I recently had a big personal victory on a medical bill I received. In May, I got a bill from the company that did my youngest son's newborn hearing screening when he was born-- the problem I had was that he was born in March 2009- and they were sending me the bill (for the first time) in May 2011. When I called (the first time- after multiple attempts and waiting on hold for extended amounts of time) to question the bill, they claimed that my insurance company denied the claim and that they have resubmitted multiple times and not gotten any response. The bill was for $226.00.
Now, I could have just paid the bill and been done with it. But, I knew that I did not owe them $226, and if I owed them anything, it was much less and that they needed to do something because I had not been notified of the claim in over two years. I called my former health insurance provider (we have a different provider now) and they were very nice and willing to send me the Explanation of Benefits Statement showing they approved the claim in June of 2009. I faxed that to the provider two separate times, with notes on the fax to please contact me- no response. I called again about 3 weeks later and they said they had corrected the account and that I owed them $84.44 and they were not sending a bill. I let them know I expected a bill before I would send them any payment-- and the next day I got one (it had already been printed- they just didn't know what they were talking about).
At this point, I could have just paid the $84.44 bill. However, by then they had really made me mad. Not only did they wait 27 months to bill me, they billed me for something I didn't owe, and I wasted so much of my time calling/ faxing/ etc. that I was not going to pay the entire balance. I called them and asked if due to the circumstances they would be willing to waive 50% of the balance because of their errors and inabilities. They offered to waive $15- only if I paid that day. I declined and figured I'd call back later and hope for better luck with someone else. A month passed- and I did not receive another bill.
I called about this balance this week- and was pleased to find out that as a courtesy, they waived my entire balance due to all the issues. Again, they didn't notify me.
The moral of the story- LOOK at and QUESTION your medical bills!! This is NOT the first time I had fought a medical bill (and won!). When my first son was born, I was charged for an extra night in the hospital- I got the hospital to pull my medical records and they were able to see that I was indeed overcharged and this saved me over $400.
Do not assume that medical facilities are correct. If you look at your Explanation of Benefits statements and medical bills, question every single charge. For hospital visits- did you really get all the medicines that you were billed for?
Understand that medical facilities often do have the ability to "write off" or "waive" portions of your balance. But, they're not going to volunteer that- you have to ASK!
Have you challenged a medical bill? Have you won??? So frustrating but so rewarding when you win!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Freebies
It was sad when I came home from vacation, but it was nice to have a couple surprise packages when I got home.
A FREE Pandora bracelet with Morano bead- I was emailed a survey a month or so ago and if you were one of the first 80,000 to complete the survey you got a free bracelet and bead. When I went to do the survey, it said that all bracelets had already been claimed, but I filled the survey out anyways and still got the goodies! The bracelet and bead are valued at $95!
I'm not sure why I still got this-- the only thing I'm wondering if they actually checked your email address to make sure you were a Pandora club member before the sent them out. The survey was originally intended on Pandora club members only, but then a blogs posted the link and the site got bombarded. I'm just happy I got mine! I love Pandora bracelets and am happy to add this one to my collection!
I also won a Redken Intra Force giveaway. I was VERY surprised at this one- I was one of the first 1000 to respond. I think this shampoo and toner are priced a little over $30- and my hubby just started using this product right before these were delivered so I was very excited to receive these full size freebies!
Definitely two nice surprises-- I love getting free samples in the mail and it's even better when they are full size or high dollar freebies!
A FREE Pandora bracelet with Morano bead- I was emailed a survey a month or so ago and if you were one of the first 80,000 to complete the survey you got a free bracelet and bead. When I went to do the survey, it said that all bracelets had already been claimed, but I filled the survey out anyways and still got the goodies! The bracelet and bead are valued at $95!
I'm not sure why I still got this-- the only thing I'm wondering if they actually checked your email address to make sure you were a Pandora club member before the sent them out. The survey was originally intended on Pandora club members only, but then a blogs posted the link and the site got bombarded. I'm just happy I got mine! I love Pandora bracelets and am happy to add this one to my collection!
I also won a Redken Intra Force giveaway. I was VERY surprised at this one- I was one of the first 1000 to respond. I think this shampoo and toner are priced a little over $30- and my hubby just started using this product right before these were delivered so I was very excited to receive these full size freebies!
Definitely two nice surprises-- I love getting free samples in the mail and it's even better when they are full size or high dollar freebies!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
What a week!
So sorry for another apology posting... but just wanted to post and say that I'm so sorry that I'm so far behind on blogging right now! It's been quite a week- getting home from vacation to the tree mess, having to hurry and clean it up so we would be ready for showings again, doing a week's worth of vacation laundry (clothes/ sheets/ towels/ beach stuff for 4 people), having 4 (yes, 4) showings this week on 3 different days and getting ready for an open house tomorrow. Add to that a dentist appointment and then the following day a trip to the endodontist to find out that I have to get a root canal ASAP- which is next Wednesday. Just another crazy week- I'm ready for some calm and routine again! I'll get back on track with couponing soon... after tomorrow's open house I hope to get my binder reorganized and my inserts sorted.
Friday, July 22, 2011
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!
You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. Check out my posting about all the different ways to earn points. I'm earning between 75-100 each day now that I've found so many different ways to earn points.
It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.
I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.
Another great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.
Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Catching up
My plans to catch up have been delayed yet again... Our realtor called last night to schedule 2 (possibly 3) showings tonight. So, yesterday was spent with my hubby and the chainsaw and me with the sawzall (I have so much fun with power tools!!) getting all the trees and brush cleared from the yard, having to get more laundry done AND getting my house back to being spotless. It amazes me how quickly my kids can completely trash my house!
After work today we'll go home long enough to get my dog, lock up the cats, wipe down the counters and then vacate for a couple hours.
Have I mentioned how tired of showings and open houses I am??
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Whoops!
Sorry for being the disappearing blogger again! I went on vacation last week, fully intending on getting online daily and doing some postings. I only scheduled a couple because I just assumed I'd blog from up north like I did last year. Well, we never even turned the computer on-- the whole week!! I did use my phone to check my email and the news online-- we had a major storm on Monday that brought down a lot of trees (which were waiting for us in our yard when we got home this afternoon). I can't tell you the last time I didn't get on the computer for a whole week-- but I was having way too much fun!
I have a whole week's worth of blogs to read, probably 20 loads of laundry to do (5 are done already), trees to get out of my yard and mentally adjust to being back at home and not on vacation anymore. I'll try to get some postings up tomorrow or Monday (probably Monday)-- hope you got some great deals last week- no drugstore deals or deal shopping (other than fun vacation shopping) last week either. The week went way too fast-- we already told the owner of the cottage we rent that we would like two weeks next year!
I have a whole week's worth of blogs to read, probably 20 loads of laundry to do (5 are done already), trees to get out of my yard and mentally adjust to being back at home and not on vacation anymore. I'll try to get some postings up tomorrow or Monday (probably Monday)-- hope you got some great deals last week- no drugstore deals or deal shopping (other than fun vacation shopping) last week either. The week went way too fast-- we already told the owner of the cottage we rent that we would like two weeks next year!
Friday, July 15, 2011
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!
You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. Check out my posting about all the different ways to earn points. I'm earning between 75-100 each day now that I've found so many different ways to earn points.
It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.
I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.
Another great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.
Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Some cheap fun!
A couple weeks ago I needed to do a major coupon cleanout- but I needed to come up with a project for my boys to do that would keep them busy. They like playing Play-Doh, but instead of just getting out the whole bin of Play-Doh stuff, I let the help me make our own Playdough! It was a lot of fun AND because we made it ourselves, they played with it a LOT longer than they normally play with Play-Doh.
There are lots of different recipes out there... but this is the recipe I used- I got it from my mom who made it for my brother and I when we were little!
Homemade Playdough
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
food coloring
Heat over stove, stirring constantly until ball forms. Add food coloring, let cool- and play! I usually it in the fridge (I don't know if you really need to but I think it stays together better when it's cold) in a ziploc bag or in a glad container.
I gave the boys the playdough and some cookie cutters and they played for over an hour-- and came right back after naptime and played some more! This activity was definitely a hit in our household!
Monday, July 11, 2011
A great FREE weight loss resource
In the past I have used Weight Watchers to drop some lbs... but I'm just too cheap to spend money on that (and don't have time for weigh-ins and meetings and such). After I got my Blackberry, I was talking to a friend about cool apps and she told me about Spark People . Spark People is a FREE website (and/ or app) that sets up a nutrition and fitness plan to your goals and allows you to track your foods and exercise for FREE. It allows you to track the information you want to track- the standard tracking info is Calories, Carbs, Fat and Protein. If your foods aren't listed in the nutrition tracker, you can add the food as a favorite and enter the nutrition information yourself.
There are great reports available- one of my favorites is the "single day calorie differential" report. It looks at your calories consumed and your calories burned, through both exercise and what they calculate as your basal metabolic rate. It's a great report to see where you're at for the week-- and for me- it's fairly accurate. If you add up the differential each week (remember a 3500 calorie deficit is a 1 lb weight loss) you get a good idea what the scale should show for the week. While in my first two weeks I consistently stayed within my guidelines and was down over 6 lbs- and adding up my calorie differential showed that very close to what I should be down.
I've been using Spark People for a few weeks. I love it- it's so much more detailed than Weight Watchers- it definitely encourages you to eat not only the right amount of calories each day, but to look at what types of calories you are consuming.
There are also lots of interesting nutrition, wellness and fitness tips as well as message boards and recipes. It's a great resource to check out if you want to drop a few pounds or make better food choices.
Join the Web's Only Nutrition & Fitness Program Just For Teens! Diet
Friday, July 8, 2011
Rite Aid weekly shopping
I had two great trips to Rite Aid this week- two transactions at each store.
Transaction #1
Gillette Fusion Pro Glide Razor- $9.97 (get $5 +Up Reward)
-$4.00 off coupon from 6/5 P&G
** $5.97 OOP PLUS $5.00 +UP Reward earned!
2- Crest Pro Health Toothpaste- $2.57 (get $2 +UP Reward)
$1.00 off 2 Crest toothpaste coupon from 6/5 P&G
** $2.07 each PLUS $2.00 +UP Reward for each! **
$20.97 before coupons and discounts
-$5.86 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$5.00 coupons
-$3 off $15 survey coupon
-$2.00 previously earned +Up Rewards
-----------------
$5.11 subtotal
+ $.73 tax
===============
$5.84 OOP! PLUS $9.00 in +Up Rewards earned
Transaction #2
Jergens Natural Glow trial size- $1.99 ($2.49 before Wellness Plus discount)- buy 2, get $5 +UP Reward!
** $3.98 OOP PLUS $5.00 +UP Reward earned! **
Crest Pro Health Mouthwash- $4.99 (get $4.50 SCR!)
$1.00 off from 6/5 P&G
** $3.99 OOP PLUS $4.50 SCR! **
$11.97 before coupons and discounts
-$3.00 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$7.00 previously earned +UP Rewards
-$1.00 coupons
-----------------------------------
$.97 subtotal
+ $.54 tax
===================================
** $1.51 OOP PLUS $5.00 +UP Reward earned!! **
Transaction #3
Jergens Natural Glow trial size- $1.99 ($2.49 before Wellness Plus discount)- buy 2, get $5 +UP Reward!
** $3.98 OOP PLUS $5.00 +UP Reward earned! **
Gillette Fusion Pro Glide Razor- $9.97 (get $5 +Up Reward)
-$4.00 off coupon from 6/5 P&G
** $5.97 OOP PLUS $5.00 +UP Reward earned!
$17.97 before coupons and discounts
-$4.02 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$4.00 coupon
-$7.00 previously earned +Up Rewards
------------------------------------
$2.95 subtotal
+ $.84 tax
=====================================
$3.79 OOP PLUS $10 +Up Rewards earned!
3- Coca Cola 12 pack cans- 3 for $12 (get $1 +UP Reward when you buy 3)
$15.60 for 3- 12 packs ($3.60 of this was deposits)
$19.47 before coupons and discounts
-$3.87 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$10.00 previously earned +Up Rewards
======================================
$5.60 OOP PLUS $1.00 +Up Reward earned!
I ended up spending a grand total of $16.74 for everything in the picture and I have a $4.50 SCR coming. Not too bad!
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!
You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. Check out my posting about all the different ways to earn points. I'm earning between 75-100 each day now that I've found so many different ways to earn points.
It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.
I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.
Another great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.
Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Jillian Michaels DVD's at Amazon
I think I've mentioned several times how much I love my Jillian Michaels workout DVD's... my broken toe is still healing and since I still can't run I've been doing lots of Jillian workouts! Amazon has some great prices on Jillian DVD's right now-- here are my favorites:
Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred
- $8.71Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30
- for $9.39- this is her newest DVD and if you liked the 30 Day Shred, you'll LOVE this DVD
and Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones
- for only $7.99!Don't forget to sign up for Amazon Mom!
to get FREE AMAZON PRIME perks including FREE SHIPPING on any order!! Have you done any of these workout DVD's? I love that they're fairly short- 20-30 minutes (except for No More Trouble Zones), you have several different workouts on each DVD and they give a great workout!
Dollar Store Fun
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Another Rite Aid trip from last week
I did make it back to Rite Aid for a second trip last week. Sorry-- I forgot to post this! I wanted more Vitamin Water, and since the +Up Reward printed even though they didn't ring up on sale, I wanted to see if they would adjust the price since they didn't exclude any types in the ad. I went to the Cork St store and they were wonderful again!
The manager rang up a bottle of regular Vitamin Water, instead of Vitamin Water Zero- so that I could get the sale price instead of the regular price.
10 Vitamin Water- $1 each (get $1 +Up Reward for buying 5)
** $1 each PLUS 2 $1 +Up Rewards for buying 10**
$15.90 before coupons and discounts
-$5.90 Wellness Plus savings
-$6.38 previously earned +Up Rewards
=====================================
** $3.62 OOP PLUS $2 in +UP Rewards earned! **
Then it got even better-- since I showed her the receipt from the earlier in the week when I paid $1.27 a bottle, she said she'd give me 1 for free to make up for the $1.35 that I was overcharged... then she said she still owed me $.35 so she'd give me another one for $.65. So, I got 2 more bottles of Vitamin Water Zero for $.65 OOP!!
Total for everything pictured- 12 bottles of Vitamin Water Zero: $4.27 OOP!
Great deal on Pampers wipes available again!
I got a great deal on Pampers Wipes a couple weeks ago at Amazon- and it's available again... Pampers Thick Care 7x Wipes- 504 ct for only $9.79 per package SHIPPED through subscribe and save! You may also be able to clip a coupon for an additional $.50 off (I already used that coupon so I don't know if is not showing because I used it or because it's no longer available)! I picked these because there are 7 packages of 72 wipes in the soft plastic packs- great for home or in the diaper bag!
I ordered 2 packages so that my total was over $25 (before the 30% subscribe & save discount) which extended my Amazon Mom subscription another month. And, of course I paid nothing out of pocket because I used Amazon gift cards earned through Swag Bucks! Another great way to save money using gift cards earned through Swag Bucks!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Pampers Gifts to Grow 10 pt code
If you are a Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards member, here is another new code worth 10 points:
FAC711PHWGNXRD7
Thanks For the Mommas!!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saving money at... Meijer
I thought it was time to break down the ways to save at each store I shop at- and I'll start with Meijer since that's one of the first stores where I started couponing. I will put the links in these posts to each store's website where the policy can be printed. It is helpful to understand each store's coupon policy and have a printed copy in your coupon binder so if any questions come up during checkout you can refer to their own policy.
Meijer coupon policy allows you to stack manufacturer's coupons with Meijer store coupons.
Go here to read the entire Meijer Coupon Policy:
Meijer coupon policy:
Meijer accepts two kinds of coupons; Meijer issued coupons and manufacturer coupons:
•To be accepted, coupons must be presented before or on the expiration date
•Only one manufacturer coupon and one Meijer coupon for the same item will be accepted (unless prohibited)
•Mealbox and mPerks coupons are considered Meijer coupons
•We accept all valid internet coupons. These coupons must be presented before or on the expiration date. See store for additional details
•We reserve the right to limit quantities
•If the value of the coupon is more than the price of the item after discounts or coupons are applied, the value of the coupon will be applied up to the price of the item
•We do not apply the excess value of a coupon to the order total if the value of the coupon is over the price of the item after discounts or coupons are applied
•Only coupons for products carried in our stores will be accepted
•All coupons should be given to the cashier while you're checking out and cannot be applied to a previous purchase
Meijer Coupon Policy Summary
- You can stack Meijer coupons (Mealbox OR MPerks) with a manufacturer coupon
- You can NOT get overage if your coupon exceeds the value of the item(s) you are buying- the coupon will be brought down to the purchase price
- Valid internet coupons are accepted
Meijer has a couple different ways you can get store coupons:
MPerks:
MPerks is a free Meijer coupon program that you can use if you have a text enabled cell phone. You sign up online using a valid cell phone number and your account will be confirmed via text. Once you confirm your account, you can login and "clip" digital coupons that can be used in the store. The coupons can only be used one time.
At the register, you will need to press the MPerks button on the credit card reader and enter your cell number in order for the coupon to be applied to your purchase. Since I've been using this program, approximately once a month I have received a special offer for $2 off a $2 purchase, or $5 off a $5 purchase, etc. Usually when there is a special offer like that you will get a text that tells you to "clip" those coupons. Coupons are usually refreshed on Mondays and at the beginning of the month, and once they're clipped are valid until the expiration date listed.
Tips to using Mperks:
- If you have multiple cell phones in your house, sign up each phone so each person can clip the coupons (your phone, your hubby's phone, etc.)- You can only use one MPerks account per transaction at the register but if you do different transactions you can use a different MPerks account on each one
- Print a list of your clipped coupons- I usually look at my clipped coupons, and go to the print list feature- then copy and paste into word, remove all the photos and shrink the font so I can print on one handy list to take with me. This also helps me keep better track of which coupons are expiring when...
Meijer Mealbox Coupons:
Meijer Mealbox is another great way to get Meijer store coupons. These are printable coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer coupons. To use the Meijer Mealbox, you go to www.meijermealbox.com and in the Mealbox widget on the right, click on the "specials" tab. From there, you can scroll through the different offers, and select "add to shopping list" for any offers of interest. There are usually a couple pages of coupons so make sure to look through all of them. Once you've "added to shopping list" all offers you would like to print, you click the "shopping list" tab. From there, you have the option to print Shopping List, Coupons and Sale Items, and Recipes. To print your coupons, you select only the "Coupons and Sale Items" box. You have the option to just print or print the coupons as a PDF. I recommend printing as a PDF. You can print the coupon from the Adobe Viewer and also save the coupon. Meijer occasionally will pull coupons from the Mealbox prior to the coupon's expiration. If that happens, you still have your saved PDF that you can print (as long as it's prior to the coupon's expiration)
With Meijer Mealbox coupons, you can use multiple prints in the same transaction (with the purchase of multiple items). That's definitely a perk compared to using MPerks.
Tips to using Meijer Mealbox coupons:
- I already mentioned it but I think it's a good idea to save a PDF of the coupons. This can be very helpful if a coupon gets pulled or if it's a coupon you'll use every week until it expires.
- Watch the expiration dates- they're real random- some are good for much longer than others
- If you see something you might be buying in the next few weeks and the item isn't on sale and there is an Mealbox coupon, save it as a pdf and wait to print until you know there is a sale
Catalina Offers
In addition to using coupons at Meijer, Meijer also participates with Catalina offers. Before I got into couponing, I never paid too much attention to the little machines next to the receipt printer- I'd occasionally look at one and it would be something off my next purchase but I never knew how I got it. Catalina offers are select offers that if you buy certain items, usually multiple items, you can get Catalina offers for $$$ off your next purchase or sometimes a free product if you buy a particular item. Catalina offers are sometimes listed in the weekly ad, sometimes listed on a sign buy the items, and sometimes unadvertised offers.
To see Catalina offers (aka Custom Coupon offers):
Using the Meijer Mealbox widget, if you select "Specials" and then "Custom Coupons," you can see a list of valid Catalina offers at Meijer. The widget tells you what items you need to buy to get the offer, how many of the item you need to buy in one transaction and when the offer is good through. It's a very helpful list! You can also add these offers to your "shopping list" to print and bring to the store with you so you make sure you follow the particulars of the offer. The Meijer Mealbox widget only lists the first tier of the offers, so try to look in the store for additional signage or in the weeklya d to see if there are different tiers (such as buy 2 get $1, buy 3 get $2, etc.)- some offers are tiered, others are not.
Tips to Catalina offers:
- BEFORE checking out, make sure that you take a peek at the Catalina machine and look for the GREEN light that shows that the machine is in working order!! This way you know that as long as you bought the required products, you'll get your Catalina.
- Most of the time, Catalina's do NOT roll. What this means is that if you do a transaction that generates a particular Catalina, if you buy the same item again and try to use the Catalina on that transaction, the same Catalina will not print.
- Only ONE Catalina for each offer will print in one transaction. Example: right now there is a Catalina for $1 off your next order when you buy 2 Lawry's spice blends. If you buy 4 in one transaction, you will only get 1- $1 off your next transaction coupon. So, you might have to split your order up to maximize your savings.
- If you ever have a Catalina that you are expecting and it doesn't print, you can go to the service desk and they can write you a handwritten Catalina or they may give you cash for the amount you were suppose to receive. That's when having a printed copy of the offer from the Mealbox site or looking at the offer in the weekly ad comes in handy. If you bought the required items and customer service still doesn't resolve the situation (or if the line is too long and you have kids that are tired of being at Meijer) you can call the Catalina company directly at 1-888-8COUPON- you'll have to make sure you have your receipt so you can give them the info from it.
Other random Meijer offers:
You also want to pay attention to the Meijer ads to see what interesting Meijer offers there may be. A few weeks ago there was a Kelloggs offer that if you bought 4 Kelloggs cereals at $2.50 each, you would get $2 off instantly at the register. Pair that up with 2- $1 off 2 coupons and you'll get 4 boxes of cereal for $6. This past week, they had a Kelloggs offer for buy 4 Kelloggs cereal or snacks, get a free gallon of milk. At the high price of milk lately, if you bought 4 boxes of cereal for $10, used 2- $1 off 2 coupons and could have 4 boxes of cereal AND a gallon of milk which is selling for $2.99 on non-sale weeks for $8, it's a pretty good price!
I do get freebies at Meijer from stacking and using coupons, but I am selective about what foods we buy- I do buy as much organic produce and meat as possible and try to buy healthy foods for my family. I have drastically reduced my grocery bill since couponing- but I still pay for groceries-- my goal at Meijer is 50% savings, but I usually average "only" around 40% savings. My savings is much higher at the drugstores on non-food items.
WOW- this ended up being a LONG post! Please let me know if this is helpful or if you have any questions. I plan on doing this for others stores too- let me know if there are any particular stores you would like to know more about.
Meijer coupon policy allows you to stack manufacturer's coupons with Meijer store coupons.
Go here to read the entire Meijer Coupon Policy:
Meijer coupon policy:
Meijer accepts two kinds of coupons; Meijer issued coupons and manufacturer coupons:
•To be accepted, coupons must be presented before or on the expiration date
•Only one manufacturer coupon and one Meijer coupon for the same item will be accepted (unless prohibited)
•Mealbox and mPerks coupons are considered Meijer coupons
•We accept all valid internet coupons. These coupons must be presented before or on the expiration date. See store for additional details
•We reserve the right to limit quantities
•If the value of the coupon is more than the price of the item after discounts or coupons are applied, the value of the coupon will be applied up to the price of the item
•We do not apply the excess value of a coupon to the order total if the value of the coupon is over the price of the item after discounts or coupons are applied
•Only coupons for products carried in our stores will be accepted
•All coupons should be given to the cashier while you're checking out and cannot be applied to a previous purchase
Meijer Coupon Policy Summary
- You can stack Meijer coupons (Mealbox OR MPerks) with a manufacturer coupon
- You can NOT get overage if your coupon exceeds the value of the item(s) you are buying- the coupon will be brought down to the purchase price
- Valid internet coupons are accepted
Meijer has a couple different ways you can get store coupons:
MPerks:
MPerks is a free Meijer coupon program that you can use if you have a text enabled cell phone. You sign up online using a valid cell phone number and your account will be confirmed via text. Once you confirm your account, you can login and "clip" digital coupons that can be used in the store. The coupons can only be used one time.
At the register, you will need to press the MPerks button on the credit card reader and enter your cell number in order for the coupon to be applied to your purchase. Since I've been using this program, approximately once a month I have received a special offer for $2 off a $2 purchase, or $5 off a $5 purchase, etc. Usually when there is a special offer like that you will get a text that tells you to "clip" those coupons. Coupons are usually refreshed on Mondays and at the beginning of the month, and once they're clipped are valid until the expiration date listed.
Tips to using Mperks:
- If you have multiple cell phones in your house, sign up each phone so each person can clip the coupons (your phone, your hubby's phone, etc.)- You can only use one MPerks account per transaction at the register but if you do different transactions you can use a different MPerks account on each one
- Print a list of your clipped coupons- I usually look at my clipped coupons, and go to the print list feature- then copy and paste into word, remove all the photos and shrink the font so I can print on one handy list to take with me. This also helps me keep better track of which coupons are expiring when...
Meijer Mealbox Coupons:
Meijer Mealbox is another great way to get Meijer store coupons. These are printable coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer coupons. To use the Meijer Mealbox, you go to www.meijermealbox.com and in the Mealbox widget on the right, click on the "specials" tab. From there, you can scroll through the different offers, and select "add to shopping list" for any offers of interest. There are usually a couple pages of coupons so make sure to look through all of them. Once you've "added to shopping list" all offers you would like to print, you click the "shopping list" tab. From there, you have the option to print Shopping List, Coupons and Sale Items, and Recipes. To print your coupons, you select only the "Coupons and Sale Items" box. You have the option to just print or print the coupons as a PDF. I recommend printing as a PDF. You can print the coupon from the Adobe Viewer and also save the coupon. Meijer occasionally will pull coupons from the Mealbox prior to the coupon's expiration. If that happens, you still have your saved PDF that you can print (as long as it's prior to the coupon's expiration)
With Meijer Mealbox coupons, you can use multiple prints in the same transaction (with the purchase of multiple items). That's definitely a perk compared to using MPerks.
Tips to using Meijer Mealbox coupons:
- I already mentioned it but I think it's a good idea to save a PDF of the coupons. This can be very helpful if a coupon gets pulled or if it's a coupon you'll use every week until it expires.
- Watch the expiration dates- they're real random- some are good for much longer than others
- If you see something you might be buying in the next few weeks and the item isn't on sale and there is an Mealbox coupon, save it as a pdf and wait to print until you know there is a sale
Catalina Offers
In addition to using coupons at Meijer, Meijer also participates with Catalina offers. Before I got into couponing, I never paid too much attention to the little machines next to the receipt printer- I'd occasionally look at one and it would be something off my next purchase but I never knew how I got it. Catalina offers are select offers that if you buy certain items, usually multiple items, you can get Catalina offers for $$$ off your next purchase or sometimes a free product if you buy a particular item. Catalina offers are sometimes listed in the weekly ad, sometimes listed on a sign buy the items, and sometimes unadvertised offers.
To see Catalina offers (aka Custom Coupon offers):
Using the Meijer Mealbox widget, if you select "Specials" and then "Custom Coupons," you can see a list of valid Catalina offers at Meijer. The widget tells you what items you need to buy to get the offer, how many of the item you need to buy in one transaction and when the offer is good through. It's a very helpful list! You can also add these offers to your "shopping list" to print and bring to the store with you so you make sure you follow the particulars of the offer. The Meijer Mealbox widget only lists the first tier of the offers, so try to look in the store for additional signage or in the weeklya d to see if there are different tiers (such as buy 2 get $1, buy 3 get $2, etc.)- some offers are tiered, others are not.
Tips to Catalina offers:
- BEFORE checking out, make sure that you take a peek at the Catalina machine and look for the GREEN light that shows that the machine is in working order!! This way you know that as long as you bought the required products, you'll get your Catalina.
- Most of the time, Catalina's do NOT roll. What this means is that if you do a transaction that generates a particular Catalina, if you buy the same item again and try to use the Catalina on that transaction, the same Catalina will not print.
- Only ONE Catalina for each offer will print in one transaction. Example: right now there is a Catalina for $1 off your next order when you buy 2 Lawry's spice blends. If you buy 4 in one transaction, you will only get 1- $1 off your next transaction coupon. So, you might have to split your order up to maximize your savings.
- If you ever have a Catalina that you are expecting and it doesn't print, you can go to the service desk and they can write you a handwritten Catalina or they may give you cash for the amount you were suppose to receive. That's when having a printed copy of the offer from the Mealbox site or looking at the offer in the weekly ad comes in handy. If you bought the required items and customer service still doesn't resolve the situation (or if the line is too long and you have kids that are tired of being at Meijer) you can call the Catalina company directly at 1-888-8COUPON- you'll have to make sure you have your receipt so you can give them the info from it.
Other random Meijer offers:
You also want to pay attention to the Meijer ads to see what interesting Meijer offers there may be. A few weeks ago there was a Kelloggs offer that if you bought 4 Kelloggs cereals at $2.50 each, you would get $2 off instantly at the register. Pair that up with 2- $1 off 2 coupons and you'll get 4 boxes of cereal for $6. This past week, they had a Kelloggs offer for buy 4 Kelloggs cereal or snacks, get a free gallon of milk. At the high price of milk lately, if you bought 4 boxes of cereal for $10, used 2- $1 off 2 coupons and could have 4 boxes of cereal AND a gallon of milk which is selling for $2.99 on non-sale weeks for $8, it's a pretty good price!
I do get freebies at Meijer from stacking and using coupons, but I am selective about what foods we buy- I do buy as much organic produce and meat as possible and try to buy healthy foods for my family. I have drastically reduced my grocery bill since couponing- but I still pay for groceries-- my goal at Meijer is 50% savings, but I usually average "only" around 40% savings. My savings is much higher at the drugstores on non-food items.
WOW- this ended up being a LONG post! Please let me know if this is helpful or if you have any questions. I plan on doing this for others stores too- let me know if there are any particular stores you would like to know more about.
Friday, July 1, 2011
** HOT new coupons!! ***
~~~~ If you're having problems printing in Internet Explorer, try a different browser-- I just downloaded Mozilla and they printed without any problems!! ~~
Today is the first day of July, and coupons.com has a some great coupons this morning!
$.55 on Joy ice cream cones! I found the 24 package of these yesterday so this is a hot coupon! Lots of other new ones and reset coupons too~
$1 off 4 Larabars, $.50 off Bisquick, and more!
try zip 90210 if you don't find these
Remember, if you use Swag Bucks , print your coupons.com coupons there-- you might as well earn Swag Bucks AND save some money!
Today is the first day of July, and coupons.com has a some great coupons this morning!
$.55 on Joy ice cream cones! I found the 24 package of these yesterday so this is a hot coupon! Lots of other new ones and reset coupons too~
$1 off 4 Larabars, $.50 off Bisquick, and more!
try zip 90210 if you don't find these
Remember, if you use Swag Bucks , print your coupons.com coupons there-- you might as well earn Swag Bucks AND save some money!
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!
It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!
You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. Check out my posting about all the different ways to earn points. I'm earning between 75-100 each day now that I've found so many different ways to earn points.
It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.
I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.
Another great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.
Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
