You know me, I love using coupons. So here’s my latest coupon triumph:
The Crimson White, the university newspaper, had a coupon for a 99-cent grilled sandwich at the Crimson Cafe, a local restaurant on “The Strip” (the college hangout area just outside the campus). So I suggested to Russ we go, thinking to save a few dollars on a quick and easy dinner.
So tonight we go. And apparently the 99-cent sandwich ALSO includes french fries AND a drink. So, with tax, that’s $1.08 for me, and $1.08 for Russ. I said to the guy behind the counter, “Wait. I wanted an iced tea with that also.” He said, “No problem. It’s still $1.08.” The usual cost would be $6.49. That’s a five and a half dollar savings on EACH of our meals.
So…
For $2.16 we each had a grilled sandwich, fries/chips (I had fries, Russ had chips) and a drink. What a bargain, right?
But wait…there’s more!
This little restaurant also had a bakery case, with some pastries and bagels, and as we are getting up to go, the guy behind the counter says, “Hey, you want some bagels and stuff? Take them, it’s free. If you don’t take them, we’re just going to throw it all away, so take as much as you want.”
Now I’ve worked at Dunkin Donuts, so I know how it goes. You can’t continue to SELL old stuff, but it’s certainly not poisonous. Maybe not quite as fresh, but still good. But as I was filling a bag with four bagels, two muffins and some kind of pastry-thingy, none of it seemed stale at all!
So let’s recap: 2 sandwiches, 2 drinks, fries, chips, 4 bagels, 2 muffins and 1 pastry thingy for a grand total of…$2.16!!!!
I’d say we done good.
I challenge anyone to beat this story. Legally.
OK, we can beat this
Just read your blog, and maybe it’s something in the phase of the moon… who knows. But…. we think we can match you on a good deal.
Our Publix has a policy that if the price on the register is wrong you get the item for free. So tonight we bought Publix baker desert shells and pesto sauce while grocery shopping and both these items rang up incorrectly.
Karin went back to the service counter, no questions asked, we got $3.80 back. So we had Pesto sauce for pasta and desert shells that we filled with fruit for free.
Good thing Karin watches the receipt!
Enjoy reading your blog… take care, your brother John & sister in-law Karin.
Re: OK, we can beat this
Going going on the Publix policy! They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch (or dinner), but sometimes, in fact, there is!
I also keep an eye on my receipt at Publix, for that very reason. A few weeks ago, we bought some Colgate toothpaste that had a “free” toothbrush included, and it rang up wrong, and I caught it, and we got the toothpaste and toothbrush for free.
The next morning, I wanted a bagel for breakfast, so we stopped at Publix, and while I was there, I bought another toothpaste/toothbrush combo—and it still rang up wrong! So I got it for free AGAIN. So Russ and I each got a new toothbrush, and we have two new tubes of toothpaste, and we haven’t paid a single cent for any of it!
I thought the whole point of giving the item for free was so that the store would become AWARE that there was an error on the shelf, and they would fix it, for the benefit of future shoppers. But this little incident made me realize that what the store must be counting on is that MOST people will see a sale price on the shelf, pick up the item, and then never check and never realize that they actually paid more for it.
I guess when all is said and done, it comes down to this: the few items the store has to give away to observant shoppers is not enough to offset the increased amount of product they are moving off the shelf because it is marked with a bogus “sale” price. See, it’s really a win-win situation. (Unless you’re one of those bozos who doesn’t check the receipt!! )
🙂