 4 Oscar Mayer Bacon, 2 x $3.99 = 2 x $0= $7.98 – B3G1 Target (competitor) coupon ($3.99) = $3.99. You can also use manufacturer’s coupons to bring this total down – if you have 4 $1/1 coupons, for example, all four packs of bacon would be free!

In the land of half price BOGO, it’s still a good deal:
Buy 4 Oscar Mayer Bacon, 4 x 1.99 = $7.98 – B3G1 Target (competitor) coupon ($1.99) = $5.99. Again, you would be able to use manufacturer’s coupons to bring this total down – the same 4 $1/1 coupons would make all four packs of bacon $1.99.

Chrissy wants to know: Who pays for the “FREE” item during a BOGO sale – the store, or the company (Kraft, etc)?

Christy: In my understanding, a BOGO is a sale price that Publix advertises to get customers to come into their store and buy other items – so if we were thinking about it in terms of who ‘pays’ for the free item, then it would be Publix. However, many companies will often offer special pricing TO PUBLIX (when they’re buying in bulk for all their stores) in exchange that they put particular items on sale, which will in turn increase the company’s sales. I hope this makes sense – and maybe Michelle knows more or can make this clearer.

Michelle: I think Christy has probably given the best answer possible. In any kind of retail environment –a company will provide an item to a store at a specific cost. The store then sells that item at an increased price to the consumers to obtain a profit. I am not sure anyone really “pays” for the free item if you look at it as a whole. Here is a scenario (scaled down for the example) If Publix buys one thousand boxes of Nilla Wafers for 50¢ per box and then turns around and sells them for $1.50 per box to us –they are making $1 profit on each box. If they decide to sell them BOGO $2 they are then making 50¢ profit per box! So it really just boils down to cost/profit margin. There are so many variables that can affect the overall profit (but they do profit )

There is so much invloved in the retail world that it would take a book to provide a comprehensive answer

Marie wants to know: Can I use 2 coupons for a free product with a BOGO sale, thus making the BOGO a money maker?

Christy: You should ask at your customer service desk about this one before you try to check out – I know my store will not let me use two free coupons with a BOGO deal, but that may vary depending on the store.

Michelle: I have never even thought about this as a possibility as here in my area items ring half price–so using two free product coupons just means you get both items free.

You will definitely want to talk to your store about this one. If it were me and I was in the land of true BOGO–I would happily take four items for free with the two coupons

Publix Promotions & Procedures

Niki wants to know: How does the Publix Penny Item work? Why isn’t it a penny in my store?

The Publix Penny Item is a customer incentive –basically a promotion to get you in the store. Each week there is a coupon in the newspaper that will allow you to purchase the designated item for just a penny with a $10 purchase. Florida does not participate in the promotion–my guess is that they don’t need to offer the incentive as they are top dog in Florida The date of the penny is the same day that your ad begins. Here in Atlanta my ad begins on Thursday so that is the day that I can score an item for a penny.

Cheri wants to know: If I go shopping on any day but the first day of the sale, it seems like all the good stuff is gone. When does Publix restock those ‘hot’ sale items after they’ve first sold out?

Christy: I would assume this would depend on your particular Publix and when their trucks arrive. In my area, Publix restocks at least three or four times a week, but they may not restock hot sale items because they just don’t have any more of that item to restock. When I’ve talked to my customer service desk about this in the past, they’ve always told me that they’ll have the item back in stock within 10 days (the point at which rainchecks in my area expire). If I have a coupon that’s expiring before they get the item back in, they’ve even agreed to honor the coupon for me after the fact! Moral of the story: make friends with your customer service workers .

Michelle: Most stores get multiple trucks –you might consider talking to your grocery manager about the various trucks and their schedule. If you know that the truck with the frozen items comes every Monday night then you know your best time to check back will be Tuesday! Another idea is to give your store a heads up on the hot items…most of you can probably guess what they will be! If you give your store a heads up they will be able to order more and it will be waiting for you when you shop Stores order based on various data but unless someone gives the store a heads up that there is a hot coupon they will not know to order a large amount as they are going on various info such as previous sales.

Tina wants to know: I’ve been out of the couponing loop for just a few weeks and now I can’t find The Essentials. Did Publix stop doing them?

Actually, The Essentials didn’t go away – Publix just renamed them! They’re now the deals under “Love to Shop Here, Love to Save Here.” If you all would like me to separate them from the ad just let me know. It is an easy fix

Jennifer wants to know: I’ve read a few times about people ordering sale items from their stores. This week I have 15 of the Italian Ice coupons I’d like to use. How would I go about ordering and is Publix ok with that? Do you know the time period they need to have to order BOGO items, or if there a minimum order amount?

Christy: I’ve only ever talked to my store about doing this (I didn’t end up needing to place the order), but they told me that they could have extra items in for me within a few days, and I’d assume that it would be the same at most stores. Publix will special order just about anything for you – even a single item – so there is most likely not a minimum order amount.

Michelle: I have been told by several stores in my area that they prefer people to order rather than clear the shelves! Most stores get multiple trucks each week but if there is a hot item it can still be VERY difficult to maintain stock. Ordering is very easy–just speak with the grocery manager and let him/her know your request. They can usually give you a pretty good indication of when you will be able to pick up your items (typically within a few days) This is so much better for me as it is not feasible to keep checking back to see if an item has been restocked!

Marie wants to know: I live in South Florida and have had a lot of problems using coupons in my area. When I shop at Target, Winn-Dixie, or BJs, I carry their coupon policy with me to show the cashier in the event that I encounter any problems. I want to do the same at Publix, but I have not been able to obtain a copy of their coupon policy. Do you know where I can find it?

Christy: This question got me wondering so I called Publix’s toll-free customer service line and left a message asking about an official corporate policy. They called me back within 15 minutes – not surprising since we love Publix in part for their great customer service! The associate I spoke to told me that Publix doesn’t have an official coupon policy in writing because much of the policy is at the discretion of each district manager; however, she said that the policies should at least be consistent among all the stores who have the same district manager.

Since this hasn’t been my personal experience – in my town, stores no more than five miles apart (and yes, with the same DM) have wildly varying policies, at least according to different cashiers and customer service reps – the person I spoke to said they’d pass my information on to the district manager and have him call me directly to answer any of my questions. I’ll keep you guys updated and let you know what I find out!

Michelle: Honestly guys… not having a corporate policy is really a good thing for us. If we force Publix to write down their policy they will have no choice but to be limiting and specific. Allowing each store to decide who they view as a competitor will ensure that a variety of competitors are possible. If you make it a point to understand your store’s guidelines you should not have any issues. If you do happen to encounter a discrepancy with a specific cashier, a trip to the customer service desk will usually correct any problem.

Kimberly wants to know: Why do so many managers in the SAME store give you so many different answers for using coupons?

Christy: In my opinion, this is a problem that can be traced back to the training programs your store has in place (or doesn’t have in place, as the case may be). If you run into problems in your store, I’d suggest that you talk to you store manager, your district manager, or even corporate customer service after everytime you run into a problem. Publix’s focus on customer service is such that I’d almost guarantee you that you see changes in the store after no more than a couple phone calls.

Krystin wants to know: How do Publix rain checks work, and can I use coupons with them?

Christy: Rain checks essentially allow you to take advantage of the sale price on a particular item after the original dates of the sale because your store has run out of stock. Depending on your store, they may impose a deadline by which you need to use the raincheck – in my area, rain checks are only good for 10 days after they date my store writes them. You can most certainly use coupons with a raincheck; however, if the coupons you want to use will expire before you will use the raincheck, you should talk to your store about that as they’re writing the rain check. Some stores will actually make a note on your rain check that the cashier should honor your coupons for that item as well!

Michelle: Also be aware that most stores will limit the number of items you can get with a rain check.

Coba wants to know: Will Publix accept its own expired coupons?

Christy: This depends on the store – I’ve heard of some stores that accept expired Publix coupons, but none of the stores in my area will take them. However, my favorite store will occasionally take a coupon a day or two after expiration if I ask really nicely . As usual, you should ask at your customer service desk before trying to use an expired store coupon at checkout.

Michelle: This will definitely vary by store…I have yet to find a store in my area that will accept them either!!

Bridget wants to know: When walking around Publix I see a number of items that are on significant sale but don’t seem to be advertised. The savings are marked on small white tags with red borders underneath the product. Often the savings amount is substantial, especially if combined with coupon – e.g. ‘save $.50′ or ‘save $1.00′ -Most of these deals are not in the weekly ad nor the advantage buys/seasonal flyers. My question is – am I missing another source that lists all these specials? I would like to be able to plan before I hit the store.

Christy: I’ve noticed these shelf tags in my store as well, and though I don’t know for sure, I got the impression that they were just a way for the store to tell shoppers that the permanent price for the item in question has been permanently reduced – similar to what Walmart calls “rollbacks,” etc. If my assumption is correct, then there is nothing available to Publix shoppers that lists their price changes. However, I may be wrong about the tags – if you know more, leave a comment & let us know!!

Michelle: I think you are referring to the “Shop Here, Save Here” tags. I was told that these are basically unadvertised advantage buy deals. I too would love the inside scoop from anyone in the know!! I wish there was a way to get a big list of these deals–you guys are always so great about emailing deals you find to share with your fellow shoppers–I bet we do a pretty good job identifying the really hot deals

Julie wants to know: Can I buy a Publix Gift Card with my overage from coupons and deals?

Christy: This is going to depend on your store; if they allow overages in the first place you may be able to purchase a gift card. Like every other situation of this nature, I’d suggest asking at your customer service desk before you try to do the deal.

Michelle: If your store allows overage then you should be able to add in a gift card to “absorb” the overage.

Chrissy wants to know: What makes a store stop taking a particular competitor’s coupons? My store used to accept Target coupons but won’t anymore!

Christy: This depends entirely upon the store and district manager – they are the ones that determine which competitor coupons they’ll accept. However, if you hear that your store won’t accept a particular kind of coupon anymore from a cashier or a customer service rep, I’d ask for the manager (or call later, if necessary) and verify the new store policy – you never know what gets lost in translation!

Monica wants to know: Does Publix have quantity limits on rain checks? Will they split the quantity on a rain check or issue multiple rain checks for a single item?

Christy: I think we should make IDOYS (It Depends On Your Store) the official Ask I Heart Publix acronym – I certainly type that phrase a LOT . In my area, each store has a slightly different rain check policy – one of the more lenient stores will write you a rain check for as many deals as you want, another will only write a rain check for 6 items or 3 BOGO deals, a third puts expiration dates of 10 days on their rain checks (the other two stores don’t do this at all). I have been able to ‘split’ a rain check, or in other words only purchase a portion of the total value of the raincheck, at all three stores – in each case they just wrote me a new raincheck for the remaining number of deals. I haven’t ever asked if they would issue multiple rain checks for a single item, so I’m not sure about that one!

Michelle–Definitely will vary by store. Most of the stores in my area write rain checks for a limit of 4 or two BOGO’s. I have needed a rain check in a while but I think mine are now preprinted to use within 30 days of issue. By the way I love the acronym Christy!!

Lesley from the comments wants to know: Do you find that the “Rules” are constantly changing at your local Publix? It seems like every other week I go in and the manager says that they don’t accept the same kind of deals they did a week ago. It is so very frustrating! I recently talked to my local store manager and he said they accept all the coupons I thought they did, but my problem is he’s not there all the time. What do you do? Do you argue your case in this circumstance or just hope for better luck next time??

Christy: I do get that feeling from time to time, but when I feel that way I try to remember that there are so many reasons for me to LOVE Publix that there are bound to be moments when Publix frustrates me, too. In your case, I would try to argue my case, but if it becomes clear that I’m not going to get anywhere, I would nicely ask when the store manager is going to be in next, and bring my receipt and the coupons they wouldn’t accept back to talk to him/her. If you make a point of doing this once or twice I bet the correct information will trickle down a little faster.

Michelle: I honestly don’t have that issue. My stores rules are pretty cut and dry. I think if I found that there was a bunch of inconsistency I would probably make a point to check in at the customer service desk before I went shopping. For me it would be easier to get confirmation about any possible issues BEFORE I got to the check out! My boys are just about all the distraction I can handle so I always want to be prepared!! I always try to pop over to say hello and check for new booklets so it would not be that much of a stretch for me.

You might want to talk to your manager and let him/her know about the inconsistency so that it might not be an issue in the future!! If they are unaware of the issue you might be helping others who have had similar issues!!

Coupon & Shopping Etiquette

Cathy wants to know: Is it ‘against the rules’ to take a peelie coupon off an item even if you’re not going to buy it that day? What about tearpads?

This is a HUGE area of debate among couponers! Honestly this is purely an individual decision–I can’t give you a definitive answer as it would be completely opinion based. I think it best that you go with your gut and do what you feel comfortable doing. If you don’t want to snag a peelie then don’t do it. If you choose to snag a few then be sure an be kind and leave some for your fellow savers. This idea really applies to any coupon–peelie, tearpad, blinkie, booklet, etc… common courtesy is a good thing in my book .

Kristy wants to know: Publix is so nice to have people help you out to your car with your groceries and load them for you, are you supposed to tip them?

Here is the answer from the Publix website: We pride ourselves in providing outstanding customer service. That service includes taking your groceries to your vehicle. Tipping is not required. Several of you have emailed to let me know that the baggers are instructed not to accept tips.–thanks everyone!!

If you receive outstanding service from an employee at Publix you might consider sending an email or making a call to tell the manager about your experience. So many people are quick to report when things don’t go as they wish –it is just as important to share the positive experience as well!!

Stacy wants to know: Are we ‘allowed’ to photocopy Publix coupons that just have the LU # on them? I ask because today in my Publix I found only 1 “There’s value in family” booklet so I asked a girl who was walking around if she knew where I could get more. She said she would look and then came back to me and handled me several photocopied coupons from the booklet. Can I skip this step and just photocopy them myself? I would never do this with a manufacturer’s coupon or a Publix coupon that had a barcode on it but I figured since Publix seems to be willing to photocopy LU coupons, it should be okay.

I am going to say that photocopying is a no go. Of course each store can make their own rules so be sure and ask before you make that copy

Jen wants to know: If a store refuses your coupon, is it considered poor etiquette to inform them that you would rather not purchase that item??

I don’t think it is a bad thing at all! My shopping trips are planned and if something takes my plan go off course then I will do what I need to do to get back on track

Jennifer wants to know: I’ve seen people ask for the LU# from Publix Store coupons. Is this ok to give out?

I was told that Publix coupons are like any other coupon–a certain number are printed and expected to be redeemed. I would also imagine it would be hard for cashiers to count their drawer if there was no record of the coupons used. This is not a question I can answer with certainty but I think unless you are told differently by YOUR store you should expect to provide a paper coupon at checkout. I imagine abuse would occur otherwise!!

Stephanie wants to know: Is it really ethical to purchase coupons from Ebay or the clipper sites? I ask because it seems to have a negative connotation and a lot of couponers find it unfair. It seems pretty sketchy – if we’re REALLY only paying for the person’s time to find, clip, and mail the coupons, why are the higher value coupons more expensive?

Anonymous wants to know: What’s the couponer etiquette regarding shelf clearing on super cheap/free/overage items? Through the grapevine I have learned of a couponer in my area who has bought 40 or 50 of the same item–and done it with multiple items–so that that person’s total is less than $10 for hundreds of dollars of products. I often go into the store to get one or two of the deals, and they are already gone–even if I go the first day of the sale (this happens at several stores around me). I am all about saving money, and taking advantage of the good deals, but it seems to me that buying up all the product so that no one else has a chance is rude. Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way and I just need to get over it. Is there anything I can do to be sure I can get the deals, even if there are “shelf-clearers” in my area?

This is a hot button with many couponers. In my opinion–good couponer etiquette is to purchase a reasonable amount and make sure that you leave enough for the other savvy shoppers in your area when possible. Every person will have different needs and thus require different quantities. It really just depends on how you choose to justify your purchases –there is really no right or wrong so you just have to go with your gut!! I have had people tell me that they needed 50 of an item as they donate to their church pantry. Another person might argue that is unfair as they just wanted two to use for their family! I have come to the point where I just don’t care if I miss a deal here and there. Yes it can be annyoing and frustrating to go in to find the items you want are gone but I have found there is ALWAYS another deal!!

Rain checks may not be the best option but it is an option and I have had stores work with me if a coupon is close to expiration and I can’t get access to the product. That is the great thing about Publix–they are willing to work with you!!

If you expect you will want a large quantity–I’d suggest in this case that you talk to your customer service desk as soon as you hear about a hot item you know you’ll want. Let them know that they are most likely going to sell out of that item and even place an order for the quantity that you want – that way you’re sure to get the deals you want without clearing the shelf for the next person. I always tease my store telling them that they should hire me as I could give them a heads up on what they will want to order

Anita wants to know: Is it ok to take a peelie off of an item if you don’t intend to buy it on that shopping trip? I found some Similac $1 off peelies last night and wanted to take a few to save for a sale, but I wasn’t buying formula last night. Does it make a difference if you will likely buy the item at another store? (The peelies were on Similac at CVS, and I buy it at Publix more often.)

Christy: We’ve answered a version of this question before (HERE), but we get it so many times each week that I thought it might be good to address this issue again. Taking peelies off items you are not going to buy during that visit is a hot-button issue for a lot of people. Many feel that the coupon was placed on the product for a reason, and you should leave it there for the person who is actually going to purchase that item. Others think that all coupons are free and “finders keepers!” I fall somewhere in the middle – I don’t think it’s wrong to take a couple coupons you plan to use later but I also am not going to take every coupon I see – I want to make sure my fellow couponers can find what they need, too! If I find peelies in-store and I’m relatively sure I’ll use them before they expire, I’ll take two for my stash – four if there are a lot and I’m SURE I’ll use them.

Michelle: I stick with my original response…this is something you need to decide for yourself. There is no rule book to go by and any answer is totally an opinion!! I still say go with your gut

Danae wants to know: Here’s the scenario: you have a rain check for a few weeks because you either forgot about it or just haven’t had a chance to use it. The coupons you had paired with the rain check items have either expired, you found a better deal to use them on, or they aren’t as good as new ones you found. Is it ethical to use new coupons on a rain check you received 3 weeks ago?

Christy: I don’t see any problem with this – after all, if the store had HAD the item you wanted to purchase at the time, you would have used the coupons you had then. Since they didn’t, I think you’re free to use whatever coupons you have when you actually cash in the rain check.

Michelle: You are welcome to use any valid coupon with a rain check! Often stores will even allow you to use a coupon that was valid when the rain check was written but has since expired. I personally don’t feel it is unethical to use a better coupon if you are forced to buy an item at a later date…sounds like a stroke of good luck

Rebates

Deborah wants to know: What do you do when you have several rebate items on the same receipt, and the rebate you to send in an “original” receipt?

This is a good question. I never like to go against what the rebate form says because I’m always afraid that they’ll refuse the rebate and I’ll lose out on that “free money.” Usually, though, I know what items have rebates on them when I buy them, and I make sure to do separate transactions if I’m going to need more than one “original” receipt. Better to be safe than sorry!

Fei wants to know: How do I count BOGO items when I’m making purchases for a rebate that requires the purchase of a certain dollar amount ($50 in P&G products, for example)? Can I ‘count’ the 2nd BOGO item, even though I didn’t technically pay for it?

Michelle–I live where BOGO rings half price so that is not an issue as the receipt will just indicate each item as half of the original price. So an item that is BOGO $3 will show as $1.50 per item purchased!!Christy- In my experience, you absolutely can ‘count’ the 2nd BOGO item – as long as the item shows up on the receipt with an original price of $xx, it doesn’t matter if a store promotion reduces that amount for your final total.

Pamela wants to know: How do you keep track of rebates and websites with benefits? For example, what methods do you use to keep track of what rebates you want to use and putting together the items for mailing? And do you have any suggestions for keeping track of websites that give rewards/points for using or participating? I have trouble remembering to go to reward/points sites like Coke Rewards, Swagbucks, and Vocalpoint, and it’s hard to keep track of ways to earn the rewards/points they offer.

Christy: Whenever I find or hear of a rebate that I know I’ll want to use, I put the form (or even a post it reminding me to LOOK for the form in the store) in an envelope marked “Rebates” that I check weekly as I make my shopping list. Once I purchase the item, I try to mail the rebate form out the same day. And I do keep track of what I mail out – I have a basic spreadsheet that I use to track my grocery purchases, and I’ve added a page to it that just records the company, item, rebate amount, date purchased, date sent out. When checks come in, I add the date received to the spreadsheet, and that’s how I keep track of rebates that are still ‘out there’ somewhere. I know there are people that scan their receipts, UPCs, and rebate forms before they send them out, but that’s simply more time than I care to invest in my rebates.
As for rewards & points sites, they can get overwhelming really quickly. The first important thing to remember is that you can only reasonably manage to keep up with a few of these, so figure out which ones are the most valuable to you and focus on those. I’ve created a bookmark tab in my web browser that includes all the sites I visit daily or weekly: Swagbucks, my “try & tell” groups that send me free coupons or items, the few sweepstakes I enter daily, etc. When I get up in the morning, I try to get my daily visits in while I’m drinking my coffee so I don’t have to think about them for the rest of the day!

Michelle: ORGANIZATION is critical!! I make lists and revisit them to make sure things I need to remember are brought to the forefront every few days until the task is completed. I also think it is important to prioritize. Do what you can do and don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get to everything!!!

Darcy wants to know: My question is about the SummerTime Savings Guide MIR (spend $50 get $10 gift card). Can I use coupons to reduce the total I need to spend and still get the gift card?

Check the fine print on the Mail In Rebate form – you can use coupons to reduce your total amount out of pocket for any rebate as long as it doesn’t explicitly state that you need to spend $50 AFTER coupons. Most rebates allow you to use coupons to reduce your totals, making for even better deals! I have only ever seen one or two rebates that state the purchase price is after coupons..after all it is very hard to determine which product the coupon was for–especially on Publix receipts!!

Sales Patterns, Coupon Marketing, etc

Laura wants to know: Is there a pattern to the frequency of items going on sale, and if so, is it the same for most items? How do I know when to really stock up on an item?

Sale items usually cycle every three months. I’d say that after a few months of couponing regularly, you’ll start to recognize a really good price (it varies depending on the particular item), and you’ll know to really stock up. If you want a hard and fast rule to go by as you get started, I’d say that if the item is 75% (or more) off its regular price, you should really stock up.For example, when Simply Smart milk – it’s our favorite – goes on sale and I have coupons to pair with it, I’ll buy as many as I can fit in my freezer. Other things like yogurt go on sale ALL the time and I usually only buy what I can use in a two or three week period at most.You will also see certain items on sale at certain times of the year. If you think about when an item is likely used– that is when you will see the best sales. Coupons and sales on pumpkin will be more likely in November than in July. Barbecue sauce will be at the lowest price duing the summer. You will want to snag turkey and ham at their lowest price around Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter! Soups are cheapest in winter months and ice cream deals are more likely in the summer! Of course there will be sales throughout the year but if you are looking to stock up on an item you will want to get it while it is “in season.”

Maria wants to know: Why do some zip codes work and others don’t on the coupon printing sites? My zip code never seems to have all the items listed, and same for my Sunday paper inserts. I end up wasting a lot of time searching for coupons that don’t materialize.

Christy: Regional coupon differences affect all of us at one time or another – case in point: I didn’t get the $4/1 Nivea this week like so many of you did, and I was majorly bummed out about it. My understanding about regional differences in coupon distribution is that the company distributes more or better coupons in areas where they’re trying to promote their product, and less in areas where their product is already popular.

Michelle: Also, product prices vary greatly by region!! My buddy out in California will often get better coupons that I get here in Georgia…but she also pays a much higher price for her items!! Coupons vary dramatically –that is why I try to list as many as possible. You have to be aware of all the coupons available so you can score those higher value coupons via trade!

Jessica wants to know: When something is listed for a sale price in an Advantage Buy Flyer, is it safe to assume that this is the best deal they will offer until the Flyer expires? Also, are they usually the best deal offered on these items or do you often see the items at better prices other times throughout the year?

Yes, the deals in the flyers are generally the best deals that will be offered on those items until the flyer expires. However, it’s not necessarily the best deal you will ever see on a particular item. I generally find that BOGO deals (not typically offered in the flyers) are the ones that give us the lowest overall price on specific items.

Jeni wants to know: Often I see a post that with a Publix sale and the various coupons offered that items can be gotten for free or just a few cents. Even matching the coupons I have to the coupons you list, I always end up paying more, the items are never free. Since I am matching the coupons to the ones listed, I don’t understand – why is my item more expensive than yours?

There are a number of possible answers to this. First, prices of items – even sale prices – can vary greatly from region to region. It could be that your item starts out more expensive in your region than it does in mine, which means that you end up paying more no matter that we use the same coupons.
It also makes a big difference if your store doubles coupons or not. Mine does, so any coupon .50¢ and under is worth twice as much off of my item than it will in a store that does not double. I try to note when the deal is valid for those that can double.

Susan wants to know: Why are the blinkies and tearpads always empty when I get to them?? How do manufacturers determine how many of each coupon get distributed in a particular area? Is there such a thing as a rain check for blinkies or tearpad Qs?

Christy: To my knowledge, there is definitely no such thing as a rain check for blinkie or tearpad coupons, and manufacturers determine which areas get coupons based on their sales in that area. After the blinkie or the tearpad gets placed in your store, though, you’re at the mercy of every other shopper and couponer out there – hopefully they will only take the number of coupons they need. As such, you can never count on a blinkie or a tearpad – it might be there, it might not, it might have coupons left, it might not. When I read about a possible blinkie or tearpad, I make a note of it on my shopping list so that I’ll be sure to look for it, but it’s always hit or miss and I never factor it into my shopping scenario until I’ve got the coupon in hand.

Theresa and Jennifer want to know: Why is it that coupons vary so much between different papers in the same area? Last week I even got different coupons in two copies of the same paper!

Christy: From what I’ve read, advertising (and therefore the coupons you find) varies by zip code and by the marketing area of each particular paper – so if you get one copy of the paper delivered to your home in one zip code, and then buy another copy of the same paper 15 or 20 miles away, it’s very possible that you’ll get different coupons. My advice is always to CHECK the papers before you purchase them – a quick scan through will tell you if you’re getting the coupons that you want. I always do this with my papers, since the Walgreens and CVS papers are occasionally missing inserts altogether!

Sharon wants to know: How many weeks are in a typical sales cycle? I bought several boxes of family sized decaf Lipton tea bags the last time they were BOGO (the end of Feb.) and since that time they have not gone on sale again. I figured buying 3 months worth would be more than enough! Do I need to stock up MORE than 3 months worth next time they are on sale? I notice that pasta sauce and salad dressing are on sale all the time, but tea is not. What’s the pattern?

Christy: Generally, there are 12 weeks in a typical sales cycle – and you’re right, sometimes certain items will cycle MUCH more quickly depending on the type of product and the season. For example, I’ve been waiting for Sue Bee honey to go BOGO for about six months now, but since it’s not baking season, I think I’m out of luck! You might need to improvise a bit – if you’re not brand-loyal, then I’d suggest trying out other brands, or buying regular sized tea bags versus the family size (if the deal is good enough, it’s worth it – 3 regular tea bags to 1 family size bag). Otherwise, next time they go on sale I’d buy 4 1/2 months worth, and see how you get by on that. The longer you watch the sale patterns on particular items, the more you can anticipate when things will go on sale again!

Michelle: To be honest with you there are some things that just don’t seem to follow any pattern or cycle! Christy is correct that the longer you watch the sales the more you will see what tends to repeat as well as those that tend to be less frequent!!

I had to go check out the Lipton tea dilemma as I thought they were BOGO more recent than February. I found Lipton tea bags (varied sizes) were BOGO six times since the beginning of the year. The good thing that I noticed is that four of the six times there was a corresponding coupon that made the BOGO even better!!

Lipton Tea BOGO 7/15 – 7/21 (coupon 6/27)
Lipton Tea BOGO 6/24- 6/30
Lipton Tea BOGO 6/3 – 6/9 (coupon 5/23)
Lipton Tea BOGO 3/25 – 4/3
Lipton Tea BOGO 2/25 – 3/3 ( coupon 1/31)
Lipton Tea BOGO 2/11 – 2/17 (coupon 1/31)

That is the true trick to couponing…while I love a sale–I prefer a sale with a coupon. As time goes by you will start to notice the general cycles and also when to jump on those deals that don’t come around as often. You also want to shop the seasonal sales…BBQ sauce will be at it’s lowest in the summer so make sure you stock up for the winter, soups will be the best price in the winter, turkey is cheapest around Thanksgiving, grab your canned pumpkin in the fall, etc… I think for the most part following the 12 week rule will cover you pretty well for most things.

General Money Saving Questions

Jen wants to know: I know from reading your website that you spend a lot of time on the web and use a lot of websites to make some extra money.
I spend a ton of time on the internet and I was thinking there has got to be a way to make a few bucks with all of the time I spend surfing the internet. I already use the inboxdollars.com but wanted to see if you know of any other way to make a few bucks while surfing the web?

I will list you my favorites –these are the ones that I think are the best use of my time:

PineCone Research is super easy they email me a survey. I give honest answers and within a few days they deposit $3 into my PayPal account. You guys know I use my PayPal to buy coupons and for any other deal I might find where I don’t want to touch my checking account!

Inbox Dollars is just as easy. There are a ton of ways to earn but I stick with reading the emails and completing surveys here and there. They pay out at $30 and I can usually request a check every few months with not much effort!

MyPoints is another good one. I love them as they let you cash in your points for gift cards. I usually get my CVS & Walgreens gift cards from them. There are a million ways to earn points but I usually just read the emails and I get a decent amount of points that way! I typically get at least 2 gift cards per year through them!!

eRewards is my next favorite. This is an invitation only program where you answer surveys and you get points that you then turn into money deposited into your Upromise account!! I have earned hundreds of dollars for the boys’ education just by telling them what I think!! Once you become a Upromise member be on the lookout for an invitation…I am not sure who or how they choose members.

Of course I do Upromise…you guys know that you get money deposited into your Upromise account just by shopping and eating at participating restaurants. They even have eCoupons where you score money for the things you buy. You just have to remember to use those loyalty cards and be sure to have your cards attached to your account!!

Swagbucks is a must. I do a bunch of searches each day for info or to pull pictures for posts so I always go through Swagbucks as I get points that I turn into Amazon gift cards (they have a ton of other prizes but I love those Amazon cards–that is how I pay for Christmas!!)

I have tried many others but honestly I never stuck with them or found they required too much effort!! The ones I listed are super easy and the payoff makes it worth it!! I would love to hear any favorites that you guys might have and if you feel like the payout is worth the effort!!

Total Savings

Shawna wants to know: I’ve been couponing for a few months and am regularly saving about 50%, but so many people in the Weekly Totals are saving 80 and 90%!! What am I doing wrong?

I am going to let Christy take this one as I have been couponing for a while and I think it is better answered by someone who is new”er” to couponing.
I have to say that about three or four months into couponing, I was in the exact same boat as you. I was saving a lot, but nowhere near as much as most of the people I’d read about online. Around six months in, though, I really started to see a change in my percentage saved. In my opinion, there are three major things that changed for me:a) At three months, my stockpile was good but not great – I had a lot of SOME of the things I needed to get through the week, but not MOST or, better yet, ALL of them. At six months, though, my stockpile had really rounded out nicely, and I had a two-three month supply of nearly everything I use on a regular basis.

b) At three months, I was still figuring out how to tell a good deal from a really great deal, because EVERYTHING seems like a great deal when you’re first starting out with couponing, right? This meant that I’d buy a bunch of, say, frozen pizzas at $3.50 each because “I’m saving 50%!! Woohoo!” Now, though, I know that I just won’t pay more than about $1.50 for a frozen pizza. I know they have been that cheap before, and I know they will be again, and I’m willing to save my coupons until I see a really great price in order to get the best value for my money. Speaking of coupons, too – at three months, I was as excited about a $.75 coupon as I was a $2.50 coupon. I know now what coupons are going to make for a really good sale price down the line (like the $3/1 Snuggle that just came out), so when I see something like that in the insert preview, I’ll plan to get my hands on a ton of inserts that week. The more of an item you can buy at a rock-bottom price, the better your overall percentages are going to be.

c) Around the four month mark, I started really looking at the super-expensive items on my grocery bills – things like laundry detergent (we were Tide people), etc – and tried to find ways to reduce what I spent on those essentials. You can get creative here – I actually ended up finding a recipe to make my own laundry detergent (it’s here, btw) and gave that a try. It ended up working great, and it really reduced my monthly totals – or just try to evaluate what you’re spending the most money on and try to find a way to reduce it somehow. This step is different for everyone, of course – only you know what your family needs and where it can be flexible – but you may find areas where you can significantly reduce your totals.

Keyonda wants to know: How do I figure out my percentage saved?

I am lazy so I use an online calculator like the one HERE. But you can also do it manually: First, add the total amount spent out of pocket with your amount saved – this is the total value of your purchase. Then, divide your amount saved by the total value, and multiply the answer by 100.

Melanie wants to know: How did you come up with your grocery budget? Is there a particular plan you use?

Christy: I need to be WAY better about my budget – not that I wouldn’t stick to one, but rather that I’m pretty lax about what my budget IS. Basically, I looked at what we were spending on groceries and toiletries, etc before I started couponing (around $550 a MONTH! For TWO PEOPLE, two dogs, and three cats! Can you imagine???) and decided to cut that in half. Once I had accomplished that, I set myself a few (admittedly rather flexible) spending goals: I try to spend around $40 a week at Publix and no more than $10-$15 a week at the drug stores (that includes my costs for Sunday papers/coupons). My monthly totals now are around $200, and considering that I’m sitting on a 6 month stockpile of almost all toiletries and at least a 3 month stockpile of groceries, it’s all just maintenance.

All this said, I would really like to put together a much more rigid budget in the near future to see if I can help us save even more. (I’m hoping that I’m going to catch better habits through osmosis from Michelle, actually!! )

Michelle: I did the same thing as Christy. I started by cutting our budget to $100 per week. Believe it or not prior to coupons I was spending well over $200 per week!! Once I started seeing my spending decrease I systematically reduced my budget by 10% every few weeks until I ended up at $40. By gradually reducing the budget I was able to stockpile quite a bit and now I really just maintain and get perishables each week. My budget is not set in stone. Some weeks I spend over $40 and other weeks I am well under $40. My goal is an average of $40 per week or about $2100 per year! By the way -Christy I am sending good vibes your way…tee hee

Amy wants to know: I’ve just started couponing seriously and I’m starting to stockpile. I feel like we spend a LOT each month. How much do you spend each week or month?

Christy: This amount is going to differ for everyone depending on the number of people in your family, your various shopping needs, etc. I buy for my husband and I and our 5 animals. When I first started couponing I tried to reduce what we were spending by ¼ (from $125/wk to $95), then ½ (down to about $60). After about ten months couponing, I’m down to about $40 a week for groceries, and I’m hoping to get it even lower in the coming months.

Michelle: I’ll be honest, I don’t focus on my weekly spending too much. My goal is to spend about $200o per year on groceries. I may be a little different that some of you starting out as I shop to maintain and build my inventory. I am at the point where each week I only need to buy perishables and the items that are a really good deal. Every once in a while I will mess up and run out of an item and have to pay a price that I would not consider the “best” price. For example…somehow I managed to run out of tampons??!! I went up to my pantry only to find that I had none in stock!! So this week I had to pay for a box when I could have been working the drugstores to get a supply for free or next to nothing!!

I always recommend that new couponers try to gradually reduce your spending. This allows you to build your stockpile while saving money! As your stockpile grows your spending decreases!!

Dana wants to know: Have you ever figured out the cost of ink and paper to print coupons, to see how that effects your savings? Also, where do you find the best deals on ink and paper?

Christy: (We answered a question about ink deals a few weeks ago (HERE), so I’m just going to talk about paper deals today.) I’ve never actually figured out the cost of ink and paper to print coupons – I use my laser printer for other things, too, so I hadn’t really thought about it as a strictly-couponing expense, though of course my toner usage is way up because of all the coupons I print. I always watch the office supply stores (in my area, Office Depot and Office Max) for deals, and I’m also a member of their individual rewards programs so that I can get the best value for my money. For instance, as Michelle blogged HERE, this week at Office Depot you can get a 10-ream case of HP paper for $41.99 with a $22 Prepaid Visa mail-in offer AND get 10% back in Rewards to spend later. Plus, there’s a $10/$25 coupon HERE that you can use to make the final price after rebate and Rewards $6.80, or $.68 a ream. That’s a WHOLE lot of paper to print coupons .

Michelle: Honestly I pay very little for these items!! I am sitting on quite a stash of paper that I paid little to nothing for thanks to deals like Christy mentioned. The back to school deals are starting to roll in and I snag as many as I can! I already have quite an assortment of items that I have accumulated over the past few years through the office supply store deals as well as the drugstore freebies! Like everything else I buy I rarely wait to buy until I need an item. I try to take advantage of deals so that I am not forced to pay full price when I need an item.

Amy wants to know: When you are under on your grocery budget several times in a row, do you ever move the money to another budget category, or do you always keep the grocery budget there and do something like stock up on meat?

Christy: I’ve talked before about how I really need to get better about making a strict budget and stick to it, but….um….I’ve been busy (or at least that’s my story), so basically I just try to keep my expenditures as low as possible so that I have more money to pay other bills with. In other words, I think Michelle is much more qualified to answer this question.

Michelle: I never pull money from my grocery budget!! My budget is based on several years’ worth of tracking and is very appropriate for my family. I don’t look at my short term spending—instead, I look at my yearly spending. I think of my budget as if I had a year’s worth of money in an envelope. If I am below budget half way through the year I make a point to add splurge items or build upon deficit areas in my stockpile. I expect fluctuations and am more interested in the yearly average.

I think the only time I would move money is if I were having issues maintaining a budget category or if something unexpected created the need for big shift in my budget. I have tried to cover all my bases and have emergency funds built into all areas of my budget. I hope to never touch that money but it is there if I need it! At the end of the year any excess in those funds get dumped into our saving account. Those little safety nets are great when you need them but even better when you don’t!!

If you find you have a large excess in your budget after a six month review you might want to consider reducing your budget for that area and creating an emergency fund or miscellaneous fund you can pull from when needed. I can’t tell you how important an emergency/excess fund can be!! Did you know that within the past few months we have had a pipe burst and and and air conditioning repair for a total of over $1000 in unexpected expenses!! My house is less than 5 years old and I never would have expected those issues! I can tell you that having my emergency fund in place meant that I had ZERO stress during both of the repairs–well worth the effort of saving!!

Stockpiling & Saving

Carrie and MaryEllen want to know: I didn’t know you could freeze milk! I know this is an area where I could really increase my savings – what other sorts of things can I freeze, and what is the shelf life of things that have been frozen and defrosted? What if I don’t have a very big freezer?

Michelle: I freeze just about anything and everything and do it all in my refrigerator’s freezer in my kitchen!! I have plans to get a deep freeze once the basement is finished but I have done just fine with what I have. Don’t get me wrong I would LOVE some extra storage but I have managed just fine with only my kitchen freezer. I currently have over 50 pounds of meat, 20+ bags of veggies, and lots of other stuff packed very tightly in my freezer. I do have to get creative and repackage items and take things out of boxes but I make it happen!!Every product will have different guidelines for freezing. You can see the USDA recommendations HERE. Labeling is the most critical point when freezing items–make sure you label the items so you will know what it is and when you froze it. Also like your pantry stockpile you should make sure the oldest items are used first. Organization will ensure you don’t find strawberries that are two years old hiding in the back of your freezer.

Christy: If you want to realize the best savings, you need a deep freeze or at least a second fridge & freezer. My husband and I got a medium-sized deep freeze on Craigslist for $75, and it was in near-perfect condition and rated to cost only about $20 a year in extra electricity. I have saved the cost of that deep freeze and the electricity to run it at least 10 times over in the two years I’ve been using it.
As to what you can freeze – I freeze milk (soy and regular), juices that need to be refrigerated (like Tropicana), bread, fresh herbs (chopped & mixed with a little water in ice cube trays, these are perfect to pop into sauces, etc), tortillas, butter & margarine, shredded cheeses, dips like guacamole, and even cream cheese (I don’t plan on using this cream cheese to spread on bagels, but rather in recipes, it does have a little of a different texture when it defrosts). In my experience, shelf life changes very little for these items after they come out of the freezer.

Sunny and Carrie want to know: How can I find GREAT prices on always-expensive things like meat, paper towels, toilet paper, etc?

Christy: For paper goods like toilet paper and paper towels, I usually shop the weekly drugstore sales – if you can catch a sale, use a coupon, AND use Register Rewards or ECBs, you can usually get a much better deal there than at Publix.
For meat, I’d recommend you look into the club stores like Sam’s, Costco, BJs, etc. My husband and I pay $40 a year for a regular membership, and about 4 times a year we budget about $150 or so to really stock up on every kind of meat & fish imaginable – steaks, ground beef, roasts, whole chickens & pieces, pork chops, ribs, shrimp, scallops, and fish. Then we take it all home and break it up into portion sizes & freeze it. That way, we can just grab a dinner’s worth of meat in the morning and it’s defrosted by the time we’re ready to cook. It’s an investment of time & money, sure, but I think we really see a significant savings over buying things as they go on sale at Publix – and I think the quality of meat is actually a little better at the clubs, too.
You can also catch some super deals at the clubs every once in a while – for instance, we got a restaurant-sized plastic wrap at Sam’s almost TWO years ago for $12. We use it all the time, and it STILL hasn’t run out – not bad!

Michelle: I also get the majority of paper products by playing the drugstore games (Visit my other site I Heart Saving Money for the drugstore deals) I use “drugstore money” to cover the cost of things that I can’t get cheap or free at Publix! My Publix allows overage so I will also use that overage to reduce the cost of more expensive items too.

I am not sure about the big discount clubs–I have looked into them on their free trial days and I found that I personally can do better with coupons. I know that I would never recoup my $40 membership fee in savings by using a wholesale club. But I do agree that you need to use the stockpile principle as a way to keep you ahead of the game so you will not have to pay full price! Stockpiling can be a game of chance but if you plan ahead and budget you can definitely score big time. Just as an example…starting Thursday boneless skinless chicken will be $1.99 per pound–that is a great price!! I would guess that most of us use a fair amount of chicken so it makes more sense to buy a large quantity while it is at the lowest price so that you will have enough to hold you until the next sale! If you have created a reasonable budget for your family you will actually save money by doing this. I always designate a specific portion of my budget for stockpiling items that are at a great price. If there is nothing I need to stockpile in a given week I can roll it to the next week and so on. When I find a sale on an item that is my price point to stock up so I don’t have to buy it at full price!!

Vicki wants to know: What are good prices ranges or sale prices for different types of meats? I want to make sure I stock up at the best possible price.

This varies significantly by region and will also depend on the person and their individual price point!! It is really hard to say what is a “stock up” price as each person will place more/less importance on an item based on their consumption level. For example–here at my house I don’t buy a lot of red meat…so my price point may be a lot lower than a family who eats red meat three times per week!! Here is an example of our price points:

Michelle’s prices:
Ground Turkey <$1.25/lb
Chicken (boneless skinless)<$1.99/lb
Chicken (split breast) <$.99/lb
Chicken Thighs <$.99/lb
Chicken Legs <$.89/lb
Whole Chicken <$.99/lb
Ground Beef <$2
Whole Turkey <$.89/lb
Steak–I don’t buy a lot of steak but I would say <$5/lb I would stock up!
Pork Chops or Loin <$1.99
Pork Roasts <$.99/lb

Christy: I live in Gainesville, Florida (Go Gators!), and here are my low prices:
Steaks (strip or ribeye): <$5.99/lb
Ground Beef (80% lean or greater): <$2.29/lb
Chicken Breast: <$1.99/lb
Pork chops: <$1.99/lb

Kimberly wants to know: I am getting so good at stockpiling cheap/free food and beauty/household supplies, that I don’t know when to stop! What general rules do you follow when stockpiling?

Christy: For me, it depends on the type of item we’re talking about. If it’s a dry food item (that doesn’t require refrigeration or freezing) with a specific expiration date, I generally will only buy as much as I know we will definitely eat by the time it expires. If it needs refrigeration or freezing, I also have to worry about what I can fit in my fridge or deep freeze. For household and personal care items, I only buy about as much as we can use in 4 to 6 months – I just can’t reasonably store any more in the space that we have.

I agree with Christy–I buy what I expect us to use before expiration. Things that don’t expire (toilet paper, ziplocs, etc) I get as many as I can store in my stockpile room!!

Rhona wants to know: I am new to couponing and though I hear everyone talking about stockpiling free items, I haven’t seen the opportunity for many free items with the exception of a couple of things at Walgreens in the last few weeks. Am I doing something wrong or just in the wrong places at the wrong times? I am in an area with Target, Wal Mart, Publix, Winn Dixie, Food World, CVS and Walgreens. I have 11 children – ten of whom are girls – and free shampoos would be a huge blessing so I’m just trying to figure out what I am doing incorrectly!

Christy: We addressed a question in this same vein during our first week – the answer is HERE- so make sure that you keep in mind that your savings will get better the longer you’ve been couponing! That said, though, you probably won’t find that many free items at Publix. Every once in a while they will have an item or two that you can get for free when you stack coupons, but for the most part, CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens are the places where you can regularly find things for free after coupons – so check out Michelle’s other site HERE to keep an eye out for great drugstore deals!

Michelle: There are the occasional freebies at Publix–recently there have been several free razors, shaving cream and body wash. But…Christy is correct – I usually score the majority of the health & beauty items at the drugstores. Each drugstore has an incentive program and there are freebies quite often!! Drugstores may take a little initial investment but the payoff can be pretty good as there are usually at least a couple of freebies each week! Be aware that the drugstore game takes a little time to master and often some maintenance but it can be a great way to score some HOT deals!!

Leigh wants to know: What do you consider to be good/great couponing prices for paper products such as toilet paper, paper towels and napkins?

Christy: As I think I’ve mentioned before, I generally find the best deals on paper products like this at the drug stores, where I can use Register Rewards or Extra Care Bucks to make their good sale prices even lower (my Publix won’t accept RRs or ECBs as competitor coupons). My “stock up” prices for these items are as follows: 6-roll TP: $1.49; 12-roll TP: $3.49; 6 or 8-roll paper towels: $2.99; 250 pack+ napkins $.99.

Michelle: I usually look at the price per item. I try to stay under 20¢ per roll of toilet paper and under 40¢ per roll of paper towel. You can usually get a package of napkins for 50¢ – 75¢ with a good sale & coupon. When I find items at these prices (or lower) I stock up. Every once in a while you will find a super deal where the price is just phenomenal.

Candy wants to know: My goal is to get my grocery bill down to $75 a week for a family of 5 (I’m currently spending about $100/week). I don’t have a deep freeze to store meat and I don’t even have a pantry to store food to stockpile like I want. Do you have any suggestions for someone who can’t really stockpile?

Christy: I know that Michelle doesn’t have a deep freeze, so I’ll let her address that aspect of this question, and I’ll take the “no pantry” issue. My husband and I rent an 80-year-old house with a small kitchen and very little storage space, and I worried about how to manage to find space for a stockpile too. Eventually, I just kind of made my own space – we have a back hallway that I lined with shallow (around 9 inch) shelf units I got very inexpensively at a thrift store and I picked up baskets and bins at the local dollar store as a way to organize types of food on those shelves. I got some more inexpensive (but attractive) bins that would fit in the space between my kitchen cabinets and the ceiling – I keep my unopened cereals, crackers, and other dry goods I don’t need on a daily basis up there. I have to keep an eye on expiration dates for the stuff up there, of course, and I try to rotate things out fairly quickly since it’s not as handy as a regular pantry, but my savings on these items makes the extra effort worthwhile. Lastly, I make it a point to keep my kitchen cabinets neat and organized because I can fit SO much more in those cabinets when they’re clean!!

Michelle: I don’t have a deep freeze (YET) so I have learned to be very creative and also very picky with what I purchase. For me, keeping my freezer stocked with meat is a much higher priority that keeping it stocked with frozen waffles!! I save space by removing any packaging that I can and often repackaging items into portions sizes to help conserve space. I am lucky to have plenty of room for my “pantry” items. But again it is not necessary…I have seen some very creative ways to store items. I have seen people store things under their beds, in the garage, behind hanging clothes in the closet–you name it!! I think it is really a matter of creativity and organization. You may not want 20 cans of soup in your closet next to your shoes but hey, if that is where they fit why not!?!

Valerie wants to know: Is it possible to be a master couponer who saves tons of money while still eating healthy food and not buying the junk? It seems like most of the coupons out there are mostly for the junk/processed foods.

Christy: I agree that many of the coupons out there are for heavily processed foods, but couponing can still REALLY reduce your totals for meat, eggs, milk, produce, etc. Watch for coupons on meat and produce (they ARE out there), and purchase or trade for as many as you can reasonably use before they expire. Look for mail in rebates for things you would already purchase or winetags that don’t require alcohol purchase or any other way to get money back on your purchases.If your store(s) allow overage, use overage deals to reduce your overall totals (and, if you don’t want the items that get you the overage, drop them off at a local food bank on your way home from the store). **Note: I know this is a bit of a controversial suggestion, but let me say clearly that I’m not encouraging everyone to go clear off the shelves and make it so that no one else can get an overage deal – but it’s perfectly acceptable to buy one or two overage items and take $1 or $2 off your total.** In the end, being a master couponer means that you have the tools to save money off whatever it is that you want to purchase – and even if you save a bit less than other coupons, you’re still saving much more than you would without coupons, right?

Michelle: I think it really depends on what you consider a master couponer…there are coupons for most everything at some point. Like Christy said you can even use overage to reduce the cost of things that you want and reduce your overall spending. It drives me crazy when I hear people say that they don’t bother with coupons because there just are not coupons for the stuff they use. Really??!!…so I guess these people don’t buy flour, bread, sugar, yeast, spices, salad mixes, meat, fruit, deodorant, detergent, shampoo, razors, medicines, and the list goes on and on!! I always have to remind them that just because the hamburger helper coupon exists they don’t have to use it Even if you buy the most expensive organic, free range meat you can still save money by using a coupon to reduce the cost of your toilet paper!! The way I see it —coupons allow me to stretch my budget. I think using coupons is a very intelligent choice so no matter if you save 10% or 95% just by making the choice to use a coupon to stretch your budget a bit farther makes you a master couponer

Laura wants to know: Being very new to couponing, I find myself feeling the need to go get every deal I read about/find. I LOVE seeing the savings! When you have a few months’ supply of an item, what do you do if you see the same item at a great price/free? Do you buy more, even though you already have a good supply? When do you know to stop? My coupon crazed self says, “BUY, BUY, BUY!!!”

Christy: We’ve all felt what you’re feeling at one point or another – and in fact, my husband would tell you that I give in to that feeling frequently, at least when it comes to cereal (How can I NOT buy it when it’s $.25 a box, I ask you???). I keep telling myself I’m going to start seriously tracking how frequently we use our basic, core items like canned goods, pasta, even toothpaste and shampoo, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. (Commenters, if you have a good system, please share!) Instead, I always take a quick (mental) inventory before I make my list/go shopping – it’s a lot easier to ignore the super-cheap chicken broth on my list when I know we already have 10 boxes of it in the stockpile! If I feel like we have enough of an item to last us 2-3 months, that’s usually my threshold.

I do have an exception to my basic “we have enough” rule. If something is literally free or a moneymaker, I will put it on my list no matter how much we have. I’ll ask my bagger to put those items in a separate bag, and I drop them at my local food bank or (depending on the item) or at the hospice donation center on my way home from the store. If Publix is making money from my coupons AND I can help out a local charity, I figure it’s a win/win and worth the extra few minutes on the way home.

Michelle: Oh yes–I think we all have had times where we buy things just to get that deal exhilaration!! I know when I first started couponing I honestly got just about every deal I read about. I think I still have some toothbrushes and shaving cream from my “buy everything” days I now only buy things that I plan on using or plan on donating. There are the occasional odd items that I purchase in an effort to get another item free or to make a little money. I try to keep a mental inventory of things I have on hand. Since I am constantly visiting my stockpile pantry I usually know what I have and what I can/need to add. Every once in a while I end up running out of an item–but it is rare!

There are things that I will buy if I can get them for super cheap or free –no matter what I have on hand!! Paper goods and cleaners are things I will ALWAYS happily add to my stockpile!! I may already have 25 boxes of ziploc bags…but if I can get them for 20¢ I will buy them!! If I have a year supply of fabric softener and I don’t have to go out of my way or spend very much money I will add more bottles to my stash!!

Michelle S wants to know: Can you freeze sandwich (deli) meat? What is the quality/texture/taste after it has been frozen?

Christy: I absolutely freeze deli meat, but I always try to use it within a month or two of it going in the freezer. Make sure you wrap the meat very tightly in plastic wrap so that it won’t get freezer burn – I even use a freezer ziploc bag in addition to the plastic wrap for extra protection. I think the taste is just the same after it defrosts, but it can sometimes seem a lot more watery than before it was frozen, so I will sometimes pat slices with a paper towel before I make my sandwich. This all depends on your tastes, though – I’d recommend freezing a small portion for a couple weeks and see how you like it.

Michelle: Lunch meat and smoked meats fall into that “iffy” category. I tried to find a definitive answer online but it varied. The USDA says that freezing is fine and recommends use within 1 -2 months.

Olenka from the comments wants to know: When an item that you need to stockpile goes on sale, about how many of that item do you purchase?

Christy: This really depends on the item, how low my levels are, how much we use in 3 to 4 months, how well it will keep, and how much space I have to store it. For example, I’m (gasp!) completely out of coffee creamer, so next time it goes on sale (my stock up prices for this are >$.50/pint and >$1/32 oz, in case you were wondering), I’ll buy 4 32 oz containers (or 8 16 oz containers), because I know that’s about as much as I can fit in the bottom of my fridge. (Which reminds me: I need to experiment with freezing liquid creamer.) However, if there’s a deal on 100% juice (>$1/1) when we’re low, I’ll buy 12+, because it keeps well, we go through it quickly, and I can always find a spot for it.

Michelle: I also go by inventory and then by usage. For non-perishables I will get as many as I can store! If paper towels were super cheap or free I would buy as many as possible. It is all about consumption…I buy based on what we use!

Elizabeth from the comments wants to know: How do you feel about keeping a stockpile in the garage? I know that some things, like paper products and laundry soap might be OK, but it’s summertime, in Florida, meaning HOT and SUPER HUMID. I’m not sure it’s safe for canned goods or plastic containers to get so hot or boxed food getting invaded by those lovely, native palmetto bugs! I just don’t have enough room in the house and would love to utilize the garage.

Christy: I often wonder about this too, especially since part of my stockpile (mostly canned goods) is in an un-airconditioned hallway at the back of my house. Commenters? What do you know about food safety in higher temperatures?

Michelle: You know I have never even given this a thought. I did a little digging and most things I read recommended a location with a cool stable temperature that is dry as a storage location. You might want to look for a location where the temperature remains consistent to ensure it is safe for consumption.

Heather wants to know: Do you have any good ideas on how to do meal planning that goes along with sales/good coupon deals?

Christy: This is something that I struggle with a little. As I’ve mentioned before, my husband used to be a professional chef and he still does the majority of our cooking. He likes to go in the kitchen, look at what we have, and then figure out what he’s making that night. Three times out of four, this invariably ends in “Honey, would you run to the store real quick and grab me some _______? I NEED it.” Thank God I have a Publix right around the corner! For me, this is a small price to pay to have him cook delicious meals for me – but I’d still like to be able to plan a little bit better, at least for SOME nights. Commenters, I’d love to hear about how you menu plan!

Michelle: There are a ton of sites out there where you can plug in foods and they will give you recipes that match your criteria. There are also companies that provide meal planning for a fee based on store sales. Personally I would never pay for a meal planning service as I don’t mind doing a little digging!! Try out the Betty Crocker Meal Finder or Good Housekeeping Recipe Finder–there are a ton of sites that you can use to search by ingredient or multiple ingredients. I am always looking through magazines or eCookbooks looking for ideas. I always make my menu based on what I have on hand and whatever might be a really good deal that week. If I get stumped the meal finders are a great place to go for some options!!

Rebecca (and many, MANY others!) want to know: What are good stock-up prices for paper goods like paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, paper plates, etc?

Christy: Here are my stock-up prices. I should note that I generally find the best prices for paper goods at the drugstores rather than at Publix – the drugstores’ various incentive plans (Walgreens’ Register Rewards, CVS’ Extra Bucks, and Rite Aid’s +UP Rewards) usually make paper products MUCH cheaper.

Paper Towels: >$4 per 12 pack
Napkins: >$1
Kleenex hand towels: >$.75
Toilet Paper: >$4 a 12-pack (double rolls) or 24-pk
Paper plates: >$.50/pkg

Michelle: I too grab most of my paper products from the drugstores. The exception being napkins–I can usually score a great deal on those at Publix!! My price points are just slightly lower than Christy’s prices but still in the same ballpark. With the drugstore incentives you can often walk out without really paying anything out of pocket once you learn to “play the game” There are usually enough moneymakers so that you can use your drugstore “cash” to cover your cost with minimal out of pocket!! It takes a little practice and effort but it a great way to grab high priced items without breaking the budget!

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