Cashier Nazis

Who knew that there were cashier Nazis out there plaguing our supermarkets?

True, I tell you. Today I ran across one for the first time in my couponing history (which has only been recently resuscitated).

Little did I know that you can only use three coupons total for each product you purchase. Which breaks down to using three coupons to buy three cans of Pam...make sense? After that, Fry's isn't "required" to double, or triple the coupons. No problem for a casual couponer. When you only get one newspaper a week, you wouldn't normally purchase 6 sticks of cookie dough with 6 separate coupons, now would you?

To set the scene, imagine my basket full of twenty-six items...each ten participating items giving you $5 back at the register (the leftover 6 were rolls of toilet paper, also an important factor to my story). I had three of almost everything except the cookie dough (6 of them, remember?) and toilet paper (6 of those). The CN (cashier Nazi) informed me that Fry's would only triple the first three coupons but she could "help me out" and let me split my groceries into two orders so that I could benefit from the triple coupon policy. How sweet...and I mean that in a sarcastic way. I pulled three of my cookie dough sticks and three of my toilet paper rolls off the belt and set them aside. The other groceries rolled past and were scanned in but to my surprise, the total of my bill came to $12.35, shocking for someone like me who had gotten used to a great deal that was 80% less than expected.

For those smarties out there, who have already figured it out...you need at least 10 participating items to get the $5 off at the register! I was short three items (the toilet paper wasn't part of the sale, just a great deal I was taking advantage of at the moment...free, I might add). When I explained the dilemma to the cashier, she seemed surprised that I would have even noticed the problem. As she "wondered" how to resolve this situation, I almost bagged the whole thing and told her I wouldn't be getting anything, storming out of the store in a royal huff to top it all off :) I could always come back and avoid the CN's line, right? "Oh, no" she assured me. She could just credit the five dollars on the next order, the one containing three FREE rolls of toilet paper and three sticks that would cost me only $1 a piece.

Boy was she surprised when I ended up getting a refund of $5.45! Maybe next time she'll consider not being such a Nazi about coupons and just let me buy my 6 darn rolls of toilet paper at one time!

$129.08 Grocery Bill...

But my debit card only had to put out $23.85 :)

If you are as bad at math as I am...that's 82% savings.

It's funny how savings of 60% or less seem not worth my time and effort anymore.

Today, I went to Fry's (which seems to be my store of choice now) and bought 30 items, as per the sale going on right now (buy 10 participating items and save $5 at the register -- limit of 3 transactions at the register; thus the 30 items)

(x4) 48 oz. Breyers Ice Cream -- $.50 (on sale for $1.50)
(x5) 12 oz. Nestle Choc. Chips -- $.50 (on sale for $1.50)
(x4) 5 lb. C&H Sugar -- $.50 (on sale for $1.50)
(x3) 32 oz. Shout -- $1 (on sale for $2)
(x4) 12.5 oz. Pledge -- $1 (on sale for $2.50)
(x6) 28 oz. Hunts Tomatoes -- $.50 (on sale for $1) (and these were huge cans!)
(x3) 3-4 ct. Orville Reddinbocher Popcorn -- $.50 (0n sale for $1.50)
(x1) 3 pk. Dial Soap -- $.10 (on sale for $1)

I also bought a dozen large eggs at $.97 and 4 packs of Philly Cream Cheese (on sale at 4 for $5) but used an Albertson's coupon that gave me B1G2F. Each box of cream cheese ended up being $.40 each I think (again, my math is not the best and unfortunately those calculations weren't neatly printed on the bottom of my receipt.)

Tracking My Coupons

I'm doing this blog to track my coupon deals...which are pretty amazing if I don't say so myself.

Fry's right now is doing this great sale:

Buy 10 participating items and get $5 back at the register.
Tostino's Pizza Rolls -- $1.50
Toaster Strudels -- $.50
Au Gratin Potatoes -- free
Disposable Razors -- free
Toothbrushes -- $.50
Toothpaste -- free
Activia Yogurt -- $.50
ScotchBrite Sponges -- free
Quaker Oats -- free

I bought thirty items and spent under $13.50 after tax. That averages out to $.45 cents for each item...crazy!