Ask I Heart Publix

Keep sending in those questions – we love to answer them! Just remember if we didn’t get to your question this week…we will do our best to cover it another week!! As always a big thanks to my buddy Christy over at Haphazardly Hobbying who gives me so much help to get the questions answered.
Remember–there is a tab at the top of the site called “Q & A” where I organize the questions and answers from this feature so that it can serve as a quick reference!
Here are this week’s questions:

1. Do you know if it is against Publix corporate policy to allow overage?
2. How does Buy One Get One really work?
3. What’s the most polite way to make clear to the deli attendant who is slicing my lunchmeat not to go over the amount that I’ve asked for?
4. Does Publix accept a competitor’s rain check?
5. What’s the deal with unadvertised BOGOs?
6. Is it just me, or are there fewer BOGOs lately?
7. Have heard of any one else having trouble using Target coupons as competitor coupons at Publix recently?
8. If my store has turned down a competitor’s coupon before, but I know of someone who uses them at the same store without a problem, is it ok to try again?
9. Can you help me get my binder set up?
10. I have questions about ‘WYB’ coupons. Can you help?

And here are the answers!

1. Anoushka wants to know: Do you know off hand if it is against Publix corp policy to allow overage? I was told the computer did not allow overage when I tried to do a Vivarin deal this week, but the computer took my Muir Glen and Thai Kitchen coupons (stacked with WholeFood coupons) without a problem, and they created overage too. What are your thoughts?

Michelle: As far as I know, each store can determine their own policy.  I am guessing that your stores policy is that they will not give overage.  BUT–the cash register is not programmed for that policy. It is always best to find out and follow your store’s policy.  I personally feel that it is better to follow the rules to ensure that the store remains coupon friendly.   I think that intentionally trying to slip coupons by the cashier (or register) is really just cheating and in the end will not be good for anyone 🙂
Christy: Michelle is right – to the best of my knowledge, Publix registers are not programmed against overage – and I agree with her that you should find out your store’s policy and stick with it. However, I’d take that one step farther and say that if the policy at your store doesn’t make sense to you, go and talk to your store or district manager about it and get their reasoning behind the policy. I’ve often found that when a cashier or even a customer service rep tells me that something is “policy” – especially when it doesn’t really make sense – that they don’t always have all the facts, so I’ll often continue to ask the same question of different people until I find out what the real story is. Just for the record, I’m ALWAYS unfailingly polite and reasonable when I’m being the “squeaky wheel” because I once worked in retail management and I know exactly what it’s like to be on the other side of that counter or on the other end of the phone! That said, though, there’s certainly nothing wrong with asking questions so you can be sure that you’re doing everything right AS WELL AS getting the best discounts!

2. Jessi wants to know: I am wondering how “buy one get one” really works. I have been told that it means two items are half price…instead of actually getting one full price and one “free.” I have gone into Publix and CVS MANY MANY MANY times with two “buy one get one coupons” and gotten those two items completely free. However today when going into Publix, the manager told me the store itself has to have the sale “buy one get one free” and then I can use ONE BOGO coupon on top of that sale to get two items free. But I can’t use two BOGO coupons to accomplish the same purpose. Have I just been lucky thus far over the past six months?

Michelle: Ok Jessi, I think I understand your question.  First you can’t use two BOGO coupons to get two items free–that is too many manufacturer’s coupon on only two items.
In order to use a BOGO coupon you must buy two items–think of the items as the qualifier and the freebie.  The BOGO coupon will make one item free–think of the coupon actually “attaching” to that item (that is the freebie). You will have to pay for the second item or the qualifier.  Since it is a qualifier you can still use a coupon to discount that item–but it has to be a coupon that is for one item only (a $1/1 or $.50/1, etc..)  So if you think of the items like that you will see why you can’t use a BOGO coupon on that second item.
Things are a little different when you use a BOGO coupon during a BOGO sale.   If you are in an area of true BOGO, you can use one BOGO coupon during a BOGO sale to get both items free (one is free thanks to the sale and the other is free thanks to the coupon).  In other areas where BOGO rings up half price–when you use a BOGO coupon during a BOGO sale, you get one item free and pay 1/2 price for the second item (or less if you use a coupon on the qualifier).
Christy: I  couldn’t have said it better myself! 🙂

3. Jordan wants to know: Before I go to the store I add up the total cost of everything so I know that I am still within my budget. I really hate going over my budget, even by a few pennies, because it really adds up over the course of a year. One item I get each week is ham from the deli – 1/2 pound. My question is, is there a polite way to ask the deli attendant who is slicing my lunch meat not to go over 1/2 pound, even if it’s .01 lb? I get Boar’s Head ham, which is pretty costly, but in my opinion the quality of the meat is SO much better than the Publix brand, so I am willing to pay the extra money. I don’t always get the same attendant, and I don’t always go to the same publix (there are litterally 4 Publix’s less than 5 mintues away from my house!). I don’t want to be the rude anal customer, but even going over .04lb adds an additional $0.14 to my total. That adds up to an extra $7.28 I’m spending each year. What are your thoughts? Am I just crazy and need to not be such a tight wad?

Michelle: Jordan I don’t think you are crazy!  I remember times where I had to pull my car apart in hopes of  finding a few extra pennies to pay a bill.  It doesn’t matter if you are budgeting to pay for a trip to Paris or just to make ends meet each month…those pennies DO add up and can make a difference!
You might see if the person behind the counter can preset the scale to only allow half a pound to be purchased.  How you explain the rationale behind your request is really up to you.  If you are the shy type you might prefer to just say to the attendant that it is OK to be a little under half a pound but NOT over!  I would have no problem asking the attendant to remove a slice to ensure that my order was as I requested.
Another idea might be to find a super friendly attendant when the store is not busy and have them help you determine how to best ask for your ham.  When my boys were going through a ham phase, I knew the exact number on the slicer and could ask for three thick slices cut at the number X and I knew almost the exact cost that I would be paying!  When the boys were little I cubed the ham but found it was impossible to get the correct size every time. It was the deli attendant at my store who actually told me how to order so I would get a consistent cut no matter who was behind the counter.  So you might want to find your perfect cut. You may find that you need 12 slices cut at the number 3 to equal a half of a pound of your favorite ham 🙂  Just a thought!
Christy: I think Michelle’s idea of asking an attendant exactly how to order what you want is a great idea. I’m not really all that shy :), but I also don’t like to come across as overly picky – so if I were you, I’d probably ask for “just a bit little less than 1/2 pound, please” and leave it at that.

4. Lisa wants to know: Does Publix accept a competitor’s rain check? I received rain checks at SuperTarget today for sale items that were out of stock and I’d love to use it at Publix.

Michelle: Lisa, as far as I know–No.  A rain check is given when a store is out of a product.  Since Publix was not the store who was out of stock then they would not be the ones to honor the rain check.
Christy: To ask Publix to accept a competitor’s rain check is essentially to ask them to price match other store’s sales, which of course they don’t do. I’d be VERY surprised if your store would accept it!

5. Aidenandcollinsmom wants to know: Can you explain unadvertised BOGO deals? What is the benefit to Publix of not advertising the deal? How do they get discovered? How do they get chosen? Is there always one to be found?

Michelle: Boy, I wish I knew the answer to that one!  If I had to guess I would think that it would be based on the advertising budgets.  Maybe the companies do not want to spend money on advertising the deal and just hope that shoppers will see their products on sale?  If anyone knows the answer, please let us know!
Christy: I don’t have a definitive answer for this one either. I always assumed that unadvertised BOGOs had more to do with store overstock than anything else, but that may not be it at all. Commenters, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

6. Sara wants to know: I’ve noticed lately that it seems like a lot of stores are offering fewer BOGO items, including Publix. This week’s ad has a few cheap items but nothing I can really use toward my family’s meals. Same with Bloom and BiLo (Bilo seems to be offering more of their store brands on BOGO so you cannot use coupons). Do you feel the deals are going away and less coupons are being released?

Michelle: Sara, I have noticed that many coupons are a lower value than they have been previously.  I think this does correlate with the number of folks using coupons. I really don’t see fewer deals…there are ALWAYS tons of super deals each week. I think what is considered a deal just varies by person.  If I need meat then I don’t care that I may be able to get 10 other items for free…I just need a meat deal.  This is why the buy ahead principle is so important.  If you are keeping a good stock of things you use then having to spend a little more every now and again is not a budget buster.
Christy: I think we can chalk this question up to the Ask I Heart Publix waitlist – Sara’s question probably came in about a month ago, and I think I’d have to agree that the sales weren’t quite as exciting as they could be around that time. In fact, most of November seemed pretty “blah” but that week right before Thanksgiving was fantastic so it seemed to make up for it. (I know I spent more than $100 in that week, which is a TON for me.) The sales are definitely cyclical and some weeks are just better than others. That said, though, this is the time of year when almost EVERYONE is shopping more so maybe manufacturer’s don’t feel the need to put out as many coupons and/or partner with stores for fantastic sales? I can’t say for sure, but I’d love to hear what you all think in the comments!

7. Kelly wants to know: Have heard of any one else having trouble using Target coupons as competitor coupons at Publix recently? When I went shopping this morning at my local store I was told that Target is no longer considered one of their competitors, although the one right down the street sells groceries now. So I was just wondering if other people were coming across this as an issue.

Michelle: Kelly, once again this will depend on the store. I think many stores have recently changed their policy on who they deem a competitor.
Christy: I know we’ve seen a lot of questions behind the scenes at Ask I Heart Publix about Target competitor coupons, so I think it is fair to say that a number of stores have changed or are changing their policies. However, it doesn’t seem to be a company-wide thing – Michelle would have died of email overload by now if that was the case! In the end it is really up to the store and the district so it could just be that some districts have recently made changes.

8. Jessica wants to know: A friend of mine who also does couponing often uses a World Market coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase. I used it once and it worked fine. Then the next time I tried they said World Market wasn’t really considered a competitor. However, this friend of mine still continues to use them with pretty much every purchase without a problem. I’ve thought about trying again, but I just feel guilty because to me World Market doesn’t really seem like a competitor to Publix. What do you think?

Michelle: Personally, I don’t think World Market is a competitor.  I think that this is one of the reasons that Kelly (question #7) is seeing changes at her store.  While I know that all of my readers are top notch couponers who are totally legit and use coupons correctly, there are those who do not!  I have heard many stories of people taking advantage of Publix and their policy on customer satisfaction.  A place that sells framed maps and carved wooden elephant foot stools is not a competitor.  Just because they happen to have a few aisles of food (most of which are not sold at Publix) does not mean that they are a competitor.
It really all boils down to doing what is best for you.  If you are Ok using the coupon and your store allows it–then so be it.
Christy: I don’t have any World Market near me so I can’t really weigh in on this, but I’ve often thought that Publix’s competitor policy is pretty lenient (depending on the area, of course). As I say in one of the questions above, I always ask (usually multiple times) if there is a policy in place that doesn’t allow a coupon I want to use, but I never try to use it until I get the official “ok.” This is totally a personal call and you’ll have to make the best decision for you.

9. Jennifer wants to know: I have been trying to coupon for a while now, and I just can’t seem to find the right organization method. You speak of binders, but I don’t understand how to set one up. Help!

Michelle: I find that sorting coupons based on how I shop works best for me.  For example I have a grouping that I call condiments.  Everything in that group may not technically be a condiment but it is how I can organize in my head.  For example, I have pickles in my condiment category.  Is a pickle really a condiment?  I don’t know for sure…but it is how I see it and therefore how I would find the coupon if I needed it 🙂  Just make a list of your top categories and sort your coupons under each category.  You may find that  certain areas may need to be more specific and others just general.  The goal is to make finding that coupon easy for you!
Christy: I have been couponing for about 15 months and I’ve changed my method of storing coupons…oh, about a million times now. I just keep tweaking stuff until I find just the right system! You can read about my system HERE (of course, it’s changed quite a lot since then cuz I’m still tweaking! :p )

10. Kelly wants to know: I have questions about “when you buy” coupons. For example, if I have a “Free suchandsuch when you buy a whatchamacallit” MQ or a “$2 off when you buy both a suchandsuch and a whatchamacallit” MQ – Can I use another mfr coupon on either the suchandsuch or the whatchamacallit? How do I stack either of these with a Publix or Retail coupon, and would it have to be for the suchandsuch or the whatchamacallit?

Christy: The free wyb coupon attaches to the free suchandsuch, so you can use another coupon for the whatchamacallit, but not for the suchandsuch. You couldn’t use a $2 off wyb both because it would attach to both items.
Stacking is a different story; you can definitely stack a Publix or competitor coupon on the whatchamacallit. Your store will have the final say on whether you can stack on the suchandsuch – some stores will let you, some won’t.

I hope our answers to these questions were helpful! Make sure you ‘tune in’ next week for even more Q&A with I Heart Publix. If you have a question you’d like to see answered, email me at contactiheartpublix@gmail.com.