dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 30, 2012 13:00:04 GMT -5
My sources in the marketing world don't think that drug stores are losing money from their rewards programs. If anything they chuckle that people use the rewards programs and think they "beat the system". Not to say people here don't manage to get the occasional freebie or even a MM but that is far from the norm. In fact Walgreen's is doing pretty good with it's front end numbers. It still made a decent profit in spite of losing scripts. It is true that the bottom line for the drug chains is dependent on their Rx sales. The profit from anything else in the store, pales in comparison. And I agree, beachbum, that WAGs probably chuckles at the "average" customer who is sucked into the store by the offer of a RR on a product. However, after Extreme Couponing came onto the scene, I doubt that the majority of RRs today are obtained and redeemed by the "average" customer. After a novice watches that show and gets the idea of what can be done with coupons, the next step would be to run to the internet which would lead them to information on how to play the drug chain game. How many people do you think only shop at WAGs when there is a good RR deal and never any other time? My guess is hundreds of thousands. There is no doubt in my mind that the RR program was initiated in the hopes that the "average" customer that came in to get them would eventually become a loyal Rx customer. And on the surface, WAGs is probably not "losing money" through the program because RRs are MCs reimbursed by the manufacturer, but there is one "hidden" cost. It takes labor to run the program: time to order RR items beyond normal or average purchase quantities, time to stock the RR items on the shelves, time at the cash register when they are obtained and cashed in, and time to process the RRs for redemption by the company. The cost of labor is expensive....and for what?... a bunch of couponers that would transfer their Rx in heartbeat to another drug chain for a $25 GC? If the company can decrease their labor force by even 1/2 a head or more per store by discontinuing the program, it will save them a lot of money in labor costs and increase their bottom line. Just a theory.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 30, 2012 13:21:51 GMT -5
Dancinmama: I do have the .50 Coffeemate q's. Do you want them? If anyone got the Zevia natural soda q's ($3 5/20 SS) and isn't going to use them, I'd love to have them. PM me and I'll send my addy. Thanks in advance. murphath: I'd be happy to share, but I'm going to use them on the freebie this week at Nob Hill. There is a $1/1 in store coupon that can be printed from the Nob Hill/Raley's/Bel Air website that when combined with the $3/1 MC makes them FREE.
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moutonrouge
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Post by moutonrouge on May 30, 2012 14:28:12 GMT -5
HOUND ALERT!!!For a deal next week at my local GC Shoprite Ken's Salad Dressing 9 oz $.88 (Wed-Sat) After coupon, FREE! $1/1 any 9 oz 5/6SS If anyone has extras they won't use please let me know and I will PM my addie. TIA! beachbum I have 2 Qs which are $1/2 and one $0.50/1 that has a Kroger logo on it but says MQ at the top. Would those be any help? I'm guessing maybe only the .50Q if any. But I am happy to send them all if it turns out you could use them. I will look for the Zevia ones when I get home!
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murphath
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Post by murphath on May 30, 2012 16:35:29 GMT -5
dancinmama wrote: murphath: I'd be happy to share, but I'm going to use them on the freebie this week at Nob Hill. There is a $1/1 in store coupon that can be printed from the Nob Hill/Raley's/Bel Air website that when combined with the $3/1 MC makes them FREE. [image] |
[/b] Thanks, that's why I was hoping someone would have some. Believe it or not, there are folks who don't drink soft drinks, or who may not have a store that carries Zevia. I prefer Diet Pepsi, but free is free, right?
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murphath
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Post by murphath on May 30, 2012 16:36:31 GMT -5
moutonrouge: Thanks! I appreciate you looking for the Zevia q's.
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constanz22
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Post by constanz22 on May 30, 2012 17:20:10 GMT -5
moutonrouge:Thanks! I appreciate you looking for the Zevia q's. I checked and did not get them either...sorry!
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constanz22
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Post by constanz22 on May 30, 2012 17:34:02 GMT -5
Has anyone here ever shopped at Price Rite?! We just got one. I think they are mainly in the Northeast. I had a little time to kill today and was near it so went to check it out. It's not super convenient for me, especially not from home, but I could probably make it there every couple weeks. It's a few miles from work, but in the same plaza as Target. They are a discount grocery so don't take coupons, but, their prices were AWESOME! I had already stopped at Aldi and I was SO mad cuz Price Rite was cheaper! Their produce prices were incredible...99 cents for strawberries, .27/lb for bananas. I paid 1.69 for strawberries at Aldi and had to dig and dig through them to find ones that weren't rotten. I wish I had had more time to check things out, but, I spent about $20, including a .99 bag of ice since I bought cold stuff and wasn't going right home. Here's what I got (from memory) for $20! 1 lb strawberries, .99 1 ear sweet corn (6/$1) 2 HUGE packs of b/s chix breasts, .99/lb! 1 package of sponge cakes for shortcake, .99 2 lbs bacon, 1.49 lb! English muffins, .99 Rolls from a local bakery, 1.40 Quart buttermilk, 1.49 4yogurt, .25 ea! AMAZING prices. I will definitely be going back! There were other things I saw that i didn't buy were great prices, like bailey's flavored coffee creamer, .99! Their canned veggies were cheaper than Aldi. There were 2 women in that aisle that had 2 carts FULL of cases and cases and cases of canned veggies!
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rubyslippers
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Post by rubyslippers on May 30, 2012 19:11:48 GMT -5
Marvholly:: I did use my RR's at Walmart yesterday and with over $5.00 in overage from some Purina MQ's, I got a pineapple, 2 heads of lettuce, 1 graped tomatoes, 1 mushrooms, 1 bunch bananas and a lb. of butter for $.08.
Kroger: This isn't my favorite grocery store but they do prescription transfers @ $25.00 each. I transferred 2 last month and I got DH to do 2 this month. I've been doing pretty good with the catalina deals and stockpiling meat for the freezer. Also, the 4x fuel rewards this month is great.
CVS: My favorite manager told me awhile back that he heard that CVS might take over Rite Aid. Out of all the drugstore reward programs, they are hands down the best one of all IMHO. They are the most generous and anyone who pays you to use your own bag is a winner in my book. I just wish we had a CVS that was closer to where I live.
Beachbum: Sorry, but my dressing Q's are $1/2. Let me know if you want them.
Reverse Hound: I have a bunch of the coffee creamer $.50 MQ's ready to go to whoever would like them.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 30, 2012 19:13:56 GMT -5
Has anyone here ever shopped at Price Rite?! I wish I had had more time to check things out, but, I spent about $20, including a .99 bag of ice since I bought cold stuff and wasn't going right home. Here's what I got (from memory) for $20! 1 lb strawberries, .99 1 ear sweet corn (6/$1) 2 HUGE packs of b/s chix breasts, .99/lb! 1 package of sponge cakes for shortcake, .99 2 lbs bacon, 1.49 lb! English muffins, .99 Rolls from a local bakery, 1.40 Quart buttermilk, 1.49 4yogurt, .25 ea! AMAZING prices. I will definitely be going back! There were other things I saw that i didn't buy were great prices, like bailey's flavored coffee creamer, .99! Their canned veggies were cheaper than Aldi. There were 2 women in that aisle that had 2 carts FULL of cases and cases and cases of canned veggies! Wow, those are some great prices!! Lately I have been going to the $.99 store for produce if I can't find what I need on sale cheaper anywhere else. I can get bell peppers for $.50/ea. everyday where they are $1/ea. on sale at Safeway (IF I'm lucky). They usually always have basic salad produce, bananas, and bunches of asparagus in season - nothing is more than $1.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 30, 2012 19:17:28 GMT -5
Marvholly:: I did use my RR's at Walmart yesterday and with over $5.00 in overage from some Purina MQ's, I got a pineapple, 2 heads of lettuce, 1 graped tomatoes, 1 mushrooms, 1 bunch bananas and a lb. of butter for $.08. rubyslippers: Would you mind outlining the Purina deal at WalMart? I am getting low on both dog and cat food and if I don't find a freebie soon, I'm going to have to break down and actually pay money for pet food. I don't think I've paid OOP for pet food in about 4 years.
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finnime
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Post by finnime on May 30, 2012 19:22:02 GMT -5
But trust me, no matter what happens with the drug chains, looking for rock bottom prices and using multiples of the same coupon to stockpile has always been and will always be the most cost effective way to shop, with or without doubled coupons and with or without drug chain rewards. Couponers who have become spoiled in recent years will drop off thinking that the fact that they can't get so many things for free as often will no longer make it worth the effort. Not true. Those who stick it out and work through the changes until we arrive at a "new normal" in couponing, while working to increase their resources for free inserts as others leave them behind, will reap the benefits because they will still have the coupons with a lot less competition to get the deals. Every cloud has a silver lining. ;D Personally, I do not plan to change a single thing that I am doing and have been doing over the last 2-3 decades. DancinM, I've been using your strategy for almost 3 years now, through some extremely difficult personal financial difficulties (DH very ill, now disabled; the wait to get disability benefits was close to ruinous). We did okay, and now we are fine. Even with a very hungry teen DS, when we had at times $20 / week for groceries - we did okay. Now that I can work and DH's benefits are in, the money for food and household items is small enough that we are able to build again a future. Thank you.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 30, 2012 19:24:25 GMT -5
dancinmama wrote: murphath: I'd be happy to share, but I'm going to use them on the freebie this week at Nob Hill. There is a $1/1 in store coupon that can be printed from the Nob Hill/Raley's/Bel Air website that when combined with the $3/1 MC makes them FREE. [image] |
[/b] Thanks, that's why I was hoping someone would have some. Believe it or not, there are folks who don't drink soft drinks, or who may not have a store that carries Zevia. I prefer Diet Pepsi, but free is free, right?[/quote] Actually, I think it is a new product because I had never heard of it until I saw the coupon in the insert. DS's GF does not usually drink soda, but she does like the more natural drinks, like Hansen's, so I think she'll like the Zevia. This will be the second FREE product that I will have gotten at Nob Hill in two weeks. That's a record there for me!!
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on May 30, 2012 19:24:29 GMT -5
moutonrouge:Thanks! I appreciate you looking for the Zevia q's. murphath, I checked and did not get them either.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 30, 2012 20:50:34 GMT -5
But trust me, no matter what happens with the drug chains, looking for rock bottom prices and using multiples of the same coupon to stockpile has always been and will always be the most cost effective way to shop, with or without doubled coupons and with or without drug chain rewards. Couponers who have become spoiled in recent years will drop off thinking that the fact that they can't get so many things for free as often will no longer make it worth the effort. Not true. Those who stick it out and work through the changes until we arrive at a "new normal" in couponing, while working to increase their resources for free inserts as others leave them behind, will reap the benefits because they will still have the coupons with a lot less competition to get the deals. Every cloud has a silver lining. ;D Personally, I do not plan to change a single thing that I am doing and have been doing over the last 2-3 decades. DancinM, I've been using your strategy for almost 3 years now, through some extremely difficult personal financial difficulties (DH very ill, now disabled; the wait to get disability benefits was close to ruinous). We did okay, and now we are fine. Even with a very hungry teen DS, when we had at times $20 / week for groceries - we did okay. Now that I can work and DH's benefits are in, the money for food and household items is small enough that we are able to build again a future. Thank you. finnime: It is amazing how far coupons can stretch a food budget. I am so glad the strategies that we have shared here have worked for you.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 30, 2012 21:19:09 GMT -5
THE JUNE 2012 GROCERY CHALLENGE THREAD HAS BEEN POSTED. SEE YA THERE!!
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twinmama85
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Post by twinmama85 on May 30, 2012 23:11:02 GMT -5
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