Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
A grocery store scammer is stealing to eat or making money using stolen goods.
Scammers are a substantial financial loss for grocery retailers across the country, and unless there is awareness, most of it falls on a blind eye, at least at the consumer level.
Awareness of this underground world of shoplifting and the costs to the retailer that trickle down to customers is critical.
Whether you’re with a grocery store scammer or think you see one, this topic must be discussed because theft costs Canadians money.
Scammer Alerts For Canadians
Mrs. CBB and I have worked hard for ten years to save money at the grocery store.
However, scammers make it difficult for frugal-minded shoppers to keep up with increased prices and loss of programs to help shoppers save.
Shoplifting Addiction Feeds A Scammer
Is shoplifting an addiction?
I guess it can be if the scammer believes they can’t stop or doesn’t know how to.
The thrill and the savings become a hobby rather than a need.
You might be shocked that the scammer has money in the bank.
Theft does not discriminate; for many reasons, it happens, but not solely by the poor.
I was not shocked to find a 2014 Shoplifters Anonymous Tumblr blog based out of Toronto that shares stories and tips from scammers on how to get free stuff. (Update: the post no longer exists.)
It’s hard not to read it all because humans are naturally naughty and want to know even if they don’t want to participate.
The Coupon Scammer
When couponing was hot, some couponers became greedy and ruined it for everyone else.
It may have been overdoing coupons, taking too many, misusing them, fraud, or printing more than one that set the coolest saving system on fire.
Gone are the days when consumers would push around a shopping cart with a giant coupon binder loaded with section tabs and hockey card inserts.
These days, coupons have sizzled, and our $1 coupon usage thus far proves how much coupons have become less of a big deal.
We save more money by looking for in-store deals on reduced items than anything else these days.
Understanding How Canadian Grocery Stores Work
There could be a scam alert for anything that costs money or requires some form of a transaction, resulting in money being transferred.
The grocery budget is one of the most significant financial expenses next to renting or holding a mortgage.
Since 2012, we have become grocery-saving warriors where we’ve stripped the shopping experience bare to try and understand everything that happens from when a store opens until it closes.
We’ve witnessed and experienced extreme couponing, extreme flyer shopping without limits, and many other ways to save money on a tight grocery budget.
We have only scratched the surface because something new comes up to explore yearly.
Computer Technology Scammer
Technology scammers are simply cashing in on the weak system that needs to be improved if retailers want to crush or reduce theft.
There’s always a glitch with technology until businesses understand where there are holes in the system.
It’s widely known that scammers use self-scanners to rip off the grocery store.
When nobody is watching, it’s easy to punch in different codes or forget to scan an item.
Most often, it’s employee education from training at the cash to being mindful of scammers.
Sympathize Or Report A Grocery Store Scammer
Would you say anything if you saw someone walking out of the grocery store with a full shopping cart of food and other essentials?
Most people would, but others would think about every excuse as to why that person couldn’t be stealing right under everyone’s noses.
Consider customers who empathize with scammers and leave them be.
“It’s not my job” comes to mind, but it is your hard-earned money you are spending.
Retail Loss Prevention
Loss prevention (L.P.) is still alive, but not to the extent it used to be.
Most retailers will have someone patrol the high-end luxury food areas.
With beer being sold in select grocery stores, L.P. is a must.
Retail loss prevention is a set of practices employed by retail companies to preserve profit.
Profit preservation is any business activity specifically designed to reduce preventable losses.
Deliberate human actions that cause loss to a retail company can be theft, fraud, vandalism, waste, abuse, or misconduct.
– Wikipedia
Even security at grocery stores is reduced to in-store cameras that may be reviewed on an as-needed basis or for audit purposes on a weekly or daily basis.
It’s too costly for no-name brand stores to hire professionals unless they feel a need due to audit results.
Professional scammers may tell those looking to scam to avoid stores with television monitors or towers at the entryway.
Scammer Teaches Others How To Shoplift
I was NOT shocked to find a Reddit thread from scammers teaching others how to shoplift at the grocery store.
Then I realized that it wasn’t just a thread. It was a Reddit following of over 40,000 users subscribed to Five Finger Discounts.
Some of their ideas are mind-blowing, incredibly how relaxed the conversation seems.
Actually most grocery stores do have LP.
They most often watch cheese, alcohol, chocolate, and similar other high value items so if you avoid these sections you’ll have more luck.
Produce tends to not have cameras but of course it depends which store you’re going to.
The easiest way to not get caught would probably be to “accidentally” leave an item in your cart or just walk out with your entire cart if you don’t plan on returning to the same store for a few months.- Reddit user ShopLiftThrowAway
From my experience Groceries store will most likely not have LPs.
I have been “pushing out” my groceries weekly from my local store, averaging 150$ per week.
They have cameras but I suspect it’s used only to spy on employees.
Look for stores that don’t have towers on the entrance to start small. Because you might be afraid of the towers.
In my experience with stores with towers, they are usually on way out that is through the self checkout or cashier.
I’d bring a shopping bag and stuff it full of item and place the cheap ones above, and then I’ll go to the cashier and pay for 1 or 2 of the cheap item.
Walk out and be done with groceries.
Stealing Food When In Need
Last week, footage at a Barrie, Ontario, Loblaws grocery store video footage showed two men stealing powdered baby formula.
Was the formula for a hungry baby, or was it used to cut drugs?
Either way, there are community options to help a family secure baby formula if desperately needed.
Would you turn them in or let them go?
Most of us would have empathy, but what if your loved one overdosed and died because of drug dealers?
Would that change your mind?
The Self-Checkout Scammer
Last week I blogged about the self-checkout scammer, which was such a popular post it led me to believe two things;
- People want to learn how to become a scammer for gain
- People want to become aware of what is happening.
Self checkout are usually monitored heavily because that’s what most lifter do, they lift things and pay for something cheap at the self checkout to look convincing.
Cashier usually don’t look in your cart especially your shopping bags.
If they ask what’s in the bag, you could just say it’s from another store, but that is very unlikely.
Reddit user IKnowNTG
Cashing In Without Paying
The word ‘scammer‘ has been an enormous issue in the past decade because more and more people are looking for ways to cash in without doing the work.
I call it the black market of the food industry, and it’s bound to get worse before it gets better.
I’m sure almost everyone has talked to a scammer on the telephone or even had one ring your doorbell.
Those are only two of many ways scammers try to get what doesn’t belong to them.
Understanding Grocery Store Theft
With the popularity of last week’s post, I wanted to open up the conversation with everyone about ways scammers are taking advantage of the opportunity to rip off the grocery store.
Although it’s not our job to apprehend scammers when we see or hear them in action, nothing stops us from alerting an employee.
An earlier post that I wrote exploring whether you would turn in someone you saw stealing at the grocery store met with mixed opinions from my readers.
There was so much empathy for the scammer that it led me to believe that some of us are perfectly fine if we see someone stealing food.
- They must be hungry, right?
- Maybe Yes, Maybe Not.
- Does this still make it right?
- No, not at all, but what can be done to help?
Grocery Store Corporations
I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, and any time scammers rip off the grocery store, including stealing, that financial loss rolls downhill.
It doesn’t matter how many millions or billions a grocery store earns. They will find ways to recoup that loss.
By this, I mean the employees get fewer benefits, stagnant income, no bonus or less bonus, and worst of all, consumers have to suck up the shortest end with increased prices.
Yes, I get that increased food prices are not simply from grocery store scammers, BUT their actions add to this disaster.
Catch Me If You Can
Believe it or not, not all scammers are broke.
They crave the thrill of not getting caught, and when and if they don’t, they have a prize at the end of the gig.
Others are legit broke and need to supplement their pantry with items they didn’t pay for so they have money for other necessities.
Although the Food Bank is a well-known source of food and supplies for those in need, it also gets abused.
Scammers even tally up their yearly savings by using tactics to get what they want from a store for free.
I only pay for milk, cereal, potatoes, veg and occasionally fruit, so my daily spend is usually $1-2.
Things I lift have a value of between $3 and $10. Just lifting one item a day is enough. Total value about $2,000 a year.
The best places to conceal in a supermarket are in blind spots next to pillars, or next to carts of products being shelved, or right next to shoppers if you aren’t in their field of vision, or in the checkout line (one supermarket I lifted from had extensive candy selections on each side of you.
As you waited in the line you could slip anything under your belt).
– Reddit User Marxistopportunist
Please don’t take these suggestions as advice on becoming a scammer, far from it.
Suppose consumers and grocery stores are unaware of what is happening on the grocery store floor.
In that case, it becomes tough to apprehend scammers who believe they deserve free or deeply discounted products.
20 Ways A Scammer Gets Away With Theft
Although stealing/shoplifting are both open translations, many of the grocery store tactics below are considered stealing in one form or another.
- Damaging product for reduced price
- Coupon Fraud by creating fake printable coupons.
- Cashier Distraction or Flirting
- Dress in the “I have money” role in distracting Secret Shoppers. Get dressed up.
- Adding Reduced Stickers from previously bought reduced Products or stolen sticker rolls.
- Scanning Code of Practice fraud
- Return and Refund Scammers
- Wrong Product Code written on bulk product
- Lying to the cashier about a product if it is unknown to them.
- Adding product inside of the product
- Walking Out without paying for products
- Bathroom Theft
- Eating Products without paying
- Shoplifting with Fake Receipt *Now you know why Costco checks all receipts upon exit)
- A fake Bar-code system is a system using technology.
- No receipt returns using products bought at another store.
- Using kids as scammers
- A shelf scammer walks in, takes a product from the shelf, and tries to return it.
- Shopping Bag Scammers add to bags from out-of-store purchases in the shopping cart or hand.
- Online grocery order and delivery scam reporting damaged or missing items.
It’s important at the retail level to do everything they can to stop scammers, along with customer awareness.
Discussion Question: What other ways have scammers taken on the grocery store and got away with it?
September Grocery Game Challenge
Join in the 2017 Grocery Game Challenge (G.G.C.) fun and post your grocery shop in the comment section of each G.G.C. blog post.
Here are The Grocery Game Challenge rules to get you started, and you’ll also find a link for the 2017 G.G.C. schedule.
Please feel free to download, save, and even print the schedule.
Post your shop, and you can be next.
2017 Grocery Shop Results
Yearly grocery budget for two + 1 Toddler 2017: $3180 or $265/month
The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $300/year or $25/month.
Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings)
- Total Grocery Budget for this Month: $265
- Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $265
- Total Gift Cards used to date: $0
- Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
- Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
- PC Optimum Points Earned to date: 646,000
- Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
- Shoppers Optimum: 983,000 O.M.G.
Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
- Zweet to cash out: $18.25. I have no idea where the money went, but we have $0.
- Checkout51 to cash out: $24.50 We cashed out, so we’re back at $0.
Our Grocery Shop This Week
Zehrs
- 8 x P.C. Not from concentrate Apple Juice $10.00
- 2 x salted butter No Name $3.97 each
- 2 x Large eggs $1.97 each
- 1 x 4L Neilson Milk $4.27
- Radishes $1.99 bag
- Strawberries $3.99 2lbs organic
- Johnsonville Cheddar Sausage Patties Reg $5.99 on Sale for $3.49-50% $1.75
- 3 x Swerve Confectioners Sugar $11.24-50% $16.86
- 2 x seedless cucumbers $0.99 each $1.98
- Wonder Bread $3.29-50%$1.65
- Saputo mini Bocconcini $6.49-50% $3.25
Total Out-of-pocket $55.63
Monthly Grocery Totals
All totals below already have tax factored into them.
- Total to spend this month : $265 – $18.51= $246.49 (overage from August)
- Stockpile budget 2016 : $25.00/month
- Stockpile budget used this month: $25.00
- Total coupons used this week: $0
- Total coupons used to date: $1
- Total in-store discounts this week: $0
- Total in-store discounts to date: $699.44
- Total spent this week: $55.63
- Total spent so far this month: $208.69
- Total over/Under spend this shop: Over
- Total over/Under spend for the month: Under
- Total left to spend for the month: $37.80
- Total Spent To Date 2017: (does not include stockpile budget) Jan $231.06+Feb $255.16+March ($5 budget increase) $263.60 + April $273.83+ May $257.15 + June $65.43+July $226.84+August $283.51+September $
Overall Thoughts
Weekly Overview (your final thoughts)
It was a boring week at the grocery store, but we picked up some great pork sausage patties and Swerve Confectioners sugar deals.
We are cutting it close this month. However, we aren’t worried because there is more than enough food to get us through.
Coupons and Coupon Apps
Here are some great places you can find Canadian Coupons!
We’re finding fewer and fewer coupons in the stores these days.
Are coupon apps taking over paper coupons?
If you notice I’m missing a valuable link, please message me, and I’ll add it to the savings list below.
Sign up for the Nielsen Canada Home Scan Program, and you can earn rewards points fast to redeem for awesome products or gift cards. I did this in the U.K. and loved it!
Hidden Coupon Portals
Plus, check out these other hidden areas online to get more coupons!
If any links below don’t open properly, please report them to my email address or use the comment form.
- Danone Coupons: Get up to $25 in coupons
- Kraft Canada: Sign up and receive recipes and coupons by email
- MySavings.com Printable Smart Source Coupons
- Walmart Canada Printable Coupons
- Proctor and Gamble PandG Sign up for printable coupons.
- Hidden Coupon Portals You Should Know About – I found this over at Save a Loonie, and you’ll want to sign up for notifications and check out the site so you get notified every time a hidden coupon is available from Save.ca, Brandsaver, Smart Source, etc.
Grocery Game Challenge 2017 F.A.Q.’s
- Grocery Game Challenge RULES: Read the rules first, and if you have any questions, email me or comment on this post with your questions, and someone will answer you as soon as possible.
- Canadian Coupons: Where can I find Canadian Coupons?: Many great Canadian Couponing websites share weekly coupon match-ups so you can plan your grocery list.
- Best Coupon Apps: Coupons are slowly fading, with mobile coupon apps being the biggest rave.
- What is the Best Flyer App- We use Flipp on our iPhone, so if you want to have all your flyers in one spot, download Flipp from the Apple Store or get it on Google Play.
If you’ve just joined The Grocery Game Challenge 2017, get ready to look at your grocery budget by learning;
- Where are you spending money?
- How much money are you spending?
- How much money are you saving every month?
If you want to learn everything I know about grocery shopping in Canada, check out my Ultimate Grocery Shopping Guide!
You’ve decided to take control of your grocery budget.
Now show me your shops and let’s get saving!
-Mr. CBB
SEPTEMBER – Week # 3 of 4- Sept 18-24, 2017
2017 GROCERY BUDGET / STOCKPILE BUDGET AND US RESERVE:
•Total Grocery Budgeted For Year: $190.00 x 12 = $2,280.00 for 2 adults
==============================================================================================
COMMENTS FOR THE MONTH:
It’s amazing how quickly a vacation disappears! Ah well, hubby has some more time off later in the year for us to enjoy together. He went back to work yesterday but came home sick at noon. That will certainly mess with the meal plan depending on what he feels well enough to eat. I see soups, soups and more soups coming!
REMARKS FOR THE WEEK:
This is an actual shopping week for us but I think I will still show you our meal plan anyways. I did expand our shopping list to include some meat but mostly it’s for hubby’s lunch materials. It’s so much cheaper to buy a roast when it’s on sale, cook it up, slice and re-package it into 4 portions for the freezer and turn a single roast into a month’s worth of sandwiches having each type once a week. Just so you know:
All Breakfasts:
Hubby – Earl Grey Tea with toasted English Muffins
Me – Black Tea with Skim Milk & Equal, Fresh Fruit or Veggies depending what we have
——————————————————————-
Monday – Lunch – Leftover Chicken Chow Mein & Leftover Cauliflower Soup / soup only for me
Monday – Dinner – Hubby came home sick so no supper for him, I had a cup of boullion
——————————————————————-
Tuesday – Lunch – hubby is still home sick but I have Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup and Sprite for him, I’m having an Apple-
Onion Salad
Tuesday – Dinner – had planned to have Chicken Spaghetti Casserole with Creamed Spinach BUT I’ll use the ingredients to
make a homemade chicken and vegetable soup
——————————————————————-
Wednesday – Lunch – Leftover Cauliflower Soup, Onion Bagels with Cheese & a slice of Pumpkin Maple Walnut Loaf OR just
the soup if hubby still feels poorly / I’ll have a tomato-cucumber salad
Wednesday – Dinner – Creamy Kielbasa & Potato Soup with a side of Corn on the Cob OR hubby can have Chicken Vegetable if
he still feels under the weather
——————————————————————-
Thursday – Lunch – Leftover Pizza (hubby only) & a choice of: either Leftover Creamy Kielbasa & Potato Soup or Leftover
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Thursday – Dinner – Choice of Thai Chili Tuna Frittata with a Green Salad OR Scrambled Eggs with toast
——————————————————————-
Friday – Lunch – PB Sandwiches, Cottage Cheese & a slice of Banana Apple Sauce Bread
Friday – Dinner – Cheeseburger French Toast with Mexican Corn Coleslaw OR plain French Toast with a cup of Boullion
——————————————————————-
Saturday – Lunch – Food Truck Festival in Maple Ridge (hubby loves food trucks!) / I’ll have a cucumber-tomato salad when we
get home
Saturday – Dinner – Slow Cooker Acorn Squash, Homemade Stuffing and Roast Chicken
——————————————————————-
Sunday – lunch at The Yellow Deli
Sunday – Dinner – Creamy Tomato Soup with homemade Sour Cream Biscuits
====================================
OUR “CANADIAN” SHOPPING:
No Frills– Pitt Meadows –
1 x 3lb White Mushrooms $2.97
1 x 2 Kg Coleslaw $5.47
• TOTAL VACATION Budget OOP: $8.44
** Earned 0 PC.Plus Points on this shop **
** SAVED $0.00 in Rain Check/ Coupons **
** SAVED $0.00 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
—————————————————————–
RCSS– Pitt Meadows –
2 pkgs Mini Cukes $6.96 << I quick pickled these cukes in white vinegar for myself
1 x 3-pack English Cucumbers $2.91
1 Celery $1.77
1 Acorn Squash $2.51
1 Green Cabbage $2.64
2 Distressed Red peppers $0.90
1 bunch Green Onions $0.57
1 x 500 ml Whipping Cream $3.39
1 Plain Potato Chips $1.00 << for the top of an upcoming Tuna Casserole
• TOTAL Grocery Budget OOP: $22.65
** Earned 0 PC.Plus Points on this shop **
** SAVED $0.00 in Rain Check/ Coupons **
** SAVED $0.00 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
—————————————————————–
Walmart – Port Coquitlam –
1 Pork Back Ribs $2.97/lb = $15.33 < a treat for hubby at that price & the sauce it makes in the slow cooker makes this a pulled
pork sandwich treat
• TOTAL Grocery Budget OOP: $15.33
—————————————————————–
Thrifty Foods – Maple Ridge –
1 x Beef Eye of Round Roast $16.51 < Cook for Sandwich Materials + a freezer dive gave us a pork roast and whole chicken to
cook and package as well
• TOTAL Grocery Budget OOP: $16.51
** Earned 31 Air Miles on this shop **
** SAVED $0.00 in Rain Check Coupons **
** SAVED $13.50 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
==============================================================================================
OUR “US RESERVE” SHOPPING:
Fred Meyers – Burlington ** ANNIVERSARY SALE **
1 Peppermint Mocha Creamer $2.50 < Long expiry date so we'll have this for Thanksgiving & Xmas
1 gallon Chocolate Milk $1.78 < lunch treat for hubby
1 gallon Skim Milk $1.78
1 Iced Coffee $3.19 < wasn't on the list but hubby snuck it into the cart!!!
2 Daisy Sour Cream @ 2/$3.00
2 Daisy Cottage Cheese @ 2/$3.00
2 x 18-count Large Eggs @ $1.78 ea = $3.56
2 x 2lb Pepper Jack Tllamook Cheese blocks @ $4.99 ea = $9.98
2 x 12-pack COB Onion Buns @ $1.88 ea = $3.76
• US Grocery OOP: $32.55
—————————————————————–
Franz Bakery Outlet – Bellingham
1 Corn Tortillas $2.29
6 GF bread – two raisin & four 7-Grain $29.94 < 2 for of the 7-Grain for homemade stuffing on Saturday
3 loaves 100% WW Country Harvest Bread $3/$5
4 Jam @ $2.50 ea = $10
2 x 12 pack WW English Muffins FREE
1 x 12 Pack Hamburger Buns FREE
• US Grocery OOP: $47.23
—————————————————————–
Walmart – Burlington
2 cases of 12 Chicken Cup of Soup @ @0.28 ea = $6.72 < I like these for a meal at lunch when it's cold
• US Grocery OOP: $6.72
==============================================================================================
2017 Y-T-D GROCERY SAVINGS:
•Total Loyalty Card Price Reductions This Year: $155.20
•Total Coupons/Rain Checks Used This Year: $0.00
•Total Price Match Savings Used This Year: $0.00
•Total More Points Earned This Year: 308 Points
•Total Air Miles Earned This Year: 53 Air Miles
•Total PC PLUS Points Earned This Year: 20,000 Points
•Total Optimum Points Earned This Year: 4,100 Points
==============================================================================================
• SUMMARY OF FUNDS Y-T-D:
$ 1,710.00 Grocery Budget JAN-SEPT
($ 221.63) NET RESERVE SAVINGS
($1,482.86) Actual CASH SPENT
$ 5.51 AVAILABLE Y-T-D GGC SPENDING NOT INCL RESERVES
• RESERVES Y-T-D:
$ 304.84 Re-Stocking Fund
$ 155.70 Holiday Season Fund + $200 RCSS POINTS + $10 Dream Air Miles.
$ 634.59 Summer Season Fund
$ 366.87 US Shopping Reserve
$ 34.47 GGC Savings Reserve
$ 0.00 Points Redeemed Reserve
OUR CURRENT TOTAL UNUSED RESERVES ARE $1,496.47. This means the $1,274.44 that we carried forward from 2016 PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $1,088.85 that we have added in 2017, LESS $866.82 that we have drawn out for use in 2017.
==============================================================================================
Hi MARY,
Vacation never lasts long enough.
What is cheeseburger French toast?
Wow, the cup of soup is inexpensive. I can see why you’d want to load up for a quick meal or snack. I see you picked up more freebies at the bakery. I’m sure they know you by name now.
Do you find it cheaper to buy roasts and chickens, cook them and use for sandwiches rather than buying deli meat?
I like the idea of the chips on the casserole however I still have to make a tuna casserole.
Great shopping Mary…
You get ballot #3 September.
I much prefer to cook roasts, a whole chicken, a whole turkey, pork butts etc and portion them for sandwich materials for hubby. I like to give him chicken or turkey, ham, roast beef, pork roast, tuna salad, salmon salad, crab salad and egg salad, vegetation Cheese-Tomato-Cucumber-Onion options for his work sandwiches with other homemade goodies. The “packaged stuff” is full of things that I can’t even pronounce and definitely don’t want him eating! This week I have potato salad, macaroni salad, red delicious apples, cottage cheese and homemade nachos to add to his sandwiches. 🙂
That’s a smart idea Mary! We do this sometimes but we don’t eat much luncheon meats apart from salami. We do the tuna, egg salad often because we love it. Larry sure has some delicious lunches. 🙂
Apparently you are not in Facebook trading coupons where trading coupons IS a big thing, and where these people post their shopping hauls showing what they got for free or close to free by price matching and using coupons (and yes, doing both incorrctly at times; yet when it is pointed out to them why a price match was incorrect or why that coupon wasn’t for x, etc., it’s always “the cashier let me”. No you fooled the cashier making you the bigger fool). They steal coupons from tear pads or the peelies off products in order to trade them for other coupons; they write false complaints or praises, under multiple ids, to companies to score high value coupons. And there are still those that carry huge binders with them into the stores. Trust me, the days of couponing have not diminished in the least!
EVERY SINGLE thing listed, I have seen at work. Trust me, once you become suspected of any sort of theft or scamming/fraud, you are watched the minute you are spotted in the store. You may get away with it a few times; but trust me, karma will come back and bite you in the ass. You may even find the cops knocking on your door. These people are anyone; from the young to the old, the slobs to the impeccably dressed. No morals at all, in my opinion.
It costs everyone down the line; prices rise, retailers where the employees share in profit sharing, you are taking money from those employees as it affects the amount they get; more and more things get put under lock and key or have other security measures placed on them.
Couponing is still a thing but not near as lucrative as it used to be. I understand that people are still finding deals but nothing like we used to find. We are still using out a stash in our cold room that has lasted us since 2010. Major extreme couponing. I agree, they fooled the cashier you are right and then they brag about it. This is why coupons aren’t as lucrative or part of I should say. The worst is steeling peelies and full pads of coupons. Companies are now putting peelies inside the package to prevent this and I don’t blame them. I’m sure coupon trains and trading is still alive especially for those who shop at London Drugs where stacking is allowed. I don’t doubt there are coupon binders out there but we don’t see near as many as we used to. Maybe you’re right it hasn’t diminished but I’d love to get in touch with someone who does extreme couponing in Canada for an interview on the blog. I want to see what the hauls are like today compared to the Mrs. January days where we first started learning to coupon. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Week 35 – Sept 15 – 21, 2017
Name Your Store: Martin’s Family Fruit Market
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Points =
Total Out Of Pocket: $18.70
Human
500 mL Strawberry-Rhurbarb Jam = $3.95
3 L basket Apple = $8.25
3 L basket Pear = $6.50
Name Your Store: Superstore
Total Coupons Used: $1.00
Total Points = 400
Total Out Of Pocket: $51.96
Human
1.4 Kg Minute Rice = $5.98
NN Cream of Celery Soup = $1.49
2 NN Mushrooms = $2.58
3 NN Cream of Mushroom Soup = $4.47
3 NN Cream of Chicken Soup = $4.47
2 Lucky Charms – $4.94 ($0.50 Coupon) = $4.54
Cheerios – $2.47 ($0.50 Coupon) = $1.97
4 L 2% Milk = $4.27
5 lb Carrots = $1.98
2 Dental Floss Picks = $5.18
Liquid Soap = $2.25
2 NN Pads – (400 PC Points) = $5.65
Cats
18 Kg NN Cat Litter = $7.89
Grocery Game Challenge Results
Total Grocery Budget for the 2 Adults ($1820.00, for the pay period – $70.00)
Total Human (Adults) this Week Period: $50.35
Total Human (Adults) to Date: $1,129.95 (minus Debt pymt & Gift Cards) = $983.56
Total Grocery Budget for the 3 Cats ($364, for the pay period – $14.00)
Total Cats this Week Period: $7.89
Total Cats to Date: $248.65
Total Grocery Budget for Stockpile ($507.69)
Total Stockpile this Week Period: $
Total Stockpile to Date: $163.05
Total Grocery Budget for the Personal Hygiene ($182)
Total Personal Hygiene this Week Period: $12.42
Total Personal Hygiene to Date: $192.54
Total Grocery Budget for Meat ($499.98)
Total Meat this Week Period: $76..7
Total Meat to Date: $391.90
Total Coupons Used this Week Period: $1.00
Total Coupons Used To Date: $18.99
Total Grocery Savings for this Week Period: $
Total Grocery Savings to Date: $69.15
Total Price Match for this Week Period: $
Total Price Match to Date: $48.67
Total PC Points Received this Week Period: 400
Total PC Rewards Points Used this Week Period:
Total PC Rewards To Date: 10,046
Overview: Some of these items were picked up because I thought they were part of the 10/$10 but found out that because they in different departments, it didn’t count as part of that deal. It’s a live and learn situation which will be never be repeated.
Hi Dee,
Oops. Did you figure it out after you bought it or did you notice as it was being rung up and just said sod it and paid the price? Which products were they? I’m curious now.
Sometimes we make mistakes and like you say we live and learn. 🙂
You get ballot #4 September. Mr.CBB
Actually I asked the Customer Service after because the bill was much higher than expected. The products were Cream of Celery Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Cream of Chicken Soup, Dental Floss Picks and Liquid Soap.