Grocery Savings Again

I know you are just dying to hear more about my grocery shopping antics... am I right? No? Well, then I'll be quick. No breakdown, no telling every single item I bought, just the cold hard facts.

All this.

Paid: $56.06

Saved: $20.65

Groceries purchased this month: $99.14

Total saved this month: $45.30

Boo. Yah.

Grocery Savings

I have only been to Publix one other time, but as part of my January goal to save $25, Jack and I thought we would try our luck there last week. I made a "vow" to only buy things we NEED and not just because something is a good deal. The main things I knew I needed were lots of produce, frozen steamer veggies, and shampoo/conditioner. 

Here's what I got:

6 BirdsEye steamers, 1 bag of salad, turkey bacon (only thing I bought not on sale), bananas, asparagus, 2 orange juices, cantaloupe, squash, zucchini, 5lb bag of potatoes, 2 boxes of cereal, 1 box of spaghetti noodles, 1 bag of Tostitos, shampoo and conditioner.

I spent $43.08 and saved... (drumroll please)... $24.65!! So in one shopping trip, I saved as much as I wanted to this whole month! And I thought I was being ambitious...

I will definitely be back! Great deals, great food, and unbelievable customer service. Even though it's out of the way from where I normally shop - so far, it's worth the extra drive.

Shopping to Save

Okay, my friends. This is monumental. This was my first real Publix trip. 

As one of my monthly goals, I wanted to save up coupons and do a good shopping trip by the end of the month. Granted, after I went to Publix, I still had to go to Walmart to get my regular stuff where the everyday price is cheaper, but I feel like I scored some GREAT deals at Publix on stuff I will ACTUALLY use!!

Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt 4pk - 2 for $2 - $1 off coupon - 2 for $0.50 each

Quaker Oatmeal - 2 for $3.71 - $1 off coupon - 2 for $1.36 each

Pop Tarts - $2.10 ea. - 50% off - $1 off 3 - 4 for $0.79 each

Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes - 2 for $1.25 - $1 off 3 - 4 for $0.38 each

Fresh Express Salad - 2 for $3.99 - $0.55 off coupon - 2 for $1.73 each

Fuji Apples - $0.99/lb

Cucumbers - $0.65 (they were $0.89 on sale at WM)

Total Spent: $15.04

Total Saved (according to receipt): $22.40

It took me a while to get coupons together and took me a while to decide what I actually needed (vs. buying something because it was on sale), but it was definitely worth it! A fun little Sunday afternoon project, if you ask me. 

I know Sarah R. uses coupons - anyone else??

CVS-ing, Take Two

My round two of CVS-ing went even better than round one!



CVS Paper Towels - $8.99 (for an 8 pack) This is what I went for. We needed paper towels BAD, and I read in Consumer Reports (yes, I really did) that CVS brand paper towels are the #3 rated paper towels, but I basically got them for free - please read on. :)


Glade Sense & Spray Starter Kit
Regular price: $9.99
Got it for: FREE (on sale for $6.00, had 2 $3.00 off coupons)


Glade Lasting Impressions
Regular price: $9.99
Got it for: FREE (on sale for $6.00, had a $3.00 off and $4.00 off coupon)
When you buy $12 worth of Glade, get $4 ECBs, so really I got them for FREE and got PAID $4.


Trident Layers Gum - 4 packs
Regular price: $4.00
Got it for: $1.25 ($0.31 ea.), B1G1 Free and $0.75 off coupon


Reusable Bag Tag - $0.99, I just added this to get up to the right amount.
If you attach this to a reusable bag, you get $1 EBC on every 4th trip.


I used a $5.00 ECB from my last trip and a $5 off $15 coupon I got when I scanned my CVS card when I first walked in (one of those coupon stations), so according to my receipt I saved $35.69 and only spend $1.89 out of pocket!!! Not bad to buy an 8 pack of paper towels for $1.89 and get the rest for "free".


So now I still have a $7 ECB and got a $4 ECB from my trip. Yeee-haw!



When I was at Walmart, I realized that there Halloween stuff was 90% off, so I took advantage of a few things. Spider rings, caution tape, white spider web stuff, window clings, a witch doggy outfit for Dash, fake sideburns, and this super cool pirate t-shirt that I will TOTALLY wear next year!! All this, and guess how much it was: $3.06!!! You should totally take advantage of this, if there's anything you need!

CVS-ing, Take One

**UPDATE** You're going to laugh at me... no, really - you are. Today at lunch I took back three of the $1 candy items so that I only really spent $20.50, then got the $5 back on candy! Ridiculous? A little bit...

Today I went on my first official "CVS-ing" trip. I was kind of nervous because I've been pretty skeptical that shopping at CVS could possibly be cheaper than shopping at Walmart (my typical store of choice). Here's a look at all I got!

Herbal Essences Shampoo/Conditioner
Regular price: $8.60 for both
Got it for: $3.00 (on sale for $3, B1G1 free coupon)

Trident Layers Gum
Regular price: $1.50
Got it for: $0.25 (on sale for $1, $0.75 off coupon)

Neosporin Lip Care
Regular price: $5.39
Got it for: FREE (on sale for $2.89, had coupon for $3.00 off)

Halloween candy (for our house and Trunk or Treat at church)

Regular price: $33.00

Got it for: $18.50 (get $5 off when you spend $20)

I thought that CVS sold newspapers, so I could have saved $2.50 more with a coupon from the paper, but they don't so I missed out... :( Aaaaand I somehow miscalculated and spent $23.50 instead of right at $20... so yeah. Could have saved another $3.50 there...

Glade Reed Diffuser
Regular price: $9.99
Got it for: made +$3.50 (on sale for $6.99, $3.50 off coupon, $7 ECB back)

I also used $3 ECB I had from last week, and a $5 off $25 coupon from online, so according to my receipt I spent $14.24 and saved $37.57!! Not too bad for my first try!!

My regrets are that I didn't get the paper before I went (could have saved $2.50 more and my own dumb $3.50 mistake - could have been $8.24!). Then I also bought body wash for Jason that was $4.99 and I had a $1 off coupon, but I think it's a lot less at Walmart and I still could have used the coupon. Anyway, all in all I'm pretty happy with the trip! And now we're loaded up on candy! :)

I forgot to ever post pictures of the gift we got from Cindy and Bob!!

A beautiful patio furniture set!! Now with this and our grill, we actually have a reason to be on the patio!! :) THANKS CINDY AND BOB!!!


Finally, a glimpse into the office. The very messy and nowhere near finished office. I will keep you updated with the progress.

Coupon Question

(By the way, I love the comments on the animal nicknames post - your babies have got GREAT nicknames!! Erica - sure, husbands count - but that's a different post. :) )

Okay, a quick question - other than Sarah, are there any of you that are avid coupon shoppers? Within the past week or so, I have heard so much about "CVS-ing" and coupon shopping that I am just going to have to jump in with both feet. (I have actually made a purchase that will make this easier for me, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about it!) I will let you know if/when I get some great deals worth sharing.

Check out these sites for more details:
Southern Savers
Money Saving Mom