Comments on: Eating Well On $1 A Day: Day 12 – Score!!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 01:52:07 +0000

Amanda, I think you should look at online coupons and manufacturer coupons more closely. I am currently living in the States, so while I can’t look at any coupons that come in a Canadian Sunday paper, I can look at several printed coupons – they are often not restricted to the U.S. (meaning they are valid in Canada) and no coupon contains the language you’ve noted.

What’s more, I have worked as a grocery store cashier in Canada and I was never told that coupons could not be combined with sales (“offers” may refer to manufacturer offers, but store sales are independent of the manufacturer). As with the U.S., Canadian cashiers operate under a “if the computer takes it, then I don’t care” assumption, and the computer reads the bar code, not the fine print.

I know for a fact I had some ladies come through my lane with stacks of coupons and end up with tiny totals for large quantities of food. I was very impressed.

The only “loophole” being used here is that he’s able to use the overage from coupons that exceed the price of the item toward other items. Some store policies require that the coupon be reduced to the price of the item. Bear in mind though, that this is pure greed on the store’s part – the manufacturer doesn’t know how much the store charged for the item and the store will be reimbursed the full amount of the coupon.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:52:18 +0000

I’m in Canada and I don’t know about coupons in the states but almost ALL of ours up here say “can not be combined with any other offer or sale” I’m amazed they let you just slip through the loopholes but BRAVO for all the planning and smart moves.

I see how you do it all and get the math but how they allow you to do it…crazy

By: pepsibookcat

pepsibookcat — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:07:23 +0000

I hope the mystery purchase was chocolate!

At the risk of being nosy, I wonder what your line of work is that you are home during the days. Sorry if I’m being intrusive.

By: theloren

theloren — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:00:16 +0000

Of course you can buy 1/3 lb of meat. You can buy the exact quantity of anything you need at the meat, fish, deli, cheese counter. The prepackaged items are there for your convenience, and usually cost more, unless they are packaged by the store itself, in which case the price per lb. is the same as at the counter.

I don’t see why asking for 1/3 lb is embarrassing. Nobody knows why you want it. You might be struggling to make ends meet, you might be making a dip that requires a precise amount…who’s to judge?

Think about this…you’ve been taught to reach for prepackaged and settle for the quantities the industry sets as a standard. You are free to buy as little or as much as you want!

By: Another $1400 Worth of Food - Penny Experiment

Another $1400 Worth of Food - Penny Experiment — Tue, 18 May 2010 04:52:13 +0000

[...] addition, I also donated 27 boxes of Corn Flakes from my Eating Well on $1 A Day Challenge, bringing the retail value of the food donations to $1411.32. I ended up taking the stuff to both [...]

By: Angela

Angela — Sat, 15 May 2010 02:47:55 +0000

Wow you have been getting some great deals!
Tip: Water your juice down slightly, you won’t notice the difference, and it will help your juice last longer!

By: Maxine

Maxine — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:26:17 +0000

Erika, there are cashiers that will act snooty to one coupon or to multiple coupons (or no coupons). The bottom line is they are being paid to check people out regardless of the type of transaction-their job they chose it. They are not there to police your purchases or how you purchase your items. These such people are joy stealers. They are not happy so they don’t want others to be happy. Don’t let them steal your joy at getting a deal.
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Back to adm: I am really enjoying your posts-I even told someone about your project yesterday. You are getting an amazing amount of food and product for your money – AND I am learning from you. LOL no not recipe LOL LOL. I have a daughter that eats this way-is happy to open a can of tuna eat it from the can and calls that a meal? She is a horrible cook and has 2 kids! My grandkids are learning to cook in self defense and they are very young. I do have to admit they are healthy and growing very good even though their sit down meal might consist of meanus such as yours. She routinely hits up the kids eat free places and orders herself a small dinner. The 3 of them eat for about $4 most nights because she has a rule always water with meals. Juices only go with snack.

By: admin

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 06:26:14 +0000

@Pam: Yes, I do multi purchases with multiple trips through the line. I’m not confident enough to break up all the purchases in one go at this point in case something goes wrong. One purchase at a time I know what things should be.

@Princessperky: Yes – you have to ask though and that can be kind of embarrassing…

@Maxine: Um, if you are following this to get menu ideas, you are going to be sorely disappointed. I hate cooking. I hate shopping. While the meals may not be inspiring, I’m eating a lot more healthy than I bet most people would imagine you could on only $1 a day. And if someone that hates shopping and cooking can do this, then anyone can.

Of course my menu is going to be severely limited since I didn’t begin with any base of food at all. If I continued this over time, that bas would expand and give me more choices, much like building a stockpile of food.

@erika: Yep, I do. I know how you feel, especially when the cashier acts like you are trying to cheat or something. I don’t know if there is a perfect answer, but I do try to find the cashiers who appreciate the deals that I have been able to find and avoid those that don’t.

By: erika

erika — Fri, 14 May 2010 06:04:56 +0000

Did you really go through the check out all those times or do you just stay there and do all the individual transactions at once? I’m new to couponing but that has been my biggest difficulty! The embarassment of going through a check out 7 times! Lol! Advice please!

By: daylily

daylily — Fri, 14 May 2010 03:34:52 +0000

I’d consider holding onto another box of those cornflakes. Those can be used as a crust in a dessert or as a breading.