As you are all probably aware by now, and by the IN-FLOOD of texts and emails, y’all are so gosh darn excited for this Mega I see a lack of sleep in your forecast! Here’s an example:
Sorry to interrupt your Fry’s & Target Matchups…….I left the house at 9am and just got home. While out I got a text of your FB status about Fry’s taking competitor coupons again!!!! It’s been killing me to get home and read the details. I can’t believe it. Between that and finally scoring some SW coupon books I think I died and went to Heaven. I havent been in a Fry’s for over 3 weeks and I’m so ready to “rock” Fry’s again!!!!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo….time for a coupon high again :)
Wow. That’s excitement right there…and this was at 11:45 last night. Thought I had sleep issues, apparently someone else does too! Ha! I do have some newer readers, and with that being said, possibly folks who have never tried to shop at Mega, or, are starting out as new couponers at a great time: A Mega, with Competitor Benefits. WOOT!
So with that being said, lets help eachother out. Do YOU have any tips or suggestions to offer those that are new and just starting out at this exciting time? Please leave a comment and let us know what helps YOU navigate a Fry’s Mega Sale! :)
I’ll go first!
I am a “Piler” – my desk has PILES! As I post these deals, or come across coupons that may work, I Print and Pile ( otherwise known as P&P). My coupon carnage stacks up…but I keep on-a-piling. Then on Wednesday, I’ll take that “pile” (whatever it may be, a basket, bin or whatnot) and I strategize my trip.
Anyone else do that? If not, what helps YOU the most – from planning to shopping, give us your tricks of the trade!
I tend to organize my coupons the best that I can before leaving the house, and I ALWAYS bring a few extra (feebie coupons) incase they don't have enough of a certain item I am looking for. This has saved me many times when I think I am about done and realize I need 3 more items to get to 10.
Carrie in Casa Grande
For me, I check off the Mega list and also get the ad, I mark what I have/can get coupons for and then I stack them all together in one envelope at the front of my binder. It can be overwhelming though.
Terri in Tucson
I put all mega item coupons in an envelope as I am collecting them, with a note of how many of each..I think you have to be a bit flexible in case they don't have all the items you want… I always have pen and pad in my cart.. As I put mega items in my cart I keep a tally so I know how many groups of 10 I have.. It was pretty crazy when we were using those Fresh and Easy $/$$ at the same time as a mega.. then I would have to keep another tally of the total cost of things.. It was a bit crazy but gosh it sure was fun!! :-)
I am excited! Most folks would think I am weird, but I know you all understand..LOL
Sharon
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! Did I miss the announcement of the year?!?! Is Frys taking competitor Qs again? And if so, when/where did I miss that over the moon exciting post?!?!? PLEASE advise ASAP :) I am cleaning the dishes with an extra skip in my beat just thinking about it :)
Anon, on Facebook – my fan page, yesterday! I posted a Fry's "Mega" preview matchups last night ;)
I love spreadsheets, so I make a spreadsheet for Mega event trips. 1st column is a count column, so I know I where I'm at in getting the right amount, in 4s, 5s, 8s, 10s, whatever it is for that sale. Then, I list the items in the next column. I even go to far as to have a column for price, what coupon value I have, then make a running tally of my total before coupons and after coupons for if there is a money off your order coupon, like $6 off $30, $10 off $100. Then, I print this out to take to the store and mark off as I go. If I was really ambitious, I would take my laptop to the store to update in real time as I shop, but I haven't tried that yet. My shopping buddies were already giving me a hard time about the printed out spreadsheet. :P
I sometimes also pick a cheap or free filler item that's in the mega sale, something $.50 or less that I can add in if something is out and I need to get to the right multiple.
I keep a tally of the mega items as I put them in my cart. Then when I get to the end of my trip, I see how many sets of 10 I have. If I need a few more items to add on, I usually have a certain inexpensive item that I'm willing to go back and grab a few more to make another 10. Usually it's something like gatorade or one of the pastas that I know we'll use. When I check out, I compare the sets of 10 with the $5 off at the end of my receipt as a quick check.
I have a tip for right before you check out. I sometimes have 30-100 items in my cart during a mega sale. Mixture of mega and non-mega items. Once I am done shopping, I pull the cart over into a not busy area of the store, then get an empty cart. I then verify I have a coupon for an item before I put it into the empty cart. I also verify I have items in 10s for the mega-sale as well. This has saved me SOOO many times as with DD2 I occasionally am off by one, got the wrong item, need one more item, etc. It is also then so organized that the mega-items are all at the beginning of the receipt – so I can see the [+] denoting them. Some of my cashiers compliment how organized I am and how much easier it is on them due to this. I have also had no problem going to Customer Service and saying I needed a separate line opened. Not because I deserve Preferential Treatment. But because it is going to take FOREVER, I don't like pissy people sighing and rolling eyes behind me and (more importantly) I do NOT want the cashier stressing because it takes awhile to scan items then coupons! I only do this during megas when I have a LOT of event items and the store is busy though.
I ALWAYS loose track of my count during mega sales! Never fails. So what I've started doing, is going to self checkout. I ring up the 10 items and hit the "pay now" button. If I'm correct, it will show the $5 come off. That and I count the little + signs. Actually, my favorite cashier taught me this. Then at the end, if I'm off, I just go grab an item like Powerade or something that will make it still worth the next $5 discount. I also am always prepared for things that are part of the mega to not be in stock. I always put 3 or 4 extra items with coupons in my envelope just incase!
I shop at Kroger in my neck of the woods. I keep track of my "10's" by putting them in my reusable shopping bags. When I get 10 then I start another bag. I can't keep track unless I do this. Saves me time and if I have to recount I only have one bag instead of the whole cart.
I LOVE Shjs suggestion! I will be using your method next time. I always end up giving up after I can't stack and separate in my cart anymore and coming back the next day to get the items I missed.Thanks for sharing.
The store I have is kroger not fry's do you know if they accept the target coupons too?? thank you for all your work.
I do the same method as shjs. I use the self checkout and make sure that I have plenty of reusable bags. While I'm shopping, I keep all mega items on one half of the cart and nonmega on the other side. You could also keep the mega items in the reusable bags in groups of ten while you are shopping as well. I also make a mental note of my total estimate before I even get to the checkout. If your final total isn't that amount, then you can figure out what's wrong, before you pay.
I tend to plan mega in groups on lined, spiral paper with the total number of each mega product, value, total coupon amount off, and total out of pocket OOP. This way I can track the number of mega items, $ amount before coupons (if I have F&E), and I know how much my trip will approximately cost. I pull the Q's for each group and paper clip them next to the group on the paper. I also have 4 groups of clipped coupons (not planned for use unless needed) for fill in. Non Mega Free, Mega Free, Non Mega low OOP & Mega low OOP. I have these so I can quickly substitute as needed and fill in to meet minimum amounts to use $/$$ off coupons (like F&E). Mega tends to be a couple of weeks in a row so doing this extra work once works well for me. After Mega is over Q's get refiled in my binder.
I also use a netbook that fits into my purse. On it I have a program called Notebook. Think of it as a personal organizer on the computer. I update and add to this daily. I have a section for each store and copy deals as they are posted by Sheryl as well as the matchups. The program also copies the coupon links so I don't have to print them until I'm planning my trip. I can also use a highlighting feature on my matchup sections to highlight items I'm interested in buying. This makes at a glance planning easier for a later time. If I am confused about something in the store I can pull out my computer and take a look at the original blog post or matchup for clarity.
As I put things into my cart I place the corresponding coupons in a plastic zipper trapper in my binder. In the cart I separate mega and non mega by using my reusable grocery bags set between the two sets of groceries(mega in front of bags, non mega behind). That way it's easy to do a last count of mega items before I check out. During this time I also make sure my coupons are in order to make it easier for me and my cashier. I close my binder and take out the zipper trapper and put it in my purse. I put my reusable bags on the belt first with my Fry's card on top of them. Then I quickly unload my cart so I can watch as everything is scanned. I'm still tweaking this system, but I get better with each mega.
Anon – I'm not sure…..I know I have a few Kroger folks on here. We have this promo every so often here. I dont know if any other Kroger stores allow Target coupons, I'm sure if they did it would be on the front of the ad — move here with us and we can all shop 2gether!!
To make sure I'm buying in 10's, I set up my reusable grocery bags in my cart (which get you 5 cents more off anyway) and add items. Once there are 10, I tie it off and squish it to the back. That way I know if I need any fillers or not.
I use the spreadsheet method Jenny mentioned above-love my spreadsheets too :) Because I carpool and work late they are often out of items so it gets frustrating to get enough fillers when you plan it out. I still end up re-counting items. I like the recycle bag method – might have to try that.
Debbie
I have an envelope size pocket folder with each store listed. When I get coupons for an upcoming sale, I clip and put it in the stores pocket in my envelope so I know right where it is and don't forget about it or what store the sale was at. It also makes it nice and easy when I'm at the store to pull out my coupons and list for each particular store all in one place!
As far as keeping track of the mega items, I usually keep a tally on my shopping list as I put the items in my cart and total it at the end when I "think" I'm done to make sure I gathered the right amount. =)
Like your idea Stephanie!