Today I went to Price Chopper because I had to pick up a few things for work and I remembered that they have Colgate toothpastes on sale for $1 this week. Since I had two $1 off Colgate toothpaste coupons, I brought them with me and picked up two tubes.
When I got to the register, I realized that I had forgotten to read the fine print on the coupons and didn't pick up the type of toothpaste specified. I let the cashier know that the coupons may not work since I didn't get the right kind of toothpaste, but that we could try anyway. She scanned the coupons and much to my surprise, they worked! This was definitely a win for me, because not only did I get two tubes of free toothpaste, but I learned that sometimes coupons can be used on slight variations of the specified items.
What I don't know is how many stores this would work at, or if it's simply due to the fact that I notified the cashier in advance that she just didn't care. Had I not said something and then she noticed on her own, she may not have let me use them. So this is a great couponing lesson: if you pick up the wrong type of item, or if that specific type isn't available, tell the cashier and ask politely if s/he can try the coupons anyway. You never know, you might just get something for free!
