Ask Before you Shop

I know I sound like a broken record, but it really is vital to your couponing success to know the coupon policy of the store that you shop. All it takes is one phone call before you start planning your grocery visit. I shop at Publix for most of my grocery needs and I know that if I go to the Publix 5 miles down the road, their coupon policy will be different. A friend just called me and said she was told that Publix no longer accepts competitor coupons and that Publix "isn't really supposed to take them at all." Since she went to the location 5 miles down the road, I wasn't able to say anything definitive about their policy. She was fine with it and they accepted her coupons "this time" but she knows now not to waste her time on competitor coupons if she is going to that store.

Just call and ask for the manager before you shop, especially if you are shopping somewhere different. Ask them if they accept competitor coupons, ask them who they consider a competitor, ask them if they have a limit on how many coupons you can use in one transaction, and get the manager's name. This will make your experience much happier and help you save the most money per hour you spend planning. Also, if you get a below OR above average cashier, manager, or bag boy, send an email to corporate. Let them know. Every time I have used that form, I have gotten an email back from corporate AND a call from the store manager. They really do read every email!!

Happy shopping!