For this trip I am just going to summerize since it is the last day of the sale and now late in the evening. We all, yes the whole family, headed to the store just to shop. We needed a couple things... milk, meat, fruit, bread. We roamed the aisles one by one --which I ususally NEVER do unless I have a coupon plan/list-- but this time I didn't care. Most things I didn't have a coupon for, but again, I didn't care. We grabbed a few items that were part of the Mega Event, so I did make sure we had sets of 10 in the end when we checked out to get our savings from that. And I did actually use a few coupons along the way...
.75 Kroger yogurt cups catalina
$1 off Nabisco Chewy Gooey cookies printable (x2)
$1 off 4 Lean Cuisine entrees
$1 off Stouffers Healthy Harvest
.55 off Fiesta seasoning (x2)
.50/2 Dole Mandarin oranges printable
.25 off any Hunt's ketchup (x2)
$1/2 off any Classico Pasta Sauce
.50 off Driscoll's berries (x2)
Our total was $79.11
BUT, now that I am home and have looked at my receipt, it looks like we were overcharged for the Fiesta Steak Seasoning (I called it!). They were both marked $2 (I had a .55 coupon for each). One rang up $4.69 and the other rang up $3.99. I also grabbed two of the reach floss to even out our Mega Event items, and forgot to give my $1 coupons for them. So, my plan is to go back tomorrow and get a refund*. It should be $10.68 back in my pocket making our total $68.43.
Now I have to vent and tell you we were approached by a couple and their little kid (5-6yr old) in the store as we were about to head to the check out. I recognized them right away from a previous encounter I had with them at Kroger a few weeks ago, although that time I was by myself with the kids.
This time the guy approached us holding out his food stamp card and began to explain they "nearly ran out of gas... like we barely have any." I immediately walked away to tend to the kids, and to see how my husband would react on his own. (Last time the lady approached me and told me they did run out of gas.) They continued with the same plot as before... "We'll pay for your stuff with food stamps" in exchange for cash for gas. My husband told him he wasn't interested. They walked away, and I tried to signal to him that they were the exact same family that approached me a few weeks ago.
A minute later we were discussing how wrong it was, and agreed that something should be said. As we walk around the corner, they are at the front checkout talking to a lady who hands them some cash. So, my husband headed over to let them know how he (we) felt. Needless to say, they scurried. I decided to let the manager know what was going on, not as a complaint, but as a courtesy to him that these people were scamming the customers of his store. He wandered to the back of the store where he found their cart, but unfortunately we saw them walk out the front door in the meantime.
It just makes me sick to think these people are getting away with it. Their story obviously works, and I can still remember feeling a little guilty for not at least giving them a couple bucks the first time I was approached. I wonder how much cash they have actually been given by good people just wanting to help out and how many stores they pull this off at. And the SAD thing is, is that they do this right in front of their little kid who has no choice over the matter and is going to grow up knowing nothing different than how to be a con-artist! It's just disgusting! : (
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*Tom Thumb & Kroger both have a right price guarantee. If the item rings up wrong, you will get the full price back. If you buy more than one item, and they all ring up wrong, you will get the full price back for the first item and the corrected difference for the rest of the items. You must have completed the transaction & paid for it. Just take your receipt to customer service for your refund. (You are better off paying the wrong price if you are going to get it free!) ; )
