Groceries 4/6 - 4/12

Once again, a chaotic shopping day prevented me from taking pictures of my purchases, but I did manage to hang on to my receipts this time to show off my amazing deals!!! (Thank you Grocery Smarts!)

SuperTarget

• $.25 ~ 1 can Campbells cream of chicken soup
• $.49 ~ 1 lb asparagus
• $21.26 ~ 1 Hormel Cure 81 spiral cut ham (8.86 lbs) ~ will use the rebate I pictured HERE.
• $.99 ~ 1 lb fresh strawberries
• $.49 ~ 1 dozen large eggs

Total spent: $24.19



Smith's

• $5.96 ~ 4 gallons milk (2 whole, 2 skim) @ $1.49/ea
• $1.25 ~ 1 pkg 6-count whole wheat English muffins

Total spent: $7.43



Albertsons

• $1.20 ~ 4 boxes Lipton's dry soup mix @ $.30/ea
• $1.80 ~ 4 bottles (7 oz.) Wishbone salad spritzer @ $.45/ea
• $.25 ~ 1 bottle (9.5 oz) Wishbone Bountifuls salad dressing
• $1.80 ~ 2 jars (26 oz) Ragu pasta sauce @ $.90/ea
• $4.95 ~ 6 jars (16.3 oz) Skippy reduced-fat peanut butter @ $.825/ea
• $1.60 ~ 2 jars (16.3 oz) Skippy reduced-fat peanut butter @ $.80/ea
• $.70 ~ 1 bottles (8 oz) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
• $.80 ~ 1 bottles (8 oz) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
• $2.40 ~ 3 tubs (15 oz) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread @ $.80/ea
• $2.50 ~ 2 pouches (8 oz) shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese @ $1.25/ea
• $2.78 ~ 2 bottles Axe shower gel @ $1.39/ea
• $1.00 ~ 2 bottles (10 oz) Vaseline lotion @ $.50/ea
• $10.03 ~ 2 beef rump roasts (5.34 lbs)
• $10.26 ~ 1 Cook's shank portion ham (10.36 lbs)

I used a Catalina coupon off my purchase total, making it:
Total spent: $38.81 (Total saved: $109.60 ~ 75.37%)

PLUS: will receive a $20 rebate from Unilever off the ham purchased at Target.

Total spent for the week: $70.43 (under budget by $4.57!)

Groceries: Beer Rebates

(For more great shopping success stories, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge!)

Grocery shopping went very well for me this week, but I have no proof to show you! It all started out badly last Monday with my first trip to the grocery store. As soon as I arrived home, my children started acting like they were going to die an instant death if I did not feed them lunch immediately. So, before I could get any pictures of my purchase, some of the food was broken into and consumed. After lunch, we had to leave the house again, so I had to put all the food away. Realizing that the chances of me getting the food out again to take a picture of it was slim (read: nonexistent), I gave a mental shrug and decided that there would be no pictures this week. I would still be able to list what I purchased and the deals that I got, though, so I created a pile on the desk by my computer for the grocery receipts for the week.

The receipts collected there until Thursday evening, when my sweet, dear husband decided to surprise me by cleaning the whole house while I was away. He really was thorough, cleaning the microwave and inside the fridge... and of course throwing my receipts away, then taking the trash out. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I gave another mental shrug, then thanked and kissed my husband.

I know I started the week with $154 cash to last for 2 weeks of groceries. I ended the week with $85 cash, so my total grocery bill for the week was approximately $69. Woohoo, under budget! Hooray!

So, instead of displaying and listing my wonderful deals for the last week, I am instead going to be showing off the fabulous rebates I am mailing off today. I live in a state in which no alcoholic purchase is necessary to submit and receive beer rebates (which is good, since I don't drink alcohol). I never know what rebates I will find, and I often don't find them until the latter part of a month, so I keep all my receipts throughout the month in a page protector (unless my hubby tosses them first!), then evaluate at the end of the month what I need to purchase to qualify.

Last week, I counted up my rebates, matched them to the receipts I had, and realized that I only needed to purchase one bag of pretzels ($1.24) to finish off my purchases, and I should receive $53 back! :) I love getting what is essentially free food! Especially if it is food that I have already bought, or am already planning on buying.

Here are the rebates I'm submitting:

Groceries 3.23 - 3.29

Starting Budget: $68.84 (I overspent last week by $6.16).

(The bullets were acting very weird on me as I was typing this. Sorry that it looks so bizarre.)

Albertsons

• $7.98 ~ 1 bag 2 lbs shrimp @ $3.99/lb
  $.50 ~ 1 bottle Tree Top Trim juice 46 oz
  $2.14 ~ 2 pkgs 6 pack Seneca 100% natural Applesauce @ $1.07/ea
• $3.00 ~ 2 tubes .5 oz Neosporin @ $1.50/ea
• $4.38 ~ 2 pkgs 12 oz fat-free American cheese singles @ $2.19/ea
  $3.99 ~ 1 loaf 2 lb sharp cheddar cheese
  

Total spent: $23.03

Sunflower Farmers Market

• $.77 ~ 1 head red leaf lettuce
  $.99 ~ 1.28 lbs tomatoes @ $.77/lb
  $.50 ~ 1 bunch green onions
  $.99 ~ 1 red bell pepper
  $.50 ~ 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  $1.67 ~ 1 bunch green seedless grapes @ $.77/lb
  $.22 ~ 1 red onion @ $.50/lb
• $1.50 ~ 1 seedless cucumber
• (.10) ~ credit for using my own shopping bag

Total spent: $7.14

Buy Low Market

• $2.12 ~ 7 small Gala apples @ $.88/lb
• $.81 ~ 5 Bosch pears @ $.50/lb
• $.12 ~ 3 jalapeno chile peppers @ $.50/lb
• $.97 ~ 5 tomatoes @ $.50/lb
• $.69 ~ 1 bottle hot sauce
  $1.00 ~ 1 pkg whole wheat pitas
  $4.51 ~ 1.74 lbs Tilapia fillets @ $2.59/lb
  $.25 ~ 1 lb bag carrots
  $1.00 ~ 3 Hass avocados
  $.50 ~ 4 kiwifruits
  $.56 ~ 1 honeydew @ $.25/lb
  $.18 ~ 2 red onions @ $.25/lb
  $.79 ~ 2 Naval oranges (this should have been about $.50, but I noticed after I arrived home that they rang it up as grapefruit, not oranges.)
  $.58 ~ 3 white squash @ $.50/lb
  
  Total spent: $14.50
  
  

Macey's

• $2.79 ~ 1 bottle sugar-free syrup
• $6.98 ~ 1 bottle Chipotle Chile seasoning (grrr)
• $1.67 ~ 1 jar pickle slices
• $2.00 ~ 3 cans fat-free refried beans
• $.99 ~ 1 tub fat-free cottage cheese
• $.99 ~ 1 dozen large eggs
• $1.67 ~ 5 cartons yogurt
• $4.12 ~ 2.19 lbs London Broil Steaks
• $1.89 ~ 1 carton alfalfa sprouts

Total spent: $24.04

Smith's

• $2.99 ~ 3 lbs gala apples
• $1.49 ~ 1 carton mushrooms
• $1.00 ~ 1 carton fat-free sour cream

Total spent: $5.64

GRAND TOTAL SPENT THIS WEEK: $74.35

The good news is that I remained within my weekly budget of $75. The bad news is that I didn't make up the difference from over budget last week. So, I will carry my overage of ($-5.71) on to next week's budget. I'm blaming it all on the Chipotle Chile seasoning that I bought at Macey's. I only need a little bit for one recipe this week, and it cost me almost $7! I'm still a little bitter about it, as you can tell.

Groceries 3.16 - 3.22

Starting Budget: $75.00

Albertsons 3.16.09

• $.90 ~ 10 oz. bottle horseradish
• $5.20 ~ 4 cannisters 12 oz Crystal Lite drink mix @ $1.30/ea
• $4.00 ~ 6 bags 10 oz Birds Eye Steamfresh frozen vegetables @ $2.00/3
• $2.99 ~ 1 bag 12 oz Frigo light cheesesticks
• $1.50 ~ 1 box snack size baggies
• $16.96 ~ 4 pouches 16 oz Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds @ $4.24/ea
• $6.20 ~ 4 pkgs 9 oz Oscar Meyer shaved turkey breast @ $1.55/ea
• Used $19.00 in catalina coupons...

Total spent: $18.38
Total saved: $85.44 (82.3%)
Remaining budget for the week: $56.62

Smith's 3.16.09

• $1.47 ~ 3 bottles 16 oz Ken's Lite salad dressing @ $.49/ea
• $1.96 ~ 4 pkgs 16 oz American Beauty pasta @ $.49/ea
• $3.58 ~ 2 cartons 18 ct large eggs @ $1.69/ea
• $1.40 ~ 1 bunch fresh asparagus @ $1.19/lb
• $2.43 ~ 7 school boy size Gala apples @ $.99/lb
• $2.98 ~ 2 gallons milk (1 whole, 1 skim) @ $1.49/ea
• $10.47 ~ 3 bags 29 oz Tyson frozen chicken nuggets @ $3.49/ea (kids' lunches)
• $4.99 ~ 1 bag 32 oz shredded light mozzarella cheese
• $.79 ~ 1 pkg Reese's peanut butter cups (4-year-old's treat for being good while shopping)
• $.99 ~ 1 Activia Fiber yogurt 4-pack
• $1.98 ~ 2 Dannon Light & Fit yogurt 6-packs @ $.99/ea
• $6.25 ~ 5 pkgs (6 ea) whole wheat English muffins @ $1.25/ea
  
  Total spent: $42.12
  Total saved: $24.12 (36.4%)
  Remaining budget for the week: $14.50
  
  

Albertsons 3.18.09

• $3.99 ~ 1 loaf 2 lb medium cheddar cheese
• used a $2.00 catalina coupon

Total spent: $2.11
Total saved: $8.00 (79.1%)
Remaining budget for the week: $12.39

Buy Low Market 3.18.09

• $3.49 ~ McCormick Salt Free Lemon Pepper Seasoning (in the picture it shows 2, I will be returning 1)
• $.50 ~ 1 Reese's peanut butter cup (4-yr-old's treat)
• $1.39 ~ Taco Bell taco sauce
• $1.00 ~ 1 pkg whole wheat pitas
• $3.44 ~ 1.5 lbs ground chicken
• $2.49 ~ 1 lb turkey bacon
• $.50 ~ 1 lb carrots
• $1.50 ~ 1 English cucumber
• $.25 ~ 2 large lemons
• $.99 ~ 1 head romaine lettuce
• $.87 ~ 1 honeydew melon
• $.50 ~ 1 bunch fresh spinach
• $.23 ~ 1 medium yellow onion
• $.67 ~ 6 roma tomatoes

Total spent: $18.55

Remaining Budget for the week: ($-6.16) drat!

Yes, I did go over budget again this week, darn it. However, several of the items I purchased will last me several weeks, and I got some fabulous deals. I'm even hoping that one of the evenings this week will be spent eating leftovers, saving one of my planned meals for next week. Bottom line: I'm hoping that I can make up the difference next week. :)

Check out The Grocery Cart Challenge for more great deals!

Shopping 3.7.09

Darn it, I had to go shopping again today. Okay, I didn't really have to, but there were some good deals that I just didn't want to miss out on.

I went to Walgreens first. Going on a Saturday, which is the last day of their sale cycle, there were several items out of stock that I wanted. That didn't surprise me, but it did disappoint me.

Here is what I got:

• 4 cans Healthy Choice soup $2.50 each ~ used 2 $.45/2 coupons, will receive $5.00 mail in rebate ~ bottom line 4/$4.10
• 2 bottles 500 mg Vitamin C 250 ct $11.99 each ~ B1G1F ~ bottom line 2/$11.99
• 2 bottles 400 I.U. Vitamin D 90 ct $4.99 each ~ B1G1F ~ bottom line 2/$4.99
• *Will receive a free Denise Austin Power Yoga DVD via mail-in-rebate for spending $15 on Nature Made
• 1 bottle Axe conditioner $5.99 ~ mail-in-rebate $5.99 ~ bottom line FREE
• 3 bottles 10 oz Vaseline lotion $2.61 each ~ used 3 $1.25/1 coupons, received 3 $2.00 Register Rewards coupons ~ bottom line $1.92 PROFIT
• 2 Colgate toothpastes $3.29 ea ~ used 2 $.75/1 coupons, received 2 $3.50 Register Reward coupons ~ bottom line $1.92 PROFIT

Total paid: $41.93

Register Rewards received: $13.00

Mail-In-Rebates earned: $10.99 + 1 Exercise DVD

Total Bottom Line: $17.92 (minus whatever the DVD would cost)

Then I went to Smith's:

• $2.98 ~ 2 gallons skim milk @ $1.49 ea
• $5.00 ~ 5 boxes Quaker Weight Control instant oatmeal @ $1.00 ea
• $2.00 ~ 2 boxes Quaker Fruit & Cream instant oatmeal @ $1.00 ea
• $9.99 ~ 2.5 lbs boneless skinless salmon filets
• $6.81 ~ 4.03 lbs boneless skinless Tyson chicken breasts @ $1.69/lb

Total: $29.22

*Transferred a prescription to Smith's pharmacy, received a $25 gift card

Total spent: $4.22

*In the last two weeks, there have been some neat prescription-transfer deals around town, and I have fully taken advantage of them. Last week, Walgreens offered a $25 gift card for a transfer (limit 1). This week, Rite-Aid offered a $25 gift card for each prescription transfer (limit 2), plus Smith's also offered a $25 gift card for a transfer (limit 1). I took advantage of all 4 (receiving $100 in gift cards!), but I don't have to run to 3 different stores to pick up my prescriptions each month. The two I transferred to Rite-Aid were for my children's flouride treatments, and I only have to refill those 2-3 times a year. The one I transferred to Walgreens was for my husband's needles (for his insulin pen), and I only have to refill those every 3 months or so. The one I transferred to Smith's was for his blood sugar test strips, and one prescription lasts us more than one year. To me, it was worth it to transfer all these prescriptions. If it does get to be too much of a hassle in the future, I can go ahead and just transfer them all back to one location. $100 free dollars!!!

For more shopping success stories, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Groceries 3.4.09

For those that follow this blog, you may notice that, not only am I late in posting these shopping details, but I have not posted a menu plan or a recipe this week. This is not from laziness. The truth is that I am currently in the process of reevaluating my priorities as they relate to shopping and cooking. This will change the average amount I will spend (probably go up), the average percentage I will save (probably go down), plus the types of meals I will be cooking for my family. I'm taking a few days to reealuate, regroup, and reorganize, but I will explain it all in a few days. Stay tuned, because I will need your help!

Even though I didn't post on Wednesday, I did indeed go shopping. There were some great deals, but it was another budget buster shopping day. The fault was mostly because of a stupid mistake made by me (read further down) plus just plain lack of organization and discipline. *Sigh*

Albertsons:

• $1.50 ~ 1 3lb bag Granny Smith apples (.50/lb)
• $1.50 ~ 1 3lb bag Washington apples (.50/lb)
• $.88 ~ 1 head Romaine lettuce
• $.88 ~ 1 head Red Leaf lettuce

• $2.02 ~ 2 pkgs Stayfree pads, 24 ct ($1.01 ea)
• $4.04 ~ 4 pkgs OB tampons 18 ct ($1.01 ea)
• $.51 ~ 1 pkgs OB tampons 18 ct
• $2.68 ~ Aveeno body lotion

• $5.85 ~ 15 Dannon Yogurt (.39 ea)
• FREE ~ 2 Dannon Yogurt
• $.50 ~ 1 pkg Reese's peanut butter cups (treat for 4 yr old behaving at the stores)

Total spent: $22.93
Total saved: $44.10 (65.8%)


Here is where I realized I had made a stupid, stupid mistake, and it made me quite mad. I had 2 catalina coupons from Albertsons for $10 of my next shopping order (each) that I had received the week earlier, and I had forgotten to use them!!! It was basically $20 free cash that could only be spent at Albertson's, and they expired the day after this shopping trip. So, even though I had worked out my shopping list to stay pretty close to my $50 total budget, I had no choice but to go back in and spend as close to $20 as possible just so that I could use the $20 in coupons. I had to use them, because they had already been factored into the total of last week's shopping trip. (Even if I receive the coupons at the end of checkout, I factor them into the price of whatever I purchased to earn them). Of course, I tried to maximize those coupons as best as possible. I forgot to take a picture, but here is what I purchased:

• $14.97 ~ 3 pkgs Charmin 6 mega roll toilet paper ($4.99 ea)
• $3.25 ~ 5 cans Pringles ($.65 ea)
• $3.52 ~ 4 bags Quaker Quakes rice cake snacks ($.88 ea)
• $1.76 ~ 2 Crest toothpaste ($.88 ea)

Total spent: $27.42 (I had to spend a little extra to reach the quota necessary to receive another $5.00 catalina)
Total saved: $29.08 (51.5%)
*I'm considering this $27.42 spent, but actual cash out of pocket was only $7.42. I used the $20 catalina coupons, but I factored them into the total of last week's purchase. This may all sound confusing, but it makes sense to me, and it all balances out in the end! :)

GRAND TOTAL AT ALBERTSONS: $50.53
GRAND TOTAL SAVED: $73.18 (59.2%)


Smith's:

• $9.95 ~ 5 pkg Armour meatballs ($1.99 ea)
• FREE ~ 5 pkgs spaghetti (free with purchase of above meatballs)

• $1.00 ~ 16 oz. Kroger sour cream
  $1.00 ~ 16 oz. Kroger cottage cheese
  $1.76 ~ 2 pkg hamburger buns 8 ct each ($.88 ea)
  $.24 ~ 1 Colgate toothbrush
  
  
  

• $.99 ~ 1 6ct Dannon Danimals yogurt smoothie
• $3.18 ~ 2 1lb Kroger butter ($1.59 ea)
• $6.45 ~ 5 pkg Eggo waffles ($1.29 ea)
• $2.00 ~ 2 boxes Quaker instant oatmeal ($1.00 ea)

Total spent at Smith's: $28.60

Total saved at Smith's: $23.87 (45.5%)

Macey's:

• $1.14 ~ 6 bottles Suave shampoo (Suave is not my favorite brand, but at $.19 each, I'll definitely use it)
• $3.54 ~ 6 cans applesauce ($.59 ea)

Total spent at Macey's: $5.09

Total saved at Macey's: ?? I forgot to keep track of the regular prices

And I also did a couple transactions at Walgreens:



Transaction #1:
1 Colgate toothpaste $3.29, used $.75 coupon, total : $2.54
1 Carmex lipbalm $2.99, total : $2.99
Total spent $5.96
Received $3.50 & $2.00 RR

Transaction #2:
3 409 cleaners $2.50 ea, used 2 $1/1 coupons and 1 $.75/1 coupon, total $4.75
2 Clorox wipes $2.50 ea, used 2 $.75/1 coupons, total $3.50
3 Clorox cleanup $2.50 ea, used 3 $.75/1 coupons, total $5.25
1 Walzyr allergy medicine $3.99, total $3.99
used $2.00 RR from above
Total spent: $21.16
Received $3.50 & $5.00 RR, plus $3.99 mail-in-rebate.

Total bottom line at Walgreens: $11.13
Total spent was actually nothing (I transferred a prescription last week and earned $25 gift card.)

So, there you have it.

For more shopping success stories, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Groceries 2.25.09

I'm a day late, and a dollar short, but that's the way this week has been. I was less organized this week than usual, so not only did I miss out on some great deals, but I was running all over town needlessly. I'll do better next week.

Here is what I purchased (at Smith's, Albertsons, and Maceys):

• 4 - 12 oz pkgs Buddig Deli Cuts sandwich meat - $1.19 ea
• 2 - 16 oz pkgs WF Jumbo Franks - $.99 ea
• 1 - 2 lb bag baby carrots - $1.69
• 1 - Reese's peanut butter cups - $.39 (treat for 4-year-old being good while shopping)

• 1 - 16 oz Nabisco Saltines - $.97
• 6 - 7 oz Banquet pot pies - 3/$1.00 (freeze for Hubby's lunch when there are no leftovers)
• 2 - 1.9 oz granular Splenda sweetener - $.85 ea (essential with a diabetic husband)
• 2 - dozen large eggs - $.99 ea
• 1 - 14 ct. Crystal Lite on the Go - $1.75
• 1 - 20 oz Nabisco Oreo cookies - $1.75 (required to provide 1 pkg of cookies to preschool each month)

• 3 - gallons milk - $1.49 ea
• 3 - 10.75 oz Campbell's Soup at Hand - $.80 ea
• 1 - 12 oz Hawaii's Own juice blends - $.70
• 3 - 10.75 oz Albertsons chicken noodle soup - 3/$1.00
• 4 - 8 oz pkgs cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, mexican blend) - $1.48 ea
• 1 - Oral B Pulsar toothbrush - $3.50 (to help 4-year-old improve his teethbrushing)

The total I spent on all the above is $38.60, saved $54.41 (58.5%). (Technically, I only spent $18.60 because I used 2 $10/purchase Catalina coupons, but I factor those into the totals on the day I receive them, so I'm considering it $38.60.) Unfortunately, I also had several items I needed for the week that weren't on sale at any of the other stores, so I also jumped over to Walmart after dropping my son off at preschool.
There, I bought:

• 1 box Carnation Essentials - $2.92
• 1 bottle vinegar - $.84
• 1 bottle grated parmesan - $2.74
• 2 cans pinto beans - $.62 ea
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro - $.30
• 2 eggplant - $2.97
• 1 red onion - $.55
• 1 pkg Life Balance whole wheat tortillas - $2.03
• 1 4-pack BeneFIT high fiber yogurt - $1.78

Walmart total: $15.88.

THEN, I had a coupon for a free loaf of french bread at Albertsons, but their bread comes out of the oven fresh and hot at 4 pm. So, at 4, I ran back over to Albertsons (only 3 blocks away) to grab a couple more dozen eggs ($.99 ea) and received my free loaf of french bread, which we ate with our dinner that night. :)

Total: $2.04, saved $3.09 (60.2%)




GRAND TOTAL for the day's shopping: $56.52 (over budget again!!! )
Grand savings: $57.50 (50.4%)
Okay, but not fantastic. It was not an extremely successful, feel-proud-of-myself shopping days. I didn't save as much as I normally can, I was all over the place (4 stores!!!), and I was just generally disorganized. Ugh.

For more, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Food Co-Op 2.21.09

(For more inspiring grocery saving stories, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge.)
We went and picked up our food co-op order on Saturday, and I must say we are pleased with the food that we received.





Here is the breakdown of what I ordered and received:

• 6 lbs. chicken breasts
• 3 lbs. beef stew meat
• 3 lbs. pork spare ribs
• 3 lbs. lean ground beef
• 10 lbs. red potatoes
• 6 lbs. oranges
• 4 lbs. Granny Smith apples
• 2 bunches green onions
• 2 heads red leaf lettuce
• 6 (jumbo!) artichokes
• 1 lb. mushrooms (only half are displayed in the picture)
• 16 kiwi (only 1/2 are displayed in the picture)
• 2 loaves Stone Ground's Artisan wheat bread
• 2 lbs. medium grain rice

I went to a local grocery store (Smith's/Kroger) today to price match these items there, just to see how much I was actually saving by buying these products through the co-op. The prices I looked up at Smith's were the regular prices, not sale prices. If I were to buy all the items above at Smith's at regular price, I would be paying $95.57. I purchase the above for $59.00. That's a savings of $36.57 (38.27%). Not too bad. It's not great compared to the savings (60-75%) I can usually get on a grocery shopping trip, but there are other factors to consider.

• Smith's has pretty good prices compared to other stores.
• The meat and the fresh produce are usually the most expensive part of a grocery purchase.
• There are usually no coupons for meat and fresh produce.
• Much of this is locally grown, and is ultra-fresh.
• The big savings items that I get at the store are usually the non-perishables (soups, canned veggies, etc), household (tp, cleansers, detergents, etc), and occasionally some refridgerated items (Pillsbury, yogurts, sour creams). These are usually the items that I get for pennies on the dollar matching sales with coupons, and it is these that balance out the purchase of meats and produce to equal the average savings of 60+%.

All in all, I'm going to consider this a fairly decent 'bargain shop'. I only do a food co-op purchase once a month, and the variety changes every month. I'll check back next month to see how the saving's will be.

Groceries 2.18.09 Wow!!!

Ahhhh, Wednesday. My favorite day of the week... shopping day. It just makes me so happy. :) Today, there were some really great sales, and I took full advantage of them. I must say, I am getting much more efficient too. I discovered this week that I can see a preview of the sales/coupon shopping lists at Albertsons, Smith's, and Maceys the evening before the sale at Pinching Your Pennies. Before, I had to wait until Wednesday morning to view/customize/print the list from Grocery Smarts, but this week, I was able to view/print on Tuesday evening, so that I could have all my coupons clipped and everything organized for an early start on Wednesday! It made it so much more wonderful. The only downside is that, as far as I can tell, on the PYP preview, you can't customize the list and print only the things that you want. I was still able to have half the work done the evening before. So today, I was able to have the whole family up, dressed, and fed, have been to 3 grocery stores, dropped off 4-year-old T-Nootie at preschool, and arrived back home to put 1-year-old Bren-Dunks down for his morning nap... all by 9:15 am. I call that pretty darn efficient, and I love it!

Today, I bought this:

The total that I spent out the door at all three stores was $67.51. HOWEVER, upon checkout, I received 4 of these little beauties (this is a scan of an old one, so the exp. date is not correct):

I also used the $10 coupon that I received last week on today's purchase (which I factored into last week's purchase total), so the bottom line on this week's whole purchase was $37.51!!! Confused? :)

Here is the bottom line breakdown of all that I purchased:

• $10.00 - 6 gallons milk (4-2%, 2-whole) - $1.67 ea
• $3.52 - 4 pkgs American singles cheese 8 oz - $.88 ea
• $1.00 - 2 Campbell's Soup at Hand 10.75 oz - $.50 ea
• $2.97 - 3 Chicken of the Sea chunk white Albacore tuna 6 oz - $.99 ea
• $1.57 - 1 loaf Grandma Sycamore's bread 20 oz - $1.57 ea
• $.90 - 2 pkgs Mentos sugar-free gum 15 pcs - $.45 ea
• $.75 - 3 Betty Crocker cake mixes 19.5 oz - $.25 ea
• $.68 - 4 Betty Crocker frostings 16 oz - $.17 ea
• $2.52 - 4 Betty Crocker Premium brownies 26.7 oz - $.63 ea
• $.80 - 2 Cheerios Snack Mix 8 oz - $.40 ea
• FREE - 2 Chex Mix 8 oz - FREE
• $.65 - 1 Pillsbury Crescent Roll tube 8 oz - $.65 ea
• $.40 - 4 Pillsbury Grands biscuits 16.3 oz - $.10 ea
• FREE - 6 Pillsbury Grands biscuits 16.3 oz - FREE
• $2.00 - 2 Pillsbury Ready to Bake cookies 16.5 oz - $1.00 ea
• $2.60 - 4 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel 11.5 oz - $.65 ea
• $2.00 - 8 Progresso Soups 19 oz - $.25 ea
• $1.00 - 1 cottage cheese 16 oz - $1.00 ea
• $1.29 - 1 dozen large eggs - $1.29 ea
• $1.68 - 8 envelopes McCormick's seasoning mixes - $.21 ea
• $2.76 - 4 cans Enchilada Sauce - $.69 ea
• $.90 - 1.3 lbs fresh broccoli - $.69/lb
• $.99 - 1 Dole iceberg salad 12 oz - $.99 ea
• $.71 - 1.2 lbs fresh Roma tomatoes - $.59/lb
• $2.99 - 3 lb bag Gala apples - $2.99 ea
• $1.68 - 1.13 lb fresh asparagus - $1.49/lb

Add it all up, add the tax, and it equals the bottom line (after the $10 coupons are factored in) of spent $37.51, saved $116.46 (75.6%)!!!!

To highlight all that I got for FREE:

• 6 tubes Pillsbury Grands biscuits
• 2 bags Chex Mix

Oh why, oh why, can't everybody love grocery shopping as much as I do? :)

As a side note, I'm especially thrilled about keeping this purchase so far below my weekly budget ($50). I will not be adding the difference to next week's purchase. Actually, I will be trying to keep next week's purchase far below the budget as well. That is because I will be picking up my monthly food co-op order this Saturday, and I need to make up the difference throughout the month. This month, my co-op order comes to $59, but wait until you see all that I will get! Stay tuned....

For more inspiring shopping success stories, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Groceries 2.11.09

• 1 bottle olive oil 16.9 oz
• 1 pkg 6 double rolls toilet paper
• 4 Dannon Frusion smoothies 7 oz.
• 10 Dannon Light & Fit yogurt cups 6 oz.
• 1 Dannon Light & Fit yogurt 6 pack 4 oz.
• 4 Hunt's Snack Pack pudding 14 oz.
• 3 cans Hunt's diced tomatoes 14.5 oz.
• 4 cans Pam cooking spray 6 oz.
• 3 cans Ro-TEL tomatoes 10 oz.
• 2 bottles Wesson canola oil 48 oz.
• 1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese 32 oz.
• 1 pkg kielbasa sausage 16 oz.
• 2 boxes instant oatmeal 15.1 oz.
• 5 cans tomato sauce 8 oz.
• 1 pkg. hamburger buns 8
• 1 pkg. breaded chicken patties 36 oz.
• 1 pkg. corn tortillas 17.5 oz
• 1 bottle lemon juice 15 oz.
• 1 jar Frank's hot sauce 12 oz.
• 1 pkg. frozen peas n' carrots 16 oz.
• 1 pkg. 4-count AAA batteries
• 1 can diced green chiles 4 oz.
• 2 lbs. yellow onions
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 pkg. Reece's peanut butter cups (a treat for when my 4-year-old behaves himself in the store)

Total spent: $66.02, total saved $42.80 (39.33%)

I didn't do as well this week as I have in weeks past. This was due to several reasons. One of them was that this week, I had more 'need' items on the list than usual, which left less room for 'stock-up-on-items-on-sale' items. If you'll notice, I was also over budget by $16.00. That is because I received this lovely coupon on checkout:

Which will allow me to spend $10 less next week to help balance things out a little. So, I guess you could say I'm actually only $6 over budget??? Oh well, at least I have some scrumptious meals planned for these 'need' items (see menu post below).

To see more shopping success stories, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge!)

Groceries 2.4.09

(To see more shopping success, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge.)

This week, this is what I purchased:

• 3 gallons milk
• 1 bag frozen chicken nuggets
• 2 bags frozen french fries
• 1 pkg sandwich ham
• 1 bag red seedless grapes
• 8 pouches Lipton Sides Plus Veggies
• 16 light bulbs
• 4 boxes of contact solution with cases
• 1 pkg Reese's peanut butter cups (we all deserve an occasional treat, right?)
• 10 pouches Russel Stover sugar-free candy (have a diabetic husband, so this was a great deal)
• 8 boxes Totino's pizza rolls
• 4 boxes Macaroni Grill dinner kits
• 3 whole fryer chickens

Total spent: $52.82

Total saved: $133.65 (71.67%)

Out of everything, the items that I received 100% FREE include:

• 8 boxes Totino's pizza rolls
• 6 pouches Russel Stover sugar-free candy
• 2 boxes contact solution
• 1 whole fryer chicken