Goood Evening everybody!
I had a very interesting day... Since school starts back up for me in less than 2 weeks, I'm trying to put my energy into couponing to keep me occupied. Plus, when school starts, I'll be making fewer trips out to certain stores. Not only do I go to school super full time, but I also do field work at local Elementary Schools. It's a busy schedule but I can't wait to finish school and finally be a teacher!
First I went to Walgreens to cash in on the Keri Lotion moneymaker, but of course my store had none. I actually went to the store on Saturday and they had 3 in stock. I think its pretty silly to not stock up before a major sale but they'll do what they want lol. So anyways! My experience was pretty good. It is Walgreens official policy to adjust a coupon value down if the item is priced lower than the coupon value. Since I wanted to get the .99 expo markers and I had a coupon for $2/2, I first confronted the manager to make sure I wouldn't have a problem at the check out counter. Fortunately, he understood my situation and instead of having them adjust the coupon value down, he had the cashier adjust the price of the markers up to $1.00. While this isn't the right way to do it, I honestly did not feel like making a deal out of it lol. So I ended up getting 8 packages of the markers for just tax!! The store still had plenty left over so I felt good =D
While some people ask me things like... Why do you buy items you aren't really going to use? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of couponing if you end up buying a bunch of stuff you don't even need?
Well my answer is No...
Sure I coupon to save myself money, but my real passion is to coupon for others. Why make a teacher [Who we all know tend to spend a lot of their own money on supplies] pay full price for some supplies when I can take some time out of my day, pay pennies, and bless that teacher with a lot of stuff for the classroom!? It just feels like the right thing to do. If we live thinking that this life is all about taking care of ourselves, I feel like we will never truly be living. Giving to others makes the world a better place. It makes life a little easier for someone in need. So that's why I shop for things I don't need. Because someone out there DOES need it and I can get it for them at a much lower price than they can imagine.
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8 Expo Whiteboard Markers 2 ct. $.99 [Adjusted up to $1.00 each]
- (4) $2/2 Manufacturer HERE
These are an incredible gift to give to classroom teachers. I know how quickly they tend to dry out and when the time comes, they end up costing a lot of money. So I officially have 10 packages to share with local teachers =D
1 Crayola Crayons $1 get $1 RR
Used $1 RR P&G
Total
$.63 tax only!
Saved:
$10.49
Transaction 2
1 Crayola Crayons $1 get $1 RR
Used $1 RR P&G
Total
$.07 tax!
Saved:
$2.49
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Then I made two separate trips to Office Max. And have I got a story for you guys... It will probably be a long rant, just warning you!
Basically, the filler paper is on sale for .01 each, with a limit of 3 per person. And as humans we should all understand that limits are imposed for a reason, so that EVERYONE can get in on the deal. Well apparently people in my part of Miami don't know how to read. Or they simply don't care about "following the rules". If there is one thing that ticks me off the most when it comes to couponing, it is those people who CLEAR the shelves with selfish motivation. I mean really do you need 30 of the same item? At one time? REALLY? And when people abuse the limits that are set, it makes the company want to STOP offering those amazing deals. Sure they make tons of money, but that doesn't make it okay for us as customers to disregard the imposed limits like we're special or something lol.
Well.. When I made my first trip into the store alone, I got 3 packages of the paper. In front of me I saw various people getting 6-9 packages. Of course it was annoying because the cashiers let them get away with it, but I just sighed and moved on with my day. But later, when my husband met me at the store, we decided to get some more paper, 3 packages each. Now keep in mind they had a HUGE stock of the paper. Probably 50 boxes carrying.. maybe 20 packages of paper each? What I saw next shocked me. There were 2 different people in line in front of me with 4 BOXES of the filler paper. REALLY?!? 4 Boxes???? Thats about 80 packages each, when the limit is 3... Sigh.
The worst part? The cashier was letting them purchase it all. And when other people saw that they were getting away with it, they sent their children to the back to bring some more boxes. By the time it was my turn in line, a total of 12 boxes had been purchased by 3 separate customers. One lady in front of me had 3 packages of paper, just like my husband and I and she confronted the lady in front, thinking that perhaps she didn't know there was a limit. But when she said "You know there is a limit of 3 right?" the lady looked at her and did the whole "SHH" motion with her finger pressed against her lips as if saying "Yea I know. Be quiet!"
I couldn't believe it. They KNEW they were abusing the promotion. Since the line was so long I decided to wait until I checked out to confront any of the employees. Ironically, the cashier I had was strictly imposing the 3 per person limit. He even made people with 4 or 5 packages put the extra back. How could two check out lines next to one another be SO different towards enforcing the limit?
So I checked out, payed my .03 and went to the manager..
I simply told him that people were buying entire boxes. Now I know we're all past the age of "tattling" but this wasn't about selfish motives or revenge. It was simply the right thing to do. Why should anyone feel as if they are above the law? And why should we be expected to stay silent when we witness injustice in action? So I spoke up. I mean as a couponer I have witnessed how stores impose limits, people ABUSE those limits, and then the store decides to simply avoid the promotion in the future. If people aren't going to be grateful and respectful of the special prices, then why offer them? I knew it had to be stopped. I probably forgot to mention that by the time I was talking to the manager, another 3 people were lined up with 4 boxes each. Thats 24 BOXES of this filler paper GONE and not available to other people for the rest of the week. I just can't stand when people feel like they should be allowed to get away with breaking the rules. Saving money is a blessing, but when you do it with bad intentions and wrongful actions, it really taints the whole experience.
Well the manager stopped the whole problem right away and even told the cashier at fault " I specifically told you NOT to sell the entire boxes". Sure I felt bad for him but he knew better, and so did the customers. Maybe if they didn't realize they were doing wrong then it would be understandable. But they were being secretive and cunning. It was so sad. In the end I felt good. At least other people can get the paper for the rest of the week, but unfortunately, there was probably only 5 boxes of paper left for the rest of the week because of all the people who got away with buying them.
So please guys, remember that saving money should be a positive experience. Follow the rules and respect the limits. We shouldn't want too keep it all to ourselves. Instead, we should want to bless others and enable our friends and family to get the same deals as we do. It's a much more enjoyable experience and blessing for everybody.
Ok I'm finished complaining lol. Here is what I got!
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Trip 1:
3 Filler Paper .01
3 Papermate Pens .10
Total
$.35
Saved:
$7.11
Trip 2:
6 Filler Paper .01
Hubby got 3, I got 3, in separate transactions
Total:
$.06
Saved:
$8.88
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Then, I walked across the street to Office Depot. When a good price on Printer paper comes around, I just jump on it lol.
2- 500 sheet Ream Paper $6.49 get $5.49 Rebate
And since the rebate will come soon, I like to say my spendings/savings as post-rebate.
Total:
$2.96 tax and glue
Saved:
$15.88
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So even though I dealt with some pretty annoying people today, I had a nice day. My husband met me for a post-couponing treat at Panera Bread =D Again, that is why we coupon. To save on the things we can so we can enjoy the things it is hard to save on!
Total Trip:
$4.07
Total Saved:
$44.85
So in the end, I spent less than $2 on all of the school supplies I plan on donating. It probably would have cost someone else $30 retail. The field schools I work at are high-need schools. I can't wait to surprise the classrooms with tons of supplies that cost me pocket change!
Donations:
