Coupon Savings Week of 8/1 - My Second Week Back in the Game

This week can be easily summed up as cereal week for me.  I was able to get some great deals on cereal and replenish our supply that has diminished since March. I ended up with 19 boxes of cereal!  To some of you this may seem excessive, however my family goes through cereal rather quickly.  The boys usually have it for breakfast and a before bed snack (sometimes I join them).  Daphne loves trying out her new teeth by eating dry cereal.

This week again reminded me how much I enjoy couponing and being able to save my family money.  Our basement storage area is getting so full that we will need to add another set of shelves.  I realize how fortunate we are to need more space for food storage, there are families out there that can barely get anything to eat.  The food pantry at our church needed donations. It felt wonderful to be able to go into my basement and fill bags of food and personal items to donate.  I am trying to be very mindful of when the amount of an item is getting out of control and then donate some of what I have purchased.  Most of the items I donate were free or less than $1 so it is very little out of pocket for me but can make a huge difference for someone else.

This month I mostly donated meal kits, cereal, pasta, and deodorant.  When I first started couponing I was able to get at least 20 bars of deodorant in the first few weeks.  There is no way we would use all of that.  I also accumulated a nice stockpile of cereal and pasta.  All of the pasta was free and the cereal was fairly inexpensive.  After shopping this week the storage area is looking full and in a few weeks will be ready for another round of donations.  I am going to try to donate to the food pantry once a month.

Liam and Evan love to help me bring all my purchases down to the basement for storage.  Liam is old enough now that he can go down to the "store" and pick what he wants.  He always goes down and asks if anyone else wants something.

The only difficult part of having such a great supply of food is that I seem to be the only one that knows what is down there.  I think if everyone in the family knew what we had, we would be enjoying the fruits of my labor much more. Anyone have tips for how to spread the word?

I made it to Meijer, Walgreens, Kroger, CVS and Target this week.  Giant Eagle always throws me off since their ads run Thursday to Wednesday. It did make it nice since I didn't have to stop by there yesterday.  I can easily run to Giant Eagle during lunch next week to pick up the few things that I need.

This week I spent $126.93 on all of our home, grocery and personal care needs.  I saved $204.20. Summaries, spending breakdown by store, and what I purchased can by found below in my earlier posts.

Coupon Savings Week of 5/16 - Meijer

This week was interesting for me at Meijer.  My Sunday paper subscription had expired a few weeks ago and I have been so off the radar with couponing that I didn't even miss it!  I am back on track and was going to call tomorrow to renew the subscription.  As I was heading to the check out in Meijer today a representative from the Dispatch was signing up people for subscriptions for $9.90 a month (cheaper than what I had it for before) and he was giving $10 Meijer gift cards if you signed up. 

I didn't have coupons for everything I purchased this week. Tomato soup was on sale 2 for $1 so that made my purchase bearable but I know if I had coupons for it I would have gotten a better deal.  Oh well, it is the only thing Liam wants to pack in his lunch so I picked up 8 cans.

Check out summary:
Total spent:  $50.40
Total savings: $65.07 (includes my $10 gift card)

Order summary:
8 cans Tomato soup
2 gallons 2% milk
2 Meijer little puffs
10 Lean Cuisine
2 boxes of Crystal Light single packs
2 Kraft salad dressings
2 bottles Bull's Eye BBQ sauce
2 Del Monte fruit chillers
1 pack of DanActive smoothies
1 pack of Danimals smoothies
1 bag Bird's Eye steam fresh veggies
1 box of Super Pretzels
1 pack of Sandwich Thins
2 jumbo packs of Huggies
4 12 packs of Diet Coke
2 Nerds ropes (for the boys)

Coupon Savings Week of 3/21 - Meijer

I made my second trip to Meijer after work today, my first was yesterday.  I made Jason tag along to assist and see my mad coupon skills before he heads back to Atlanta.  I had to stop there again today because I forgot my $1.00 off South Beach bars coupons and Jason needed the bars to take to Atlanta with him.  I bought 3 boxes, they were on sale for $2.50 each and with my coupon they were $1.50 each.

It was a slow week for items at Meijer.  After the amazing deals I had last week with 10 for $10, it was a disappointment.   I know I can't expect huge sales and deals each week, so I just have to wait in anticipation for the next weekly ad to come out.

Order Summary: 
Spent:  $16.45

Total Savings: $30.14

Purchased:

1 box of Biz stain fighter ($3.99 had $2.50 coupon)

4 gallons 2% milk (on sale 2 for $4)

2 4 packs of Atkins shakes (2 for $10 had $1.00 off each)

2 packs of men's disposable razors ($5.24 each.  Had $4 off 1 and $3 off the other)

3 boxes of South Beach bars  ($2.50 each had 3 $1.00 coupons)

I also used the $10 I earned last week.  No money toward my next order (catalina) deals were earned this week. 

 

 

 

 

 

Coupon Savings Week of 3/14 (Part 2) - Meijer

I have been delaying this post for the past week, not sure why since it was possibly one of my best trips to Meijer so far. I went to Mejier once and realized that I missed out on a few deals during their 10 for $10 event.  I went through my coupons did some more match ups and stopped at the store for one more shot at finding deals to stock up.

To maximize my money earned toward my next order, I broke my purchases up into four separate orders.  I learned that Mejier only doubles the first two like item coupons so I wanted to be sure I only had two of each same item on each order.

Order Quick View (total items in all 4 orders): 
Spent:  $19.96

Total Savings: $56.12

Earned: $10 on my next order

Purchased:
16 boxes of Betty Crocker fruit snacks
2 boxes Bagel Bites
3 Land O' Lakes spreadable butter
2 Betty Crocker potato packets
4 bottles fruit juice
8 bags of Green Giant frozen vegetables

I am not going to go into the specific detail of each order as I usually do because they were all pretty much the same.  2 veggies, 4 fruit snacks, 1 bottle juice, and as you can see from the numbers 3 had butter, 2 had bagel bites and potatoes.  The total for three of the orders was $5.04 each and I earned $2.50 toward my next order for each of them.  The fourth order was $4.84 and I also earned $2.50 toward my next order on that one.

With the money toward my next order the total for all of the above items was a little over $9.00.

The juice ended up being $0.17 a bottle.  This was because I was able to stack a $0.50 Meijer mealbox coupon with a $0.50 manufacturer coupon (doubled).  The juice was $1.67 and I received $1.50 off with my two coupons, so they were $0.17 each.

The bagel bites were free because they were part of the 10 for $10 and I had $1.00 off coupons.  The vegetables were free as they were also part of the 10 for $10 and I had $0.50 off coupons that were doubled to $1.00.  Same with the butter.

The potatoes were $0.20, they were part of the 10 for $10 but my coupon was only for $0.40.  Still $0.20 for a side dish of potatoes is a pretty good price.

Lastly, the fruit snacks were $1.66 each (3 for $5).  My coupon was for $0.50 off of two and when you purchased 4, you receive $2.50 toward your next order.  I bought 4 boxes on each order, used two $0.50 coupons which made them $4.64 for the 4 boxes.  Subtract the $2.50 earned and it was $2.14 for 4 boxes or $0.54 a box.

The kids are LOVING the fruit snacks and can't seem to get enough of them.  I must admit I sneak a fruit roll up on occasion as well.  Having the large supply saved me from running to the store the night before Liam's snack day at school.

Coupon Savings Week of 3/14 (Part 1) - Meijer

I started my shopping week off at Meijer to take advantage of their 10 for $10 sale. The 11th item purchased as part of the 10 for $10 was also free. This made some of the items I had coupons for free and the money off applied to the bottom line on my order.  With coupons I was able to get 13 bags of Chex Mix for free and 3 bags Goldfish crackers for free. 

Total Spent:  $27.29

Total Savings:  $79.85

What I purchased:
13 bags of Chex Mix
6 bags of Goldfish
5 lb pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 1 lb packs of ground turkey
8 cans of Manwich
1 Nivea for Men body wash
2 Johnson's Buddies bath soaps
3 Renuzit Air Freshners
2 Gallons 2% Milk
12 boxes of Green Giant frozen vegetables
4 cans Del Monte diced tomatoes
4 cans Pillsbury Grands biscuits

Coupon Savings Week of 3/7 (Part 2)

I finished my grocery shopping for the week with stops at Meijer, Giant Eagle and Walgreens today. I think the grocery gods were against me in terms of time, however they were on my side when it comes to savings. Seems that every store I went to had issues with barcodes on products, scanning coupons, registers out of ink or tape, and slow cashiers. On the plus side, I even impressed the cashier when my total at Meijer was $5.28.

Walgreens was a decent trip as I was able to stock up on cold medicine which I am confident we will use without any problem.

I spent more than I would have liked to at Giant Eagle this week, but I stocked up on diapers, paper towels and toilet paper. Hopefully, my savings at the other stops this week make up for the extra expense. I used my Kroger method at Giant Eagle and had three separate orders to maximize the money toward my next order. This week at Giant Eagle if you spend $30 in certain baby products you get $6 toward your next order. This combined with their sale on diapers and coupons gave me an opportunity to stock up.

I did really well at Meijer this week. I purchased one item that I didn’t have a coupon for and that was a 2 lb. bag of baby carrots for $2.50. Since my final total was $5.28, it means I spent $2.78 for everything detailed below (except for the carrots).

Meijer:
What I spent: $5.28
Total Savings: $26.81
What I purchased:
7 Johnson’s Bath Buddies kid soap
8 Ocsar Meyer lunchable sub kits (no drink)
1 bag of Snyder pretzels
2 Dial foaming hand soap
2 jugs Clorox bleach
1 2lb. bag of carrots

Walgreens:
What I spent: $21.28
Total Savings: $34.97
Received $10 register rewards for my next purchase. Including this $10 I spent $11.28.
What I purchased:
4 NyQuil Liquid Caps
1 DayQuil Liquid Caps
1 box puffs tissues
3 bottles Dawn dishwashing liquid
3 bottles Listerine
6 full size Nestle Crunch bars


I had three orders at Giant Eagle because I wanted to get $6.00 back in diapers purchases on each order.

Giant Eagle Summary:
Spent: $121.36
Received $18.00 toward my next order, which makes my total at Giant Eagle for this week $103.36.

Order 1:
What I spent: $40.20
Total Savings: $39.05
Received $6.00 toward my next order.
What I purchased:
5 boxes Fiber One cereal
4 boxes Betty Crocker cake mix
3 tubs Betty Crocker frosting
1 Endust Free
1 Angel Soft mega pack of toilet paper
1 box of Luvs diapers
2 jumbo packs of Huggies diapers

Order 2:
What I spent: $48.21
Total Savings: $31.63
Received $6.00 toward my next order.
What I purchased:
6 cans Campbell’s Tomato soup
3 packs of Keebler cookies
6 Right Guard deodorants
1 pack of Sparkle paper towels
1 Angel Soft mega pack of toilet paper
1 box of Luvs diapers
2 jumbo packs of Huggies diapers

Order 3:
What I spent: $32.95
Total Savings: $26.61
Received $6.00 toward my next order.
What I purchased:
1 pack of Pampers diapers
2 Philly Cream Cheese minis
4 sticks Right Guard deodorant
2 jumbo packs of Huggies diapers
2 packs of Keebler cookies
1 Angel Soft mega pack of toilet paper

Coupon Savings Week of 2/28 (Part 2)

I finished my shopping today. I think I figured out the trick at Kroger but should have planned better for Walgreens. Meijer was okay, the number is a little higher than I would like it to be but I also purchased some clearance clothes for the kids.

My trick at Kroger was figuring out how many of a certain item I had to buy to get money toward my next order. Once I figured that out, I broke my order into 3 separate transactions to maximize the savings. All of this planning was done at home, prior to going to the store. I had my list for each order and was able to get out of the store in about a half hour (maybe less).

In total I spent $50.79 at Kroger, but I received $20 toward my next shopping trip so the actual money spent was $30.79 for all three Kroger orders detailed below.

At Walgreens, I purchased Starbucks drinks that were 4 for $5. I only printed 2 $1 off coupons so I got 4 for $3. In hindsight, I should have printed two more coupons so I would have received 4 for $1.

Kroger - Order Number 1:
Spent: $17.81
Total Savings: $36.83
Received $6.50 for my next order
What I purchased:
1 box Kroger Chewy Granola Bars
5 boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars
5 boxes Fiber One Bars
4 bags of Chex Mix

Kroger - Order Number 2:
Spent: $13.99
Total Savings: $32.08
Received $6.50 for my next order
What I purchased:
2 bags of Chex Mix
5 boxes of Fiber One Bars
2 Betty Crocker Warm Delights
2 Betty Crocker Mashed Potato packets
4 boxes of Nature Valley Granola Bars

Kroger - Order Number 3:
Spent: $18.99
Total Savings: $31.15
Received $7.00 for my next order
What I purchased:
5 boxes of Fiber One Bars
1 bag of Green Giant Steamed Vegetables
2 bags of Chex Mix
2 Betty Crocker Warm Delights
6 boxes of Fruit Snacks

Total Items for All Three Kroger Orders:
1 box Kroger Chewy Granola Bars
9 boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars
15 boxes Fiber One Bars
8 bags of Chex Mix
4 Betty Crocker Warm Delights
2 Betty Crocker Mashed Potato packets
1 bag of Green Giant Steamed Vegetables
6 boxes of Fruit Snacks

Walgreens:
Spent: $8.94
Total Savings: $34.50
What I purchased:
4 Starbucks drinks
12 Right Guard Deodorants

Meijer:
Spent: $47.75
Total Savings: $141.54 (this includes non-coupon savings of $125.04)
Received $4.00 off my next order of $60 or more. I used the same coupon for the order today, just use it FIRST. As long as the register total is $60 you get the $4.00 off. I was then able to have him apply the $4.00 I received toward my next order from last week as well as the manufacturer coupons.
What I purchased:
2 pairs of pants for Daphne
1 pair of jeans for Daphne
1 pull over fleece for Liam
2 long sleeve tees for Liam
1 fleece outfit by Carters for Daphne
1 Gallon 2% Milk
3 boxes Quaker Instant Oatmeal
3 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Sprays
1 Sure Deodorant
6 bottles of Dynamo Laundry Detergent

Coupon Savings Week of 2/21

I went on my first couponing trip yesterday. I think I did pretty well and expect to do better as my experience increases. I spent more than I wanted to out of pocket, but used part of my money for the week for stocking up which why I purchased so many cereals and boxed meals. Here is what I ended up with:

Giant Eagle:
Spent: $51.46

Total Savings: $47.73

What I purchased:
5 boxes Wheaties Fuel
3 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch
2 boxes Chocolate Cherrios
8 Romano's Macaroni Grill Complete Boxed Meals
8 Wanchai Ferry Complete Boxed Meals
4 packs of Starkist Tuna Creations

Kroger:
Spent: $40.11

Total Savings: $61.71

What I purchased:
5 boxes Green Giant Frozen Vegetable
5 Freschetta Pizzas
5 Oscar Meyer Lunchables
5 packs Kroger Shredded Cheese
2 boxes of Capri Sun
1 2-liter of 7-up
1 jar of Kraft Mayo
3 tubes of Chapstick
1 tube of Blistex
1 tube of Colgate

Meijer:
Spent: $16.71

Total Savings: $33.01

Money Toward Next Order: $8.00

What I purchased:
6 boxes of Grape Nuts
2 6-packs of Trix Yogurt
1 4-pack of Activia Yogurt
4 gallons 2% Milk
1 Marzetti's Salad Dressing
2 packs of Sargento Shredded Cheese
2 boxes of Orville Reddenbacher Microwave Popcorn