Walgreens BOGO a NO GO, part 2

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



I’m following up on yesterday’s BUST at Walgreens, since it generated quite a response from y’all.  I know I should be able to move on and let it go, but as a consumer, and particularly as a blogger with -may I say- a helluva great readership, I feel compelled to get to the bottom of this.  


Perhaps, mostly, I can’t let it go because, no matter how I look at the situation, I KNOW I’M RIGHT.   Walgreens is simply refusing to follow its own policy.  


For the record, I would be the first to back down and admit being wrong, were that the case.  (Luckily for me, I’ve never ever had to make such an admittance — wink, wink.)

Y’all have asked for me to elaborate, so here’s a few more details:
  • I had BOGO coupons from this Sunday’s paper for Right Guard deodorant, to pair with the BOGO sale listed in their circular.
  • Here’s where it may get a little sticky:  this week’s sales circular advertised Herbal Essence and Aussie shampoo and conditioner were on sale for $2.99, plus  $1.00 in RR.  However, they also rang up as BOGO.  I certainly wasn’t going to object to this, even if it meant I wouldn’t get the RR, as BOGO was obviously a better deal.  
  • The store would accept NEITHER set of BOGO coupons.  The poor cashier, bless his heart, kept interjecting, “but you still get one of them for free — that’s still a good deal.”  I’m rather proud of the restraint I showed, in not reaching across the counter and slapping him silly.  Thank goodness for my impressionable toddler and complete strangers, keeping me in check!
  • And I hesitate to reveal the specific location, but perhaps it may help y’all out: I was at the Chamblee-Dunwoody location, near the intersection of Mt. Vernon.  (Or for you old school Dunwoodians, “the old Brunos”.)

The manager specifically stated that the manufacture BOGO coupon wouldn’t work, since it would drop the price to zero, and that it is illegal to “sell” an item for 0 tax.  I showed him my printout of the store’s corporate policy, and pointed specifically to the clause stating:

When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.

He insisted again that this is not allowable, sticking to his sales tax explanation.  This argument, however, is flawed.  Sales tax in Georgia is calculated BEFORE the deduction of manufacture coupons.  Since the store is reimbursed for the value of the coupon by the manufacture, the store still generates revenue from said sale.**  I only wish I had made this realization about manufacturer coupons and sales tax BEFORE I left the store…

My recommendation for Walgreens, regardless of how corporate answers my inquiry, is that they explicitly address this specific situation in their coupon policy.  Yes, it is actually already spelled out in their policy as cited above.  However,  I think it would behoove Corporate to specifically address BOGO manufacture coupons’ use in conjunction with BOGO store sales; that way, it is crystal clear to customers, cashiers, and managers.

I am a well-educated customer who understands -and can somewhat easily decipher- written policies.  However, that same assumption cannot be made for all customers, cashiers, or even all managers.  Further, I do not believe in making a scene in a store (or anywhere, really), because doing so does not solves the problem at hand.  On this particular occasion, I was on the verge of either shouting or crying.  Therefore, I simply had to leave the store, and address the situation at a later time.  To be honest, the more I stew on this, the more tempted I am to march back in to that store and give them a piece of my mind.  Or at least hold them to their own policy.

Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean…..

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Corporate gets back to me in a timely manner, as promised, and that I can get resolution on this situation.  In the meantime, y’all keep sharing your feedback with me and my readers.     

**Side note: Register Rewards and other forms of store coupons are a whole separate issues.  Since the store is NOT reimbursed for the value of those coupons, that coupon amount is NOT taxable.
**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**
Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

The Coupon Fairy Cometh

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



Have you ever been walking through the store and found a coupon strategically placed right by its intended product?  Perhaps YOU have left a coupon for another unsuspecting shopper?  If so, welcome to the Coupon Fairy Club!
I’ve long been a coupon fairy, before I even knew what I was doing.  Countless times, I’ve looked through my stash, and realized I had plenty of good coupons that I simply wouldn’t get around to using.  Thus, instead of sticking them in the recycling (NEVER THE TRASH, please!), I always find it more helpful -dare I say altruistic?- to pass them on to someone else.  Mostly, this is done anonymously, as the coupons are simply left near the applicable items.

However, on the rare occasions that I can hand a fellow shopper a coupon, it’s priceless!  I recall striking up a conversation with another new mom back when The Tot was still The Infant.  In the course of our conversation, the other mom asked for diaper recommendations.  Ever fulfilling my role as Atlanta’s Frugal Mom even before this very blog’s birth, I gave her my abbreviated diaper philosophy: buy whatever’s cheapest.  After all, they’re all going to be filled with the same stuff in the end, right?  (Yes, pun intended…)  As we quickly scanned the diaper shelves, I pulled out my (then smaller) coupon envelope, and handed her a $3.00 Huggies coupon I’d printed.  With the coupon, Huggies were cheaper than the store brand.  She was amazed, excited, and humbled all at once that I would fork over a high value coupon.  …and, thus, I experienced a whole new kind of coupon high.

I challenge you, my dear readers, to be a Coupon Fairy.  Or, if you already are, share your stories.  Just keep your eyes peeled for the Coupon Fairy, and enjoy her sweet treats!  :o)

P.S.  As I’m typing this, I can’t help but create a mental image of me with store-bought fairy wings strapped to my back, wand in hand, coupon binder in my cart, and possibly some kind of hat or tiara, tip-toeing through my favorite stores, and “tee-hee-hee”ing as I leave coveted coupons for unsuspecting shoppers.  ….and were I in the company of a few of my former college roomies -after a few libations gave us the courage and heightened our goofiness- I can totally see this scenario occurring.

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**

Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Couponing Etiquette, Ethics, and Other Common Courtesies

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



Couponing Etiquette, Ethics, and Other Common Courtesies

Aside from (what should be) the obvious “rules” that come with couponing, there can be some gray areas out there.  Further, if you are a true couponer, you will find yourself in a situation where there is no one to police you and your coupons, only your conscience and moral compass to guide you.  Here, I’ve composed a few couponing tips, based on my personal experience, my observations of others, and anecdotal tales on the blogosphere.
  
  • Let the little guy go  If you’re in line, with your stack of coupons and full cart, shouldn’t it be second nature to let the person behind you, with only a scant few items, go before you?
  • Give fair warning!  Again, with full cart and you coupon stack, let the people behind you -or who may want to get behind you- know that you’ll likely take a while.  Yes, the full cart should be a dead give away, but  still…
  • Sometimes, just suck it up!  I implore you not to haggle or fuss over less than a dollar, especially when the line behind you continues to grow longer.  This is a tough one -trust me!- but sometimes we get so clouded with our desire to save every last penny, that we lose sight of what’s important.  IF you know your coupon is valid, and cannot get it to work -either because of a reluctant cashier, a fault with the register’s system, or whatnot- and a manager has to get involved, ask yourself if this is an item you absolutely MUST have at that very moment at the couponed price, or if you could 
    • a) purchase at another time and/or place, 
    • b) –gulp!– pay full price (seriously, it hurts to type that!), or 
    • c) not purchase the item at all.
  • Be nice to your cashier.  Again, you’d think this would be a given, but I’ve witnessed some nasty, nasty customers (couponers and non-couponers alike) lashing out at the cashiers, and 99% of the time things that were out their (the cashier’s) control.  We are all human.  As such, we are known to occasionally make mistakes.  I’ve very politely pointed out to cashiers when they were in the wrong, but always with a warm smile, and let them know it’s “ok”.  Nastiness only ensures nastiness in return — kindness, however, can invoke more kindness!
  • …and be nice to the store managers, too!  On the occasion when a manager must become involved with your transaction -either because of a dispute, for clarity, or to simply do an override- try to maintain your composure.  While the squeaky wheel may get the grease, store employees do and WILL remember you and your disposition. I’ve found that being pleasant to the employees makes them more likely to help me out in the future, whether the manager becomes involved or not.
  • Printable coupons have rules, too!  I’ve touched on this before, but it bears repeating: most printable coupons should only be PRINTED twice!  That’s the way “bricks” coupons from coupons.com are set up to work.  
  • Don’t be a copy cat.  EVER!  Further, it is completely unethical to COPY printable coupons.  Don’t be that one bad apple.  Manufactures set up a limited number of printable coupons, and if you’re making copies, you’re hurting much more than your guilty conscience.  Stores do NOT get reimbursed for fraudulent coupons, manufactures lose money on them, and with each fraudulent coupon that passes through,  the chances of stores accepting printables AND the chances of manufactures publishing printables decreases!
  • Check the date.  There can be some gray area if a coupon has just expired a few days ago.  Some stores will allow you to use a very recently expired coupon, at their discretion.  (Remember what I said earlier about being NICE to people?  This is when it can pay off!)  ..but, don’t try to pawn off that coupon from 2006.  To be honest, that’s just dumb!
  • READ the fine print.  If a coupon is meant for two items, don’t try to use it with just ONE item.  That’s unethical.  If a coupon is for a specific product by a company, don’t try to use it for a similar item, not specified on the coupon.  That’s unethical.  …on the flipside, sometimes coupons will have a PICTURE of one particular item in a product line, while the coupon is good for any or most items in that line…  Yet another reason why it pays to read.
The bottom line: if we are pleasant to those around us, and stay within the parameters of what’s right -even when there are questionable gray areas- karma will reward you.  Couponing shouldn’t be about making folks grumble when they see you coming, but about experiencing that wonderful coupon high.  Oh, and saving money.  :o)

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**

Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Target Trip FAIL!

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



So hubs, Tot, and I ventured out to Target yesterday morning, amongst a handful of other destinations.  While there, I saw a few great clearance items, including a bottle of Tide stain lift (?), a Bounce Dryer Bar, as well as a mechanical Oral B toothbrush — each for two dollars and some change.  Naturally, I have coupons for ALL of these items in my handy-dandy coupon binder.  

Which I conveniently left at home that morning!
 
ARGH!  Now, were these items things that I absolutely could not live without?  Of course not.  But the idea that I could have gotten them each for less than a dollar irks me terribly!  (Being a tad on the OCD side ensures that I have been stewing about this since yesterday morning, mind you.)
 
And I know what y’all are probably thinking: why didn’t I just return later that day with my coupons??  (And perish the thought of purchasing these items without coupons!!!)
1)  It wasn’t a Target that was nearby.
2)  I’m still not feeling quite so hot.  (Colds!  The gift that truly keeps on giving!!)

3)  We had other things to do.  And,
4)  Again, these were not items that were imperative for our survival.
 
Thus, I swallowed m’big girl pill and am trying to let it go.  “Trying” being the operative word.  …if only I could stop obsessing over these lost deals.  I just keep telling myself that someone else was able to get some great deals on these items this weekend.  (Or perhaps Tot and I can run out there tomorrow and see what’s still there…..?)
 
My saving grace has been finding cheap diapers earlier today.  Seriously, you can’t beat getting three “mega” packs of diapers for $12.02 (with tax).**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**
Follow Me on Pinterest
Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Publix Tips & Tricks

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



Publix Tips and Tricks 

Are you a Publix shopper? Remember these tricks to their BOGO* sales:

  1. You do NOT have to buy two of the BOGO items; they cut the price in half for each item.  This means that their BOGO sales will not result in free items, when matched with BOGO manufacture coupons.
  2. If you DO buy 2, you are allowed to use 2 coupons — one for each item. 
  3. Don’t forget, Publix will double coupons up to 50 cents, which can make for GREAT deals! 
  4. Publix has two sets of store coupon circulars they run, about every 2-3 weeks.  One is yellow and the other is green.  Always check their store coupons, to STACK with manufacture coupons.  Sometimes the BOGO items will match both a store coupon and a manufacture coupon.
  5. Publix accepts competitor’s coupons.  (Competitors will vary by location, so check with your store first to see which coupons they accept.)  You may stack a competitor’s coupon with a manufacture coupon.
  6. You may NOT, however, stack a Publix coupon with a competitor’s coupon.
  7. Finally, their sales run Thursday through Wednesday**.  Check out the Sunday Coupon Preview ahead of time to see if upcoming coupons can be used for that week’s sales!  
*BOGO – Buy One, Get One [free]
 
** – In some areas, the sales run Wednesday through Tuesday — check with your local Publix if you’re not sure.  It also specifies on the sales circulars in the papers.


Also, here is Publix’s coupon policy.  I highly recommend you print this out, and keep with you when shopping there.  Just in case.  :o)

Publix accepts manufacturers’ coupons (limit one per item), Publix coupons (originals only—no copies), valid Internet coupons, and coupons from nearby competitors identified by each Publix store. (Competitor names are posted at each Publix store.) We will accept coupons from competing pharmacies for prescriptions only. We will not accept percent-off-items or percent-off-total-order coupons. We will only accept coupons for identical merchandise we sell. Acceptance is subject to any restrictions on the coupon, and we reserve the right to limit quantities. Manager approval is needed for individual coupons above $5.00. For a buy-one-get-one free (BOGO) offer, each item is considered a separate sale. We will accept a manufacturer’s coupon and either a Publix or a competitor coupon on the same item. Dollars-off-total-order coupons will be limited to one Publix and one competitor coupon per order. The order total must be equal to or greater than the total purchase requirements indicated on the coupon(s) presented.”  –obtained from Publix website 3-19-12

Keep on saving!  :o)
–Barbara 

**This post may contain affiliate links.**

 

Follow Me on Pinterest
Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Target & the Great Trial-Size Test

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



My Latest Loot from Target:
all this for $10.83 out of pocket!

In case I haven’t said it lately, I really love Target!  Not only do they have the one of the best coupon policies around, but the store coupons you can use to stack with manufacture coupons just makes me want to do a jig!  (But I promise, no one wants to see that sad mess….)




One thing I have been reading about, and been wanting to test out, is using my coupons to purchase trial size products.  There are oodles of coupons for $1 off an item, and most trial/travel size items are marked at, slightly below, or slightly above a buck.  This makes for some snazzy deals!  You must read the coupons carefully — some specifically exclude trial sizes!
While there on Wednesday, I decided to test the trial-size waters with Target’s wall of trial size items.  I used three $1 off Tide coupons for three “one use” packets (ya’ll know by now how to squeeze much more than one load out of that!), which were priced at $0.99 each*.   While there, I spotted Clean and Clear face wash at $0.97 each, and was elated to find my $1 off coupons for them, too.  (I thought they would be great to keep in my travel bag, instead of lugging a larger bottle of face soap.)  I knew I could do the same with the Secret deodorant.  And finally, I had one $1.00 off coupon for Head and Shoulders, to match with one trial size bottle at $0.97.

As the picture suggests, I got a few more items while there, but had store and manufacture coupons to stack for them all.  Purchasing thirteen items, I used fifteen coupons!  Essentially, all items were free except for the diapers, wipes, and Scrubbing Bubbles!  Naturally, I’m still experiencing quite a nice high, thanks to my trial-size test.

I encourage you all to take the trial-size challenge for yourself.  You may never buy regular sized items again!!  :o)

* – Target’s coupon policy is to round a coupon down, if it exceeds the value of an item being purchased.  Therefore, for example, if you have a coupon for $1.00 off an item, priced at $0.97, the cashier is to mark the coupon’s amount down to $0.97.

Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Unit Price, Unit Price, Unit Price!!!

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



Unit Price Explained
I have discovered that many people do not take unit price in to account when attempting to shop savvily.  (Did I just make up a new word?!!)  So for my fellow frugal shoppers, or my frugal-shoppers-in-training, let me explain the value in knowing the unit price of an item you wish to purchase, or are pondering purchasing.
 

What the heck is a unit price??




The unit price is the price you pay per unit of measurement.  It can be the price per ounce, price per pound, price per diaper, price per napkin…..  get it?  Let’s use a bottle of ketchup for this example.  Say, you have the SALE price for a 20 oz bottle of ketchup, being $3.00*.  In order to find the unit price, you divide the price by the number of ounces.  In this case, $3.00 divided by 20, which equals $0.15.  At most grocery stores, the unit price will be listed next to the sale price.
 
 
 

Why is the unit price important?

 
In order to get the most for your money, that handy-dandy unit price can prove quite helpful when trying to decide between two brands, two sizes, etc.  Let’s take that ketchup, for example, again.  Say you have another bottle of ketchup, perhaps a 50 oz. bottle of catsup (WOAH!) for $5.00.  Which would be a better deal: the 20 oz bottle or the 50 oz bottle?  If the unit prices aren’t listed, whip out your calculator and see: $5.00 divided by 50 = $0.10.  The unit price for the larger bottle is less. But here’s where it gets tricky.  Say the grocery store is running a BOGO** sale for the 20 oz bottle.  Then, you would be getting DOUBLE the ketchup (40 oz.) for $3.00.  Is that a better deal?  Do the math to see: $3.00 divided by 40 = $0.075.  In this case, the two bottles are a better deal than the one big bottle.
 
Does the unit price change when using coupons?
 
When you have a coupon to factor in to the equation, it does change the unit price for said item.  But, with a quick zip of the calculator (or your wonderful math-friendly brain), you can determine the better deal.  Sticking with our ketchup bottles, let’s play with a few scenarios. First, let’s say you have a coupon for $0.50 off 2 bottles (which means $0.25 off each bottle).  Calculate the unit price for the two 20 ounce bottles.  $6.00 – $0.50 = $5.50.  So, $5.50 divided by 40 oz = $0.13.  The unit price for two 50 oz bottles at $5.00 each:  $10.00 ($5 x 2) – $0.50 = $9.50.  $9.50 divided by 50 oz = $0.19.  So, again, the unit price for the two smaller bottles would be a better deal. Second, let’s say you have the same $0.50 off coupon for two bottles, along with a BOGO sale.  Go back to the original sale price for one, take off the coupon, and divide.  So the two 20 oz bottles would be $3.00 minus $0.50, making them $2.50.  Divded by 40 oz, gives you a unit price of $0.0625.  And for the two 50 oz bottles: $5.00 – $0.50 = $4.50/100 = $0.045.  So, in this case, the BOGO and coupon work best with the bigger bottles.
 

I Still Don’t Get It!?  Gimme some more examples!!

 
Couldn’t catch up using the ketchup and catsup?  Read on, fellow Frugallers to get another explanation…
 
Since unit price isn’t always available on items (like diapers), you’ll need to be able to calculate the unit price on your own.  Check out this scenario, using unit price and coupons: First, let’s say that a certain brand of diapers comes in two different packages: the “jumbo” or the “mega” pack.  The “Jumbo” holds 40 diapers for $8.99; the Mega holds 80 for $17.99.  Which is the better deal??  The unit prices would be as follows: “Jumbo”: $8.99/40 = $0.225 (rounded off)  That means you pay roughly 23 cents per diaper. “Mega”: $17.99/80 = $0.225 (rounded off)  That means you pay roughly 23 cents per diaper. In this case, you’ll pay about the same.  However…..
 
But what about coupons?  This certain brand often has $3.00 coupons floating around.  So let’s play with that:  “Jumbo”: $8.99 – $3.00 = $5.99 / 40 = $0.149 unit price (a little under 15 cents per diaper) “Mega”: $17.99 – $3.00 = 14.99 / 80 = $0.187 unit price (a little under 19 cents per diaper) So, in this case, the coupon makes the difference: the smaller size is the better deal.
 

Unit Price: The bottom line

 
My point in sharing this wonderful math knowledge is to show you that, sometimes the advertised deals are not always the best deals out there!  With some quick math, you can find the best deals for your money by finding the true unit price on the products you’re considering for purchase.  When all coupons, BOGOs, and other deals are factored in, comparing the TRUE unit prices can really show you where the REAL deals are!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
*Prices and units of measure are rounded off to nice, even number here, because I’m just not that math-savy today.  (Except for the price of diapers, that is forever ingrained in my brain!)
 
**BOGO = Buy One, Get One [Free]
Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Atlanta's Frugal Mom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. In other words, if you click through to Amazon from some of the books or products I recommend and make a purchase, I get a small percentage in exchange for your purchase. It's a small way you can support AFM.