Shopping trips

This is going to be a long post, so I hope you've got a few minutes. Like I said yesterday, I did a lot of shopping. I've kind of abandoned the budget I had set out with earlier in the year. I just wasn't working for us. I kind if felt guilty about it, so I didn't write any posts about shopping/couponing, but then I got over myself and realized that I had to do what works for us. Some weeks I was going way over budget and other weeks I was spending very little (or nothing). So I figure it's pretty much all evening out. I still use coupons and shop sales save a lot of money. Almost all of the coupons I use come from the inserts in the Sunday paper. Sometimes I get them from other sources, but mostly the newspaper. So if you don't already, start buying a Sunday paper and just set aside the coupon inserts until you need them. It does take some time to match up my coupons to the sales for the week, but I feel like it's time well spent. I only buy stuff we need or will use, and try not to buy anything we wouldn't normally buy "just because it's on sale." Your shopping needs probably vary from mine, but maybe this can help you too. Email me or leave me a comment if you have any questions and I'll try to help you if I can. Also, if you go to my profile and look under Blogs I Follow, there are lots of blogs about couponing and saving money. Good Luck!

CVS
Coolmint Listerine - regular price $5.19, sale $3.99, used $.50 coupon

CVS has an Extra Care bucks deal on Loreal products this week. Buy $20 worth, get $5 Extra Care bucks. The $20 is based on the before coupon price.

Skin Genesis facial cleanser - regular price $7.99, sale $6

Skin Genesis cleansing towelettes - regular price $7.99, sale $6, used coupon for $3 off 2 Loreal facial products

True Match powder - regular price $10.99, sale $7, used coupon for $2 off any Loreal makeup

lipstick (not pictured) - regular price $8.99, sale $5, used coupon for $1 off any Loreal lip product

Gillette Fusion Power razor - regular price $11.49, sale $7.99, used coupon for $4 off any Gillette Fusion razor, earned $4 ECB

Always pantyliners - regualr price $3.99, sale $2.99, used $.50 coupon

I earned $9 Extra Care bucks (ECB), so I spent $9 ECB that I already had from previous purchases.

Total out of pocket spent - $21.07


Walgreen's
If you've ever seen a Walgreen's sale ad, you know that they have their own coupons for select products each week. You can "stack" those with the manufacturer's coupons (MFG) from the newspaper to get extra savings. That's what I usually do at Walgreen's (WAG).

Kraft singles - regular $4.59, used WAG coupon for 2/$5, making it $2.50

2 bags Reese's Peanut Butter mix candy - regular $4.99, sale 2/$7, used $3 off 2 WAG coupon from their monthly Easy Saver coupon book and MFG coupon for $2 off 2, making them $1 each

Chex mix - regular $3, sale $1.50, used $.50 coupon

Fiber One bars - regular $4.19, sale $1.99, used $.50 coupon

Chex Mix bars - regular $4.19, sale $1.99, used $.50 coupon

Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup - regular $1.59, used WAG coupon 3/$3 and MFG coupon for $.25 off

2 Dove bath soaps - regular $1.59 each, sale WAG coupon $.99 each

Nivea lip gloss (not pictured) - regular $3.99, used WAG coupon for $1 off, and MFG coupon for $1 off

2 Dawn dish soaps - regular $1.99, sale WAG coupon $.99 each

Olay bath bars - regular $5.79, sale $3.50, used $1 MFG coupon

Old Spice body wash - regular $4.99, sale $3.50, used $1 MFG coupon

2 boxes Cascade ActionPacs - regular $5.99 each, sale $3.99 each, used 2 $1 off MFG coupons

Total out of pocket spent - $30.95


Then I went to Kroger and Walmart and by the time I got home I was ready to put it all away and forgot about taking pictures. But you know what groceries look like.

Kroger
A couple of weeks ago, Kroger sent me some store coupons. I registered my card online and have been shopping there regularly so I guess that's why I got them. So, if you have a card, go to their website and register it. They also have online coupons through Proctor and Gamble and Shortcuts.com that you can load onto your card that will be used when you buy those products, like other coupons they expire. So anyway, I used a lot of manufacturer coupons and store coupons at Kroger yesterday, and I think I might have had some online coupons that I had loaded onto the card and forgot about cause there are a few coupons on the receipt that I'm having trouble matching up to products. The Kroger receipts are kind of hard to decipher, but here goes:

Electrosol - regular $5.59, sale $4.79, used Kroger coupon for $.50 and MFG coupon for $.50

3 Starkist tuna pouches - regular $1.45, sale $1 each, used MFG buy 2 get 1 free

McCormick taco seasoning and fajita seasonings - $.99 each, used Kroger coupon for $.50 off 2 and MFG coupon for $.25 off 2

Luzianne decaf. tea bags - regular $3.99, sale $3.50, used MFG coupon for $.25 off. I sent an email to them telling them how much I liked their tea and they sent me 2 coupons. This is the ONLY tea I buy anymore, it's worth paying for.

Cheerios - regular $4.49, sale 3/$5, used MFG coupon for $1 off (3 boxes for less than what 1 would be regular price!!!)

2 Duncan Hines brownies - regular $2.99 each, sale 2/$5, used $.60 off 2 Kroger coupon and $.60 off 2 MFG coupon

Country Bob's steak sauce - regular $3.45, free with coupon (I sent an email to them telling them how much I liked their product and they sent me the coupon).

Hellman's mayo - regular $4.65, sale $2.99

3 Kroger chesses - regular $2.99 each, sale $2 each

Kroger butter - regular $2.89, sale $2.50, used Kroger coupon for $.35 off

Kroger large eggs - regular $1.42, free with Kroger coupon

Kroger frozen lima beans - regular $1.75, sale $1, used Kroger coupon for $.35 off

Hot Pockets - regular $2.34, sale $1.59

Sanderson farms boneless skinless chicken breasts - regular price without card $15.16, sale with card $6.80, used Kroger coupon for $2 off fresh poultry

Sara Lee bread - regular $2.29, sale $1

Total out of pocket spent - $36.12


Walmart

Great value vegetable oil - $2.88

Cake box - $2.47

14 Pillsbury cake mixes - $12.32

3 dozen eggs - $4.12

8 bags Domino powdered sugar - $12.96 (Usually I would get the Great Value brand, but they were out).

Aussie conditioner - $3.33

Great Value angel hair pasta - $.92

3 cans Pringles - $1 each, used MFG coupon for $.30 off 3

3 cans Rotel - $.98 each, used buy 2 get 1 free MFG coupon (Last time I was there they were only $.84, if I had know the price had gone up, I would have just gotten them at Kroger).

Total out of pocket spent - $46.81

Total for the day - $134.95
That seems like a lot, but I'll be able to make that back plus a little more from the cakes I'm doing this week, so I don't feel too bad about it. :-)

I probably won't post tomorrow since I'll be busy with cakes, but I'll try to post pictures of them Friday or Saturday. They're for the Dr. Seuss birthday party at the school and I'm planning on doing different Dr. Seuss characters on each one. Talk to y'all later!