Procter and Gamble Launches eStore

After announcing that they would be getting into the ecommerce business, Procter and Gamble, better known as P&G, finally launched their eStore in the past week.  This is a huge.  Now, one can buy products like Tide detergent directly from them, at reduced prices and $5 in shipping, no matter what the size of your order.

I performed just a few comparisons and it can be less expensive to buy directly from P&G, however, only if you buy several items.  On-line drug stores offer the same products, perhaps only a dollar or two more or less, but the difference is definitely shipping.  Amazon, example, requires one to buy multiple containers of Tide to avoid the shipping charges.  CVS.com offers free shipping for purchasing $49 or more in products, in contrast.

Bottom line: do a little comparison shopping of your own, in the store and on-line, to see what makes sense for your budget.  Factor in the time it takes to drive, hunt, and check out at the store, and the gas to get there and back.  You may find that it's worth buying your P&G products on-line and skipping all of that hassle.  P&G makes just about everything personal care related, so don't just stop at detergent.

Let me know what your experiences are with it.

Don’t forget the in the-store coupons as well

Since most coupon hunting takes place either in the Sunday newspaper, or increasingly on-line (hint: search for "printable coupons"), a possibly overlooked hiding spot for valuable money savings is at the grocery store, supermarket, or drug store itself.  Specifically, CVS offers a handy, dual-function kiosk that serves as a price checker and a coupon dispenser.  As much fun as it is to scan my ExtraCare card, I never have scanned an item, you know, “to double check” the price.  Perhaps I should. 

Most of the time I have tried to use the kiosk for coupons I have been disappointed.  $1.50 off tampons or something I clearly do not need.  Lamenting at the waste of paper (one would think that CVS might want to give the option to print the coupon out or not), I am usually discouraged.  However, lately I have had a stroke of luck.  Not only has the coupon machine been working, but also it provided valuable savings that I used at the same store visit.  The first was the ExtraBucks that I was eligible for based on winter spending.  I did not realize you could print them out there, too.  And, the second was for $1 off paper products and I happened to be buying paper towels that night.

What is cool about CVS, at some locations, is the ability to do self-check out.  Sometimes it is slower than waiting in line, particularly if the machine jams up for whatever reason, but I have had success by and large.  And, don’t worry about not being able to use CVS coupons during self-check out, one can still scan those, too.

Long-time readers know that I love CVS and always feel like I got a good deal for my money.  You should, too.

CVS settlement with the Federal Trade Commission

A couple of days ago, I received a letter from the FTC saying that it had sued CVS Pharmacy for falsely claiming that its Air Shield product prevented colds.  While I didn't actively sign up for this lawsuit, the letter claims that "according to its records, I had purchased Air Shield."  Kind of scary.  FYI, if you don't know what Air Shield is, it's a knock-off of Air Borne, which also has faced a similar lawsuit.  Enclosed with the letter is a check for $24.81, which is pretty awesome of course.

I have always liked Air Shield and swear by the stuff.  It's cheaper than Air Borne and I like to make a cocktail of Air Shield and Theraflu when I am feeling a little if-y.  I will gladly cash the check and give up my right to sue them further.  You might want to check your mailbox to see if you have received a similar letter. 

The power of loyalty marketing

But, this is a great example of the power of loyalty marketing.  I am a huge fan of CVS ExtraBucks, and have written about them on many occasions such as here and here.  And, just the other day, I walked out of CVS having purchased two tubes of toothpaste for $.79 because I had a $2 ExtraCare buck receipt and Crest was offering a two-for-one deal, originally at $2.79.  Since I proceeded to use the self checkout, I kind of felt like CVS lost money on my transaction by having an employee stand there.  I don't think they saw the grin on my face as I left the store knowing what I had just pulled off, all on the up and up.

However, I also realized that the Feds (or others) are using this data.  Thus, one has to think about the privacy they are sacrificing for savings.  As long as one doesn't become a victim of identity theft (or some other malicious targeting) because of it, I don't mind signing up for these types of loyalty programs.  When you think about it, you already are tracked by your bank, the IRS, credit card companies, the health care industry, and many others.  It becomes very difficult to live "off the grid."  Just yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control used grocery store data to track the spread of salmonella.  Thus, your data is being used. 

100th Post Today

Thanks to the loyal readers who have read me from the beginning.  Today, I write my 100th post and hope to write another 100.  I appreciate your ideas, thoughts, and comments.  Without them, I would be writing to myself.

Tell me where you have saved money!

Grocery Store Shopping Strategy

Other than using grocery store loyalty cards, which I have discussed at length, there are other factors involved, seen, and unseen, that will influence your shopping behavior.  These may either work for or against you.  I recommend carrying a calculator to help you determine unit prices. 

If I had the time, I would conduct an identical survey of my own to back up what the Associated Press found.  Some of the article's focus is on strategies that stores have used for years that you might not be aware of, but others are more recent.  Read them, and how you can counter them, here.

I invite you to share with me your tips, tricks, and hints as well.

How To "Super Coupon"

I came across this article this morning that should help inspire everyone looking to save a few bucks.  I will look forward to using the sites mentioned.

On another note, I already have started to see ads and promotions for Black Friday deals.  If you aren't aware of what Black Friday is, it's when retailers are finally (hopefully) making a profit, and falls on the day after Thanksgiving.  I wouldn't be surprised if there are several "Black Friday" days in the works to get everyone pumped.  My advice, be careful where you go to take advantage of these deals.  There have been several injuries, riots, and even deaths related to people being trampled to get a deal.  They tend to happen at "big-box" type stores, but be on the look out.  I would prefer that you are still able to read the blog after Thanksgiving.

Twitter Updates

I installed a new scrolling application that flashes timely deals that I get all of the time.  Just wait a second and you will see them come through again.

How To Save the Environment and Money Part II

No sooner had I discussed reducing the amount of catalogs and junk mail you receive did I see this article from the Consumerist website about bringing in your own bags and getting Extra Care bucks from CVS.  It's a great promotion: buy their 99 cent green tag bar code, bring in your own bag next time instead of using their ubiquitous plastic ones, and your fourth visit yields you some Extra Care bucks.  Loyal readers know that I love Extra Care bucks.  CVS is a little late on the act, though.  Other stores have been doing this for quite a while, Whole Foods, for example, has been doing this for years.  Since they don't call Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck" for nothing, a little kickback helps there, too.

The next time you are grocery shopping, see if your store offers a similar discount if you bring your own bags.  If they don't, suggest they start a program.

Store Cards Revisited

I have posted about grocery store loyalty cards before, but I wanted to remind you that sometimes stores don't prompt you to use them. Last night, I was at a grocery store and proceeded to check out and knew that one of my items, a loaf of bread, was $1 off with that store's loyalty card. I had o remind the cashier, or ask if you will, to input my telephone number. Voila! $1 savings. I am kind of wondering if stores are a little less apt to promote their cards during these challenging economic times. As you may know, grocery store profits are pretty thin already. That dollar to them represents quite a bit multiplied over and over again.

Grocery Savings

I am quite an avid reader of SmartMoney magazine, from the publishers of the Wall Street Journal. Recently, there was an article that discussed a website called http://www.mygrocerydeals.com/. Basically, it's a site where one registers for emails, etc. on what is on sale at their local grocery store. It's a pretty brilliant concept.

The way it works is advertisers/stores pay the owner of the site to list their circulars that come usually with the Sunday paper or other methods. The site aggregates these and posts them according to one's preferences. It makes it easier to see if Cheerios are on sale at a particular store, like CVS vs. Safeway.

One more tool for the consumer to utilize in the ongoing quest for lower prices.

More coupons...

Following the grocery loyalty card + coupon theme, you may or may not know that you can often get coupons directly from a manufacturer. I just got a bunch from Proctor and Gamble.

You can sign up and get the same notification as well.

Grocery Shopping

If you are like me, going shopping just plain old stinks. The lines, the unfriendly customer service, and worst of all, having to spend money.

Though you may not have much choice in stores to shop, you do in most cases have the option of buying generic. This may not appeal to all readers, but for me, I can hardly tell the difference between most generic products and brand ones. Cereal being the only exception, and even then, it doesn't taste too much different.

Also when shopping, be sure to check out unit prices. These will be in the lower corner of the prices on the shelf, not on the package. Should there not be prices listed, bring a calculator and do some math. Divide the price by the size of the package and figure out its unit cost. Then, compare among the sizes of the product you are interested in. In many, if not all cases, bigger size means lower cost per unit. The exception I would bring up in the next section.

Many grocery stores have bonus cards or store reward cards. If they don't hype them the moment you walk in, ask a customer service representative or cashier. Chances are the big stores will have them. Back to our example with unit pricing. Often, stores will offer deals by using their loyalty or rewards cards. 2 for $1, 5 for $1.25, etc. On top of that, you can bring in coupons to work in addition to the cards further saving you money. Suddenly, that name brand of cereal or other product is not so expensive. Visit a store's website as well to see if they offer these cards. Buy the Sunday paper. $1.50 will be easily recuperated in savings.