Posts filed under ‘coupons’
Oh Groupon, How You Torture Me So!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve purchased a Groupon and nearly let it expire. I find a great deal for a nearby restaurant, but never seem to set a date and time to eat there. I buy a discounted Groupon to the Body Shop 0r Toys-R-Us, (you know the ones for $40 worth of merchandise for only $20), but never seem to go shopping. I set the date on my calendar, to make sure I don’t let it go to waste, and panic when Google calendar alerts me of it’s pending expiration. Inevitably I find myself rushing to the store on the very last day the Groupon is valid.
This past week I repeated my procrastination scenario. I purchased two Groupons for photo albums on June 19th of last year and then waited until nearly midnight on March 20th of this year to use them. I chose the photographs I wanted to include in the albums a few days in advance, but I waited until the very night the Groupon expired to design the books. I wasn’t feeling well that night. I laid in bed, suffering from an unrelenting headache, holding my head in one hand and selecting photos for the books with the other. I was so upset with myself for procrastinating, but I was determined to use those coupons. This frugal girl wasn’t about to let $160 worth of credit expire.
I’m not quite ready to give up on Groupon. I’ve ordered a few toys through the Groupon Goods portion of their website. I’ve also ordered a few coupons without expiration dates and even bought a deal for a Starbucks gift card this morning.
Am I the only person who waits until the last minute to use their Groupons? Does anyone else take advantage of these bargains and then find it difficult to use them before they expire?
I’d Totally Turn Down a Guy Who Used a Coupon
While I was waiting in line for lunch I overheard an interesting conversation with two college aged women. The first woman was telling the second about a recent date she went on with a guy she met in one of her classes. She said she was “totally into him”, (her words, not mine), and that she was “super excited” for their first date. He took her to the local Applebee’s, because neither of them have cars and it is one of the closest restaurants to campus. It seems everything was going great until the check arrived.
When the check arrived she assumed the guy would pay for her meal. After all, she said, “it was their first date and that is what the guy is supposed to do.” When the check came he reached for his wallet, but along with his credit card he also pulled out a $5 coupon.
As she told this part of the story the second girl in line gasped. I kid you not. She gasped and said, “I’d totally turn down a guy who used a coupon.”
Of course, as a personal finance blogger I found this whole conversation very amusing. The guy did not ask her to pay for her share of the meal. Instead, he willingly paid her portion, but used a coupon to offset some of the cost.
I held my tongue but I wanted to tell her she probably found herself a keeper. Rather than being mortified by his behavior she should be super stoked that she found a college student who is wise enough to clip a coupon to help cover her meal.
Is that really such an awful thing to do? What reasoning could she have for being offended by his behavior? What do you think? Would you be offended by a guy, (or gal), using a coupon? Does it make a difference if it’s used on the very first date?
Free Shipping Day: Guaranteed Christmas Delivery!
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Personalized Photo iPhone Case: $13.99 Shipped
Last weekend I created an iPhone case for my mother-in-law. I gathered a few photos of my son wearing an adorable outfit she picked out for him, selected a cute background and instantly created a one-of-a-kind gift. Now whenever she pulls out her phone she’ll think of her grandson.
Gift giving is so much easier now that I have a child. The grandparents LOVE to see pictures of him! I decided to create a similar iPhone case for myself, but haven’t had the time to make it yet.
Well it seems I’m in luck because York Photo is offered a personalized iPhone case for the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S for only $10. New customers can use the code MYIPHONE to drop the price from $29 to $10. Shipping adds another $3.99. So when all is said and done you can create a unique gift and have it shipped for $13.99 total.
This deal is good until 12/15.
$20 Voucher to Toys ‘R Us or Babies ‘R Us Just $10
Want to save a few extra dollars on toys or baby related items? If so, hurry over to Groupon where you can buy a $20 voucher to Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us for only $10. Make sure to read the fine print but as far as I can tell this Groupon would also be valid on baby related items like diapers or baby food. I don’t see any exclusions stating otherwise.
Kicking Those Coupons to the Curb: Giving Up on Couponing
Since my son arrived, (eleven months ago), I’ve focused much less time and energy hunting down bargains in and around my area. Before his birth I thought nothing of dropping by the drugstore on my way home from work or making an extra trip to the grocery store to stock up on good deals.
It seemed to take no time to pop in and out of a store, so I didn’t have any qualms about making a few extra stops between here and there. My RSS reader was full of websites and blogs that told me where to find cheap deodorant and how to buy at least two or three products for free each week.
While I was never an extreme shopper I did slowly fill our hall closet with one free bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and toothpaste after another. After a few weeks of this I was hooked and found myself learning the drugstore lingo and rolling over ECBs, (CVS’s extra care coupons), week after week.
These days it seems like a whole lot of hassle to clip coupons and shop at multiple stores. Yanking my son in and out of the car seat, (I drive a very low to the ground old-school Toyota Camry), isn’t easy.
It’s a real pain to drag him out of the car so I can buy one tube of toothpaste or one bottle of shampoo. I don’t mind taking him to the grocery store or even shopping for clothes, but dragging him out and about for one free item doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.
To keep the coupons for free products rolling it seems I need to shop every week at CVS and Rite Aid. On more than one occasion in the past three months my coupons expired when I forgot to return to the store.
I’m considering giving up on the majority of my coupon clipping and bargain shopping. I may print a few coupons from coupons.com from time to time, but I am very close to dropping my Sunday newspaper subscription. I decided to put the paper on hold for a few weeks to see if I might change my mind, but as of now I’m 90% sure I won’t renew when my subscription expires.
Most weeks I don’t find a whole lot of coupons for products we use. We buy a lot more fresh meat and produce these days. Other than the occasional box of cereal or crackers I rarely buy prepackaged foods. I still use coupons for personal products, but with my fully stocked closet I won’t need to buy these items for quite awhile.
These days I’m not sure coupons provide a lot of bang for my buck. In my last three trips to the grocery store I used less than 5 coupons clipped from the newspaper. When I consider how much time it takes to clip, organize and later weed out my coupon binder I’m just not sure it’s worth the hassle.
How about you? Do you use a lot of coupons these days? If so, what is your source: the paper, the Internet, elsewhere? If not, have you decreased your use or did you always avoid clipping coupons?
Sometimes Coupons Are a Lot of Hassle for Very Little Gain
I’ve had two hellacious experiences with coupons in the past two days. Yesterday I took a short trip to Staples to pick up envelopes for my son. Before I left the house I went online and searched for weekly deals. I found a coupon for Hammermill paper that made it free after rebate. I printed two coupons along with a coupon for 50% off one Martha Stewart product.
I didn’t realize this weekend was move in day on campus. The store was packed with new students and their parents. I really needed envelopes, so with my son in the front seat of the cart, I decided to brave the overflowing aisles. I found what I was looking for in no time and stepped up to the checkout line.
I placed everything on the counter, handed over the coupons and was momentarily distracted by my son. When I looked up the total on the monitor didn’t seem quite right. I asked the gentlemen to review my purchases, but there was a long line of people behind me and he didn’t look thrilled with the request. I also didn’t want to hold up all of the families behind me, so I moved on with my checkout.
I paid, stepped out of line and got all the way to my car before realizing the cashier rang up one too many items in my order. I purchased two packages of paper, but he rang it up three. I turned the cart around and went straight back to the store.
The checkout lines were getting longer and longer so I flagged someone down to help me. The cashier took a look at the receipt and attempted to refund my order, but the return didn’t go smoothly. I used a coupon to pay for two packs of paper, but the third rang up at full price. I wanted to return the pack of paper that cost the most, but it seems the register wouldn’t allow it.
The cashier wasn’t sure what to do and called another cashier over to help. She couldn’t seem to figure it out either. I didn’t have the coupons anymore, because they were locked inside the other register. After standing around for what seemed like much too long I gave up. I walked out the door paying full price for that pack of paper. I couldn’t wait around any longer to save $2. My son was hungry and I was thoroughly annoyed by the whole ordeal.
I had a similar experience when buying a photo album a few days ago. I went online with a promotion and gift certificate, but then realized I’d made an error in my order. I contacted customer service immediately and was told to cancel the order and resubmit. Unfortunately, when I reached the checkout screen I realized the coupon and gift certificate were no longer valid. I reconnected to an agent over chat, but didn’t make much progress.
So far I’ve chatted with customer service on four different occasions and still haven’t resolved the issue. I was told to finalize my order and then request a refund, but the refund still hasn’t been properly credited.
It seems I rarely encounter an easy transaction when using coupons. Either the coupon won’t scan, something goes wrong with the transaction or I have a heck of a time when I have to return any part of an order.
What about you? Do you use coupons or do you find that they using them is nothing but a pain?
10% off Proctor & Gamble Products Plus Free Shipping Over $25
Right now Proctor & Gamble is providing 10% off all products plus free shipping on orders of over $25 if you click Buy Now.
I just bought a load of laundry detergent and paper towels on sale through P&G’s site. I love the fact that I no longer need to lug heavy bottles through the grocery store. Since my son was born it’s a lot more difficult to shop then it used to be. With P&G’s site they arrive in a sturdy box right on my front door. If you are interested in new products check out the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System.
Since I’m a stay-at-home mom I find very little time to pamper myself these days. In an effort to squeeze in just a few minutes I’ve asked my husband to take over bath time with my son. While my son gets clean I retreat to the master bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. The Olay Cleansing System helps me squeeze in a quick, thorough scrub.
If you’re interested in taking advantage of the 10% off offer and free shipping click Buy Now.
Please note: You do not need to purchase the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System to take advantage of this offer. The discount and free shipping should apply to any products you select.
Note: This post contains sponsored links.
Join Alamo Insiders for Free
Summer vacations are just around the corner, and Alamo is offering exclusive deals when you sign up to be an Alamo Insider! Join free today and from now on the best deals come to you. Plus, you can bank on special privileges like a 10% or more member discount on every rental, and self-service kiosks that get you on the road to vacation faster than ever. Whether your next escape is one week or months away, Alamo’s got exclusive deals for you.
By signing up, you’ll receive amazing discounts – like $20 off weekly rates (5 day minimum rental) through June 18, 2012 and FREE Double upgrades through June 22, 2012. You’ll also receive a 10% discount off retail rates when you book on Alamo.com.
I’ve personally rented from Alamo at least two or three times. They have great discounted prices on rentals and their service is top notch too.
Expiration Dates: Letting Money Spill Down the Drain!
I hate letting gift cards, coupons or prepaid credit cards expire. In order to prevent this I keep a document on my home computer that includes a chronological list of things I need to use or spend. My current list includes items like Groupons, Living Social deals and prepaid gift card expiration dates.
At the beginning of every week I review the list and make certain that I spend, buy or use anything that is set to expire that week. I usually use the items long before the expiration date, but every once in awhile I find myself scrounging to make use of something at the very last moment. Up until last week my system was working for me.
Unfortunately, a few days ago it did not. I forgot to review the list prior to going on vacation and I did not have a local copy in Google docs, my iPhone or anywhere else that I could access it. I’d made a mental note the week before to use a gift card, but I got caught up packing and preparing for my trip and the idea of using it completely slipped my mind.
The minute I returned home I remembered. I didn’t even need to look at the list. It just popped into my head. I was so frustrated by my mistake, but there was nothing that could be done about it. I contacted the appropriate party but they said the expiration date could not be extended.
As I reviewed the list I realized there were a bunch of other items that needed to be addressed sooner than later. I have a Groupon for a photo album that needs to be created in the next week. It’ll take me at least that long to find the photos I want to include in it. Add on the extra time to choose where in the book to place the photos and what text to include and I might not be able to make this deadline either. It’s now at the top of my to-do list. In fact, I’m considering giving up sleep to complete it. (I don’t get much sleep these days as my son still isn’t sleeping through the night. So the thought of giving up sleep shows just how desperate I am to use it.)
In an effort, to prevent making similar mistakes in the future. I added Google calendar events and alerts for all of my gift cards, Groupons and Social Living deals that have expiration dates. That way I’ll be alerted to the event even if I’m on vacation. I hate making mistakes like this, but I’ll kick myself even more if I make a similar mistake in the future. I hope my new plan works. I don’t want to let more money spill down the drain.
