Figuring out the best deal

I'm not much of a shopper, as you all know.  And when I do shop I like to try and get the best deal.   Once in a while I hit the jackpot, as I did with my new winter coat.

I've been shopping a lot at Kohl's, because they have good sales.  And since I gave in and got a Kohl's credit card (I don't like credit cards) they send me some pretty good coupons.  It's hard to get over the feeling that you have to use every coupon they send, so as not to "waste" money.    I do try and use the coupons only when I need something specific.

I needed a new winter coat, so I went to Kohl's right after Christmas with my coupon, the gift card I got for Christmas, and my Kohl's credit card.   I found the perfect coat.  (Although it's probably a size smaller than I should have gotten.  It's a bit tight, but I can pull the zipper up.  My philosophy is that I'll just be that much more excited next winter when the coat is loose because I've lost more weight.)

Anyway, the coat was $170, marked down for clearance (at the beginning of January!) 60%.   I then used my 15% coupon, and my $25 gift card, and the coat cost me $3.07.   I couldn't have been more delighted with the deal I had put together!   I didn't use the credit card, I just handed the girl the $3.07 in cash.

Now, my sister went to Kohl's armed with her coupons, credit card and gift cards, also determined to get the best deal.  When she got to the register, they wouldn't allow her to use the coupon because she wasn't going to use her credit card on the purchase.  I believe what happened was, I used a coupon from the newspaper that anyone can use.  She was trying to use a coupon that had been sent in the mail to be used only by people with the credit card.

She was so dispirited that she went home and ordered what she wanted online, where she could use her coupon and her gift cards.  A glitch in the system but it worked.   However, there was a pair of boots she'd seen in the store that she really wanted that they did not have online.

So she went back to the store determined to speak to them and get them to let her use the coupon.  She found out that if she used her credit card for even part of the purchase then she could use the coupon.  So here's what she did:

Yup, she used her coupon, her gift cards and charged 76 cents on her credit card.   Now THAT is savvy shopping!