[nabs-l] coupon shopping and looking for sales

[Cynthia Bennett]

I have found that a reader can be helpful for coupon cutting. It is
hard though. Often you don't really save money unless you have a store
and a manufacturer's coupon. I know people who consider couponing a
fulltime job. There are websites dedicated to coupon finding, but I
have found that a lot of times you will have to like something on
Facebook, receive emails, etc. and that annoys me more than the
happiness I receive from saving a few cents. I have found that a lot
of the convenience stores like CVS and Rite Aid have great sales, but
if you don't get something on sale, then it is way more expensive. So
I try to stock up on personal items like toothpaste or laundry
detergent when they are on sale at the convenience stores. One way to
do this is to just ask a shopping assistant when you drop in. A lot of
times, these super sales are located on the fronts of aisles. You can
also look online for the weekly papers that are in each store. If you
are a dedicated customer to a super local place, and if their online
presence just isn't that strong, then you can ask management if they
can send you a spreadsheet of sales. This sounds crazy, but my
boyfriend and I actually tried it for a local store downtown, and they
were completely accommidating. This store is usually more expensive,
but it is more walkable, and again, when things are on sale, they are
cheaper than many chain stores. So, whenever we ask for the sales,
they send us an Excel sheet. Sometimes we have to ask them again, but
chances are that the information is documented somewhere and all they
have to do is send it which doesn't take much time. I know that asking
shopping assistants can be tedious and often annoying, but I am picky.
When I ask for what is on sale, then I expect them to tell me. I get
to know stores and their patterns and their typical prices for things
that I buy frequently. And, when you get to know these things, you can
better determine if the shopping assistant is really informing you
correctly, or even if the items you determinedly coupon for really are
that much discounted when you do find coupons. I like to shop at
stores that have rewards cards, because then I can get all of the
store sales without coupons. But for those local store's ads in the
local paper, I think that a reader is the best way. You can have your
slate ready and you can write shorthand as the reader clips coupons.
You can write a list of things you frequently buy to give to the
reader beforehand, so they don't waste time reading coupons for items
you don't buy. Or, they can read them all and you can try some new
things discounted. I might be a cynic, but I feel like dedicating a
couple of hours a week to coupon clipping was an average amount of
time, and it really only saved me a few dollars per shopping trip. But
if you are determined, you can save a lot of money. They even have TV
shows dedicated to couponning.

One specific store that comes to mind is Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Before
I shopped there a lot, I assumed that it would always be more
expensive than a store such as Target, but they mail out 20% off
coupons every month. You can even take a receipt for an item you
previously bought with a 20% off coupon, and they will refund 20% of
the item's value to you. They also accept expired coupons. So, what I
am saying is that sometimes stores are more expensive on the outside,
but if you can get on their email alert or coupon mailing list, then
you can make a rule for yourself that you will only buy things when
you have a coupon, and you actually save money. Also, sometimes if you
just ask, you can learn information. I bet that tons of people never
use their Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons because they are expired, but
it just took me simply asking once, and I learned something new. I
know we all think of the obnoxious customer rudely demanding that a
casheer take an expired coupon, but if you ask nicely, they usually
give a nice answer.

You can also take your reader to the recycling bin in your apartment
building. My friend does this, and when she gets a Bed, Bath, and
Beyond coupon, she usually finds at least 3 more in the recycling bin
that people just didn't want.

Cindy

On 8/7/12, zerone1683 at gmail.com <zerone1683 at gmail.com> wrote:
> What are the newspapers in your area?
> visit the websites of the newspapers in your area and you will be able to
> access all their ads.
>
> C.C. Alan
>
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-- 
Cynthia Bennett
B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington

clb5590 at gmail.com
828.989.5383