I’ve been hearing a lot of news about JCPenney’s new pricing structure.  Combine that with the feeling of “I have to get out of this house for awhile!” and Saturday afternoon found me and my four-year-old checking out JCPenney and their new “fair and square” pricing.

The new program essentially does away with what you’re used to as far as JCPenney sales: no more weekend-only discounts of 50% off, so frequent that you have trained yourself to never buy anything at full-price at JCP because you know it will be 40-60% off if you just wait a week or two.

They claim to have cut prices by at least 40% (more on that below), and will now have everyday prices, month-long values, and “best prices”.  Here’s what I discovered upon checking out the new pricing structure in the store:

First, a brief explanation of the three new types of prices and how you can identify them:

JCP "Everyday Price" Tag Example

Everyday Prices

This is the shelf/no discount/full price; the price that is supposed to be at least 40% less than what it was previously.  You can identify it by the color – it’s red if it’s an everyday price.

JCP Month-Long Value Sign Example

Month-Long Values

Month-long values are the equivalent of the new sale price.  The item is marked down and that price will last a month – the calendar month, in my understanding.  These tags and signs are purple-ish.  (I just realized that this system is totally not cool if you’re color-blind.)

Best Price

This is the new clearance – anything marked as “best price” is supposed to be as low as it’s going to go.  Best Price is indicated with a dark blue tag and sign.

:: Observations About The New System ::

Overall, I think the new system is easy to understand and will probably be more convenient to use.  It may take you a few minutes of browsing the store to get familiar with what tags mean what, but it was pretty easy for me after just a few minutes of looking around.   There are just three tags and three meanings, so it’s simple.

✓ Everyday prices really are significantly lower – on most things

JCP claims to have slashed their regular prices on everything in the store by 40% or more.  From what I observed, that did seem to be true, though I haven’t been into JCP since Christmas and none of the items I remember the prices on from two months ago were still available.

Men's Stafford dress shirts were $15, about 50% off the old retail price.

It seemed like a lot of their everyday prices were very close to what I would typically pay on sale.  For instance, the above men’s Stafford dress shirts were $15, a price that would have been about 50% off with their old pricing and sale schedule.  To me, JCP’s “sale prices” were their regular prices , as I wouldn’t ever pay full-price for anything anyway, so it’s nice that it seems like their regular prices are very close to what I would normally have to wait for a sale for.

However, I did notice that on things like Levi’s jeans, prices were not actually 40% off of their former shelf price.  I’m pretty sure that Levi’s has their own set of price controls in effect, so JCP did not lower the prices on those.  I didn’t notice much of anything else that didn’t seem to have the regular price lowered, but Levi’s were definitely at or near their old manufacturer’s suggested retail prices.

✓ Month-Long Values are smaller discounts than sale prices

Ana Cardigans: Regularly $18, Month-Long Value For $14

The month-long values are nice – if you see something advertised that you want, you have all month long to get in to purchase it, instead of rearranging your weekend to hit a 12-hour sale.

Since they slashed the regular prices, I did notice that the month-long values were not a significant discount.  For instance, these ana cardigans on the right were an “everyday value” price of $18, and they’re on sale for $14 for the month of February.  That’s only about 25% off, which used to be a percentage discount that I wouldn’t touch at JCP because you knew the item would go on sale for 50% off.

But, since their everyday prices are lower, you have to expect that their month-long values will not be as large of a percentage discount.  You’ll have to adjust your mindset for what percentage discount to expect at JCP.

✓ Is the “Best Price” really the lowest it will go?

The "best price" was a bigger discount than 70% off their old retail price

From everything I’ve read, the “Best Price” or new clearance price, as I’m thinking of it, is as low as an item is going to go.  I’m not sure what exactly was going on with these tags, but I thought it was a good thing that the new “best price” was more of a discount that the pink sticker of 70% off their former regular retail price.

However, while the items with Best Prices did seem to be a pretty good deal, I guess I’m not sure if I believe that it’s really going to be the lowest it will go.  If it’s really the “best price”, does that mean that on the day after Christmas, they’ll mark their holiday merchandise down to the Best Price and leave it at that price until it all sells?  Or will they come back again and lower it to a new Best Price?

They had a large display of women’s coats at a Best Price of $50, and I guess I find it a little hard to believe that they will leave all of those coats at $50 until they sell enough of them.

:: Final thoughts ::

I think I like the new JCP, at least for now.  I felt like their everyday prices were a little along the lines of Target.  For me, it means I can pay full-price for something (especially something basic like a t-shirt or tank top) and not worry about feeling like kicking myself a few weeks later when it’s a gazillion-percentage off of the price I paid.

I’m still a little bit confused and skeptical about the Best Price setup, but we’ll see how it works in time, I guess.  I’m also wondering if this means that they won’t be offering many coupons – or any coupons at all?   I think they’ve lowered prices enough that it won’t really make a huge difference, but still, a $10 off $25 coupon was a great way to get me in the door to purchase a few things that I’d been holding off on, so I’m curious if they’ll continue any sort of incentivization like that.

Have you checked out JCP’s new “Fair and Square” pricing?  What did you think?

Pei Wei is offering another coupon via their “Passport” program!  Sign in or register at PeiWeiMarket.com and watch the video about their new dish, Thai Basil Chicken.  Once you watch the video, you can click on the flag and then they’ll email you a coupon for a free Thai Basil Chicken with the purchase of another entree!  Click on Passport Guide on the left to get instructions on how to get the coupon – IMO, it’s much less confusing this time.

The coupon will be emailed to you within one business day.  I’ll try to update to let you know how long it’s valid once I get mine!

Here’s a roundup of the best daily deals I’m finding in Colorado Springs for Monday, February 6th.

You can get a deal sandwiches, sides and more at the HoneyBaked Ham Company & Cafe and more!

HoneyBaked Ham Company & Cafe: Enjoy $18 worth of sandwich, sides and more for $9!  Choose from several varieties of ham and turkey  sandwiches and sides like cornbread dressing, coleslaw, cinnamon apples and more! This voucher is valid for lunch only.

HoneyBaked Ham Company & Cafe is located at 3771 Bloomington Street in Colorado Springs.

Limit two per person. May buy two additional as gifts. Valid for lunch menu only. Not valid with other offers. Expires on August 6, 2012. 

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This deal is still available:

Manitou Cliff Dwellings: Get admission for one adult and one child for $8 (a $17 value) or for two adults for $9 (a $19 value), or two children ages 7 to 11 (children under 6 are free) for $7 (a $15 value)! Explore the authentic Anasazi structures, the Pueblo-style buildings, clay ovens and more! Visit their website for more information and admission details.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings is located at 10 Cliff Dwellings Road in Manitou Springs.

Buy as many as you like. Limit one voucher per person, per visit. Entire value must be used in a single visit. Expires on August 9, 2012. 

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Check out our wrap up of daily deals in Denver for more deals including  a deal on Denver Nuggets tickets for February 14th in Denver, dine on paninis and more at Paninos Sandwich and Bakery in Golden and more!

If you’re a Smashburger fan, make sure you clip the coupon for a free entree when you buy one that was on the front page of Sunday’s Denver Post!  It was at the very bottom of the front page.

Also, Facebook fan Audrey said that last Thursday’s Gazette had the same coupon, as well.  Here’s hoping your papers are either in a recycling bin or don’t have too much yucky trash on top of them. :)

Today and Tuesday are the last days to get in on the Buy 10, Save $5 Mega Event at King Soopers, and they’ve just added a new eCoupon that will allow you to get a couple more Ragu pasta sauce for cheap!

Go to the King Soopers eCoupon site and load the coupon for $1 off two Ragu pasta suace.  When you buy 10 Mega Event items, Ragu is $1.15 so after the eCoupon, it’d be $0.65 each!

Here’s the full list of King Soopers’ Mega Event deals.

Sign up for Elephant Bar’s Passport Club and you’ll get a $5 coupon to use on your next visit!  The reward is valid for one month from when you sign up.  They also ask for your birth month and day so I have the feeling if you put that in, you’ll get a nice birthday gift, too. :)

In Colorado Springs, Elephant Bar is located at 7585 North Academy Blvd.

Wow, this is a high-value coupon: save $1.10 off one package of Cascadian Farms granola bars!  Print it while it lasts!  Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

You can also still snag this coupon for $1 off two packages of Cascadian Farms granola bars.

A good price on Cheez-Its this week – although it might be a little too late for the Superbowl parties? Looks like some cheap toothpaste, but it’s always nice to wait until it is completely free. :-)

Be sure to read “Walgreens Coupon Policy and FAQ” if you are a new Walgreens shopper, or even if you aren’t sure that you’re making the most of your shopping experiences!

These deals are good February 5 – 11.

Coupon Deals for February 5 – 11

Cheez-It (9 oz) – $1.99
Buy 2 and use $1/2 Keebler Crackers or Sunshine Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers, exp. 3/25/12 (RP 01/29/12)
Net cost at checkout: $1.49 each when you buy 2
Rating: 4

Aquafresh Toothpaste (6.4 oz) or Kids (4.6 oz) – $0.99 with in-ad coupon, limit 3
Use $0.75/1 Aquafresh Advanced, Extreme Clean, White & Shine or Sensitive, exp. 2/29/12 (RP 01/01/12)
Net cost at checkout: $0.24
Rating: 5

Register Rewards (RR) or Rebate Deals for February 5 – 11

Colgate Total Advanced or Gum Defense Toothpaste (4 oz), Colgate MaxFresh or MaxWhite Toothbrush – $3.00 each when you buy 2
Plus, earn $4 RR when you buy 2
Buy 2 and use two $0.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste, exp. 2/18/12 (SS 01/29/12 R)
or $0.40/1 Colgate Adult or Kids Manual Toothbrush, exp. 2/18/12 (SS 01/29/12 R)
Net cost at checkout: $2.50 for toothpaste, $2.60 for toothbrush
Net cost after RR: $0.50 for toothpaste, $0.60 for toothbrush
Rating: 4

Sheets Energy Strips (10 pk) – $3.99
Plus, earn $3.99 RR when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $3.99
Net cost after RR: free
Rating: 5

St. Joseph Enteric Aspirin (81 mg, 36 ct) – $2.00
Plus, earn $2 RR when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $2.00
Net cost after RR: free
Rating: 5

Wet Synergy Lubricant (3.3 oz) – $10.00
Plus, earn $10 RR when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $10.00
Net cost after RR: free
Rating: 5

Factor Nutrition Labs Ubiquinol CoQ10 (30 ct) – $10.00
Plus, earn $10 mail-in rebate when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $10.00
Net cost after rebate: free
Rating: 5

Arctic Naturals Total Omega, Ultimate or Daily Omega-3 (60 ct) – $15.00
Plus, earn $15 mail-in rebate when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $15.00
Net cost after rebate: free
Rating: 5

BluScience HeartBlu Healthy Heart Support (60 ct) – $14.00
Plus, earn $14 mail-in rebate when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $14.00
Net cost after rebate: free
Rating: 5

Sundown Vitamin D3-1000 IU (100 ct) – $4.00
Plus, earn $4 mail-in rebate when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $4.00
Net cost after rebate: free
Rating: 5

TRUEresult Blood Glucose Meter – $14.99
Plus, earn $14.99 mail-in rebate when you buy 1
Net cost at checkout: $14.99
Net cost after rebate: free
Rating: 5

Other Deals for February 5 – 11

Large Eggs (Grade A, dozen) – $0.99
Rating: 4

Filler Items

Remember that you can never use more manufacturer’s coupons and Register Rewards than items in a single transaction. Sometimes you need to grab a couple small items so that you can equal things out. Here’s some good “fillers” for this week.

Valentines Bags – $0.13 with in-ad coupon, limit 16

Valentine Pencil with Eraser or Disney Activity Pad  -$0.33 with in-ad coupon, limit 6

Valentine Sweethears (1 oz), Wonka Sweetarts (1.5 oz), Mars or Nestle (1-1.2 oz) – $0.39 with in-ad coupon, limit 6

What deals are you going to be doing at Walgreens this week?

There’s a nice new coupon for $1.25 off one Alexia product!  I think these potatoes are around $3 regular price at King Soopers and probably Target and Walmart, too.

•  Update: stack the above coupon with this $1/1 Target store printable (last page for me) to get $2.25 off at Target!

You can also get a coupon for $1 off two Quaker Oatmeal products via Facebook.

Here’s a hot coupon for $5 off a $5 purchase coupon at Michael’s!  It’s valid through Saturday and you’re supposed to be able to print or show the coupon to them on your smartphone.

I am hearing via Money Saving Mom that some people are having trouble redeeming this at their store.  I’m not sure why, since it’s a coupon hosted on Michael’s own website, but just a heads up for you if you try it!

It’s time for this week’s What To Make With What’s On Sale post!  King Soopers’ Mega Event is going on for the second week in a row, and Hunt’s canned tomatoes and paste are $0.49 each, or as cheap as $0.09 each with coupons!

Canned tomatoes are often a preferable substitute for out-of-season fresh tomatoes that are picked before they’re fully ripe.  Canned tomato products typically last up to 18 months at room temperature.  Here are some ideas for how to use canned tomatoes!

Easy Pizza Sauce: Image from Allrecipes

The types of tomatoes grown for canning are chosen for their high ratio of flesh to juice, which means they’re perfect for sauces.  This Easy Pizza Sauce recipe uses a can of tomato paste and a can of tomato sauce.  The petite diced canned tomatoes are a good tomato sauce substitute if you like a chunkier pizza sauce!

Chili is another great way to use canned tomatoes and/or tomato paste.  Many people have their own particular way of making chili, but if you need a foolproof recipe try this one from Tammy’s Recipes.  She even shares several different ideas for using chili — think chili dogs and chili cheese burritos!

Here’s another yummy-looking soup recipe: Ina Garten’s Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.  The recipe calls for both canned and fresh tomatoes (which are also a great price at Sunflower Market this week!)

This Fresh Pasta with Sausage and Mushrooms recipe looks delicious, and it seems easily adaptable for your own family’s taste preferences.  (Chicken sausage, one of the ingredients, is $1.99/lb at Sunflower Market this week as well!)

Spanish Rice Bake: Image from Allrecipes

Canned tomatoes are nice to use in casseroles too; this tasty Spanish Rice Bake is an easy one-dish meal to throw together.

Here’s one last recipe — Blender Salsa — that calls for canned tomatoes.  This recipe is one of my standbys!  I usually have all the ingredients on hand, and throwing them all into the blender is so easy.  Homemade salsa is far better than store-bought, in my opinion!

How do you like to use canned tomatoes?

Check the (NEW!) What To Make With What’s On Sale archives for more meal planning ideas!

We should be getting two coupon inserts in February 5th’s paper: one Smartsource (click here for preview) and one Redplum (click here for preview).  If the previews are close to anything we’ll get in Colorado, the inserts will be pretty slim pickin’s this week.  There should be coupons for brands like Garnier Fructis, Stash Tea, Claritin, and Seattle’s Best.

Don’t forget that you can donate your expired coupons to help the troops!

You can subscribe to the Denver Post through Springs Bargains and get Sunday delivery for $1.25 per week for up to five subscriptions – great if you want to get multiple papers without having to stop by a gas station to pick up extras every week!  The Gazette also offers several deals where you can subscribe for $1 for a year, but if you’ve ever compared the inserts in the past you know that you will want to make sure to subscribe to the Post, too.

Here’s a nice printable coupon that’s popped up today:

Here’s a coupon for 30% off your entire regularly-priced purchase at Family Christian, valid through February 11th.  You can also use it at FamilyChristian.com with code 127268390.

Ordering pizza this weekend?  Take $5 off any delivery order of $25 or more from Extreme Pizza with this coupon – plus, there’s some other valuable coupons on the same page.

Know of any other pizza deals for the Super Bowl?  We may do the frozen pizzas that are on sale at Safeway!

Stagecoach Inn is offering a buy one entree, get one free coupon for this weekend!  Visit their Facebook page to print it off and use it through Sunday, February 5th.  They’re located at 702 Manitou Avenue in Manitou Springs.

Don’t miss this coupon for kids eat free at Carino’s, valid this weekend only!

YoYogurt just opened their fourth location and they’re having a 99¢ yogurt day on Monday to celebrate!  The new store is in Fountain, at 6965 Mesa Ridge Parkway, and you can fill your cup for 99¢ from 11 AM to 10 PM on Monday, February 6th.

King Soopers is doing more “deal of the day” e-coupons with the Buy 10, Save $5 Game Day Greats promotion that’s running!  Friday only, head to the King Soopers site to load a coupon for $2.50 off one 32 oz. Velveeta.

The coupon is valid through February 22, but you must load it to your card today!  Here’s the full scoop on Buy 10, Save $5 promotion.

Carino’s is offering a special kids eat free deal through February 5th – print this coupon or show it on your phone to get one free kid’s meal per adult purchased (up to six free kid’s meals for up to six adult entrees purchased).

Here’s more Colorado Springs kids eat free deals!

Next Thursday, you can use this coupon to get three free bagels at Bruegger’s Bagels!  They’re celebrating their 29th birthday and offering the free bagels deal until 2 PM on Thursday, February 9th.

If you can’t wait until then, sign up for their eClub to get a coupon for a free bagel and cream cheese.  And if you really can’t wait for a free breakfast, stop by Chick-fil-A on Friday!

The Bruegger’s Bagels in Colorado Springs is located at 132 North Tejon Street.

Just a quick reminder that you can grab a free breakfast at Chick-fil-A on Fridays in February!  Tomorrow’s free item is a free chicken or sausage burrito, available at the Garden of the Gods, North Academy, and North Carefree locations from 6 to 10:30 AM.

Go here to find out what they’ll be giving away each week this month!

Whole Foods will have organic California navel oranges on sale for $0.79/lb, Friday only!  We haven’t seen many great deals on oranges this year – in fact, I think non-organic oranges have only dipped below $0.50/lb once – so this is a pretty great price for organic.

The sale is Friday, February 3rd only, so don’t miss it!  Here’s some ideas for what to make with oranges.

I didn’t see many great prices in Whole Foods’ new ad, but Sarah mentioned that Garden of Eatin’ chips (16 oz bag) were on sale for $3 – combine it with the $1/1 printable store coupon and the $1/2 coupon from the 1/22 Smartsource to get two bags for $1.50 each!

King Soopers is doing more “deal of the day” e-coupons with the Buy 10, Save $5 Game Day Greats promotion that’s running!  Thursday only, head to the King Soopers site to load a coupon for a free Pepsi 2 liter when you buy any five (5) Pepsi-Cola 2 liters.

The coupon is valid through February 22, but you must load it to your card today!  Here’s the full scoop on Buy 10, Save $5 promotion.

Ack!  The sweater sale is actually next week, February 10-11!  My apologies for the date mistake.

Arc Thrift Stores will have their entire stock of sweaters on sale for 99¢ this Friday and Saturday, February 10-11!  Plus, if you’re an eClub member, you can print this coupon and show your eClub ID to get $10 off a purchase of $30 or more.

Here are Arc’s locations in Colorado Springs:

• 2780 South Academy Blvd
• 1830 West Uintah
• 4402 Austin Bluffs Parkway

Don’t forget that you can donate to Goodwill through Sunday and get a 20% off coupon for a future purchase!

Here’s a roundup of the best daily deals I’m finding in Colorado Springs for Thursday, February 2nd.

You can get a deal on admission to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs, save on fish tacos and more at La’au’s Taco Shop on North Tejon and save on books, DVD’s and more at The $4 Bookstore on Airport Road.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings: Get admission for one adult and one child for $8 (a $17 value) or for two adults for $9 (a $19 value), or two children ages 7 to 11 (children under 6 are free) for $7 (a $15 value)! Explore the authentic Anasazi structures, the Pueblo-style buildings, clay ovens and more! Visit their website for more information and admission details.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings is located at 10 Cliff Dwellings Road in Manitou Springs.

Buy as many as you like. Limit one voucher per person, per visit. Entire value must be used in a single visit. Expires on August 9, 2012. 

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La’au’s Taco Shop: Enjoy $16 to spend on food and drink for $8! Dine on a mahimahi taco in a corn tortilla, topped with cabbage, mango, and a spicy aji de peru sauce, or choose from burritos, salads, rice bowls, and more!

La’au’s Taco Shop has two locations: 830 North Tejon in Colorado Springs and 1335 Broadway in Boulder.

Buy as may as you like. Limit one per table, per visit. Gratuity not included. Dine-in only. Not valid during happy hour. Entire value must be used in a single visit. Expires on June 5, 2012. 

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The $4 Bookstore: Get $40 to spend on merchandise for $10! Shop new releases to some of the older classics, textbooks, DVD’s and more, all priced $4 or less!

The $4 Bookstore is located at 2515 Airport Road in Colorado Springs.

Limit three per person. May buy three additional as gifts. Not valid with other offers. No cask back. Must use in one visit. Expires on August 2, 2012. 

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Check out our wrap up of daily deals in Denver for more deals including speciality pizza at Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers in Centennial and Denver, enjoy Thai dishes at Thai Mango Noodle Bar in Denver, and more!

iT’Z is offering a special discount on Super Bowl Sunday: get buffets for $2.99 and drinks for $0.99!  Looks like it’s valid all day long on Sunday, February 5th, and you can print this coupon to redeem the offer or pay online ahead of time.

If iT’Z isn’t your thing, check out this 50% off deal for Chipotle on Super Bowl Sunday.

Don’t forget about the free financial seminars for kids coming up at iT’Z!