(Image credit – Flickr – cottoncandylola)
I wanted to take a few minutes out to share with you what I’ve been thinking and feeling lately, and the decision that I made yesterday regarding coupon matchups here at The Coupon Project. I hope you’ll find the changes to be positive ones.
Now: a confession (in case you missed it). I’ve been personally shopping less and less at the drugstores. I’ve found with my busy life, I don’t have many brain cells left for rolling Register Rewards, coming up with complicated Rite Aid scenarios, or messing with multiple transactions. (As a matter of fact, the first Register Reward I’ve earned in months is sitting in the bottom of my coupon bag….expired. SIGH.) What I’ve also noticed is a lack of comments/shares/traffic on the drugstore matchups that Lori has been faithfully posting here for the past year. That’s a lot of time and money for a feature that’s not really getting used. On another level, I feel the complexity of drugstore shopping often runs contrary to the message I try to share: that couponing can be simple and sustainable for the long term.
A few months ago, I had to stop posting weekly Safeway deals as the gal that was contributing needed to step back to spend more time with her family. (Which by the way, I 100% respect.) I’ve not posted them since, but now the Just4U program has launched and many of you have expressed an interest in seeing more Safeway deals. Many of you have also expressed an interest in more QFC deals. I want you to be able to feel like The Coupon Project is a great resource for you to find what truly matters to you.
After some hard reflection, email exchanges with Lori, and including you in the process on Facebook, I’ve decided it’s time to make some changes. Effective immediately, here is the schedule you can expect on The Coupon Project:
Regular Coupon Matchups:
Fred Meyer: Saturday (no change)
Albertsons: Tuesday (no change)
Safeway: Tuesday (NEW)
QFC: Tuesday (NEW)
WinCo: Twice Monthly, 1st & 3rd Weeks, Tuesday or Wednesday (no change)
Grocery Outlet: Once Monthly, 2nd Week (NEW)
Rite Aid & Walgreens: Highlights/”Best of” deals only, Saturday (NEW)
Of course, there are many, many other stores I talk about here on the blog when I find a deal, but just don’t have a weekly matchup for. These include Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Top Food & Drug, Target, the Office Stores (like Staples, Office Depot), local grocers (like Tacoma Boys, farmers markets), and the Asian Markets (like H Mart). At other points, I’ll more regularly report on some of these stores (for instance, during back to school season, you’ll see a lot more Target.) Each matchup takes considerable time (and in some instances, money) to make happen. Therefore, I’ve done my best to choose carefully which stores I want to highlight here.
Lori and I are discussing the best way to present a condensed version of the drugstore deals. If you have any suggestions, we’re all ears! We’re thinking of a “Top 10″ list or “Best of” list with links back to blogs that have provided more robust lists. Other thoughts/ideas are welcome.
I’m in the process of revamping the blog to reflect these changes (such as the sidebar button), so until then, hang tight, or just visit the “Archives” tab up at the Navigation Bar and locate the store you wish to find the most recent deals on.
In the meantime, here are this week’s Fred Meyer, Safeway, QFC, Albertsons, and Grocery Outlet (with gift card giveaway!) deals.
Thank you for sharing your candid comments and thoughts. I do listen, and appreciate your input.
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you sooooooo much for adding Safeway & QFC deals! Those are the only 2 choices we have for groceries without having to drive 45 minutes. Very much appreciated!
I am so totally excited for the QFC posts! Thanks for all you do, Angela! When I first started couponing in 2008, I subscribed to a number of frugal blogs so I could really get a feel for how it all works. Since then, I’ve weeded out most of those blogs, but yours is one I especially enjoy and continue to read because it not only covers couponing, but other aspects of REAL LIFE and I just love that.
I appreciate your feedback, Krista. I know that there are many choices when it comes to frugal living blogs, so it’s encouraging to get comments like yours!
I’m a reader from MN, so I don’t have all the grocery stores you post about…but I’m starting to step away from drugstore deals as well (especially if you can’t get the deal done that day…no rolling rewards or rebates, etc.) I respect your decision and will continue to follow.
Maybe the “Best of” or a few staple items (like toothpaste, deoderant, shampoo) could be included in the highlights. Not sure what everyone considers “staples” from the drugstore, but that might be a little more helpful.
Yes, we definitely plan to continue highlighting the top deals, so you’ll be kept in the know of those. We just won’t do the full on robust lists anymore.
Thanks so much!
1st off all….I love your site & even though I don’t always “like” a post, believe me, I do read them. However, I live in Texas, most of the stores that you post is not located in my area except for Walgreens & Target which as you know has different prices BUT I still use those 2 (mostly the Target) to help with my shopping trip!! I just wanted to let you know that all your fans appreciate all that you do for us, even though we might not show it with “likes”….we are reading your post. YES!!!! The Coupon Project is a great resource, with all the useful tidbits & you & Lori are awesome for all of ya’s hard work that you do for your fans.
Thank you- this is certainly encouraging to hear.
Thanks so much, Debbie! You are too sweet Ü.
First of all, I just want to say THANK YOU for all you do here! This is my favorite frugal blog I follow, and I use your match ups all the time, especially Fred Meyer.
I have heard from several sources that though WinCo has rolling price updates, a majority of the changes occur on Thursdays, which seems to be supported by my experiences in the store.
Is this the case or are we all just imagining it?
I mainly ask because I am concerned that if the WinCo lists post on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays, some of the deals will just change on Thursdays. I would hate to see someone’s hard work to get those prices and match them with deals get wasted if the prices change a day or two later.
I believe you are correct there, but we actually have timed our posts after having met with the store director. We learned that WinCo gets in new displays/tearpads/new products on a certain schedule, so we’ve timed our posts with that.
I know that’s a bit of a risk, but we have also found that often prices will hold for awhile. Of course, we can always change this should things change. Anyhow, just so you’re aware there is some method to our madness. 
I don’t shop much at the drug stores anymore either. Even since they cracked down on the limits and put added restrictions it just isn’t worth the time. The last time I shopped drugstores was for the unlimited Chapstick freebie from 6 months back at Walgreens. Nothing else exciting since.
That’s what happened to me with couponing. Used to go to the drugstores. Now mainly Target, Safeway, Fred Meyer’s.
You have to find what works for you, your family, and your blog. It’s not fun running everywhere. Do what you think and feel is right and it will all work out in the end.
Keep up the good work!
Love this – you’re a wise woman
This is great news! I am loving the new Safeway Just4U program and am pleased to hear you will be adding them to your lineup. I’m a regular shopper at Fred Meyer, but have been taking more trips to Safeway since the new program launched. I regularly save 50-60% on my shopping trips there! You are my “go to” coupon blogger and adding Safeway definitely keeps you in the top spot! Thanks so much!
When I saw “Changes at Coupon Project” in my subject line, I was holding my breath for some bad news. Instead, you reminded me why you’re one of my favorite bloggers. Thank you for not abandoning us. You go the extra mile and it shows! I’m looking forward to your Safeway and QFC match-ups since those are the two stores closest to me. Also, I like the idea of a Top Ten list for the drugstores. You rock!
I second, third and quad this point! I follow you because you are ethical – real and seem to be in tune with reality
I’m not couponing as much – but I still like to stalk the deals. I recently made the choice to not renew my paper and instead see how much I’m ‘missing’ by not getting it (may still get it time to time at dollar tree) – I havent’ been using doubles (though I may this week) – and I’m finding I’m buying much less on coupon and when I do – its 50 cents (which isn’t to say that doesn’t matter) but when I compared what I was paying for the paper to what I was using personally – it wasn’t adding up.
Moving away from the drug stores has a lot to do with this.
I can’t remember the last time I was in rite aid or Walgreens, thanks for sticking to the grocers. Thanks for the QFC deals!!
Although I understand why the changes are happening, I’m sad too. I regularly shop at walgreens as a staple for my nonfood products and use the posts for them like clock work. Just so you know that when the posts for the drug stores are up I go through them thouroughly. I’ll still look for grocery posts. Can you recommend another blog for drug store posts?
Holly, our plan is to highlight what we feel the best deals are and then link over to another blog or blogs. So we’ll still keep you in the know of those deals each week.
Thanks. Gonna try your cherry canning instruction later today. Wish me luck as I’ve never canned cherries before and these are from someones tree in their backyard. We’ll see how they turn out.
Hi Holly, best luck!! I also wanted to point out that the tutorial you’re referring to was up at Frugal Living NW – I shared it yesterday on Facebook. Here’s the post:
http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/picking-canning-sweet-cherries-a-step-by-step-guide/
I have just gotten back into couponing in the last month and I thought it would be a good idea to shop the drug stores again because I used to get such good deals there. My couponing trip to Walgreens was a hot mess. Now I remember why I quit couponing there. No more rolling register rewards for me. I love the idea of Safeway, digital coupons make life easier. I’m all signed up for just for you and ready to start shopping Safeway again. My issues with Safeway was due to rolling Catalinas and I’m over that (and the drug stores.)
I will miss the Rite Aid posts.. but mostly I do my own match ups, and come here to check that I haven’t missed anything. With a large family, I’m sure the increase in grocery match ups will prove to be more beneficial. Thank you for everything that you do.
Angela, I’ve been using coupons my whole life, my mom taught me when rebating was the big thing. But your site has been a huge help to me considering I work full time and have a family of three growing boys. I thank you so much for your time effort and energy you put into this site. I definitely think drug stores are a little more difficult to shop at and I am personally grateful for the limits they have set, nothing was more frustrating that going in and having them wiped out of all the good deals. What was worse was when I found out from the employees it was the “same 5 ladies that cleared the shelves first thing on Sunday and again on Wednesday when they got their new shipments”. Please remember fellow couponers, as tempting as it is to clear the shelves, be respectful, and leave some for others.
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