Publix Penny Products

In the past couple of days, I've read several blogs that talk about getting multiple coupons for the Publix weekly "mystery item". In case you don't know how it works, it goes like this:

Every Sunday (and Monday, I believe) Publix has an unadvertised and unknown item on sale. If you buy $10 of products - anything at all - then this "mystery item" is marked down to ONE PENNY.

The Sunday fliers that Publix puts in the paper has a coupon, usually on the front page, for the penny product.

Here's the story: Publix didn't used to require the coupon to get the "penny product". One Sunday, I went in and saw that on the coupon on the flier and asked the cashier about it.

She told me that it's not actually necessary - when Publix started the coupon-required policy, so many people called and complained that they don't require it at all anymore.

So if you're going to spend a lot of money at Publix, don't feel like you have to have the coupon for the penny product. I have never used it, and I've always gotten the almost-free price.

Of course, buying multiple papers is good for all the other coupons. But this is one (or five!) that you won't have to cut out.

I do make sure to put the penny product far enough down in my groceries that I have $10 worth of stuff before it gets rung up - the cashiers have to use a special code after they ring it up if you don't have the coupon.

I usually only purchase the sale items at Publix - the rest of their items are generally more expensive than my other grocery store. The sale prices and the Penny Products, though, make this a must-stop on my shopping list. I can usually spend under $10 after coupons.

I have never tried this on a Monday - I do my grocery shopping on Saturday and Sunday, with Publix being reserved for Sunday simply because of the Penny Product.

You ARE only allowed one penny product per purchase - so if it's a good deal and it's feasible, it might be worth your while to make multiple trips, although it's never been so for me. I have often saved over $2 on the Penny Product alone, though!

You may want to check with your local Publix to make sure of this policy, but as I said above, I've never had to use the Sunday coupon to get the Penny Product. I've gotten coffee, sugar, paper towels, toilet paper, milk and more for only one cent!

Update: I just ran across this post - and apparently Florida Publix-ers don't get either the doubled-coupon OR Penny Product luxery that I live in the lap of. Isn't Florida the HOME of Publix? I wonder if they figure their base is so loyal that they don't need to offer incentives?