FREE HOME PLANNER
SAMPLE!
I've got one of those crazy busy, momma-running-round-like-a-chicken-with-her-head-cut-off kind of days ahead of me, so I thought I'd re-post this sharing a few crazy things I've done to snag a penny-pinched deal. I'd LOVE to hear what nutty things you've done for a deal, because while I've definitely mellowed out a bit in my deal hunting, I still do get a wee bit of an adrenaline rush when I walk in the grocery store with my coupons! So, here are a few things I've done for a bargain . . . I'd love to hear your silly stories too!
I have done some crazy things to snag a deal these last few years. Just a few weeks ago, I went to Walgreens only to buy 12 Snickers Nutcrackers and 6 Scotch brand mailers. (Who goes anywhere in the cold with a three year old only to buy Snickers Nutcrackers???) After we survived the checkout lane, I realized I was missing those mailer coupons. Did I simply pay the $2? Of course not! I shoved the cart as close to my car as possible (safely but without unbuckling little Miss Reagan) and listened to her scream “Momma, Momma, MAAAAMMMMMAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAA” in the parking lot while I rummaged through my car to hunt down those coupons!
But that’s only a tiny smidgen of the ridiculous things I’ve done for a deal. I’ve purchased twelve packages of Preparation H Wipes because the overage on the wipes would pay for diapers. I’ve sweetly asked helpless Publix stock boys where the Phazyme is because I needed it (for a deal of course . . . Phazyme happens to be an anti-gas medication. . . I truly had no idea when I asked those poor kids.) I’ve purchased at least four Bayer Contour Diabetes Monitors although no one in our family is diabetic, simply to earn a few more Register Rewards (but I was able to donate diapers with the overage, as well as those Contour Meters!) I’ve found myself in the bottom of a newspaper bin late on a Sunday night trying to grab that one coupon stuck tightly in between the bottom rungs of the rack (only to find the coupons expired two years before I got there.) The CVS managers who work in a western Kentucky CVS on Thanksgiving know me by name because I’ve spent one too many Thanksgiving mornings hanging out with them instead of in the kitchen cooking turkey with my mother-in-law. And I’ve even found myself stalking the poor Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, and Coors Beer distributors in hopes of winning a blessed tearpad. (Those of you who know me know that I’ve never had a beer in my entire life, which makes it that much more pitiful!!!)
Some days it goes even further than that. I have stopped naive, innocent shoppers to let them know they shouldn’t buy any of the Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough in their buggy because they’ll be BOGO starting in the next ad. I’ve gone up to brand new couponers and asked them where their Kotex coupons are (because of course I knew those Kotex coupons could score them a deal!) And the poor customer service desk at Publix cringes when I walk through the door (well, maybe not, but some days I wonder!!!)
So, there you have it . . . the truth!!! Please let me know I’m not alone in this! What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done to grab a deal? I know some of you out there have a story to tell, because surely you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t passionate about a little penny pichin’ too! So go ahead, ‘fess up, it’ll be fun and make me feel so much better!!!
Last summer when the Magnum Ice Cream Bars were BOGO at Publix and there were MQs and Target Qs, i kept running into empty shelves. One of the awesome dairy guys told me they should be getting a truck in that night with frozen items and to check back the next day. Since I work full time 7-? , I knew I would once again find empty shelves. I decided to call my boss and ask her if I could be a few minutes late to work. The next morning I was waiting in the parking lot at Publix when they opened and ran in to get my Magnum Bars. They had what I needed and I paid, drove across town to my workplace and put them in the freezer. My boss was none the wiser as to why I needed to be a few minutes late. My kids and husband were quite happy!! Now I am having my Mom, Dad, husband and a friend go buy my son’s Allegra D that is on sale before the GABF coupon expires tomorrow. Thank goodness they don’t mind doing the deal for me since one person can’t buy all of them due to the meth laws.
How funny Mary! Magnum Bars & Allegra are definitely worth doing goofy things for…. I love that your boss let you in late to work, and since I’ve couponed at some very odd hours of the day I completely understand! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I have spotted the Pepsi truck turning in to Walgreens a few weeks ago and sat in the parking lot untill. He hauled in with the 12 Packs of pepsi so that I could get my pepsi’s that were on sale and with Q’s for $1 . I felt like a stalker.
I have soooooo stalked those poor Pepsi/Frito Lay guys for coupons, so I’m right there with you Carolyn! Thanks so much for commenting 🙂
I have gotten several boxes of phazyme myself and felt pretty silly about it! I also think I’m kinda crazy when taking my little ones along and they are not exactly behaving, but I keep shopping because I have my whole trip planned out.
Jen ~ that’s one of the ones that’s so hard! So often, I probably need to leave with my children (my youngest is a grocery-cart-gymnast…), but instead stick it out because I have all my stuff and coupons ready to go! As they’re getting older they really have gotten better, but it would have been easier to enforce it from the beginning. (Somebody recommended that from the very start of shopping with kids you give them a cookie at the end as a reward instead of right as you go in ~ wish I’d thought of that before mine felt like they had to have it at the beginning!) Thanks for sharing (glad I’m not the only one!) 🙂
I loved reading this! I feel better .. not only for hearing you still get an adrenaline rush walking into Publix armed with your coupons (ME TOO, and I feel like such a nerd – lol) but b/c I’ve been known to give away coupons for makeup and stuff I know I’ll never use in time if I see someone in the aisle about to grab the item. I call it Coupon Karma. 🙂 Sometimes I’ll just leave my unused-and-won’t-use coupon next to the item on the shelf hoping someone will take it … and I’ve been the lucky recipient of others left in the same fashion all the time, so I know other couponers also want to share the savings love. 🙂
That adrenaline rush always cracks me up… you’d think by now we’d be past it! And I love (love, love, love…)when a coupon fairy shops ahead of me.) 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
One time I lost my $5 off $50 StarMarket coupon in Publix. I retraced my steps (unfortunately, I had been on every aisle!) and couldn’t find it. I started asking people if they had seen it. I never did find my coupon, BUT a super nice lady gave me one of hers because she felt my pain. That’s like losing a $5 bill!
Bless your heart Katrina ~ that IS like losing $5!!! After not having one (accidentally), I finally decided to keep those awesome coupons in my wallet with my cash…. because they are cash! 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving a comment!