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Ok, how does everyone feel about posting brags? As a newbie I was very excited to post the deals I got, but in the last little while I have not wanted to because I don't want to be ripped apart. I coupon honestly and want to show it, but people can be so negative on here. I am reluctant to post brags, I only post good deals.
I havent posted any brags yet either schwarzie and for the same reason that you do not, some people who post just get ripped apart by others. I totally think that I am "ethically" coupning, I always try to read the coupons and follow the instructions, but man, I am still a bit scared to do it for fear of major critism, one reason or another, but honestly there is nothing more that I would rather post than a picture of my pantry room in my basement, really it is my laundry room with a freezer and shelving, but I am getting so proud of my little stockpile ;) We moved out to the country this year so we were able to plant a MASSIVE garden as well, I have been canning, pickling, blanching and freezing, and every other preserving technique like crazy and it looks like the fruit and veggie section of my "food hoard" will be awesome for over the winter!
I have posted a brag. Everyone who posted on it was really nice and a few people went and got similar deals afterwards. But if sdomeone posted something negative I would just ignore them. ( the same way you ignore the person in line behind you grumbling about coupons :) )
Please post pics of your stockpile here :-) I want to see all the canning.
I posted one brag and that was it. Most were positive. I am going to post one here only!
When Rexall had the Multibionta for $9.99 I went to 3 different Rexall's to try to get it with my $10 coupons. The first was cleared out. The second had two but wouldn't give me the coupon because of the penny difference. I went to a third and they were cleared out too so I asked for a raincheck for 24 bottles (a year supply for myself and one for my coworker who brings me her coupons faithfully and orders them etc for me). I didn't hear from them and called about two weeks later and they had misplaced my raincheck. They found it and ordered them in for me. I got the call to pick them up 3 days later.
When I went, they had them all behind the counter. They had to ring in each box/bottle separately and the manager had to manually adjust the price on each bottle. I apologized profusely and they were very nice. It took quite some time because although the cashier had scanned each bottle (I was watching), it only scanned some and she had to do more and the manager had to come back again and adjust prices again. Luckily the store wasn't busy.
They also had Diet coke on 2/$5.98 so I bought one and used my B1G1 coupon. The manager put my coupon through at $4.31 instead of the sale price. They also put the coupons in at $10 each instead of adjusting to the $9.99. They put the coupons in at $100, $100, and $40. The manager said "we should have adjusted the coupons, but oh well, it is only $.24". The manager told the cashier to make sure that everything matched (coupons and products). After the order was almost complete, we realized that only 23 boxes of vitamins had been rung in and the manager was called back again. She asked "do we have the coupons for the 24?" and the cashier said yes. The manager said "I don't care then, just finish it". So I ended up paying $5.88 for 24 boxes of vitamins and two cases of diet coke. I had told my coworker that her vitamins would be $6 for tax and she gave me the $6 so I made 12 cents!
My receipt at the bottom reads "You saved $377.20".
I didn't want to post this in a brag because I don't want people saying I stole anything or did anything wrong, when it was the manager's decision to let that last box go.
Good for you, what a great brag snd don't worry about what others say. No one can tell you what you need or use but you and people make honest mistakes with coupons sometimes even the veterans. Be Proud- Be Loud!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by schwarzie
I was so excited to do my first brag and posts a few months ago and when i did i was discouraged by a few of the comments i was getting. Had one call me a liar and other stuff.....but i had so many more encouraging me and telling me to ignore the haters. After i got over my sore feelings i did get over it and started to do more brags and posts and now i love it. I'm always careful to make sure i use my coupons properly and not to abuse but mistakes do happen. I price matched an item at walmart and didn't realize it was a misprint till later and i really did feel bad about it and would not have done it on purpose if i had known. Live and learn. I think i'm going to post my stockpile pics soon in fact!!!
Good for you and what super nice Rexall store- manager.
I know the moderators work hard to keep the pointless negative comments to the minimum.
That said, it happens.
I think from my slideshows, you`ve already got a sense that there are some black and white things - expiry date, product type if specified, etc.
But there`s also areas where things are open to interpretation and stores do it and couponers do it. Many times interpretations are stated as "facts" rather than "opinions".
I always try to keep in mind I`m not walking in another person`s shoes so how do I know what choices they`re making and why.
If I was unable to buy milk this week for my kids, would I use the overage at Walmart - yes I would. Does this ruin it for everyone else if I do it a lot? It might. Who knows?
If you could see my living room right now - maybe I`ll take a photo - with about 40+ boxes of cereal spilling out of photocopy paper boxes its crowded.
Some people would likely object to what I think is savvy shopping.
Here's my wee brag:
This week certain Kelloggs cereals are $5 each. And some of those have the $5 off gas coupons. So free cereal.
But they also have an air miles deal. Buy 5 cereals, get 100 air miles worth $12 if you redeem for Shell gas or about $14 if you use it on flights.
So I talked to all my hamper buddies and said -- it`s cereal time. I`ll do the heavy lifting and pick it all up and snip and you get the rebates.
So I did clear the shelf for the boxes with coupons -- I went to 4 stores and I had to hunt. I did not go on the first day and I went to one store every day so over 4 days I gathered them up.
So not only did I get "free cereal" I also got "paid" in reward miles to buy 5 boxes.
There`s definitely gas coupons left, but not many at Safeway.
So is this a good brag, or am I `taking` too much? I followed the rules of the coupon and I followed the rules for MIR rebates - 5 per household thanks to the hamper helpers.
Kelloggs wants people to try these cereals (why else put a coupon on them for the same value) and they'll be going to 45 different families so they'll be tried.
How do you multi-quote?
Giving-Small, you make some excellent points. If I can get overages at WM while couponing fairly who is anyone to judge? Even if I can use the overage toward my other groceries!
I don't buy things I can't use or donate. I am missing out on all of those cereal coupons because I just don't eat cereal!
In my opinion, if you are "clearing the shelves" for something you use, then do it. To be honest, I would, as long as I knew that the product would be used, and not just bought because of the coupon value or overage.
I don't know whether I agree with the sentiment of clearing the shelves by one shopper.
I, personally, am lucky where I can hop in my car and go to different stores in another town if one store happens to be out. However, there are other people in my community (- Delhi - only one grocery store) who do not have a vehicle.
This is a town for seniors and if one shopper was clearing the shelves on a deal - is that really fair to the other people. Just because you can justify your reason saying it'll last me 6 months doesn't mean its the right thing to do ethically speaking. What about the proud senior behind you - who won't go to the foodbank - and they're on a limited budget and part of what they'll be eating for the week was depending on that sale item.
And are the stores to blame because they didn't stock enough because someone opted to clear out the shelves.
Having said that, stores are getting smarter and limiting the quantities for each consumer.
What is right and what is fair is all perspective and we each have our own perspectives. I'm as guilty as the next couponer where I did clear a shelve one day - took the last 5 items. I then thought of that potential senior and had a major guilt attack; I justified my behaviour at the time by telling myself it was a non-perishable and non-food item-does that make it right? Probably not.
Its a conundrum, for sure. I'm starting to take the perspective of whether I can look myself in the mirror and not feel guilty and can I look another (senior) in the eye. If I can then its a go.
Ultimately, we are accountable to ourselves and how we personally feel about ourself will determine what is or isn't acceptable.
Wow. Some amazing thought provoking statments. I need to take a moment and figure out how I feel now.
No judgement but personally, I try to keep my deals to 3 of one item - there will always be another sale and I would never shelf clear - just because I am usually the one who shows up at the empty shelf:) I'm still not sure how I feel about stockpiling because it isn't like you aren't going to shop again once you have 6 months or a year saved up. Hmmm, still thinking about it all...
Good thoughts and reactions and insights. And one thing I love about these groups is we can share our different points of view and see the same situation different ways.
I prefer to not clear the shelves, but I like to buy a few when the price is a good one and not have to shop again for that item for a while. I can just ignore that item and coupons and sales and planning for it.
In the case of the cereal there were lots of boxes left - just not the "fuel ones" and while I was shopping (different days, different stores, and not the first days of the sale), I saw lots of people with cereal but not taking the ones with the gas coupons.
And that would have been me 2 years ago ... wouldn't have really looked at the coupons.
But there could be a senior behind you or some one else who has more difficulty shopping. Or someone who will pick up the one with the $5 fuel on it and never use it.
Hopefully the store has rainchecks.
Often sale items are gone quickly and some stores deliberately post loss leaders and have almost no stock - case in point is our local Rexall. It's to get you in the store but the great sale items are long gone.
Until today, it had been years since I asked for a raincheck. Giving Small mentioned it in a post somewhere and I thought "oh yeah" -completely forgot about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giving-Small
SDM has multibionta on sale for 6.99. So last night I signed up for the Multibionta 30 day challenge (on their website) & the $10 coupon was emailed to me. I was sooo excited.
Until I hit the SDM in London - out of stock. On my way home I stopped in Tillsonburg-same scenario (but this time I asked for rainchecks) & then I was in Simcoe & thought - why not- same story. Fortunately, I remembered to ask for the raincheck so I will still get it free.
:smile:
to be honest, my main problem is that i never get disciplined about couponing. I'm really curious how some of you guys became disciplined and started couponing like it was a job? I'll clip the occasional coupon here and there but i never carry a big portfolio of stuff. I'm really curious about this haha. Thanks :)