Johnson & Johnson..If it talks like a Weasel and walks like a Weasel....MIR Fiasco!

Well there is consternation in the Couponing World this evening!

There is a Johnson & Johnson Mail-In Rebate that was advertised in last Sunday's coupon insert.  Buy $30 in Johnson & Johnson brand Lotions(at least 2 different brand names)and Get a $10 Rebate.
The MIR form was available in last Sunday's insert as well as on Coupons.com. 
$2/1 Qs were also available on both sources for each of the qualifying brand names(Aveeno, Lubriderm, Purpose, Clean & Clear, Ambi) so you could combine store sales with coupons to get a better deal.

Well it has come to our attention via various online sources(Southern Savers was the 1st one I saw it on), that even though you CAN do this Rebate with more than one receipt, Johnson & Johnson is claiming that your receipts MUST TOTAL $30 to be eligible for the Rebate.  Now if you bought the J&J products along with scads of other things and your receipts add up to $30 or more after coupons/sales, you are fine.  But if you bought the Rebate items alone and used coupons/sales and your receipt(s) don't total $30, you are outta luck!
Go see what is being said about this fiasco HERE and HERE.

Let me bring to Johnson & Johnson's attention that nowhere in the insert ad, coupons or on the rebate form did they specify that you had to spend $30 AFTER coupons!

If this is true, J&J will have a PR NIGHTMARE on their hands with all the pissed off Couponers/Rebaters who will have their rebates denied.
You think they have a BIG Problem NOW with all the Tylenol and associated brands RECALLS(McNeill owns the Johnson & Johnson brand too)?  These recalls are small potatoes compared to a massive flock of disgruntled Rebaters marching en masse(via snail mail, email and telephone)on their headquarters!lolol

At any rate, if they deny all these rebates they will have lost a heap of customers for life....all over the semantics of their interpretation of the wording on a $10 MIR.

Here goes the Domino Effect--
Bad drugs recalled....
Bad rebating policy.....
Bad consumer feelings on two fronts....
Bad sales figures.....
Bad stock report.....
Bad news for McNeill

Well, yours truly went and bought a heap of Johnson & Johnson brands lotions last week....enough to qualify(or so I THOUGHT!)for 2 MIRs--1 for me, 1 for my *ahem*BIL*ahem*.
Being the savvy frugalista I am, the combined total of all 4 of my receipts(2 for each MIR)was $11.47.
Not quite $30, is it?LOL

So I need to decide to...
A--just send them in as is and cross my fingers that Johnson & Johnson doesn't weasel out on their word.
B--return a bunch of stuff(and lose the coupons I used and only get back $11.47).
C--go buy a couple MORE qualifying items but do it on a grocery shopping receipt, so my total receipts add up to at least $30.
D--just keep the stuff.  If I do this and either don't send for the rebates or do send them and they are denied, my Rite-Aid Profit after rebates will suffer this month.

Luckily, I have a week or so to think on this and see what happens before I do anything....and that's just what I'm going to do....wait awhile.

So what would you do??

Sluggy

My 5 Transaction Moneymaker at Rite-Aid this Week...Stay Tuned!

There is a P&G Single Check Rebate available on certain Proctor & Gamble items purchased at Rite-Aid from 1/17-2/13.  It's SCR #551 and can be viewed on the Rite-Aid Website.
Purchasing qualifying items gets you a Visa Preloaded Card--Buy $25, Get $5/Buy $50, Get $15/Buy $100, Get $35.
The best deal of course is the $35 Card. 

I have come up with a 5 Transaction Scenario to qualify for the $35 card.  By combining sales, coupons(manuQs, AdPerk Qs and IP Qs),various Olay rebates, Single Check Rebate items and using my Fall Gift of Savings $20 Certificate I will spend $123.38 and end up with a $28.86 Cash Moneymaker PLUS the $35 Visa card on this deal(Moneymaker of $63.86 in Cash and Gift Card)!
That is, if the Coupon "Powers That Be" are kind to our region in this Sunday's inserts and the prices in the store are what I have been led to believe they should be.

And if the weather holds up on Sunday long enough for me to get out and do 5 Transactions, I'll be back to report in on how I accomplished this later today.

Sluggy

Good Deals at Weis this Week....1/17/10-1/23/10

As far as using Coupons this week at Weis, there aren't many good deals to be had.  A lot of Weis or house brands featured and the usual 'junk' foods like soda, chips, cookies, etc.(which I don't pay much attention to).

No FREEBIES that I can see.  Let me know if you see something because I have gone blind looking for them this week.lol

And of course, NO CATALINA Deals either.....sigh....at least I might be able to stay out of the grocery store this week since it's so abysmal.

Here are the CHEAPIES....

YoPlus Yogurt  & Fiber One Yogurt on sale again this week for $1.50.
--use the $1/1 YoPlus ManuQ from the recent GM insert to get it for .50¢
--use the $.50/1 Fiber One ManuQ(if your store doubles)from the recent GM insert to get it for .50¢

Tony's Pizza  $2.00
--use the $.501/1 ManuQ from 12/13SS(if your store doubles)to get it for $1.00

Activia Yogurt  $2.00
--use the $1/1 ManuQ from either the 10/4SS or the 1/10SS to get it for $1.00

Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies  $2.00
--use the $1/2 ManuQ(not sure the insert date but it expires 1/17 so use today!) to get it for $1.50 bag
--use the $.50/1 ManuQ from 1/10SS(if your store doubles)to get it for $1.00

And that is about it for Good Coupon Deals.

OTHER DEALS

Meat
Bottom Round Roast $1.49 lb.
--Good price.  Ask the meat dept. person to grind this up for you and you've got very cheap hamburger!

Nathan's Hot Dogs  BOGO ($5.99 reg. price)
--half price with the BOGO sale, so $3.00 a package.  Not a great price for hot doges but these don't go on sale often and they are premium quality in the 'dog world'.  A coupon would have been nice to combine here but no such luck. 8-(

Produce
Mushrooms/Baby Carrots/Lettuce  $1 a bunch/package
--pretty much rock bottom on these items.  Buy & combine all 3 and you've got a nice tasty salad. Per serving it's cheaper than buying those bagged pre-made salads.

Dairy
Weis brand Butter  $2.50
--no coupon deals on the house brands but a good price for butter

Weis Ricotta 15.oz   $2.00
--again, no coupons on house brands but a good price for ricotta


If anyone sees any other good buys this week at Weis, please leave a comment and let us know!

Sluggy

Saturday Shopping....1/16/10 at Weis

I had to go use some Qs on the good deals at Weis I mentioned awhile back, before the sales ad ended on Saturday.

4 x Yakisoba Noodles on sale $1=$4.00
9 x Green Giant Veggies on sale $1=$9.00
2 x Post Cereal on sale 2 for $3=$3.00
1 x Perdue Turkey Meatballs 40% off=$2.39
4 x Sun Crystals on sale $1.99=$7.96
1 x Gallon of Milk=$3.30
4 x Progresso Soup on sale $1=$4.00
8 x Healthy Choice Soup on sale $1=$8.00
1 x YoPlus Yogurt on sale=$1.50
SubTotal.....$52.86
SubTotal after Sales....$43.15

Coupons Used

4 x $.50/1 Yakisoba Noodles ManuQ doubled=$4.00
3 x $.60/3 Green Giant Veggies ManuQ doubled to $1=$3.00
1 x $1/2 Post Cereal ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $.75/1 Perdue Turkey Meatballs ManuQ doubled=$1.00
4 x $1/1 Sun Crystals ManuQ=$4.00
2 x $.50/2 Progresso Soup ManuQ doubled =$2.00
4 x $1/2 Healthy Choice Soup ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $1/1 YoPlus Yogurt=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$20.00

$43.15-$20.00=$23.15 OOP
Savings of 69%

After coupons, the Yakisoba noodles were free, all the Soups & the Yogurt pack were .50¢ ea.,  The GG veggies were .67¢, the Cereal and Sun Crystals were $1 a box and the Meatballs were $1.39.
The only item that was regular retail was the milk. That was also the only 'needed' item.  All the rest was stock-ups.

Sluggy

What? Not a Rite-Aid Post?! Diving back into CVSing....

So I get an email the other week inviting me to take a CVS survey.  For a few minutes of my time and $5 in ECBs, I'm there!lol

I've been out of the CVS game since last fall.  I decided to use this $5 ECBs and the portion left on my CVS Gift Card to jump back into CVSing.

1/9/10 Transaction

1 x SoyJoy box=$6.00
Used the $5ECB.
$6.00-$5.00=$1.00 OOP  Put on a CVS gift card
Received $6 ECBs

These boxes of Soy Joy are in the Bonus Pack Aisle with all the other specials that are available until 2/14.

I had some All $2/1 Qs that were expiring the 10th that I wanted to use and CVS had All for $3.99 a bottle that week.  I was going to use those Qs at Rite-Aid(of course!lol)because I had a raincheck from when Rite-Aid had the All for $3.99 also, but everytime I go to Rite-Aid they either don't have any All or only 1 bottle.  So it was back into the store to use those Qs and get a few more things as well.

1/9/10 Part II Transaction
3 x All Detergent on sale $3.99=$11.97
2 x Oust Spray $3.99=$5.98
2 x Rubbermaid Containers $1.99BOGO=$1.99
2 x Bioluxe 'Poo and Conditioner BOGO=$9.99
1 x Chocolate Advent Calendar on clearance=$1.25 *Not Pictured*
SubTotal....$33.18

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $30 Purchase(the CVS/Medicare IPQ)=$5.00
3 x $2/1 All Detergent ManuQ=$6.00
1 x BOGO Oust Spray=$3.99
2 x $1/1 Rubbermaid Containers ManuQ=$2.00($.01 profit)
1 x $6 ECBs(soy joy)=$6.00

Coupon Total.....$22.99

$31.18-$22.99=$10.19+$.58tax=$10.77 OOP Put on CVS Gift Card
Received $6 ECBs(2x3 Oust).
So I used my $6 ECBs, got $6 more and used my $2 All Qs with nothing OOP.
And there is a Full Price Refund on the Bioluxe Conditioner, so I'll be getting $9.99 back on this purchase.

And for all you Compacters out there, yes, I totally did buy NEW PLASTIC containers here!
Ugh.
But they were FREE after Qs and we needed them.
Buying New Total for 2010.....2+$0OOP
Compacting.....0

This week the Sis-in-law wanted to go to CVS so off we went again this week.  I wanted to get some of the Bonus Pack Buys of the Nature's Bounty MyLife Vitamins.  The ones in the special aisle display are BOGO $9.99 for 2 Bottles.  I read somewhere online(frugalsuz.blogspot.com perhaps?)that Nature's Bounty has a website where you can get IPQs for their products by submitting codes off of bottles that you buy.  Since I have a TON of chewable Vitamin C plus other NB vitamins I bought at Rite-Aid(where else?lol)the past few months for basically free or $1 after coupons, I went online and fairly shortly I had enough points to redeem for some $5 off Nature's Bounty Qs...sweet!
So we were off to CVS.....

1/15/10 Transaction

2 x Your Life Vitamins BOGO=$9.99
1 x CVS Juice on sale=$2.50
1 x SoftSoap Hand Soap=$3.99
SubTotal....$16.48

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase=$5.00 *****
2 x $5/1 Nature's Bounty=$10.00
Coupon Total....$15.00

$16.48-$15.00=$1.48 OOP  Put on CVS Gift Card
Received $3ECBs(WYB 2 Nature's Bounty)& $2ECBs(WYB Bonus SoftSoap)=$5ECBs

*****
I didn't realize until I got home and went over my receipt that I didn't spend enough to use that $5 off $20 Coupon!
EEK!
I was thinking each Vitamin purchase counted.....total on those was $19.98 BEFORE the BOGO so with the juice and soap was over $20.
But that cashier never even said BOO about the situation....if she had I would have turned bright red and bought more.  I reallly wasn't trying to pull a fast one here.  For lack of a better phrase, My Bad.lol

I'm up to $11ECBs at this point.

I was over by that CVS again this morning, so I went back in for more Vitamins....this time I bought enough to use the $5 off Q.lol

1/16/10 Transaction

1 x Soy Joy bonus Days box=$6.00
4 x YourLife NB Vitamins BOGO@$9.99=$19.98
SubTotal=$25.98

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 CVS IPQ=$5.00
4 x $5/1 Nature's Bounty IPQ(from Rewards Program)=$20
Coupon Total....$25.00

$25.98-$25.00=$.98 OOP put on CVS Gift Card
Received $6 ECBS(3 for each 2 NB Vitamins), $6 ECBs(Soy Joy box)=$12 ECBs

Not having spent any ECBs, I am now up to $23 in ECBs and no OOP thanks to the Gift Card.

CVS Total for 2010....
OOP....$0.00($14.43 on GC)
Value of Items Bought....$164.32
ECBs Earned....$23.00
ECBs Spent....$0.00
Other Rebates on Purchases....$9.99


Sluggy