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August 8, 2011: Publix and Bi-Lo Shopping Results

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After creating my menu from the ingredients I have on hand, I am ready to go shopping. Yes, I shop after I know what I plan to make for the week. I know that this sounds backwards, but this system really saves me money, energy, and time.

With my freezer, pantry, and refrigerator housing all the ingredients for my weekly menu plan, I am free to shop the sales at the stores. I am looking for items that are on sale at their rock bottom price, and then using any available coupons to maximize those savings.

This week, I purchased a few sale items. Here are my shopping results:

Photograph Credit: Publix

Publix

2 packages Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (on sale buy one get one free) – $1.40 each

1 Suave shampoo (22 oz.) – $2.19

1 Suave conditioner (22 oz.) – $2.19

2 Dean’s Dips (12 oz.) – $1.95 each

2 Elmer’s Glue (4 oz.) – $.33 each

Krazy Glue – $1.40

Subtotal:  $13.14

Minus the following coupons:

2 – $.55 Publix coupons for a Suave product

2 – Manufacturer coupons for a free Suave product up to $2.99 (took off $2.19 each)

2 – $1 Publix coupons for Dean’s Dip

1 – Manufacturer coupon for $1 off 2 containers of Dean’s Dip

New subtotal: $4.66

Tax: $0.39

Total: $5.05 – With the sale prices and coupons, I purchased $20.40 worth of product for $5.05 which is a savings of 75%.

By stacking coupons, which means using a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on the same item, I was able to maximize my savings to more than the purchase price of the Suave products. Since I had 2 coupons for a free Suave item from the manufacturer, the 2 bottles of Suave where free. But, I also used the Publix store coupons (from the green advantage flyer), so the extra $1.10 of savings was taken off the end total since I had other items that were not free. I did not “make money” in cash, but I gained “overage” to save on other items purchased.

Photography Credit: Bi-Lo

Bi-Lo

2 packages Hillshire Farm sausage links (14 oz.) – $2.50 each (used buy one get one free rain check from previous week)

1 Southern Home Peanuts Fruit Snacks (6 ct.) – $1.79

2 Southern Home Cheese Sticks (11.5 oz.) – free (used rain check from a previous meal deal where these were free, but the store was out. On this visit, the cashier took the rain check, but did not ring up the two items – per his manager.)

Subtotal: 11.77 (plus the price of the cheese sticks)

Minus the following coupons:

1 – Publix coupon $1 off 2 packages of Hillshire Farm links

My Bi-Lo accepts competitor store coupons. Publix is a qualified competitor. Therefore, I used a Publix coupon and stacked it with a manufacturer coupon to maximize my savings.

2 – Manufacturer $.60 coupons for Hillshire Farm links which doubled to $1.20 off for each

My Publix doubles manufacturer coupons up to $.50, but my Bi-Lo doubles manufacturer coupons up to $.60. Since I had a rain check (savings) + store coupon (Publix) + manufacturer coupons + double the manufacturer saving, I had a great result from stacking the savings.

1 – Bi-Lo coupon for free Peanuts fruit snacks from previous customer survey (took off $1.79)

Total: $.68 (tax was $0) – I purchased a minimum of $11.77 worth of product for $.68 which is a savings of 94%.

These savings are due to a slow week of sales and cashing in rain checks and free product coupons. Now, I cannot make one meal out of this shopping trip, but I did not need to. I have plenty of food in my stockpile. By shopping the sales, I am able to stay stocked and maximize my savings.

This is not “extreme couponing” where I am purchasing tons of products I do not need and spending days working my deals. I do spend about 1-2 hours preparing for my shopping trips, but for me, the savings are worth using time wisely.

Question: Do you shop before or after making your menu plan?  

Customer Service: Bi-Lo

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Sometimes I think customer service is a lost art, and then other times I am blown away by someone with great customer service. Since I will be the first to e-mail or call when there is a problem, I also want to praise a company when they handle a situation well and exceed my customer service expectation.

Photography Credit: Bi-Lo

Shopping at our local grocery store, I have struck up a friendship with the bookkeeper, Laura. She is very friendly and has 3 children about the same ages as my three.

Since Laura works at the Bi-Lo grocery store near my son’s school and I am not planning to drive on that side of town this summer, I will miss her. Knowing someone at the store saves me time and energy.

When a bottle of dishwashing detergent leaked inside a bag of groceries, Laura wiped everything down and replaced the messy bottle. She also helped to adjust my receipt when the register missed doubling a $.50 coupon.

Besides helping with my shopping needs, she is pleasant and brightens our day. She communicates with my girls, and they look forward to seeing Miss Laura when we shop at Bi-Lo.

If I ever need an item out of stock, help reaching an item, clarification on a sale, or assistance with a leaking product, I can find Laura and know that she will either handle the matter or get someone to address the problem. I’m thankful for the friendship we have with Miss Laura, and I look forward to visiting with her again next school year.

Do you have a favorite cashier or store employee that gives you great customer service? Having that connection saves time and makes shopping enjoyable rather than a necessary errand. With so many companies downsizing, policy seems to be taking priority over customer service.

In an effort to encourage those who put the customer first, I would love to post your stories of employees that give great customer service. If you have a great story to share, then please contact me.

Fuelperks!: Lowering Gas Prices at the Pump – Part 2 of 2

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Bi-Lo and Spinx Gas Program

Last week, I shared the basics of the Bi-Lo/Spinx partnership program called fuelperks!. For each $50 purchased in products at Bi-Lo, I earn $.05 off per gallon. I can then purchase my fuel at Spinx to redeem that discount. The fuelperks! program is also available through Winn-Dixie, Martin’s, Copps, Pick ‘n Save, Giant Eagle and Rainbow.

To maximize my savings through the fuelperks! program, I give you these additional tips:

Purchase items in the fuelperks! bonuses. I can earn more fuelperks! by purchasing these items. I shared last week how I purchased the Huggies diapers and earned an additional $.40 in fuelperks!. I like to scan the fuelperks! bonuses, but I only purchase items that our family will use and that I can pair with coupons. For me, paying much more at the grocery store for a small savings at the pump is not worth it. Now if I can get the product at the same price I would normally pay and then get the bonus on top, then yes, I will pay at the grocery store for those items.

Not all Spinx stores are the same. I always use a credit card to pay for our fuel purchases. I do not like to carry cash, and I don’t want a hold placed on my debit card. Since my credit limits on my credit cards handle the holds on the accounts, I choose to use a credit card when purchasing gas. With that said, most of the Spinx stores charge an additional $.10 if you pay by credit card. If you purchase your fuel at one of these locations, then your savings decreases by $.10. Since I am visiting their location to use my fuelperks!, I am not going to fork over $.10 of my savings to their establishment to use my credit card. I have found that the Spinx/Sunoco stores do not charge extra for credit. Their gas prices are about $.02-$.04 more per gallon than the regular Spinx stores, but there is no surcharge for using a credit card. With this knowledge, I always choose a Spinx/Sunoco store when redeeming my fuelperks!.

Pump all 20 gallons. If your gas tank is smaller than 20 gallons, then get creative! When the low fuel indicator light comes on in my car, the tank will take 16 gallons of fuel. To take full advantage of the discount, I will pump my tank full and then pump the remaining 4 gallons into our portable gas container used for the lawnmower. Another option is for my husband to follow me to the gas station in his car. We could then fill up one car and use the remaining available gallons in the second car. By pumping all 20 gallons, we are assured of maximizing our savings.

Use before expiration date. If I have saved and earned these rewards, I do not want to lose them. I will build up my savings, and then head to the pump when my car is near empty. Since I can find gas less expensively at other stations, I only use Spinx to redeem my fuelperks!. To stretch my dollars, I will build up my fuelperks! savings, and then get a deep discount on one tank of gas. The rest of the time, I purchase fuel at another location that is usually $.05 to $.07 less expensive.

If you have a fuelperks! program or another similar program available in your area, I hope these tips and tricks that I have learned along the way can help you stretch your dollars as you fill your tank.