Target chit chat

Oh and if you have a BJ's if you buy your tires there they offer free rotation for the life of the tire.
They usually have a $50 off coupon that's just for BJS and I believe that off a dollar amount as oppose d to # of tires.

i don't come post in this chit chat EVER but i have one target complaint: ever since those couponing shows (yes, one of those complaints), i've noticed more amateur's taking up aisle space who also lack some common courtesy us couponers usually have.

1- they park their cart in front of what they want while being wandering up and down the aisle with their binder filled with every possible manufacturer's coupon available pondering what to buy or not.

2-lack of product. this one is just a spoiled complaint but i liked being able to go any time of the day and week to buy what i liked. now, you have a lot of shelf clearer's.

3-if another couponer sees you are shopping similar items they are, they will sometimes slowly trail behind you to see what you get. i am guessing this one doesn't happen to often with others..which leads to another one

4-being asked if i have extra coupon's to give them if they stop for conversation. some of them don't even know about matching manufacturer Q's with Target Q's which gets them to ask me.

5-being asked if i am an extreme couponer while checking out.


so i have a question for yall. do you all travel with binders and stacks of every coupon you have or do you pre-plan ahead?

No binder for.me. I use an envelope with a list written on it. Coupons in envelope in list order.

Zip in and out of store. No looking around.

Ditto, you spend more when you look around. If I so happen to catch a killer clearance on something we need (not want) I'll pick it up, but I don't hunt for unknown deals. I can only leave the boys at home for so long with their sister or else we all need a padded room.

I see tons of binder ladies...my favorite encounter was 2 of them in front of the trial bins for over 45 mins. Told my sweet cashier I hope they didn't come through her line. She ed and thanked me for the heads up.

I've also seen quite a few people (men included) with fists full of coupons. They only have mqs so I tell them about t.com & try to share tqs for items in their cart. They are very thankful.

I see lots of people with binders, but mostly when HT is having either super doubles or triples, or when Bloom was having their promos. I rarely see coupon shoppers during a regular sales week, at any of the stores I shop at. I take that back - I have occasionally seen a coupon shopper at RA or CVS, but its usually them checking out as I'm walking in, or they're walking in as I'm checking out.

Never had anybody follow me, and that would be just too weird. Never had anybody ask me for a coupon, either. I have once or twice offered a coupon to someone else (only Target coupons, and only ones I know won't beep on them) and have gotten positive responses. I'm just too much of a chicken to do it too often.

I do notice some competition regarding stock, but its usually the easy things at Target, like the ibuprofen. I'm almost always able to get what I need at all my stores, which is really nice.

And I *never* shop with my binder. I always plan ahead, read the threads (every single post!) before I go, bring the pertinent coupons. I do have a binder, because that's the method that works for me. I try to clip all the coupons, and yes, I get multiple inserts a week, but this way, I am able to just pull the coupons and go, rather than flip through the inserts and clip each individually. Tried that system, and it was way too much work.

It probably is one reason I don't shop as much as I used too, that and the fact that I got tired of my house being so full of crap and looking like I needed to be on hoarders

Do you have a "gift closet"? Is it useful and save you money? I've thought about starting one, but then, I don't buy anything for others except for my family and a once in a blue moon baby shower. ( I can certainly understand having them for lots and lots of birthday parties for your little ones they are invited to, but I'm not so sure as an adult)

I don't have a gift closet anymore. With no kids to buy for and very little family that exchanges gifts, it's just no use. A few years ago we had a yard sale and we usually combine one with the in laws and sister in law. There were several things they had for sale that had come from my gift closet. They were not junk items either, but unless it's something on their list of wants (yes they are adults and make a gift list @@) it pretty much goes unappreciated. Since I saw that and they didn't feel comfortable with me to just fess up and say it's not their style or whatever, I pretty much just give them cards and a small token gift from their list if DH says I must give them a gift. They are the type of person who would HATE a typical themed gift basket that a couponer might make. They have made comments such as "oh, do I smell that bad?" if they got a nice soap collection of gifts, etc.

This is what I do..
I ALWAYS start at the same isle to shop. Go in a circle till I am back at the checkout. Therefore, I can pretty much see the Target layout in my head. So I get my q's ready ahead of time, in that order. I keep my envie of cpns in my purse, until I am ready to pull the ones I plan to use. So, I may go thru all of cleaning, h&b and get all the items I want. Then head to food/groceries. Sometimes I will pull the q's after I have hit up the first section then proceed and sometimes I will just wait and mosey over to the clothing dept and pull them there.

I have realized that since there are more cpners, there is less stock. Therefore, I try not to draw attention to what q's I have and what items I am looking at/buying. Most of the time, while I am looking at items, my q's are in my purse out of site, and I have cpners offering me q's for the item. LOL

One time I was looking at Dove chocolate (my favorite) and a lady offered me a mq and tq. She just assumed I didn't have a clue about them. She proceeded to tell me that she had enough to get 20 bags and was filling up her cart. She offered me 2 sets. Even though I had a cpl sets already (which she couldn't see), I accepted them from her, thanked her as if I had no clue about cpns. HEHE..I know, horrible thing to do right?, but come on she had already loaded her cart with 18 bags.
Went over to an unobvious isle in the childrens section and pulled the q's I had already planned to use. Luckily, I usually have my dh with me so he can push the basket and I can concentrate on the items/cpns I need. I do a glance over as we are walking to the registers, just to make sure I have all q's out I need. Easy and incognito!!
AND If I do pull them as I shop, they are usually out of site. Either in the cart seat, under an item or in my purse.
No one needs to know I plan to pay with cpns until I hand them over. Especially the eyes in the sky at Target.

I always know what I plan to buy and what q's I have to buy it with. Like HD said 'in and out'. Welllll, I do make a trip down the endcaps for clearance stuff.


Can anyone tell me how the schick b1g1 are acting? A PM would be great if you have the info. I have them in my envie but like to be prepared at checkout. Thanks.

I am getting really bored with q's. WM is lame, WG is really lame. Nothing to do but Target and well, there doesn't seem to be much there either. Guess this is just a dry spell. Hoping it will pick up soon. I don't really NEED anything in particular but now that kids are out of school, I have all the time in the world to do whatever and figures, there is not even any good deals.
DH and DS will be gone all week next week at summer camp. DD has to work so I will be a free momma! Target better put out some new tq's so I can be entertained. LOL

Hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!

1- I hate it when people block the aisle with their cart, and don't pay enough attention to move it when somebody wants to get by. Whether they're couponers, or chatting with their friends, or just looking at stuff, I don't care - it just drives me up the wall when they're oblivious! I do see people with binders at the grocery store fairly often, and occasionally at T, and I never saw any before that show came out.
2- cleared shelves are much more of a problem than they used to be here, at the grocery stores and drugstores too.
3- never been followed, sounds creepy
4- I've never been asked for coupons, but occasionally I just give them to people especially when I have extras I know I won't use. They're always happy to take them, so far. It can be a good ice-breaker when the lines are long and I want to influence the cashier's attitude in a positive direction before I break out my stack of cpns.
5- I know, that's so insulting, right? I usually answer with, "no I'm not an extreme cpner, I'm one of the serious cpners that they give a bad name to."
6- I'm way too disorganized to completely pre-plan. I usually have a few things on a list but I also scan the aisles for certain categories of things to check for any more good deals. And I can never resist a quick trip around the perimeter to look for clearance.
No binder for me, I use a hybrid system. My take-to-store coupons are in a set of small softbound "brag book" photo albums, organized by category. Those are cpns for staples and favorite brands that I purchase often, plus what I expect to use each week. They live in a canvas tote that always goes in the car with me. In the store, I use an envie and put in the cpns for each item as I go through the aisles. For my main cpn stash, I get multiple inserts each week and store them unclipped. I put each week's inserts into a plastic bag (those nice white Target bags work great), and scrawl the date on the bag with a sharpie. The bags go into a big wooden cabinet, piled up in roughly chronological order. Not a system I'd brag about as being super-organized, but it works for me. It's quick and simple to do, and lets me find the inserts I need pretty easily.

Ditto.. well, sometimes I don't make the list on paper, just in my head




I don't take my binder in either.. I actually use a few of those small accordian type things from the one spot at target and I keep them sorted by store and in a nylon type bag and leave it in the car. If I come upon some kind of stellar deal, I can run out to the car and grab the coupons I need..
Otherwise, I like to get in and out!


I see lots of binder people here too.. I mean lots. They do seem to park their cart right in the way and sort through tons of coupons.. I see them mostly in the grocery store, but I do occasionally see them at target too. Mostly women, but there are a few men too. We have alot of couponers in this area. Shelves are often wiped clean, blinkie machines empty on the first day, etc.. It has just become a way of life since the EC show it seems. It probably is one reason I don't shop as much as I used too, that and the fact that I got tired of my house being so full of crap and looking like I needed to be on hoarders

I thought about this last night...

I don't NEED to shop for groceries, but how do I get the $10 off the $50 Shell gas card without shopping at Publix?

Do you have a "gift closet"? Is it useful and save you money? I've thought about starting one, but then, I don't buy anything for others except for my family and a once in a blue moon baby shower. ( I can certainly understand having them for lots and lots of birthday parties for your little ones they are invited to, but I'm not so sure as an adult)

WAY more organized then i am.



same here on both counts. i stopped couponing at CVS for a year and a half and i didn't start doing it again until i ran out of shampoo, deodorant and other health and beauty products.

started doing it again and now i have a huge stock again. going back into couponing to get a stash of the other things i don't typically coupon for.

I've also seen quite a few people (men included) with fists full of coupons. They only have mqs so I tell them about t.com & try to share tqs for items in their cart. They are very thankful.

I'm actullly seeing the fixed income older people (including men ) with Q's more than other people.
I always try to kinda watch and see, if I can give them a coupon for something they are buying ,and then run to the car for my rreplacement q before I leave.

Update on dd's car , what a mess, had car towed , she was afraid to due any exrra damage to engine , went in with hubby and me and spoke to service rep. Wanted to know what made her think oil wasn't changed. , in a not nice tone She went down the
whole list while the mechanice checked the car , he service counter guy was telling her oil gets dirty in a old car as soon as you put in ( in two days) ?? I don't think so ... plus the oil was below the first line on the dip stick.The air filter they charged her for was obviously dirty.

Her father at that point just went and stood beside her.
Low and behold he then sys yes oil wsn't cnanged , the original mechanic had gotten interupted while draining fluid , put the plug back in and when he went to take car from lift "forgot " he hadn't finished . Just took it down and called it a day.

So his big sorry uh huh was to offer to do the oil change right then no wait , she asks for her money back for the oil change and filter, and tow , he has to get supervisor , tells her they won't refund the evaluation charge but will the rest .

Basically they wound up in the end just giving her a free oil change.
Have a feeling if dad wasn't there she wouln't have gotten that.
.

cathy I never, ever leave a oil change facility without checking the level of the oil in my car. It doesn't matter if it's raining, snowing, hot as blazes... I do it. Easier to fix right where they parked it than to wait.

My father actually marks his oil filter and climbs under to make sure it's been changed has caught several stablishments, not changing that and charging. My dad says it's fraud. He's a no nosense kind of guy.

I had a Toyota dealer negotiate to do a tire rotation while my Rav-4 was in for an oil change, as I was just gonna have Sam's do it for $15. Dealer promised same price. You only see the drivers side when picking up your vehicle, but they never rotated the passenger side tires, as my front tires were sand marked. Then when I took it back the same day, they challenged me on how I knew they hadn't been rotated... Duh, walk around to the left side... see sand mark on back tire... right side, still on the front.

What they don't know is that they lost me for life. I won't be back in there for oil changes, or buying a new car, or anything! And I'm in the market to buy a Prius Wagon (I think)... but not from them.

i don't come post in this chit chat EVER but i have one target complaint: .

I always try to help the guys out in line when I see they have coupons. If I see the cashier start to hesitate one bit I tell her "Please let him use those coupons or he will get in trouble when he gets home."

For my older kids

Thanks a ton for the offer -

they do have various hefty and glad kitchen bags 50% off still in the aisle. i think it went from 15 to 50% off. will it go to 70% off or get salvaged? walked out w/o buying anything.