May 30, 2011

Follow My Husband As He Becomes An Extreme Couponer

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Since I just gave birth via c-section to our 3rd daughter my husband is going to be doing the shopping this week! 
First I must start off by saying "THANK YOU MARK!! YOU ARE THE BEST".

We thought this would be a great opportunity to do a DAILY POST on Coupon basics! So follow along with Mark as he learns to use coupons and SAVE BIG! This is really awesome for me as I forget how confusing couponing is when you first start out! So if you are new or know someone who is new, please pass these posts onto them!! And post a question you have! Even experienced couponers may learn something and if nothing else I promise you he will entertain you ;0) For example look at this photo he was hamming it up just a bit putting on his most unexcited face as possible!


TODAY'S TOPIC:

WALGREENS

Personally I admit I started him off at the pharmacy that gives me the most PROBLEMS on accepting coupons and printing rewards! 
First ALWAYS HAVE TWO NEED TO BUY SOON LISTS YOU ARE ALWAYS WORKING ON
FOR HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS
FOR GROCERIES

2nd When you are brand new to couponing take one store at a time.
First read my Walgreens 101 post.
  • Get your Ad out and see if any of the items on your list are on sale, and circle them
  • Look at my Weekly Walgreens match-up and see if you can find any deals on those items and other items you may want to purchase.
  • Search my coupon database and see if there are other coupons out there for items in sales ads or items you need and you would normally purchase at Walgreens. 
  • Make a list of what you are planning to buy, complete with prices and what you expect to pay out of pocket at the end. Here is what the list looked like I made for my husband and put in his folder along with a copy of the Walgreens Store Policy (always have this with you) and the store ad so he could make sure he was getting the correct items.

2 Transactions
First transaction:

1) Ritz Crackerfuls 
Price $1.99 (Sun & Mon only)
Coupon: $1.00/1 (I got from the Smart Source Insert on 4/17)
Quantity: Buy 2 Use 2 Coupons
Pay: $2.00 (plus tax)
RECEIVE $2.00 Register Rewards will print off with your receipt

Now hand them the other products and do your 2nd Transaction

Second Transaction
1)Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner
this has been on our need list for a while
Price: $1.99
Coupon: $.75/1
Quantity: Buy 1
Pay: $1.24

2)Skinny Cow
Price, $2/$5.00
Coupon: NO COUPON (I don't have the All You one)
Quantity: Buy one Clusters and 1 Heavenly Crisp Bars
3) Renyold's Wrap (Sunday and Monday Only)
this has been on our need list for a while
Price, $1.99
Quantity: Buy 2 Use 2 coupons
Pay: $2.48

4)Act II Popcorn (his fave)
Price, $.25 each deal of the week
Coupon : NO COUPON
Quantity: Buy 4
Pay: $1.00


Total Cost: $9.72
hand them your $2.00 register reward
Final out of pocket: $7.72 plus tax expect to pay around $8.50

Now was I having him get $1,000 worth of grocery for $3.22? No but this is still extreme for someone who would pay full price with no coupons! So be proud of saving and don't have the goal of getting everything for FREE! You can get good deals without even using coupons!! If it is an item you use and the price is right, go for it!!

How did he do?
Many of you will relate to this. He went to the store a mile from our house and they did not have the Ritz, so he went to 2nd store that also did not have the Ritz, so he went, oh yes he did, to a 3rd store which still did not have the Ritz. So he came back to the first store gave up on getting the Ritz and discovered that the advertized Skinny Cow product in a package was not on the shelf (he checked at another store too) but rather individual Skinny Cow packages on sale for $.79 each which would not have equaled 6 for $2.50 like the advertized deal so he didn't get them and was frustrated that they told him this was all they ever had. 
He had no problem getting the popcorn, or the toilet cleaner, and he found the Renoyld's wrap and headed out feeling exhausted from going to 3 different stores (and one twice) to come away with only 3 of the 5 items he sent out to get. 

I tell him he did great but could I see his receipt knowing my sweet husband after going to that many stores did not check the receipt. Go ahead and guess what I discovered yup! He was overcharged! He was charged $2.79 for each of the Renoyld's wraps instead of $1.99. So he went charging out of the house with his receipt and products (not my handy-dandy list) and came back happy and said "They were great they said that has been happening all day and they refunded me $3.93. Oh dear, I say, knowing there is no way he will be entering a Walgreens for the 6th time. I show him that they gave him back far too much that he should have only received $1.60 back. He felt bad but was in no mood to go back.

What lessons did he say he learned from this first shopping experience:
  • First if it is a 2 day sale go the day of the sale as early as possible to get the deals.
  • If you don't find the deal, don't go chasing it, chances are it will be sold out at the other stores too unless you are near another Walgreens don't go chasing the deal as you are wasting gas and your frustrations will begin to build, you can't get every deal and that is o.k.
  • ALWAYS LOOK AT YOUR RECEIPT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STORE (or in the car before you leave the parking lot)

DID YOU FIND THIS HELPFUL??? Please give feedback!! And write questions you have about Walgreens, as this was really a super simple scenario, we will work our way up to more complex Wlagreens transactions later ;0) Tune in tomorrow when he goes to KROGER!!!

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10 comments:

melanie robbins said...

i was entertained by reading this, Good man to do all that work. glad he is learning. didn't know about a planning to buy list before now. but i do stock up big time, so mostly don't run out of stuff before i find it on sale again.

hope u r doing well with the new baby and that big sisters are helping out lots,

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, this post was AWESOME! Not only was I laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, it was educational.

I was at Walgreens this morning and it took me 2 hours to do my list. I was so exhausted by the end and did not get half the stuff because, of course, they didn't have it!

At the Walgreens I was at the manager told me that they don't even carry Reynolds Wrap in 75ft, they never have! I got the last 70ft for 1.99. After I read this post I went and checked my receipt to make sure they charged me correctly :)

On some of my transactions they wouldn't used my register rewards from last week so I'm going to go back and read your Walgreens info!

Thanks again for this post, I absolutely loved it!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I went to Walgreens on Union/Midtown Sunday (this is my usual routine now in order to get the good deals; I also go to Rite-Aid on Union, too ;-)

I picked up 2 rolls of 75 ft. of reynolds wrap foil & when she rang it up I was charged $2.79 for the first roll; Hold On, I said & she caught the error & fixed it. I had 2 coupons for $1.00 off so I got 2 rolls for .99 cents each. I chose not to use the .75 cent coupon that I also had...my thought was to leave a little foil for the next customer.

Nature Valley bars are on sale $2.00 each & I used one .50 cent coupon (2/.50 off) final price: $1.75 each.

I had a .50 cent coupon for Puffs that was going to expire so I matched it with the in-ad coupon for .99 cents a box -- final price .49 cents for 100 tissues.

I love Walgreens!! ~Susan

Shelia B. said...

He should get a pat on the back for being willing to try!!! Good Job, Mr. Mommy! =)

Anonymous said...

I love this! I am on bloglovin.com following 10 different coupon blogs, just started couponing this month. So I am still learning, and I love that your husband is starting new too and you explain it so well. I've not had it breakdown for me, but I've been doing fairly well. Keep posting, great to learn from!

J Atkinson said...

Sunday morning Walgreens at Chimney Rock and Berryhill had the Crackerfuls, not sure if they do now though.

Anonymous said...

How funny! What a great husband he is to do this...my husband would have laughed in my face if he had to step up ;) I think we can all totally relate!!!!

Stacey said...

My hushband would have done the shopping at one store, without the coupons! What a wonderful guy to try to do all of that for you! Hope all is going well!

Densie D said...

OMG & FYI:

I went to the Poplar/Massey store around 11 pm. That is not my usual store, but it's 24hrs. OMG, what a cashier. I was sent to cosmetics to have a Rain Check written. She said (among other things) that she's "not into getting everything for free" or "hoarding", insinuating I was. I showed her my purchse of all 5 ITEMS I planned to hoard. She had to call a manager over with a question & referred to me as "we got another Super Saver". WOW I was very well behaved, but I am regretting it. SO rude! She also informed me that the people who come in with a B1G1 Free coupon to go along with their B1G1 Free sales are about to be stopped. She said it doesn't make any sense to get it all for free. I explained how the store is only covering the 1 item & the manufaturere is covering 1 item & she said "well I never thoguht of it that way."

I would be calling corp except the assistnt manager was so nice. I was ready to go so I didn't get into all of it with him.

brandy said...

Love it! what a great man you are Mark!!! Walgreens never has what they advertise, you did great to get the amount of items you got!

 

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