MeetPenny.com: Free Oven-free Menu Plan

August 2, 2012 by Tracy

Meet Penny.com's oven-free August menu plan

Photograph Credit: MeetPenny.com

For those who enjoy the warmth of summer, is it hot enough? I am amazed at how often my air conditioner kicks on during the day. The evening is more sporadic, but the daytime cycles seem much too frequent.

In keeping the heat out of the kitchen, Tabitha from MeetPenny.com offers a free printable August oven-free menu plan on her blog. Woo hoo!

To maximize your savings, compare her menu to what you have on hand. Start with those meals while you scour your store ads for sales and buy one, get one free items. Then enjoy feeding your family without turning on your oven.

Keep enjoying your summer before it’s gone. Stay cool, and happy menu planning! 😉

Question: What is your favorite non-oven-needed meal?

2012: Garden Journal – August Edition

August 16, 2012 by Tracy

This garden experiment continues to surprise me.

As a green (read: inexperienced) gardener, I missed the second watering a few days in a row. Yikes!

Though my efforts have not been perfect, our garden continues to forgive my mistakes and produce well.

The results by the end of July looked like this:

Strawberries

We picked 20.5 strawberries from our 4 plants. Yeah, they exploded this month. The half was due to a bug or bird getting the other half, but it still counts. 🙂

Tomatoes

The cherry tomatoes took off resulting in 47 red ones and 1 green one that fell off while harvesting the ripe ones – oops! (I really am green. ;-))

Cucumbers

Our two plants produced 5 more cucumbers. I’m amazed at how fast they grow. I will check one evening and discover a little bulb. Then the next morning, the little bulb expanded into a 4-to-6-inch cucumber. Incredible to see.

Lettuce

Both types of lettuce began flowering. Honestly, I’m not sure what that means, but I chopped down the buttercrunch bibb because we don’t eat it – too tart even with salad dressing. The romaine wilted somewhat, so I pruned it back as well. Now we wait to see what the plants will do.

Peppers

Are you ready for this update? We have two green bell peppers growing. Finally! The yellow pepper plant is on its own time table. Just watering and waiting some more.

Onions

Alive and well, our onions have sprouted green shoots again. I will check on their growth in August and report back.

Herbs

Cut, rinsed, and dried parsley, basil, and oregano. These are the herbs I use in making Italian dishes like lasagna, spaghetti, manicotti, and chicken parmesan. Yum! Though not baking much this summer, I will have the herbs ready to make our favorite fall dishes in the coming months.

Our garden has its ups and downs, but I haven’t killed any of the plants yet. In using time wisely, I am learning a new skill, preparing for the fall, and enjoying the process. If you are trying out gardening or are a seasoned expert, then please share your gardening adventures. I welcome your suggestions. Happy tending and harvesting!

Question: What are your favorite herbs for Italian dishes?

Questioning Coupon Policies – Part 1 of 3

August 23, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Victor Martinez)

When shopping this summer with coupons, I hit three situations where the stores did not want to fully accept valid coupons that aligned with their stated coupon policies.

Now, I am a seasoned coupon-user and not intimidated by store management. But, if I was unsure, new to using coupons, or a shy person, then these situations may not have ended with a positive result.

In an effort to empower you with information to make your case clear, unemotional, and accurate, I will share my three experiences in this three-part series on questioning coupon policies.

Questioning Coupon Polices

Part 1 – Competitor stores

Part 2 – Doubling coupons

Part 3 – Competitor coupons

Part 1 – Competitor Stores

As you know, each grocery store operates differently. Knowing what your store’s policies are for coupons and competitor’s coupons assists in creating grocery lists and maximizing your savings.

Though each grocery store chain has its own coupon policy, each location may interpret the policy differently. In addition to the coupon policy, each location has different competitors. Most stores determine their competitors based on a 1 or 2 mile distance from that location.

Finding your Store’s Competitors

Some stores are kind and post their competitor’s names. My Publix issued a printable notice that indicated that their competitors were Bi-Lo, Whole Foods, Earth Fair, and Food Lion. I picked up a notice and kept it for reference within my Publix coupon envelope.

When Food Lion released a printable coupon for $5 off any $25 purchase, I referred back to the competitor notice. Confirming that Food Lion was a competitor, I put together my Publix deals based on this coupon.

On shopping day, I gathered my savings and went to checkout. Before beginning, I informed the cashier that I had the Food Lion coupon. She creased her face and let me know that they were not accepting these coupons. When I inquired further, she said that Food Lion was no longer a competitor.

Addressing Discrepancies

Since I did not want to hold up the line, I thanked her and asked for a manager. I moved up to customer service and waited.

When the manger came, I explained that I wanted to use the Food Lion coupon. He confirmed that Food Lion was no longer a competitor because they moved their location. Then I pulled out the competitor coupon notice from my envelope. Seeing my notice, the manager indicated that was an old one.

After looking about and not finding a new one, I asked where the new one was located. Well, the manger searched high and low and finally went back to an office to get me a new one. I expressed by disappointment in their change of policy without notifying customers.

The manager brushed off my comments and refused to take my coupon. Since I planned two transactions for a savings of $10 ($5 for each), I rearranged my purchases and made one purchase.

Contacting the Corporate Office

When I got home and gathered my thoughts, I e-mailed Publix’s corporate office and expressed my disappointment with the change of policy without notifying customers.

I explained what I planned to do and how I ended up not saving $10 because the store failed to update their information. The corporate office apologized and sent me a $10 gift card for the trouble.

The results ended up favorable with some work. This first example of questioning coupon polices was the most work I did of the three scenarios I will share. This situation took me a little time, but in using time wisely I received a $10 gift card.

I addressed the issue at the store. When I did not receive a satisfactory response, I left and contacted the corporate office. Within 2 weeks, my Publix had a new notice displayed with their current competitors. Seeing the issue corrected not only helps me, but also other customers to save money, energy, and time.

In shopping at your grocery store and getting a coupon denied that you know is valid, take courage and address it. Even if the cashier says no, you can ask for a manager. Stay calm, and if the manager will not take your coupon and you know that you can use that coupon, then leave the store and contact the corporate office.

Your time is valuable. In using time wisely, know your store. When there is a discrepancy, stay calm while questioning coupon policies. Happy savings!

Question: Do you question store employees when they deny a coupon?

Questioning Coupon Policies – Part 2 of 3

August 30, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Bi-Lo

In this economy and with the rising cost of doing business, I understand why stores create strict coupon policies and inspect the fine print on the coupons. Stores need to protect their investment because there are those that create and distribute fraudulent coupons.

Just this year in Arizona, a counterfeit coupon bust landed 3 women in jail. They printed high priced coupons overseas and shipped them to their headquarters in Arizona. For distribution, they sold these coupons for pennies on the dollar through their private website available by invitation-only.

Though most consumers use coupons correctly, I understand why stores impose limits, regulations, and policies for coupon use. When the store policy is written, available, and consistent, consumers can use coupons with confidence. Then when a cashier fails to accept a coupon, the coupon policy should become the deciding factor.

Last week in part 1, I explained the process taken to rectify the change in competitor’s coupons at my Publix. Continuing this series identifying three coupon issues I faced this summer, I present the failure to initially double coupons at my Bi-Lo.

Part 2 – Doubling Coupons

Though no store will calculate every transaction perfectly, I choose to carefully review my receipts after each purchase. With sales changing weekly and system upgrades, the store registers will not catch every detail. In taking an active role in saving our family money, I plan our shopping trips, estimate our out-of-pocket pay, and review the receipt for accuracy.

The Items

On our last shopping trip before heading down to Florida for our family vacation, I stopped by Bi-Lo for these sales:

2 packages of cookies
6 packages of frozen corn
Ice cream
2 packages of split chicken breasts
7 packages of roped smoked sausage

The Coupons

The subtotal came to $77.17, and then I used the following: my loyalty card to get the sale prices, 3 bag credits, Bi-Lo e-coupon, and manufacturer coupons. For the Eckrich roped sausage, I used seven $.55 off coupons.

Since I had so many coupons, the bookkeeper needed to approve the coupons. She keyed in the coupons, and I was given the total. Realizing that the total was higher than expected, I asked if the $.55 coupons had doubled. The bookkeeper indicated that when the coupons are keyed into the system, the coupons do not double.

The Coupon Policy

Now according to Bi-Lo’s coupon policy, they double manufacturer’s coupons. My store doubles up to $.60 every day. With this information, I asked to speak with the manager.

When the manager arrived, he looked at the coupons and approved the doubling. When asked why manager approval was needed, he stated that their system limits the amount of discounts the cashiers can deduct. When the coupons reach that limit, then a manager needs to override the transaction.

Though I do not agree with having to ask for the doubling when their coupon policy provides for doubling, I will not hesitate to seek that override from a manager. I will also watch carefully to see that the coupons are taken since the cashier did not indicate that the limit had been reached.

Not to leave you hanging, my transaction reached my goal – paying 50% or less. With the doubled coupons, I paid $26.89 which is a 65.1% savings.

In using time wisely to question the store’s coupon policy when the stated refusal conflicts with the written policy, I continue saving my family money. As you use your coupons, know your store’s policy, watch your total, and question discrepancies. The consumer is not always right, but usually she is. 😉 Happy savings!

Question: Like me, are you seeing more coupon issues at the register?

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