Coupon Puzzler of the Day: Possible to Buy More, But Pay Less?

Can Buying Two Items Really Equal

Paying Less Out Of Pocket 

Than Just Buying the Item You Really Needed?

Again, the Coupon Puzzle of the Day is about changing your couponing perspective.  It goes against the grain to see two items on sale and consider buying them both when you only need the one item. It seems like it goes against everything in you that is a couponer when this situation arises.  So, is it really better to buy more than just the item you need if it is on sale and you have a coupon? Can it really save you more money, out of pocket, than just buying the necessary item? 

YES. But, you have to pay attention and do the math. 

A year ago a friend of mine was looking for those "As seen on TV" bra strap clip things that let you clip your straps so they would not be visible when wearing a racer back tank, etc.  She found a deal on one for $9.99.  She had a coupon for $1.50 off that item. She was about to go to the drugstore to buy it when I called her on the phone and told her to STOP! The drugstore had a sale on those bra clip items and on a leg smoothing kit. Both were "As seen on TV" items. Both were priced $9.99.  The drugstore was running a BOGO deal on them, mix or match.  In the same paper my friend got the bra clip $1.50 off coupon, there was a coupon for the leg smoothing kit. Another $1.50 off.  Since the BOGO deal was a store deal, and the coupons were manuf, the store's policy would allow a coupon on each item, even though one item was free.  I told my friend to go buy BOTH items, and use BOTH coupons. That is $3 off the $9.99 because of the BOGO deal, instead of just buying the bra clip for $1.50.  I went over it and over it with my friend. It took some working to show her the math of why she should buy the other item she didn't want or need.  It made perfect financial sense to buy that extra item since it was free and would let her get another $1.50 off what she did need to buy.  Finally, I convinced her to just trust me and buy both items.  Then, she could put the leg smoother thing in a yard sale for like $1 and save even more off the original purchase of her bra clips... Or even, for that matter, give away or donate the extra item. She still made out better buying that item.  

This is a hard concept to grasp. It takes some rethinking.  You have to work the math and be careful so that you don't fall into a trap where you do pay more for more items when you consider these deals.

Let me give you another, perhaps easier, example.

Tonight, I went to Target.  I had a coupon for $4 off any 2 TGI Fridays Appetizers, 12oz or larger,  in the Frozen Foods Section.  I saw TGI Fridays Onion Rings. On Clearance. For $2.18 a box. (They were not dated to expire, just maybe a package redesign thing.)  The thing is that I am the only person in the house that likes onion rings. So I surely do NOT need another box of onion rings. But, this is a good price and I have been wanting to get some onion rings.  Here's the situation: I could buy one box and pay $2.18. OR, I could buy two boxes at $4.36, use the $4 off any two coupon, and PAY 36 CENTS for both boxes.  Why the heck would I pay $2.18 for one box when I could pay just 36 c total for two?!

Don't start the chorus of "but you don't need two boxes."  That is just foolishness. No, I don't need two boxes. I don't have the freezer space. AND I don't intend to eat two boxes worth.  

IF I bought two boxes, I would save a ridiculous amount off the purchase of just one box by using that coupon. At that point, I could buy two boxes and then throw one in the trash.  (GASP! Come on now, you know I am not going to throw food away while folks in this world are wanting for food...)   The point is there. The only way it makes financial sense is to buy two boxes. So, I did. Then, on the way home, I called a friend to see if her husband wanted the extra box of onion rings. He does. He is going to get them this week. So, relax! :) 

The point is, do not automatically shrug away from buying more than you need. Take a breath, do the math, and then make your decision. You can always stop by the soup kitchen on the way home and make a donation. 

Highlights From My Weekly Target Run

I Saved More than $40, and Only Spent $77.36

Stacking Coupons Really Made a Difference

I am going to save you from the tedious posting of the entire receipt. Instead, I am going to post my best deals from last night and a description of how I worked them.  Hopefully, this will show how I implement my coupon philosophy so you can see how your coupons could be helping you work deals for the things you need, too.

Johnson & Johnson Baby Wash-

I found a special purchase deal of Buy 1 Johnson's Head to Toe 9Fl oz Baby Wash, get a BONUS 4 fl oz Baby Bubble Bath and Wash bundled with it for FREE.  This set was only $1.97! I bought two of these sets, and used a $2 off 2 Johnson's Baby Items manuf coupon. So, the bundled sets came out to be BOGO.  I paid $1.97, and got 2 Head to Toe Washes, and 2 Baby Bubble Bath and Washes.

Valentine M&M Heart Tins-

97 c each. I bought two and used a $1 off any 2 Valentine Mars products.  So, the M&M Heart Tins were BOGO.

Kraft Heart Shaped Marshmallows- 

I bought two at $1.19 each and used a 50c off 2 coupon. = 94 cents each pack. 

Sun Maid Raisin 18 ct Box Snack Packs-

On sale for $1.68 each, I bought two for $3.36, and used a $1 off 2 manuf coupon = $1.18 ea pack 

Cool Whip-

99c ea pack, bought two and used a 50c off 2 Target coupon = 75c ea

Yoplait 4 pack of Splitz-

On Sale for $2.19, I had a 50c off Manuf coupon = 42 cents each yogurt cup

*Pediasure Sidekicks 4 pack-

They were $6.99 for a 4 pack.  I had a manuf coupon for $5 off, so I paid $1.99. BUT, there is a rebate for these. I am going to submit my receipt for a $6.99 check. When that comes in, I will have made an easy $5 to own these.   Go HERE for the rebate info.

*OLAY Bar of Soap-

97c ea.   I bought one bar. I had a coupon for $2 off any 1 Olay lotion, soap, or wash.  At the checkout, I told the cashier as she was scanning that I had that coupon and that we would probably have to value the coupon down to 97 cents. (Whenever you spend less than the face value of the coupon, the computer usually rejects the coupon and the cashier will have to manually value override the coupon down to actual cost, so you get the item free.)  When the cashier scanned the coupon, it went in without any problems. SO! I got PAID $1.03 to take the Olay Soap home with me!  Always do these transactions with integrity. I informed the cashier ahead of time, and the computer took the full value. So, it was a win for me. But usually, I take the soap at "free" and they value the coupon down. The computer liked me I guess.

Nabisco Crackers-

I had stacked coupons for this. I had $1 off 2 Nabisco Crackers Manuf. Coupon, and a $1 off 2 Nabisco Crackers Target coupon. I put them together. Then, I looked for Nabisco (full sized) crackers that were $1.99 on sale. I bought Chicken Biscuit ones and "Saltines".  Stacking the coupons made the crackers BOGO, or $1 ea box.

**Note, these coupons caused confusion in my cashier. She scanned the manuf one and it beeped at her and said I was missing an item. Of course, I wasn't. This happens sometimes.  So, she read the coupon as I started looking for the Nabisco brand boxes to show her I did indeed have the items on the coupon. She told me "See, these are for Ritz. You didn't buy Ritz."  I had to be really nice and slowly explain to her that the coupon reads "Any Nabisco Cracker, excludes individual size." and that the company just chose to put the picture of Ritz crackers on the coupon. She had to read the coupon a few times, then finally "got it".  Just smile and wait patiently when this happens. One lane over, my regular cashier was quietly chuckling. She was on break when I got to the registers, otherwise I would have gone straight to her!

Oscar Mayer Hotdogs-

On sale for $1.99 ea pack, I bought two and used a $1 off 2 Target coupon= $1 ea pack

Kelloggs Cereal-

One of my fave deals of the night. 

I bought:

• Special K Vanilla Almond on sale for $2.50 and Special K Granola for $3.29. I used a $1.00 off 2 Special K products Target Coupon, =$4.79, or $2.40 ea box. 
• Crispix for $2.50, and Frosted Berry Filled Miniwheats for $2.50. I used a $1 off 2 manuf coupon. =$4 for both, or $2 ea box. 
• Kelloggs Crunchy Nut NEW cereal   FREE (-$2.50) WYB ANY Kelloggs  Target Coupon= FREE
• Kelloggs Crunchy Nut NEW cereal  FREE (-$2.50) WYB ANY Kelloggs Target Coupon = FREE
• $3 off ANY Produce WYB 3 Kelloggs cereals manuf coupon

So, my total out of pocket pairing the manuf coupons with the Target coupons was $8.80 for 6 boxes of cereal. That means I spent $1.47 per box of Kelloggs cereal.   I do lump all these coupons, etc like this because the coupons I had only got me this huge of a discount when I worked the deal and bought all the items together.  IF You want to take into consideration I got $4 worth of Strawberries for $1 after the $3 off produce coupon I used, you could say it was like paying $5.80 for 6 boxes of cereal, since I wanted to buy the strawberries anyway. IF you want to figure the math that way, it was like spending 97 cents per box of Kelloggs. A great deal either way you want to consider it..

**My cashier, bless her, she had issues with my Special K cereal coupon. She told me I only got 1 Special K cereal and couldn't use the coupon. Because, according to her, even though it is on the same aisle and shelf and packaging, my Special K Granola (my fave cereal) is not cereal. It is GRANOLA. Huh? I had to gently talk to her about that one too.

Yoplait Yogurt Cups-

These were on sale 10 for $5.50.  I bought 10. I used a 50 cents off 10 Target coupon. I used a 50 cents off 8 manuf coupon. Then, since I had 2 more yogurts that did not have a manuf coupon attached to them.. (bc each item you buy at Target, you can put one manuf and one Target coupon on) I used a FREE cup of yogurt coupon I had received from Yoplait, so that was another 55c off.  

Ok-  $5.50 for ten cups, minus 50 c Target, minus 50 c manuf, minus 55 cents manuf = $ 3.95 or about 40 cents ea cup of yogurt.

And, Finally, I worked the TGI Friday's/Totinos Buy 3, Get 1 Free deal.

I bought two TGI Fridays Frozen foods at $2.75 each. I bought 2 Totino's Pizza Rolls at $1.44 ea. I used a 40 cents off 2 Totino's rolls manuf coupon.  Then, a Pizza Roll was free, per the in-store special. So, 8.38 for all four, minus $1.44, minus 40c = $6.54 for four easy lunches, or $1.64 each.

It was a pretty straight-forward coupon run. I am so thrilled I got paid to own the Olay. The Kelloggs deal was just in time, bc we were pitifully low on cereal. Also, I needed to get some Johnson's Head to Toe Wash. I love how working that deal made it like I bought one on sale Wash, and got 3 others for free!

Also, I took my reusable shopping bags with me and got 5c off for ea bag I used.  I love Target.  And, hopefully, my cashier learned a couple of useful things.

I should mention that by working a diaper gift card deal a couple weeks ago, I was able to go and get snacks for me and the kiddos for free while we shopped! LOVE THAT! :)