MrsDrPoe: A Beginners Guide to Couponing, Part 8

Today we will resume the series on couponing for beginners with another grocery store that has some fantastic deals:

Publix
Initiation
Unlike Kroger, you will not need to obtain any kind of store loyalty card to partake in the deals at Publix.

Preparation
As before any shopping trip, I look to Jenny to tell me what sales are going on and what coupons I can match with them. Occasionally, sale prices that Jenny lists differ slightly from those at my store due to different pricing in different regions; however, I use Jenny's prices as a guide for any items not listed in the weekly sales flyer on the Publix website.

In addition to the typical coupons I get in the Sunday paper, Publix will often include inserts with their store coupons:


I believe you can use one manufacturer and one store coupon on a single item. Also, manufacturer coupons up to $0.50 will be doubled at Publix. Furthermore, Publix stores will accept store coupons from whatever store it considers to be its competitor in a certain area. Here, we are allowed to use Kroger coupons; however, there is a limit of one use per person of a specific store coupon per day. For example: if I had 2 Kroger dog food coupons and 1 Kroger tuna fish coupon, I can only use 1 dog food coupon and the tuna fish coupon on my purchase at Publix today.

B1G1 free sales at Publix can be misleading; these items are simply reduced in price by half. You do not need to purchase two items to see the savings (at most stores)...but you can if you want to. Often there are no limit to the number of items you purchase at Publix; however, you should always pay attention to the fine print to be sure, especially with products like milk and soft drinks.

Publix also has a "penny item" promotion, where on either Wednesdays or Thursdays (depending on your store), you can get a certain item for a penny with any purchase of $10 or more (before coupons). A penny item coupon is required at many stores and can be found in the newspaper on Wednesday or Thursday. Another different sale that Publix often holds is a "buy theirs get ours" deal. To take advantage of this, you must buy a specified name brand item and you will get the same type of item (but the Publix brand, of course) for free. Unlike a typical B1G1 sale, you must get both items to see savings.

Implementation
When I get to the store, I shop like normal. When I've gathered all the items I wanted, I'll double check the items and the coupons I had planned to use for my trip, and then I head to the checkout line. Publix has a very nice method of showing you the prices/discounts of items as they are rung up, which I always try to watch to triple check the prices. After all my items are scanned, I hand the cashier my coupons.

As with any store, a receipt prints out after your purchase detailing the purchase and providing a savings breakdown for your shopping trip. Of course, since there is no Publix card, these savings are not tracked for any previous trips to the store.

Notes: 1) Publix Stores in Florida have different policies, which are not described here. 2) Because the regular priced items at Publix are often way more expensive than those at Kroger and because the cost of gas is so high, I typically forgo these sales at Publix unless every item I need for the next week is on sale there.

What's your favorite grocery store to shop at?

MrsDrPoe: A Beginners Guide to Couponing, Part I

As I posted earlier today, Mr. Poe and I just became debt free. One of the ways we have been able to eliminate the small about of debt that we had accrued is by couponing. While I am by no means "the" expert on couponing, I am very excited to share with you what I have learned in the past year and a half.

In essence, "couponing" is learning how to match coupons with sales at your local store(s) to get items that you need for the lowest possible price. You can make the transition to savings easier and quicker by laying some ground work before you get started; here are a few things to consider:

1. Goals - Why do you want to save money? Are you saving for something big? Something small? Trying to get out of debt? If you take some time to consider your financial goals, it's much easier to stick to your decision to save money (and avoid "impulse buys"). With our debt settled we are now saving for a down payment on a house and for a newer family car.
   
2. Coupons - Where will you get your coupons? There are websites where you can add digital coupons to store savings cards, websites that allow you to print out paper coupons, and Sunday newspaper inserts with coupons. If you decided to purchase newspapers, which paper in your area contains the best coupons? How many will you get? (Several gurus suggest 1 paper per person in your household.) We purchase two papers on Sunday mornings and supplement those with coupons we find online.
   
3. Organization - How will you organize your coupons? How much time can you spare to coupon? Where will you keep your couponing "stash"? We keep the inserts from each Sunday in a single slot of an expandable file folder; loose coupons are kept in a small index card organizer (more on this later). We typically go to 1-3 stores a week, typically on our way to other places, and we keep a very small stash of items in our spare closet.
   
4. Base Price List - What is a "good price" on items? How much are you paying for items that you buy now? By taking the time to make a list of the items you frequently purchase and the prices you regularly buy them at, you'll better recognize when a sale or a coupon or both is actually benefiting you.
5. Brand Loyalty - Why do you buy the brands that you buy? Do they really work/taste better? The fewer items you are brand loyal to, the greater savings you can have. Note: Just because you have to use a specific brand of one or more items does not mean that couponing will be no use to you. We will buy the cheapest just about anything.
   

Be sure to stay tuned for more beginner couponing tips next Monday!