Target and I have some bad history together. I'm not overly fond of the chain and my only local store hires cashiers and then doesn't train them well.
I put all that aside(because of the visions of FREE DOG FOOD)and armed with my coupons and a copy of the coupon policy print-out I marched into Target yesterday morning.
Was happily picking products up, deposting them into my cart and putting the corresponding coupons into my pocket.
Palmolive Dish Soap @$1.49...check!
2 x Purell Sanitizer @$1.37....check!
Cinnabon Pastries @$2....check!
2 x Chef Michaels Dry Dog Food @$4.26....che.....hey!....WTH?
I had left an envie of coupons in the car, among them all the dog food coupons and the kashi coupons.
ARGH!
So, the dog food goes back on the shelf and I check out with my 4 other items.
$6.23-$4 in coupons($1/1 for each item bought)=$2.23+.07¢ tax=$2.30OOP
Paid cash, forgetting to use my prepaid Visa from the Staples rebate-doh!- and out to the car for the rest of the coupons.
Back into the store--
more Palmolive Dish Soap @$1.49...check! ($1/1 Q)
more Purell Sanitizer @$1.37...check! ($1/1 Q x 2)
more Cinnabon Pastries @$2...check! ($1/1 Q)
1 x Dawn Foam Dish Soap @$2.29...check! ($1.50/1 Q)
2 x Chef Michaels Can Food @.84....check! (Target BOGO Q + Manu. BOGO Q)
2 x Chef Michaels Dry Food @$4.26...check! (Target $1.50/1 Q + Manu. $3/1 Q x 2)
2 x Purina One Can Food @$1.29...check! (BOGO Q)
1 x Schick Quattro Cartridges @$8.99....check! (Target $4/1 Q + Manu. $4/1 Q)
2 x Kashi Baked Bars @$2.88...check! ($1.50/1 IP Q x 2)
3 x Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal @$2.88....check! ($1.50/1 Mailer Q x 3)
SubTotal...$44.69
Coupons Used...$32.97
$44.69-$32.97=$11.72+.05¢tax=$11.77
Actual total on the receipt was $8.85 with tax.
***This is part of why I hate Target. The way they figure things is squirrely. You can never decipher the register receipt and I am convinced that they have things keyed in so that you always end up paying MORE than you are suppose to. IE: Squirrely=the dog food...1 bag they took off $1 for the Target $1.50 Q and the other bad they took off $1.00. even though both coupons were for $1.50 off. One of the Manu Q for $3 they listed under the item on the receipt, the other $3 Q was way down on the bottom of the receipt & under the item up top they marked off $4.26 for the bag for a Manu. Q right under the item, so it looks like I paid $6.02 for the 2 bags and they took off $10.26 on that sale.
HUH? OK, so this example they undercharged me, but usually I end up paying more according to their computations.
Then the 2 small cans of dog food(which I had 2 BOGO Qs for-a target & a Manu stacked-so it should have been free), it looks like they charged me for 1 can. Nothing adds up correctly no matter how you try to decipher it.***
Anyway, back to our story....
I hand the stack of coupons to the cashier & prepared myself for battle....
but he just scanned them all, not a word when there were a target & manufacture's Q stacked, not a look when something beeped and needed to be adjusted, nada.
Target says my total came to $8.85. Not being a mathematician with a PhD, I don't argue the point, as it's lower than it should be.lol
I handed over my $5 Gift Card from the Quaker Granola Bars deal of a few weeks back and got a new $5 Gift Card for the Kashi items bought.
Then I slid my Staples preloaded Debit Card from a rebate on paper bought in July and paid my balance of $3.85.
Zero out of pocket and a $5 GC to use next time.
Plus the Palmolive Dish Soap has a Try Me Free Rebate so I'll get $1.49 of what I spent back & if SIL hasn't already, I can send for a TMF Rebate for her too for the 1st receipt.
Then it was to CVS to get a prescription transferred so I could get a $25 Gift Card for the CRT offer I got a few weeks back on my receipt.
Had to roll some ECBs expiring on 9/17 while I was there....
3 x Reach 2 pack toothbrushes @$3.99=$11.97
4 x Candy Corn @.50¢=$2.00
1 x Colgate Toothpaste @$2.99
1 x Cottonelle TP @$5.99
1 x Poise Pantiliners @$2.49
1 x Viologie Shampoo Sample @$1.49
SubTotal $26.93
Coupons Used
3 x $2/1 Reach 2 pack toothbrushes=$6.00
1 x $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Cottonelle TP=$1.00
1 x CRT FREE Q Poise Pantiliners=$2.49
1 x CRT FREE Q Viologie Shampoo Sample=$1.49
Total $11.98
$26.93-$11.98=$14.95
ECBs Used
$10 for Survey
$2 for ?
$1.98 for Pencils
Total $13.98
$14.95-$13.98=$.97+$.06 tax=1.03OOP put on old CVS Gift Card
Received $8ECBs, Used $13.98
Bleh. Lost $5.98 in ECBs buying TP & Candy Corn. Fitting, no?lol
When I was walking from the back after paying for my prescription & getting my new $25 GC, I noticed some clearance items at the far end of the Halloween candy display. The sign said 25% off and there was a gooseneck desk lamp sitting there. As #2 son just moved into his brother's room, he now needs a desk lamp for the desk in there. So I looked it over and couldn't find a price. I hauled it upfront to the register and had the cashier price check it for me. She said, "It's $3.74".
Huh?? You mean 3 DOLLARS and 74 CENTS...right?
"Yah, that's what I said."
"I'll take it!"
The lamp is not fancy but it looks sturdy and is just the thing he needs.
And for $3.97(with tax), you KNOW I'm all over that!! 8-))
Turns out, it's got one of those energy saving globe lightbulbs included and it's suppose to last for 9 Years. (And you'll realize an energy savings of $47 over that time according to the box.)
But what makes this desk lamp all the more sweet to me is the little sticker on the box.....
Yep, that's a MIR for $2.00. My little lamp will end up costing me ZERO OOP & I'll get a $2 check for buying it. I put the $3.97 on a Gift Card(.97¢ left on the old GC and $3 on the one I just got at the Pharmacy)& I'll get a check for $2 for the Rebate.
Then it was off to WAGS....
1 Murine Ear Care=$6.00
2 Big Roll TP@.50¢=$1.00Subtotal $7.00
Used $6 in RRs
$1.00OOP
Received a $6RR for the Murine
The reported Big Roll TP ringing up .50¢ BEFORE the In-Ad Q wasn't happening here.
Transaction #2
4 x Lindsay Olives @$2.00ea(when you buy 2)=$8.00
2 x Triaminic Nighttime Syrup @$5.00ea=$10.00
1 x Wags Cashews on sale $1.99
2 x GUM Tooth & Tongue pack @5.29=$10.58
SubTotal $30.57
Coupons Used
4 x Wags AD Q Lindsay Olives@$.99ea.=$4.04
2 x Lindsay Olives $1/2=$2.00
2 x Triaminic Nighttime Syrup $1.50=$3.00
2 x Wags Booklet Triaminic Q@$2.00ea.=$4.00
2 x GUM Tooth & Tongue pack RAINCHECK-BOGO/RR Deal so Free=$10.58
Total $23.62
$30.57-$23.62=$6.95
Used $6 Murine RR
$6.95-$6.00=$.95OOP
Received $10RR(2x$5)
So when the 2 $5RRs popped out I thought, Great!....the Nighttime Triaminic IS giving double RRs.
One was a Novartis generatedRR(the Triaminic)& the other was a Reckitt Benckiser RR. Not sure what this means.
So I went back for some more Triaminic.
But they only had the Strips left in the Nighttime....
Transaction #3
2 x Triaminic NIghttime Strips @$5.00=$10.00
Coupons Used
2 x Triaminic Nighttime Syrup $1.50=$3.00
2 x Wags Booklet Triaminic Q@$2.00ea.=$4.00
Total $7.00
$10-$7=$3.00OOP Put on Staples Prepaid Visa Debit Card
Received $5RR
Ok, so this time only 1 $5RR comes out. Now I am really scratching my head!lol
The CAT machine made a little noise after the 1st RR appeared, a bad "I think I'll jam now & stop working" noise. Now I had to figure out whether I needed to make a scene and have the machine looked at or just let it go. As I'm not sure if the Triaminic was suppose to give 2 Cats from 2 different companies and I was so tired and had to pick up kids at school, I just let it go.
I know.....so NOT like me!lolol
So I'll have to settle for a $9 moneymaker instead of a $14 moneymaker on the Triaminic.
In the end, I 'spent' $21.10.
OOP cash spent was $4.25. The rest was paid with assorted Gift Cards/Prepaid Visa.
I used $13.98 in ECBs/gained $8 for a total loss of $5.98ECBs.
I used $12 in RRs/gained $15 for a total gain of $$3RRs.
Will receive $3.49 in checks($1.49 & $2.00 for Palmolive & Lamp MIRs).
Got a new Target $5 Giftcard & have $22 left on my new CVS Giftcard as well.
And I got $161.62 worth of stuff.
Not a bad days work....
Sluggy
Sluggy,
ReplyDeleteDo you use all the stuff you get these great deals on? Cause there is some of that I have never seen before much less purchased. Like the Murine ear stuff and the Big Roll tp. So do you use it or trade it or what?
You know how I am about my Viva paper towels. If they were paying me to take Bounty or some other brand I still wouldn't take them. So the Big Roll might be a great deal, but if I was particular about another brand of that product, it wouldn't matter. Like ketchup, if it's not Heinz I won't buy it. No one in my house will eat anything but Heinz. Plenty of other stuff no one really cares but there are a few things we are so brand loyal to it's mind-boggling!
I love the clearance section at my Walgreen's and my Super Target has several endcaps that are clearance items and I find really good deals there.
Great job on the shopping trips!! I couldn't agree with you more about Target - I cannot stand shopping there! I'll be posting my trip experience about Target tomorrow. I also had a decent cashier which doesn't happen too often!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I got through the first sentence, and thought "Uh oh!" But the Target part ended really well - excellent!!!!!!!! Now I'm going to scroll back up and read the rest :)
ReplyDeleteRead through the rest - VERY NICE!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLisaPie...1st rule of deal hounding do NOT be brand loyal.lol That will thwart your budget.
ReplyDeleteI have learned to buy only what we will use. Of course if buying something we don't use will make me money, I'll buy it, make the profit(via rebate or such & give away/donate the item)or sell the item for a profit....but that is the exception.
The Murine Ear thing is a new product. Often Wags/Rite-Aid/CVS will offer new products free after RRs/SCRs/ECBs just to get you to try it and hope you will like it and pay money for it the next time. You get the free one and NEVER buy it for retail afterwards(unless you are stuck w/out a deal or a coupon lol).
The Big Roll TP is a regular item WAGS carries...it's like the Scott single roll but cheaper w/the in-ad Coupon.
I am jealous of your good clearance at WAGS tho. Ours sucks....
Tanya-I remember your Target issue earlier this year. Glad you had a good cashier for once!
ReplyDeletePretty-Yes, you inspired me to go so I'm glad it turned out well...otherwise, I would have had to bitch at you.lol JK
ReplyDeleteI finally got the last of the photos posted on this post. My sinuses are hammering at my face so it's taken me hours....ugh.
Oh, the joys of decaying leaves for someone who's allergic to trees!lol