How Low Can U Go? (vent)

[Hound dog]

Every sunday morning husband goes out early and buys me 4 copies of the cincy suday paper. (our local paper doesn't have the sunday coupons) If easy child can't get out, he'll buy her 4 copies as well and she pays us back.

This may seem silly for coupons, but so far the benefit outweighs the cost.......and I'm using the paper to wrap the girls china in for storage. No biggie, right?

Well last week one paper had no coupons........ So, I thought fluke. No one is perfect. And let it go.

This week though, I told husband to make sure that each paper had the coupons/ads in them before he bought them. husband being male took the easy way, checked only for the ads assuming if the ads were there the coupons would be too. And he only checked the first 4 papers. (he was picking up 4 for easy child this morning too) He dropped pcs papers off on his way home.

easy child calls me. Not a single of her papers had coupons in them. Not one. She was soooooo mad, and rightfully so. I mean c'mon, even before I really got hooked on coupons, the main reason the sunday paper is so popular is the ads and coupons! I told her no sweat. I'd give her two of my inserts, better than nothing. And I wasn't planning major shopping trips this week, I've got cleaning to catch up on ect. If there wasn't a jump out at you deal I hadn't planned on going at all.

But I decided it would be a good idea to check my papers. Each sunday paper comes with a Smartsource and redplum coupon insert. I had 1 paper with both, other 3 only had the smartsource. Found that interesting. Told easy child. easy child had 1 big deal she was going after.....shampoo ect for women. (last couple wks have been men) With the coupons.....would have been free in the store. She wondered if those coupons were in the redplum one. So I looked......and sure enough there they were.

Now........upon discovering all her coupon inserts missing......easy child headed out for more papers. Only she checked them this time. Walmart, gas stations, ect where they sell papers around here. Not one had a coupon insert.

So. Interesting.

Evidently someone is going around snitching inserts out of the papers when they're buying their own.........or whomever brings the paper to town (distributor?) has someone snitching coupon inserts out of so many papers before they're delivered.

Back in the day when I delivered papers with my bro.......when they came to us they weren't put together. We'd spend the wee hours of the morning doing just that, every single sunday. It was one of the reasons we didn't look forward to the sunday paper. lol

Speedway is going to contact the paper and complain. I'm guessing we're not the only ones complaining to the businesses providing the papers. Walmart is too as easy child reported it to customer service. Not to the distributor, to the paper itself........as it's more than a tad odd that the papers in gas stations and stores are the ones missing coupon inserts.

Now this couponing thing is wonderful if you can put the work into it. I'm saving tons of money, paying much less than aldi's, and my house (I swear to you) has never seen so much name brand stuff in almost 30 yrs.

But dang it to hades, I don't go around snitching people's papers off their lawns......I've felt no need to go dumpster diving......or go around town asking the diners and such to save me their coupon inserts. I get plenty from the mere 4 papers I buy and what I print off line..... And that's another thing............most of these coupons in the darn paper you can print off line and don't even have to BUY or STEAL to get.

I mean seriously, how low can you get? People who buy the paper, whether they coupon or not, would appreciate a WHOLE paper when they buy it. They're not cheap anymore to begin with.

easy child and I are both calling the cincy paper and informing them........and while we're at it asking if we can get our copies sent direct to us, provided they can make certain the darn coupon inserts will be inside. ugh

People never cease to amaze me. On the money maker deals there are always firm limits on amounts. Getting a bazillion coupons for one money maker deal doesn't do you that much good, I don't care what they show on tv. Most stores have caught on and now limits are assigned to households instead of per customer.

Ok, vent over.

 

[DaisyFace]

Lisa--

Call the paper and do some double-checking:

First - some of the papers (due to the snitching issue) are now putting inserts in subsrciptions only.

Second - some paper deliverers are making deals on the side to give extra inserts to certain customers (which means they must be delivering some papers without inserts in order to get those "extras")

 

[AnnieO]

Interestingly, the paper up here doesn't have inserts if you buy it from a newsstand. You have to actually subscribe. And I don't need that many papers. You cannot JUST get the Sunday paper.

Mom saves her inserts for me. But... I use many of the same things she does!!!

 

[susiestar]

There are a :LOT more people selling coupons on ebay now and I bet that they are either paying a paper delivery person for them or are the delivery people and are taking them for themselves. I had a friend back in the 80's who's mom was into this. To the scale of two dozen papers and as many inserts as she could get from neighbors or snitch. She was so bad about it that her paper delivery person had to start putting all Sunday papers in bags with double rubber bands - and got her neighbors to call the police. When I knew her they had a garage with about five years worth of soap, shampoo, razors, laundry soap, canned goods, etc.... and were building a shed to put more in. At the time I thought it was about thirty years worth, but now I know it was about five, lol!

Complain directly to redplum and smartsource. They have websites - use their contact info and either email or call them. They want EVERYONE to get their coupons. NOT just some extreme couponers or people who are selling them. I din't know about redplum, but in the past I complained to smartsource and valassis (they used to mail envelopes with samples, local business and grocery coupons to your home) both bent over backward when I called because I didn't get inserts or got an empty envelope from them. We had a mail carrier in one apt complex who put all ad flyers, coupons, etc... in an open section of the mailboxes and not in your mailbox - even when they had your name instead of occupant. Complaining to the post office didn't work until I went to the companies themselves and complained.

 

[Hound dog]

Good idea Susie! Thanks We'll try that.

I dunno, I guess I'm just not that selfish. I know there are other people out there in as bad a shape as husband and I, or worse, who could use both the coupons and deals too.

I'm all for stocking up, don't get me wrong. But as I've said before, I've seen where going to extreme measures isn't necessary to do so. Just follow the ads....and don't be so picky about brands (unless it's one you really don't like) and it happens by itself without short changing others. Which is why we limit our newspaper buying to 4. Other people want sunday papers too.

If you get with a group of friends/neighbors you can swap out coupons you don't want for ones you'd like to have, which is really nice. Like I don't wear contacts......but currently am trying to find someone who does as I believe I have a bunch of coupons they could use to save them some on the contact wash ect. Some good deals are on these products in certain sale ads from time to time......but I don't have contacts, no one in the family does. No one to trade them with or just give them to. Same with yogurt. omg I'm not a yogurt eater.........were great deals last week for yogurt, was tempted as one sale they'd have been super cheap, but I HATE yogurt. lol Got to find someone for those too.

easy child and I also set aside expired coupons for troops overseas. They can continue to use them in the commissary for 6 mos after the expiration date.

Problem for me is, I now look at coupons as money, and I hate putting even one I know I'd never use into the trash. lol

 

[donna723]

I would complain to the newspaper first.

I worked for a big newspaper in Florida for a very long time. The sections with the coupons were done up several days in advance since there is no real "news" in those parts and it is all preprinted. Then they were inserted mechanically into the center of the other sections after they were printed and folded. There are all kinds of problems that can happen during the process that can result in whole batches of papers going through without the inserts being put in them. I finally gave up buying the Sunday papers here because the inserts were missing so many times and the comics (my favorite part!) were in that insert! I would check the papers before I bought them to make sure they had the inserts but if they were missing, they were usually missing from every single paper in the stack!

It's possible that someone is removing the inserts to get the coupons but it's much more likely that the problem occurred at the newspaper's printing plant.

 

[keista]

I knew this was gonna happen, once they started airing THAT show .

I would also complain to store managers because they shouldn't be "allowing" ppl to just take ads.

November, December I do a similar thing looking for toy store ad with a coupon. I'd check the papers to make sure it was there. Some stores, both papers had it, other stores, it was one or the other or none. However this was a consistent pattern that looked like a "marketing decision" My local stores do pull out this ad for me before returning the unsold papers, assuming they have any left over.

 

[AnnieO]

Lisa... I wear contacts!!! Any good ones for Aquify???

We really have to get together, since we're close... LOL

 

[Star*]

That STUPID show has caused so many problems it's incredible.

I've been couponing for a while now and NEVER in my LIFE has couponing been an ISSUE......NOW since that show? OMW - every body and their sister thinks they are an EXTREME couponer - and they are RUDE, and ARROGANT AND they are making it nearly impossible for people like me to get my little deals and make it. A few days ago the Bi-Lo had to shut down a lane because of this woman JUST KNOWING the cashier had RUINED her 'deals'. Okay - so how did THEY ruin it. More than likely SHE messed up on her calculations. Well - DUH- the coupon read = VERY CLEARLY - $1.00 off when you buy TWO - and she had gotten it mixed up but was being an ass because she thought it was BOGO, and the coupon was for $1.00 TWO.......and OMG.....we all had to pay the price but even a litlte goof up like THAT can throw your entire order off...and MY DAY - and then she had piggy backed coupons /stacking them and the stacks were expired. OMG(slap me now) and the girl was trying to explain that YES we do take those, but they are EXPIRED, and AGAIN the woman was arguing with the manager.....

So what does THIS do? It leaves a huge bad taste in managements mouth for ME - when I walk up with MY coupons. And I get the dreaded look like - OH GOSH NOT YOU TOO.

Soooooooooo I broke it down.......and told the girl - FIRST OFF.......I can do this very basically for you so we won't have a repeat of THAT - and waived to the idiot

Then I said - Okay let me do this in categories......and put up my first batch of noodles - and I said - I have 8 coupons for $1.00 off......these are BOGO free @.97 each - and these are all $1.25 each - So I should Owe you $1.25 for 11 boxes of noodles. Lets just do that first and see if i know what I'm doing okay? So she rings it up.....and I hit right on $1.25 Less .10 because I use two recycled bags @ .5 each - so I should owe you $1.15. Then I scanned my Bi-Lo card and voila - $1.15.
THIS is what I'm reduced to - to get back the cashiers faith. Grrrrrrrr.

Then I had 2 loaves of bread, another coupon - double that - double that - and now I owe her $1.50 - less one bag......(hand her the card again) .......voila. Okay so she's ready to trust me with more than 10 coupons at a time.

I didn't scare her with my box.......and I certainly didn't keep pointing to my lovely binder like the woman ahead of me did. I could have rung her bell. Ding dong.

And I have always checked the inserts right there before I buy because that stealing has been going on here for a year. But since I live 10 miles from the paper? You'd think I could get the inserts? AND NO WAY JOSE - they won't give you a thin dime - you are just SOL if you get a paper without a coupon insert. nice Columbia - very nice - cheap too.

 

[Star*]

I have tons for cat litter - okay not tons. But I'll trade cat litter for dog snacks ........and BBQ sauce _ omg I sound like I'm playing poker.

What is aquify?

 

[KTMom91]

One of my Sunday diversions is reading the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle has better coupons than our local paper. I've also had to take inventory to be sure all the sections are there before closing the door on the paper box. I don't even care about the coupons so much, but since I paid for my paper, I want all it's pieces in it.

A clerk at 7-11 told me that people will wait for the distributor on Sunday mornings, and then grab up all the papers. That's extreme. And selfish.

 

[AnnieO]

I can usually find doggie snax coupons. Maybe BBQ sauce... Maybe.

Aquify is fancy brand name saline solution for contacts (AKA "eye juice"). I used the cheapest stuff I could find until I started having problems with my eyes, husband said, here, use mine... And now it's one of the few things I get brand-name.

 

[Hound dog]

Step I'll look to see if I have coupons for that brand. And I'll watch for them for you too.

Starbie if you want to pm me the info I'll be glad to mail doggie snack coupons to you. They'll expire before I can use them all......easy child and nichole clipped and gave me theirs so I have too many I can use.

Star hear ya on these self proclaimed coupon diva's who are aiming to be on the next show or something. easy child and I are careful to be very polite and cheerful, we have our coupons organized (plan has been checked twice before leaving home), we have what we're buying organized.......and do our best to make it as easy on the cashiers as possible. We've both been cashiers, we know what being on the other side of the register can be like at times. No way in hades do we do anything like the frigging 4 cart fulls of junk thing. We've not filled up a cart yet. Mostly because we shop for deals first......then we shop for the other things we need.

Stealing the coupons in my opinion is just so over the top.....omg......really? Stealing is stealing. Makes me furious. Like that lady on the show who was trying to claim she only took sunday papers from houses that had been foreclosed on.........then why did she have her hubby driving the getaway car and darting in and out as if she were STEALING them?? Foreclosed house or not, someone else paid for those papers. Show should've yanked that person.

Just saw one where the couple who went shopping together were confronted by management that they couldn't buy half their list because it was restricted to one per HOUSEHOLD........gee, I wonder why? Could it be from people selfishly clearing store shelves? Woman was all upset cuz the 4k purchase she planned to cost 4 bucks had been knocked out of the water. Boo hoo. Go cry me a river elsewhere. No one is going to convince me a family of 3 needs to make a 4k purchase in a grocery store whether it's with cash or coupons. omg

The extremers are gonna ruin it for all of us if the powers that be don't wise up fast and put pressure on them to yank the show. Which is a shame in a way........showing people how to save money is not a bad thing........but this is ridiculous.

I have friends that have been trying to get me to do coupons for years. The lousy economy and seeing how much could be saved prompted me to bite the bullet and learn how.

The show also should show people who save a ton by NOT wiping out store shelves and having a stock pile in their houses that could last them a decade.

I pray the vast majority of new converts fall by the way side when they grow weary of how much work is involved in that over the top extreme way to shop. Or when their neighbors confront them over stealing their coupons........

 

[Marguerite]

We don't have coupons like that here. We do get the TV guide in the Sunday paper, it's really annoying when it's missing.

Step, I can't use the commercial saline, it has preservatives in it and my eyes react badly. So I either buy ampoules of saline (they're plastic, not glass) or I make my own (*gasp, shock*). I use triple-filtered water (we have a filter system on one tap, our water supply has too much chlorine in it, I hate the taste) which I boil, then I add 9 g of cooking salt (plain sodium chloride) to one litre of boiled water. Keep it sealed in a sterile, clean glass bottle. Don't worry about throwing away most of it, water and a tablespoon of salt is cheap.

I have to rinse my contact lenses before I put them on, to get rid of any sterilising solution on them. Even new lenses - the saline they are in has preservatives. The eye drops (moisturising) also have preservatives. Most cosmetics ditto. Just about the only moisturiser I can use near my eyes, is pure cooking oil.

Marg

 

[susiestar]

Marg, very few people in the US do that for their lenses now. It used to be common but many people were very careless with how they cleaned the lenses and the saline containers and serious eye infections were the result. Most docs will not even give you directions to do that and will warn you if you bring it up. I know quite a few people who did that back in the 80s and now they cannot wear contacts and ahve some nasty eye problems from the infections. One cousin has scars that will likely blind him in a few more eyars with the way they keep getting worse because he refused to stop wearing contacts. It is a cheap thing to do but can be very risky also.

You, I am sure, are careful enough to handle this but many people just are not.

As for the coupon show, I haven't seen it. it doesn't sound like something I want to see, just because I don't like anything that promotes rudeness or bad values. Saving is good but this just pushes it into really bad territory. Esp taking papers from foreclosed homes, etc.... Where is the shame in this world when people are PROUD of doing that? If you must have a getaway driver then you should NOT do it. I know years ago the cops told my friend's mom that if she did it again she was going to court for stealing the inserts from neighbors' papers.

I think people like this are why our smaller stores, the ones that do double coupons, do not take internet coupons. If you print it at home they will NOT take it. The chain does, but the local store mgmt will NOT. Period. Calling the main office gets lower mgrs that say they should and a President that says that it has been too abused and soon the entire chain may not.

I have long had people look at me with that look when I have coupons. Also when I get in line in walmart with my other store ads. Mostly now I don't have to show each item, but some cashiers still make you show them each item. And call the mgr to get approval to give you the ad price on another store brand on the walmart store brand.

Mostly I don't do too much of the couponing because we don't use a lot of the products taht they make coupons for. But I may change and at least do the walgreens ad soon.

 

[Hound dog]

Oddly enough Susie, it's the online coupons that are better regulated...........at least from my experience so far. They have a limit to how many you can print and each sight seems to use the same system. You can each coupon only about 2 times then it tells you that you've reach the limit and it won't let you print it. If you have more than one computer in the house you can download more. (2 per computer IP address) husband and Travis both have computers, but I don't use theirs to print coupons.

 

[ThreeShadows]

I found out from local couponers that there are people who clean off the shelves when the product is free, then they sell them at flea markets and make a good profit. One man even bragged that he had gone on a fancy cruise using the money he "made"! This man was single-handedly responsible for our Safeway having to change its coupon policy because he wiped out their shelf of all the vitamin water (free with coupon).

 

[Hound dog]

Somehow 3S that just doesn't surprise me...............