Tag Archives: Wyoming Penny Pincher

How to Shop the Meijer 10 for 10 Sale

How-To's,

penny_pincherYou’ve probably seen it often enough – The Meijer buy 10 for $10 and get the 11th item FREE sale. Here are some tips on how to use it to your best advantage:

Mix & Match. You do not have to buy 11 of the same thing for the sale to be valid. Everything that is part of the 10 for $10 and 11th free sale can be mixed and matched.

Buy in multiples of 11. You will find yourself counting constantly, but it’s worth it to make sure it’s right and you get that last freebie.

Keep in mind that many items are priced for a $1.00 every day at Meijer. Some of these items are NOT included in the 10 for 10 sale. So be sure to watch the tags. Just because it’s a $1.00, doesn’t always mean that it is part of the 10 for 10 sale!

Date: The 10 for 10 sales always happen monthly, in the middle the month. It comes like clockwork. (Hey… what else comes like clockwork!- yeah I know…)

Use your coupons. Like any other Meijer sale, you can use your coupons to make the sale price even lower.

But be careful about that free item. #1 – typically every 11th item will be the freebie, so scan strategically – Meijer does not allow the use of a coupon on the “free” item, so you want to scan an item you don’t have a coupon for. If you do get an item free that you have a coupon for, the cashiser will allow you to scan the coupon, but will not credit you for it. #2 – in some stores the items on the sale are only $0.99 every day – like Meijer white bread – and they ring up that way and the computer will default to the lowest item being your freebie no matter what order they are scanned in.

Always have a plan. As with any popular sale there’s likely to be something out of stock. You can get a rain check, but where does that leave your total number of items? You either need to be ready to leave a few things behind or have a few extra items you could grab to round out the deal. Or, you can be willing to forgo the last freebie and leave with fewer items in your last count of 11, but that’s kind of like leaving a $1 bill lying on the floor.

So are you ready to shop? Then head over to Meijer and get the deals this week.

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Coupon Tips for Newbies

How-To's, Our Cities, ,

penny_pincher If you’ve always wanted to save money using coupons but didn’t know where to start, here’s a list of tips to better understand how it’s done.  This list includes my own methods as well as some suggestions from whatsyourdeal.com.  Although this resource is quite helpful, it can seem overwhelming. To help simplify the process, send questions or comments to my Facebook page (Wyoming Penny Pincher ) and I will help you navigate the website.

So before you dismiss the concept of couponing as being too time consuming, read through this list first. It will give you ideas of how to make the process work for you. After all, wouldn’t saving money every week on what you need be beneficial to you being able to buy what you want? It works for me. It could work for you too!

1. Start small. Focus on 1 or 2 stores and learn their policies & procedures.

2. Organizing your coupons will either make or break your couponing experience.

3. Match your coupons with sales.

4. Stack your manufacturer coupons with your store specific coupons to have a lesser out of pocket total.

5. Before you leave the house, make a plan of what you want to buy. Write down the items, the prices and the quantities. If you are doing multiple transactions, separate the items into lists before ever leaving your house.

6. The less crowded the store, the less stressed both you and your cashier will be. I have found that early in the morning, early afternoon, or late at night is best for me.

7. If you have young kids like we do, shop at a time when they are at their best — in the morning or right after naps. Happy kids make a huge difference. Bring along something to occupy their minds or a treat to occupy their tummies!

8. Remind yourself that sales cycle. When you see an amazing deal, no need to drop everything, abandon your family and rush out the door in a panic. Instead, realize that the sale will come back around in a few weeks to a few months.

9. Prioritize. Set a time limit. Figure out how to incorporate savings into a reasonable amount of time each week and stick to it.

10. It’s important to maintain a positive working relationship with the staff and management at your local stores.

11. If your store is out of the sale item, get a rain-check! Go to customer service and ask for a raincheck for the item you wanted. They will fill out a piece of paper with the item details and price. Then you can come back another day (usually no more than 30 days) and buy that item at the sale price by giving the cashier the raincheck. This also gives you more time to gather coupons for the item!

12. Understand 10/$10 promotions. You do not have to buy 10 items to get the $1 price! The only exception to this rule is if the ad states that you must!
Stores will sometimes put limits on the item to make you think it’s a great price! If cereal is on sale for 2/$4 you might not even notice it. But if it’s on sale “2/$4 — limit 2!” then you will likely think it’s a great price since they had to put a limit on it!

13. If you have couponers in your area then it’s best to get to the store as early in the sale as you can!

14. When checking out pay close attention to the price screen to make sure everything rings up at the correct price. Also, make sure that the cashier scans all of your coupons.

15. Don’t buy a ton of everything as soon as you get started or you will blow your budget!

16. If an item goes on sale for a great price (or free!) then buy more than you need for just the week.
Typically sales go in 12 week cycles so you only need to buy enough for 12 weeks.

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