Monday, June 25, 2012

6/24 - 6/30

This week there are a LOT of deals to be had. Just about every coupon I found was on Ebay this week, and many are in my binder already. So if you have been keeping up with the inserts from week to week you should have quite a few in there already. Don't forget that the Kroger deals are on a mega event. You must purchase in multiples of 10 to get the additional .30 off each item.

KROGER

Country Crock ... 2.19
     $1/1 = 1.19
Coke Pepsi, & 7Up 12 pk ... 4/$11
     Sierra Mist  .75/1=$2.00
     Dr Pepper    $1/2= 2.25
Eggo Waffles/Pancakes/ French Toast ... 1.99
     $1/2 = 1.49
GM Cereals ... 1.88
     $1/3 (Any) = 1.58
     $1/2 (Cheerios) = 1.38
     $1/1 (Total) = 0.88
Breyer's Ice Cream ... 2.50
     .50/1 = 1.50
Coffeemate Liquid Creamer ... 2.69
     .50/1 = 1.69
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks ... 1.69
     .50/2 = 1.19
Skintimate Shave Gel ... 1.99
     $1/1 = .99
Pop-Tart Mini Crisps ... 1.99
     .50/1 = .99
Huggies Wipes (large tub) ... 1.99
     .50/1 = .99
Purex Liquid Detergent & Power Pacs ... 2.99
     .40/1 = 2.19
Hellman's Mayo 30 oz ... 2.69
     .50/1 = 1.69

FOODLAND
Mt Olive Pickles ... 2.50
     .50/1 = 1.50
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ ... 1.00
     $1/2 = .50
Smucker's Ice Cream Toppings ... 1.69
     .50/1 = /69

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Ebay-ing for Coupons Pt 2

Ebay has really got some sellers on there lately that are taking advantage of newcomers to coupons. In my humble opinion, they are abusing the system. I come across this with a little detective work while wondering what was going on with my bids.

There are some of the sellers that, I believe, are running up the bids on their own lots. I will give you an example of why I was even curious to start:

Lot of 20 coupons for .45/1 Angel Soft bathroom tissue (AWESOME coupon)

The lot had a bid of around 1.20. I bid 2.10. This gave me the winning bid. An hour before the auction ended, My bid was maxed out but not over come. (It was one of those sellers that use the same photo for all their listings. I had bought from them previously. Keep this in mind.)

3 other lots that I had been bidding on were done the same way. Maxed out but never outbid. I went and looked at the history of the bids. Each bid had been at the .10 integral that the seller had specified for their listings. And across the listings I had purchased, it was the same bidder with identical bidding pattern. Always maxing, never topping. On Ebay, if you bid the same as someone else the bid will be matched, but the other bidder will win because they bid that amount first. It is a tell-tale sign that the auction was worked.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that can really be done about this. My advice, if you have the time, is to add items to your watch list and keep them fairly regular around the same period of time, and during times when you are going to be online anyway. Then when you are already on the computer, you can keep a tab open to watch the progress. I usually bid during the last hour and keep an eye on my lots every 15-20 minutes.

The only bad part about this type of bidding is that you are more tempted to pay WAY more than you want just so you will win. You have to be able to draw the line. If you know you are competitive by nature, you may want to just go ahead and bid your max that you are willing to pay and just let it run. Just be smart about your own tenancies and what you want. choose the way that is most beneficial to you.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Ebay-ing for Coupons

Ebay can be a very easy way to get your coupons for items that you are buying on sales, or that your family uses on a consistent basis. I personally watch for coupons that aren't in our Sunday paper. Some of my family's items would include:

sugar
lipton tea bags
cooking oil
capri sun
kool aid jammers
anything to put in my honey's lunch bucket
toilet paper
paper towels

and so on, and so on, and so on..... (you get the point surely)

Besides my weekly sales, I am always looking for new coupons with a expiration date that is at least 4 weeks out on items we use regularly. This is one way to keep a good healthy supply of coupons on hand in your binder for those unadvertised sales or "everyday savings" which are like a managers special. They are usually isolated to one store or in-store only deals. This is where you can really stock up and save big $$$.

Another bonus about Ebay that I like is that people post coupons that are from different regions (coupon inserts and printables are regional so values and types can vary greatly.). My stores double up to .50, so I of course check into what coupons are out there that will double at my store.

Key points to remember when shopping this way:

1. Never pay more than .05 per coupon for coupons that you are not buying for a sale.
2. Always assume that this product will not be going on sale. You never want to look at the listing and think "but if it goes on sale it would be worth it"
3. Look for lots with 10+ coupons per lot. (20 coupons is preferable, but some "hot" lots will only list in sets of 10."
4. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR SHIPPING RATES!!!! I cannot express this enough. Factor any shipping charges into your cost and see if that seller has any other coupons that you are interested in before buying. Many sellers combine shipping which will save you money in the long run.

Buying on Ebay can be a learn-as-you-go process. Sometimes you have to get burned before you learn. I will provide all the tips I can, but ultimately, your shopping is up to you. Just remember that you control you and your purse strings.

I will post a part 2 to Ebay-ing for coupons soon. Thinking I should write a book or something...lol