This one post from Heavenly Homemaker pretty much explains what I have been saying and thinking about saving money with coupons. I spent many months frustrating myself because I wasn't seeing the same amazing savings each month as so many of my couponing comrades around me. I was seeing some savings, but I wasn't coming out of stores with less than a $10 balance nearly every shopping trip. I spent hours, sometimes more hours than I would be working if I had a part-time job, trying to get my lists narrowed down so that I was paying as little out-of-pocket as possible.
One day I reached a break through, and I had a nice long stretch of paying very little money for lots of product. We got past the point of having no food in our house and no money with which to buy any more food. Eventually we had shelves stocked with food, and I would still stand back and say I had nothing to feed my family. My shelves were stocked with canned soups, bread crumbs, boxes and boxes of pasta, and numerous other items--the only of which that was getting used on a semi-consistent basis was the pasta. We don't eat canned soups, we rarely use bread crumbs, DH really doesn't like pasta, and many of the other items were things that just seemed useless, but I'd gotten them for free. I refuse to by processed foods for my family (Hamburger Helper type things, freezer dinners, pasta or rice mixes, etc.), and we don't do any unhealthy drinks (under which category I consider Crystal Light because of the artificial sweetener).
I was recently discussing with someone the reasons we seem to see so little savings in comparison to others around us. But it all comes down to what you are willing to eat and what you're willing to feed your family. Really, the only way to come out spending nothing on groceries is to feed your family a bunch of processed foods and beverages loaded with artificial sweetener, artificial coloring, and artificial flavoring. When you're trying to adhere to a special diet, for health reasons or by choice, couponing may not seem as beneficial to you. But be it great or small, I am still saving money.
I believe it is just as important to be good stewards of the bodies God gave us as we are of the money God gave us. We can scrounge for coupons and deals, buy out stock at a store, and hoard a year's supply of product in our homes, but what are we doing to the vessels God gave us to care for? I'm a firm believer that many of the illnesses that surround us today could have been prevented by healthier eating. I am by no means a health-freak. That wouldn't fit within our budget, not mention I don't think the picky eaters in this family could survive such a diet. One way I try to keep my family healthy is that I make nearly everything fresh and/or from scratch. By doing so I may be spending more money on a bag of whole-wheat flour and a block of cheese and some produce than I would on several boxes boxes of frozen pizza, but the flour will go a long way (can't say as much for the cheese--we like a lot on our pizza!), and there aren't any added preservatives in our meal. And with three dozen boxes of pasta on the shelf, why on earth do I need a few dozen boxes of hamburger helper when I could make the mix from scratch without the astronomical amounts of sodium? Fruit may be a bit pricey, but it's definitely much healthier than a package of congealed, fruit flavored, dinosaurs or Doras.
We hear all the time about the rise of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but the American people seem to push these warning to a back shelf as if they are invincible. My jaw hits the floor every time I pick up a box of prepackaged food just to look at the nutritional facts and I see the sodium content. Sodium in prepackaged foods (as well as what is sprinkled on to the food after it has been prepared!) is just as life threatening to our children as sugar. (Here is one report I read regarding sodium in American diets.)
But it's not just a matter of what we are feeding our families now. But consider what habits our children are learning and forming. True, we may be teaching them frugality. We may be teaching them to give to others from the surplus. But what about the eating habits our children are forming? If we start our children at such young ages with the habit of eating such unhealthy foods, what are we teaching our children about caring for our bodies, not just our bank accounts? They have very little hope of making it to their adult years without blood pressure issues--especially if there is already heart disease in their family. And before throwing out the excuse that no one in your family has heart disease or diabetes, realize that of the millions of Americans who now find themselves with one or both of those conditions, prior to diagnosis they could have said the same thing.
By no means am I saying don't be a crazy couponer, but I would like to challenge my couponing comrades to think a little bit about the items you're saving money on. You may be saving money now, but is it costing the life of yourself or someone in your family?
Showing posts with label coupons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coupons. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday Market
Saturday my husband decided we would do our grocery shopping together while we were out running other errands. Believe it or not, I think I prefer shopping with just myself and the kids! He's not really that bad, but to me it always seems to take longer when he tags along. I'm more purposeful and walk through a store as if my britches are on fire, he's very laid back and relaxed. He hunch over the shopping cart with his elbows resting on the handle bars and idly pushes the cart through the store. It was beneficial to have him on this trip since my daughter decided she needed to take an extended vacation to the restroom--I didn't have to haul my youngest daughter and all of my coupon/purse stuffs into the bathroom with me. :)
Okay with the sarcasm, Saturday was a great trip! We have my oldest daughter on almond milk, and I plan to keep our kids on non-cow's milk. This past week Publix had Silk almond milk 2/$5, and there had been a $2/1 printable coupon available. Through the graciousness of many acquaintances and friends alike...and some people I don't even know...I was able to pull together nearly 20 coupons. Some of them I didn't acquire until after this shopping trip, so I'll redeem those tomorrow before the sale ends. So Saturday alone I was able to purchase $56 worth of milk for only $8! (Sorry to my FB friends, I believe I calculated wrong the other day and posted the totals wrong. :/ )
I came out of the store with 6 bags of Banquet nuggets, 16 cartons (there's 6 in that case in the picture) of almond milk, 2 marinades, 2 salad dressings (which around here are also marinades), 2 packs of slivered almonds, 2 packs of craisins, 2 boxes of granola bars (which DH had just been asking for!), 2 bags of pretzels, 2 bags of Sunchips, a bottle of vitamins, and 4 boxes of pasta (as if I really need anymore, but I'm trying to keep a continuous supply instead of buying so much en masse)...and what is the total you want to know? I paid $38.28 oop, and will be getting back a $10 rebate gift card!
I also hit up Staples on Friday to take advantage of the free printer paper deal. I bought 2 packs of HP ColorLock paper at $5.99, used 2 $1/1 coupons (had to do this in two transactions), and submitted for the $4.99 rebate. I used their easy rebate, which I had misunderstood the easiness of it. I had been told that you can get the rebate back by PayPal rather than waiting 4-6 weeks for it to come by check. But I understood that to mean that the rebate would be rather quick. However, when I submitted it, it still said a processing time of 4-6 weeks, it will just go to my PayPal rather than a check being mailed. Oh, well. It's money back in the bank at some point in time!
So we're now a little low on funds for this month's grocery budget, but out of this month we're getting back $30 in rebates. ($10 in gas cards from the Kellogg's cereal last week, $10 from the Staples paper deal, and $10 from the Banquet/Con Agra deal)
Okay with the sarcasm, Saturday was a great trip! We have my oldest daughter on almond milk, and I plan to keep our kids on non-cow's milk. This past week Publix had Silk almond milk 2/$5, and there had been a $2/1 printable coupon available. Through the graciousness of many acquaintances and friends alike...and some people I don't even know...I was able to pull together nearly 20 coupons. Some of them I didn't acquire until after this shopping trip, so I'll redeem those tomorrow before the sale ends. So Saturday alone I was able to purchase $56 worth of milk for only $8! (Sorry to my FB friends, I believe I calculated wrong the other day and posted the totals wrong. :/ )
I came out of the store with 6 bags of Banquet nuggets, 16 cartons (there's 6 in that case in the picture) of almond milk, 2 marinades, 2 salad dressings (which around here are also marinades), 2 packs of slivered almonds, 2 packs of craisins, 2 boxes of granola bars (which DH had just been asking for!), 2 bags of pretzels, 2 bags of Sunchips, a bottle of vitamins, and 4 boxes of pasta (as if I really need anymore, but I'm trying to keep a continuous supply instead of buying so much en masse)...and what is the total you want to know? I paid $38.28 oop, and will be getting back a $10 rebate gift card!
I also hit up Staples on Friday to take advantage of the free printer paper deal. I bought 2 packs of HP ColorLock paper at $5.99, used 2 $1/1 coupons (had to do this in two transactions), and submitted for the $4.99 rebate. I used their easy rebate, which I had misunderstood the easiness of it. I had been told that you can get the rebate back by PayPal rather than waiting 4-6 weeks for it to come by check. But I understood that to mean that the rebate would be rather quick. However, when I submitted it, it still said a processing time of 4-6 weeks, it will just go to my PayPal rather than a check being mailed. Oh, well. It's money back in the bank at some point in time!
So we're now a little low on funds for this month's grocery budget, but out of this month we're getting back $30 in rebates. ($10 in gas cards from the Kellogg's cereal last week, $10 from the Staples paper deal, and $10 from the Banquet/Con Agra deal)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Market Monday
Well, I'm a day late, but definitely not a dollar short!
For the first time in months I actually did a drug store run. And I think for the first time ever both CVS and Walgreens were successful trips without any glitches...well there was one small "glitch" that I noticed after getting home, so I'll go get it "fixed."
The other day I did a quick Publix run to use up some expiring coupons. I came out with all of this for $10.89!
My Walgreens trip was quick, simple, and profitable. Got mine and my husband's favorite Easter candies for cheap! I got the M&Ms for $1 a bag!! Sadly, I didn't have a coupon for the Cadburry's, but they were still a great price anyway. I did the toothpastes first in two transactions, and put the combined $6RR toward my third transaction which included the candies and the tissues. I started with no RRs and my goal was to leave with no RRs so I didn't have to stress over remembering to use them up later. So I paid $7.36 for all of this. I was surprised until I realized that I'd failed to calculate tax before going. Tax on this was more than one bag of M&Ms!
CVS was again, quick, simple, profitable, and I thought uneventful. When I got home I realized that my ECBs didn't print for one of the toothpastes, so I guess I grabbed the wrong one. I'll go back to exchange it and hope that they still honor the coupon price that was used...if not I'll just return it.
And last but not least, Publix. This didn't turn out as great as I would have liked. I ended up needing to split the transaction between two stores because one was out of the cereal. That messed up the number of $/$$ coupons I was able to use. I would have had $15 if I'd been able to do this all at one spot. As it is, I still was able to use one $5 coupon for each transaction.
I also ended up picking up a few extra items that I hadn't previously known an amount for, so I hadn't worked that into my calculated total. The internet list that I'd printed off of Southern Savers didn't list the Campbell's soup sale, so I'd also forgotten to include that. So my total in store jumped about $12 from what I'd planned before walking into the store. But since I was still saving money on items I needed, I didn't feel too bad about it. I also wasn't able to dig up any of the $1/2 Kellogg's coupons for the Smacks, but my husband really likes those, and I figured the free milk helped balance out that purchase. :) And sadly, that cereal won't last as long as people might think it should. But I must commend my husband, he's gotten much better at rationing his cereal and practicing self control. But he could seriously happily live off of cereal and rice--speaking of rice, they were all out of that so the poor man must suffer with pasta for at least one more night. :) My most exciting purchase for myself was the Campbell's cream of mushroom soups! My daughter seems to be tolerating dairy pretty well, and I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to cook with cream of mushroom soup again!! The hummus was my only splurge item because it's something I've been wanting to try anyway. Now, how do you eat hummus? With something, in a recipe, or by itself?
So, to summarize Publix, spent $41.07, saved $94.64. Purchased 51 items and used 23 coupons. Not the best savings margine ever, but good, and I got stuff we really needed!
For the first time in months I actually did a drug store run. And I think for the first time ever both CVS and Walgreens were successful trips without any glitches...well there was one small "glitch" that I noticed after getting home, so I'll go get it "fixed."
The other day I did a quick Publix run to use up some expiring coupons. I came out with all of this for $10.89!
My Walgreens trip was quick, simple, and profitable. Got mine and my husband's favorite Easter candies for cheap! I got the M&Ms for $1 a bag!! Sadly, I didn't have a coupon for the Cadburry's, but they were still a great price anyway. I did the toothpastes first in two transactions, and put the combined $6RR toward my third transaction which included the candies and the tissues. I started with no RRs and my goal was to leave with no RRs so I didn't have to stress over remembering to use them up later. So I paid $7.36 for all of this. I was surprised until I realized that I'd failed to calculate tax before going. Tax on this was more than one bag of M&Ms!
CVS was again, quick, simple, profitable, and I thought uneventful. When I got home I realized that my ECBs didn't print for one of the toothpastes, so I guess I grabbed the wrong one. I'll go back to exchange it and hope that they still honor the coupon price that was used...if not I'll just return it.
And last but not least, Publix. This didn't turn out as great as I would have liked. I ended up needing to split the transaction between two stores because one was out of the cereal. That messed up the number of $/$$ coupons I was able to use. I would have had $15 if I'd been able to do this all at one spot. As it is, I still was able to use one $5 coupon for each transaction.
I also ended up picking up a few extra items that I hadn't previously known an amount for, so I hadn't worked that into my calculated total. The internet list that I'd printed off of Southern Savers didn't list the Campbell's soup sale, so I'd also forgotten to include that. So my total in store jumped about $12 from what I'd planned before walking into the store. But since I was still saving money on items I needed, I didn't feel too bad about it. I also wasn't able to dig up any of the $1/2 Kellogg's coupons for the Smacks, but my husband really likes those, and I figured the free milk helped balance out that purchase. :) And sadly, that cereal won't last as long as people might think it should. But I must commend my husband, he's gotten much better at rationing his cereal and practicing self control. But he could seriously happily live off of cereal and rice--speaking of rice, they were all out of that so the poor man must suffer with pasta for at least one more night. :) My most exciting purchase for myself was the Campbell's cream of mushroom soups! My daughter seems to be tolerating dairy pretty well, and I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to cook with cream of mushroom soup again!! The hummus was my only splurge item because it's something I've been wanting to try anyway. Now, how do you eat hummus? With something, in a recipe, or by itself?So, to summarize Publix, spent $41.07, saved $94.64. Purchased 51 items and used 23 coupons. Not the best savings margine ever, but good, and I got stuff we really needed!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday Market
I've revived! I was so busy last week I barely had a chance to realize that I hadn't blogged. I started doing a blog post for my daughter's birthday last week, but just didn't get it finished. Now I'll be able to include the fun memories from her birthday party as well!
Last week there was no Market Monday because we only had $2 left to our names for the rest of the month--due to a bit of miscommunication with our new insurance company and when they were suppose to draft! However, the Lord blessed us with some extra money this past weekend which allowed us to have some grocery money this morning. I feel almost guilty for using some of that money toward Oreos--but they came out as "free" after coupons, so there goes the guilt. :)
$20.55
This past week Winn-Dixie had an online printable coupon for $5/$30, so I wanted to work that to my advantage! I worked together $60 worth of groceries on my list and headed to the store. I used 2 of those coupons, and had vouchers from Nabisco and Lender's due to customer satisfaction issues, so the bagels and one pack of Oreos were free! I have never bought fruit gummies for my kids, and still not sure what I think about it, but with them being BOGO and the $4/4 coupon, I figure it couldn't hurt to have them around as an occasional treat! My husband has the world's biggest sweet tooth, and rarely do I give in to it with candy--which is really his preference over baked goods. So I got him some of the BOGO candy, but will try to keep it hidden til Easter! I picked up some more Kraft dressing to use as marinades for freezing my meats, and love that Bertolli pasta sauce, so couldn't resist that! The french fries were a splurge for my daughter. She loves chicken and french fries, which was always something she would get when she went to eat lunch at work with Daddy. However, she is no longer eats for free at the dining room where he eats, so her lunches with Daddy will become much more infrequent. :(
This week seem to have been more of "splurge" items, but I'm trying to get my wheels out of some ruts. I've overcome the hill of, "I have a coupon so I have to buy it!" And I've even gotten over the hill of, "I don't have a coupon, so we can't buy it!" But I haven't fully gotten past, "It's not on sale, so we can't get it." There are many items and things that we use to eat and enjoy that we haven't had in ages because they never go on sale or if they do the don't have a coupon match up, so I write it off as an unnecessary expense. However, as my husband keeps urging me, if it's something I'll eat, it's not an unnecessary expense. (Although, I'm pretty sure Oreos wasn't what he had in mind when he said that!) But this week I enjoyed relaxing myself a little bit and getting not just necessities, but a few pleasure items--which many worked out to FREE because of using two of the $5/$30 coupons--so it wasn't so bad! The crescent rolls were one of the items my husband was referring to with his statement, so I excitedly grabbed two of those. I LOVE Pillsbury crescent rolls!
So, in summary, I bought 32 items, used 17 coupons, spent $20.55, and saved $71.22!
Last week there was no Market Monday because we only had $2 left to our names for the rest of the month--due to a bit of miscommunication with our new insurance company and when they were suppose to draft! However, the Lord blessed us with some extra money this past weekend which allowed us to have some grocery money this morning. I feel almost guilty for using some of that money toward Oreos--but they came out as "free" after coupons, so there goes the guilt. :)
$20.55This week seem to have been more of "splurge" items, but I'm trying to get my wheels out of some ruts. I've overcome the hill of, "I have a coupon so I have to buy it!" And I've even gotten over the hill of, "I don't have a coupon, so we can't buy it!" But I haven't fully gotten past, "It's not on sale, so we can't get it." There are many items and things that we use to eat and enjoy that we haven't had in ages because they never go on sale or if they do the don't have a coupon match up, so I write it off as an unnecessary expense. However, as my husband keeps urging me, if it's something I'll eat, it's not an unnecessary expense. (Although, I'm pretty sure Oreos wasn't what he had in mind when he said that!) But this week I enjoyed relaxing myself a little bit and getting not just necessities, but a few pleasure items--which many worked out to FREE because of using two of the $5/$30 coupons--so it wasn't so bad! The crescent rolls were one of the items my husband was referring to with his statement, so I excitedly grabbed two of those. I LOVE Pillsbury crescent rolls!
So, in summary, I bought 32 items, used 17 coupons, spent $20.55, and saved $71.22!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday Market
This last week has been SO busy getting ready for our local Mom2Mom swap that I hadn't even had a chance to really look at the sales ads, I just knew I needed to take advantage of the gas coupon! Well, we've already used up our gas budget for the month (thanks to the gas prices!) so the gas gift card was coming out of our grocery money, which we already determined we were trying to keep low this month. So, as much as I would have loved to snag a few of those gift cards, I had to restrict myself to just one. :(
So, I got all the stuff that I could get for pretty much free! :) Here's what I got--25 grocery items + a $50 gas gift card, and I only spent $41.66! Wish I'd had more Raisin Bran coupons, or a way of getting it cheaper. That's my husband's favorite!
No, the tractor in the background was not included in our trip! It's one of those horribly noisy toys that makes noise when you move it, and my girls were sleeping. I decided it could stay in the picture. :)
Poor Emma got excited about the smoothies, but can't have them Guess we'll be making some custom ones! Can't wait for summer so we can put more blueberries in the freezer! A few weeks ago she'd specially requested Capri Sun's for her birthday. I hope these Minute Maids will suffice!
So, I got all the stuff that I could get for pretty much free! :) Here's what I got--25 grocery items + a $50 gas gift card, and I only spent $41.66! Wish I'd had more Raisin Bran coupons, or a way of getting it cheaper. That's my husband's favorite!
No, the tractor in the background was not included in our trip! It's one of those horribly noisy toys that makes noise when you move it, and my girls were sleeping. I decided it could stay in the picture. :)
Poor Emma got excited about the smoothies, but can't have them Guess we'll be making some custom ones! Can't wait for summer so we can put more blueberries in the freezer! A few weeks ago she'd specially requested Capri Sun's for her birthday. I hope these Minute Maids will suffice!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday Market
I know I'm a day late, but I was too tired yesterday to do anything more than I absolutely had to. Not sure why I've been so tired lately...but I have confirmation that it's not the first thing that popped into everyone's head (although I definitely would not complain if it were!). :)
Yesterday was a simple shopping day, as I'm anticipating all month. We are well stocked on many things and don't really need to spend much grocery money. This will be a big blessing this month as yesterday had an unexpected expense that nearly brought me to tears of frustration.
I'm still keeping this short and simple. I paid $7.41 and saved $23.04. The bakery item was a splurge for my husband. He grew up in Europe with real bread, and Publix bakery just started a new line of Italian inspired rolls that are par-baked in a stone oven. He loved it!
The Quaker cereal is one of my girls' favorite snack foods--and pretty healthy too!
Yesterday was a simple shopping day, as I'm anticipating all month. We are well stocked on many things and don't really need to spend much grocery money. This will be a big blessing this month as yesterday had an unexpected expense that nearly brought me to tears of frustration.
I'm still keeping this short and simple. I paid $7.41 and saved $23.04. The bakery item was a splurge for my husband. He grew up in Europe with real bread, and Publix bakery just started a new line of Italian inspired rolls that are par-baked in a stone oven. He loved it!
The Quaker cereal is one of my girls' favorite snack foods--and pretty healthy too!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Market Monday
Very rarely does a Publix shopping trip go by without me praising the Lord for the people who have patiently taught and guided me into the world of coupons and savings. When once we lived not even making it from paycheck to paycheck, and savings was a dream far off in the future, we now end each month with money still in our bank account, we have a savings account with money in it, and we've invested in life insurance policies. This is made possible by God's great love and provision for us, and He uses coupons as a means to help us spend (and save) our money more wisely.
This week I again drove out to the more coupon-friendly Publix--although a bit hesitantly since my gas light was on when I turned the car on! I called my husband to see how many miles I was suppose to get, and we decided I could make it there and back. I looked at the odometer when we were only half-way home, and we were already 8 miles over how far my husband said we could go on the tank. I was a little nervous! But we had a goal not to fill up again this month. :) Perhaps a bit silly, and we'll see if I can even get the car to the gas station tomorrow!
I had an unusual experience in the store today. I had just stopped in the middle of the store to put Edith in the carrier (she had bumped her head on the cart and was starting to get sleepy, so wasn't settling down. I was going to need extra room in the cart anyway), and another lady with a cart full items similar to the items in my cart, stopped me to make sure I had all the coupons I needed because she had extra! I'd seen other couponers in the stores, obviously, but no one ever stopped me. We chatted for a few minutes, and then she asked me if I had the coupons for the Mueller's pasta brand. I was starting to brush off her offer when she said they were a money maker! I got excited. My first thought was the close to 20 boxes of pasta already on my shelf. My second thought was, "Yes! Less money I'll have to spend!" She handed me a wad of coupons--12 to be exact--and then continued her shopping. Each of those coupons made me $.61! It was as if that lady had just handed me $3.66 cash!
One nice thing about the Publix I went to--they didn't make me do separate transactions of $50 in order to use my competitor coupon of $5/$50.
Probably the only other thing I'll have to buy this month (March) will be basic baking supplies and meat and whatever we'll need for Emma's birthday that I don't already have. She's requested Capri Sun's for her birthday, so I'm hoping the may go on sale (or I may just get them at Sam's). I don't think she even knows what they are, but twice when we've been on the juice aisle the over the last few shopping trips, she's asked if we could have those for her birthday. I was going to do just water, but I told her we'll see. :)
Today I came home with 109 items, and I only paid $18.11!
(oh, and the cutie in the corner: PRICELESS!)
On the Dorito/Pepsi deal I decided to make it a money-maker rather than take full advantage of the deal and getting 4 free Pepsis. These items will be for my sister. She has mid-term exams coming up, so this snack food along with a nice, yummy pizza should be just the right distraction!
I have one full-price item in here, and that's the vegan butter ($3.79) for the cookies my daughter wants to make.
Free or overage items:
16 Uncle Ben's rice 1.99 BOGO - 16 x $1/1 coupon = FREE (I spent $2.40 on coupons)
2 lbs strwaberries @ 1.66/lb - 2 x $1/1 produce wyb OM Deli Fresh - $1/1 babyclub q = -$.32
12 Mueller's pasta 1.39 BOGO - 12 $1/1 coupon = -$3.66
10 Mentos 0.50 - 10 x $.50/1 coupon = FREE
2 baguettes 1.49 - 2 x $1.50/1 bakery bread wyb 6 Hunts sauce/paste = FREE
In addition to "regular" coupons, I used 2 $5/20 select items Publix coupons and 2 $5/$50 competitor store coupons. That's and easy $20 off!
This week I again drove out to the more coupon-friendly Publix--although a bit hesitantly since my gas light was on when I turned the car on! I called my husband to see how many miles I was suppose to get, and we decided I could make it there and back. I looked at the odometer when we were only half-way home, and we were already 8 miles over how far my husband said we could go on the tank. I was a little nervous! But we had a goal not to fill up again this month. :) Perhaps a bit silly, and we'll see if I can even get the car to the gas station tomorrow!
I had an unusual experience in the store today. I had just stopped in the middle of the store to put Edith in the carrier (she had bumped her head on the cart and was starting to get sleepy, so wasn't settling down. I was going to need extra room in the cart anyway), and another lady with a cart full items similar to the items in my cart, stopped me to make sure I had all the coupons I needed because she had extra! I'd seen other couponers in the stores, obviously, but no one ever stopped me. We chatted for a few minutes, and then she asked me if I had the coupons for the Mueller's pasta brand. I was starting to brush off her offer when she said they were a money maker! I got excited. My first thought was the close to 20 boxes of pasta already on my shelf. My second thought was, "Yes! Less money I'll have to spend!" She handed me a wad of coupons--12 to be exact--and then continued her shopping. Each of those coupons made me $.61! It was as if that lady had just handed me $3.66 cash!
One nice thing about the Publix I went to--they didn't make me do separate transactions of $50 in order to use my competitor coupon of $5/$50.
Probably the only other thing I'll have to buy this month (March) will be basic baking supplies and meat and whatever we'll need for Emma's birthday that I don't already have. She's requested Capri Sun's for her birthday, so I'm hoping the may go on sale (or I may just get them at Sam's). I don't think she even knows what they are, but twice when we've been on the juice aisle the over the last few shopping trips, she's asked if we could have those for her birthday. I was going to do just water, but I told her we'll see. :)
Today I came home with 109 items, and I only paid $18.11!(oh, and the cutie in the corner: PRICELESS!)
On the Dorito/Pepsi deal I decided to make it a money-maker rather than take full advantage of the deal and getting 4 free Pepsis. These items will be for my sister. She has mid-term exams coming up, so this snack food along with a nice, yummy pizza should be just the right distraction!
I have one full-price item in here, and that's the vegan butter ($3.79) for the cookies my daughter wants to make.
Free or overage items:
16 Uncle Ben's rice 1.99 BOGO - 16 x $1/1 coupon = FREE (I spent $2.40 on coupons)
2 lbs strwaberries @ 1.66/lb - 2 x $1/1 produce wyb OM Deli Fresh - $1/1 babyclub q = -$.32
12 Mueller's pasta 1.39 BOGO - 12 $1/1 coupon = -$3.66
10 Mentos 0.50 - 10 x $.50/1 coupon = FREE
2 baguettes 1.49 - 2 x $1.50/1 bakery bread wyb 6 Hunts sauce/paste = FREE
In addition to "regular" coupons, I used 2 $5/20 select items Publix coupons and 2 $5/$50 competitor store coupons. That's and easy $20 off!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Market Monday - Exciting Savings and a Bit of Toddler Drama
Well, I hadn't planned on having this post this week, because I hadn't planned to do any shopping this week. Ironically, the week that everyone was getting their best-ever deals and savings at Publix is the week that I looked at the ad and said, "Oh, that won't benefit us. I won't do any shopping this week." Then my sister (a college student) commented that she'd like some past fixings for her room. Well, at least she told me while they were still on sale!
So I pulled up I Heart Publix and hunted down the coupons for the deals. I almost felt deceitful doing it, but I drove out to the one (out of the four) Publix's in our area that is super lenient on their coupon rules, because I had some coupons that would triple stack. I'm not sure how (and I'm not complaining) but I came out paying a little bit less than I anticipated. The cashier didn't really pay attention to my coupons, and since I'm pretty positive they were all correct, I'm assuming I just worked my numbers wrong. The only "bummer" was that the store wouldn't let me have overage. I really don't get that since it seems all my couponing buddies seem to get overage from time to time. She went to scan my last coupon, and it wouldn't let her because it would have brought it to a negative. I asked if they could just change the value of the coupon, and she said "no". So, instead I paid $.70 for most of this...
...plus two candies that didn't make it home. :) I had the BOGO Snickers coupon, and was going to get that as a filler item at Publix, but they didn't have the right bar for the coupon. Poor Emma--I had told her I'd get her a special treat because she had been really good and very helpful while in the store. When they were out of the candy she was disappointed, but kept a good attitude (something we've been working on, so I was proud of her!). She was, of course, offered a balloon. At our usual Publix the bring the balloon with either a clip or some weight tied to it so the child is less likely to lose the balloon, or they at least tie it on my kids wrist for me. Well, here the manager came and handed them to me while I was in the midst of paying, so while forking over my $0.70 and waiting for my receipt, I loosely tied the balloon to Emma's wrist (so we could easily get it off to put her in her car seat) and the other to Edith's ankle. As we were walking out of the store, a gust of wind blew, and there went Emma's balloon. She was devastated, but was still working out not fussing about it. The kind gentleman helping us to the car offered to get her another balloon. I felt bad, but he offered, and because I really wanted Emma to be rewarded for how well behaved she was being, I accepted his offer. I continued on to the car with our things while he went back inside for another balloon. I had everything in the car, including the girls, when he returned with a very large balloon. Emma thanked him, and I got her buckled in. As we were pulling out of the parking lot I hear POP! Poor Emma was shocked, and then she could contain her disappointment no longer. She began to just wail. Part of her cry I could tell was because she'd been frightened. The balloon hurt her when it snapped, I think she was more scared that it had hurt her than of the actual noise. So, I promised her we would go get a special treat. I pulled out my Wendy's "free fries" coupon that I'd been holding out on, and treated her to some fries and nuggets--the we tracked down that candy bar at Wal-Mart.
So, back to the shopping trip. We price matched some produce at Wal-Mart and got 20lbs of potatoes for $3 and a few pounds of grapes at $.99/lb. I literally walked to every single check out line looking for the Peanut Butter Snickers that was covered by the coupon, and found ONE left at the last check out line! Honestly, I wasn't impressed, but it was free. :)
My husband ran out the other night because I was desperate for some real milk, and our local Facebook coupon support group had a notice on it of a local supermarket that had a coupon out for a free gallon of milk with the purchase of 4 Kellogg's cereals. Well, since Kellogg's cereals were BOGO at Publix this week, we decided to take advantage of another great deal, since we seriously can never have enough cereal in this house! (I love Oreos and ice cream more than my husband, and he loves cereal more than me---just kidding!) He found peelies on the boxes for $1 off produce wyb 2 boxes of cereal. Sadly, I failed to get a picture of his amazing deal that he pulled off at Publix, but I'll list it out for you instead:
4 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes $4.09/ea - BOGO = 8.18
- 2 - $1/2 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes 6.18
1 Milk 3.35 - Competitor Coupon = 0.00
Grapes 1.26lb @ 1.69/lb - $1 coupon 1.13
3 Bananas 1.03lb @ .69/lb -$1 couopn -.29
Total = $7.02
Another shopping adventure that took place this weekend, but was not photographed (and did not include food) was a trip to JoAnn's Fabrics. They had Simplicity patterns for $1/each. Some of the patterns I got were regularly priced at almost $17! We also found some storage bins on clearance for $.97, and got a cutting mat for our rotary cutter for clipping coupons. In all I paid around $18 for 3 storage bins, a cutting mat, and 7 patterns, and my receipt said I saved $97+. (I don't have the receipt in front of me at the moment.
So, I didn't stick to my goal of not shopping, but I'm pleased with what I got. My sister has enough soup, rice, and pasta to last her probably through the summer, and I paid $.70 for all of it!
So I pulled up I Heart Publix and hunted down the coupons for the deals. I almost felt deceitful doing it, but I drove out to the one (out of the four) Publix's in our area that is super lenient on their coupon rules, because I had some coupons that would triple stack. I'm not sure how (and I'm not complaining) but I came out paying a little bit less than I anticipated. The cashier didn't really pay attention to my coupons, and since I'm pretty positive they were all correct, I'm assuming I just worked my numbers wrong. The only "bummer" was that the store wouldn't let me have overage. I really don't get that since it seems all my couponing buddies seem to get overage from time to time. She went to scan my last coupon, and it wouldn't let her because it would have brought it to a negative. I asked if they could just change the value of the coupon, and she said "no". So, instead I paid $.70 for most of this...
...plus two candies that didn't make it home. :) I had the BOGO Snickers coupon, and was going to get that as a filler item at Publix, but they didn't have the right bar for the coupon. Poor Emma--I had told her I'd get her a special treat because she had been really good and very helpful while in the store. When they were out of the candy she was disappointed, but kept a good attitude (something we've been working on, so I was proud of her!). She was, of course, offered a balloon. At our usual Publix the bring the balloon with either a clip or some weight tied to it so the child is less likely to lose the balloon, or they at least tie it on my kids wrist for me. Well, here the manager came and handed them to me while I was in the midst of paying, so while forking over my $0.70 and waiting for my receipt, I loosely tied the balloon to Emma's wrist (so we could easily get it off to put her in her car seat) and the other to Edith's ankle. As we were walking out of the store, a gust of wind blew, and there went Emma's balloon. She was devastated, but was still working out not fussing about it. The kind gentleman helping us to the car offered to get her another balloon. I felt bad, but he offered, and because I really wanted Emma to be rewarded for how well behaved she was being, I accepted his offer. I continued on to the car with our things while he went back inside for another balloon. I had everything in the car, including the girls, when he returned with a very large balloon. Emma thanked him, and I got her buckled in. As we were pulling out of the parking lot I hear POP! Poor Emma was shocked, and then she could contain her disappointment no longer. She began to just wail. Part of her cry I could tell was because she'd been frightened. The balloon hurt her when it snapped, I think she was more scared that it had hurt her than of the actual noise. So, I promised her we would go get a special treat. I pulled out my Wendy's "free fries" coupon that I'd been holding out on, and treated her to some fries and nuggets--the we tracked down that candy bar at Wal-Mart.So, back to the shopping trip. We price matched some produce at Wal-Mart and got 20lbs of potatoes for $3 and a few pounds of grapes at $.99/lb. I literally walked to every single check out line looking for the Peanut Butter Snickers that was covered by the coupon, and found ONE left at the last check out line! Honestly, I wasn't impressed, but it was free. :)
My husband ran out the other night because I was desperate for some real milk, and our local Facebook coupon support group had a notice on it of a local supermarket that had a coupon out for a free gallon of milk with the purchase of 4 Kellogg's cereals. Well, since Kellogg's cereals were BOGO at Publix this week, we decided to take advantage of another great deal, since we seriously can never have enough cereal in this house! (I love Oreos and ice cream more than my husband, and he loves cereal more than me---just kidding!) He found peelies on the boxes for $1 off produce wyb 2 boxes of cereal. Sadly, I failed to get a picture of his amazing deal that he pulled off at Publix, but I'll list it out for you instead:
4 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes $4.09/ea - BOGO = 8.18
- 2 - $1/2 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes 6.18
1 Milk 3.35 - Competitor Coupon = 0.00
Grapes 1.26lb @ 1.69/lb - $1 coupon 1.13
3 Bananas 1.03lb @ .69/lb -$1 couopn -.29
Total = $7.02
Another shopping adventure that took place this weekend, but was not photographed (and did not include food) was a trip to JoAnn's Fabrics. They had Simplicity patterns for $1/each. Some of the patterns I got were regularly priced at almost $17! We also found some storage bins on clearance for $.97, and got a cutting mat for our rotary cutter for clipping coupons. In all I paid around $18 for 3 storage bins, a cutting mat, and 7 patterns, and my receipt said I saved $97+. (I don't have the receipt in front of me at the moment.
So, I didn't stick to my goal of not shopping, but I'm pleased with what I got. My sister has enough soup, rice, and pasta to last her probably through the summer, and I paid $.70 for all of it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tasty Tuesday - Recipe Calculator
I've been trying to create one of these for a while now. My husband could have done it (since it's a big part of what he does for a living!), but he just hasn't had the time to sit down and mess with it. But, Richelle over at The Coupon Clipper has created an awesome recipe calculator! I've already spent most of nap time customizing to my items and prices, and have even figured out a few recipe costs! It cost me $.50 to make pizza crust, and my granola bars came to a whoppin' $4.03! A bit more than I would have thought, but considering this feeds us for two days, and we live off of it for those two days, that's not bad! And it's healthy!
Here's a link-up to Richelle's guest post over at Money Saving Mom. I hope I'm not the only one who will enjoy this resourceful tool!
Here's a link-up to Richelle's guest post over at Money Saving Mom. I hope I'm not the only one who will enjoy this resourceful tool!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Market Monday
Well, nothing too exciting for this past week. It started out as a bad week because I TOTALLY blew it at CVS last week. I went in there to redeem a raincheck, get cheap laundry soap, and use up my ECBs that were expiring. I was also in a rush to pick up something from the pharmacy before it closed and get to church on time. My husband had handed me his debit card for the pharmacy (I never use a debit card anymore.), and I guess because I had it in my hand, I unthinkingly handed that to the cashier when he gave me my total for the detergent. I remember thinking, "I wasn't suppose to pay that much." But I was distracted by the sound of the pharmacy rolling down their gate, and just brushed it aside as another one of my messed-up drug store runs. When I got to the car, I realized my mistake. I seriously howled in frustration!
Later in the week I messed up at Publix, but it was "only" a $5 error, so not really the end of the world.
Tonight, I ran into Publix just to grab some of the dairy-free margarine that we use for my daughter. It's really not my preference, but it usually ends up being the cheapest option.
I just looked at next week's Sneak Peek on I Heart Publix, and next week isn't looking too exciting either. I think I may actually go a week without buying anything! Of course, there's always those little baking necessities that you never realize you're almost out of until you're half-way through mixing all the ingredients together. (Please tell me I'm not the only person that happens to!)
Later in the week I messed up at Publix, but it was "only" a $5 error, so not really the end of the world.
Tonight, I ran into Publix just to grab some of the dairy-free margarine that we use for my daughter. It's really not my preference, but it usually ends up being the cheapest option.
I just looked at next week's Sneak Peek on I Heart Publix, and next week isn't looking too exciting either. I think I may actually go a week without buying anything! Of course, there's always those little baking necessities that you never realize you're almost out of until you're half-way through mixing all the ingredients together. (Please tell me I'm not the only person that happens to!)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday Market
A review of my last few shopping trips. Today and yesterday was incredible! I'm blessed to live in the land of Publix! This past weekend we enjoyed all of Kellogg's cereals and Pop-Tarts at 50% off. Though this is not much different from a BOGO sale, it was beneficial if you only had an odd number of coupons. My husband is a cereal hound--he could seriously eat a box of cereal in one sitting. I find this incredible because I can't really stand cereal, so I don't understand someone eating a whole box in one sitting! So, anytime we can get cereal for cheap (or free) we stock up as much as we can!
I did my real shopping trip today. Since my mother has been in town, I've been a little slower about getting my list and coupons together. But I've been trying to convince her that all of this coupon-stuff is worth the effort. So I dragged her to Publix with me this morning and proved it. We got 30 items, two of which were Poise pads for my mom (and for the Kimberly-Clark rebate). Each of these packages are over $13. My complete transaction total came to $23.29! That's about $3 less than just the two packs of pads for my mom! I was so thrilled to get to show her this incredible savings! And I'll still be getting back a $10 Publix gift card (or rather, my mom will be). So, in reality, today's trip will have cost $13.29! My receipt says savings of $91.30, but when we consider the rebate, it will be savings of $101.30. Wow!
I came home with rain checks for a few items, one of which is the Kraft Homestyle Mac n Cheese. I have a child with dairy allergies, so I never get mac n cheese anymore, but I love it! So I'm excited for this opportunity to try it for free. :)
So, yesterday we ran to Publix (just the hubs and me!) to take advantage of the Kellogg's sale. (Sad when your idea of a date night is a quick grocery store trip!) We got 8 boxes of Special K, a bag of kettle chips, some dried pineapple (both of these items were splurges because DH went with me), and a bottle of coffee creamer for my mom who is staying with us for a few days (hence the reason we were able to go out with no kids). One box of Special K is regularly $3.99. For all of the items I just listed, we paid $6.80! According to the receipt, that's a savings of $27.51!
I did my real shopping trip today. Since my mother has been in town, I've been a little slower about getting my list and coupons together. But I've been trying to convince her that all of this coupon-stuff is worth the effort. So I dragged her to Publix with me this morning and proved it. We got 30 items, two of which were Poise pads for my mom (and for the Kimberly-Clark rebate). Each of these packages are over $13. My complete transaction total came to $23.29! That's about $3 less than just the two packs of pads for my mom! I was so thrilled to get to show her this incredible savings! And I'll still be getting back a $10 Publix gift card (or rather, my mom will be). So, in reality, today's trip will have cost $13.29! My receipt says savings of $91.30, but when we consider the rebate, it will be savings of $101.30. Wow!
I came home with rain checks for a few items, one of which is the Kraft Homestyle Mac n Cheese. I have a child with dairy allergies, so I never get mac n cheese anymore, but I love it! So I'm excited for this opportunity to try it for free. :) I love coupons and Publix. And I'm ever so thankful for the people who patiently helped me learn this coupons system!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Market Monday
Wow! What a l-o-n-g day. It was prefaced by a long night of one restless 2-year-old, and one sleepless 7-month-old, ending in one tired Mommy! It didn't help that the real feel today was at least 104! The baby woke up at 8, I nursed her, and we hit the stores. We started with gas, since we had none in the car...literally. I put over 17 gallons in a 17 gallon tank. I took one lump picture of my trip today, but will still give a bit of a breakdown. (I don't want to get too detailed because I'm ready for bed!)
My first stop was Walgreens where I did three transactions. I took advantage of each of their "free" items listed on the front page of their ad. So I came out with 2 bottles of vitamins (had a q, so paid $9 and got back $10RR for each), 1 box Crayola markers, 3 one-subject notebooks, 3 packs of index cards (still go through them almost as quickly as we did in college!), 1 bottle of contact solution, and a 24-pack of Crayola crayons. I paid oop (out-of-pocket) $13.97 and walked out with $10RR.
OOP: $13.97
Total without sale: $50.33
Saved: $36.36
RR: $10
I then stopped at CVS to get the Austin crackers that were on sale 10/$10. I had 4 - $1/2 q's, so I paid $.50/pack. I also invested in a green tag for my bag so I can start making money off of using my reusable shopping bags. So my total came to $5.07.
OOP: $5.07
Total without sale: $15.31
Saved: $10.24
ECB: $0
Sam's was on my hit list, but the savings there aren't the same. But I got items that I never see on sale and/or never see coupons for and/or are still cheaper at Sam's against even the best sales prices I've seen. So I spent $41.49 there. (Items not pictured)
OOP: $41.49
Then we paused to feed and change the baby and have lunch with Daddy. Then we hopped over to Winn-Dixie. My main objective there was the Ritz Crackerfuls (which Southern Savers had had me hopeful of getting for free at Walgreens, but they weren't included in the sale). I got a box of these for $1.50 a few weeks ago, and LOVED them! So I ordered coupons online and collected a few more from swaps, and got some crackers! I'll have to hit another Winn-Dixie tomorrow, because the one I went to was out of the flavor I like. I picked these up for $1/box! I also went for cream cheese, since I could live off of the stuff, and they had it 10/$10. I also wanted to take advantage of the B2G1 M&M coupon from yesterday's paper along with their BOGO sale, but they were out of peanut M&M's. So I'll try another WD tomorrow, or get a rain check. I picked up 2 Sara Lee pound cakes with some q's to go along with the lasagna and garlic bread that I got for dirt cheap last week. (Now all I need is a salad and I'll have a meal for $10 people for under $10!) So, as of the moment:
OOP: $13.73
Total without sale: $42.55
Saved: $28.82
And last, but not least, Publix. May I once again say how much I LOVE the service at Publix! When I was at WD, I had both girls with me and was having trouble getting my cart maneuvered and things out of my cart because I had the carrier in the cart, and there were three workers standing there watching me struggle, and not one offered any assistance. I know from multiple experiences at Publix that each of the three people would have not only offered, but would have done something to help if I'd been in that store. However, I did not like the Publix I was in today. Not because of the service, but because of the set-up. After Winn-Dixie, we picked my sister up and took her to the doctor. While she was there, we shopped at the Publix across the street. I have to say that that store has the most retarded setup I've ever seen in a store! It was very frustrating! But I still made it through, a bit flustered, but still managed to find most of what I was looking for, and save money!
I was working on getting the ConAgra rebate for the $10gc to Publix. So I got a few "new" things for us to try, and then got some ketchup to stash (since my 2-year-old thinks everything must be eaten with ketchup!). I won't bore you with all the details. But I will share some highlights. I used my $10RR from Walgreens, a $5/10 items ConAgra q, a $1.50/4 items ConAgra q, and tons of other coupons. I have a picture showing my great deals with more details there!
OOP: $44.48
Total without sale: $147.06
Saved: $102.58
Here's my overall picture of my shopping trip:
And my great buys!
I got both boxes of Juicy Juice for $.80. The Ritz Crackerfuls, as I mentioned, were $1. The vitamins and contact solution are technically free. (I technically got paid $1 for each bottle of vitamins.) The juice I got for $.50/ea. (This means $.50 for 40oz of juice!) The Austin crackers for $.50/ea, and the baby food (the pouches) for free. So for everything in this picture I paid $18.80.
So, totals today:
OOP: $118.74
Saved: $178.00
My first stop was Walgreens where I did three transactions. I took advantage of each of their "free" items listed on the front page of their ad. So I came out with 2 bottles of vitamins (had a q, so paid $9 and got back $10RR for each), 1 box Crayola markers, 3 one-subject notebooks, 3 packs of index cards (still go through them almost as quickly as we did in college!), 1 bottle of contact solution, and a 24-pack of Crayola crayons. I paid oop (out-of-pocket) $13.97 and walked out with $10RR.
OOP: $13.97
Total without sale: $50.33
Saved: $36.36
RR: $10
I then stopped at CVS to get the Austin crackers that were on sale 10/$10. I had 4 - $1/2 q's, so I paid $.50/pack. I also invested in a green tag for my bag so I can start making money off of using my reusable shopping bags. So my total came to $5.07.
OOP: $5.07
Total without sale: $15.31
Saved: $10.24
ECB: $0
Sam's was on my hit list, but the savings there aren't the same. But I got items that I never see on sale and/or never see coupons for and/or are still cheaper at Sam's against even the best sales prices I've seen. So I spent $41.49 there. (Items not pictured)
OOP: $41.49
Then we paused to feed and change the baby and have lunch with Daddy. Then we hopped over to Winn-Dixie. My main objective there was the Ritz Crackerfuls (which Southern Savers had had me hopeful of getting for free at Walgreens, but they weren't included in the sale). I got a box of these for $1.50 a few weeks ago, and LOVED them! So I ordered coupons online and collected a few more from swaps, and got some crackers! I'll have to hit another Winn-Dixie tomorrow, because the one I went to was out of the flavor I like. I picked these up for $1/box! I also went for cream cheese, since I could live off of the stuff, and they had it 10/$10. I also wanted to take advantage of the B2G1 M&M coupon from yesterday's paper along with their BOGO sale, but they were out of peanut M&M's. So I'll try another WD tomorrow, or get a rain check. I picked up 2 Sara Lee pound cakes with some q's to go along with the lasagna and garlic bread that I got for dirt cheap last week. (Now all I need is a salad and I'll have a meal for $10 people for under $10!) So, as of the moment:
OOP: $13.73
Total without sale: $42.55
Saved: $28.82
And last, but not least, Publix. May I once again say how much I LOVE the service at Publix! When I was at WD, I had both girls with me and was having trouble getting my cart maneuvered and things out of my cart because I had the carrier in the cart, and there were three workers standing there watching me struggle, and not one offered any assistance. I know from multiple experiences at Publix that each of the three people would have not only offered, but would have done something to help if I'd been in that store. However, I did not like the Publix I was in today. Not because of the service, but because of the set-up. After Winn-Dixie, we picked my sister up and took her to the doctor. While she was there, we shopped at the Publix across the street. I have to say that that store has the most retarded setup I've ever seen in a store! It was very frustrating! But I still made it through, a bit flustered, but still managed to find most of what I was looking for, and save money!
I was working on getting the ConAgra rebate for the $10gc to Publix. So I got a few "new" things for us to try, and then got some ketchup to stash (since my 2-year-old thinks everything must be eaten with ketchup!). I won't bore you with all the details. But I will share some highlights. I used my $10RR from Walgreens, a $5/10 items ConAgra q, a $1.50/4 items ConAgra q, and tons of other coupons. I have a picture showing my great deals with more details there!
OOP: $44.48
Total without sale: $147.06
Saved: $102.58
Here's my overall picture of my shopping trip:
And my great buys!
I got both boxes of Juicy Juice for $.80. The Ritz Crackerfuls, as I mentioned, were $1. The vitamins and contact solution are technically free. (I technically got paid $1 for each bottle of vitamins.) The juice I got for $.50/ea. (This means $.50 for 40oz of juice!) The Austin crackers for $.50/ea, and the baby food (the pouches) for free. So for everything in this picture I paid $18.80.So, totals today:
OOP: $118.74
Saved: $178.00
Monday, July 26, 2010
Market Monday
Well, this past week we were scrounging for pennies, but I had another ironing job come in, so was able to make a little bit of money. Enough to pick up some essentials! Here's what I picked up over the weekend and this morning.
My new best shopping trip! This is the first time I got paid to shop! I made $2.50! I had ordered $0.75/1 Target Q's online, and a few more of the toothpaste MQ's to go with the ones I already had. So, six thing of toothpast at $1.00/ea, and I had $8.50 in coupons!
The deodorant was a necessity for me and a preference for my husband. I had $1/1 coupons, and a $10 Target gift card that we got for getting a new prescription there a few weeks ago when DH was sick. So I guess technically, we didn't pay for this deodorant. But it totaled $5.70 for five sticks. Not bad.
So, what can you get for $5? Today I had to go get bread because we missed the bread store before it closed the other day. Due to my daughter's allergies, Nature's Own Whitewheat is the primary brand we buy. I pick that up for $.99 at the bread store, and today I got Nature's Own bagels for $.50/ea. One pack was the bagel thins that I've been wanting to try for sandwiches. Then I swung over to Publix to get my free Chef Boyardee (that I definitely will not eat, but it was free, so I figured I cold give it to someone.) I've also been out of bodywash for a few days, and was able to pick up two for $2 today.
...Okay, so I just double checked my receipt, and I ended up paying $.56 for the Chef Boyardee, and $1.50 for the soap. Oh, well, it will make a cheap thing for a college student or for a food drive.
We also picked up this weekend 4 Oral-B toothbrushes for DH (he didn't like the hi-tech one I got for free a few weeks ago) for $2 and 2 Tombstone pizzas (that didn't last long enough for a picture!) for $1.97. A poor substitute for the Domino's pizza I've been craving, but much cheaper!
My new best shopping trip! This is the first time I got paid to shop! I made $2.50! I had ordered $0.75/1 Target Q's online, and a few more of the toothpaste MQ's to go with the ones I already had. So, six thing of toothpast at $1.00/ea, and I had $8.50 in coupons!
The deodorant was a necessity for me and a preference for my husband. I had $1/1 coupons, and a $10 Target gift card that we got for getting a new prescription there a few weeks ago when DH was sick. So I guess technically, we didn't pay for this deodorant. But it totaled $5.70 for five sticks. Not bad.
So, what can you get for $5? Today I had to go get bread because we missed the bread store before it closed the other day. Due to my daughter's allergies, Nature's Own Whitewheat is the primary brand we buy. I pick that up for $.99 at the bread store, and today I got Nature's Own bagels for $.50/ea. One pack was the bagel thins that I've been wanting to try for sandwiches. Then I swung over to Publix to get my free Chef Boyardee (that I definitely will not eat, but it was free, so I figured I cold give it to someone.) I've also been out of bodywash for a few days, and was able to pick up two for $2 today.
...Okay, so I just double checked my receipt, and I ended up paying $.56 for the Chef Boyardee, and $1.50 for the soap. Oh, well, it will make a cheap thing for a college student or for a food drive.We also picked up this weekend 4 Oral-B toothbrushes for DH (he didn't like the hi-tech one I got for free a few weeks ago) for $2 and 2 Tombstone pizzas (that didn't last long enough for a picture!) for $1.97. A poor substitute for the Domino's pizza I've been craving, but much cheaper!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Market Monday
So, I'm a few days late. I hate this time of the month. We get two weeks into the month and have to food or money left in the house. The whole coupon thing is suppose to help save money, but the idea is to create a build, but I can't even scrounge up enough money to get us through the month, let alone create a build!
The raid was a necessity, and I had GREAT coupons on that. All of this cost me less than $4! One can of raid alone was $3.98. So overall, this is probably one of my best shopping trips when you look at the numbers. The next is pretty close, though.
I couldn't do my "Monday Market" because I was doing ironing for someone to earn the money to buy some groceries. These are some stock-up items I got. There are 17 items and I paid just over $18. So again, one of my best trips when you look at the numbers.
I'd love to write more on other topics, but I'm beat. Baby girl is getting her fifth tooth in two weeks, and I'm tired!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Market Monday - Coupon Organization
Well, since we've been out of grocery money since our main shopping trip of the month, I don't necessarily have a shopping post to write. So I thought I would share my newest method of madness. The organization of my coupons has been a great frustration to me. I read a few posts through some other blogs recently that gave me some ideas of how others organize. So, using some of those ideas as guidelines, I customized them to suit my person preferences. So people's ideas still sounded like too much work to me. Personally, I don't feel I use enough coupons to spend the 10 hours+ a week that I've been spending trying to clip and organize, not to mention the hours I've put in trying to figure out what to buy. Here are some pictures I took (because I'm a visual person) of what I'm going to try for the next few weeks. I'm liking it already as I spent almost no time organizing coupons yesterday, and my table and counter are now cleared of sales ads and coupons!
First, I have my folders.
The big one is for my sales ad and coupon organization.
The first tab is for resources (which I'm considering changing to restaurants). This is where I keep the grocery aisle layout, my scissors (which I just picked up my free pair at CVS instead of what's pictured), a list of couponing websites that I got in my coupon class, and hopefully I'll pick up a cheap calculator with back-to-school sales.
I then have individual tabs for Sunday ads and Wednesday ads. Then I have a tab for "All You" coupons, P&G, Red Plum, and Smart Source. Because I really don't use most of the coupons I get, I was getting annoyed with clipping and organizing, just to go back through my folder a few weeks later to pull all of the expired coupons. This was taking up a great deal of time for me, and was pretty much a waste of that time. So what I've done now is staple all of the coupons together by group. After reading the articles that I like in "All You" I pulled all of the coupons from the magazines, alphabetized them, pulled the list from the magazine as to what coupons are there (which I forgot to do before taking the picture), stapled them together, and wrote the date at the top of the front page. For each of the newspaper inserts I simply tore the pages apart, pulled out the filler pages, and then stapled them together and wrote the respective source and date on the front page of each. From what I've read, there's a list on the internet somewhere of what coupons are suppose to be in each of the newspaper inserts each week. I'm going to find that list, print it out, and staple it with my inserts so I know what is in there. And then, an idea I got from another blogger, I'm going to cross off coupons as I use them so I don't go looking for something I already used.
I then have tabs for Publix flyers. Anything for Publix that I pick up in the store will go in this slot.
and one for store coupons. This includes Publix, Target, K-Mart, Walgreen's, etc. coupons that are not manufacturer's coupons.
Then I have my organized, alphabetized coupons. I got baseball card sleeves at Walmart. It was a pack of 35 sleeves for around $6...cheaper than going to a card-trading store. I currently don't have a binder for these, just a ring clip that my husband had in his stash of stuff from college. I'm actually like this for now because I don't have the huge amount of coupons that some have. This way I can keep my coupons in my folder and just carry that, rather than carrying a binder with open ends. This way my coupons are contained, and it doesn't take up too much space in my cart. (Space is precious and valuable when you do your shopping with two little ones. If I leave the baby in the carseat, I usually push one cart and pull another behind me. But usually I wear her, and she can also now sit up in the "car" grocery cart with her sister.) I love having my things alphabetized...I'm actually a little OCD about it. The problem I have found with this system is that I have to go through and shift coupons around when I get new ones because, even though I left blanks on the page for coupons, I still have to rearrange them so that everything stays in order. This get frustrating to me, so then I end up with mounds of alphabetized coupons on my counter that don't land in the sheet protectors. But I'm going to start putting DH to work on putting the coupons in the sleeves while I do my other work in the evenings. (I grade packets for a correspondence school after the girls go to bed.)
And here is what had been stacked on my counter waiting to go in the sleeves. They are now in a ziploc bag in my folder, so that I still have them with me when I go out.
Then I have my small folder. I've been doing this for a few weeks and really like this system. There is a slot for each individual store, and then one for ECB, RR, $Off, and Receipts. Since I do most of my shopping in one day, and just hit multiple stores, this has been very helpful. Before I go out I place the list for each individual store and the coupons for that list in each respective slot. That way, when I get to the store, I really only have to deal with my small folder. I still carry the big one in, just in case I need something from it. Then at the back of the folder I have my ECB, and RR so I don't have to keep them in my wallet. I also have a slot for $off coupons (eg. $5 off $20 purchase), although I never seem to get those printouts at Winn-Dixie or CVS. I also have my large Customer Care card and K-mart Rewards card in the very front, for those times that I run in and leave DH in the car with the girls, leaving my keys behind in the process. That way I don't have to run back out to the car for my rewards card.
This is my system for now. It may take a few months for me to decide what I think of it, but I thought I'd share with anyone looking for ideas. But also to get feedback from others to see what they think might work better, and to hear what they do with their coupons. Would love to hear feedback on this!
First, I have my folders.
The big one is for my sales ad and coupon organization.
The first tab is for resources (which I'm considering changing to restaurants). This is where I keep the grocery aisle layout, my scissors (which I just picked up my free pair at CVS instead of what's pictured), a list of couponing websites that I got in my coupon class, and hopefully I'll pick up a cheap calculator with back-to-school sales.
I then have individual tabs for Sunday ads and Wednesday ads. Then I have a tab for "All You" coupons, P&G, Red Plum, and Smart Source. Because I really don't use most of the coupons I get, I was getting annoyed with clipping and organizing, just to go back through my folder a few weeks later to pull all of the expired coupons. This was taking up a great deal of time for me, and was pretty much a waste of that time. So what I've done now is staple all of the coupons together by group. After reading the articles that I like in "All You" I pulled all of the coupons from the magazines, alphabetized them, pulled the list from the magazine as to what coupons are there (which I forgot to do before taking the picture), stapled them together, and wrote the date at the top of the front page. For each of the newspaper inserts I simply tore the pages apart, pulled out the filler pages, and then stapled them together and wrote the respective source and date on the front page of each. From what I've read, there's a list on the internet somewhere of what coupons are suppose to be in each of the newspaper inserts each week. I'm going to find that list, print it out, and staple it with my inserts so I know what is in there. And then, an idea I got from another blogger, I'm going to cross off coupons as I use them so I don't go looking for something I already used.
I then have tabs for Publix flyers. Anything for Publix that I pick up in the store will go in this slot.
and one for store coupons. This includes Publix, Target, K-Mart, Walgreen's, etc. coupons that are not manufacturer's coupons.
Then I have my organized, alphabetized coupons. I got baseball card sleeves at Walmart. It was a pack of 35 sleeves for around $6...cheaper than going to a card-trading store. I currently don't have a binder for these, just a ring clip that my husband had in his stash of stuff from college. I'm actually like this for now because I don't have the huge amount of coupons that some have. This way I can keep my coupons in my folder and just carry that, rather than carrying a binder with open ends. This way my coupons are contained, and it doesn't take up too much space in my cart. (Space is precious and valuable when you do your shopping with two little ones. If I leave the baby in the carseat, I usually push one cart and pull another behind me. But usually I wear her, and she can also now sit up in the "car" grocery cart with her sister.) I love having my things alphabetized...I'm actually a little OCD about it. The problem I have found with this system is that I have to go through and shift coupons around when I get new ones because, even though I left blanks on the page for coupons, I still have to rearrange them so that everything stays in order. This get frustrating to me, so then I end up with mounds of alphabetized coupons on my counter that don't land in the sheet protectors. But I'm going to start putting DH to work on putting the coupons in the sleeves while I do my other work in the evenings. (I grade packets for a correspondence school after the girls go to bed.)
And here is what had been stacked on my counter waiting to go in the sleeves. They are now in a ziploc bag in my folder, so that I still have them with me when I go out.
Then I have my small folder. I've been doing this for a few weeks and really like this system. There is a slot for each individual store, and then one for ECB, RR, $Off, and Receipts. Since I do most of my shopping in one day, and just hit multiple stores, this has been very helpful. Before I go out I place the list for each individual store and the coupons for that list in each respective slot. That way, when I get to the store, I really only have to deal with my small folder. I still carry the big one in, just in case I need something from it. Then at the back of the folder I have my ECB, and RR so I don't have to keep them in my wallet. I also have a slot for $off coupons (eg. $5 off $20 purchase), although I never seem to get those printouts at Winn-Dixie or CVS. I also have my large Customer Care card and K-mart Rewards card in the very front, for those times that I run in and leave DH in the car with the girls, leaving my keys behind in the process. That way I don't have to run back out to the car for my rewards card.
This is my system for now. It may take a few months for me to decide what I think of it, but I thought I'd share with anyone looking for ideas. But also to get feedback from others to see what they think might work better, and to hear what they do with their coupons. Would love to hear feedback on this!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Market Monday
When last week's sales ads came out I had determined not to even look at them because we were already out of money. But then I got the feed about free blueberries, and I just couldn't help looking over then entire ad. Over the last several days we have been nabbing free blueberries! Along with those we got a few other things that we just could not resist. I have been wanting to try Seventh Generation products as they are more environmentally friendly, safer for my home and family, and much nicer on my septic tank. (Clean up one backed-up septic mess, and you'll do everything possible to avoid doing it again!) Publix had them BOGO this week, and I had already ordered coupons for their products in anticipation of trying them. We were in need of dish soap anyway, so I nabbed some. Here are some pictures of our last few shopping trips.
and...
and...
...and three more things of blueberries that are not pictured.
So, all things considered, we have for this weeks spending:
11 pints of blueberries - 2/$3 on sale - $1.50/1 coupon = FREE
6 Almond breeze - $2.99 on sale - $1/1 MQ - $1/1 Publix Q = $.99/ea
4 Seventh Generation dish soap - $2.99 - BOGO - $1/1 MQ = $.99/ea
2 cantaloupe (because I got some last week and it was so good I couldn't resist!) = $1.99/ea
2 potatoes (to satisfy a craving [splurged]) - $1.09/lb = $2.26
*not pictured* (birthday gifts for my sister)
1 - 12 pack caffeine free Dr. Pepper - 4.00
1 Pillsbury funfetti frosting - 1.69
Coupon savings = 32.50
Total spent = 23.58
To me that total just doesn't sound as impressive as I would like, but when I look at the receipts individually, it looks pretty good. For example, the receipt for the second picture comes to $4.24. The milk in that picture alone, with no coupons, would cost me $7.38 at regular price. So, I didn't do too bad!
The third picture is from Flowers Bakery discount bread store. This past week the Nature's Own was $2.85 and BOGO at Publix--or $1.43/loaf. I got it $.99/loaf, the English muffins for $.50, and the crackers for $2. So all for $4.48--another receipt under $5!
Considering we had very little money left last week, and I still spent some, I REALLY need to avoid looking at sales ads this week!
and...
and...
...and three more things of blueberries that are not pictured.
So, all things considered, we have for this weeks spending:
11 pints of blueberries - 2/$3 on sale - $1.50/1 coupon = FREE
6 Almond breeze - $2.99 on sale - $1/1 MQ - $1/1 Publix Q = $.99/ea
4 Seventh Generation dish soap - $2.99 - BOGO - $1/1 MQ = $.99/ea
2 cantaloupe (because I got some last week and it was so good I couldn't resist!) = $1.99/ea
2 potatoes (to satisfy a craving [splurged]) - $1.09/lb = $2.26
*not pictured* (birthday gifts for my sister)
1 - 12 pack caffeine free Dr. Pepper - 4.00
1 Pillsbury funfetti frosting - 1.69
Coupon savings = 32.50
Total spent = 23.58
To me that total just doesn't sound as impressive as I would like, but when I look at the receipts individually, it looks pretty good. For example, the receipt for the second picture comes to $4.24. The milk in that picture alone, with no coupons, would cost me $7.38 at regular price. So, I didn't do too bad!
The third picture is from Flowers Bakery discount bread store. This past week the Nature's Own was $2.85 and BOGO at Publix--or $1.43/loaf. I got it $.99/loaf, the English muffins for $.50, and the crackers for $2. So all for $4.48--another receipt under $5!
Considering we had very little money left last week, and I still spent some, I REALLY need to avoid looking at sales ads this week!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Market Monday
Okay, from now on I'm planning to do my main shopping on Mondays. So here is what is intended to be the first of many Market Mondays. I'm still not convinced we're saving money, but as I total things up, compare prices to what I would have paid at Wal-Mart, and see at the end of the month how our spending match up to previous months, I'm hoping I will be more convinced! Along with my normal grocery shopping, I'm also stocking up for a week-long vacation in August when we will be staying at an extended-stay hotel with my husband's family and we will be feeding ten people each meal. So along with saving money for our household, I've enjoyed the challenge of getting food for vacation for as cheap as possible. My husband's family loves there snack food, soda, and desserts. How nice that those are typically the items you can get the best deals on! (As a side note--this is a matter of great frustration to me. Why is it that junk food, sugar-loaded cereal, and soda frequently have great sales and coupons, while healthy stuff sees fewer sales and even fewer coupons?!) We never buy soda for our home, and we rarely buy junk-food snacks, so any of those that you may see here are most likely for vacation.
So, my first store today was CVS. They had General Mills cereal 3/$10 with $4 ECB. So it made it like 2/$6 --comparable to Publix sale price.
General Mills Cereal - 3/$10
Coupons - $2.05
Spent - $7.95
Got - $4.00 ECB
Then I went to Winn-Dixie to get the meal deal, but changed my mind. I did want to get a $10/$50 print out so I bought two packets of taco season for $1 total--but sadly I didn't get a print out. So that trip was a waste of time and money. :(
Next I went to Publix. Here I struck gold! And may I just say I LOVE Publix customer service! One item I was getting didn't have a BOGO sign on it, so the guy went to check the sale for me and told me to continue my shopping and he'd find me to let me know if it was indeed on sale. When he found me he brought with him 4 bottles of the juice and asked if I wanted any more. I did, but I told him I was fine--I should have let him get me more, because when I went back to get it I had to climb up the shelves to do so! :) Later, as I was ready to check out, my toddler bumped her mouth on the cart and her lip started bleeding. So an employee grabbed a paper towel for her mouth and a sanitary wipe for the finger that my daughter would keep out of her mouth since it now had blood all over it. The employee then asked if I was ready to check out, pulled my cart up to the line, and unloaded all of my groceries for me! And of course when I was done, someone took my things out to the car and put them in the car for me while I got the girls settled in. Where else do you get such great service and still save money?! I still didn't walk away with free groceries, or getting paid to shop, but I still did pretty well I think. Especially since I'm still learning.
This may take me a while to type out as I have a six-month-old assistant in my lap!
6 Mott's Medley Juice - $3.07 BOGO - used $1/1 coupons from Publix Summer Savings
4 Mott's Tott's - $3.07 BOGO
1 Tombstone Pizza (not pictured) - $5.95 - had Q - purchase pizza and dorito's get free Mt. Dew
2 Dorito's - $3.99 BOGO
3 Mt. Dew - $1.57 B2G1 - one free with coupon, paid for one more, got the third free!
2 Almond Breeze - $2.99 - $1/1 Q from Publix flyer, $1/1 MQ
6 Yoplait - $0.50 - $.0.50/6 coupon
4 Nabisco crackers - $4.49 BOGO
6 General Mills Cereal - $4.09 BOGO - coupons
4 Ronzoni pastas - $1.39 BOGO
2 Craisins - $2.25 BOGO
1 Rubbing Alcohol - $1.49 - FREE - Baby Club coupon
.75 lb cherries - $2.36
.60 lb tomatoes - $0.59
1 cantaloupe - $1.99
Merchandise Total = $119.00
MQs = $7.55
Sale Savings = $48.88
Store Qs = $9.49
ECB's = $4.00
RR= $10.00
Total Spent = 39.08
SAVED = 79.92
Not too shabby, I think!
So, my first store today was CVS. They had General Mills cereal 3/$10 with $4 ECB. So it made it like 2/$6 --comparable to Publix sale price.
General Mills Cereal - 3/$10
Coupons - $2.05
Spent - $7.95
Got - $4.00 ECB
Then I went to Winn-Dixie to get the meal deal, but changed my mind. I did want to get a $10/$50 print out so I bought two packets of taco season for $1 total--but sadly I didn't get a print out. So that trip was a waste of time and money. :(
Next I went to Publix. Here I struck gold! And may I just say I LOVE Publix customer service! One item I was getting didn't have a BOGO sign on it, so the guy went to check the sale for me and told me to continue my shopping and he'd find me to let me know if it was indeed on sale. When he found me he brought with him 4 bottles of the juice and asked if I wanted any more. I did, but I told him I was fine--I should have let him get me more, because when I went back to get it I had to climb up the shelves to do so! :) Later, as I was ready to check out, my toddler bumped her mouth on the cart and her lip started bleeding. So an employee grabbed a paper towel for her mouth and a sanitary wipe for the finger that my daughter would keep out of her mouth since it now had blood all over it. The employee then asked if I was ready to check out, pulled my cart up to the line, and unloaded all of my groceries for me! And of course when I was done, someone took my things out to the car and put them in the car for me while I got the girls settled in. Where else do you get such great service and still save money?! I still didn't walk away with free groceries, or getting paid to shop, but I still did pretty well I think. Especially since I'm still learning.
This may take me a while to type out as I have a six-month-old assistant in my lap!6 Mott's Medley Juice - $3.07 BOGO - used $1/1 coupons from Publix Summer Savings
4 Mott's Tott's - $3.07 BOGO
1 Tombstone Pizza (not pictured) - $5.95 - had Q - purchase pizza and dorito's get free Mt. Dew
2 Dorito's - $3.99 BOGO
3 Mt. Dew - $1.57 B2G1 - one free with coupon, paid for one more, got the third free!
2 Almond Breeze - $2.99 - $1/1 Q from Publix flyer, $1/1 MQ
6 Yoplait - $0.50 - $.0.50/6 coupon
4 Nabisco crackers - $4.49 BOGO
6 General Mills Cereal - $4.09 BOGO - coupons
4 Ronzoni pastas - $1.39 BOGO
2 Craisins - $2.25 BOGO
1 Rubbing Alcohol - $1.49 - FREE - Baby Club coupon
.75 lb cherries - $2.36
.60 lb tomatoes - $0.59
1 cantaloupe - $1.99
Merchandise Total = $119.00
MQs = $7.55
Sale Savings = $48.88
Store Qs = $9.49
ECB's = $4.00
RR= $10.00
Total Spent = 39.08
SAVED = 79.92
Not too shabby, I think!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
I Did It!
I had a successful Walgreens trip!! It took FOREVER to get through the store, but I made it out alive, and saved money! I sat in the store and made sure I had everything matched up. Then when I got to the register, they told me the one item couldn't be sold because it wasn't in their computer system. So, I had to re-work my purchases and get back in the now very long line. The trip took me about an hour. :( I still forgot my Ziplocks, but I got everything else I went for. So here we go with tonight's endeavor:
Transaction #1:
Sara Lee Bread = 0.99
Pampers = 2.50 - 2.00 coupon = 0.50
John Feida hair products 3/$15 - 7.00 coupons = 8.00
Paid: 10.81 (with tax)
Got: $5.00 RR
Transaction #2:
6 Old Spice body wash @ $4.49/ea
2 Old Spice deodorant @ 4.99/ea
- 4 BOGO coupons
Total: 18.96
Used: 5.00 RR
Paid: 16.73 (with tax)
Got: $10.00
So, to sum up: I got 13 items, spent 27.54 out of pocket, got $15 back in RR, so technically I only spent $12.54. That comes out to $0.96 and item! I'm so excited I finally had a successful trip. Now, I'm hoping to get a $10/$50 coupon from Winn-Dixie Monday so I can go to Publix and get FREE groceries! I can't wait til I can say I got free groceries!
Transaction #1:
Sara Lee Bread = 0.99
Pampers = 2.50 - 2.00 coupon = 0.50
John Feida hair products 3/$15 - 7.00 coupons = 8.00
Paid: 10.81 (with tax)
Got: $5.00 RR
Transaction #2:
6 Old Spice body wash @ $4.49/ea
2 Old Spice deodorant @ 4.99/ea
- 4 BOGO coupons
Total: 18.96
Used: 5.00 RR
Paid: 16.73 (with tax)
Got: $10.00
So, to sum up: I got 13 items, spent 27.54 out of pocket, got $15 back in RR, so technically I only spent $12.54. That comes out to $0.96 and item! I'm so excited I finally had a successful trip. Now, I'm hoping to get a $10/$50 coupon from Winn-Dixie Monday so I can go to Publix and get FREE groceries! I can't wait til I can say I got free groceries!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
A Bit Better
Last night we did a Publix run since the sale was ending. After a week of trying to figure out what to get here's what I ended up with. I know I still didn't do as well as I probably could have, but I'm trying to remind myself that it may take a few weeks to start seeing a cut in our spendings. Although I wish the results could be immediate!
2 Peter Pan Peanut Butter 40oz - BOGO = 4.49 (after coupon)
3 lb oranges @ .99/lb = 2.96
Almond Breeze = 2.29 (after coupon)
3 Kraft shredded cheese @ 2.0/ez = 6.00
Ritz 12 oz = FREE (with cheese coupon)
4 A&W 12 pack sodas (for vacation) = 10.00
Tax = .75
SPENT = 25.83
SAVED = 18.97
I plan to do with this as I did with my last receipts and compare it to Wal-Mart prices to help me see how much we really saved. I'll keep you posted.
2 Peter Pan Peanut Butter 40oz - BOGO = 4.49 (after coupon)3 lb oranges @ .99/lb = 2.96
Almond Breeze = 2.29 (after coupon)
3 Kraft shredded cheese @ 2.0/ez = 6.00
Ritz 12 oz = FREE (with cheese coupon)
4 A&W 12 pack sodas (for vacation) = 10.00
Tax = .75
SPENT = 25.83
SAVED = 18.97
I plan to do with this as I did with my last receipts and compare it to Wal-Mart prices to help me see how much we really saved. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Failed Attempt at Coupon Savings
I have spent over a year trying to get into this couponing madness, and come out frustrated every month that everyone around me is saving $100 or more each month, and each time I try I come out spending more than I normally do! I don't think I have had anything drive me to such great frustration in my life! I'm sick of feeling stupid because I can't do this. So each month I determine to do it, and each month I fail. This month was no different. I spent FOUR days trying to put together a shopping list with coupon matchups--and I used all of the helpful sites. I have been a neglectful mother the last few days as I set my kids aside to try to put together a list. Today I got sick of ham and rice (what we've been eating every day for the last month), and we've had not breakfast or lunch foods for a few days. Pay day came, and I decided coupons or not, I have to get groceries. Well, the girls threw a kink in our plans, so I only made it to Wal-Greens and Publix for the bare necessities, and still failed! In the end I forgot milk and bread which were two of the main necessities we needed. I was so much more mentally stable in my shopping when I wasn't trying to bend over backwards to have a coupon for everything and only buy with sales.
So, one thing I can join the club on: I did take pictures of my venture. This will be my first time posting pictures on my blog, so we'll see if I get it right.
So, Publix: Kellogg's cereal BOGO. Cereal was $4.09/box, had $3.50 in coupons, got 8 boxes. Spent $12.86, saved $19.86 at Publix. I stress that I saved that much at that store, and on store brand, because this still came out to an average of $.012 an ounce. That's approximately the same as what I spend on the gigantic bags of Malt-o-Meal at Wal-Mart. So I really didn't save any money, and got a head ache doing it.
Wal-Greens: This was my first attempt at using RR and doing multiple transactions. Didn't pan out as well as I would have liked because I wasn't able to get all of my q's printed. Then due to a mess up with the first transaction, my q didn't get processed for the Pantene, but I didn't notice that until I got home.
Transaction #1: Pantene 2/$8 w/ $2 RR (should have had a $1/2 q attached) = $8.60
Transaction#2: Nivea Men's Bodaywash BOGO ($4.99) and Dial Men's Bodywash BOGO ($5.99) Had a $3/1 q for Nivea and $1.50/2 for Dial. Minus $2 RR from first transaction = $5.31
Not as good as I was hoping, but I guess not the end of the world. Comes to $3.16 per item.
DH is at Wal-Mart now picking up all of the true necessities that had to be neglected because of tired and hungry babies. He's going to check WM prices and see how much I really saved. Considering the time I put into this, not enough.
I hate the quitter attitude I've developed toward this, but I also had the frustration that radiates my entire being when I attempt to make this work.
So, one thing I can join the club on: I did take pictures of my venture. This will be my first time posting pictures on my blog, so we'll see if I get it right.
So, Publix: Kellogg's cereal BOGO. Cereal was $4.09/box, had $3.50 in coupons, got 8 boxes. Spent $12.86, saved $19.86 at Publix. I stress that I saved that much at that store, and on store brand, because this still came out to an average of $.012 an ounce. That's approximately the same as what I spend on the gigantic bags of Malt-o-Meal at Wal-Mart. So I really didn't save any money, and got a head ache doing it.
Wal-Greens: This was my first attempt at using RR and doing multiple transactions. Didn't pan out as well as I would have liked because I wasn't able to get all of my q's printed. Then due to a mess up with the first transaction, my q didn't get processed for the Pantene, but I didn't notice that until I got home.
Transaction #1: Pantene 2/$8 w/ $2 RR (should have had a $1/2 q attached) = $8.60
Transaction#2: Nivea Men's Bodaywash BOGO ($4.99) and Dial Men's Bodywash BOGO ($5.99) Had a $3/1 q for Nivea and $1.50/2 for Dial. Minus $2 RR from first transaction = $5.31
Not as good as I was hoping, but I guess not the end of the world. Comes to $3.16 per item.
DH is at Wal-Mart now picking up all of the true necessities that had to be neglected because of tired and hungry babies. He's going to check WM prices and see how much I really saved. Considering the time I put into this, not enough.
I hate the quitter attitude I've developed toward this, but I also had the frustration that radiates my entire being when I attempt to make this work.
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