It’s Friday and that means that today is the day to send in your questions for “Ask I Heart Publix”!
Your questions can be about anything – basic couponing information, how to use the site, finding coupons, other ways to save, whatever you’re curious about! Every Wednesday I’ll answer 10 of your questions. There’s also a tab at the top of the site where all past questions and answers are stored.
Keep asking, and we’ll keep answering! Email your questions to contactiheartpublix at gmail dot com. If it has been a while and your question has not been answered please resend. My inbox can be a monster and sometimes things can get lost 😀
Also, if you’d like to be featured on the Reader Spotlight, you can also email the idea for your post (or your completed post!) to contactiheartpublix at gmail dot com.
26 Comments
Why didn’t Publix ever have double coupon days?
i dont believe this has been answered, if so sorry: i know the sales go on cycles..and ive noticed for the month of September it seems Laundry Detergent has been on sale…do you have a list of what items go the lowest on what months? or does it seem to be different every time?
Okay I had my first VERY frustrating experience with Publix today. I have been couponing for about 6 months and have never had a bad experience. This morning I tried to use (2) MAN coupons for All detergent and (1) Publix coupon. The manager stated that you cannot use a MAN or any coupon on a “free product-BOGO product” . I even put 2 filler items so that I would have more items that coupons. The manager was actually rude and stated that Publix loses money on BOGO products. I tried to explain that Publix gets reimbursed by the manufacturer for these “BOGO” products. He was SO rude and actually stated that he was not going to get into the technicality of reimbursements for coupons. But that all the cashiers who have been accepting coupons on BOGO items were wrong! I am SO upset!!!
Okay, sorry I am rambling, I am just still so upset. My question is can you use (1) coupon for each BOGO product (by the way, I live in FL)?
THANK YOU!!!!
I never had that happen in the 5 different Publix I go to. All you can do in a situation like that is have them take those items off, get your coupons back and go to another Publix. More than likely you won’t have that problem a second time.
Emily, I have been couponing for almost 2 years and have been using coupons on both BOGO items with no problems EVER. (I’m in S. FL) I was always under the impression that this was one of their main advantages they had, allowing customers to do this. All of my Publix’s allow (and even encourage) this so that manager must be NUTS and uninformed.
That is interesting because I was just at Publix (Tampa area) and the cashier told the lady in front of her “You know you can use coupons on BOGO items?” I would definitely write Publix corporate and then shop elsewhere.
FYI…..
PUBLIX MAKES DEALS WITH MANUFACTURERS WHEN THEY PUT AN ITEM ON BOGO. THEY GET SOMETHING LIKE REBATES FOR EVERY BOGO THEY SELL…AND A GOOD MANAGER WOULD PUSH THE BOGO WITH 2 COUPONS BECAUSE THERE GETTING REIMBURSED THE FREE ITEM THROUGH REBATE PLUS THE COUPON PRICE!! THAT MANAGER WAS A NIMWIT
That manager also told me that Publix was giving me the item for “free” and that is when I tried to explain to him that the manufacturer does remimburse Publix for the “free” product and gives them the coupon amount plus handling charges (thanks to Michelle I actually know this!), so Publix is actually MAKING money!! But, he several times, stated that he was not going to “get into the entire reminbursement senario for coupons”. I was just so upset because I am an honest person and I never, never “cheat” on my coupons. In fact, I taught the cashier the other day how to tell if a coupon is copied. I felt like the manager was accusing me of being dishonest. I guess that is why it bothers me SO much. Sorry, I am rambling again.
Thank you to everyone for your comments, I really appreciate it. I will be writing a letter to corporate and explaining the situation, now that I know that I was not wrong!
Hi, I tried this question last week but only got 1 reply (thank you to that person :))but, was hoping for more takes on it so I’m going to cut and paste it if it’s OK. The situation ruined my entire shopping experience and makes me not want to go back!
Here’s my question for the week. How do you deal with the customers in line behind you getting upset over your coupon usage. I had a man today make me feel awful for using so many and holding up the line. I normally don’t make eye contact to avoid confrontation but he was huffing and puffing saying “man, there’s more??” every few seconds. I looked at him and told him that I have 7 kids and every bit saved helps. But he still kept making comments. What do you guys do? And yes…I do have 7 kids, lol.
Some people are just grumpy no matter what. It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong. Hopefully it’s not a frequent problem you’ll have to deal with. I would just look at the savings on your receipt and think that the money you are saving is your payment for dealing with the grumpy man behind you. Maybe saving $20 is worth the 3 minutes of “torture” 😉 If you wanted to be a little nasty you could rub it in his face how much you saved using coupons. …might be better to just be nice though. 🙂 Maybe he was having a really bad day.
On another note, sometimes I’ll let the people coming up behind me know that I have a bunch of coupons. That gives them an opportunity to switch lanes if they really want to. Most people are fine with waiting the extra minute it takes to scan the coupons.
It doesn’t help that I try to go early in the morning so there are less people thus only one, maybe 2 lines open. I also think location plays a part. I drive to a different neighborhood than my own to shop. Their store is new, bugger, carries more, etc. It is however near a housing development that has expensive houses. So I’m thinking these people make more $$ than where I’m coming from and probably never use coupons…ever and are annoyed when people do!
Honestly… I dont give a CRUD about those types of people and their remarks. We all get em’ eventually LOL, I literally laugh at them (yes, to their face haha), cuz no matter what you say to them they are still going to be annoyed and impatient cuz thats just the types of people they are. But you have the pride, and the last laugh, cuz when you’re walking outta there spending $30 on $200 worth of groceries, and that rude dude sucker behind you is paying $200 for $200 worth of groceries… it makes it all worth it!! 🙂
Dont let those people bother you. Ignore them, or just give them the stank eye. LOL
If it makes you feel any better, they turn off the light when I come through the checkout!
Same with me.They ussually will open a register just to check me out.It helps me and keeps the lines from backing up. Plus tons of coupons can totally be overwhelming to new cashiers, they are scared the will get in trouble if they miss something. I understand as I ussually always need a mgr. override or have to throw something in last minute so I have a bill.The mgrs. where I shop are great.It took time though , I know for a while they were pulling my reciepts after I left and making sure all was on the up&up.One cashier printed a copy of one of my reciepts for a college term paper on the advantages of using coupons.She got an A!!
You could tell someone at customer service that you have a lot of coupons. Sometimes they have me go to a normal register and other times, one of the assistant managers will open a lane just for me. This is really nice because he knows all the coupon rules and has the override codes, so it does go faster! Also, tell people behind you “it might be a few minutes.” I usually am encouraged by the people willing to wait because they want to see how much I save!
It used to bother me, when Publix was taking the 5/25 I would give them out to people behind me.. Now I just smile and that’s all. Some people are twits!
I have had the same thing happen as I’m sure we all have. I usually tell whomever comes behind me in line that I have a lot of coupons and it might take a while. Usually, they stay to see how much I save! sometimes they go to another line. This way I know I have communicated to that person that it is their choice to wait behind me or go somewhere else. DO NOT feel bad because you are using coupons. You are being a good steward with your families money and that is what is most important.
We have a Publix store in the Tuscaloosa AL (Hillcrest, Area)demanding that they will no longer take Rite Aid or CVS coupons, they have changed their policy and the other 2 or 3 in our area are still accepting them but have changed the stacking policies you can no longer stack mfg publx and comp it can be mfg and a publix or mfg and comp only…
Did you hear of any coporate policy changes and can one store go off and make their on rules up like that??
TECHNICALLY CVS WALGREENS AND RITE AID ARE NOT COMPETITORS BECAUSE THEY ARE A DRUG STORE AND NOT A GROCERY STORE. OUR PUBLIX REFUSES TO TAKE BJ’S COUPONS BECAUSE THEY ARE A WHOLESALER WAREHOUSE. ALTHOUGH IM DISAPPOINTED IN THAT I AGREE WITH IT. MY FAMILY WORKS FOR PUBLIX SO EVERY TIME THEY TAKE A COMPETITOR THE STORE IS LOSING THAT MONEY. BUT, THEY DO GET OUR BUSINESS FOR OTHER PRODUCTS. I HAVE BEGUN TO SHOP SOLELY AT PUBLIX BECAUSE OF THERE ACCEPTANCE IN COUPONS VERSUS WALMART AND WINNDIXIE, I HAVENT STEPPED FOOT IN A WALMART FOR GROCERIES IN ALMOST A YEAR. A COMPETITOR COUPON IS CONSIDERED A STORE COUPON WHICH IS WHY YOU CANT STACK ALL THREE A COMPETITOR, MFG, AND STORE COUPON FOR ONE PRODUCT
Thanks for answering me Sheena (love the name by the way lol its rare I meet someone that shares my name..LOL) Well I have have abandoned Walmart also only go there if I have too, and I have put Foodworld on the back burner as well but only because I have gotten such great deals at Publix.
Yesterday my daugther went to a Publix in Northport, AL in the Tuscaloosa Area had a really hard time with the store they told her that soon they would be implementing a policy that you could only use one coupon per item and no stacking would be allowed so If that happens I guess I wont be excited as much about go there anymore, and I do buy stuff there with alot of mfg coupons which means the store gets their money back for that the competitor ones I like using but is usually just a few per trip…
Which do you think you save money more with. Kroger or Publix??
I saw a booklet recently at Publix where the coupons say “Manufacturer’s Coupon” at the top, but there is no bar code, only an LU#, on each. Does this mean that it counts like a STORE coupon when it comes to stacking?
I HAD A BOOKLET TOO AND STACKED A MANUFACTURER WITH THE PUBLIX MFG WITH LU NUMBER. ON THE SAME ITEM
When you go to a given site to register for one or more of their coupons, and at the bottom, they ask you where you heard about them, what do you say???
Usually, the choices are ‘a blog’, ‘online newsletter’, etc. What would you call iheartpublix when answering this question?
How does iheartpublix do the coupon match-ups? A particular database/databases?
that one is easy…there is a database on my site. Just click the database tab at the top of the site!!