Extreme Couponing Tip: Check Your Receipt Before You Leave the Store
This week’s Extreme Couponing Tip is on ensuring you read your recent before you leave the store whenever possible! I know sometimes you are in a hurry or maybe have kids who are fussy, tired of shopping, etc., but if you’re able to take a minute or two to quickly look over your receipt BEFORE you leave the store, I think that would save you lots of time and frustration later if something didn’t ring up at the correct price or if one of your coupons didn’t scan.
I have learned the hard way with this. Too often I just want to get out of the store after my shopping trips. I used to forget to stop and just quickly check over my receipt to make sure everything was done accurately. I would hate when I would get home and realize a high value coupon didn’t scan or my produce rang up at the wrong price per lb. It just happened to me a few weeks ago. I had 2 coupons for a Free 4-Pack of Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt…something I definitely wouldn’t buy without a coupon because it is expensive ($4.99). I don’t know how I didn’t notice it right away (probably because I was too busy talking to the customer behind me who asked about using coupons!), but the cashier only scanned 1 of my coupons. It wasn’t until I was at a red light on my way home that I quickly looked over my receipt, when I noticed only 1 of my 2 Free Coupons scanned. ShopRite owed me $4.99! I immediately called ShopRite, told them the name of the young man who rang me up so they could go over to his register and see that there were 2 coupons for Free Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt in his envelope. I told them what happened and politely asked them to set aside the coupons for when I came back with my receipt to show them that only 1 coupon scanned. Ultimately I received my $4.99 back from ShopRite, however it wasn’t without an added unplanned trip back to the store, time spent on the phone, etc. If the coupon that didn’t scan wasn’t such a high value, I probably wouldn’t have bothered because let’s face it, we’ll all go nuts if we try and make everything perfect when it comes to using coupons, however if we take the time right away to check accuracy, I think that will help save time and of course valuable money!
Tips for Checking Your Receipt Before You Leave the Store:
- Know the prices of what you’re buying so you can recognize if something rang up at the wrong price. Many stores offer the item for free if a product rings up at the wrong price.
- Weigh your produce so you know how much it will cost and make sure it corresponds with what is reflected on your receipt.
- Understand how to read your frequently visited stores’ receipts. Every store’s receipts are different and can be confusing to read. Learning how to read them is important, like how to read the final price of an item, where scanned coupons show up, etc.
- If you’re planning your shopping trip and have a good idea of what you’re buying before you head to the store (highly recommended), know about what your total OOP should be before you head to checkout. If you know what your estimated total should be and your actual total is much higher, this will be a red flag to you that something has gone wrong.
- If you’re shopping at stores with Instant Savings Deals, check your receipt to be sure the savings came off instantly.
- Before you head to checkout, count how many coupons you are handing the attendant to scan. When your transaction is complete, count how many coupons scanned at the bottom of your receipt for a quick way to know if they might have missed one.
What are your tips and thoughts on checking your receipt before leaving the store?
Do you have an idea for an Extreme Couponing tip you’d like to see addressed? Leave your ideas in the comments!
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