Friday, February 10, 2012
Saving on Price of Coupons in Paper
As I came into the grocery store tonight, a young man asked me if I wanted to register for a $100 grocery gift card. Free food? Of course I did? I filled out the ticket stub. He asked me what was my favorite part of the newspaper. Coupons!
Then, he started his sales pitch. I listened. There were various options for subscribing to the Birmingham News. All of the deals came with a gift card. Of course, I am always interested in lowering the cost of anything. Today, I did.
At Walmart the Sunday paper costs $2.00 + $0.17 sales tax. So, 26 weeks of Sunday papers cost me $53.42. His deal was three months for $52. Plus, I would receive a $10 gift card to the store where I was shopping.
The savings get even better. How much does it cost to drive the car 9 miles each Sunday for 26 weeks. Let's say it cost me $1/Sunday. That's $53.42 + $26=$79.42. Do I ever buy something I don't need just because I am there in the store? Probably. But, I won't even contemplate that cost.
Another sweet part of the deal--the price for the 3 weekend papers is the same as the price for the Sunday paper. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday papers will be delivered for the same price as the Sunday-only deal. Sweeeet!
I wrote a check for $52, hoping that I will not hurt myself by doing so. I have to look at this long term. The young man gave me the $10 gift card.
Now, my $79.42 expense has been cut to $42, almost a 50% savings on coupon purchases. Actually, with the true cost of gas and unnecessary purchases, I am probably saving more than 50%.
It gets better. I can go to Southern Savers and find out how many and which inserts will be in the paper. However, if I go to a paper box that is 1/2 mile round trip from my house, or go to any paper box, there will be no coupons even though I don't have to pay tax on the paper or drive very far. I called the Birmingham News and they explained why they quit putting inserts in paper boxes--cost!
When I buy the paper at the store for $2.17 and drive 9 miles round trip, there will be some of the coupon inserts, not all. Now, I will be assured of getting all the inserts. Insert Snoopy Happy Dance here.
Oh, besides driving, I have to drive on a Sunday when the route to Walmart is very busy. There are few parking spaces and rarely a handicapped space. Plus, I have problems finding an electric cart. If I wait beyond 2pm, there are no papers. Knowing all this before I leave home really stresses me out.
This Sunday will be my last time to drive to get a paper for the coupons. Often, I spend 3 hours there because I see friends and we talk for 30 minutes. Plus, the lines are long. I am looking forward to different Sundays.
I predict my savings with coupons should double since I have cut so many of the expenses of obtaining a paper. Plus, I will get more coupons. I also predict that the last half of this month is going to be tight. The grocery card will be the only thing to help me with groceries now. I don't even want to go online and check my bank balance....shudder. The month is not even half over.
Your turn
Can anyone relate? Do paper boxes in your area NOT carry coupon inserts? Do you have to pay tax when you buy a newspaper in the store? Is your paper offering grocery cards for newspaper subscriptions? Why can't I make a proper link on Blogger now?
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Congratulations on saving time and money! I've never liked buying the Sunday paper from the store, as all too often the coupons were M.I.A. thanks to dishonest shoppers. There's also a paper box near the entrance to our apartment complex where a free weekly paper, which comes with the SmartSource insert, used to be stocked every week, and then someone from outside of the complex discovered it (we watched her hurriedly grab as many copies of the paper as could fit into her arms and take them back to her car!) and now it's perpetually empty. I keep waiting to wake up one weekend morning to find she has branched out into stealing the delivered paper from our doorstep!
ReplyDeleteCongrtulations on the savings and gift cards! I haven't one coupons in awhile. Probably won't start anytime soon. We are using our stocks up so not shopping to much .
ReplyDeleteHops,
ReplyDeleteIt's a freeing feeling. It was just such a hassle. Now, if I do go to the store on Sunday, I won't feel like I have to race down there to get a paper before they are all gone.
I'm sorry, but I would have had to call the police with her picture while she was stealing and have gotten her tag number. Or, tape a picture of her stealing, along with the tag number onto the box and scare her.
LindaM,
I remarked that I wished I coud use the card for gas, but no, just in Food World. You're farther away from stores with good deals than I am, so that is understandable. Oh, I would rather have food in jars. Maybe you can get some subs for putting up food.
I love it. I have my paper delivered every Sunday. It helps me save so much money. I'm not as into it as before because of the holidays but I'm getting back into the swing of it.
ReplyDeleteSonyaAnn,
ReplyDeleteI think I am going to love not having to chase down a paper with just a few coupons and then check it to see if they have been shorted or taken. The holidays did not slow me as much as being ill has done.