More then .50

Yesterday some one said to me " I would rather shop at one store and spend .50 extra then shop around." Please take no offense if you are reading this. NONE is meant. It just made me think about what I spend, save, and "extra travel".

As a whole I really don't travel extra. All stores are within 7 miles of me. In fact, I could hit them all up on my way to church, community group, or my parents and only travel ONE mile out of my way. Or, I could hit two of them up on the way home from taking Dave to work or picking him up. TRUST ME, after picking him up is the FAR better option. 3 children and shopping is NO FUN. It isn't so much the "can we get this? Can we get that?" It is racing to the blinky machines(coupons in store) to see who can get it first, then getting mad if someone else captured more. It is the "Are we almost done yet?" It's the pulling the cart from side to side, OR EVEN WORSE.....walking IN FRONT of the cart when I simply cannot stop in time and run over a little body. Then, to top it all off, Rohanna grabs at candy bars, or thinks she is for sale and attempts to crawl onto the grocery belt, as the boys are on the other end either trying to bag groceries, or checking out the little button that makes the little spinny that the groceries sit on at the end(ACME), go round and round. How fast CAN it go mom??? Or investigating RedBox..."It's ONLY a dollar mom."

Ok, ok, where was I? Oh yes, savings, etc. If you want to see just totals scroll down to the bottom lol.

I think the best way to describe WHY I exclaimed FIFTY CENTS??????? would be to give you my totals for the week....and what I purchased. Then you might see just why I go to THREE grocery stores(yup, 3).

You will see that meat is not on my list. That is because I stocked up last week. Same goes for milk and eggs.

ACME:
**4 Ragu(emergency dinners): 2.99 - sale price - 1.69 - .88 IF YOU BUY 4 - used 1.00/2 coupons (2 coupons)
***3 Pillsbury bread mix: 2.79 - sale price - 1.67 - .40/1(double coupons= .80/1 -had 3 coupons)
*** Smuckers jam: 2.95 - sale price - 2.00 - .25/1 (doubled - .50/1)
*** Smuckers jam - 3.39 - sale price - 2.00 - .25/1 (doubled - .50/1)
*** 1 Crisco cooking oil - 4.99 - sale price - 2.50 - 1.00/1
*** 6 Pillsbury brownie mix - 2.49 - sale price - 1.00 - .40/1 (doubled - .80/1 - had 6 coupons)
*** Eagle condensed milk - 3.49 - 2.00 sale price - .55/1 (doubled - 1.10/1)
*** 1 Pillsbury Frosting - 2.19 - 1.50 sale price - .40/1 (doubled - .80/1)
** 10 Cheese - 2.99 - sale price - 1.00

Total: Regular price - 82.18 - sale price - 37.76 - manufacturer coupons doubled(12.10) - $15.00 coupons for a deal they had last week that gave $15 of next order, AND those coupons took .90 off in tax = TOTAL PAID 6.52 PLUS I received another $5 of my next order. The items with *** added up to $20(a little over) before coupons so I got the $5 coupon.


Giant: I did 2 deals. They only double one like coupon in an order AND I was waiting on today's coupons so I could get the rest of the stuff.

#1:
Buy 8 of these items get $5 off instantly*:

*8 Green Giant frozen veggies - 1.79 each - sale price - 1.00 - .60/3(doubled - 1.20), and .60/3 (not doubled)

Uncle Ben's Long grain and wild rice - 1.95 - 1.67 sale price - .75/1 (doubled - 1.50)

3 Phila. cream cheese - 2.09 - sale price 1.25 - 1.25/3

TOTAL - Reg. price - 22.54 - sale price - 13.42 - manu. coupons - 4.55 - inst. savings - $5 TOTAL PAID - $3.03

#2

Buy 7 save $4 inst.*:

*1 Betty Crocker frosting(BC) - 1.49 - sale price 1.39 - .50/1 (doubled 1.00/1)
*2 BC cake mix - 1.29 ea. - sale price 1.00
m and m's - .79 - sale price - .50 (Dave was starving!!!!)
*2 Bakers Chocolate - 2.59 ea. - sale price 2.00 ea - 1.00/2
*McCormick peppercorn - 2.29 - sale price - 2.00 - .50/1 (doubled 1.00)
Uncle Ben's Rice - 1.79 - sale price 1.67 - .75/1 (doubled - 1.50/1)
*Keebler graham crust - 1.69 - sale price - 1.50 - .30/1 (doub. .60/1)
Hot dog relish - 1.29
4 Disposable bread tins - clearanced - .50 ea
1 wilton crayola candles - .35 (clearance)
1 squiggly candles - .67 (clearance)

TOTAL: Reg. price 20.12 - Sale price - 17.37 - manu coup. - 5.10 - minus $4 inst. saving TOTAL PAID - 8.45

Superfresh

Herr's Tortilla chips - Reg. price 3.79 - sale price 1.89
2 Nesquik choc. milk - reg. price 2.19 ea. - sale price 1.00 - 1.00/2
Sorrento Mozzarella(1 lb) - reg. price 4.99 - sale price 1.99
2 helluva good cheese - reg. price 3.29 ea - sale price 1.64 - manu coup. 1.00/2
4 Hunts tomatoes (28 oz) - reg. 1.69 ea - sale 1.00 - manu 1.00/4, store coupon .25/1
1 A and P rootbeer(4 pk - reg. 3.99 - sale - 1.49
1 marcal toilet paper 4 pk - reg. 1.49 - sale - 1.29 - manu 1.00/1
Turkey Hill Icecream - reg. 5.99 - sale 2.99 - when you buy $15 in groceries sale 1.89 - manu - 1.00/1, store coup. .50/1
AC butter - 1.99 - when you buy $15 groceries sale 1.49

TOTAL: Reg. price 39.96 - sale price 19.32 - manu coup. 5.00 - store coup - .75
TOTAL PAID: 13.66


Earlier in week went to food auction for "vacation outting"- $20.50 - 1 mum(plant), some baskets for .25, 10 lb cabbage, box with 4 loaves pepperidge farm whole grain breads, 2 bags hearth baked rolls, 7 bags hot dog rolls, 1 bag whole wheat mini bagels, 1 bag whole wheat sandwich rolls, 3 # organic oranges, 3# bag apples, 25# box organic apples, 4 acorn squash, peach juice

Newark Farm Market - 13.50 - 1 doz XL eggs, 3 romaine hearts, 4 lb, bananas, large soy sauce, 6 # onions, bunch leeks, 1 pomegranate, 4# baking apples, 2 jalapenos


I think I save more then 50 cents.......

My trick is I stock up when things are cheaper because they only run sales on some things at certain times of the year. This way I rarely am stuck going out and buying things at full price. My cabinets are full at a fraction of the price....and I can tell you, it has saved us!!! With Dave's job change earlier this year we have no room for extras and this way we have some leeway-an occasional McDonald's run comes out of groceries.... in fact all extras do. Our grocery budget is now $70 a week and somehow it always works out.


ALL TOTAL:
Reg. Price: 164.80
Sale Price: 87.87
Manu coup - 26.75
Store coup - .75
Off next order coup - 15.00 (+.90 tax break)
TOTAL PAID: 31.66
PLUS: Earned $5 off my next order coupon

This does not include the totals for the vegetables listed above.