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Buy this and get that....or NOT

January 20th, 2009 at 12:18 am

I am a sucker for deals. This week there are two that I'm debating. Both CVS and Walgreens have a special to buy $20 of Pepsi & Frito Lay products and get $10 off your next purchase. There is also a rebate sponsored by the same companies to get $15 back in coupons if you buy so many of each of the items. I have about $3 or $4 worth of coupons, so in reality I might only pay $16-$17 plus tax, and I can get both the coupon for $10 off my next purchase and the $15 worth of coupons. What a great deal! But you know what? I'm trying to cut back on the grocery budget, drink less diet colas and lose weight, and I don't NEED any of the junk!

The other deal is at Walgreens. I don't recall the other products, but if you buy 8 jars of either Skippy peanut butter or Ragu spaghetti sauce priced at $1.99 each, you get $10 off your next purchase. The deal also works in smaller numbers, but not as great a deal, like buy 4 get $2 back. I have another $3 or $4 worth of coupons so if I went for the best deal, I'd pay my $13 or $14 and get $10 back for next time. There was a time when I first started couponing that I'd run out and do this because it's a pretty good deal, but it just doesn't thrill me. Could I use another jar or so of peanut butter stocked away? Sure, but I'd rather wait until it's on sale for less than $1.99 somewhere, use my coupons and get just a few jars for $2 or $3.

So, I think I just decided. By NOT doing these deals this week, I just saved $30 on my grocery bill. In the long run, since I would have gotten $20 back, I might only have saved $10. Or, if I count the coupons I COULD have gotten back on the rebate deal, I might have actually lost $5 in the long run with this decision. And I think that's what the retailers and manufacturers want me to think..."if you don't do this, you're missing out on saving money, so buy, buy, buy!!!!"

8 Responses to “Buy this and get that....or NOT”

  1. mom-sense Says:
    1232410929

    I had to break out of this mindset as well; sadly, my family consumed a huge amount of cereal (the sugar-laden kind) the first two weeks of the month, due to my compulsion to "spend $30, get $15". I have decided to stay out of stores and simply stick to Sam's Club. At least I can afford the better quality items and not break the budget. I did have coupon withdrawals this past Sunday, though - At least my kids are going for string cheese or blueberries to snack on, rather than fruit roll-ups!

  2. lizajane Says:
    1232411200

    I won't swear off the deals entirely, but I think I will be pickier this year and just do the absolutely fantastic deals.

  3. snoopycool Says:
    1232415697

    I agree. I feel that if it isn't free or almost free, it isn't something I'll buy (usually).

  4. frugaltexan75 Says:
    1232418220

    I know what you're saying. When I first really got into couponing and deal making, I bought a lot of stuff that . . .well, it was a good deal, but not really good *for* me.

  5. scfr Says:
    1232431934

    It sounds like you made a good call.

    I have to admit that I've never gotten on the CVS bandwagon. I've heard so many talk about it, so I look at their ad flyer every week, but have not once found anything that makes sense for me to buy. In the last flyer, the only item I could possibly use was BOGO Dryer's ice cream. But the price was $6.49 for one! If I wait for a sale, I can buy one for $2.99 which not only is less expensive but it means I only have to buy 1. If I bought 2, not only would I be tempted to eat more, but I'd take up more of my precious small freezer space.

  6. whitestripe Says:
    1232447415

    we don't have much of a coupon culture in australia but sometimes supermarkets have deals like this and i stop and think about it. in the end i am like you and decide against the purchase. i make spaghetti sauces by scratch, and we hardly use peanut butter. we drink coke not pepsi, but not a great deal of it either.

    there is a deal i sometimes go for though, with my makeup brand. clinique have a special sometimes where if you spend more than a certain amount you get a makeup bag full of goodies for free. i try to hold off any makeup purchases until a deal like that pops up, as I only probably buy makeup once or twice a year.

  7. fern Says:
    1232474509

    Walgreens should have taken that peanut butter off the shelves. There's a recall now due to salmonella outbreak and they don't know where it's coming from yet.

  8. lizajane Says:
    1232509088

    Fern, I didn't think the recall applied to peanut butter, at least not yet. But, I suppose it doesn't hurt to avoid it just in case...

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