This was a crazy day of shopping. I haven’t spent this much in ages! Here is the breakdown- keep in mind we do not have double coupons in my area and just a Safeway really which is not a very competitive store as far as prices.
Click below for the breakdown..
RALEY’S: $3.57
8 packs of Hefty bags $1.25- used (8) $1 off coupons from Safeway coupon books (Note: I got a few extra boxes to take to my daughter’s school)
Raley’s Salsa- substituted for the Picante Sauce- free with store coupon
Raley’s 2L Soda- free with store coupon
2 Mangoes .77 each
Food Should Taste Good Chips $3.19- credited $4.07 from free item coupon
AMAZON: 0
27pk Earth’s Best Milk $19.99- used Swagbucks to pay = Free
SAFEWAY: $78.29
3 Safeway Salsa $1.44- used (3) $.75/1 store coupons= .69 each
3 bags Tostitos $1.44- used (3) .50/1 coupons= $.94
3 Taco Shells at $.99- used (3) $.50/1 coupons= .49 (note: my store did not have catalina announcements posted so I wasn’t expecting the cat)
2 Mission Tortillas $1.29- used (2) $1/1 coupons
2 Athenos Yogurt .99- used (2) $1 coupons
Yoplait Greek Yogurt $1.25- used free item coupon
2 gallons milk $4.98
Horizon Milk single $1- used $1 off coupon
French Bread $1.49
Raisin Bread $1.39
Grapes $2.69
4 bags of Chicken Breast $5.96 each- $23.84
2 Tyson Nuggets $10.99- these were marked at $7.99 and I was overchanged- used $1 off coupon
Ranchers Reserve Steak $5.65- used $2 off coupon
Salad Mix $2.99
Eating Right Beets $1
Butternut Squash $4.99
Athenos Hummus $3.49- used free Hummus coupon from a sampling event
2 Ritz Crackers $2.50 each- I loaded the .99 price from Just 4 U to see if it would work and it didn’t- used (2) $.75 coupons (This is way more than I would normally pay)
Columbo Rolls $1.99
Safeway Hot Dog Buns $1.29- I loaded the .69 price from Just 4 U and it didn’t work
2 Pepsi 2L $1.79- I loaded the .69 price from Just 4 U and of course it didn’t work
2 bags of oranges $1.99 each
Total $78.29 which is significantly higher than I typically spend but I did get a $10 catalina back for next time. I have to say my receipt was a complete mess because not one of the Safeway coupons worked for me. I held up the line for ages while the cashier just hemmed and hawed over why the coupons won’t work and then spent even more time with customer service trying to get the coupons that were missed credited back. Total and complete disaster for me. I decided this is the last straw with Just 4 You for me and I am opening a new Safeway Club card without the program loaded.
I also stopped into Walmart and got (2) Philly Cooking Creme for $2.48- used (2) $1.50 coupons and paid $1.96, I spent $2.35 at Rite Aid plus $1 at Walgreens.
So the total for this week was $87.17- yikes!- but I have $10 left to spend at Safeway and $7 left at Rite Aid plus $8.99 back in rebates!
I had trouble at Safeway this morning as well. Got my first attitude from a checker at trying to use 4- $.75 coupons for the safeway salsa and 2-$2 coupons for the Ranchers Reserve meat. She tried telling me that she could only use one of each as they were only one per customer. I asked her to show me where it said that on the coupon and obviously she could not. So she then says she had to talk to her manager (who happened to be checking next to her). The manager said that yes, I could use them but that she would have to manually enter each one “because that’s not the way it’s suppose to be used” and then informed my checker that she had received a “nasty letter” from corporate regarding use of more than one coupon at a time and that it was to be allowed. So, begrudgingly my checker entered my coupons and then snidely said “well I’m just going to go and grab a bunch of those coupon books too”. I told her that she should because they made for some great deals!! (with a giant smile on my face!!)
The just4U has been horrible for me too! It seems every time I use the Just4U something goes wrong. I have been having so many problems and doing so many returns , that last week I actually kept the bag of chicken that didn’t ring up right just because I was so embarrassed! SO trust me you are not the only one!! 🙂
Jennifer- I think it is Just 4 You that is the issue do you have that? The Just 4 U limits you to one of everything no matter what the limit is on the item. A friend of mine does not have Just 4 U and she has used a few of those coupons and they all come off just fine for her.
The Just 4 You coupons I load on my card never come of at the register. It’s really annoying.
I was at Safeway today and bought two jars of salsa, along with my groceries. However, only one of the jars I got a $.75 off, not the second one. I swear the limit was 4, on J4U? Is there any way to fight this battle? Or is this a lost cause? I know I only ripped off a few cents, but it’s the morality behind it! LOL!
Charlene,
I never did sign up for J4U. When you were so kind to explain it a few months ago, it just sounded so convoluted and messed up that I decided to pass. SOOOO glad I did. I have heard so many complaints.
My salsa purchase was a complete mess too, and I also bought the $5/lb steaks, used a $2 coupon and of course it didn’t come off. Spent 20 minutes at customer service working it out.
Jenny you are supposed to tell them right away and they fix it for you right away (trying not to roll my eyes here). Personally I usually have to actually look at the receipt to figure it all out and by then I am not always in the mood to try and get them to correct the problem. The last few times I have called Safeway customer service and they have been very nice and even credited me extra money for my trouble. So you can try that. I swear they must have a file on me because this will be my 5th phone call about being overcharged. I should have called last week too for my tomatoes which were double the price but I lost the receipt.
Hello,
I tend to always have problems with the J4U program, in regards to the coupon usage. I load the card but don’t expect the coupons to work. But, I do use the personalized prices for other items and those work out fine. For example, I have a personalized price for bananas at .47lb, that always works.
I went in last week and was buying the Safeway pizza deal and Safeway soda and had a complicated experience. I bought 6 pizzas and tried to use 6 coupons along with other foods and soda, but then the cashier told me I could only use one coupon because it was considered “doubling”. So, instead she said and the manager that I had to check out in increments of $10.00, before coupons to be able to use each pizza coupon. OMG!
It was drama, but she wanted the extra work so, by that time I was pretty heated and let her and the manager make a scene and close my line and call back up. I stood in line drinking my soda and dividing my coupons up for each transaction.
It was a long night, I went in late to avoid holding up any lines didn’t work. I ended up holding up the late night drinkers that were trying to buy their booze. 🙂
When I was in CA, I would make note of what I had purchased and keep an eye on the self checkout machine. If it didn’t come off, they would do it for me. but sometimes they had to check the dumb thing. (sigh). We have publix here and they are nice but I am not as fussy since there is no card involved. I was able to use the coupons for athenos yogurt at publix w/o a problem, except they had to take off the bottom half with the reciepe. now I have to make sure to cut the coupon up properly….
I don’t think it is necessarily the Just4You program. We don’t have it in my area and not all the safeway coupons scan right. I have to watch really carefully. Yesterday, I bought one salsa and it scanned fine, however, I’m betting that if I had two in my order, the second coupon wouldn’t have scanned. That happens with the Ranchers Reserve meat coupons and the cashier has to take them off manually every time. Although, the first time I used the meat coupon it worked – and since it hasn’t.
Are the hefty bags on sale some where?
If it makes you feel any better, I have the same problem with Cellfire coupons at ShopRite here on the East coast. I don’t bother any more because they often don’t work.
This Saturday was the first time I tried the Just4U at Safeway. I was really surprised that it mostly worked for me, given my Safeway’s track record. (I’m about 30 miles away from you, Charlene — I think). Anyway, I got two 99 cent crackers, avocados, and some Tillamook cheese. Strawberries didn’t work though.
This was my first trip to Safeway in a loooooong time. I am so tired of having to correct their pricing errors and having problems with coupons! I often shop with two little kids and I don’t have the attention span to really notice when they screw something up right there in the store.
took a break from Target this year when they started having coupon problems, and I am doing the same with Safeway. When I see reports from blogs like yours (Thank you for braving the stores, Charlene!) that Safeway has gotten their act together, then I might try them again.
I have learned to examine my receipt as soon as they hand it to me and I usually then head straight to Customer Service because there is always at least one item that I am overcharged for due to the Just 4 You program. Due to all the problems I keep having with Just 4 You, I don’t shop Safeway any longer except for some of the great deals that I just can’t pass up (like all these great Super Bowl Deals).
I don’t have Just 4 U (I am in SoCal and we don’t have the program yet), but my store coupons have been hit or miss for awhile. The $2 meat coupon has worked once for me, but the last 2 times I have used it, it hasn’t come off. Drives me crazy, because it is really hard to watch the register for it. It shows up as a “.00” on the receipt, and then if it works the price of the meat is $2 lower. They have just given me $2 in cash each time it didn’t work, but it is such a hassle to look for it, catch it, then find someone to deal with it!
I wasn’t brave enough to try more than 1 salsa… went to 2 different Vons and used 1 each time 🙂
Since we are on the Just4U bashing bandwagon I must say that I was hesitant to sign up for the program and when I went online to check it out I was already signed up for it! Don’t know how! It is a mess. I have spent time with customer service at the store and by phone too. I am spending waaayyyy too much time to save the money I am saving. And there is always the problem with each receipt in some way or another. We all need to call and complain. Our collective voices can be heard. I also will open another club card like you Charlene so we can use as many coupons as possible until they completely eliminate coupons altogether one day! What a shame.
I went to Vons (Safeway store) also and I was pleased to get the $10 Catalina…but gosh the checker gave me problems.
I used 2 x $2 off Rancher’s Reserve meat Qs and she kept telling me I couldn’t. I read aloud what it said “one coupon per ITEM” and she goes to another checker. He says “no per order”. Again I read it aloud to him and he goes “oh. It should work then”.
She gave me tons of attitude over every Q…”this is expired, oh wait that’s 2011″, “did you get 2 of these?”….just SCAN the darn things and see if it bonks! geesh
it may sound kind of snarkey,but i am so glad you guys are having trouble with safeway. i was beginning to think it was just me and the store in susanville. 2 weeks ago, i even had the cashier tell me that i had to go home, and come back in order to use my catalina. on your next order meant a 90 mile round trip for me. has corporate changed the “customer friendly” rule? lately all the checkers are down right rude!
I made the mistake of loading the coupons on Just 4 U that are in the Joy of Football book. Apparently, the register allows the Just 4 U e-coupon and voids the paper coupon. I can never tell what is going on with my transaction while being rung up and it was crazy there yesterday, so I am going back today. Looks like my e-coupon for Salsa came off (1) but the (3) paper coupons did not and my Rancher Reserve paper coupon did not come off since I had loaded and used the e-coupon during a previous transaction. I will still use Just 4 U for exclusives and personal pricing, but I am going to be very careful to load only the e-coupons I know I am going to use in lieu of paper.
Charlene- the Just 4 U wasn’t the problem yesterday because I hadn’t loaded it onto my card. I had physical coupons from the Joy of Football book for the salsas ( I bought 4) and the meat (used 2). After some haggling with my checker and a manager’s hesitant approval, I did get to use all 4 salsa coupons and both meat coupons. YAY! Saved $7 just on those items alone.
I suggest NOT loading your coupons onto your Just 4 U and using the paper coupons when at all possible. Kind of a hassle, but after dealing with the manager at my Safeway yesterday morning I found out that they have to let you use more than 1 coupon for similar items (not the same item but say you have 4 yogurts and 4 coupons) as long as the paper coupon does not say “1 per customer”. this was the fight I had with them yesterday. the $2 off Ranchers Reserve coupon does not say that so I used 2 in 1 transaction.
I never load any coupons on my card, this way I can watch the cashier take off each coupon and not have to deal with customer service, who know me on sight, due to all the problems. I have also called corporate and complained not that it will probably do much good. I wish we had other store options like Albertsons or Publix, their deals are awesome!!
I, too, was auto. signed up for Just4U. The first time I ticked off some coupons, they did not work at check out. So I showed the checker the list I printed. He just made it work. Since that time, the Just4U prices have always worked. The $70 coupon book q’s, on the other hand, were a nightmare at first. Had to go to customer service re the $2 RR meat to get a refund. So when I bought 2 Hebrew National yesterday, I saved that $2 q for last and told the cashier it might have to be done manually. Went through perfectly. Maybe (fingers crossed) they are getting their act together.
I did have to go back though. The Hormel pork tenderloins were half off. The red/orange sale sticker had the reg. price at $4.99 so I should have paid $2.50 for each of the 4. They rang up at 9.99 with a 50% discount price of $4.99. I think they messed up the sticker “reg. price” but they have to give you what it is marked. So got a $10 refund for that one.
Who knew grocery shopping would tax the brain so much. Worth it, though, as I bought $218 of grocers for $79.45 and rec’d the $10 CAT!
Well I think that loading the coupons isn’t the issue really. I think having Just for U at all is the issue. I think that Just 4 U remembers what we buy and decides the limit. So regardless of whether you have loaded the coupons or not. I did not load them and still had a massive hassle. I did not load them awhile back and tried to do back to back transactions with an in ad coupon and the second time the coupon wouldn’t work. Does that make sense?
The .75 Salsa and 2.00 Rancher’s Reserve coupons are store coupons; they are not manufacturer’s coupons. So they are like the store in-ad coupons (a discount from Safeway; they do not get reimbursement from the manufacturer). When they say limit 1 or whoever many, for in-ad store coupons, you can’t circumvent it by trying to give them two coupons. LOL, I’ve tried many times in the past! You need to do seperate transactions, but it looks like Safeway is trying to track limits now with the club card. I think Safeway should have worded the store coupon better, but I honestly couldn’t use more than 1 of each of these store coupons because it’s clear Safeway’s intent was a limit of 1.
Tony- but my thing is that I have tried on items that had larger limits. I did multiple transactions once and was under the limit but there was a cat so I wanted to do separate transactions and it still didn’t work- does that make sense? I agree- I think they intended for one per person but that isn’t stated anywhere so we can’t really know what they meant to say 🙂 It isn’t fair that people with Just 4 U are held to random limits imposed and those without are not.
I do not us the just4u card, but I do use many paper coupons at Safeway. I can not remember a back experience yet. Yes things have rang up incorrectly but I try to watch as they ring in the coupons and check my receipt before leaving. Try and choose a young male checker. Never go to the middle aged woman checker. I mean no offense by this judgement. It is just my experiences in the past.
we don’t have Just4U here – sounds like a blessing! LOL!! But there are ALWAYS issues with those darn Safeway coupons. I had 3 salsa coupons, and I even read the fine print (which, I’m sorry to say, I don’t always do!) and it did not state any limits. Sure enough it did the whole stupid .01 and -.01 thing…Even the SCO helpers were getting annoyed! I have stopped shopping there except for an item or two here and there, (I’m lucky enough to have other options) but I don’t see how they can keep this up and keep their customers. SAD. 🙁
Not sure about the rest of you but I also HATE the Just4U…. It’s a crappy system that just don’t seem to work. Perhaps I”ll also get a new card so I know that the coupons in my hand will work…. By the way, I was able to use 8-$2.00 of Ranchers Reserve Meats in my last order. Made for some great deals since I bought the lowest priced steaks, $3.15 a pound so I paid about $1.19 a pack. Definitely happy with that.
I didn’t even get one Safeway Football coupon savings book because they were all out. The manager said that some people grab stacks of books. It is frustrating that people can be so selfish.
Well, Vons has lost me as a regular customer. I have emailed letters and received very apologetic responses from corporate, but the customer service is still unacceptable. I only go in for the deals on chicken (like $0.77/lb or so) and a few things I can only get at a standard grocery store. My regular stores are now Trader Joe’s and Walmart. I have had fantastic experiences with coupons at Walmart – even a very pleasant manager when a free item coupon had the wrong amount deducted. When an item rings up incorrectly at Vons, I have to wait a while for them to check the price on the shelf. Last time, the manager came back and handed me the refund without saying a word – just the cold shoulder. So while I may have spent $400 a month at Vons in the past, I now spend between $0-$35 per month. And I go to the store in the next town north to use self-checkout. (*Thanks for letting me vent)
Sorry Dee 🙁 I only take 2 per shopping trip of any coupon books because I know how frustrating it is to find empty boxes. I believe in coupon karma 😉
Chralene I know you are in my area what Safeway do you use?? I have had good luck with the Woodcreek Oaks Blvd store – so far everything I have loaded is coming off and I am able to use coupons for the one time prices like I had two .99 triscuts that I could buy this week which I combined with the football coupon and it all came off no problem. I did have a young girl cashier who took every coupon even though they beeped at her! Maybe thats the key – get young girl cashiers who aren’t old enough to have attitudes yet!! LOL
Kim I used to go to Granite but I nearly popped a lady in the head for her surly attitude the other day 😛 That store seems to have gone downhill fast. I have started over at Pleasant Grove lately and they seem to be better so far.
i’ve had pretty good luck with the just for u program with ecoupons showing up. charlene, i wonder how much time it was between you loading the coupon and when you went to the cashier? i’ve heard that you need to wait a minimum of an hour for the coupons to load, so make sure you don’t load up the coupons just before you leave the house, but do it the day before or so. i just load them all. i need to start bringing printouts with me of my special pricing because i don’t have it memorized, and they don’t have a computer in the store. are the stores supposed to have a computer at customer service so people can sign up for just 4 u, or load coupons?
I love my local Safeway, and I definitely get better deals there than at Weiss, Superfresh, and Food Lion. The local Walmart is not a super walmart, so we don’t have much by way of groceries there.
We do not have JFU. I asked the manager about it, and she originally said by Thanksgiving, then by the end of the year, and now “when the kinks are worked out”. Personally, I don’t see why it is causing them so many problems – CVS has limits imposed just fine, and Rite Aid is showing progress on working out their kinks. You would think Safeway would be showing much more progress by now!
We DO have the same problems with the JOF coupons that you all are talking about, but the cashiers at my store are great about working around them. Bought four salsas yesterday, only one coupon came off, and the cashier checked the receipt without me asking, and took off the other three coupons. And they are routinely like that. The last time I went to customer service was months ago, when I bought the wrong size cereal for a sale price.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I really, really appreciate the matchups you do for Safeway. It doesn’t seem like many people do Safeway matchups these days, and you are certainly the best of them. We get different meat and fruit sales here on the East Coast, but I have saved tons of money by reading your site!