Thrifty Time Again

I posted a blog last week that was SO long, I decided to cut it short. As I write this, I have just posted last week's blog. I wanted to make sure you got my info before I could forget about it. I mean, I'm on a roll.

Now that you have checked your ads, printed your coupons, and bought your groceries, you're done right? Not even close! What about all the other stuff you need to buy? Well if you live your life online like I do, you are probably buying a lot of stuff through internet shopping. When you go to check out, do you notice the box to enter the promo code? Don't leave that blank! RetailMeNot is one of a half dozen or so sites that offer you current promo codes for thousands of websites. From Pizza Hut to Think Geek, to Walmart, you can find coupons for things like free shipping, to percents off your order and more. Some stores won't let you double up on promo codes. So if you're going to save more on free shipping then 10% off, choose wisely. And obviously, if you're site charges tax, there's nothing you can do about it. I have only come across a handful of places that don't have codes posted, or have codes posted that are expired or don't work. You can thumbs-up/thumbs-down a code too if they do or don't work. It helps keep the site accurate and up to date. On one site alone, I saved $45 on a $70 total thanks to RetailMeNot.

If you register for an account, they will often ask if you want the weekly newsletter. Some sites use that to spam the crap out of you, but a good portion of them will send you deal in the hope that you buy something. I get a bunch of newsletters, and when I need something, I check the emails to see what I can get. Feel free to use these codes or deals, and then post them on sites like RetailMeNot for the rest of us to use. If you opted-out of the newsletters, you can often opt back in by adjusting your account settings. Only do it for sites that you care about though. You want to make sure your inbox isn't overloaded. I subscribe to 2-5 newsletters: Think Geek, E.L.F., and a couple others. I like seeing whats on sale and what new products are coming out. Simply use caution and good judgement.

When buying a any product, shop around. Google shopping is a great way to see what's out there and where. Some of the sites I've never heard of, but you can always filter those out. If you discover a website that has a fantastic deal, and you've never heard of it before, take some advice from my former boss. Do "the needful," which of course means, research the company. Type in their company name into Google with words like "reviews" or "ratings" to see what other people have said about them. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they follow through of their orders or if they are have complaints filed on them. You can type in a phone number, a company name, or even the website. If all else fails, trust the old saying. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

You can file a complaint with the BBB, or even request a refund from your credit card company or bank in the event that you don't trust your instincts. There's not much the BBB can do besides try to contact the company and get your case reviewed. Even when you are proven right, they can't force a company to follow through. I'm still waiting on a replacement GPS from Magellan from a case with the BBB, even though it was deemed I was to be compensated. Some banks or credit card companies can charge a fee to refund your money. I usually see this with credit cards and banks versus credit unions. It generally ends up being a portion of the money that you are requesting back, but not always. Again, beware what you buy and where you enter your credit card info.

Okay so now you've checked your product on a few sites, entered in the promo code, and gotten the final price. Are you ready to pay and be done with it? Nope! Some places like Best Buy offer a price match plus. So if you find your product for cheaper somewhere else, you can print that out and get the exact same thing PLUS more. Usually about 10% more off. I don't know if this is offered year round, or only during the Christmas season, but you can always call and find out. If you're looking for car parts, Autozone offers 20% off if they can call the business and verify the price at another store. Even PepBoys will do a price match. It helps to get a quote in writing.

When it came time to get tires, I tried to price match Walmart, but Pep Boys said it had to be in writing. Maybe it's because I'm a female, and I went alone, but I can't prove that. Another time, I went to Walmart, and even though they verified the price, they would only guarantee the price on the tires. Not on the installation, or the recycling fee. So it wound up being $50-$75 more than just going to the business that quoted me in the first place. Keep that in mind. Truth be told, that actually happened to my sister, but I was there with her and called for all the quotes.

Well, I think that's enough for now. Again, please let me know how I have helped you. If you find any tips on your own, post them. I will gather the good ones and put them up for the rest of everyone to see. Happy shopping!

Thrifty Time

In this economic time, we are all needing to pinch a penny to make it by. My food budget went from $400 a month to $200 a month, and I was still struggling. So, I decided to take a look at what I could do to get the most out of my dollar. I figured you should now this stuff too. If I'm hurting, a lot of you are too.

Now, I know I posted this one before, but Grocery Guide has your weekly ads online. No more going through the ones that come in the mail every week. I just pull up this website, type in my zip code, and boom! I'm good to go. Now I will note that not all the ads are up. For example, in Clearfield Utah, there is this store called Kent's that I love for the price, but hate for the distance from my apartment. It sucks too because they don't have Kents' add on their website So I had to contact the Post Office to reestablish my weekly ads just to get this one store. As you can imagine, I wasn't thirled with that.

Anyways, I use this site to check out their ads, see what's on sale that I need, and after writing them down, I give them to my husband. He plugs them into a spreadsheet with all the quotations, and figuring and what not. I wind up with two sheets. Sheet one is what's on sale, where, what the price is, and what unit that price is for, (like lbs or each or whatever). On sheet two, I have how much I can get of each, how much they should run at the register, and what the total for everything is. I take the lists to my local Walmart and do a "price match" on EVERYTHING.

Here's some stuff to keep in mind. Warn your cashier that you are price matching before hand. I like to do it right as I get there so they are prepared. Second, keep your price matched goods and regular price items separate. I used to be a cashier at Walmart for about a year, and they are always talking about IPH. That's Items Per Hour scanned. The faster they go, the better off they are. Price matching takes a minute to complete, and when they can go faster and get you out of line, they will. Third, make sure you know 100% for sure the dates the sale ends along with the store they come from. They will turn you down if it's not within the the dates of the sale.

Fourth, be prepared to get a manager (CSS/CSM: Customer Service Supervisor/Manager) called over if the item is more than half off, if it's more that $5 off their price, or it's anything non-grocery like bedding. They will grab their big book of ads and check that you're not just making up prices. You'd be suprised how often someone tries to pull a price out of their ear. Did I mention you can't just name a price off the shelf? That is has to be printed in a circular? There's that too. Next, some Walmarts are picky. If they store you are matching is not within so many miles of you, or there is another Walmart closer, they can, will, and have said no. Ask them straight up if they price match to your store if you are not sure. One example of this for ya: When I cashiered at the Orem Utah Walmart, they told us straight up that we could not price match to Allen's Market, and that they would have to go to Lindon (about 20-30 mintues further north) to get that price. That makes sense though, because when I transfered to Lindon, I found that Allen's market was right up the street, and they didn't even mail ads within the Orem zip codes.Finally, don't fall for the Gimmick. Walmart will say "No Gimmick Pricing" which means no 30% off or 2-for-1 deals. If it's a percent off, go to the store that originally posted that price and buy it. If it's a 2-for deal, just say the price that it would be. And please DO NOT mention you have to have your club card, or Fresh Market card to get that price. They will turn you down flat. Also, you can't price match off a website, even Walmart's website so keep that in mind.

Now, I'm not a fan of Walmart's tactics to get their low prices, (I will say more on this later), but I do need to feed my family so it's a give and take. As a disclaimer, Walmart is NOT paying me to post this information (but they should, hehe). I'm just giving you the information, and you can choose to use it however you want.

Okay, moving on. I know this is a long post, so I will try to keep the next part quick. Coupons.com is a great site for the bargain hunter in us all. I'm not thrilled with the fact that you have to install a program on your computer in order to use this site though. After I'm done, I usually run a virus check and/or remove the program just to be safe. I'm paranoid like that. They have VERY specific deals most of the time, like Nature Valley B6 vitamins. I tried using it on other kinds from the same company, and I was turned down. Lately though they have between 75 cents and a dollar off of cheese and milk by the gallon. Any brand too. I think the cheese has to be at least 2 lbs, but that' the size I like to get. I do likes my cheese. So after you price match that milk down to $1.99, throw in a coupon too. I have gotten gallons of milk for 99 cents before.

And you know those coupons that put on the bags of food in the store? Take them. Even if they're not on the bag that you are buying. If it matches the coupon, you are golden. I have used a bag coupon, an in-store coupon (one from those machines on the shelf that pop out a new coupon after you take one), and a price match before. They wound up paying me money for that. A lot of people will put a coupon on the shelf if they've found a better deal, it's about to expire, or they can't use it for whatever reason, so watch out for that kind of thing too. Plus, check your Sunday paper. A lot of papers will allow you to subscribe to just the Sunday or Weekend Edition for a reduced rate. Sites like freecycle.org will often have people posting coupons that they didn't need. (More on freecycle later, I promise). You can potentially bring your grocery price down from $100 to $75 or even less. Also, even if it has a logo from another store on it, check for "Manufacturer's Coupon" on your coupon. It should be listed in a banner, usually on the top, and usually in yellow. If the manufacturer, and not the store listed it, they will take it at any store. You might have to point that out though if they cashier is ignorant of that fact.

Well, that's enough for now. I will save my other pearls for later. Keep checking back. My mother was frugal, and growing up that way, I have a lot of pearls to share. Please let me know how I have helped. I'd be interested to find out. ENJOY!

This is Cool

Hey bloggers. You might not find this as cool as I do, but I thought I'd post it anyways.

Did you know that Walmart will match the price of a competitor's ad? It has to be a printed ad and not just, "I took a photo of the price on the shelf." Trust me, I've tried. And there are other restrictions too, like it has to be within so many miles, and if there is a Walmart closer to the other store...blah, blah, blah. Talk to your friendly Walmart cashier or customer service rep for more info. And if you do non-grocery or 'GM' (General Merchandise) items, you have to have the ad. Especially if it's more than $5 from Walmart's price

Well I don't know about you, but when I get the ads, they usually go to line the bird cage, or into the recycling bin without being looked at. Well, I happened to find a site that lists the weekly ads of all the stores near your zip code. I price matched an entire month's worth of groceries for less than $100. The same products would normally cost me $175 - $250. Hey, for an hour or so going through the site, I'll take the $150 savings. GroceryGuide.com is amazing. If your local store has an ad, it will be here. Then you take your list to Walmart, and get the best of both worlds. No running around everywhere to get the deals, and you still get the same price. At Christmas time, I bought my mom a gift for her co-worker. I bought a Nintendo 3DS for $75 less than Walmart's price. It was awesome. Joyous right? Let me know how much you saved. I'd be interested to know. Enjoy folks!