Monday, September 12, 2011

Couponers create scandals too.

I guess it is to be expected when you try and turn saving money into a televised sport. It's bound to happen where someone plays dirty, bends the rule, embezzles your coupons.

When I first started watching Extreme Couponing there was one character in the first season that just rubbed me the wrong way. Not sure if it was her heavy makeup or skunk hairdo or the fact that she acted like she was hot stuff when really she looked like a hot mess.

Also the scene where she coerces her husband into cleaning the shelves of all the mustard ( which he doesn't even like) was really a WTF moment for me.

But of course that's just the scratching the surface. Read on if you dare.

Dirty Coupon Ho

The new season of TLC's Extreme Couponing loos even worst from the preview that shows a lady clearing the shelves of all the energy bar and there's a poor surfer dude guy just standing there looking at her cart full of energy bars asking if she took them all. She quips " Early bird catches the worm!" Surfer dudes all like "Are you serious?"

If that happened to me I would be finding the store manager and asking if they had more in stock mentioning the fact that one lady took them all and asking don't they have limit per person in the hopes the manager would deny her the bars. But I'm petty and snarky like that.

Judge for yourself


Friday, September 9, 2011

Where's Count von Count when you need him?

I always though that counting money was absolute not relative...



There is this diner near us that has some decent food and reasonable prices. There are several locations all independently owned but Don Coupon is partial towards one particular location. So imagine my happiness when on the back of my supermarket receipt there is a coupon for either Buy one sandwich/burger and 2 drinks and get one free OR 20% off.

Sounds simple right?

Well so we head to the counter and  order 2 sandwiches and 2 drinks. Presented the coupon. Was told we could not use the sandwich coupon because one of the sandwiches was "on sale". Now this I take an issue to. The prices on the board are the SAME as they have been for years. This does not a sale make. It simply means they are FOR sale not ON sale. Was told we could use the 20% of your entire order coupon. OK fine whatever still a good deal.

When I got home to look at the receipt I noticed that on the line item where it said 20% of it took 74 cents off. On a $20+ ticket. On what planet is 74c 20% off your entire order. Not mine! It looks as though we got 20% off the drinks only. 

What to do, what to do. Complaining to the manager/owner is useless since he was standing right behind the cashier the whole time. It really does seem like they want the benefit of having customers come into the store but don't want to yield the discounts promised. I really DO feel like filing a complaint with the L.A County Department of Weights and Measures on this issue....

Monday, September 5, 2011

See Spot Save

When I first started this experiment. I started an excel spreadsheet to track how much I was spending and how much I was saving and where I was saving it.

The figures

Retail value of items bought: $804.90

Total price paid : $237.41

Total saved: $567.49

Not bad for a months work right?

This spreadsheet has allowed me to track which forms of savings are most effective. So far sale prices and coupons are neck and neck being only 75c apart at about $225 each. Together they make up about 90% of the savings. The drugstore rewards programs and catalinas make up the rest.

These figures don't include taxes or crv which I do log but don't take into account when calculating  things but I do track them.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Awkward!


Ok maybe I'm paranoid BUT

There are about 5 Walgreens near me. This week I went to 4 but only bought sale items at 1

Today I went to one Walgreens and they were out so I went to the one I had gotten my first 2 transactions from. When I went through the door they announced the "Code Q" over the loudspeaker. When I got to the register a staff member was there waiting for me and said after I commented I came for more M&M's "weren't you just at the other store?"

Am I being paranoid? I think it can be 2 things one I'm targeted as a couponer. Unlikely because I have only just started shopping at Walgreens or 2) they think I'm a secret shopper.

Something is odd. We'll see what happens tomorrow when I go in again to drop off my film to be processed. Yes film film. I AM from the stoneage. *wink wink*

I would think in L.A.  one you go to and fro and buy what one likes where one likes to buy it.

Insight anyone?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Freeganomics

When most people used to think about couponing they would think about their blue haired granny patiently clipping away and taking her coupons down to the local market to save 25c on some milk and cookies. Nowadays most people associate coupons with those CRAYZEE ladies on the tellie. Piling their carts high with a million periods worth of free Midol. Digging through the dumpster for coupons. Beating up their husbands for bargains (ok so I made that last part up) but you get the idea on TLC's "Extreme Couponing" is all about the bigger the better, the tighter the sweater.

Being the hardcore cynic that I am automatically figured out that obviously the fix was in on the show. They must set up the registers to allow all the coupons to double and to allow 63 of the same coupon. Basically stuff that will get your kicked out of your local VON's. So I didn't really think free items were possible. Maybe one or too but not many.

Oh yee of little faith.....

In the past 3 weeks I have managed to get the following free sometimes multiple of each item. All legal no shoplifting, sometimes a little coupon yoga but all above reproach. Ethics are important to me.

Dish Liquid x3
Tweezers x2
Gatorade x10
Salad Dressing x6
Pepsi x3
Allegra (free after rebate)
Clorox Wipes (free after rebate)
Hand Sanitizer
Lip Balm x4 ( 2 different brands)
Body Wash
Candy Bars x2
Bandaids x2
Eye Shadow
Eye Lash Curler
Nail Clippers x2
Nail Buffer
Toothpaste x2

I've also gotten numerous other things for AT LEAST 75% off of retail. I keep an Excel spreadsheet of every couponing transaction and am sitting at an average of 68.8% saved.

This experiment might just work out.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Birthday Booty

No! Not that kind of booty!

Ever since I moved to the United States from New Zealand I've always had the dilemma of deciding when my birthday actually is. Y'see New Zealand is 20 hours ahead of the U.S so today is yesterdays news to them. So do I celebrate my NZ birthday or my US birthday. Of course there is only ONE logical conclusion. Celebrate my birthday on BOTH days. Now in my household this stretches out to be a birthday week/month depending on how festive I am feeling that year.

Of course with birthdays come birthday bargains. This is what I partook in this year to reduce the cost of eating out so many days in a row.

Benihana: Now I LOVE me some Benihana not as much as I love Gyu-Kaku but I still love it. What do I love more? A $30 free birthday gift certificate to be used within the month of my birthday simple for belonging to their "Chef's Table" club. What nice about this offer is it covers all your food and non-alcoholic beverages up to $30 which is a better value than just a free entree.  The catch is it's only valid m-Th. No big deal we ate on a Tuesday at lunch (better value) and got a whole table to ourselves. What impressed me was when we sat down because I had made a reservation 30 minutes prior and mentioned it was my birthday she asked me if I had my birthday certificate so NO problems redeeming it. Also I got a free picture with me and my honey and green tea ice cream. Also I should note that the certificate doesn't require you to take another person so if you wanted to pretend your not getting older you could go by yourself. (Hey don't knock I used to eat lunch at Benihana's up to 3x a week by my little old lonesome no big deal and is super fun and you meet a lot of cool people.)

Black Angus Steakhouse: Now if you a member of Black Angus's "Prime Club" you will receive a coupon for a free steak dinner on your birthday up to $20 in value but only if someone else goes with you and buys a full meal. You also get a cookie sundae and a silly happy birthday chant. Two things I like about Black Angus. 1) Blackberry Gingerale- tastes better than any drink in a chain restaurant has a right to. 2) Call ahead seating OR Reservations with Open Table which is my favorite. Just book a table on your mobile on the drive over.

Acapulco Cantina: If you belong to their "Email Club" (needs a sexy name doesn't it?) you will get a coupon for one free entree to use any time during the month of your birthday. You also get a flan and a birthday song in Spanish. I went to the location in San Pedro Ports 'O Call where we sat by the waterfront and they have mariachis to hire to play your favorite song. For me that is Besame Mucho which I sing along to in my broken spanish. General cost of mariachis is $5 a song.

Dennys: Now this one you don't need to belong to any club or list just show up at Dennys on your birthday flash the server your drivers license and get a free grand slam. Simple. Eggs, Bacon and Pancakes. Whats not to love?

Just a friendly reminder to be kind to your server and tip on the prediscounted bill. It takes just as much effort to serve a table with a coupon as it does without. Unless of course server was terrible in which case I a big fan of writing something dry and witty on the bill in lieu of a tip.

All links provided for your savings pleasure and not to line the insides of my pockets.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Bring on the clowns or not.

Coloring your can sometimes be a nerve racking experience even when your in the hands of the professional. I remember crying in the salon chair as I realized that the hair dresser I had chosen was all that good. The color turned out OK but I refused to let her cut my hair.

But at least if a salon messes up your tresses you have some recourse be it a do over or a refund but when your own your own things can go very bad very quickly. Case in point. One afternoon I was applying my own highlights in the bathroom. As you do. Well I had the misfortune of splashing some dye in my eye. Going into emergency mode I immediately stuck my eye under the faucet and rinsed it for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile the bleach I had applied to my hair was still cooking.....

When I finally came up for air my stomach started to sink the last foil I had partway applied had come loose and the bleach had leeched out to the rest of my scalp. I frantically jumped into the shower to wash it all out and assessed the damaged. Once dry it was glaringly apparent that I had a GIANT highlighter spot in the middle of my hair.

Sighing I called the salon where I usually get my hair done ( when I have a 50% off coupon of course ) and managed to get an appointment for later on that evening. They managed to fix my hair at the cost of $300 for a full set of highlights and low lights plus base to disguise my hatchet job. Don Coupon was not amused either by the cost or the fact that he spent a Saturday evening at the hair salon instead of elbow deep in a tub of popcorn at the movies. I was forbidden to dye my hair again.

Flash forward several years to last Sunday. I perused the Rite Aid flyer and they had a sale for Samy FAT FOAM hair color. It was on sale for $8.99 plus you got $5 +UP for your next purchase AND I had a coupon for $1 off so $8.99-$5+UP-$3Q= $0.99c. For 99c cents it was worth a go.

I haven't had any hair color in my hair since Thanksgiving and that was a demi-permanent so I was essentially starting with a clean slate. I chose R5 Medium Reddish Brown.



Now the first and only problem I had with this brand was NO where on the box did it state what level of hair color it was. Was it a permanent or does it wash out. I assumed from the ingredients ( ammonia+peroxide) that it was a permanent color but I really didn't quite know what I would get as I'm standing at the sink clutching the little red box that would hold fate.

Would it be a very subtle can hardly tell not worth my time even dying it red or would it be fire engine red CLOWN hair ( oh please not clown hair please not clown hair ) There is only one way to find out.

Now what is different about this hair color and what I REALLY like about it is that its a foam, y'know like mousse. Each box comes with a plastic cocktail shaker. You pour the liquid processor in and then sprinkle the peroxide color powder in. Put the lid on and shake it like a Polaroid picture for 30 seconds. What you SHOULD have is a nice thick foam like mousse. After this part its all easy breezy beautiful. Just apply the foam in the order in the directions let it cook for 30 minutes and rinse.

The foam was very easy to apply and I had less problems with dripping and dying my ear accidentally and getting dye all over the bathroom. I usually let my hair over-process a little to make sure I'm getting the full saturated color especially with red hair dye since the color molecule is bigger than other colors it tend to fade and oxidizes quicker so I prefer it to be a little darker in the beginning. Also most home hair colors tend to self exhaust meaning once they get to a certain point they won't process anymore. This is make it easier for DIYer. Obviously this is not the case when your mixing your own bleach for highlights.

The finally result is a nice deep reddish brown that "pops" a little in the sunlight. Just the way I like it. I didn't expect this. Most red dyes are not like this. They are either too subtle or have a burgundy tint. I wouldn't have expected this from the color on the box but when have I ever achieved the color on the box.

So for 99c this gets a big thumbs up from me and if your near a Rite Aid and you have the $3 off coupon I would suggest picking a box up for yourself. It's a really good hair dye for beginners.

Great hair done cheap. Clowns need not apply.