Anyone in Manhattan?

[hcwhcw]

Originally Posted by rpblica54 Hi! I've just moved here,and just started couponing...my first $11 box of cereal sticker shock was a killer.

$11? Were you exaggerating for comedic effect, or are you serious? What cereal, what store, and what neighborhood?

I can't imagine it would be in Washington Heights, unless it was some overpriced bodega that knows its customers have no other nearby grocery options. Are the prices in Washington Heights possibly that high? I thought it was mostly low-income, middle-class Dominican there, i.e., not a high-priced neighborhood.

What sort of large grocery and drugstore chains are there in Washington Heights?

[Qbert]

UES here too. I did live in Washington Heights years ago for a while.

I also get lots of inserts from the bins in my building and nearby buildings. I find the best time to go is Monday afternoons/evenings.

Stores here don't know what cpns are. When you give them, it'll be the first time they've seen such things. (Good luck)

The supermarkets with lowest prices are Pathmark (125th St and other locations) and Trader Joe's (14th St, Union Square). Whole Foods (14th St, Union Square and 59th St, Columbus Circle) is OK too.

CVS has only 4 pages as posted above, the last of which is always photo stuff. But if you print out pages from the outside-Manhattan ad and ask them to honor it, they probably will. At least they used to, but I haven't done this in over a year because of the hassle, so I can't say for sure.

Good luck!

[hcwhcw]

Originally Posted by bunken I live on the UES. The drugstores are coupon friendly as well as Dags and Food Emporium. In what part of the city do you live? The CVS ad blows compared to the rest of the country, but I still manage to find a few good deals every week.

Do you get good deals at D'agostinos and Food Emporium? Is Gristedes also on the UES? That's great that your CVS's are coupon-friendly. I feel like in Queens, it's a little hit-or-miss sometimes. But Manhattan is maybe more consistent. Unfortunately, as you stated, the "CVS ad (in Manhattan) blows compared to the rest of the country." LOL.

So, does your CVS ad this week have the Gillette Fusion promo? I remember last week I checked a CVS ad in Manhattan and didn't see the L'oreal Revitalift promo.

[hcwhcw]

Originally Posted by Qbert UES here too. I did live in Washington Heights years ago for a while. Stores here don't know what cpns are. When you give them, it'll be the first time they've seen such things. (Good luck)

Hi Qbert. I guess you and bunken have had different couponing experiences on the UES, and Manhattan is actually more hit-and-miss than I realized, as far as better customer service.

Originally Posted by Qbert CVS has only 4 pages as posted above, the last of which is always photo stuff. But if you print out pages from the outside-Manhattan ad and ask them to honor it, they probably will. At least they used to, but I haven't done this in over a year because of the hassle, so I can't say for sure.

I think they stopped doing that sometime last year, maybe in spring of 2008. At least that's what I was told by a CVS associate who sounded like he knew what he was talking about. :shrug7:

[rpblica54]

I'm kind of learning by trial-and-error about the grocery stores up here. I live next door to a Rite-Aid with the worst customer service ever (the manager told me I was stealing the other day because I used coupons. Yes, that really happened), and I go up to the CVS on Dyckman because it's the only one in Manhattan that doesn't do the 4 page ads. Occasionally I'll go over to the Bronx because there's a nice-sized one by Yankee Stadium, and I've never gone to a Walgreen's up here at all.

Grocery stores up here are mostly little bodegas, and extremely overpriced places like Gristede's. There's a Fine Fare right around the corner which is cheap (compared to the other places around) but they don't carry a ton of non-store brands so it's hard to use coupons. I've been in Whole Foods once since I've been here, and the 20-minute-line-wrapped-around-the-store convinced me never to set foot in there again. I definitely don't mind travelling for stores that are very coupon friendly and have good sales, but so far...that just hasn't been my experience. :(

[hcwhcw]

Originally Posted by rpblica54 I'm kind of learning by trial-and-error about the grocery stores up here. I live next door to a Rite-Aid with the worst customer service ever (the manager told me I was stealing the other day because I used coupons. Yes, that really happened).

I'm sorry to hear that happened. I think Rite-Aid stores are very hit-or-miss as far as customer service. Do you think you're going to follow up with corporate? That really sucks to have a bad experience at your nearest store.

Originally Posted by rpblica54 Grocery stores up here are mostly little bodegas, and extremely overpriced places like Gristede's.

Is Gristedes where you found the $11 cereal? What type of cereal was it? I live in NY too, but I have never seen cereal priced that high, which is why I'm so curious about what cereal, what store, and what neighborhood. Now, you're going to have me roaming cereal aisles of Manhattan supermarkets just to see what's the highest priced cereal! LOL.

[rpblica54]

Yep, but it wasn't the one up here, it was at one a bit lower down...can't remember where right offhand. It was a big box of Raisin Bran, and it was 10.95. This was on one of my first grocery outings after moving up here not long ago, and I remember thinking...man, I can't afford to live here! ;)

[livermoremom]

Originally Posted by rpblica54 Yep, but it wasn't the one up here, it was at one a bit lower down...can't remember where right offhand. It was a big box of Raisin Bran, and it was 10.95. This was on one of my first grocery outings after moving up here not long ago, and I remember thinking...man, I can't afford to live here! ;)

Hi, I was just in Manhattan for a week at the end of January, and I just wanted to extend my sympathies to you for the prices you all pay! It's crazy expensive there! I'm from SF, and it's catching up with NYC for the prices of goods, unfortunately, but I just hope you all make really good money for your occupations, because otherwise how could one afford to live in Manhattan without being Donald Trump?! Still a great city to visit though. Welcome to this board-you will learn and save sooo much!

ps-I went to the Rite Aid around the corner from the Waldorf Astoria several times and they were very nice and helpful there

[Qbert]

Originally Posted by rpblica54 I go up to the CVS on Dyckman because it's the only one in Manhattan that doesn't do the 4 page ads.

Really? Can you give me the address? Do any subways go there?

I venture out to Queens or Brooklyn when there are good deals that aren't in the Manhattan ad.

For the big Duracell deal not-too-long ago (buy $20, get $15 ECBs), the ad had the 8-packs but not the 4-packs. But I was very thankful because it had the ECB deal.

[Qbert]

Originally Posted by hcwhcw Hi Qbert. I guess you and bunken have had different couponing experiences on the UES, and Manhattan is actually more hit-and-miss than I realized, as far as better customer service.

I should add that they're extremely rude (it's a big city; no small town warmth).