I always enjoy hearing how you’re saving money in this economy — whether it’s with coupons, via smart shopping habits or by celebrating those amazing deals we’ve all encountered that were so good, we just had to tell someone about them. Here’s a sampling of emails I’ve received recently from readers such as you:
Dear Jill: I’ve been upset lately that there have been no cereal coupons at all. My kids eat a lot of cereal. I mentioned this to an employee stocking the cereal shelf at my local supermarket, and he took me to a set of shelves in the back of the store where they move the soon-to-expire products to. There I found multiples boxes of a popular kids’ cereal marked down to just .93 per box.
I was elated. The expiration date for these was three months out, so I bought them. The best part happened later. This store mails out booklets of coupons that are custom based around what you have purchased at the store in the past. A few weeks later, my coupon booklet had coupons to get more of this same brand of cereal. — Whitney A.
Hitting the clearance shelves is an excellent strategy, not just when the economy is unfriendly, but anytime. I find too that it can be a very satisfying and fun experience because you never know what you’ll find. I recently scored some bottles of name-brand laundry detergent in a discontinued variety. They were 75 percent off – a deal, even without coupons.
Taking advantage of the targeted mailers that some supermarkets send out is worth mentioning, too. If your store offers these, they’re a great way to obtain coupons for items you actually will use because they are targeted to your own purchase history in that store. One of my supermarkets regularly sends me coupons for eggs, milk and a specialty bread that I enjoy — simply because I buy them there often.
Dear Jill: The other day I was at the grocery store and a representative from a brand of meats was in the store packing a freezer case with bratwurst. I reached around this man and took a package of the brats. He said to me, “Do you like these brats?” I told him that I did, and he reached in his pocket and gave me eight coupons for them.
Of course, I purchased a few more packages then and saved the rest of the coupons for later. I never thought to approach the brand representatives stocking the store to see if they have coupons. — Petunia T.
While not everyone stocking shelves might have coupons to share, people who work directly for the brand, indeed, might. I have been in the store when people working for specific brands or manufacturers were adding new tearpads or “peelie” stickers to products, and indeed, they sometimes are willing to share their coupons with shoppers too. It never hurts to ask, does it?
Dear Jill: If you are displeased with a manufacturer’s product, call their toll-free customer service department, and tell them why — it helps to save the used container for lot number and dates that they might ask for. Usually, they will send replacement coupons by mail. Conversely, if you like a product, do the same. Again, most companies will mail you more coupons. — Ed G.
This is a great tip if you have a legitimate concern or praise for a product. Be aware because of some consumers exploiting this tactic and making complaints about products simply to obtain more coupons, multiple manufacturers have begun tracking consumers’ inquiries to report problems with products. Legitimate concerns, of course, should and will be dealt with — but do not abuse this privilege.
Calling to praise a product is a bit different. There are no guarantees you will get coupons for your efforts, but if you’re calling with a genuine compliment about what you like about the product and why you like to use it regularly, it certainly can’t hurt — and you just might get a surprise in your mailbox.
Jill Cataldo, a coupon workshop instructor, writer and mother of three, never passes up a good deal. Learn more about Super-Couponing at her website, jillcataldo.com. Email your own couponing victories and questions to jill@ctwfeatures.com.
