One of the questions I get most often is which browser is best for printing coupons (on a non-Apple computer) …and the answer is Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
It is most stable of all the browsers out there (Chrome, IE, Safari) and all computer printers are able to work with Mozilla Firefox. (And even better it is FREE.)
So if you have been having issues or are looking for a more stable browser that won’t randomly shut down on you (aka Internet Explorer) – then check out Mozilla Firefox.
For those of you who are Amazon Mom members, you may have overlooked an email from Amazon that arrived in your mailbox.
Starting on January 24, 2012, the maximum discount available on diapers and wipes on subscriptions will be 20%.
This includes a 5% Subscribe & Save discount plus an additional 15% exclusively for Amazon Mom members. (Plus your two-day FREE shipping.)
If you were new to Amazon Mom in 2012, know that you will still receive your 20% discount and FREE shipping for the initial trial period (three months). However, once that time period is over, you will need to join Amazon Prime in order to continue enjoying the discount and FREE shipping.
So, what does that mean?
1. Once your FREE trial of Amazon Mom is over – you can no longer extend your FREE membership (and discount and FREE shipping) with additional purchases. The choice is to either revert back to a regular status or pay to upgrade to an Amazon Prime membership. Amazon Prime costs $79 per year.
2. If your Amazon Mom membership is already past the three-month trial period, you are no longer eligible to get FREE shipping or the 20% off your diapers and wipes purchase after January 24, 2012. You either revert back to regular status or pay to upgrade to an Amazon Prime membership.
3. Subscribe & Save purchases are still eligible for FREE Super Saver shipping.
So in a nutshell, Amazon Mom is going away. If you are member of Amazon Prime, you will enjoy all the past benefits, plus 20% off diapers and wipes. If you aren’t, you can still get FREE shipping with Subscribe & Save, but no discount.
So, the question you may be asking, “Is Amazon Prime worth it?”
I am an Amazon Prime member. (And neither of my kiddos are in diapers or wipes.) The benefits we receive for the $6.60 per month (which is $79 divided by 12) make it worth it for our family. The following are questions I asked myself in order to determine if Prime was right for us.
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, Amazon Prime may be worth it to you.
Is it a bummer that the Amazon Mom program as we have known it is going away? Yes.
Should you “put down the greenbacks” for Amazon Prime? Depends. If you answered yes to any (or most of the questions) above than it might make good financial sense.
I’ve been an Amazon Prime member for over a year, and honestly I can not imagine ever going back to regular status. Amazon’s prices, quality, and customer service have gone above and beyond to make me one of their most loyal customers. And the $6.60 I pay every month for Amazon Prime is truly some of the best money I spend.
Thoughts? Is anyone besides me an Amazon Prime member? What do you think? Those on Amazon Mom – will you be making the transition to Amazon Prime?
You might want to check your printable coupons and coupons from the 2012 inserts.
Why?
Because more than likely you will notice a new kind of barcode on our coupons – referred to as the GS-1 DataBar.
Instead of two barcodes (one UPC and one Databar), we will now only have one.
These new barcodes will be able to report MUCH MORE information than the old barcodes. Information like purchase requirement, value, chain-only promotions, expiration date, product information, and date of purchase to name a few.
Hopefully the new barcode system will mean less fraud and less “beeping” at the register.
The bad news is that because the coupons look so different, checkers may question the validity of the coupon.
Now more than ever, reading ALL the wording on a coupon is so important because it makes it easier for:
These new requirements came into effect in July 2011 and stores had six months to upgrade their registers to the new system. However, you may find some stores are either behind the times or have not upgraded and may be required to manually enter the coupon or not accept the coupon at all. (Both of which are always up to the Manager’s discretion.)
So what do you think? Are you excited that a new coupon barcode system is in place to discourage fraud? Or are you worried about more hassle at the checkout lane? Leave a comment, I’d love to know.
Are you signed up for the Hy-Vee NOW WOW Text Program?
If not, you might want to consider signing up because it is an extra way to save at your local Hy-Vee store.
I’m only signed up for the SPECIAL SALES text messages.
Usually once a week, I will receive a text message that contains a coupon code for either a discount ($5 off $50 purchase) or item (FREE Hamburger when you spend $25 or $.99 12-pack Pepsi Products) that is valid on a certain day.
While not every week is a smokin’ text coupon, they do release several good ones every month. And I’ve used several of the NOW WOW text coupons and have no issues at the register.
Standard texting fees do apply.
Are you a NOW WOW Text member? What has been your favorite deal from their program?
I get asked this often.
And it is a question that I struggle with…
Just like so many of you, I want to provide my family with the best and most chemical-free produce I can – but I don’t want to add $100 to my grocery budget to do it.
So here are my top four ways to get cheap organic produce as we go into the summer season.
The picture above is baby lettuce from my garden.
You don’t need acres of land to have a garden. We are able to grow lots of veggies with our three different plots – in front of our house (full-sun), side of the house (sun-shade) and back yard (sun-shade). Between these three plots we are able to harvest tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, snow peas, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, basil, cilantro, and beans. (And this year we are trying rutabagas and strawberries.) And since I’m the farmer, I know they are pesticide free.
It isn’t enough to just buy from a Farmer’s Markets anymore. More and more there are “farmers” who purchase wholesale fruits and vegetables from semi-trucks and repackage them as locally grown. And when that happens, you might as well just buy your produce at the grocery store.
Start going to the same Farmer’s Markets week after week and talk to the farmers. Introduce yourself. You will find out pretty quickly who is out in the fields with their crops and who is buying off the truck. (And if your tomatoes have stickers on them – they aren’t local or pesticide free.)
I’ve talked about my love of Community Supported Agriculture before. I love it because it is local. I love it because of the quality. And I love it because the majority of the items are organic.
I’ve been a member of the Hen House CSA Program for the past few years. It is a flexible, affordable, and convenient program (and they have online registration – how sweet is that!) that allows our family to get fresh local produce and meat. While I would love to get my hands dirty at a farm in western Kansas – our lifestyle won’t allow it right now – and Hen House CSA Program allows me the best of both worlds.(And it starts in three weeks, yippee!)
However, I encourage everyone to do their own due dilligence and check out the various CSA programs available in the KC area to find one that is right for your family.
When you freeze and can your local organic produce at its prime, you guarantee a superb tasting product. As as added benefit, you are usually purchasing the produce when it is its lowest price – so it is like stockpiling – only with fruits and veggies.
I know canning and freezing can seem intimidating, but it isn’t as hard as you think. I did several freezing and canning tutorials last year and I plan on doing more this year. And if I can do it, you can too.
(And on a side note…I still have one can of peaches left – yum.)
Like anything, you can do as much or as little as you would like. But even if you pick just one, you reduce your overall produce budget this year.
So who is with me? Anybody going to try a CSA, canning, or freezing this year? Let me know in the comments.
Coupon Fraud = GO TO JAIL. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
Not really.
Kind of.
The definition of coupon fraud is using coupons illegally. Illegal use means you defraud the system and can be prosecuted.
The chances that you are actually prosecuted is slim. (Unless you were the folks at Simon Marketing who defrauded millions with McDonald’s Monopoly Game. True story – it had the FBI involved.)
However, when you use coupons illegally, you hurt your store because they will not get reimbursed for the coupon.
If this happens enough times, the store may decide to limit the dollar amount off for internet coupons or stop taking internet coupons all together. (We’ve seen both of these scenarios in Kansas City.)
Because I know how important coupons are to your life and how you wouldn’t want to go to jail (just kidding), I thought I would share some examples of coupon fraud.
Photocopying Internet Coupons
Each printable coupon has an individual code attached to it. If the reimbursement center finds two of the exact same codes, it will give credit (reimbursement) to the first coupon, but not the second. The store loses out. Don’t photocopy – print out your coupons from the computer.
Using Expired Coupons
Just because the coupon doesn’t “beep” doesn’t mean you should use it. Unless a store gives EXPLICIT direction that they accept expired coupons – don’t use them. Again, the store may not get reimbursed for expired coupons.
Using coupons you receive in an email from your buddy
If the coupon you receive is a .pdf, .jpeg, or .tiff file – 99% of the time it is a fake coupon. Also, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. (Remember, the FREE bag of Doritos coupon?)
In rare cases, companies will produce a coupon in a .pdf, but that coupon will come from the manufacturer website, not from your buddy’s email.
Using multiple coupons for one item
The rule is one coupon value per one item. If you buy one item, you can use one $1/1 coupon. If you buy two items, you can use (2) $1/1 coupons or $1/2 coupon.
You can not use (2) $1/1 coupons for one item. It’s wrong. Don’t do it.
Could you get away with all of these scenarios plus more?
Probably.
Stores want to give good customer service, so many times they will “push” coupons through if the register “beeps”. As coupon users, it is our job to hold ourselves to the highest ethical standard of coupon use. By doing the “right” thing, we allow coupon acceptance to continue. However, if too many people complete “shady” deals, the restrictions on internet coupon usage will continue to increase.
There are so many great deals available to us by using coupons ethically, that it isn’t worth the heartache to complete a “dirty” deal.
My answer….AFullCup.com
I use the A Full Cup Forums to get the “skinny” on upcoming national catalinas, as well as which catalinas are reported as “working” at our local Hy-Vees. The members are super nice and helpful, because they are coupon-crazed people like you and me.
In addition, the forums are helpful for finding hidden deals at Walgreens and CVS. The members know before about anyone else which items are producing RR or ECBs and which items are on clearance.
In addition to reading your favorite money-saving blogs, I recommend that you be part of a forum board. A Full Cup is FREE and it is a great way to gather information about stores that are important to you, as well as garnering a first-class education in utilizing coupons to your advantage.
