Tonight I ran to my store for some essentials and watched someone in a line try to price match some items, she had a little bit of a rough time. She ended up getting it all, here is the lesson. She price matched every item in her cart, she didn’t have her ads and was”mistaken” on a couple of items and finally she acted like she was doing the store a big favor by price matching. I switched lines and tried my normal approach to see if I had a different reaction and here is my conclusion:

A. I NEVER price match my entire cart. Walmart is already the lowest price on 80% of the items in the store.

B. I ALWAYS try to have my ads. Yes, I am aware of what the policy says, but if you are going to sit there at your computer and tell me that you are willing to go to the trouble of planning out a great trip and not bring your ads on principal, I am going to tell you to up your medication.

C. I put my non-price match items first and tell them where my regular price items end and my PM items begin. It is just a little psychology, they see the items you are buying at reg price, it shows that you have planned a trip and have no worries that you are trying to cheat the system.

D. SMILE and BE COURTEOUS! That doesn’t mean don’t stand your ground, just don’t get indignant.

I am not going to guarantee that every Walmart is going to become your Stepford Wife, but I have not been turned down from price matching at any Walmart yet.

Here are the items I price matched on my trip tonight:

2 Mrs. Baird’s Bread: WM $1.78 Kroger $2.79 (BOGO)- Save .77

2 Capri Sun: WM $1.78 Kroger $1.47- Save .62

4 Nature Valley Granola Bars:WM $2.79 Randall’s: $1.77- .50/2 -Save- $5.08

2 Oak Farms Milk: WM $4.92 CVS $3.19 – Save  $3.46

Total Saved $9.93 or 35% on PM items, only $1 worth of coupons.