More Coupons...

The last two weeks at Albertson's, they've had great sales. Last week was General Mills/Proctor & Gamble and this week was the Big Breakfast Sale.

Here's the damage done last week (original non-sale price in parenthesis):

6 boxes Total Whole Grain cereal ($4.49 ea.)
3 boxes Multi Grain Cheerios ($4.29 ea.)
3 boxes Kellog's Raisin Bran ($3.49 ea.)
3 boxes Fiber One Toaster Pastries ($2.99 ea.)
10 (4-packs) of Yoplait Yogurt ($2.99 ea.)
18 boxes of Tuna/Chicken/Hamburger Helper ($2.69 ea.)
4 boxes Toaster Strudel ($3.39 ea.)
5 boxes Jolly Time Popcorn ($2.99 ea.)
2 40oz boxes Bisquick baking mix ($4.19 ea.)
3 jars Jif Peanut Butter ($3.29 ea.)
3 jars Smuckers Grape Jelly ($2.99 ea.)
3 loaves Sara Lee bread ($2.99 ea.)
4 bags Malt O Meal Cereal ($3.59 ea.)
2 gallons of milk ($2.19 ea.)
2 tubes of L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara ($8.19 ea.)

After 4 separate transactions and 2 hours at the store....
GRAND TOTAL = $25.68!

I was lucky that last week you could double your coupons (which I had tons of) and combined that with an awesome sale.

This week didn't take nearly as much planning, but I got great stuff:

10 boxes Quaker Oatmeal ($4.59 ea.)
3 boxes Fiber One Shredded Wheat ($5.29 ea.)
1 box Banana Nut Cheerios ($4.99 ea.)
2 boxes Cinnamon Life Cereal ($4.29 ea.)
1 loaf French Bread ($1.69 ea.)
8 cans Progresso Soup ($2.79 ea.)
9 cans Campbell's Tomato Soup ($0.99 ea.)
4 cans Campbell's Spaghettio's ($1.49 ea.)
4 packs Dannon Yogurt ($3.49 ea.)
2 gallons of milk ($2.19 ea.)
1 box Jolly Time Popcorn ($2.99 ea.)
3 Gerber Graduates Pasta Dinners ($1.39 ea.)
2 Gerber Graduates Veggie Puffs ($2.25 ea.)
2 Hershey's Dark Chocolate bars ($0.79 ea.)

After 2 separate transactions and less than an hour....
GRAND TOTAL = $13.18!

The only part that sucks about doing this whole couponing thing is that it takes a lot of time, planning and patience. But it's worth it. The only two "tricks" I really have are that I buy multiple copies of the local newspaper (it has the same coupons as Sunday papers, but is only 50 cents) and use PinchingYourPennies.com. And I try to have fun with it.

Now, on to more important things...

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

With money getting tighter and the economy falling more each day, I've been paying more attention to what we're spending as a family and trying to save where we can. So, I started clipping coupons and shopping more carefully. I've started shopping mostly at Albertson's now - usually they have the highest grocery prices out of any store, but when they have a sale, it's awesome. Especially when you combine it with coupons.

This is what I bought last week.

6 Bottles Shampoo/Conditioner ($2.79 ea)
4 Jars Skippy Peanut Butter ($3.29 ea)
10 Bottles All Small & Might Laundry Detergent ($6.49 ea)
6 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes ($2.19 ea)
6 Betty Crocker Frosting Tubs ($2.29 ea)

I spent just over $60 on all that - between sales a coupons, I saved over $60. When I bought all of that stuff (it's stuff I'd have normally bought anyway, just in bigger quantities), I got 6 $5.00 off Catalina coupons. I used them this morning and got all of this:

1 Bag Malt O Meal Cereal ($3.59 ea)
2 Gallons of Milk ($2.50 ea)
14 Lean Pockets ($2.99 ea)
2 quarts Breyer's Ice Cream ($6.39 ea)
2 Sara Lee Frozen Pies ($6.39 ea)
1 Bottle of Johnson's Lotion ($3.99 ea)

GRAND TOTAL = $0.15 plus tax! ($1.17 total)

Sure, it's not stuff I'd usually buy (except the Lean Pockets, I love those things for lunch when Oliver doesn't give me three seconds to eat), I shopped the ads to see what I could get for as cheap as possible with sales and coupons. I think I did a pretty good job.