Kroger's new coupon policy

Once again the couponing community is abuzz about changes to coupon policies. This time it's Kroger in the Cincinnati / Dayton area that has new limitations, but it's likely a policy that will spread to other areas quickly. If you want to feel the steam rising off couponers' computers, check out some of the threads from their Facebook page.

Coupon Katie breaks down the basic changes like this:

• A limit of no more than five paper manufacturer coupons for the same product. This seems to be an effort to keep products on the shelves and prevent “extreme” buys. I think I like this change and some manufacturers (like P&G) are already placing limits on the number of like coupons you can use.

• A limit to two internet coupons per manufacturer per customer per day will be accepted. This is interesting, in our area (Knoxville) it is a limit of two of the same internet printable coupons (which is logical because the print limit is usually 2 per computer) This however is per manufacturer. I am sure this is an effort to stop fraudulent use/copying of IP’s.

The changes obviously come on the heels of TLC's Extreme Couponing where we watch people clear the shelves and get crazy savings like 97%. Of course they don't actually buy real food like bananas, bread, or milk. Last night there was a woman who got 240 tic tacs for free, thus "saving" hundreds of dollars. "We like to put them in our stockings," she said. Great! Then get a few packs and move on. YOU don't need 240 tic tacs; so leave some for others and stop pretending like you're feeding your family with tic tacs!

Since I've seen a sharp increase in cases of empty shelves, I'm all for setting limits. However, this new policy may be a little too tight on the second point. I'm already limited to two internet coupons per product because I only have one computer. However, now I have to make sure I don't have two internet coupons per manufacturer. So I wouldn't be able to use more than two printables for General Mills cereals, even if they were different types of cereal. That doesn't seem fair.

Also, my friend Gabrielle at Couponing in Critical Times buys food for her church's food pantry. She does two transactions: one for herself and one for the church. She can even save some tax for their purchases with their tax ID card. Would she be limited to the deals she can get because she's the same individual? That's not fair either. She should be allowed to shop for both.

Finally, if you ever feel sorry for the stores because of couponers, don't. The store gets their money back from the manufacturers. You save $1 with a coupon, Kroger gets that dollar from whoever decided to print the coupon. They're not losing money. The only case where they might lose money is that they double coupons $.50 or less, a practice I sure hope doesn't change. The way I see it, it's another enticement to have us come to their store instead of a competitor--just like why they put certain items on sale every week. It's business.

What do you think?

Couponing for Charity: where, oh where did you go?

Hi there, faithful followers. For those who have been checking weekly for my Couponing for Charity posts, I apologize if you've been disappointed. I've backed off a bit from couponing lately for a number of reasons.

A. The deals just aren't as plentiful as they were a year or two ago. The stores have realized that a lot more customers are into couponing and have perhaps scaled back on the goodies they offer.

B. The deals are often scooped up by other eager couponers before I typically make my rounds Tuesday morning. There's nothing more frustrating than scanning the blogs, gathering the coupons, trekking to the store and not being able to buy anything. Even if I get a raincheck, the goods are often not restocked before my coupons expire.

C. The demands of my family pull me in other directions. Coupons always take a backseat to my family time.

D. TLC's show Extreme Couponing has given the rest of us a bad name and have made hoarding an acceptable practice. Not ok!

E. When my local Walgreen's was robbed at 2:00pm on a weekday, I started questioning whether getting a good deal was worth a threat to my safety. I hope this was a random incident, but you never know.

So I decided to only post when the compelling deals worked for me personally. Hopefully this will serve as a good test of when couponing might work into your busy schedule as well.

My favorite store for deals is by far CVS.

For all the match-ups for 10/2-8, check out Southern Savers.

For a pared down list, check out Coupon Katie or Real Housewives Clip Coupons.

Make sure you sign up for a free $2ECB by pledging not to be a money trasher. It will be emailed to you. The videos are clever. I liked the mousetrap one best.

And before you begin any trip at CVS, scan your ExtraCare card at the kiosk for extra coupons. Today I received an unexpected $1.50ECB and $.50 off M&Ms I was already planning to buy. Woo hoo!

So here's what I bought:

Transaction #1:

5 packages of M&Ms harvest mix (make sure you're getting the right kind; not all M&Ms qualify). Each package was $2.50; spend $12, get $5ECB.

• Used $1/2 MC, $1.50/2 printable, and $.50 CVS coupon noted above. The pretzyl M&Ms do not qualify; so I couldn't use the $1 coupon.
• Also used $1.50 and $2.00ECBS noted above and $4.79 in ECBs from previous trips.

Total spent: $2.04

ECB earned: $5

Total savings: $18.74

Transaction #2

2 Oral-B satin floss ($3 each, earn $2ECB when you buy 2, used 2 $2 MC=both free); limit 2

2 Reach toothbrush two packs ($3.99 each, $4ECB when you buy 2, used 2 $2 printables=4 toothbrushes for free); limit 2

• Also used $5ECB from previous transaction

Total spent: $2.27

ECBs earned: $6

Total savings: $19.58

WALGREEN'S has some deals this week but they continue to frustrate me with not having goods in stock or the register rewards not printing properly. Unless I really need their deals, I pass.

KROGER has good deals on meat this week but not much for the couponer. With one exception:

• Clif and Luna bars are on sale for $1. I have a $.50 coupon for Luna bars and several catalinas for Clif bars, including $1.50/4 and one free bar. I'll be stocking up.

One final note on couponing and helping others. Despite my frustrations, I continue to seek out sales and stock my charity pile whenever I can. There are several members of my church who regularly give me coupons and I'm hoping to have a lot to contribute to our Stuff a Stocking drive near Christmas. Thanks to them, it's a team effort.

Also, I continue to take the coupons I won't use to the Karns Library. I hear that many people look forward to gathering coupons from that and it's a fun way to share the savings. I encourage you to do the same at your library or throughout the stores you frequent. Happy Couponing!

Walgreen's, oh Walgreen's, you're beginning to lose your luster!

I've been shopping the pharmacy deals at Walgreen's and CVS for a year and a half now. It took me awhile to get down some strategies and learn which deals to get and which to pass by. And although I do save about 80% at Walgreen's regularly, I'm beginning to feel less impressed with their deals.

Lately it seems they don't have the deals I really want (not just that the shelves are cleared but the store was never sent the stock). It's like they publicize a deal to get me in there and then don't deliver. Plus, a lot of their freebies are for products I'll never use and seem too specific to donate. I've had to struggle a few times to find deals worth spending my RRs on. If it happened once, fine. But it has become a pattern now and I'm beginning to feel it's just not worth it.

Fear not, however, I have not sworn off couponing. I still think CVS has great deals. I much prefer that their store credit coupons last twice as long as Walgreen's, you can shop for two weeks of deals on Saturday night, and rainchecks for deals with ECBs are easier. I also like their extra deals that print at the kiosk; it's like a mini lottery without having to pay money.

Is it just me or have your experiences at Walgreen's been less productive or fun lately? Do you prefer Walgreen's or CVS?