Posted on 02/10/2011 5:28:14 AM PST by PJ-Comix
"You do know that you're cheating the system."
Those were the actual words said to me by a clueless cashier the other day.
Cheating? How? Was I using counterfeit coupons? No.
Was I using coupons for unauthorized items? No.
Was I using too many coupons? No.
(Excerpt) Read more at couponwhisperer.blogspot.com ...
Why did the cashier even worry about it? It’s not like the money was coming out of her/his pocket. Reminds me of the waitress who gets p-oed when she refills the coffee a time more than she feels is necessary. They should have a new reality show called, ‘Mind your own business.’
She called the manager to the front of the store instead. He proceeded to apologize profusely and rang up my original, perfectly legal deal just like she should have done. I then suggested to him that perhaps he'd like to educate his cashiers on proper coupon use instead of having them accuse their customers of criminal activity. I never saw her in that store after that so either she quit or they got rid of her snarling face.
Ping.
Toss me on the ping list please, PJ. I’m going to have to study this.
And you can use what you saved to buy that Rib eye steak or fill your gas tank. Or maybe a nice dinner :-) there are even coupons for that. O’Charley’s and Ruby Tuesday’s often have coupons in the Sunday fish wrapper.
She does. Target is her favorite stomping grounds. We have a “insider” that lets us know when they are going to put something on clearance. We got our 42” LCD tv for 175 bucks I think it was. Target will put an additional discount on the floor model when it’s the last remaining one on a discontinued model.
Last time laundry soap went on “clearance” she bought 22 gallons of it.
Total cost (she did use a coupon or 2 or 3 on it) 22 bucks.
Even with 2 kids I think that should last a while.
We don’t have Krogers here. but the two large local chains do have 10 for 10 and “dollar day” sales.
I don’t have any hair so nothing needed there ;)
Excellent work. Jewell had a similar deal last year that we took advantage of.
I remember a story about a woman who clipped forty-some coupons from the Yellow Pages that promised $100 off a new car. As the coupon didn't state "only one coupon per purchase" she was certain she was owed a free car for her efforts. She didn't get the car (thankfully), but was exactly was her thought process? It certainly wasn't based on a system of fair play.
But it keeps the SampleMen employed.
Normally my wife has something like a $400 total coming down to the mid-late $100s, so the manager knows her by name now.
mine to! They’ll joke about it. “not quite as good this time” “wow, that’s a deal!” they don’t know each other at all out side of the checkout lane.
One nice thing is she can hit target, cub (Supervalue) Rainbow (roundy’s) aldi, Costco, dollar store, Sams, walgreens and CVS and travel a total from leaving the house and getting back of 3 miles. It’s an all day adventure that I don’t like to go on (she loves it though) where she comes home and adds up the savings. Normally it’s 4 figures.
Could you add me to your list please? It’s my birthday, I’m snowbound with four kids and dh 1000 miles away, and it would make my day to be a disciple of ‘The Coupon Whisperer’! LOL
FWIW, last month I was at Target just looking around and decided to check the shoes because I needed a pair of boots. As usual, I started in the clearance section :) I found a pair of very cute and stylish black boots w/2 inch heels for $5.24. I almost didn’t try them on because they were 1/2 size smaller than I normally wear, but I did and they were a perfect fit! When I got to the checkout, the cashier told me that they were a return from an internet order and that such items are discounted heavily when returned to the store. I don’t know why that is, but I liked getting boots for about 1/6 of the original price!
When pork butt goes down to $0.89 a pound, it’s sausage time. We buy a boatload, turn it into sausage and freeze it.
Have you ever heard the story behind the book “Beat the Dealer”? Some math wizz figured out a counting system to beat the odds of blackjack (He later invented hedge funds). It worked. The book was a best seller. Casinos were scared to death it would end blackjack forever. It did the exact opposite.
Few people were effectively able to use the system. The casinos made millions off the people who didn’t put in the time and effort to do it properly. The casinos didn’t end blackjack just because some people knew how to win. It still made them money. Manufacturers and stores still issue coupons because it is still a profitable venture.
That’s a much better analogy than your bike thief.
For shoes, Shoe Carnival is a great place to hit, especially if you’re buying multiples. They’ll have a shoe on big sale like 40% off, plus give you a “buy one get 50% off second” deal. You basically get two pairs for the price of one, even for expensive brand names like Sketchers and Heelys.
Ah, Navy. That explains it. :)
Rite Aid is great if you have the rewards card and get your prescriptions filled there. It’s hard to build the reward card up to maximum savings through regular purchases, and you probably wouldn’t save money in the end, but filling a few expensive prescriptions (most of which is covered by insurance) will build it up to max savings quickly. After that, things start getting insanely cheap.
I’m not the world’s greatest couponer, but I’m ok. I recently got at least 10 brand name packages of TP at 60% off. They were regularly $9.99, on sale for 6.99. By using my store card, they came down to 5.99. There were coupons hanging in front of the display for $1 off each package. Then when I went through the checkout, I was surprised to get $2 coupons for each 2 packages I bought.
I think there is truth in what you are saying about the coupon marketing field not being unhappy about the publicity. But there are a lot of things that are done for publicity that are less than scrupulous.
My basic rule on ethics is that I base them on what is right, not what I can get away with. Also that it doesn't matter who is getting the short end of the stick.
I like my bargains, but I don't think I should abuse someone's good will. In the blackjack example you used,the casinos did counter it by adding more decks to the boot. Additionally, being extra good at gambling isn't in the same category as going out of your way to take advantage of an offer.
If Joe down at the filling station offers a dollar off on each fill up, I can't fill up five times a day and still look Joe in the eye. Taking advantage is taking advantage, even when the service station is owned by BP. Normal coupon use, even certain doubling is A-OK by me. I'm talking about extreme cases of using coupons in ways that were clearly not intended by the issuer.
I see a difference between ripping off a system due to an error, and making the most out of a system within its rules. The manufacturer and store coupon game is pretty well settled now. Few people are going to actually be able to rip it off due to mistakes, and it's pretty well settled law that the stores don't have to honor mistakes. The best the rest do is play the game to its limits within the rules set by the stores and manufacturers. If the stores and manufacturers don't like it, they'll change the rules.
But you want a real rip-off? Those coupon expiration dates don't mean squat. Soldiers and their families in commissaries all over the world can use those coupons six months after their expiration date! Those unethical people taking advantage of the poor manufacturers.
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