Shopping bargains/deals

[crazyforinfo]

Originally Posted by pushylady

As far as I've ever noticed, coupons always say "not to be used in conjunction with other offers, so you can't get a double discount if the coupon product happens to be on sale at the store.

Have you ever tried though? I asked around the coupon world and they seem to think it's ok. Apparently some of the coupons I have used have that written on them but I used them during a sale. When I have heard issues it was in conjunction with a rebate offer by that manufacturer b/c that would be double dipping on their savings.

 

[sillyjilly]

Originally Posted by pushylady

As far as I've ever noticed, coupons always say "not to be used in conjunction with other offers, so you can't get a double discount if the coupon product happens to be on sale at the store.

At one store I go to in particular it has it's OWN coupons that CAN be used with MANUFACTURER coupons! So, that kicked butt on this weeks shopping.. Maybe see if your market has a website that has coupons too...

 

[snake_lady]

Originally Posted by pushylady

As far as I've ever noticed, coupons always say "not to be used in conjunction with other offers, so you can't get a double discount if the coupon product happens to be on sale at the store.

I think there's a difference in meanings here...

- yes, most coupons you cannot combine with another coupon... Like say you had 2 x $1 off X product..... you can't use both at the same time and get $2 off.

- most places you can use coupons on sale items, even though they say the above. ( that I shop at anyways ) I "believe" the above to mean that you can't combine 2 coupons as I deliberately wait for items to go on sale, then use coupons and have never had an issue

- I noticed something in the paper last week I think...one store was offering double coupon rebates, meaning if your coupon was 50 cents, you got $1 off.

so I'm not sure what the "double coupon" is in the US, but based on my first experience here, it means you get double the value of one coupon.


On the note of coupons, I got some for tempations cat treats

Buy 2 get 1 free.... so walmart had a lowered price last week and I used 2 out of the 4 coupons, got 6 bags for the price of 4

Oh and I had coupons for milk, which happened to be on sale, so I got 1.50 off the sale price.

 

[crazyforinfo]

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

I think there's a difference in meanings here...

- yes, most coupons you cannot combine with another coupon... Like say you had 2 x $1 off X product..... you can't use both at the same time and get $2 off.

- most places you can use coupons on sale items, even though they say the above. ( that I shop at anyways ) I "believe" the above to mean that you can't combine 2 coupons as I deliberately wait for items to go on sale, then use coupons and have never had an issue

- I noticed something in the paper last week I think...one store was offering double coupon rebates, meaning if your coupon was 50 cents, you got $1 off.

so I'm not sure what the "double coupon" is in the US, but based on my first experience here, it means you get double the value of one coupon.


On the note of coupons, I got some for tempations cat treats

Buy 2 get 1 free.... so walmart had a lowered price last week and I used 2 out of the 4 coupons, got 6 bags for the price of 4

Oh and I had coupons for milk, which happened to be on sale, so I got 1.50 off the sale price.

Yes double coupon means the same over here.
Shoprite doubles any coupon from .00 to .99. Which means a .60 coupon will double to $1, .75 doubes to $1.
Now Acme is different, they double the value of the coupon from .00-.99.
.60 coupon is now 1.20 and .75 is now 1.50.
I sort my coupons by value since I get more mileage at Acme than Shoprite.

 

[missymotus]

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Great Michele!!

Around here, there is not alot of coupons I find..I wish we had more! am jealous!

There's quite a few Canadian freebies sites, daily updates of free samples and coupons. Google free samples Canada. Frugal Shopper Canada forum is filled with members who know all kinds of tricks for saving money.

The one thing I miss about living in Canada was all the great deals I used to get, not as good as the US but I would save $30-40 a week. Coupons are very rarely used over here, and the amount of free samples is very small as well.

 

[pushylady]

You know what, I think you're right Chris. I have actually used a coupon on a sale item before in the supermarket and still got the discount. I just felt really sneaky doing it!

I have so much to learn!

 

[crazyforinfo]

Originally Posted by pushylady

You know what, I think you're right Chris. I have actually used a coupon on a sale item before in the supermarket and still got the discount. I just felt really sneaky doing it!

I have so much to learn!

There are so many tricks of the trade and I am still learning.
I wish I had some tricks for Non US residents.

For those in the US:
You can print coupons online. 90% of stores are accepting them now. These are called IP (internet printed) coupons(q).
Smartsource.com
redplum.com
coupons.com
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/coupons/

http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/Coupons.aspx

https://www.pillsbury.com/coupons-pr...onsLanding.htm

http://www.bettycrocker.com/coupons-...age_05-01-2008

http://www.homesolutionsnews.us/offers.shtml

http://www.rightathome.com/special-offers/

 

[margecat]

I'm a rank amateur, compared to you all!

My fave thing is buying coupons online (eBay). You usually have to buy them in batches of 20, but, even though I seldom use 20, I always get my money's worth (and give the rest to friends). With 10 cats to feed, those cat food and litter coupons are a Godsend! I managed to buy Xmas gifts (cat treats) for my guys this way. I bought 20 treat coupons for .99 + .50 shipping. Each was for $1.00 off ; the price is $1.69. And they keep a long time. Technically, you are only paying for the "time to sort, clip, etc." and the shipping, not the coupons. I also bought some canned Hormel meat coupons (for stocking up my pantry), and used the rest of them to buy canned goods for a food bank (I sometimes even just buy coupons to use for that).

Acme usually has a "10 for 10" sale. I get wonderful deals on my brand of toothpaste and deodorant that way. The same toothpaste costs $1.98 at WalMart, which is the the cheapest around here. Ditto for the deodorant. As I keep a tube in all 3 bathrooms, buying 9-10 tubes is not crazy. I rarely buy anything else at Acme (too expensive), and am disciplined enough to make the sale work for me. I usually buy 5-10 deodorants, and the same of toothpaste. I just hate running out of them, too, so another reason I stock up.

My best bargains come not from the standard stores, but from Goodwill. I now buy most of my clothing there (not underwear!!!). I have luck finding new, with tags items--and on 50% off sale, to boot! I started going there as I just can't find things I like in the stores (especially jeans). I take size 5 shoes, which are hard to find anymore--but have found brand-new, with tags shoes for $6.97. (I don't wear used shoes--just too creepy for me.) I guess my best clothing bargain was a NWT denim skirt--which is what I went in for--on sale for $2.50--the store's tag price: $48.00. My other best (household item) score was a bean crock--brand-new--for $4.97--and I had gone in looking for one. (To use in camp for reenacting). New ones in the store cost about $40-60. I'm also sitting here, looking at a little antique, small, 2-door cabinet (may have been a telephone stand?), that I got for $3.49 there.

BTW, ladies, if you're ever needing a wedding dress, try the Goodwill first. I saw a lovely one go for (on sale) $6.97 a few months ago; though that is a very low price for the even the Goodwill.

 

[crazyforinfo]

Originally Posted by MargeCat

I'm a rank amateur, compared to you all!

My fave thing is buying coupons online (eBay). You usually have to buy them in batches of 20, but, even though I seldom use 20, I always get my money's worth (and give the rest to friends). With 10 cats to feed, those cat food and litter coupons are a Godsend! I managed to buy Xmas gifts (cat treats) for my guys this way. I bought 20 treat coupons for .99 + .50 shipping. Each was for $1.00 off ; the price is $1.69. And they keep a long time. Technically, you are only paying for the "time to sort, clip, etc." and the shipping, not the coupons. I also bought some canned Hormel meat coupons (for stocking up my pantry), and used the rest of them to buy canned goods for a food bank (I sometimes even just buy coupons to use for that).

Acme usually has a "10 for 10" sale. I get wonderful deals on my brand of toothpaste and deodorant that way. The same toothpaste costs $1.98 at WalMart, which is the the cheapest around here. Ditto for the deodorant. As I keep a tube in all 3 bathrooms, buying 9-10 tubes is not crazy. I rarely buy anything else at Acme (too expensive), and am disciplined enough to make the sale work for me. I usually buy 5-10 deodorants, and the same of toothpaste. I just hate running out of them, too, so another reason I stock up.

My best bargains come not from the standard stores, but from Goodwill. I now buy most of my clothing there (not underwear!!!). I have luck finding new, with tags items--and on 50% off sale, to boot! I started going there as I just can't find things I like in the stores (especially jeans). I take size 5 shoes, which are hard to find anymore--but have found brand-new, with tags shoes for $6.97. (I don't wear used shoes--just too creepy for me.) I guess my best clothing bargain was a NWT denim skirt--which is what I went in for--on sale for $2.50--the store's tag price: $48.00. My other best (household item) score was a bean crock--brand-new--for $4.97--and I had gone in looking for one. (To use in camp for reenacting). New ones in the store cost about $40-60. I'm also sitting here, looking at a little antique, small, 2-door cabinet (may have been a telephone stand?), that I got for $3.49 there.

BTW, ladies, if you're ever needing a wedding dress, try the Goodwill first. I saw a lovely one go for (on sale) $6.97 a few months ago; though that is a very low price for the even the Goodwill.

Now that's my kind of shopping. I agree about Acme's prices however they run more catalina sales than Shoprite over here. Catalina for those that don't know if when you spend $20 and get $5 off your next order print out. THe print out is from catalina. Manufacturers go through catalina to run specials. Catalina has a contract with the stores to put their machines there. I love the deals at Acme b/c it doesn't go by sale price. Meaning if the shampoo is $10 pre sale and is marked $5 for the sale to spend $20 then you only have to buy 2 not 4 to get that $5 off your next order. Then I would use that $5 and buy 2 more but only pay $5 for two bottles and get another $5 off for your next order. You use the catalina it pay for more items that spit out the coupon

Thanks for the goodwill tips. DH & I want to start looking at thrift stores for deals.

 

[margecat]

Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

Now that's my kind of shopping. I agree about Acme's prices however they run more catalina sales than Shoprite over here. Catalina for those that don't know if when you spend $20 and get $5 off your next order print out. THe print out is from catalina. Manufacturers go through catalina to run specials. Catalina has a contract with the stores to put their machines there. I love the deals at Acme b/c it doesn't go by sale price. Meaning if the shampoo is $10 pre sale and is marked $5 for the sale to spend $20 then you only have to buy 2 not 4 to get that $5 off your next order. Then I would use that $5 and buy 2 more but only pay $5 for two bottles and get another $5 off for your next order. You use the catalina it pay for more items that spit out the coupon

Thanks for the goodwill tips. DH & I want to start looking at thrift stores for deals.

I've done the Catalina thing, too! Acme is so expensive, and I think the 10/10 sales keep them afloat around here. Giant is the cheapest, though Wegman's is almost as good--and with much better customer service. Also, Giant seems to have a coupon problem. The coupons don't always ring up the correct amount, and this seems to confuse the checkers, at least at the self-checkout line. Never had any problem with the same coupons at Wegman's. WalMart sometimes pulls this stunt, too, saying the item number doesn't match; yet I used the same coupon (Yoplait yogurt) at Giant & Wegman's with no problems!

I've gotten some of the nicest stuff for my house from yard sales and Goodwill. I like the idea of making use of discarded items--I hate seeing perfectly good things trashed (don't worry, I'm not a hoarder, just a big donor to the Goodwill!). I have a rule: if it's just an ornamental thingy for the house, and not a neccessity, I must buy it from a yard sale/Goodwill. In other words, CHEAP. Then I can justify spending .50 for a cutesy thing; when it's time to de-clutter, I don't feel guilty sending to the thrift shop. (Or I have a yard sale, and make back the money!)

I've also bought very cheap items in excellent condition there, and later marked up the price (to a fair price) to sell them at my yard sale.

I've also seen brand-news packs (brand-names) of diapers, adult diapers, and feminine napkins sold cheaply at Goodwill. They recently had boxes of Kotex Light Days for .25 a box. The only catch is that you have to be in the right place at the right time, and be prepared to stock up when you see the stuff.

I've also bought the feminine hygiene stuff above on eBay. With shipping, the price was only slightly cheaper than the sale price at the store, but the convenience was nice (again, I stock up on those, too). Even after all of these years, I'm still embarrased to buy them at the store!