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Thursday, October 28, 2010

thursday shopping 10-28-10 (& shopping link-up)

After a whole month of bare-minimum grocery shopping my once-plentiful stockpile was starting to look a little pathetic, and I realized it was time for a major shopping trip.  While Trouble was napping this morning, I actually sat down (novel concept, I know!) and took plenty of time to gather and organize all my coupons before my trip.  So I was really, really irritated with myself when I got to the store and realized I had forgotten to print my free avocado coupon.  Again.  Grrrrr.  I wanted to strangle myself, but other than that one little mishap, the excursion was uneventful.  And in honor of Halloween, the bakery was giving out free frosted sprinkle cookies to the kids, which was a treat (especially since the nice bakery man let mommy have one, too.  The breakfast of champions!)

When I got home, I realized that my very sweet cashier had forgotten two of my coupons and I had forgotten the hot dogs.  Since I still wanted my free avocado, and since I was planning to make a quick trip to Walgreens for milk, eggs, & butter, I decided to pop back in.  The customer service gal very graciously refunded my $2 for the coupons, and I FINALLY got my avocado.


Here is what I got:
At Publix I spent $68.31 for $251.03 worth of groceries.  This was a much higher total than I've seen in a while, but I got a TON of stuff!  My freezer and pantry are once again pleasantly full.

Coupons Used:
(4) $2 off Contessa Meals (Publix Yellow Advantage Flyer)
(10) $1 off Pillsbury Savorings (printable here, here, and here)
(8) $1 off 2 Campell's Select Harvest Soup (Smart Source insert, 9/12)
(2) $1 off Ronzoni Smart Harvest Pasta (printable here)
(4) $0.75 off Ronzoni Garden Harvest Pasta (printable here)
(2) $1 off Kraft Velveeta (Publix coupon, no more prints available)
(2) $0.75 off 2 Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (Red Plum insert, 9/19)
(4) $0.75 off Cascadian Granola Bars (printable here)
(4) $1.00 off Cascadian Product (Publix Coupon Booklet)
(1) $0.75 off 2 Ball Park Hot Dogs (Red Plum insert, 10/24)
(2) $1 off Ball Park Hot Dogs (Publix Coupon Booklet)
(1) $3 off 2 Johnson's Baby Products (Publix in-ad coupon)
(2) $1 off Johnson's Baby Products (Red Plum insert, 9/12)
(2) $1 off 2 Lunchables (printable here)
(4) $1 off Tyson Anytizers (Smart Source insert, 10/10)
(1) $1 off produce (Publix Baby Club coupon, received in mail)
(1) $1 off deli item (Publix Baby Club coupon, received in mail)
(1) Free Hass Avocado (printable here)

At Walgreens I spent $8.15 for $53.24 worth of groceries, a savings of 85%

Coupons used:
(3) $3 off Alka-Seltzer Plus (Red Plum insert, 10/24)
(1) $2 off Contac (printable here)
(2) Buy 1, Get 1 Free Balance Bar (Smart Source insert, 10/10)
(1) $1 off Colgate Sensitive (Smart Source insert, 10/10)
$12.50 Register Rewards 
($5.20 in RRs leftover)


I also ended up making a quick stop at CVS for milk because Register Rewards cannot be used to purchase milk at Walgreens.  Who knew?  Anyway, at CVS I spent $3.36 for $20.96 worth of groceries, a savings of 84%.

Coupons used:
(2) $2 off Azo Anti Itch Wipes (printable here)
$13 Extra Care Bucks
($12 ECBs leftover)

Altogether, today I spent $79.82 for  $325.23 worth of groceries, an average savings of 75% for the day.  Combined with my Sunday totals, this week I spent $89.75 for $410.62, an average savings of 78% for the week.




Okay, all you frugalistas, it's your turn!  Link your weekly shopping results below, or leave a comment with your proudest shopping moment this week!



6 comments:

  1. Good job!! As always, I'm very impressed! :) Question: If something is BOGO, can you use two coupons, even though you are technically only paying for one? I thought I had read that you could, but they would not let me (at CVS)... Just wanted to see if I was wrong, or if I should try harder next time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. If something is BOGO you should be able to use two coupons. I have done it many times at CVS without issue. The store will be reimbursed by the manufacturer, so it really doesn't affect their bottom line. Sometimes cashiers can get a little gung-ho and make up their own rules. If that ever happens, just politely ask to have the manager verify it.

    Check out this link:

    http://www.southernsavers.com/2010/01/cvs-a-great-email-response/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ok so I still have no idea how you do all these wonderful things but I'm TRYING to learn...on Step 2 of coupon beginner and already feel like a whole new world has opened up to me. Going to get my accordian organizer and Sunday paper this weekend. Question for you (and sorry if it's elsewhere in your blog that I haven't stumbled across) as a vegetarian I rely tremendously on fresh produce for my meals. If for no other reason than, it's easy. I don't think I've ever seen a coupon for fresh produce however (I could be wrong!!). Do those coupons exist? Or do you turn to canned and frozen fruits and veggies instead? Thanks for all of your guidance...I've got a new hobby and I'm really enjoying it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Being a vegetarian with coupons can be a little trickier & to be honest, fresh produce is my biggest struggle, too. Coupons are far and few between--Target will put out a $1 off produce once in a while (good if you have a SuperTarget in your area, or if your grocery store accepts Target as a competitor), and I have also scored good produce & dairy coupons from signing up for my store's Baby and Preschool clubs. Fresh Express (pre-packaged salads) has a PDF coupon out right now that I have been able to match up with a BOGO sale several times.

    My husband and I are going to attempt to plant a little garden this winter (the growing seasons are a little different in FL), and we will sometimes stop at roadside fruit & vegetable stands for some good deals. At the grocery store, I just try to stick to whatever is on sale.

    I have gotten some really good deals on Morningstar and Boca products, so be on the lookout for those! And I do eat a lot more frozen veggies because those are pretty easy to find on sale.

    Sorry for such a long, rambling answer....I hope it helped. Maybe I should write a post just on coupons for vegetarians! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. FYI - All the Contessa meals we've gotten lately have a coupon inside of them. $1/2 Contessa on the stove, and $2/2 microsteam. Might be worth taking them out early to combine them with the Publix coupon before it expires?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I thought so. Thanks! I didn't want to make a fuss without knowing for sure, but now that I know, I will definitely (nicely) ask to see a manager next time. :)

    ReplyDelete

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