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I’ll do anything for a good deal

by Erika Torres
9 comments

A few months ago, a Von’s opened up in our neighborhood (that’s Safeway for anyone not from Southern California).  I went to the grand opening and got a booklet loaded with coupons and free items. I also ended up winning a $25 gift card.

So I’m totally in love with grand openings.

This past week, a Sprout’s grocery store was going to open. I had received a notice in the mail and marked it on our calendar to make sure we attended, just in case they offered any coupons. Then on Sunday, I was reading the newspaper (am I the only 20-something who still reads the Sunday newspaper? and has a subscription?) and saw an ad for the Sprouts grand opening saying they were going to be giving away coupons good for 10 free sandwiches to the first 500 people who made a purchase! This had NOT been printed in the notice I received.

What if I hadn’t seen the ad? I would have never known about these free sandwiches!

The store opened at 7, and I didn’t have to be at work until 7:30–just enough time to squeeze in a purchase. So, I got up at 6 a.m. and woke Eric up so he could go with me.

Before you go thinking I’m a bad wife for waking up my husband from his slumber, let me mention that I knew exactly what I was going to be using these 10 free sandwiches for–Eric’s lunch. For the next 4 months, he’s going to have to take lunch and snacks to the fire academy every day. That’s a lot of food. This will at least help supplement the cost of all those lunches.

Anyway, apparently I wasn’t the only person who saw the ad…

By the time we got there, at 6:55 a.m. there was already a line!

I made Eric park super fast and rushed the line to make sure I got a spot. I felt like it was Black Friday (something I’ve never done, btw) except instead of rushing to get a deal on a washing machine, a flat screen tv, or you know, something of high value, I was fighting for 10 free sandwiches. Everyone’s got priorities, right?

Luckily, we were given our vouchers as soon as we made it into the line. Now all we had to do was make a purchase.

Eric bought two loaves of bread, for a total of $3. I bought two pints of Clemmy’s Sugar Free Ice Cream, which were on sale for 2 for $4 and I had a coupon for $1.50 off 2, so my total came out to $2.50 for 2 pints of ice cream. What, you thought I wouldn’t use a coupon? Shame on you and not appreciating my mad couponing skills.

And we both turned in our vouchers and each got booklets with 10 free sandwich coupons. Each booklet is worth $40 in sandwiches. AND they gave us free reusable bags for our purchases. It was just too much for my little coupon heart’s delight.

It was a really, really good day. The whole day I kept texting Eric how happy I was.

I think I have a problem.

What’s the wackiest thing you’ve done to score a good deal?

9 comments

me in millions August 19, 2011 - 11:04 am

I get the newspaper too and I’m not an old lady. I <3 CVS and super doubles at Harris Teeter! Love a good deal 🙂

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Mrs Pancakes August 18, 2011 - 5:40 pm

Totally awesome of you to get some money and get some free goodies!!

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Grace August 17, 2011 - 12:17 pm

That is totally worth it! I would have done the same thing!

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Serendipity August 15, 2011 - 8:10 pm

I love a good deal. My story is I refuse to go into Fresh & Easy without a coupon. I mean, at least once a month I get them in my email and then their in the circular if I remember to go get it out of the mail box. So, I always make sure to use coupons when I go to that place. I mean, why not?

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E August 15, 2011 - 6:13 pm

you are the cutest little thing, ever!! one thing i do is, i never go to a joann fabrics or michael’s without a coupon. they always have coupons online. and…when joann’s has the 40% off one item coupon, i make sure to take a friend with me so they can use a coupon on one of my items for me! i guess joann’s and michael’s doesn’t appeal to everyone, but that’s my story! 🙂

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Teacher Girl August 15, 2011 - 6:05 pm

That is amazing! I wish a store was opening in my neighborhood! I should really start buying the Sunday paper…

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Melissa August 15, 2011 - 1:28 pm

One time Starbucks held its “coffee fest” in Yonge Dundas Square (a big public space, kind of like the Toronto equivalent of Times Square in New York). They were handing out samplers (like, Dixie cups) of coffee from about a dozen different areas, and for every one you tried, you got a stamp in your “passport.” If you filled your passport with stamps (i.e., tried them all), you got a free pound of coffee. I WAS SO DOWN WITH THIS!

So let me paint a picture for you. This was a few years ago, and I was still a student, so I’d just come off an all-nighter and finished up at three hour lecture that started at 8 a.m. I’d probably already had two or three cups of coffee that day when I came across coffee fest. I tried ALL TWELVE samples of coffee, plus had like, three “samples” of pumpkin spice lattes PLUS had a regular sized Starbucks coffee just because they were handing them out, all in the span of about 15 minutes when I was extremely sleep deprived.

By the time I got home, I was so hyped on the caffeine that I was literally shaking, and couldn’t stop for a good couple of hours. But I got my free pound of coffee, so it was totally worth it. (And I’d do it again, if Coffee Fest ever comes back.)

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Jessica August 15, 2011 - 1:15 pm

That is a good deal! My husband and I went to a grand “re-opening” of a local Whole Foods and all we got were swag bags with samples! You win!

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jobo August 15, 2011 - 1:12 pm

OMG you CRACK ME UP! That is hilarious, but dammit, such a good deal. Can’t fault you for that 😉

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