Here is the shopping breakdown for the week. I try to stick to $50 per week for everything except diapers. I usually make several stops each week because I don’t have any great stores (like Publix) and because all of these stores are within 5 miles of my house and most are clustered right next to each other so it is easy to pop in and out.
TARGET: $29.00
This is what things worked out to but I actually did two transactions to use the $5 gift card from the Huggies diapers. I usually find when I have a lot of coupons it is better to do multiple transactions just so I can be sure all the coupons are properly credited.
Huggies Diapers $8.99- used (3) $3 coupons, plus I had (3) $1.50/1 Target coupons (no longer available)= $4.49 per pack plus $5 gift card back
Pampers Diapers on clearance $6.24- Used $1.50/1 Pampers = $4.74
Pampers Wipes $2.39- Used $2 off Target coupon I got in the mail (Get $2 off wyb wipes and diapers) = $.39
4 Bertolli Pasta Sauce at $1.84- used (4) .75/1 coupons and (2) .60/2 coupons = .79 each
2 Snuggle Dryer Sheets at $4.29- used (2) $3 off plus (2) $1.50 off Target coupons= FREE
NYC Nail Polish $1.72- used BOGO coupon from All You magazine= $1.72 for 2
3 Alexia Sweet Potato Fries $1.99- used (3) $1 off coupons (I will be going back for more but I didn’t want to empty the shelf for other people)= .99 each
Reveal Lightbulbs- used $1 coupon + $1.50 Target coupon= FREE
3 Oroweat Bread $2.25- used $1 off coupons= $1.25
SAFEWAY: $17.85
Vegetable Oil $3.99
2 Sunchips $2.99- Used Free item coupon plus $1/2 ecoupon= $1.99 for 2 bags
7up .69- used .55 ecoupon
Ginger Ale .69- (ecoupon did not come off)
4 Kraft Singles $1.99- used (4) $1 coupons from Safeway coupon book= .99 each
Kraft Parm Cheese $1.99
Cream $1.49
French Bread .99
6 Lunchables at .99
3lbs apples $3.22
Cauliflower $2.99- used $1 off produce coupon
I also used $10 in catalinas and got $6 in cats back for buying the lunchables!
Rite Aid .57
Johnson and Johnson Conditioner on clearance $2.24- used $1 in ad coupon plus $1 coupon
*I am going to submit this to see if it qualifies for rebate #1.
CVS: $6.69
Sunscreen $2.19
Sunscreen $3.99
and I got $5 ECB back so $1.69 for both!
I also stopped and got the free batteries at Staples. Those we will use for my husband’s business so that won’t come out of my grocery budget. So not including the 4 packs of diapers my total is $40.61. I will probably get several more bags of the Sweet Potato fries since I consider those perfect fast food for my girls.
How was your shopping trip today? Check out my menu plan for the week HERE. Remember I stock up when prices are low so we always have a very full pantry and freezer and I can create a meal plan based upon what I have and what I can get for good prices that week.
Where did you get the $1 alexia coupon???
I found J&J shampoo+conditioner on clearance as well at my Rite Aid. I used the same two coupons. 🙂 I also found Crayola products on sale for 75% off. If you buy $10 worth, you get a $3.00 rebate back. It made some really nice (inexpensive!!) gifts for my boys. 🙂
Was wondering when that question would come. I have them from House Party! I was a total moron and LOST the 4 free item coupons and the $1 ones were just about the expire so this is perfect! They sent tons of them.
i have seen old style crayola on sale in Smiths (Kroger) for 75% off. If you have orderd new Huggies potty training DVD it has two coupons. One for $2 off Huggies pull-up and second coupon is for $2 off any crayola. last night i have snaged one of clearenced crayola for free with above mentioned coupon.
charlene i am wondering how you plan your shopping trip to grocery store. i have learned how to plan cvs and walgreens but still cant get right grocery shopping. do you make you weekly meals plan first and then looking for sale?
Yeah basically. I take Saturdays mostly off from the blog and I putter through my mountains of magazines. Obviously I was reading Real Simple last night and it worked perfectly because they had a bunch of delicious recipes with stuff I had already- like I have half an eggplant to use up and there was a lovely eggplant recipe. So I sort of go through and think of what we need to use up- produce wise- first and plan ideas from that. Then I make a list of what I want that is cheap from the grocery store that week and try to come up with a menu from there. So I know exactly what I need for the whole week before I leave the house and I try very hard to stick to the list. I modify recipes like crazy too- for example the cauliflower recipe for this week I won’t be able to find Comte cheese so I will use something else. If I followed the recipes exactly my list of ingredients would be a mile long.
I did a vlog on it here- for some reason I was a little surly in this vlog. Not sure why but here it is:
http://myfrugaladventures.com/2009/09/menu-planning-vlog/
First let me say that I love your site. I check it several times a day to see what is new. I have only been couponing since this past fall and am having a blast with it. I have cvs and rite aid down but now need to work on my grocery stores as well. I know I am saving a decent amount but I also know I can do better. I do think my meal planning could be better. I have 3 kids and a daycare so we go through the food!!! Anyway, my question is this: How many copies of the Sunday paper do you buy? I go back and forth on my thinking on this one. Sometimes I want to buy loads and then I go through periods where I feel like I can’t stand to look at another coupon but do manage to make myself go buy one copy. Just curious as to how you feel about this one.
Thanks Charlene I’am still trying to organize my shopping trips so these tips come in handy. I made the mistake to take my husband with me yesterday to Target and spent way over my weekly budget!! There’s always something he NEEDS , “Husbands”!!
CJ I get 3 copies of the paper. The idea is one paper per person in your house but I find 3 to be plenty. I think part of it is just how much time you have and I barely keep up with 3 papers so if I had 10 or something I would have quit long ago. I also like variety though in what we eat. So for the most part I don’t need 10 copies of the paper because we don’t really need 10 of whatever. Now of course I say that on a week I am hoarding Sweet Potato Fries- so of course there are exceptions 😉
Charlene – did you buy the Green Tea Ginger Ale? When I really looked at the ecoupon, it has to be the green tea and at my Safeway it says it’s “coming soon”. Grrrr
Charlene – did you buy the Green Tea Ginger Ale? When I really looked at the ecoupon, it has to be the green tea and at my Safeway it says it’s “coming soon”. Grrrr
Just found your site…I’m loving it! I actually found you from the cashiers at Safeway on Pleasant Grove. We shop the same Safeway! So that’s who clears the shelves…..just kidding! I was wondering who else buys everything else I do!
Really? I almost never shop at that store I wonder how they got my information? Now I am freaked out 🙂 I usually go to my favorite Granite Dr. I did get 5 lunchables yesterday though at the Pleasant Grove store. My husband loves those so it is his fault.