Publix Basics

I figured I'd start with my favorite store to coupon in...PUBLIX!

Oh Publix, how I love thee...let me count the ways!

First of all, Publix is very, very, VERY coupon friendly. Not only do they accept all manufacturer coupons, but also competitor coupons as well as THEIR OWN COUPONS! Gotta love a store that makes their own!

Word of warning, not every Publix considers every other store out there a competitor. Take the time to stop by the customer service desk to ask your store who they consider a competitor. For example mine considers Target, Walgreens, CVS, Winn-Dixie and Save-A-Lot as competitors, but not Food Lion or Albertson's because there isn't one close enough to their location. Drive 15 minutes down the road to a different store and it's a completely different story.

Another great thing about Publix is that they allow stacking. Stacking is using a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon to maximize your saving potential. I get a rush using one coupon, but stack another one on top of it and I really get all jazzed up!

Publix coupons are easy to tell apart from all the others because they have NO BARCODE. Most store-issued coupons won't, but they will usually have a deal # listed on them for the cashier's to punch in. Publix, for example, will always have LU#... with a 4 or 5 digit number listed on their coupons.

Manufacturer coupons will always have a barcode for the cashier to scan, and will always have 'Manufacturer Coupon' listed somewhere on the front.

Here's a stacking example:
Let's say Oscar Mayer bologna is on sale for $1.99 each. You have a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off 1 package, and Publix has issued their own store coupon for .75 cents off 1 package. Hand the cashier BOTH coupons to get $1.75 off and end up paying only .24 cents for the bologna. Make sense? It's easy to see how stacking coupons can add up to BIG savings. Just remember that you only stack 2 different types of coupons. Never two manufacturer coupons or 2 store coupons together.

Another great thing about Publix is that they offer BOGO (buy one get one free) sales. In Florida one item will ring up at full price and the second item will ring up at zero, you have to buy both items to get the deal. In some states each item will ring up 1/2 price, but here in the land of Hurricanes...no such luck.

The nice thing about BOGOs is that you can use two coupons, one on each item that you're purchasing (or 2 apiece if you're stacking), even though you're technically only paying for one item.

Here's a BOGO coupon savings example:
Let's say Cheez-Its are on sale BOGO at $3.99 each. Let's also say you have two (2) coupons for $1.50 off one package. The cashier will ring up both boxes of Cheez-Its, totally $3.99 total (because one will ring up as zero). She will scan one coupon, taking the total down to $2.49, and then scan the second coupon, taking the total down to .99 cents! That's less than .50 cents per box!

That's just the tip of the iceberg, but a great place to start.

Sound easy? What do you think?