Category: Shopping/Saving

I have been out of the drugstore game for way too long.  I’m still couponing don’t worry.  But lately I’ve been focusing on lowering my grocery bill and cooking/baking.   It’s also helped that we’ve been living off our stockpile as I have not really bought any bathroom or personal products in …. I don’t remember when.   The thought of paying full price for something makes me cringe.

For example, the other day I was grocery shopping and purchased three bags of frozen veggies.  When I got up to pay the cashier noted that my coupons had actually expired!  I asked her to put the items back because I couldn’t use my coupons, she responded by saying, but they’re still on sale – $1.25.  I near shouted- $1.25!  I’m not paying that much for frozen veggies that’s way too much (as my coupon would have made them $0.25/each).  When I relayed this story to Dave, with quite a bit of horror/shock-outrage, he said I needed to calm down a bit and that if I wanted to buy veggies for $1.25 that was … like ok.

Anywho, back on track – I made it a goal to start buying diapers and baby items now so here was my chance to get back into it –

• (3) Pampers Jumbo pack diapers on sale for $9.99/each
• Total before  coupons $29.97
• After coupons I paid $10.47 and got back $15 +UP Rewards

I took the $15 in UP Rewards and headed back to R.A. for this transaction.

Transaction 1.

• (2) Total Reach toothbrushes – reg. $4.99, on sale for $2.99
• (6) Suave body washes – reg. $2.79, on sale for $1.99
• Total before coupons was – $17.92
• After coupons – $11.94
• Used $10 in UPs from the Pampers and paid only $1.94 out of pocket.  Got back $5 in +UP Rewards.

Transaction 2.

• (2) Charmin Basic 12 roll TP – reg. $8.49, on sale for $5.97
• (1) Carefree liners – reg. $1.49, on sale for $1.00
• Total before coupons was – $12.94
• After coupons – $10.94
• Used $10 in UPs from above/Pampers transaction and paid $1.72 out of pocket.  Still have $2 + UP Rewards to use.

I thought I would share my plan.  If you’re gonna coupon you had better be organized (this of course doesn’t always go according to plan, but in a perfect world…).   I like to write out my drugstore transactions, but prefer excel for my grocery list.

The deals on broth were just to good to pass up, so I made Dave and Ajax run with me to Kroger this morning before we went to the park and then grandpa Nader’s house.   Ajax was very well behaved at the store and sat in the cart, which has a small “car” attached to the front end where little kids can sit.  It has a steering wheel and Ajax took his job of driving the cart very seriously.  It was pretty cute.

I bought-

• 25 cans of Swanson broth – on sale for $0.99 each
• 3 boxes of Mac and Cheese – on sale for $1.19 each
• 2 cans of cranberry sauce – on sale for $1.49
• TOTAL = $31.30
• After coupons I paid = $9.55

I did a quick run to Kroger and just I’d share as I haven’t posted any coupon trips lately!  This trip wasn’t very flashy, but we are heading into cooler weather and that means soup season is upon us.

• 8 cans of Campbells’ soup (cream of chicken/mushroom) – $0.99/each
• 4 cans of Swanson broth – $0.99/each
• 4 boxes of Annie’s Mac and Cheese – $1.19/each
• 4 boxes of Imagine chicken broth – $2.49/each
• TOTAL = $26.60
• After coupons I paid = $11.64

Today I went grocery shopping and did so well I just thought I’d share!  I honestly haven’t done a real shopping trip in a month, we were running mighty low on many things.

My total before coupons was $96.60.  After coupons/savings I paid $54.52!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Rite Aid run.  I just wasn’t seeing awesome deals on things we needed.   I’m trying to balance my out of pocket against what we really need and hopefully find a happy middle.

As my husband shaves his entire head and most of his face at least three times a week he was low on razors.  Actually he was on his last razor and had been telling me for some time that he needed some more.  I, however, had been waiting for the “perfect coupon scenario” for razors, which never came.  Today I finally pulled myself up by my bootstraps and headed to Rite Aid for this transaction –

• Two packs of Fusion ProGlide razors at 16.19 a piece = $32.38
• One pack of Huggies diapers = 8.99
• TOTAL = $41.37
• After coupons, a $3 rebate check, and a $20 gift card I’d earned from a prior Rite Aid transaction, I paid $5.03 out of my own pocket.  I also received a $10 UP reward for later.  So, all in all, not bad.

Ajax and I also made some freezer jam.  For one jar, it cost a total of $1.99 to make!  Strawberries were on sale for $1 and the pectin was only $.99.  Ajax had fun tossing the strawberries into the magic bullet.  We ended up eating a bit of it for a desert after dinner, so we didn’t have a full jar to put into the freezer. Oh well.

I’ve stayed away from Target lately.  Since Dave and I have given our finances a complete and utter overhaul, with an incredibly strict budget, I know that I just don’t have enough will power.   Well, this week at Target there is an awesome deal.  Buy any 7 frozen food products and get a $5 Target gift card.  I went back and forth about this and finally decided that I was in fact strong enough to brave the store with my budget and my list to take advantage of this deal.  You know what?  I did great.

I purchased –

• (8) bags of Market Pantry veggies at .87/each – $6.96
• (3) bags of steamfresh veggies at $1.02/each – $3.06
• (2) Tony’s pizzas at $1.00/each – $2.00
• (1) Alexia sweet potato fries at $2.74
• (2) Kraft cheese at $2.04/each – $4.08
• (1) Oscar Mayer turkey bacon at $2.99
• (1) Polo shirt for Ajax at $2.80
• TOTAL = $24.63
• After coupons I paid $16.63 and received two Target gift cards in the amount of $10.  So, $6.63 for all the above items.  On a side note, I always keep frozen veggies in my freezer.  I put them in almost everything and Ajax always loves mixed veggies for dinner.  Whenever I make fresh veggies for dinner (carrots, beans, etc), Ajax won’t touch them, but give him some frozen veggies and he’ll eat them up.  Go figure?

Today I went grocery shopping at Meijer and must say I’m pretty proud of my haul.

Dave and I recently jumped aboard the Dave Ramsey bandwagon.  For those of you who have never heard of him, he’s a financial dude with the idea to live your life completely debt free.   Dave and I decided that to get where we want to be, we had to get our finances in order and that meant a change in the way we did things.   To accomplish this goal we’ve set a budget using cash envelopes and so far so good.  We’ve budgeted $75 per week for groceries, paper items (TP, paper towel, etc), cleaners, bathroom stuff (face wash, soap, etc), and baby items.

I purchased 20 yogurts and 3 spices for a total of $21.09; after coupons I paid $11.95 and received two catalinas totaling $4.50 (remember that’s basically cash back to use toward another transaction).   I’m always buying yogurt, Dave and I each have at least one a day, we’re big yogurt people.  Ajax though still can’t have yogurt; and still breaks out in a terrible rash if he has it.  He is fine with other dairy products and I have tried a variety of yogurt brands, but still no luck.

Here’s my second transaction.  Now I won’t give you an itemized list (because that would be boring), but my total was $107.52; after coupons I paid $50.26.

Some of my highlights- 1) two bottles of advanced Maalox ( $4.79 a piece) = free; 2. two 89 oz bottles of OJ ($3.99 a piece) = paid $5; 3. lunch meat ($2.50 a piece) = paid $2; 4. two coffeemate creamers ($1.50 a piece) = free; 5. one shirt for Mr. Dave ($14.99) = $3.75.

Today has been a pleasant Saturday.  Ajax woke up at 6:30 am so we (by we, I mean Ajax and I, Dave slept in till almost 9- I’m so nice) were up nice and early and got to watch the sun come up!  Yea sun!  After breakfast we dropped my car off for an oil change and hit up Target to pick up a quick gift.  In the afternoon I attended a baby shower and Dave and Ajax stayed home to “man” the house.

While I was gone they shoveled a good portion of the driveway and Ajax was quite proud of his contribution to the chore.  Dave said that they hadn’t been outside but two minutes when Ajax inadvertently flipped a shovel full of snow into his own face.  He’ll get the hang of manual labor, next is cutting the grass.

Dave and Ajax are now watching a Western and Ajax keeps pointing out all the horses on TV and talking to them.  He just said- no horsie, bad horsie, horsie oh horsie!  He likes animals.

On my way home from the shower I stopped by Kroger to pick up milk and here’s what I snagged-

My total was $18.55; however, after sales and coupons I paid only $4.13.  Really I just paid for the milk and cereal as the toothpaste was free.  My family goes through cereal like there is no tomorrow.