The Coupon Game

Today in my blog feeds there was an especially interesting article. Seth Godin posted about the Four Stages of The Game:

 

You don't even realize there's a game. (And any contest, market, project or engagement is at some level a game).

You start getting involved and it feels like a matter of life or death. Every slight cuts deeply, every win feels permanent. "This is the most important meeting of my life..."

You realize that it's a game and you play it with strategy. There's enough remove for you to realize that winning is important but that continuing to play is more important than that. And playing well is most important.

You get bored with the game, because you've seen it before. Sometimes people at this stage quit, other times they sabotage their work merely to make the game feel the way it used to.

And then a new, different game begins.

 

This reality struck me that my couponing is a game. I like games, I think most people do. The problem is that they can be big time wasters. So, I don't have an Xbox or 360 or whatever those game toys are called. I don't download games or even play games on my computers. I spend so much time on computers being productive, I don't want to waste my time on chat, facebook or games - if I did I would be on the computer at least fifteen hours a day. As it is, I spend at least ten hours a day using the computer. Way too many.

 

So, my couponing is a game. I call it my new hobby, giving up photoshop and scrap booking since that wasn't productive. But with couponing I can make money and save money on things I would have normally spent money on. So I coupon. And its a game. And its challenging. Every successful shop is a so great feeling. And even after couponing for years, every rejection still hurts bad.

 

This week has not been a great coupon game week for me - a lot of drama in my opinion. It started with the gas card deal at Publix last Thursday, when the assistant manager Bob wanted to deny me the use of a $5 off $30 PQ and the $10 off $50 gas card wyb $25 coupon, when I only just $30 on my cart. His interpretation was that it intended for shoppers to spend $80 to use both coupons. Which I explained to him I had because I had the $30 groceries plus the $50 gas card, which equals $80. I offered to call corporate to clarify, but then he said ok, you can do it this time.

 

Then at another store the assistant manager said they couldn't take the Rachel Ray PQ because it was a copy. I explained that the coupon is only available online on Publix website and must be printed. The coupon is poor quality and is difficult to read, but it is a legit Publix coupon. I got the, "we'll do it this time" story again, only after offering to show the site to her on my smartphone.

 

The latest drama involved the crest white strips $7 coupon and the trial pack. My unfavorite manager Bob denied the use of this coupon. I should have been on alert when the shelf was stocked with a dozen of the item. It was clear he would not give even after threats of contacting corporate or assurances that the coupon could be scanned.  So we abandoned our order and left. We did not want to escalate the situation in our close store and it was clear no one there could make the right choice. 

 

So this morning I called corporate to inquire as to the status of that coupon and the use on the trial pack. Corporate assured me it is valid to use on the trial pack. They look at it as P&G's problem if the use is not what they intended. But Publix stores are supposed to accept it for the trial pack because they will get reimbursed. So the District Manager is going to get involved and hopefully we can get this store #685 trained on proper coupon review and acceptance.

12/4 Coupon Insert Preview - SS + RP

There will be two inserts in your Sunday paper this weekend, a Redplum and a Smartsource. Plus expect to get the new Yellow Advantage Flyer for Publix that begins Saturday 12/3.

Publix Sneak Peek BOGO's 12/1 - 12/7/11

The new Publix ad is not that exciting - personally I would just shop more this week and get some more gas cards. I'm picking up Crest White Strips, Phazyme and Rachel Ray dog treats to bring my totals up to $25 per gas card coupon with a little overage too.

BOGOs:
Ken's Steak House Dressing, 16 oz bottle, save up to 3.51

Birds Eye Voila! Entrees or Meals, 21 to 23 oz bag, save up to 5.49

Lloyd's Meats in Original BBQ Sauce, Pork, Chicken or Beef or Shredded Pork in Honey Hickory BBQ Sauce, 18 oz tub, save up to 5.99

Trans Ocean Surimi, 8 oz bag, save up to 2.99

Toufayan Pita Bread, 12 oz pkg (excluding Low Carb Pita), save up to 1.29

Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mix, 15.5 to 18 oz box, save up to 2.39

Uncle Ben's Original Converted Rice, 5 lb bag, save up to 7.49

Mid's Homestyle Pasta Sauce, Meatless, Meat, or Italian Sausage, 32 oz jar, save up to 4.59

Publix Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer 12/3 - 12/23

Here's the new Publix Advantage Buy Flyer starting Saturday. If you want to see all the deals, just click the link for slickdeals and look at the ad scans. I'm excited to see the PQ for Voskos yogurt to stack with teh MQ for $1/2 possibly making for free yogurt if they keep the price at $1.00.

Publix coupons expiring 12/23/2011:$1.0 any Gold Medal flour 4.25 - 5 lb.
$1.00 any Brothers or Millstone coffee 10 - 12 oz. bags or 1 lb whole bean bulk
$5.00 WYB an 2 STI $10 international, Latino America or Mexico calling cards
$3.00 any 2 Sea Fare crab meat 6.5 oz.
55¢ any Glory Foods fresh greens 16 oz. bag
$1.00 any 2 Voskos Greek yogurt 5.3 oz. or Voskos crunch 4.6 oz.
Free gallon of milk WYB any 3 Kelloggs Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, or Corn Pops 8.7 oz. or larger
$2.00 any Publix meat or seafood item WYB any Coca-Cola product 20 or 24 pk.
$1.00 Gorton's large or value pack grilled frozen entrees 14 - 24.5 oz.
$1.00 any Michael Angelo's frozen entree 20 - 32 oz.
$1.00 any 2 On Cor frozen entree 27 - 28 oz.
75¢ Glad Press n Seal food wrap 70 or 140 sq. ft.
$1.50 any Huggies Overnites, Snug & Dry, Little Snugglers, Little Movers or Slip-on Diaper
$2.00 any 1 Lysol No Mess automatic toilet bowl cleaner spring waterfall 2 ct. WYB any Lysol power toilet bowl cleaner 2 pk./24 oz.
Free 9 Lives dry cat food 3.15 - 3.5 lb. WYB any Fresh Step cat litter 25 lb.

Thanks Slickdeals

Publix Weekly Ad Sneak Peek 11/25 - 11 /30

BOGOs:
Marie Callender's Pot Pie, 4 ct, 40 oz box, save up to 7.49

Old El Paso Dinner Kit, 8.4 to 19.2 oz box, save up to 2.93

Fresh Express Salad Blends, 5 to 13.8 oz bag, surprisingly low price

StarKist Albacore White Tuna in Water, 6.4 oz pouch, save up to 3.19

Jif Peanut Butter, 40 oz jar, save up to 5.37

Hunt's Tomato Ketchup, 24 oz bottle, save up to 1.75

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, Original, Honey or Hickory & Brown Sugar, 28 oz bottle, save up to 3.29

Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 17 oz bottle, save up to 7.79

Maruchan Yakisoba Japanese Noodles, Home-Style, 3.96 to 4.27 oz bowl, save up to 0.99

My Publix Trip 99% Savings

The first three things I set out to get yesterday on my Publix trip were gone. Empty shelves were left for me to gaze at. It totally threw me off my groove and I had to recalculate using my Grocery Tracker App on my smartphone. Any way I was able to put together a decent trip. I'll just have to get napkins and wheat chex later this week. I saved $120.83 and spent eighty two cents for a savings of 99.29%

17-Nov	43		115.19	43.79	70.58	tax	0.82	42	-99.29%
Product	qty	price	subtl	B1G1	-Q		total	Q#	Q details
banana	2	0.35	0.70				0.70
Meullers Pasta BOGO	2	1.39	2.78	1.39	1.10		0.29	2	$0.55/1 Meuller pasta print
Ragu Pasta sauce BOGO	4	2.59	10.36	5.18	3.50		1.68	2	free pasta wyb 2 Ragu 11-13 RP
HJ pancake mix pouch	6	0.99	5.94		9.00		-3.06	9	$1/2 MQ + $1/1 TQ
Marie calendar entrée BOGO	6	5.49	32.94	16.47	18.98		-2.51	10	$1/1 MQ print + 2 $1/2 TQ + 2 B2G1 TQ
Rondele Cheese spread BOGO	4	4.59	18.36	9.18	10.00		-0.82	4	$2.50/1 print
Sargento Shred Cheese BOGO	4	3.99	15.96	7.98	2.00		5.98	4	$.50/1 print
Water 2.5 gal	1	1.99	1.99				1.99
Publix Sweet Cream Butter	2	2.00	4.00				4.00
GM Chex Cereal BOGO	2	3.59	7.18	3.59	2.00		1.59	2	$1/1 MQ
Voskos Yogurt	8	1.00	8.00		5.00		3.00	5	$1/2 PQ greenwise + $1/2 MQ tearpad
phayzyme	2	3.49	6.98		9.00		-2.02	2	$5/2 TQ + $2/1 MQ print
$/$$ coupon		0.00	0.00		5.00		-5.00	1	$5/$30 PQ Take Budget by horns
$/$$ coupon		0.00	0.00		5.00		-5.00	1	$5/$25 SAL or $10/50 Sweetbay

How To Always Get A Target Coupon & Moneymaker Deal

There are a lot of great deals at Publix this week that utilize Target coupons (TQ). If your favorite Publix accepts Target as a competitor and doesn't enforce the "one coupon per transaction" wording on the TQ then you can get some Marie Callenders bakes entrees and its a $2.51 Moneymaker!

 

There is also the deal on using the $10 off a Turkey wyb 12 Kraft Items MQ printable where you can get some Philadelphia Cream cheese, or Nabisco Crackers, or Maxwell House coffee, or Oscar Mayer Bacon - along with a $5 off $30 coupon to end up with a final cost of about $4 (for a turkey and 12 items).

 

But to work these deals you need to have printed the Target coupons a while ago since some are no longer available at online at Target.

 

My tip is to not ever print Target coupons until you know you need them. To do this just go to the Fatwallet Target Coupon Thread. There are several users who will print them and upload the pdf to Mediafire for everyone to access. Just search the thread for your keyword (i.e., philadelphia) and all the posts with that word will be filtered out for your review. Select the link that has your coupon. Many coupons are reissued throughout the year so make sure it has the right expiration date which is noted in the name in the link. It will bring you to Mediafire which is an offsite download website. It is safe, I use it all the time. You do not need to sign up or join to use it. Click the big download button and when the popup shows, click SAVE and put it in your coupon folder on your computer. Then you can print it as many times as you want. There are 2 coupons per page.

 

Now you will never miss a deal that requires TQ's! Yeah

Trial Size Trouble

Last night we went to Publix in a neighboring community. I like going there because it doesn't seem to get totally cleared out of moneymakers and BOGO deals. I think because it's a more affluent area, less people use coupons there. But after our shop last night, I think the couponers stay away because the staff are nervous about coupons and resistant to take coupons when they realize the customer is making money on the deal. I've been scouting the clearance rack for trial size meds, in the past scoring some moneymaker deals on Zantac and Bayer with coupons that didn't exclude trial size. Just this past weekend there was a $1/1 MQ in the 11-13 RP insert for Advil Congestion Relief that stated "ANY" size. I knew there were a bunch of trial Advils CR on the clearance table at this one store, so that's why we made the trip there. Sure enough, I got 13 and planned to use 13 coupons. Along with some Idahoan potatoes, Phazyme, Sundown Vitamins there was enough overage to get some beer for our weekend trip to the NASCAR race. Except the beer was gone, so we had to ask customer service to substitute two 12 pks for a case that was on sale. They said sure, just come check out in Lane 11 when you're ready.

 

So we finish our shop and go to Lane 11 nearest the customer service. Here's my list:

14-Nov	44		114.04	22.69	90.79	tax	0.56	45	-99.51%
Product	qty	price	subtl	B1G1	-Q		total	Q#	Q details
beer 24pk	1	17.99	17.99				17.99
banana	2	0.35	0.70				0.70
HJ pancake mix pouch	1	0.99	0.99		1.00		-0.01	2	$1/2 MQ 11-6SS + $1/1 TQ
HJ pancake mix box	1	1.79	1.79		2.79		-1.00	2	free mix wyb syrup + $1/1 TQ
HJ pancake syrup	1	2.79	2.79		2.00		0.79	1	$1/1 TQ
Idahoan Potatoes BOGO	8	1.33	10.64	5.32	8.00		-2.68	8	$1/1 MQ print
Smart Balance Milk 1/2 gal	4	2.50	10.00		6.00		4.00	4	$1.50/1 MQ print zip 48047
Emerald Nuts BOGO	6	5.79	34.74	17.37	6.00		11.37	6	$1/1 MQ 11-13 RP
Advil cong relief trial size	13	0.42	5.46		13.00		-7.54	13	$1/1 MQ 11-13 RP
Vit D	4	2.99	11.96		18.00		-6.04	4	$3/2 MQ email + $6/2 PQ
phazyme	2	3.49	6.98		9.00		-2.02	2	$5/2 TQ + $2/1 MQ print
Publix Gift Card	1	10.00	10.00		10.00		0.00	1	Get $10 GC wyb $50  x11/15
$/$$ coupon		0.00	0.00		5.00		-5.00	1	$5/$30 PQ Take Budget by horns
$/$$ coupon		0.00	0.00		10.00		-10.00	1	$10/$50 Sweetbay

 

At this point we've been in the store about forty minutes - looking for Emerald Nuts, waiting for raincheck stock checks, waiting for them to find a case of beer in the back, etc. Finally, we check out and I hand over my coupons. The cashier starts sorting them and spreading them all over the counter. I think they do this so the cameras over their shoulder can capture the whole transaction. Actually, afterward I felt like we were being scrutinized way earlier when we were in our store. They were looking at the stuff in my cart as they were trying to find me some Emerald Nuts. Anyway, I digress. She couldn't find anything wrong with my coupons so she started scanning the MQ's first and the Advil coupon would not scan. She tried to hand it back and said we can't take them if they don't scan. I said they can verify its correct use on the right product and then do an override and enter it as a generic vendor coupon. The Advil coupon has the new long barcode and no short one, so I couldn't suggest covering up the long one to make it scan (like on the CWS). Anyway, she tried to tell me is was invalid for the trial size. I explained that if it were not allowed the coupon would state excludes trial size, which it did not. So I ask her to get a manager to approve the coupon. The asst customer service manager came over and looked at the trial size and the coupon and said they couldn't take it if it didn't scan.

 

At this point DH and I are getting a little frustrated. I said I'm calling corporate right now (I have the number in my phone (Publix Consumer Relations 800-242-1227) and started dialing. Then the customer service manager says, I'll get the Store Manager. DH said thanks. Unfortunately it was after six p.m. and there was no answer at Publix. The Asst Store Manager came over and said the coupon wasn't meant for trial size and the computer wouldn't accept the scan. Then she points out "Limit One Coupon Per Purchase" printed on the coupon. At this point, I realized we were dealing with a bunch of untrained staff. I had to demonstrate using my products and coupons the difference  between one per purchase, and one per transaction. We had to explain that the whole cart was a transaction, but each item was a purchase. DH says to the ASM, "You know in my job just because the computer can't do something, doesn't mean I can't do it. Sometimes you have to approve actions and handle them manually if the computer won't perform as you expect. If the coupon doesn't scan and you have verified its the correct product, any size then you should take it. I'm not taking NO for an answer. You're not making this shopping trip very pleasurable."

 

We both dislike having to stand our ground with coupons, and if it were our "home" store we would have skipped the purchase without a fuss. But this store gave me a hard time about the CWS last week too. They act like the money is coming out of their own pockets. They also know that most people are afraid of conflict and will back down and say it's okay that you just denied my coupons. The staff are friendly enough, but its not genuine. I feel looked down upon because I use coupons there and its not a good feeling. I'm sure they don't care if I ever shop there, since most of their customers are wealthy and spend a lot more than one dollar like me.

 

The ASM listened patiently to DH and then said "Natasha will put in an override for you this time". Fine, we whined enough and got our way. But they left us feeling like we were wronged. I hate it when they say "we'll take it this time" - it really means don't come back and try this again. It's correct coupon use, but they don't like it. So of course, they're going to try to discourage coupon use on moneymaker deals. The store manager can do that, it's his prerogative. I'll just have to try to fly low under the radar when we go there, get smaller orders and avoid having to get "numbers" by getting fillers if my coupon count is higher than my items.

 

How do you handle trial size hassles?

Publix Weekly Ad Sneak Peek 11/17 - 11/23

BOGOs:
Sargento Shredded Cheese, 5-8 oz pkg, save up to 3.99
Swanson Broth, 14.5 oz can, save up to 1.15
Simply Potatoes Diner's Choice Mashed Potatoes, Original, Sweet, Sour Cream & Chives, Country Style or Garlic, 32 oz pkg, save up to 3.99
Fresh Cranberries, 12 oz pkg, save up to 2.99
Celery, save up to 1.69
Publix Baby Cut Carrots, 16 oz bag, save up to 1.69
Breyers Ice Cream or Blasts! Frozen Dairy Dessert, 48 oz carton, save up to 5.99
Cool Whip Topping, 8 oz bowl, save up to 1.75
Marie Callender's Bakes Entrees, 24 or 31 oz box, save up to 5.49
Alexia All Natural Artisan Breads, 10.5 to 14 oz pkg, save up to 3.69
Rondele Cheese Spread, 8 oz pkg, save up to 4.59
Breakstone's Sour Cream, 16 oz cup, save up to 2.59
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread, 15 oz or 2 pk, 7.5 oz tub, 16 oz box, or 10 oz bottle, or Spray 8 oz bottle, save up to 2.63
Atheno's Crumbled Feta Cheese, Traditional, Garlic & Herb, or Basil & Tomato, prepared deli section, 6 oz cup, save up to 4.49
Publix Deli Tea, 1 gallon, save up to 2.59
Lipton Tea Bags, 100 ct box, save up to 4.09
Hellmann's Mayonnaise, 30 oz jar, save up to 4.69
Pure Wesson Oil, Vegetable, Canola, Corn or Best Blend, 48 oz bottle, save up to 4.49
Wish-Bone Dressing, 16 oz bottle, save up to 2.63
Mt. Olive Pickles, 16 to 46 oz jar, or Pick or Jalapeno Pepper Slices Pac, 4 pk, 3.7 oz, save up to 2.79
Del Monte Fresh Cut Vegetables, 11 to 15.25 oz can (excluding Specialty Varieties and Asparagus), save up to 1.39
V8 V.Fusion Vegetable & Fruit Juice or V8 V.Fusion + Tea, or 100% Juice, 36 or 46 oz bottle (excluding 100% Vegetable Juice Items), save up to 3.99
A.1. Steak Sauce, 10 oz bottle, save up to 4.19
Pam Cooking Spray, 5 or 6 oz can (excluding organic), surprisingly low price
Ocean Spray Juice Cocktail or Juice Drink, 64 oz bottle (excluding 100% Cranberry Blended Juices and Light Juices), save up to 2.93
Welch's 100% Grape Juice, 64 oz bottle (100% Juice items ONLY, excluding Welch's Drinks and Cocktails), save up to 3.91
Del Monte Canned Fruits, 14.5 to 15.25 oz can (excluding Lite Apricot Halves), save up to 1.79
Del Monte Tomatoes, 14.5 oz can, save up to 1.49
Duncan Hines Decadent Brownie Mix, 16.76 to 18 oz box, save up to 2.79
Mueller's Pasta, 12 to 16 oz box (excluding Lasagne, Jumbo Shells, and Noodles), save up to 1.57
Mueller's Lasagne Pasta 16 oz box, or Jumbo Shells 12 oz box, save up to 2.29
Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice, or Whole Grain & Whild or Whole Grain White Rice, 4.2 to 6.7 oz box, save up to 2.09
Ragu Pasta Sauce, 16 to 24 oz jar (excluding Organics), save up to 2.19
Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix or Premium Cupcake Mis, 18.25 oz box (excluding Decadent and Angel Food), save up to 1.81
General Mills Chex Cereal, 12.8 to 14 oz box, save up to 3.59
Post Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal, 13 to 17 oz box, or Vanilla Clusters, 18 oz box, (excluding Family Size), save up to 3.29
Aunt Jemima Syrup, 24 oz bottle, save up to 3.59
Pepsi Products, 2L bottles, save up to 1.69
Nabisco Crackers, 5.5 to 10 oz box, save up to 2.99 (Wheat Thins and Triscuit pictured)
Nabisco Ritz Crackers or Ritz Bits Sandwiches or Munchables Pretzel Crisps or Thins, 7.5 to 16 oz box, save up to 2.99
LaCroix Natural Sprakling Water, 12 pk, 12 oz can, save up to 4.49
Keeber Club Crackers, 11 to 16 oz box, save up to 3.69
Nature's Own Bread, 100% Whole Wheat, 20 oz loaf, save up to 2.83
Thomas' English Muffins or Hearty Muffins, 11 to 13 oz pkg, save up to 3.89
Nonni's Biscotti, 5.52 to 7 oz pkg, save up to 2.99
Lay's Potato Chips, 10 or 10.5 oz bag (excluding Kettle Cooked, Light and Natural), save up to 4.29
Pepperidge Farm Distinctive Cookies Butter Chessmen, Bordeaux, Brussels, Geneva, Tahiti, Verona or Montieri, 5.25 to 7.25 oz bag
Planters Nuts, Regular Mixed Nuts, Cashew Halves & Pieces, or Honey Roasted Peanuts & Cashews, 8 to 10.3 oz can, save up to 5.19
Entenmann's Little Bites, 8.25 to 8.75 oz box, save up to 4.49
Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn, 6 or 10 ct, 10 to 19.8 oz box, or 30 oz jar, save up to 4.99
Vanity Fair Premium Napkins, Dinner or Elegant, 40 to 100 ct pkg, or Regular 40 ct pkg, save up to 2.29
Chinet Classic White Plates, Dinner, Lunch, Compartment, or Platters, 24 to 55 ct, save up to 5.99
Degree Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant, 2.6, 2.7, 3 oz pkg (excluding Ultra Clear, Nature Effects, or Adrenaline Series), save up to 2.33
Finish Automatic Dishwasher Detergent, 24 or 32 ct box, save up to 6.99
Lysol Disinfectant Trigger Spray Cleaner,  32 oz bottle, or Citrus Scent Antibacterial Kitchen Cleaner, 22 oz bottle, save up to 2.69

Publix Health Advantage Green Flyer 11/19 - 12/09/11

Manufacturer's coupons expiring 12/9/2011:
Free Neosporin lip health WYB 1 (buy 1, get 1 free)
$2.00 any 2 mix or match: Johnson & Johnson Red Cross brand first aid or coach items
$1.00 Visine 0.5 oz. or larger or Visine Wipes
$2.00 any Bengay product 2 - 4 oz. or 3 - 5 ct.

Publix coupons expiring 12/9/2011:
$3.00 Zyrtec 25 - 45 ct. or Zyrtec-D 24 ct.
$2.00 Fiber Choice 90 ct. or Beano 15 - 100 ct.
$10.00 any Nicorette NicoDerm CQ or Commit
$1.50 Breathe Right nasal strips any 10 - 30 ct.
$3.00 any 2 mix or match: Aquafresh 5.6 - 6 oz., Sensodyne 4 oz., Poligrip 2.2 - 2.4 oz. or Polident 78 - 84 ct.
$3.00 any Dulcolax 50 - 100 ct. (in select stores)
$2.00 any Preparation H product
$1.00 South Beach diet meal or snack bars any 5 pack
$1.00 any Neosporin 1 oz. product
Free Gillette Fusion shave gel 7 oz. WYB any 8 ct. cartridge Gillette Fusion, Fusion ProGlide or Mach3 (save up to $4.29)
$3.00 any Align poduct 28 ct. or 42 ct.
$2.00 John Frieda Precision foam colour (in select stores)
$2.00 any DampRid system or refill
$3.00 any DVD $9.99 & up

 

Thanks to Slickdeals, check there for matchups