(And I can already hear the "gotcha" people out there saying, "Well, if you're *really* saving money, wouldn't it be even cheaper to buy canned tuna? On sale? In bulk at Sam's Club?" No. It wouldn't. More on that in another post.)
I had 25 coupons for $1.50 off 3 pouches (left over from a stack of about 50 I'd had for a couple months) and they were about to expire. Then I found printable Target coupons for $1 off 3 pouches and was all excited to stack the coupons and basically clean out Target for all their tuna. I didn't know the everyday price for tuna at Target since I don't do normal grocery shopping there but I assumed that even if it was higher than the other two stores using both the Target Q and the manufacturer's Q would still be the best way.
I went to the Target on Howell Avenue in Oak Creek which is just down the street from a Pick 'n' Save and Woodman's. When I got there I found the price was $1.47 per pouch. Hmm.
Of course I always shop with a calculator so I did some quick calculating then immediately left the store, went down the street to Woodman's and bought 75 pouches of Starkist Tuna on the day the coupon expired.
KCM lessons learned:
- It pays to know the everyday prices at several different stores on the things you buy a lot of.
- Two coupons at one store isn't always better than one coupon at another store.
- One store's front page ad sale price isn't always better than another store's everyday price.
- Shop with a calculator.
Pick 'n' Save on sale, 10/$10 : $1 x 3 -$1.50MQ = $.50 each
Target not on sale, using both TQ and MQ's: $1.47 x 3 -$1.50MQ -$1TQ= $.64 each
Woodman's, never a sale, only using MQ: $.89 x 3 - $1.50MQ= $.39each!
Know your prices!
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