All the news that fits…

Posted on July 15, 2011 by The Goddess

In yesterday’s Trib was this heartening story:

Dominick’s president resigns

Dominick’s President, Don Keprta in a the Lincoln Square store in 2010. (William DeShazer/ Chicago Tribune)

By Emily Bryson York Tribune reporter10:36 a.m. CDT, July 15, 2011

Dominick’s, the Chicago-based grocer, is looking for a new leader. The chain’s parent company, Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway, announced the resignation of Dominick’s President Don Keprta Thursday. Dominick’s CFO Brian Baer will serve as acting president.

Safeway did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.

“Don has contributed significantly to the Dominick’s stores,” Safeway Chairman and Chief Executive Steve Burd said in a statement. “His commitment and innovation helped the stores evolve to best serve the Chicagoland customers. We are fortunate that he has produced a team that is prepared to continue to build on our current momentum.”

Safeway has struggled along with the rest of the traditional grocery business in an increasingly competitive environment, as prices have risen on soaring commodity costs. In the first quarter, however, Safeway reported its first same-stores sales increased 3.5 percent, leading Janney analyst Jonathan Feeney to describe the company as “better equipped than most of its traditional competition to weather a tough consumer environment.”

Local-area rival Jewel-Osco, owned by Minneapolis-based SuperValu, has been closing stores in 2011.

Serving as president since 2005, Keprta is credited with expanding the chain, remodeling stores and revamping operating standards and metrics.

Baer joined Safeway in 2001 as vice president of finance in the company’s Phoenix division. He was named group vice president of finance planning & analysis for company’s corporate office in 2004, and became CFO for Dominick’s in 2008.

Before joining Safeway, Baer worked with the Marriott Corp. for more than 12 years in financial management, operations, corporate finance and real estate development.

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO (hey, you listening, Craig? Yeah, I’m talking to you)

Free Ice Cream?

Posted on June 18, 2011 by The Goddess

Just saw this on Hip2Save that 15,000 people can score a free Open Nature all natural ice cream from Safeway when you like them on FB. A coupon is mailed to your home. I got one! Which means I will now have to make a second trip to Dominicks this year…

PetSmart, Wags-Wheaton, Dominicks

Posted on June 17, 2011 by The Goddess

Decided to see if I could find any more of the free cleaners from PetSmart, but was only able to score 5 of the Toy Cleaner types at the DG store – none in Wheaton. Note: This sale not only ends on Sunday, June 19, these cleaners are all being discontinued and you will not get a rain check. Well, frankly, even if you did get a rain check, what good would it do you on a discontinued item, right?

Next I hit up Wags for 47 of the Air Wick sprays (for a friend – my house doesn’t stink that much). Now that was a long time at the register. I picked up another 72 of the Seattle’s Best coffee while I was there and the remaining three cases of Coke Zero they were holding for me. Had a very nice long conversation with Ron, a reader of this site and a huge Wags fan and buyer with a capital B. Hello, Ron!

Then off to the Dominicks at the far side of hell, otherwise known as Danada. I only went in for 16 boxes of the Mama Lucia meatballs, but there was a lot of the clearance dairy, so in the cart it went. I will say without reservation that Dominicks has the best selection of discounted dairy – way better than Jewel, well, ’cause Jewel doesn’t discount their dairy! So 50% off 3 cottage cheese, 2 half & half and 1 quart Lucerne coffee creamer plus two packages of the new Kraft big slices on sale with $1/1 coupons on tearpads. Total was $22, since I was using 8 of the $1/2 coupons generously donated by a reader.

So that’s my stash, all buried in the back of my new (to me, anyway) Subaru. Steve jokingly asked me if I bought it using Register Rewards. Of course not! but i did put it on my Discover card to get lots of rewards…

Dominicks and PetSmart

Posted on April 20, 2011 by The Goddess

Twenty-five MC pot pies: turkey, honey-roasted chicken, chicken and mushrooms; two Dannon greek yogurts (free J4U). OOP was $13.40. There is a $1.50 off ANY Marie Callendar pie on the last page of the $42 frozen book. Hey, a pot pie is a pie, right? Since they are on sale 5/$10 for the BIG ones (16.5 oz), subtract the 1.50 and you’re paying .50 each. Unfortunately, they beeped at self-scan but the attendant put them in; don’t know if it would have worked differently with a cashier. I used two cards to get the two yogurts free.

This is probably the last time I’m going to use those $5 store coupons; it’s getting to be way too much work. This time they only let me use one coupon, making the comment – once again – that the font was not the same as the one from corporate. Yeah, well, buddy, it is a legitimate coupon printed on my MAC! Yes, PCs and Macs print out different-looking coupons. If they don’t want us to use these coupons multiple times, why do they continue to put them out as pdfs? dumbasses… I paid tax for the 20 packs pictured.

Last minute shopping

Posted on April 6, 2011 by The Goddess

Since I was pretty much restricted to shopping my stockpile today (see prior post), I was only able to escape the monkey house after 4 pm. Naturally, I had to head to Jewel to snatch up nine more Tostitos using those expiring wts. I saw a few more of those Old Wisconsin snack bites, so tossed them in the cart, too. Two of those $1.29/lb corned beef and one lonely Smart Balance milk completed the order. SB is on sale 2/$5 through, I believe, the 17th, but they only had the one, so I’ll hit them up later in the week using the $2/1 from 3/27 S2. So what did I end up paying? I used wts for the four snack bites and nine Tostitos. Found two $1 corned beef wts, so those went into the mix. I used two expiring $2 RRs and ended up $1.98 OOP. Dates on the chips are 6-8 weeks away – THE BOY and I ate one whole bag this afternoon...it was not one of my atkins days…

Headed on over to the Woodridge Dominicks, but stopped first at Wags to check out the Tasters Choice or lack thereof. You guessed it, lack thereof. But I ended up rolling quite a few of my RRs using a combination of the Luster White toothpaste, Similac cans of formula and gel pens. I ran six transactions, using varying amounts of formula and toothpaste, ending up rolling five $4 RRs and one $2 RR expiring today. Note that the Luster White is $5.99 this week (next week is $4.99), but I needed to roll those RRs. Total OOP was $13.06 (high tax toothpaste); I got back six $4 RRs.

Last stop was Dominicks to score the .99 asparagus – we loves us our asparagus! Added three of the Girard’s dressing, large bunches of bananas, two Fresh Express, red seedless grapes and a 50% off package of 7% fat premium burgers with blue cheese and pepper (and no snarky comments about my eating habits, if you please). Last time I shopped here I was able to use three RRs – this time one. Had I known, I would have broken down the transaction. I ended up using just one $5 RR and two $2 coupons on the Girard’s. Just4U prices were: bananas at .48/lb; red grapes at .79/lb and the Fresh Express salad was .99. My OOP was $13.02. ouch

Dumping inserts

Posted on April 3, 2011 by The Goddess

Well, I finally did it: Admitted in my heart of hearts that Dominicks was as dead to me as their coupon policy. In other words, since 3/31 was the deadline Western Springs set for accepting expired coupons and said deadline has now come and gone, I decided to dump everything earlier than 2011. Now I’m down to three containers and a view out the window.

You can piss and moan about how difficult it is getting to be to get deals. You can decry the extreme couponing shows and sites that are killing it for you. You can have wet dreams about the double-dipping cats in August 2009 (or 06, or 1915, for pete’s sake). But the one thing you have to do is adapt. In all honesty, having Dominicks take coupons expired back a year was not that much of a turn on; quite frequently, when I went to clip the coupons, I’d find I had clipped and used them back when they were current. If you only had a couple of inserts, I suppose, it would be an advantage, but otherwise? Not so much.

I guess I’m sad because it’s over, but we will all survive. Jewel, until May, 2009 (I think) took expired coupons; Ultra used to take six months back. We just modify our game plans and go on. My advice is to stock up on inserts from any and everyone, from the Trib, the Sun Times, the Butthole Bugler…take ’em if they’re offered to you. With a sufficiently large stock of current inserts, it won’t matter if a deal only comes along every six months or more – we’re covered.

Remember, we shop in bargain basements – ours.

Free Salad Dressing

Posted on April 1, 2011 by The Goddess

Saw this on CW; tried it and it works! Check your J4U coupon center for a $1.49 (limit 4) price on Girard’s Salad Dressing, then click here and print out two $2/1 coupons. Two computers, four free dressings per card. hehehehe Peeps are reporting overage, so ymmv…

much thanks to Alice9

Dominicks – Woodridge

Posted on March 26, 2011 by The Goddess

Here’s a quickie for you: two transactions to use the $5/$15 in-ad coupon on frozen foods. The Jennie-O BOGO ground turkey would have been sweet with my “Personalized” deals, however my Just fuck U deal was only on the turkey burgers…luckily the Woodridge Dominicks had a special on Perdue for $1.99/lb. So you see here the following: 11 packages of Perdue, 16 bags of Ore-Ida hash browns (various types) and a package of tortillas. Used 8 of the $1/2 Ore-Ida hash browns from the Dominicks frozen booklet and 3 RRs (10, 5, 2) for each transaction. Ended up $2.35 OOP for each.

Now off to use my RRs on a mani-pedi.

Dominicks and Target try, but will not win

Posted on March 21, 2011 by The Goddess

Target update: I returned the clearance Renuzit, got back my 3 $3 coupons, bought 3 of the Crayola kits and walked out with $6.53 in my pocket. And believe you me I know this is illogical. Target you are so not preparing my income tax returns…

This is what happens when you shop with other people: you lose focus, end up overpaying and then have to make a return trip to customer service. At Target, I picked up 12 of the Goodlife cat food tray on a .53 clearance; used the $1/1 from 3/06r. Saw the Renuzit crystal refills on an end cap for $3, so threw five in the cart along with 3 clearance double bags reduced to $2.48 (had the $3/1 from 3/13r). Also picked up another pair of clearance jeans for $9.98, using the Target $5 coupon and what I had calculated for overage. Ended up being charged $5.29 on the three clearance Renuzit refills, which is odd because the sticker shows an original price of $4.99. Which means another trip to GET MY MONEY! So, while I paid $9.43, my actual OOP should have been $8.43 (plus tax) less. This was not the only item that we found priced differently than what scanned. Management should have a long heart-to-heart with whoever is going crazy with the clearance gun or the tv cameras are gonna roll once more…

Before I forget, I had read that Target was selling the Crayola Glow Station On the Go sets for $3.24; it’s presently selling on Amazon Crayola Glow Station On the Go Day & Night for $21.45. Don’t believe me? Check out the link. Found that hard to believe, but here’s a Target picture for proof. If you have any birthday parties coming up, this is a great way to look like a big spender for pennies.

Dominicks update: Got all my money back on the cereal and yogurt (about $18). CS scanned the card I used and my son’s name came up (as it should). Chalk this one up to atmospheric disturbances.

On to Dominicks where I wanted to pick up my Quaker Oats Squares from the $1.49 deal a few weeks ago; had a raincheck for 16. Broke it down into two transactions of 8 each and four free Dannon Greek yogurts that are on my Just4U card; threw in a bag of bananas for the house monkey. The total, after the 8 mfr coupons and one $10 RR was $2.02; looking at the receipt at home, it shows that the cashier took off .51 for each cereal. Since the ring price was $2.71, subtract .51 and you’re paying 2.20. So now they owe me an additional .71 for each box ($5.68). The yogurt did come off. So this first order owes me $5.68 plus tax.

Next order I used my son’s card, since I had activated the yogurt on his. The yogurt did not come off, I was charged $2.20 for the cereal and the kicker? The name on the receipt shows the card owner is Maria Plut and the number is not mine… So this transaction they owe me 4.00 for the yogurt and the $5.68 for the cereal, or $9.68 plus tax and probably something extra for calling me Maria Plut. Maria, if you are reading this, I’m terribly sorry, but why aren’t you activating your coupons?

Four stops in one post

Posted on March 9, 2011 by The Goddess

Went to pick up the free Panda Express at their Ogden Avenue, DG store. Since I was only across the parking lot from Dominicks, figured I’d run in and pick up some more of the Quaker Oats Square. they had four… So I threw in the free 2L of Coke Zero on my Just 4U account and 18 packs of Trident, since I had nine BOGO coupons and it was a BOGO sale. Cashier rings up everything fine until she gets to maybe the last couple of gum coupons…register beeps (probably because the sheer volume of coupons) and she looks closely at the coupons. “Oh, they’re BOGO.” this is a surprise? “They’re on sale BOGO.” cue twilight zone music. “I can’t sell you them. You’d have to buy one and then get 3 free.” no, that’s not how BOGO coupons and BOGO sales work. Brings over cs (not coupon nazi Mary), who says she’ll call the manager. Store manager comes over and says he can let me do two transactions since I have two different types of gum and the coupon says only one coupon per purchase… Try to explain how the wording prevents someone from using ten coupons on one item, but realize that I should save my breath to cool my porridge. Just take off all the gum and hand me back my coupons ’cause you people are majorly screwed up. Send PITA to cs to get rain check for six cereal which I’ll use at Western Springs or Woodridge (have total of 16). My cereal and pop purchase, less cereal coupons and $1.25 CPK OYNO came to .81. and all the management shakeups in the world won’t help Dominicks ’cause you cain’t fix stupid…

Crossed to Panda Express and got our two free shrimp entrees. It’s fairly spicy and very tasty. Second set was from Butterfield/Naper location.

Driving down Ogden, decided to visit the Saratoga Jewel (Main Street) to check out their clearance section. Couldn’t find it, but did find a whole shitload of chicken quarters (mostly frozen) reduced to .50/lb. Also saw a sirloin steak with a $4 off coupon, which paired nicely with the BOGO on sirloin steak (so two for $6+). Asked someone about the clearance section and they told us where it was hidden – yes hidden. Spices that I paid .25 yesterday at the Lisle Jewel were marked .99! Nutzoid. They did have a rather large amount of Trident Superpack gum (spearmint and wintergreen, 18 pieces each) for .10. Yes, you read that right, 10 cents! So I was able to use up my nine Trident BOGO coupons after all. It actually worked out much better because the Dominicks purchase would have been over a buck in high tax, whereas this was about .50 total. Ended up with 66 packs which I will enjoy tremendously. You can never have too much gum. I paid with ten Motrin RRs, the nine Trident coupons and $1.68 in cash.

deranged.me

The Dark Side of Couponing

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