Ok, Yesterday's trip.... First let me say OHHH what a long nightmarish trip! This is why I go completely prepared... but I forget we must expect the unexpected. Transaction #1 should have been super simple. 6 boxes of Alka Seltzer to go packs. Wam, Bam, thank you ma'am... in and out the door. But nope that is not at all how it happened. First I walk in as they are unlocking the door and Mr Manager musta had a rough night. He was not in the mood for a customer that early. But he tried to put on his happy Rite Aid smile and greet me... the thing is I had no sleep for 2 nights either so I was in a bitchy mood too. Not a great combination.
I go to the section with the Alka Seltzer... I look, nothing, look again... nothing walk around the store thinking there must be a special display or aisle end display. Nope the damn store has no + up maker in stock. CRAPPPP!!! So I walk up to the manager, completely deflated and not happy at all, but try to keep my cool. I asked if he knew where the Alka Seltzer To Go boxes are. He says he hasn't seen any. I said well its a huge special today. You have to have some, its like the best item in the flyer this week. He said Listen nothing in this life is guaranteed. WHOAAAA haha calm down cowboy! I said um yeah I realize that, but this is a item in the flyer and the sale starts today ... you would think you might have 1 box??? Then I go look for the Nivea lotion ... wtf?? 1 bottle??? Are you serious? I went back up to him and told him I was calling corporate to complain of inventory levels. I told him I knew he didn't control it, and it wasn't his fault, but this was ridiculous not to have the top 2 items in this weeks flyer in stock.
So I start working another Bayer deal but nothing good is happening... cash is low, + ups are low and I really needed that Alka Seltzer deal. I am getting really frustrated and I look across the aisle from the Bayer just for a split second, not looking for anything, just looking away to clear my head. And what do you think I see? Yes, about 15 boxes of Alka Seltzer COLD. How did I miss the "COLD" on the damn box? So I was looking by the upset stomach area, not the flu and cold meds! So I chuckle, grab 6 boxes and feel on top of the world again. The manager even acts happy for me lol ... I am watching him ring it up and I said, "whoa wait a minute... Its ringing up at $4.94? $5 isn't the sale price? He said I don't know. I guess your 10% discount is greater than the sale price. So what are you saying... regular price is $5.05??? CRAP now my deal is falling apart again! I only bought 6 papers and had no more $3 off coupons. ughhhh Why is this happening to me?? lol So I said "hang on let me think about this" So I went ahead and bought a $6.29 box of Bayer AM ... there was a $3 off Q in the ad and I had $1.50 off Q. So I spent an extra + up but the deal worked. Transactions 2 & 3 weren't smooth either, and I was in Rite Aid for an hour and a half! lol I am thinking this 10% off thing is not really a blessing beyond making my milk and tea cheaper than Walmart...
Here are my deals:
I started with $9 + ups and left with $12 + ups and a $5 gift card.
6 boxes of Alka Seltzer Cold to go packs (in the cold section lol) - $5 ($4.94 for me) = $30 ($29.64) (stop here if you don't have 10% off)
1 box Bayer AM - $6.29
total - $35.93 ($30 for you without 10% off)
coupons used
$5 off $25 (Red Plum 12/31 exp date)
6 - $3 off Alka Seltzer to go boxes - 10/24 RP
1 - $1 off Alka Seltzer - RA Oct VV
1- $3 off Bayer AM - RA flyer Q - 10/24
1 - $1.50 off Bayer AM Q - printed online
$8 + ups
total due - -$0.57 + $2.17 tax = $1.60 OOP
used $8 in + ups
earned $22 in + ups
Transaction #2
1 Wonka/Nestle 48 oz mixed bag candy - sale $9.99
1 Wonka Mix ups 27 oz candy - sale - $4.99
4 bags Nestle fun size bags - sale 2/$5 = $10.00
1 Reeses 8 pk snack - $1.00
Total - $25.98
coupons used
$5 off $25 (red plum)
$2 off Wonka Nestle combo bag - online
$1.50 off Wonka mix up bag - online
2 - $1 off 2 Nestle snack size bags - online
$15 in + ups (previous transaction)
total due - $0.48 + $1.47 tax = $1.95 OOP
used $15 + ups
earned $10 + ups
Transaction #3 - (was supposed to be my 4 Nivea lotions but that was nixed due to low inventory, so I wandered around the store for 40 minutes trying to put together a deal around the 1 bottle they had in stock lol)
1 Nivea Happy Sensations lotion - sale- $5.99
1 - Aveeno shampoo - sale - $5.99
1 - L'Oreal Primer 890 - $11.65 (with 10% disc)
1 L'Oreal Adv Regenerist Cleasnser @ 50% off (BOGO 50%) - $2.79 (with my 10% disc) (ENTERED MANUALLY)
(with my 10% disc the L'Oreal did not reach the $15 needed for the $5 +ups but the manager gave me a $5 gift card because the 10% off should not have been taken off because the sale price is greater than 10% and the register was not ringing it up at sale price for some reason ... he was just as frustrated as me and gave me the gc :) I love RA)
total - $26.42
coupons used
$5 off $25 (12/31 exp)
$1 off Nivea lotion - (red plum 10/17)
2 - $2 off L'Oreal facial products (online)
$1 off Aveeno Nourish product - online
$4 off Aveeno Nourish - Oct RA VV
$13 + ups (previous transactions)
total due - -$0.58 + $1.50 tax = $0.93 OOP
used $13 + ups
earned $11 + ups (well $6 + a $5 gc ... should have been $11)
TOTALS FOR THE DAY
TOTAL - -$0.67 + $5.17 TAX = $4.47 OOP
walked in with $9 + ups left with $17 (i am basing that on the $5 gc as a + up) so I earned $8 + ups
Total saved - $109.45
I sure hope you don't mean me!!! My blog said people that printed 10 in one week!!! I use one a week of the pdf.... It actually says one per customer right on them. And all other $5 off $25 are from redplum or the video values!!!!
ReplyDeleteI also know what you mean about getting used to having them around! It will be hard to get used to shopping without them. But as you can see there are still great deals.
No I didnt mean you! haha But I was guilty of using 3-4 a week. I didnt see the 1 per customer on the coupon, but I didnt read it either. I just used it. There are still great deals even without the coupon, but we will just have to be more creative! :)
ReplyDeletehello seymour. wow! you are doing great on your RA shopping trips. gotta love that rite aid. my favorite store, and their customer service line is great as well. i hope that ra doesn't stop their $5/$25 as well. i know they pulled it from the ad perks this month, but there are still a few floating out there. just remember that you are creative enough to do what you are already doing, and i've seen people posting on how to do great deals w/out it. in fact my good friend at pantryoverflow reccommends not using those unless you absolutely have to because they are becoming rare. i am learning to do some pretty great deals w/out them. at least we still have the $4/$20. if you get enough ups you can treat some of them as your $5/$25. i will try to post some of my scenarios for making money w/out the $5/25 in the next few weeks as well. luv your pics too.
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteOne of my "readers"...actually a person who found the blog looking for such a coupon, told me that I was wrong for having the link up of the PDF coupon that was shared with me from another couponer as it promoted abuse of the coupon since that specific link had 3 of the coupons on one page.
If it was me in whom you are referring, please note that I was not "condemning" anyone for using such coupons. I removed the link to that one, not the ones which expired on other days and only had one to a page, as I saw her point in that Rite-Aid did not put the coupon out with that many on one sheet, so someone else had to have created that particular file and then distributed it for useage and I felt bad passing on the link as I didn't even think on the process of how the file was created, at that time, merely my access to having this coupon, especially since they are also accepted as a competitor's coupon at another one of our local stores.
So, I, if you were in fact speaking of me, in no wise, meant to sound as though I saying that couponers are wrong for printing PDF coupons, just that when the coupon, itself, has been altered, as in this case, I don't want to be the cause of someone else using it illegally, including myself. The other PDF versions of the coupon were fine, as they did not follow this rule.
Reaping In Abundance,
Kay
I never even tried using the pdf until a few weeks ago because i was afraid it wasn't real. then a rite aid cashier (supervisor, i think) said she used them,and it was okay. now though they beep, and require an override. most of my $5 off $25 came from red plum, or the video values (only 2 a month of those ones, but not anymore, so sad).
ReplyDeleteKay,
ReplyDeleteno I wasnt speaking of you either. This person was definitely blantently calling people WRONG for using the coupon and I followed her blog closely and she used this coupon on every Rite Aid visit. I am taking this comment out of my blog now because I dont want everyone thinking I am talking about them for mentioning the coupon. I totally get why people took the coupon down and expressed a feeling of abuse of the coupon. This particular blogger actually has taken the entry down. People must have expressed to her that it was offensive. It was that bad. So I am deleting this part of my entry because the actual entry I am referring to is no longer out there and I dont want people to feel like I am pointing the finger at everyone that mentioned the overuse of the coupon. :)
seymour, you are doing great, and i don' think that you were abusing anything. i think most of us try to be honest, and who really reads every single coupon's small print when we use so many. i am very cautious, and try to read most of the small print, but i miss it sometimes too. i've even accidentally used wrong coupons before, and whenever it's been pointed out to me i've corrected the issue. most of us are not trying to abuse the system, just trying to save money in this economy. i think it's cool what you are trying to do for your hubby. he is a blessed man, and you are a great wife.
ReplyDelete