Questioning Coupon Policies – Part 3 of 3

September 6, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Karen Lee)

Coupons are great tools for saving money. When I used coupons on regular-priced items, I saw a few dollars in savings. But when I matched coupons with buy one, get one free deals and sale prices, then I found the deep discounts and have not turned back.

Using coupons is not always easy. Sometimes the store employees do not understand the corporate coupon policy which keeps trips to the grocery store interesting.

During this summer, I broke out of our normal routine and checked out with unfamiliar cashiers and visited different locations.

Since I usually shop at the same locations around the same time frame, I have my favorite cashiers who have come to know me. When I question the coupon policies, they understand that I work within the rules and am not seeking to defraud the system. In returning to my favorite locations, I am enjoying the quick trips without discrepancies with their coupon policies.

Today is the last post in this three-part series – questioning coupon policies. I started this series with competitor stores in Part 1, addressed doubling coupons in Part 2, and will finish with competitor coupons.

Part 3 – Competitor Coupons

Defined

Competitor coupons are store coupons issued by one business and accepted at another chain. For example, Publix distributes store coupons in their weekly advertisements, advantage flyers, and mailings. In my area, Bi-Lo locations treat and accept Publix coupons like Bi-Lo store coupons.

The Coupon

One week in July, Publix released a $5 off any $30 purchase store coupon. With a huge Huggies deal at Bi-Lo that week, I choose to use my Publix coupon on diaper purchases.

Having collected 3 Publix coupons, I put together 3 identical transactions. I was stocking up on Huggies diapers with a sale ($8.99 per Jumbo pack), fuelperks! promotion (bonus $.10 per gallon with the purchase of any 3 participating products), 3 manufacturer coupons for $1.50 off, and the $5 off Publix coupon.

I stopped by my Bi-Lo and found their Huggies stock low, so I made one transaction without incident.

Tracy’s Note: I did not request a rain check since the Publix coupon was only valid during that week. To get the deep discount, I needed to complete the transactions during that sale week.

Still needing two more transactions, I chose another location with larger stock. At checkout, I met conflict.

The Coupon Policies

At Bi-Lo, a manager or bookkeeper must manually deduct the competitor coupon amount from the transaction. When I presented my coupon, the cashier called the bookkeeper. She came and inspected the coupon and then refused to take off the $5 stating that the total was under $30.

Upon explaining that the subtotal was over $30 and only dropped after using the manufacturer coupons, she still refused the Publix store coupon and handed it back to me. When I asked to speak to the manager, she acted irritated, but complied.

When the manager arrived, the bookkeeper gave her explanation which the manager upheld. After listening to them, I asked the manager to read the coupon. He did so and stood by his former decision.

I then made my case stating that they were choosing to change the wording of the coupon. The coupon stated “$5 off a purchase of $30 or more.” In the fine print, there was no wording that the $30 total was after discounts.

Realizing that my purchase was $30 prior to using manufacturer coupons (a form of payment), that Publix coupons do not state “after coupons” like the Bi-Lo store coupons, and that my transaction fit the requirements for the coupon, the manager changed his mind and accepted the coupon for both transactions.

By knowing the store’s coupon policies and having read and understood the competitor’s coupon, I pressed on to save my family $10. When you know that the store is misinterpreting the coupon or changing the rules from their coupon policy, you have choices.

In sharing these experiences, I hope to empower you with information to use coupons, know your store’s policies, and question coupon policies when a discrepancy arises. Don’t get discouraged. You can continue saving money while feeding your family and using time wisely. Happy couponing!

Question: How often do you use coupons when grocery shopping?

Drying Herbs: Basil, Oregano, and Parsley

September 13, 2012 by Tracy

Most of you know that this is my first year having a garden. Our little experiment has produced strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, a green pepper, lettuce, and herbs.

As our basil, oregano, and parsley filled their squares of our garden, I trimmed their plants and harvested the herbs. Though not perfect, I present Tracy’s version of drying herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley.

Trimming the Plants

Basil: I learned early in the planting season that basil needs lots of water. Wilting leaves revive quickly with heavy watering and multiply into a thriving plant. The basil plant grows vertical and horizontal, so I used scissors to trim from the perimeter to the core. I left a center section for continued growth.

Oregano: I love the feel of oregano. It has a soft coating on the leaves. The oregano plant has short, thick leaves, grows close to the ground, and spreads horizontally. When harvesting oregano, I trim all but a 3- to 4-inch center because the plant will keep growing.

Parsley: Our curled parsley grows like a fountain. The stalks are thin and tall cascading to the sides. The growth is both vertical and horizontal, so I cut towards the center without bothering the main stem. (I learned that lesson with my lettuce as I cut the main stem and killed the entire plant. Oops!)

Washing the Cuttings

Taking the cuttings, I rinse and wash them in cool water. Since the basil and parsley grow off the ground, they have little soil on the leaves. However, the oregano spreads on the ground, and the soil dries on the leaves. Also, the oregano leaves are smaller than the others making cleaning a bit tricky.

Tracy’s Tip: I found putting the oregano in a bowl of water and rubbing the leaves through my fingers easily dislodges the dirt. To prevent the leaves from wilting, I dry them well with paper towels before leaving them to dry.

Drying the Cuttings

In reading tutorials, the cuttings should dry in a cool, dark place for a few days to a few weeks. My cool, dark place is on my counter. I know, a closet might work better, but I’ll forget about it – out of sight, out of mind. So, I place the rinsed cuttings on paper towels on my counter for a few days.

Once they are partially dry, I stack them on top of each other. I then make a dark place by covering with another paper towel. In about 2-3 weeks, the herbs are dry and ready for storing.

Storing the Cuttings

When the cuttings are dry, I place all the basil cuttings in a bowl. Using a pair of kitchen shears, I cut for about 5 minutes until the basil is in fine pieces. I repeat this process with the oregano, and then again with the parsley.

Once the herbs are cut, I place one herb in a sandwich-size Ziploc bag. I write the name of the herb and the date on the bag with a Sharpie marker. When all the bags are closed and labeled, I store the bags in my pantry on the top shelf.

In getting the most from my garden, I am learning to dry herbs of basil, oregano, and parsley. As a newbie gardener, I am experimenting, so I welcome your tips, tricks, and suggestions.

In using time wisely, I find drying herbs worth my time and energy since the process takes bits of time throughout the process. With room for improvement, I’m enjoying the journey. Happy harvesting!

Question: What are your tips for drying herbs?

2012: Garden Journal – September Edition

September 20, 2012 by Tracy

My garden missed me while I was on vacation because it was a wild mess when we returned. I had some help, but I lost some plants. Oh well, it was toward the end of the season, and I am learning.

With our garden thriving at the end of July and off for a couple of weeks, our garden produced and looked like this at the end of August:

Strawberries

Our 4 plants produced 27 strawberries during the heat of August. Though we did not munch on half of them, we blessed our neighbors as they harvested our garden while we were on vacation.

The bugs and/or birds are still eating our fruit. Some of our strawberries have chunks missing, but the net is still in place. I haven’t found anything eating at the plant, but something is enjoying our sweet fruit.

Tomatoes

With 40 ripe cherry tomatoes, our plants continue to produce. Currently, the plants are covered with green tomatoes just waiting to ripen.

In pruning our plants, I knocked off over 50 green tomatoes as I unstuck the vines from the net. It was amazing how overgrown the garden got during our time away.

Cucumbers

Something is harming my cucumber plants. The leaves are wilting, so I’m not sure if it is a bug or just the heat. In spite of the setback, our two plants yielded 11 cucumbers.

Of all the items growing in our garden, the cucumbers are my favorite. They continue to amaze me!

Lettuce

Oops! My pruning in August resulted in killing all my lettuce plants. I am assuming it was my pruning – though I understand that lettuce does not like heat. Well, the temperatures soared above 100 degrees here in South Carolina, so it could have been a combination of the heat and my pruning. I’ll learn from this mistake for next year.

Peppers

Harvested the two green bell peppers, but one was almost red.

Our yellow pepper plant has little tiny buds, so maybe we’ll see one this season. In our area, the peppers are taking longer than usual to produce.

Carrots

Sprouting lots of green stalks above the ground, our carrots are growing.

Onions

More green shoots have emerged from our onions. Yeah, they are growing well.

Herbs

After snipping more parsley, basil, and oregano, I dried and stored these herbs for gifts and use this fall. These herbs just keep on growing, so I keep on drying.

August 1 August 20 August 20

Our garden missed us while away on vacation, and I missed tending and caring for these fruits and vegetables. Though it hit its peak in July/August, I look forward to extending its season into the fall.

In using time wisely, our garden has provided extra fruits and vegetables, hours of activity, subjects of conversations, and lessons learned. Enjoying our gardening experiment, I encourage you to garden. You might not get it right the first time, but it’s okay. I’m not 100% successful either, but the results are worth the investment. Happy experimenting!

Question: Are you planting a fall garden? If so, what are you planting?

Register Review: July 10, 2012 Edition

September 27, 2012 by Tracy

This register review post comes from my Publix and Bi-Lo shopping trips on July 10, 2012.

Though that week did not stock my freezer, I snagged some fantastic deals spending a total of $7.07 for 15 items. 🙂

The listed deals within this post are not currently available. Please do not run out to your local Publix and Bi-Lo as these deals will not work. But, like previous Register Review posts, these same savings strategies stacked together yield deep discounts.

Publix

6 – Barilla pasta, 13.25-16 oz.

$1.45 each, on sale buy one, get one free ($0.72-$0.73 each)

Paid – $0.73, $0.72, $0.73, $0.72,$0.73, and $0.72

1 – Kraft Miracle Whip, 30 oz.

$4.89, on sale by one, get one free ($2.45 each)

Paid – $2.45

Subtotal: $6.80

Tax: $0

Total: $6.80

Without using coupons and purchasing buy one, get one free items, I purchased $13.56 worth of groceries for $6.80 for a savings of 45.7%. My goal is 50% savings, and this trip was really close.

In using time wisely, you can save without coupons by concentrating on the buy one, get one free sales. Though this trip was good, I stepped up my savings at Bi-Lo.

Bi-Lo

8 – Chi Chi’s Burrito Tortillas, 8-20 count

$2.09, on sale buy one, get one free ($1.04 each)

Used 8 manufacturer’s coupons for $.50 off which doubled to $1.00 off each

Paid – $0.04, $0.04, $0.04, $0.04, $0.04, $0.04, $0.04, and $.04

Total: $0.32

Tax: $0

Bag Credit: $0.05

Total: $0.27

By combining manufacturer coupons (that double) with buy one, get one free deals, I purchased $16.67 in merchandise for $0.27 which is a 98.3% savings. Yeah! I made my 50% savings goal.

My total for these two transactions resulted in purchasing $30.23 for $7.07 which is a savings of 76.6%. The best part was that I stayed within my $80 per week food budget and saved money for future deals.

Whether you use coupons or just concentrate on the buy one, get one free sales, you can feed your family without paying full price. Now, one cannot live on flour tortilla shells, Miracle Whip, and pasta. But with a fully-stocked freezer and pantry, you can choose to only purchase the big deals of the week.

As this register review comes to close, I would love to hear how you are saving money while feeding your family and using time wisely. Happy savings!

Question: What is your favorite savings strategy?

Recipe: Warm Mexican Dip

October 4, 2012 by Tracy

As I write this post, I smell the sweet fragrance of pumpkin spice wafting from my lit candle. Though not a fan of the pumpkin taste, I love the smell of pumpkin and other fall scents.

If you dropped in for a visit at my house, you would smell my pumpkin candle unless I am cooking or baking in the kitchen. 🙂

Moving my summer recipes to the side, I welcome the comfort foods of fall. One of our family’s favorite fall recipes is a simple Warm Mexican Dip. The below recipe is not my own. One of our neighbors blended the ingredients, and I enjoy the non-spicy version of his concoction.

With only 5 ingredients, this Warm Mexican Dip is great for parties, heavy snacks, or a meal. Yum!

Warm Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

1 lb. mild rolled sausage

1 lb. hamburger

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 lb. Velveeta cheese

1 jar mild salsa

Instructions:

1. Brown the sausage and hamburger in a skillet.

2. Add cream of mushroom soup and salsa.

3. Slice Velveeta and add to warm mixture.

4. Stir over medium heat until cheese is melted and heated through.

5. Serve with tortilla chips.

If you enjoy a bit more spice to your Mexican dishes, then choose a spicy sausage and hot salsa to add more kick. When serving this hearty Warm Mexican Dip, I include corn bread and fresh vegetables.

This recipe fills my Dutch oven which our family does not eat in one meal. Therefore, I freeze the leftovers saving me money, energy, and time on a future busy day.

As you prepare your family’s favorite recipes, consider making extra to freeze. Then on busy nights, you only need to add a few extras to feed your family while using time wisely. Happy planning!

Question: What is one of your family’s favorite fall recipes?

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