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Price Matching Back-to-School Sales

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For those of you searching for the best back-to-school deals, I’m with you! I was excited with the southernsavers.com list of school supplies until I realized that Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max were not included. Then I found the list from yourretailhelper.com which was better. (For direct links to these deals, please visit Using Time Wisely’s Facebook page. By the way, have you liked my page yet?)

Having received our school supply list this week, I began to prepare for our school year.

Took Inventory

After printing our supply list, I read through it and consulted my rising first grader for his input. Having purchased a quality backpack and lunch container last year which are still in great condition, my son did not ask for new items this year. I was so excited that he was willing to use what he had. He did not expect new items for school. What a blessing!

Raided the Supply Cabinet

By stocking up on inexpensive school supplies from previous back-to-school sales and freebies throughout the year, I had almost half of his needed supplies. With my son’s help, we gathered the items on the list. My son enjoyed choosing the green scissors from the 5 pairs we had on hand as well as the pencils and spiral notebooks.

Searched the Sale Flyers

With my revised list of needed items, I consulted yourretailhelper.com and my local sale flyers. I noted the least expensive prices, circled the items, and selected stores close together, including a retailer that price matches.

Shopped the Stores

All three stores were in a 1-mile radius of each other which allowed me to use my time wisely and make the trip quick and easy.

Staples – purchased 4 packages of 5 tab divider inserts for $.50 each. With our tax free weekend, my total was $2.

Walgreens – bought 4 packages of pink pencil erasers (2 per pack) for $.29 each totaling $1.16. My Walgreens was out of the Crayola Markers on sale for $2 generating a $2 Register Reward (store coupon for Walgreens). Since there are no rain checks for Register Reward deals, I walked away from the $2 sale price.

Target – snagged 3 packages of glue sticks (6 per pack) on sale for $1 each. Then to avoid running all over town for 2 other great deals, I decided to try price matching. I chose two other items: Elmer’s glue (4 oz.) and Crayola crayons (24 ct.). After gathering the items, I consulted an associate for these details.

Go to Customer Service. To price match items at my Target, I needed to checkout at customer service.

Present the FULL sale flyer. Since I only shop with the one sale page listing the sale item, I hit a little snag. Target’s policy is that they need to see the full flyer. Thankfully, each page had the sale date listed, so the associate price matched my items. Whew! Lesson learned.

Allow the Associate Time. The cashier needed to input lots of items from the flyer. I was price matching 3 bottles of Elmer’s glue from Target’s $.40 each to Publix’s 3 for $1. After completing that price match, I also used Kmart’s sale on the crayons to change the 4 boxes from $.40 each to $.24 each. These savings were not worth running across town to other stores. However, a few minutes at Target (where I planned to shop) netted the same result.

Stay Calm. Be gracious if there is a problem. (Remember you do not need to purchase an item if you disagree with the price.) Completed my checkout process, paid, and on my way.

Shared a Picture

When arriving home and realizing that my take was 18 glue sticks, 4 boxes of crayons, and 3 bottles of glue for $4.96, I took a picture. When you get a great deal, take a picture and share it with us in the comments or on Using Time Wisely’s Facebook page. Though I could leave you hanging, I will not do that to you. I will post my picture below and on Facebook. 🙂

Whether you are preparing for the new school year or just restocking your supply cabinet, you can stretch your dollars by shopping at a retailer that price matches. Saving on gas and the price of the product is a win-win option. Remember when price matching to take your full sale flyer and chose the exact same product that is advertised. Keep on stretching your dollars as you are using time wisely!

Back-To-School: J. C. Penney 2-Day Sale – ENDS TODAY

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Photograph Credit: Ebates

In preparing for a new school year, I took an inventory of my son’s closet. Since my child has grown at least another inch since school dismissed in May, I am in need of more school uniform items for his wardrobe. Knowing what items he still needs, I have been keeping my eye on the sales. When I received J. C. Penney’s promotional code for $10 off any $25 purchase, I snagged a great deal.  If you are in the market for clothing, you can snag this deal, too. Here’s how:

1. Go to www.ebates.com. This business pays you a percentage of your on-line purchases at one of their affiliate companies. Do you mean someone’s going to pay me for items I will purchase on-line? If Ebates has a link to that store, then, yes! The process works like this: the stores give a commission to Ebates, and Ebates passes along their savings to you. Registration is free, and Ebates will pay you up to 4 times a year via check or Paypal (your preference.).

Ebates is currently offering new subscribers a $10 gift card to select stores for registering and making a $25 purchase. To register, get more information, or log in to your account, go to www.ebates.com.

Disclosure: The Ebates link in this post is Using Time Wisely’s referral link. If you register (for free) through my Ebates’ link and make a purchase (using promotional codes, of course) of $25 or more, then Ebates compensates me.

Though you can access your free registration through the Ebates web site, your support of Using Time Wisely is greatly appreciated. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

2. Access the J.C. Penney web site. Once logged in to your Ebates account, search for “J.C. Penney.”  In the list, you will see that you will earn 3% back on your purchase. Click the “Shop Now” button, and you will be directed to the J.C. Penney web site.

3. Add items to your shopping cart. To maximize your savings and stretch your dollars, get your total to $25 or a little over. Since I purchase the IZOD brand for my son’s school uniforms, I chose KIDS from the menu, then SCHOOL UNIFORMS. I selected a pair of pants ($29.99, on sale for $14.99) and a pair of shorts ($16.99, on sale for $11.99) for a total of $26.98.

4. Checkout. Choose CHECKOUT + PROMO CODE from your shopping bag. In the promotional code box, type MEGASALE. (Note: You can only use one promotional code per order with J. C. Penney. There are free or inexpensive shipping codes as well as 10-15% codes. However, the $10 off is the best offer to stretch your dollars.) This promotional code ends today, July 30, 2011.

5. Review your order. After creating an account, logging in or just checking out, check to see that $10 was removed from your total. When choosing a shipping option, I opt for store pickup ($4.99) verse at home delivery ($6.95).  With the $10 off, my subtotal came to $16.98. After adding shipping and tax, my total was $23.29 (or $11.65 each – a total savings of 50% off the original retail total price + $.70 earned through Ebates). 🙂

6. Select payment. Chose your payment and complete your order. You can then print your receipt and close out of the J.C. Penney site and the Ebates site.

Anytime you will be making an on-line purchase, start with Ebates. Log in and search for the company you plan to shop. When you find the store, click “Shop Now,” and continue to earn money back on the items you purchase online.

Question: What is your favorite cash back reward site? Add your answer by choosing the Leave your Comment button below.

Back to School: Sale Supply Lists

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Rebeca Falco)

As summer is winding down, the back-to-school sales are gearing up. Viewing the Sunday fliers, I am bombarded with sales from large retail suppliers competing for my attention and business. Sorting through the advertisements, I could spend 1-2 hours creating the perfect list of needed items at the best prices to stretch my hard earned dollars.

The Search

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a master list of all the school supply sales from all the major retail stores? Well, I have some great news for you  . . .

THERE IS.

The Find

Jenny Martin at southernsavers.com creates a master list of all the school supplies from all the stores. You can see this week’s deals (ending today) by clicking on this link. Armed with this master list, you can find the best prices on all your school needs.

Next week, Jenny will post another list. When I see her list, I will post the link on my Facebook page. (Are you following me on Facebook? If not, click on the Facebook icon in the right sidebar, like our page, and “talk” with me. I would love to hear how you are using your time wisely.)

The Timesaver

Having your created list, you are ready to hit the stores. What if you could get most or all of your items at the same store? A one-stop shopping trip would be a huge timesaver.

Hmm . . . have you heard that some stores, like Wal-mart, offer price matching? (You see where I’m going. Isn’t this exciting?)

If your store price matches, then take your list and all your sales ads with you while shopping. Here is how my shopping trip looks:

1.  Choose to shop at Wal-mart since I have price matched successfully with them in the past.

2.  Take my list and gather the items. The items need to be the same brand, size, and count as the price matched item.

3.  Sort the items by the price matched advertisement. To make the checkout process as organized as possible, keep all the items to be price matched from the Walgreens ad together, then all the Kmart ads, then the Target sales, etc.

4.  Go to checkout placing the sales ad with the group of items to be price matched. Let the cashier know you have price matched items. Then help him or her by locating the new price from your ads. Be calm, courteous, and don’t be afraid to ask for a manager if the cashier does not honor a sale price.

5.  Share your savings with your frugal friends, including Using Time Wisely’s Facebook page or leave a comment on this post. 🙂

Keeping your shopping trips to a minimum and maximizing your savings can both be accomplished by using your time wisely when creating your shopping list and choosing a store that price matches. I wish you a great shopping experience as you preparing for your family’s up-coming school year.

Question: What stores price match in your area?