What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[gtaus]

Just to warn you…dollar general is not an all for $1 store.

I knew that. But as long as we are warning people of things to look out for, I came across a YouTube video the other night where Dollar General has been sued in a number of states for jacking up their prices in the computer checkout register - but leaving lower prices displayed on the shelf.

Just one example...

I don't think it's fair to single just Dollar General out. I have ranted a number of times about WalMart charging higher prices at the register than their display prices.

I am old school. I think you should only be charged for the price on the display shelf. If you get charged a higher price, then it seems like an intentional fraud to me.

It happens everywhere. Dear Wife was buying an item at our local big box grocery store that was regular price $9.00, on sale for $5.00. The register rang up the item at $15.00! Well, at that time, she only had a few items in her basket so that price hike stood out immediately. But I wonder how many other people bought that "sale" item as just one of a cart full of goods and paid $15.00 each for that!?

Of course, she complained about the overcharge. The checkout lady sent somebody back to the display to verify the sale price and she did mark it down for us. But - and you all know this - the next person in line with that same item would be charged that $15.00 again because they never correct the sale price in their system.

If you want to save money by purchasing items on sale, just make sure you actually get the sale price. That goes for everyday stuff as well, but I see those "sale" items more often do not ring up at the reduced price.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I knew that. But as long as we are warning people of things to look out for, I came across a YouTube video the other night where Dollar General has been sued in a number of states for jacking up their prices in the computer checkout register - but leaving lower prices displayed on the shelf.

Just one example...

I don't think it's fair to single just Dollar General out. I have ranted a number of times about WalMart charging higher prices at the register than their display prices.

I am old school. I think you should only be charged for the price on the display shelf. If you get charged a higher price, then it seems like an intentional fraud to me.

It happens everywhere. Dear Wife was buying an item at our local big box grocery store that was regular price $9.00, on sale for $5.00. The register rang up the item at $15.00! Well, at that time, she only had a few items in her basket so that price hike stood out immediately. But I wonder how many other people bought that "sale" item as just one of a cart full of goods and paid $15.00 each for that!?

Of course, she complained about the overcharge. The checkout lady sent somebody back to the display to verify the sale price and she did mark it down for us. But - and you all know this - the next person in line with that same item would be charged that $15.00 again because they never correct the sale price in their system.

If you want to save money by purchasing items on sale, just make sure you actually get the sale price. That goes for everyday stuff as well, but I see those "sale" items more often do not ring up at the reduced price.

Companies pulling shenanigans like this is why I’ve started buying more stuff online. Easier to make sure the sale price matches the checkout price.

 

[gtaus]

They [Dollar General] have regular prices on most things but their brands are cheaper. Paper towel 6 pack often $5 so $4 with $5/$25, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies are lower than most stores, and they have good sale items. It’s the coupon that makes it a great deal.

Not to leave everyone with a negative view of Dollar General, I did visit our new store and checked out some everyday stock items that we use. I am building a list of stock items of Dollar General house brand items that are good deals by themselves, but even better if I stock up at one time and use that $5 off coupon on a $25 purchase. I don't mind filling up the pantry with non-perishable supplies if I can save some money up front. I agree with @Iluveggers that the $5.00 coupon makes it a better deal.

 

[Stravager]

I knew that. But as long as we are warning people of things to look out for, I came across a YouTube video the other night where Dollar General has been sued in a number of states for jacking up their prices in the computer checkout register - but leaving lower prices displayed on the shelf.

To piggyback on this warning...Please be mindful with the dollar stores that a lot of their cheaper brand products also contain high levels of lead, cadmium, and chemicals. In Canada we have had reports of extremely high lead content found in various goods including tinned goods...
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/toxic...in-dollar-store-items-testing-shows-1.6050206

 

[fuzzi]

I knew that. But as long as we are warning people of things to look out for, I came across a YouTube video the other night where Dollar General has been sued in a number of states for jacking up their prices in the computer checkout register - but leaving lower prices displayed on the shelf.

Just one example...

I don't think it's fair to single just Dollar General out. I have ranted a number of times about WalMart charging higher prices at the register than their display prices.

I am old school. I think you should only be charged for the price on the display shelf. If you get charged a higher price, then it seems like an intentional fraud to me.

It happens everywhere. Dear Wife was buying an item at our local big box grocery store that was regular price $9.00, on sale for $5.00. The register rang up the item at $15.00! Well, at that time, she only had a few items in her basket so that price hike stood out immediately. But I wonder how many other people bought that "sale" item as just one of a cart full of goods and paid $15.00 each for that!?

Of course, she complained about the overcharge. The checkout lady sent somebody back to the display to verify the sale price and she did mark it down for us. But - and you all know this - the next person in line with that same item would be charged that $15.00 again because they never correct the sale price in their system.

If you want to save money by purchasing items on sale, just make sure you actually get the sale price. That goes for everyday stuff as well, but I see those "sale" items more often do not ring up at the reduced price.

About a month ago there was an announcement at church that they needed candy for the upcoming Easter egg hunt. I stopped at a Family Dollar on the way home and saw they had Peeps on sale, 2 for $3. Great! I grabbed two of the chicks and two of the bunnies. I was overcharged, and the cashier struggled to understand that $3 + $3 = $6. She couldn't grasp that the register rang up the wrong price. I've had that happen at Walmart, too. Now when I grab sale items I use my phone to take a photo of the displayed price. It saves a trip back to the shelves.

 

[gtaus]

Now when I grab sale items I use my phone to take a photo of the displayed price. It saves a trip back to the shelves.

That's a good idea. I don't normally carry my phone inside the stores, but maybe now that is a good reason.

There was a time in my life when checkout people would actually count your money back to you, assuring you got the correct change. They also could do basic math in their heads. Somewhere along the line we have become too dependent on computerized registers to do all the work for us. Most checkout people - if there are any left with the self-checkouts everywhere - do not have any math skills. They just rely on the computer to be correct and tell them what to do.

That's why I believe management knows exactly what they are doing when they put items on discount sale displays but the register still rings up at the regular, higher price. IMHO, it happens everywhere, not just the Dollar stores. Our local WalMart is one of the worse for charging higher prices at the checkout. They really don't care.

I'll use your phone suggestion to take a picture of the price on those sale items. Might save some time when checking out if there are any problems with overcharges. Good idea.

 

[gtaus]

Zip-Tie Hinges For Repairs

I was digging through a couple of tools bags this morning looking for my dowel jig kit. One of the things I found in one tool bag was a plastic drill bit case that the hinge had broken...

As you can see in the following picture, I still have the full set of drill bits in that case. But if I left the storage case in the bag, it would not be long before those drill bits would be falling out of the storage case and getting lost in the tool bag...

I briefly considered junking the plastic case. It is not a very expensive set of drill bits, but still, it is nice to have all those bits in a storage case. Then I thought maybe I could make new hinges using some zip ties.

I got out my soldering iron, burned a few holes in both halves of the case, and put in a couple of zip ties to act like a hinge.

I played around a bit with how tight to close the zip tie loop, then cut them off when I had them right.

Now, when I close the case, it stays together, and the drill bits won't fall out all over in the tool bag...

Total cost for this repair - about 2 cents! Additionally, I suspect the zip tie hinges will prove to be better than the original plastic hinge on the case.

Ref: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/show-me-your-pallet-projects.1541562/page-253

 

[fuzzi]

Cattle panel trellis (from a leftover section):

The shadows make it look bent, it's not.

 

[gtaus]

Don't Buy Tools from Amazon!?

I am an Amazon Prime member, for many years, and buy all kinds of things from them. But sometimes they don't have either the best price or best value for products you buy there.

Case in point, I buy lots of Ryobi tools. They are authorized and sold by Home Depot. If you buy a Ryobi product from Home Depot, it comes with Home Depot's 90-day return warranty and backed by the Ryobi 3- or 5-year warranty.

A few months ago, I bought a Ryobi 18v 8-inch pruning chainsaw from Home Depot for $49.00 on clearance. You can still get that same unit for $49.00 at Home Depot if they are not sold out. It comes with a 90-day return period from Home Depot and a 3-year warranty from Ryobi. The product is now discontinued, and a newer model has replaced it. At 49.00 on clearance, that is/was a really good deal.

Or, you can find the exact same pruning chainsaw on Amazon...

Yep, support that small third-party seller and get the Amazon 30-day return guarantee but NO Ryobi 3-year warranty on that product you just bought from that unauthorized third-party seller.

I am mainly familiar with Ryobi products, but I suspect that other brand name tools sold on Amazon do not have the manufacturer's warranty, either. They all seem to have authorized sellers in a few big box stores, so if you buy a brand name tool from a small third-party seller on Amazon, you probably don't have any manufacturer's warranty on that item.

Bonus Tip: If you buy a Ryobi tool from Home Depot and use your Home Depot credit card, you get a 1-year return period on that Ryobi item instead of the normal 90-day Home Depot return period. That might be of additional value to some people.

 

[gtaus]

Broken Feed Bag Discounts!

Every time I visit our local Fleet store, I check out the chicken feed section to see if they have any broken/damaged bags. Yesterday I was in town, so I ran past the chicken feed bags and saw one 50-pound bag of layer pellets that was opened on one corner. Once those bags are broken open, the store cannot sell them as new. Well, maybe they could, but who wants to pay full price for a feed bag that is all taped up? Not me.

I saw 3 young people there doing loadouts for customers, so I asked them if they still give that 25% discount for broken "Oops" bags. One guy responded that it all depends on the condition of the bag and how much may have spilled out. He looks at the bag and says he can give me a 20% discount on that bag. So, I took it. I knew the bag was not 20% spilled out - if any at all.

Anyways, I got the feed bag home and weighed it at just over 50 pounds. I got a good deal only because I asked. Saved almost $3.00 on that full bag of feed.

You know, price on something like a broken feed bag is a negotiable item. Sometimes you might get a better deal than other times, and it may just depend on the person you talk to that day.

A few months ago, I found an open feed bag and was only offered a 10% discount. I thanked him but told him that I would either wait for a better sale price on their feed - or get my feed somewhere else - and then I just walked away. My mistake at that time was that I asked the employee if they were discounting that "Oops" bag for sale. I let him make the first offer. Which was a low 10% off.

Yesterday, I asked the employee if they were still giving a 25% discount on their broken feed bags and he offered me 20% off. I think because I put that initial idea of 25% off discount, I got a better deal.

Of course, you might be able to use that negotiating strategy on other products as well. Give them a low offer and see if they accept. Maybe you can get a good deal. Maybe not. In any case, I was prepared to walk away because I still had other feed at home and was not in a place where I had to buy feed at whatever price.