Printable View
I am curious about all of you LD stackers..how often do you stack? Do you stack by categories knowing you will get something free(ie/diapers..do you wait until you have a few stacks so the item is free or wait until an item goes on sale)? How long does it take you to accumulate all the coupons for your stacks?
I go once a month for a big shop since I live about 50 minutes from the closest LD. I plan ahead for the stacking and do trades to maximize what I get when I go. I usually use an average of $300 in coupons during each trip. They price match and offer a 30 day price match guarantee so even if something is not on sale and I don't have a full value stack for it I may still buy it and then when I do see it on sale somewhere I will stop by to get a price adjustment if I am in town or my husband has time. They won't give you money back for coupons used so an after the fact price match only works if you did not have a full value stack. I do have a few guidelines that I go by, if it is something that is a luxury not a necessity, like a febreze reed diffuser, then I have to have enough coupons to get for free otherwise I don't buy it.
I do trades often for stacks. and it shouldn't take more than a few days to get a stack going. Usually what I do is cut and paste someones list (from the trade area and keep cutting from the list until I have the items I want. Then I cut and paste back to my message for them and a few days later I have my trade)
Secondly, I will usually always stack. I find that the prices of London Drugs are raised/inflated a little bit higher than the normal standard.
Thirdly I will wait until I can PM the item from another store or until I know that I am going to pay next to nothing for it.
If I cannot get that item without having to pay more than the tax then I will wait regardless of how badly I think I may want that item...I don't really need it at this time. For example, I have Febreeze Scented Reed Diffusers $6 in coupons (3x$2 diff UPC) and they are "on sale" at LD for $7.99 right now. This means I would be paying the tax on $7.99(.15x8=$1.20+$1.99). So in effect it would be costing me $3.19 for something I don't really need. If I had $8 off then I would pay the $1.20 in tax. I can always "resell" that item at a garage sale/flea market for $3 and still make my money back + profit since it would be brand new.
I keep an ongoing collection of stacks for the things I need and wait till they are on sale (either LD sale of pm to another store) so I can get them for as low as possible. I usually end up going once or twice a month. I would probably go more often if I could drive there so I can only go as often as I can persuade my husband into taking me. :cheesygrin:
I don't go as often as I should but when I do I buy items we use and when I have a few stacks of the same item and I get it free I give it to shelters or food bank.
i go usually about twice a month for a larger shop, sometimes i run in and do a quick shop once or twice a week (depending on the current trades i have coming in and the sales) it is super close to where i live, about 2 blocks away. as for stacking i generally have multiples of what i plan on buying but don't use all of the coupons i bring (i think i always come home with a small handful of the coupons i planned to use but didn't) i usually wait until the item goes on sale, even if i had enough for the item in coupons while not on sale, just makes the coupons go farther...
as for gathering coupons... i joined this site and about 2 months later i had too many coupons to count... from trades, i started by getting random coupon envies.... bunches of at least $100... that way i figured out what was out there for coupons, some people have way better bundles to trade for, others you get a bunch of coupons no one wants... if i do a trade for that kind of bundle now, i generally only trade with one specific person b.c she is awesome (not telling you who she is tho, or she won't have as many awesome coupons for me :-) )
You guys are so lucky. I wish we had one kn London or surrounding areas. For a deal like that, I wouldn't mind driving.
I don't do LD runs much anymore. I've stocked up on tons of things... so I dart in when I can stack with something I don't have and want/need/could use for work, etc... such as my latest quest for V8 juice! :) Or I go in for instore deals with products I like/use. If I have enough coupons expiring at a certain time, I may gather a nice sized stack (keep in mind I do not drive, so all has to be carried to the bus stop and home, lol)... to use up any coupons I'd like too.
I keep an ongoing collection of stacks too :-) I have a page in my coupon binder dedicated to ongoing stacks alone, and also wait for a sale or PM opportunity. I hardly ever pay LD full price, and will wait until my stack makes the item free, or very close to it. I do a larger stack once a month, and smaller stacks once a week during my grocery shopping day to take advantage of any flyer sales for things I will use, like any food items, or misc cleaning and toiletry items.Quote:
Originally Posted by BuggaBugga
I have a separate accordian file for my LD stacks, arranged in categories. I only shop there when I can get things for free or close to free.
I drive by LD every day so I go quite often and do small stacks.
I go there weekly for formula and do a decent stacking trip every couple of weeks depending on sales. If I can't get things free or under a buck I don't bother (unless it's formula or diapers ;))
Oh, and I'm very unorganized at the moment. I have all of my coupons loose in a basket and go through them when I want coupons to stack. I wish I had a few days to go through them!! lol
i am same :lolsign:Quote:
Originally Posted by danam314
I have only gone stack at LD about 4 times in the last year.
I try to pm (but I do not get fliers delivered to my house in Saskatoon, so this causes a problem). I stack to get items for free, which are usually luxury items, or extras for friends, family, and the shelter. I currently have been trading away many of my stackable coupons because I have enough items right now that I do not need to purchase more, and I will not be living in a community with an LD again until the fall.
I go to ld about once a month as our son lives in a town that has one so when we go and visit him I go to LD.. I try to trade to build up my stacks.. Now I have enough of a stock pile that unless I can get it for $1.00 I won't do it unless it is a really good deal or I need it here or my son needs it..
You guys will think I am crazy but I go to LD everyone weekend and sometimes during the week!!! It's a bad addiction, stacking coupons. Since I've joined SC I've been building my stash and I must say it's looking pretty good thanks to LD. I'm more disciplined these days, I only buy items that are close to free, my rule is nothing that costs more than $2 unless it's baby stuff. On average I use $75 in coupons each visit. Sadly I'm back to work soon so I'm sure I will have less time to shop there = (