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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Free food and merchandise...Oh yeah

another small economy
Grocery
At the grocery store a cashier gave me a coupon a customer left behind--free gallon of milk. I had three coupons for 50 cents off Del Monte vegetables, fruits, or catsup. The store doubles coupons, but the register is programmed to only use the coupon up to the purchase price of the item. So, my 50 cent coupon only "doubled" to $0.79, the price of the pineapple. I chose three cans of crushed pineapple. Since I meant to get sliced, I will trade this next time I go back to the grocery.
Total free=$5.66
paid tax = $0.42

additional small economy
Office Max
Since I had $60+ free merchandise in Office Max, I stopped in there. In the past I have gotten two cameras almost free. Today, I did not need ink or anything that was expensive. I ended up getting small items that I needed.

*Shipping tape in the small size was on sale ($2.50). So, three small sizes were cheaper and had more tape than the larger roll.
*My daughter and I both need refills on Scotch tape. I bought a three-pack.
*Pens for my grandson
*20 oz Coke for me

total free, including tax that was free= $34.79

You may have noticed the large quantity of shipping tape. If I bought $20 of Scotch or Post It products, I would get $5 on my Maxperks card. I will use it all since I am now packing and sealing boxes.

There is still $12+ to be used before April 1, so I don't know what I will decide to get in order not to lose my recycling rewards. I also have a gift card with $17 left on it.

Aha! Today, Sunday, I realized that a $39.99, 10 ream case of copy paper is on sale for $24.99 at Office Max. There is no picture here since the box of paper is still in the car. YES! That is just right. I paid with the maxperks card about $28 for  $43 worth of paper--paid with the card that has credit left for free merchandise.

Today's total of merchandise free is $83.45. I paid cash for tax of $0.42.

Altogether, I am happy with my free merchandise, all items that will be used, not just something bought to store "just in case." I do store "just in case," so no problem there even if I did. I will share the copy paper with my daughter who said she needed some. Since I may not use that much the rest of my life, I may barter with it.

Your turn
Have you scored free items lately? Does your grocery store have registers programmed to not actually double all coupons?  Do you endorse the idea of "small economies?"

5 comments:

  1. Our stores don't double coupons:( I always wondered if we live on another planet altogether because the things that others find as deals just don't exist here.
    My husband is winning gift cards at auction sites. He usually wins them at about a quarter of their face value, sometimes even less. In that sense we are geting great deals, free in away on some items. We use these very wisely.
    Where do you find your coupons?

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  2. That is AWESOME! I will admit, I dont use coupons. We dont get the Sunday paper but a friend brings me hers. I rarely ever use them.

    But you did so good! YAY!

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  3. SB, Thanks, I, too, am impressed...lol. If you cut the coupons and use them when items are on sale, you really see savings.

    LindaM, the clerk handed me the coupon for free milk. The Del Monte coupon came in the mail. Most of my coupons come from the Sunday paper. Rarely do I get them anywhere else but the paper.

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  4. wow, well done! if ever I think about it, I love shopping those types of stores for their bargain bins...sometimes great finds for future gifts for the grandgirls.

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  5. Dmarie, the bargain bins were all out of bargains there when I looked. No cute gifts this weekend. I, too, thought I might find some gift-worthy items. There will be copy paper for all and pens for grandson when I send birthday gift for g-daughter in May. I have started buying their school supplies for pennies on the dollar in bargain bins elsewhere--cute two pocket folders were cheaper than plain ones.

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Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.