I am so excited about the new feature and love that there was such a great response from you all!! Actually there was such a great response that I needed a little help!! My buddy Christy over at Haphazardly Hobbying was kind enough to give me some help to get ten of your questions answered. There was no way we could get to everyone –if we didn’t get to your question this week…don’t worry we will do our best to cover it another week!!
There is a new tab at the top of the site called “Q & A” where I will do my best to organize the information from this feature so that it can serve as a quick reference!
Here are this week’s questions:

  1. What happens when your purchasing a BOGO item and your coupon is also BOGO?
  2. Is it ok to distribute the LU# from a Publix coupon?
  3. I’ve been out of the couponing loop for just a few weeks and now I can’t find The Essentials. Did Publix stop doing them?
  4. Is it really ethical to purchase coupons from Ebay or the clipper sites?
  5. Is it ok to use multiple “WYB” coupons if you’re only buying one of the items each coupon requires you to buy?
  6. What’s Publix’s policy regarding ordering extra sale items?
  7. What do you mean when you talk about stores doubling coupons and how can I find out when my store does this?
  8. Can I use my US manufacturer’s coupons in Canada?
  9. How can I find more free items to stockpile?
  10. What do you consider to be good/great couponing prices for paper products such as toilet paper, paper towels and napkins?

And here are the answers!

  1. Pam wants to know: What happens when you’re purchasing a BOGO item and your manufacturer’s coupon is also BOGO?

    2. In the land of true BOGO, this makes for a great deal: the manufacturer essentially pays for one item, and Publix gives you the second for free. You pay nothing, and the manufacturer reimburses Publix for the cost of one item.
    In the land of half-price BOGO, this is still a good deal, but not quite as exciting: the manufacturer pays for one “half-price” item, and you pay half price for the other – still, you get two items for half the price of one, not too shabby!

  2. Jennifer wants to know: I’ve seen people ask for the LU# from Publix Store coupons. Is this ok to give out?

    3. I was told that Publix coupons are like any other coupon–a certain number are printed and expected to be redeemed. I would also imagine it would be hard for cashiers to count their drawer if there was no record of the coupons used.  This is not a question I can answer with certainty but I think unless you are told differently by YOUR store you should expect to provide a paper coupon at checkout.  I imagine abuse would occur otherwise!!

  3. Tina wants to know: I’ve been out of the couponing loop for just a few weeks and now I can’t find The Essentials. Did Publix stop doing them?

    4. Actually, The Essentials didn’t go away – Publix just renamed them! They’re now the deals under “Love to Shop Here, Love to Save Here.”  If you all would like me to separate them from the ad just let me know. It is an easy fix 🙂 

  4. Stephanie wants to know: Is it really ethical to purchase coupons from Ebay or the clipper sites? I ask because it seems to have a negative connotation and a lot of couponers find it unfair. It seems pretty sketchy – if we’re REALLY only paying for the person’s time to find, clip, and mail the coupons, why are the higher value coupons more expensive?

    5. Christy: Everyone is going to have a slightly different opinion about this, so my first answer is: if you don’t feel comfortable with buying coupons, don’t buy them. Since I don’t see anything particularly wrong with purchasing coupons, I DO buy them from time to time (though I’m usually an insert/trade girl). My take on Ebay and the clipper sites is that they provide me with a service – they find and send me coupons I might not otherwise be able to get. And like any service, the price for the product depends on the potential demand for the item, so higher value coupons are always going to cost more. Same deal with coupons that are going to be valuable to a particular sale – they will probably cost a bit more than others. In the end, though, you’re paying for whatever the person selling the item SAYS you’re paying for – it’s your choice whether or not to pay it! 🙂
    Michelle: I agree with Christy…I view it as a service.  Like many things coupon related you should do what you feel comfortable doing.  Everyone will have an opinion but your own opinion is what really matters 😀

  5. CarolinaGirl wants to know: Is it ok to use multiple “WYB” coupons if you’re only buying one of the items each coupon requires you to buy? For example, there are currently 3 coupons out for free items wyb Kingsford charcoal. Can I buy 1 Kingsford charcoal and use all three coupons?

    6. Christy: Michelle and I have talked about this before, and I think we disagree somewhat about this. Here’s my take: The coupons attach to the alternate items (in this case everything EXCEPT the charcoal), so I look very carefully at the coupons, and if they don’t say anything about “cannot be used in conjunction with another coupon,” then I let Publix decide for me – I take them with me to the store and ask my customer service desk if it’s ok to use them all in the way I’m going to use them. If they say yes, I go ahead, if they say no, I modify my shopping plan.
    Michelle: I believe that you can only use one “when you buy” coupon per qualifing item.  I will admit that I totally see the logic in Christy’s version and since there is no coupon rule book so it is best to ask your store their position on this type of coupon!!

  6. Jennifer wants to know: I’ve read a few times about people ordering sale items from their stores. This week I have 15 of the Italian Ice coupons I’d like to use. How would I go about ordering and is Publix ok with that? Do you know the time period they need to have to order BOGO items, or if there a minimum order amount?

    7. Christy: I’ve only ever talked to my store about doing this (I didn’t end up needing to place the order), but they told me that they could have extra items in for me within a few days, and I’d assume that it would be the same at most stores. Publix will special order just about anything for you – even a single item – so there is most likely not a minimum order amount.
    Michelle:  I have been told by several stores in my area that they prefer people to order rather than clear the shelves!  Most stores get multiple trucks each week but if there is a hot item it can still be VERY difficult to maintain stock.  Ordering is very easy–just speak with the grocery manager and let him/her know your request.  They can usually give you a pretty good indication of when you will be able to pick up your items (typically within a few days)  This is so much better for me as it is not feasible to keep checking back to see if an item has been restocked!

  7. Beth wants to know: What do you mean when you talk about stores doubling coupons and how can I find out when my store does this?

    8. Many stores double coupons up to and including 50¢ as an incentive to shoppers.  So a $.50/1 will yield a $1 discount as the coupon automatically doubles at the register. I am sure you all can correct me if I am wrong but I believe all Publix stores with the exception of stores in Florida, Coastal Georgia and Coastal Alabama participate in this promotion.  If you are unsure if your store doubles coupons–ask at the customer service desk they should be able to give you the scoop on their specific coupon policy!!

  8. Becky wants to know: I’ve been using your site since late April and have LOVED it. This summer I will be living in Canada and can hardly imagine going back to full prices at Safeway. Do you know if I can bring some of my manufacturer coupons with me and use them there? I can’t seem to find a policy by googling the subject.

    9. Christy: I’ve done a bit of research today and it seems like you might not be able to use US coupons in Canada. However, if I were you, I’d try calling the stores in the area that you’ll be living in and ask a manager. It’s possible that they do honor all coupons and in that case, it will be worth the space in your suitcase! Also, keep googling – I tried “Canada Grocery Savings Safeway” and came up with a few different message boards that had links to savings sites, etc. Nothing quite as good as this one, of course ( 😀 ), but something’s better than nothing!

  9. Rhona wants to know: I am new to couponing and though I hear everyone talking about stockpiling free items, I haven’t seen the opportunity for many free items with the exception of a couple of things at Walgreens in the last few weeks. Am I doing something wrong or just in the wrong places at the wrong times? I am in an area with Target, Wal Mart, Publix, Winn Dixie, Food World, CVS and Walgreens. I have 11 children – ten of whom are girls – and free shampoos would be a huge blessing so I’m just trying to figure out what I am doing incorrectly!

    10. Christy: We addressed a question in this same vein during our first week – the answer is HERE– so make sure that you keep in mind that your savings will get better the longer you’ve been couponing! That said, though, you probably won’t find that many free items at Publix. Every once in a while they will have an item or two that you can get for free when you stack coupons, but for the most part, CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens are the places where you can regularly find things for free after coupons – so check out Michelle’s other site HERE to keep an eye out for great drugstore deals!
    Michelle:    There are the occasional freebies at Publix–recently there have been several free razors, shaving cream and body wash.  But…Christy is correct – I usually score the majority of the health & beauty items at the drugstores.  Each drugstore has an incentive program and there are freebies quite often!! Drugstores may take a little initial investment but the payoff can be pretty good as there are usually at least a couple of freebies each week!  Be aware that the drugstore game takes a little time to master and often some maintenance but it can be a great way to score some HOT deals!! 
    Leigh wants to know: What do you consider to be good/great couponing prices for paper products such as toilet paper, paper towels and napkins?
    Christy: As I think I’ve mentioned before, I generally find the best deals on paper products like this at the drug stores, where I can use Register Rewards or Extra Care Bucks to make their good sale prices even lower (my Publix won’t accept RRs or ECBs as competitor coupons). My “stock up” prices for these items are as follows: 6-roll TP: $1.49; 12-roll TP: $3.49; 6 or 8-roll paper towels: $2.99; 250 pack+ napkins $.99.
    Michelle:  I usually look at the price per item.  I try to stay under 20¢ per roll of toilet paper and under 40¢ per roll of paper towel. You can usually get a package of  napkins for 50¢ – 75¢ with a good sale & coupon.  When I find items at these prices (or lower) I stock up.  Every once in a while you will find a super deal where the price is just phenomenal. 

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.