Well this was just a ridiculous day- I felt like I was running all over the place. One of the things I have been working on is just really getting the time I spend using coupons and shopping down to a max of 2 hours per week. The amount that I save seems to justify that amount of time for sure but this week I spent way too much time in stores. So anyhow, it seems to have worked out and I spent a total of $38.
Click below for the breakdown:
{RALEY’S $9.67}
Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate $2.99- Used Free Item coupon (I think I got this from a conference last year)
Honey Gold Potatoes $3.49 (these are expensive but they are so good!)
Red Potatoes $3.49
Wax for Braces $1.59
Garden Salad $.97
Holiday Dessert $3.99- Free with store coupon
{TARGET $18.52}
2 Bic Triumph Pens $4.99- price matched Walgreens ad and used (2) $2/1 coupons = Free
Chips Ahoy Cookies $1.99-used $1 coupon
2 pints Grape Tomatoes $1.99 ea
White Mushrooms $1.79
Baby Bella Mushrooms $1.99
French’s Fried Onions $2.68 (has anyone had the Blue Cheese burger at Red Robin? I am attempting to recreate this week)
Market Pantry Applesauce $1.52
Walnuts $2.59
Sun maid Golden Raisins $1.99
Banana Chips .99
{CVS $3.76}
Dove Chocolate Bar $.89- used .50/1 from coupon machine
Sally Hansen Polish Pens $2.62- on clearance and these are fabulous if you have little girls!
2 Finish at $3.00- used (2) $2.25 coupons
Reese’s Cups $1.59- got $1.59 ECB back
2 Maalox at $6.29- used (2) $5 coupons
1 Maalox at $7.29- used $5 coupon
I used my $10 ECB from last night and paid $3.76 most of which was tax. I got back $11.59 in ECBs and I have to call to get my .89 Dove ECB
{SAFEWAY $4.80 + $1.54}
First transaction:
4 boxes Special K $2.50 each- Used 2 BOGO coupons, once again these are credited at $4.49 per coupon and you get a cat for a free milk wyb 4 cereal
2 Eating Right Sandwich Thins $1.89 (I use these instead of bagels in the morning)
Second transaction to use the free milk catalina from the Kellogg’s cereal:
Eggs $2.59- Free with Just for U program
Milk $3.29- free with catalina
Bananas $1.54
*Now some of you won’t believe this- especially my regular Safeway shoppers. The eggs did not come off my bill so I actually paid $2.59. I called customer service and they said to take my receipt to customer service for a refund. Not only that but they would like to credit me $3 to my card for the inconvenience! How do you like that? Twice in a row! Anyhoo- I will get the $2.50 on my next trip but to keep it simple I am only using what I should have paid since my $2.50 will go right in my pocket next week and not against the budget.
{RITE AID $.50}
2 Motrin Pm at $3- used $6/2 coupon
Got back $4 in +Up Rewards
I will probably get my milk there next week with the +Up.
So anyhoo this was a marathon trip and I probably won’t hit this many stores again for a long time. I spent a total of $38.79 + $12.61 yesterday for a grand total of $51.40 this week. There is really a lot of stuff for $51.40 and considering our sales tax is 8.25% here that isn’t too bad.
I have $12.48 in ECBs and $4 in +Up plus a $3 credit for next week at Safeway.
all I can say is WOW… really awesome planning and shopping !!
I have been hesitant to use the $6/2 coupon at Rite Aid because of their $5 limit on internet printables. I’m curious to know if this worked without a hitch at their stores…? I do not have the most coupon-friendly Rite-Aid in my area.
Amy you and I were separated at birth I am sure of it.
I think that is awewome, Charlene!! For some reason, my Safeway only credited $3.79 per box of Special K (regular price) instead of allowing the full amount of the coupon. Still a great deal but I wonder why they vary from store to store.
I am not a wower Catherine but thanks 🙂 Many more do waaayyy better than I do. I just try to buy only what we need and I always have extras for donation. I am slowly changing habits too so not as much junk food- you can see the candy and cookies still sneaked into my cart this week but I am trying 🙂
I’m still fairly new to really utilizing the coupons and found your blog a few months ago. I was pretty happy with my shopping trip today… went to CVS and picked up 4 Airwick Freshmatic refills and had the B1G1 coupons so paid 11.75 and got the $10 ECB. Unfortunately, 2 stores I went to did not have the Finish so I got a raincheck for later, but did use the ECB to pick up some Excedrin (had a $5.99 coupon) and Quattro razor refills. At Walgreens, picked up 2 pkgs of the pens ( and had to have the manager called to adjust the coupon, however, they decided the price of the pen had to be adjusted the penny in order to use the coupons) and 2 pkgs of Pepperidge Farms cookies (had $1 coupons for those). Total out of pocket was abt $17. Thank you for all you do! I wouldn’t be doing this without your matchups – you make it so much easier!
Ohhhhhh….the bleu ribbon burger is my FAVORITE!!! Let me know how it turns out! Are you going to try and replicate the sauce that’s on it?
I went to Rite Aid yesterday and got free Always panty liners (20 count) they were on sale for .99, and I had a coupon from P&G from last sunday for $1 off! Also P&G had $1 off tampax which were priced (on sale) at $6.75 with a $1.50 up reward, AND the box contained a $5 off cover girl make-up product! So here’s the math I figures out:
Tampax = $6.75 – $1.50 up rewards, – $1 coupon used, – $5 coupon received = +$0.75!!
Thank you for getting me into sales, rite aide up rewards and couponing.
Oh Julia you can not use it. I used the one from today’s paper not the printable.
You are an awesome shoper!!!!!!! I am learning soooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!! thank you!!!!!!
Question: does signing for Safeway just for you really works???? does it really replace some coupons?
Thank you again!!!!!!
Ana
On the free eggs at Safeway – that was only a one time thing for when you signed up. It still shows in your coupon queue but it was only once. Unless you haven’t used it yet……then I guess you would be right if that is the case.
Ana I am sorry but you will have to read through my very long summary of the program 🙁 I tried to keep it short and just couldn’t- so here it is:
http://myfrugaladventures.com/2010/10/safeway-new-just-for-u-program/
No Heather I have not redeemed the coupon yet. I actually just saved it to my card for the first time. The bananas came off so I know I waited a long enough time frame.
Thank you!!!!!!! I agree! safeway system doesn’t always work! thank you so much for the inside! very helpful. Thank you for putting so much time into this! I had follow many of your ideas and they always work. I always check your site before I go shopping!
Muchisimas gracias! 🙂
Ana
I think for the heck of it you should have gone to Walgreens and bought something small just so you could say you went to every store this week …. hahaha! 🙂
Well the sad thing is we went to stupid Walmart on top of all that because we need a twin size mattress. So there is one more to add to the list!
How do I know if Safeway will give me the full amount forthe Special K? Will they not give me the sale price for the free cereal? I am just not sure which store to buy it at. HELP!! To many choices this week 🙂
Thanks
You don’t know Raeme. I would buy wherever you are comfortable. If you are going to be upset if you don’t get full value at Safeway, I wouldn’t take the chance.
Great shopping trips! I know what you mean by spending too much time in the stores, even though you definitely get your money’s worth. I have started the year simplifying things and really limiting the time I shop. I have passed up lots of good deals, but I am focusing on just eating healthy and making good meals on a $50 per week budget. Sometimes I read about the deals and want to go out, but I find it has been really nice to place limits on the deals and time I spend shopping because it doesn’t feel like it is taking over my life now.
“I just try to buy only what we need and I always have extras for donation.”
This, right here, is why I follow you. While there may be others who do better, it’s this attitude, right here, that makes you my favorite coupon blogger. 😀
Thanks Jenna that is really nice to say. I am not one of the cool kids with the sexy trips but I just can’t invest time into managing a warehouse 😉 I like to make sure I am spending my time wisely and I try to respect that I am not the only shopper at that store that wants to get a good deal.
I am jealous of your 8.25% tax and my family and I try to do a lot of our shopping at Winco when we visit family at Live Oak. I live in the 9.50% area.
Hey Charlene,
So, Rite Aid was out of the MotrinPM 20ct (the only one with a $3 sale sign) and I got a rain check for the sale price AND for the $2 up reward!! They said that was new – yeah!
Question – did they have any issues with the $6/2 for the motrin? I thought the coupon was for the 40 ct Motrin PM’s…
That is awesome if they took… I am looking forward to getting some free meds 🙂
Hey Sandra- I used the coupon no prob at the Pleasant Grove one. The coupon I had didn’t have any size restrictions on it- I used the newspaper one. The printable one you can’t use because they don’t accept ips over $5 in value.
Hi Charlene, I thought I could use up my +UPs by buying milk and I was informed that dairy products are excluded. However, on the +UP receipt, it only states things like tobacco, lottery tckts etc. It is ture?
Thabal- usually they do exclude dairy but the +Up doesn’t say that. It is worth a shot. Otherwise I will just buy a rebate item and call it a day 🙂
Thanks for the quick reply. I should probably go for rebate items 🙂