Posted on 01/01/2011 2:32:36 PM PST by PJ-Comix
I'm kicking off the New Year with a new blog. The main purpose of "The Coupon Whisperer" won't be to provide hot coupon tips, although I will be doing that. The primary purpose of this blog is to provide you with entertaining "war stories" from the field. Think of it as adventures in couponing. And so we start of with our first story...the strange story of Coupon Mike...
I met Coupon Mike earlier this year at his job when I was introduced to him by a mutual friend, who worked at the same place, because of our common interest in couponing. Upon meeting Coupon Mike, I must say I was very impressed by him. Rarely have I seen a more animated person. Coupon Mike had over the top enthusiasm about couponing which was highlighted by his wildly gesticulating arms, wide sparkling smile, and bright eyes as he happily related many of his couponing tips to me which I did my best to absorb as they tumbled out of his mouth at a furious pace. He was particularly enthusiastic about couponing at Walgreens and I have to credit Coupon Mike with sparking my interest in that store since I had mostly ignored it prior to meeting him. Since Coupon Mike proved to be a wealth of couponing information, I visited him several more times at this workplace and he always eagerly provided me the information that I sought which was much appreciated by me.
And then I met him out in the field... It was inside a grocery store where I spotted Coupon Mike filling up his shopping cart.
"HELLO, MIKE!" I happily chirped. "Doing some couponing today?"
He looked over at me but something about him seemed different. It was as if a balloon had been almost completely deflated. Gone was his previous enthusiasm and extroverted self-confidence to be replaced with with someone with a diffident hunched over posture. Instead of his normal booming voice, something like a frightened whisper said:
"Um...um...um... I can't talk now. Have to leave right away."
The change in Coupon Mike was shocking and I soon found out the reason when he introduced his wife. I can't remember her name but the impression she gave was the angry Eye of Sauron which is what I shall call her. She never said a word to me following that introduction. The only response she gave to me after I said hello to her was an angry death ray glare. The Eye of Sauron effect was accentuated by the fact that at nearly 6 and a half feet tall, she towered over both Coupon Mike and me. Anyway, no matter how much I tried to get Coupon Mike to talk shop, he persisted in timidly warning me away about how he had no time or that he had an appointment somewhere.
Okay, perhaps Coupon Mike was having a bad day. We all do. And, in fact, a couple of weeks later when I saw Coupon Mike back at work he was back to his old self again. Wildly gesticulating as he described the latest coupon deals he found.
Then a few weeks after that, I again spotted Coupon Mike at another store...accompanied by the Eye of Sauron. And again, Mike timidly begged me to leave him alone as I thought I was sure to get zapped by an angry ray from the Eye of Sauron. Either that or she would just flat out strangle me. That is how much rage was boiling inside of her.
This pattern repeated itself yet again. I met Coupon Mike at work where he was back to his old happy self only to be followed by a complete metamorphosis when I saw him at the store when he was towered over by the Eye of Sauron.
Finally I showed up at Mike's workplace but not to see him about more valuable coupon tips. My purpose was to question my friend what the deal was with the Eye of Sauron. I figured maybe it was something I did or said that so enraged her. Fortunately my friend assured me that it wasn't my fault. It turns out that the Eye of Sauron just hates EVERYONE. However, this makes me more curious. If someone hates everyone, how does that person even survive socially? In fact, how did the incredibly friendly Coupon Mike end up being married to the Eye of Sauron? How did they first meet? Also how do you get attracted to a woman who hates everyone and lets it be known with her perpetual Eye of Sauron death ray stare? Perhaps I'll never find out the answers to those questions but I must say that I do appreciate the friendly coupon advice that Coupon Mike has given me...when he is out of range of the Eye of Sauron.
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And now for a hot coupon tip of the week. Starting on January 2, Walgreens has a $9 register rewards when you buy a 6-pack of Oscillococcinum Flu Medicine at $8.99. On top of that the January Walgreens coupon book is supposed to have a $5 coupon for that same item so when you pay $3.99 out of pocket, you get $9 back to spend on almost whatever you want. Since I have had a lingering on and off cold since Thanksgiving weekend, I think I'll give this medicine a try. You can't beat the price which amounts to FREE plus $5 net back.
Basically, the register rewards are good for two weeks.
I roll them into other products...and it is an art form.
You roll them to keep them alive. So, when you are stuck with a register reward that is about to expire and there is nothing you want to buy..look for some free deal.
This month that have a Pill Swallowing Spray all month long . 5 get back 5. This helps with the rolling.
Also, if you want to do lots of transactions you have to figure out how to flip flop transactions for the least amount of out of pocket costs.
This week you can use the things listed in their ad plus the pill swallowing spray.
The $10 that you can for Omega Factor 3 can be used in two weeks on Joint Juice . That’s a straight up easy roll because there are no coupons( except for 1.00 coupons and you can only print two per computer from their website).
You don’t have to worry about fillers. You just pay tax.
HOWEVER, this gets to be VERY VERY expensive with cost of fillers and tax..so you have to have a plan and look for things you will use for fillers.
The way you make money is with the coupons. So far I have bought 80 Omega Factor 3s and used 3.00 coupons on each. Minus cost of tax and filler it ends up only being about a $2.00 money maker. This week is good for fillers because Christmas candy just went 75% off.
those are some basics.
There is a 2.00 coupon from the Boiron site that can be used on that flu product. HOWEVER, it beeps. Because it is a internet coupon some stores are leary of taking it. I take in a copy of the URL address and point out the phone number on the coupon. The Coupon redemption center said that you can mail in the coupon,UPC and receipt to them and they will give you 2.00. FORGET IT.
I convince the store managers to take it.
This is a product to buy a lot of because it has rave reviews that it works. I have used it in the past and I think it works, too. Lots of people on FR have talked about it last year during swine flu season.
six tubes in a package. One tube every six hours gets to be expensive. So buy a bunch of this while it is free/money maker.
I try to tell people that want to send packages to the troops that buying stuff from Walgreens, CVS, and Riteaid is the way to do it.
Military base commissary takes Register rewards and evidently so is Walmart..but apparently that is can be a fight to get the Manager to figure out that it is okay to take them.
If I can get my local Walmart to take them I will feel like I am in heaven. No more panic over what to do with $600 worth of register rewards! Just shop at Walmart. HA!
There are coupons for finesse. Most places just have the $1.00 coupon but there are $1.50 ones out there. Look for coupon clipping sites.Some will sell you 1 or two coupons. On ebay they are usually done in lots.
My operation takes spending A LOT of money on coupons.
You have to plan in advance like a military assault.
My Chex deal got screwed up every which way and hacked me off because I bought Chex coupons. Chocolate coupons came in time..still haven’t received the other ones.
When you have the store order merchandise for you ..you better darn will have your act together and if there is any question then you better not have the store order for you.
Oh, and on rebate items have them print you out a rebate receipt. Many don’t know how to do this. Have them call over the manager. IF you are lucky, the manager will know how to do it. There is a special button that has to be pushed before the item is rung up and on a lot of registers it is not marked.
Having a rebate receipt will avoid hassles of not being paid the right amount because you used coupons and RRs.
One more thing, watch the wording on the rebate. Likely you can only do one.
Some companies let you do more than one on certain items.
Bayer and Renpure come to mind.
There is also an advil deal for cheap advil (not free) -how many you need for the deal depends on the price at your store and it requires coupons. Search the deals sites if you need advil.
Wow, I'd never heard of that.
Does that mean that I don't need to have the item rung up separately?
That would be great.
Decades ago I did couponing/rebating all the time; what I dislike nowadays is that most coupons expire so very quickly, way back when they typically were always good for at least a minimum of six months -- the modern day branders who simply want me to look at the NAME of their product and know full well that I probably won't redeem it within a month --- those coupon issuers irk me --- long ago, couponing was NOT a never ending search for non-expired coupons.
One other thing I particularly dislike is those multi-billion corporations who have the gall to offer a 10-cent coupon, that isn't worth the time to cut it out, and if you happen to read it, you find out that you must purchase TWO.
rofl!!
I think I might like the RRs, though....
I'll go back to google and explore the deal-sites for some decent Advil coupons.
you can get 2.00 from Advil site but not sure how many you can get. I just ordered mine and haven’t fooled around with the site.
https://www.thepromotionaloffer.com/hmsdrtv/
Please add me to the ping list. Thanks!
What state are you in? Florida does NOT tax food or medicine and Omega Factor 3 counts as medicine. I found 12 cent fillers today (Christmas candy canes).
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