Which is good. It is. It's nowhere near the level of extreme couponing, but it's a good start. However, by September I not only need to be saving a bunch more, but I need to be spending a LOT less. And when I say a lot, I mean a minimum of 50% less. We would survive a lot better if I could cut 70% of the grocery SPENDING down.
It can be done, I know it can. If I can build the stockpile enough for a year for my family, and cut back on the amount of meat we eat, and all that....we can do it.
So, today, I went to Winco and Fred Meyer's.
I had the biggest list for Winco, with matchups from FabulesslyFrugal and a really thick envelope of coupons.
The frustrating part of this trip was a lot of the listed items weren't at the same prices listed. For instance, Nestle Tollhouse morsels were listed at $1.98 a bag just a couple of days ago. And the matchup was for the Winco I go to. But today, the morsels were $2.48. I had coupons so I went ahead and bought them because we're out. And the cereal I wanted, listed for 1.98, was also 2.48. I bought two boxes for DD because we are out of her favorite cereal, but I had coupons for 8 boxes. Some of these coupons I need to redeem soon, as they expire tomorrow or the next day. More for the doublers at Albertsons, I think. I get five Sunday papers so I'll get fifteen doublers. I think, though, that I am really close to the stockpile number for cereal. Just four more boxes and I'll have the 30 needed for a year. I need to get some more cereal for hubby, though, we're kind of lacking in what he likes.
I have enough deodorant for hubby also, and a good start on most everything else. And now I have a good start on coupons.
What will it be like, I wonder, to look at all these coupon sites and matchups and coupons and know I don't HAVE to go to the store? I just can't even imagine.
Okay, at Winco I spent $126 for a TON of food (almost needed two carts) that included a huge amount of canned things and charcoal. I had $15 in coupons, mostly 50 cents off things so they had to get someone over to override the register because I had so many coupons. But I think we have enough beans for a while :-)
At Fred Meyer, I had electronic coupons so I was really curious to see how that worked. It worked well. I bought tuna fish, paper towels, a write on calendar (which doesn't go into the grocery budget), and my best score: chubs of one pound hamburger marked down to $1.74. I haven't paid $1.74 a pound for hamburger in a long time. Those, I grabbed up, all four of them. They went right into the freezer when I got home. Here, I spent about 30 bucks and had about 7 dollars in coupons counting the electronic ones. That rocked. My other really good score: a 6 pack of Sparkle paper towels for $4.99, for which I had a $1 off ecoupon. Usually I spend $2.50 for a pack of two.
Tonight I have to finish my Albertsons list and include the last couple of things on the grocery list. I also need to go to BoiseMilk.com and see what their vegetable pack is next week. I may cancel my delivery on Thursday.
Onward!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Costco
Worked a full day today and then went to Costco with a list, and determined to stick to it. Hubby came too. We had coupons, of course, and got dog food, kitty litter, refried beans, eggs, berries, tomatoes, and hot dogs. We spent a bit less than usual, even! and we saved $30 with coupons. Usually my coupons at Costco just about cover the sales tax.
Usually we buy soda at Costco, and we did get Mountain Dew for DD. But I really think the big pop sales are going to be next week for the 4th, and we have enough for now.
DH is getting grumpy, though, with the stockpiling. We bought two huge bags of dog food, for instance, and he seemed to go along with the plan then. But when it came to putting things away, he had a meltdown. But he got over it.
And he'll had to continue to get over it, because this train is a goin'.
Usually we buy soda at Costco, and we did get Mountain Dew for DD. But I really think the big pop sales are going to be next week for the 4th, and we have enough for now.
DH is getting grumpy, though, with the stockpiling. We bought two huge bags of dog food, for instance, and he seemed to go along with the plan then. But when it came to putting things away, he had a meltdown. But he got over it.
And he'll had to continue to get over it, because this train is a goin'.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Day One of Serious Couponing
Okay, I implemented part of the plan today.
First, I went to Walgreen's and returned the bath salts. Got my money back, no problems! Then I bought 4 boxes of cereal, had $1/2 coupons times two, and the $5 RR from last visit. I ended up having to buy a pack of gum because I needed five items and only had four. So for two boxes of Frosted Flakes, two boxes of Raisin Bran, and a pack of gum, I paid $2.81. Score!
Then on to Walmart. I thought Walmart would be a good place to go on Thursday. It wasn't that busy, but unfortunately there also weren't very many cashiers. I had a little trouble sticking to the list, but I have a list for each store plus one that we keep on the side of the fridge and write down items that we need as we run out (this list will likely go away). So I deviated some from the Walmart list and bought things that were on the grocery list, like frozen apple juice, and deodorant for my husband. I had about 11 items I didn't have a coupon for (frozen juice, ice cream bars, dental floss, chow mein noodles, cough drops, macaroni and cheese, copy paper, laxative, and yes, my weakness: a Cadbury bar. So I guess this is one thing I'll learn to stop doing and learn to just shop from the list for that store. However, I spent just over $71 and saved $29 because of coupons.
That was a lot of coupons. Most of them were $1 but a lot were less.
Tomorrow I go to Costco with hubby and get dog food, refried beans, catsup, Pledge, kitty litter, and jerky. Then we'll fill up my car.
Saturday I'll go to Winco with the huge list (which covers most of the grocery list as well). At some point, I'll go to Fred Meyer also, if I can. If I have to skip a store, Freddy's is the one I'm skipping. And lastly, on Sunday I go to Albertsons with DOUBLE coupons! Yay!
I do not intend to do this all the time. I've been doing the majority of our grocery shopping once a month, with little visits in between. I will probably switch to weekly visits to one grocery store, maybe two depending on the sales. I get milk and produce delivered once a week, so I can hold out on visiting the store for a bit.
I must say, though, I have made GREAT progress on the stockpile already. I have nearly all the cereal we'll need. I have almost a full year's worth of deodorant for hubby. I have three months' worth of toothpaste.
I just need to keep going.
Onward!
First, I went to Walgreen's and returned the bath salts. Got my money back, no problems! Then I bought 4 boxes of cereal, had $1/2 coupons times two, and the $5 RR from last visit. I ended up having to buy a pack of gum because I needed five items and only had four. So for two boxes of Frosted Flakes, two boxes of Raisin Bran, and a pack of gum, I paid $2.81. Score!
Then on to Walmart. I thought Walmart would be a good place to go on Thursday. It wasn't that busy, but unfortunately there also weren't very many cashiers. I had a little trouble sticking to the list, but I have a list for each store plus one that we keep on the side of the fridge and write down items that we need as we run out (this list will likely go away). So I deviated some from the Walmart list and bought things that were on the grocery list, like frozen apple juice, and deodorant for my husband. I had about 11 items I didn't have a coupon for (frozen juice, ice cream bars, dental floss, chow mein noodles, cough drops, macaroni and cheese, copy paper, laxative, and yes, my weakness: a Cadbury bar. So I guess this is one thing I'll learn to stop doing and learn to just shop from the list for that store. However, I spent just over $71 and saved $29 because of coupons.
That was a lot of coupons. Most of them were $1 but a lot were less.
Tomorrow I go to Costco with hubby and get dog food, refried beans, catsup, Pledge, kitty litter, and jerky. Then we'll fill up my car.
Saturday I'll go to Winco with the huge list (which covers most of the grocery list as well). At some point, I'll go to Fred Meyer also, if I can. If I have to skip a store, Freddy's is the one I'm skipping. And lastly, on Sunday I go to Albertsons with DOUBLE coupons! Yay!
I do not intend to do this all the time. I've been doing the majority of our grocery shopping once a month, with little visits in between. I will probably switch to weekly visits to one grocery store, maybe two depending on the sales. I get milk and produce delivered once a week, so I can hold out on visiting the store for a bit.
I must say, though, I have made GREAT progress on the stockpile already. I have nearly all the cereal we'll need. I have almost a full year's worth of deodorant for hubby. I have three months' worth of toothpaste.
I just need to keep going.
Onward!
What's the time frame?
I thought I'd document how much time I spent on coupons this week, if I could, counting trips and all.
So I'll start with Sunday. 45 minutes at Rite Aid, mostly because they hadn't labeled the new sales things so it took a while to figure out what toothpaste was on sale.
From there, I went to Walgreens for another half hour.
1.25 hours shopping.
Sorting the inserts from the paper too about fifteen minutes.
1.5 hours on Sunday.
On Monday, I sorted the inserts into piles of similar pages so I only had to clip once to get five coupons. That took about fifteen minutes. Clipping coupons took about thirty minutes. Sorting them into their proper spots in the binder took about an hour (although granted, I was watching TV as well).
Doing the food inventory on Sunday and Monday took about an hour as well. (Making the lists was last week's task and we are not going to go there!)
So 2.75 hours plus 1.5 hours, we're up to 4.25 hours.
Tuesday I printed a bunch off and clipped 'em and read websites for another hour.
Wednesday I printed lists, clipped some more internet coupons, and all that for two hours. I also organized coupons into envelopes for each store in that time, and watched America's Got Talent with my husband :-)
Actually, counting some of the time I spent on websites on Sunday and Monday, I'll add in another forty-five minutes.
So far this week, then, I've put in 8 hours into couponing.
That, of course, is not counting the hours I've spent thinking, wondering, planning, and generally obsessing over this.
That's a lot of time. I probably wouldn't spend this much time without the incentive of my husband's hours cut in the fall.
Although I could figure the time spent into the cost of couponing (and I'd have to add in the paper subscription, gas, and the FoodSaver we bought), I probably won't. Why? Because this is what I would have normally done in those 8 hours:
napped
watched TV
cleaned out a cupboard (haha!)
instead of watching TV and couponing.
It isn't like I took time off from work to do this. So I feel productive, feel like I'm doing something positive for my family, and feel hopeful that the food budget can be tamed at long last.
Onward!
So I'll start with Sunday. 45 minutes at Rite Aid, mostly because they hadn't labeled the new sales things so it took a while to figure out what toothpaste was on sale.
From there, I went to Walgreens for another half hour.
1.25 hours shopping.
Sorting the inserts from the paper too about fifteen minutes.
1.5 hours on Sunday.
On Monday, I sorted the inserts into piles of similar pages so I only had to clip once to get five coupons. That took about fifteen minutes. Clipping coupons took about thirty minutes. Sorting them into their proper spots in the binder took about an hour (although granted, I was watching TV as well).
Doing the food inventory on Sunday and Monday took about an hour as well. (Making the lists was last week's task and we are not going to go there!)
So 2.75 hours plus 1.5 hours, we're up to 4.25 hours.
Tuesday I printed a bunch off and clipped 'em and read websites for another hour.
Wednesday I printed lists, clipped some more internet coupons, and all that for two hours. I also organized coupons into envelopes for each store in that time, and watched America's Got Talent with my husband :-)
Actually, counting some of the time I spent on websites on Sunday and Monday, I'll add in another forty-five minutes.
So far this week, then, I've put in 8 hours into couponing.
That, of course, is not counting the hours I've spent thinking, wondering, planning, and generally obsessing over this.
That's a lot of time. I probably wouldn't spend this much time without the incentive of my husband's hours cut in the fall.
Although I could figure the time spent into the cost of couponing (and I'd have to add in the paper subscription, gas, and the FoodSaver we bought), I probably won't. Why? Because this is what I would have normally done in those 8 hours:
napped
watched TV
cleaned out a cupboard (haha!)
instead of watching TV and couponing.
It isn't like I took time off from work to do this. So I feel productive, feel like I'm doing something positive for my family, and feel hopeful that the food budget can be tamed at long last.
Onward!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
all my binder's packed...
Sing with me....all my binder's packed, I'm ready to go....(yes, to the tune of leaving on a jet plane).
Well, I'm not totally ready for the weekend shopping but I'm close.
I have everything ready for tomorrow's shopping at Walgreen's and Walmart. I just need to go.
I'm ready for Friday's Costco excursion.
I'm pretty much ready for Saturday's Winco.
The coupons are all sorted into envelopes. I just need to find the el cheapo calculator with the nice big buttons. I have not been paying much attention to the amount of money I'm spending as I learned the couponing/stockpiling thing. That has to change, of course, but my mind is simple and just now ready to add another concept.
I do kind of need to clean the fridge, but I truly think it just needs some wiping of shelves.
Tomorrow after dinner...I go!
Well, I'm not totally ready for the weekend shopping but I'm close.
I have everything ready for tomorrow's shopping at Walgreen's and Walmart. I just need to go.
I'm ready for Friday's Costco excursion.
I'm pretty much ready for Saturday's Winco.
The coupons are all sorted into envelopes. I just need to find the el cheapo calculator with the nice big buttons. I have not been paying much attention to the amount of money I'm spending as I learned the couponing/stockpiling thing. That has to change, of course, but my mind is simple and just now ready to add another concept.
I do kind of need to clean the fridge, but I truly think it just needs some wiping of shelves.
Tomorrow after dinner...I go!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
I SWORE I wasn't going to....
Print, clip, or think about coupons today.
WRONG!
Good grief, I am so obsessed.
As an aside, I am going to return the bath salts that I feel I was overcharged for. That's an easy fix. It'll be especially easy because Walgreen's is practically on every corner!
So, I got a hold of a nice long list of things at Walmart that, with coupons, are under a buck (Thanks again, FabulesslyFrugal.com!). And in looking at the list, which was way easy to edit for my needs, I realized that I a)have room and b)have need for nearly all the products. And I have coupons. So I'm going out Thursday evening (payday Friday dontcha know) and getting a nice long list of things. Beans, instant potatoes, the like. I figure I'll spend around 20 or 25 bucks as long as I stick to the list.
As I go to the closest Walmart, I'll actually pass a Walgreen's. So I'll return the bath salts, and pick up more cereal (Kellogg's). I have a bunch of coupons for $1/2. They expire Saturday, but what will make this deal really sweet is the register reward coupon I got last time. So I'll get 4 boxes of cereal for 1.99 each, get $2 off with coupons, maybe get some toothpaste, and use my $5 off coupon. That should be just right.
Oh yeah, I could possibly get 4 boxes of cereal for $1. How sweet would that be!
Friday we'll go to Costco. Saturday I'll go to Winco, and Sunday Albertsons (hoping for double coupons!) It is so weird, though, shifting the way I think about food. Thinking long term helps a lot. It's an amazing process. And I'm learning a lot. And even my family is involved. My daughter's on a school trip and told me that when they went to Walmart, she was checking the prices and found a coupon. How awesome is that?
WRONG!
Good grief, I am so obsessed.
As an aside, I am going to return the bath salts that I feel I was overcharged for. That's an easy fix. It'll be especially easy because Walgreen's is practically on every corner!
So, I got a hold of a nice long list of things at Walmart that, with coupons, are under a buck (Thanks again, FabulesslyFrugal.com!). And in looking at the list, which was way easy to edit for my needs, I realized that I a)have room and b)have need for nearly all the products. And I have coupons. So I'm going out Thursday evening (payday Friday dontcha know) and getting a nice long list of things. Beans, instant potatoes, the like. I figure I'll spend around 20 or 25 bucks as long as I stick to the list.
As I go to the closest Walmart, I'll actually pass a Walgreen's. So I'll return the bath salts, and pick up more cereal (Kellogg's). I have a bunch of coupons for $1/2. They expire Saturday, but what will make this deal really sweet is the register reward coupon I got last time. So I'll get 4 boxes of cereal for 1.99 each, get $2 off with coupons, maybe get some toothpaste, and use my $5 off coupon. That should be just right.
Oh yeah, I could possibly get 4 boxes of cereal for $1. How sweet would that be!
Friday we'll go to Costco. Saturday I'll go to Winco, and Sunday Albertsons (hoping for double coupons!) It is so weird, though, shifting the way I think about food. Thinking long term helps a lot. It's an amazing process. And I'm learning a lot. And even my family is involved. My daughter's on a school trip and told me that when they went to Walmart, she was checking the prices and found a coupon. How awesome is that?
Monday, June 20, 2011
Getting ready for the next shopping trip
Which will be Friday and Saturday. I can't wait to see what's on sale!
I have all the latest coupons clipped and no plans to clip any more for a bit, nor do I want to print any more. The coupons are all organized.
I've done the inventory.
I've started reorganizing the shelves in the garage where some of our things are now stored. I've put bath tissue and Kleenex on one shelf, and that's as far as I got. I had my husband take a bunch of heavy stuff down so I can declutter some. That will be tomorrow. I will put a bunch of our cereals in a bin to make sure they stay mouse free. I'm pretty sure they are now, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.
So. Inventory done. I have made next month's menu. That was easy. I just copied this month's because I have absolutely no inspiration whatsoever. And I really don't think my family will notice or care. It's all stuff we like. Which is what it's all about, isn't it?
My shopping list is started. I put one up as soon as I use one. It will be nice to change this, though.
It's been a long day and I'm heading to bed. The house is strangely empty with my younger child gone for the week.
I have all the latest coupons clipped and no plans to clip any more for a bit, nor do I want to print any more. The coupons are all organized.
I've done the inventory.
I've started reorganizing the shelves in the garage where some of our things are now stored. I've put bath tissue and Kleenex on one shelf, and that's as far as I got. I had my husband take a bunch of heavy stuff down so I can declutter some. That will be tomorrow. I will put a bunch of our cereals in a bin to make sure they stay mouse free. I'm pretty sure they are now, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.
So. Inventory done. I have made next month's menu. That was easy. I just copied this month's because I have absolutely no inspiration whatsoever. And I really don't think my family will notice or care. It's all stuff we like. Which is what it's all about, isn't it?
My shopping list is started. I put one up as soon as I use one. It will be nice to change this, though.
It's been a long day and I'm heading to bed. The house is strangely empty with my younger child gone for the week.
Intimidated by the Pile!
So, I signed up for FabulesslyFrugal's awesome newspaper deal. I'm getting the daily paper plus 5 Sunday papers for $3.25 a month a week. Considering that the Sunday paper is $2 and the daily is 50 cents, that's a heck of a deal.
But the pile of newspapers! It is totally intimidating! We all got to read our own copy of the funnies, which was cool. DH got to go through his ads at his own pace, which was cool. I sorted out my ads, which I then left on the table (and I went shopping, but next time I'll go I'll bring a copy of the ad because I ended up with questions and spent a lot more time than I needed to at Rite Aid).
But eventually I had to face things, and sorted out the inserts. Even just five inserts is an intimidating pile.
I did not, therefore, clip coupons yesterday. I did sort the pages so I can clip five coupons at a time. I figured I'd plug in a Netflix disc tonight and clip away.
However, I'm starting to rethink this. I found this idea on the FabulesslyFrugal website: no clip coupons! Just print the list they provide for your area, and clip the coupon when you need it! What a great concept. Find the lists and things here.
The absolute best thing about FabulesslyFrugal.com? It's all free. They post all the local sales and these lists and have a coupon database and good articles, and it's all free.
Go on and check it out. Tell them I sent ya :-)
But the pile of newspapers! It is totally intimidating! We all got to read our own copy of the funnies, which was cool. DH got to go through his ads at his own pace, which was cool. I sorted out my ads, which I then left on the table (and I went shopping, but next time I'll go I'll bring a copy of the ad because I ended up with questions and spent a lot more time than I needed to at Rite Aid).
But eventually I had to face things, and sorted out the inserts. Even just five inserts is an intimidating pile.
I did not, therefore, clip coupons yesterday. I did sort the pages so I can clip five coupons at a time. I figured I'd plug in a Netflix disc tonight and clip away.
However, I'm starting to rethink this. I found this idea on the FabulesslyFrugal website: no clip coupons! Just print the list they provide for your area, and clip the coupon when you need it! What a great concept. Find the lists and things here.
The absolute best thing about FabulesslyFrugal.com? It's all free. They post all the local sales and these lists and have a coupon database and good articles, and it's all free.
Go on and check it out. Tell them I sent ya :-)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Coupon Fail: Walgreens
All righty, the lawn is mowed and tomato plants planted, and it is time to report on what I consider today's coupon failure.
On the Walgreen's list:
The Gatorade series: Prime, Perform, and Recover. On sale for $5 for the three things. $5 rebate printed out at the register, just have to fill it out and mail it in.
Suave body lotion and body wash: buy $10 worth of Suave and get $3 register rewards.
I had two coupons for $1 off, but the coupon I needed to really make this deal work was the B1G1 free coupon from May which is before I started couponing. I could only figure out how to pay $8 to get $3 back, which I really didn't want to do.
But what really made this a FAIL is that I could not find the body wash. Found the lotion. Couldn't find a clerk to help.
Kellogg's cereal, $1.99. This wasn't so bad. I bought two boxes of Frosted Flakes, which DD loves, and two boxes of Raisin Bran which DH loves. I had a coupon for $1/2 for the FF and two coupons for 70 cents off the Raisin Bran. So I paid $1.49 each for the FF and $1.29 for the Raisin Bran. Which works because it's stuff my family will eat. What makes this feel like a FAIL is Albertsons frequently has sales on cereal that are better than this.
Dr. Teal's lavender epsom salts. I love this, and it was marked clearance for $1.99. However, it's a fail because I was charged 5.99 and didn't notice. That seems to be a cardinal rule, pay attention at the check out! I am undecided what to do about this.
Gilette Fusion power razor. On sale for $9.89, and I had the $4 coupon. Got a coupon for $5 off my next shopping trip at Walgreens. Not a bad price.
Did not get the Aquafresh toothpaste here, couldn't find that coupon.
Also had to buy Gatorade for next week's prep session and knee hi'a for daughter, so all in all I spent $38 and got $6 off in coupons, with $10 more in savings coming to me.
Now, for the stock pile, I have five tubes of toothpaste and my goal is 18. I think I'll hold off on buying more toothpaste until my coupon pile is a little bigger :-) because it really rocked to get stuff for FREE.
My cereal stock pile goal is 10 boxes per person for a year's worth. As of today, I have 17 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats, Cheerios, Raisin Bran, and Frosted Flakes. 13 more boxes completes the stockpile, and again I can wait for a really good sale.
I am also pretty much ready for next Sunday's clear liquid diet/scope prep. I have Miralax and Gatorade (in flavors that I'll actually drink) and will be ready. Dreading it, but ready.
On the Walgreen's list:
The Gatorade series: Prime, Perform, and Recover. On sale for $5 for the three things. $5 rebate printed out at the register, just have to fill it out and mail it in.
Suave body lotion and body wash: buy $10 worth of Suave and get $3 register rewards.
I had two coupons for $1 off, but the coupon I needed to really make this deal work was the B1G1 free coupon from May which is before I started couponing. I could only figure out how to pay $8 to get $3 back, which I really didn't want to do.
But what really made this a FAIL is that I could not find the body wash. Found the lotion. Couldn't find a clerk to help.
Kellogg's cereal, $1.99. This wasn't so bad. I bought two boxes of Frosted Flakes, which DD loves, and two boxes of Raisin Bran which DH loves. I had a coupon for $1/2 for the FF and two coupons for 70 cents off the Raisin Bran. So I paid $1.49 each for the FF and $1.29 for the Raisin Bran. Which works because it's stuff my family will eat. What makes this feel like a FAIL is Albertsons frequently has sales on cereal that are better than this.
Dr. Teal's lavender epsom salts. I love this, and it was marked clearance for $1.99. However, it's a fail because I was charged 5.99 and didn't notice. That seems to be a cardinal rule, pay attention at the check out! I am undecided what to do about this.
Gilette Fusion power razor. On sale for $9.89, and I had the $4 coupon. Got a coupon for $5 off my next shopping trip at Walgreens. Not a bad price.
Did not get the Aquafresh toothpaste here, couldn't find that coupon.
Also had to buy Gatorade for next week's prep session and knee hi'a for daughter, so all in all I spent $38 and got $6 off in coupons, with $10 more in savings coming to me.
Now, for the stock pile, I have five tubes of toothpaste and my goal is 18. I think I'll hold off on buying more toothpaste until my coupon pile is a little bigger :-) because it really rocked to get stuff for FREE.
My cereal stock pile goal is 10 boxes per person for a year's worth. As of today, I have 17 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats, Cheerios, Raisin Bran, and Frosted Flakes. 13 more boxes completes the stockpile, and again I can wait for a really good sale.
I am also pretty much ready for next Sunday's clear liquid diet/scope prep. I have Miralax and Gatorade (in flavors that I'll actually drink) and will be ready. Dreading it, but ready.
Couponing Success: Rite Aid
Today I have a coupon fail and a coupon success. I'll be reporting on my success first.
One other thing that I've noticed that's really pissing me off: when you read all the scenarios for getting all this good stuff for free, am I the only one who doesn't realize that you still have to go out of pocket for things up front? Or I didn't, anyway.
Probably due to my inexperience.
So when I report my Rite Aid success, I will disclose right up front: I had $11 in their +Up rewards from a previous visit to Rite Aid (where I learned that you still have to pay for things first THEN get the coupon for your NEXT visit). The $11 went a LONG way toward my success today.
So here's what I got:
4 boxes of Colgate toothpaste, on sale for $2.99 each. I had one lonely coupon for 75 cents off (one fail here: I had three coupons for $1 off but for Colgate TOTAL only. Phooey).
I bought two boxes of 36 count St. Joseph's aspirin for $1.50 each and two packs of Stride gum for $2 ($1 each).
I bought one box of Zantac cool mint tabs, 24 count, for $7.99.
And I bought one of their vegetable plants, a jalapeno, for half off and paid $2.15.
So with tax, it was $28.73.
I had a $5 coupon for the Zantac and a $2 Rite Aid coupon from their Video Values.
I had a 50 cent off coupon from Rite Aid for the gum.
I used the 75 cent off coupon for the toothpaste.
And I used a $10 +up and a $1 +up coupon, so I paid $9.48 out of pocket.
Yep, that's about 67% off. That made me happy.
But wait, there's more! Since I used my wellness reward card, I also got the following +Up rewards:
2.99 off next purchase times four for the toothpaste
1.50 off next purchase times two for the aspirin
$2 off next purchase for the Zantac
and $1 off next purchase for the gum.
so I have $17.96 worth of coupons for the next shopping trip to Rite Aid. So this is why it can be said that I made money on this purchase.
I'm really excited because I have a daughter who's going on a trip tomorrow and she needs some make up! I'll be referring her to Rite Aid for sure.
One other thing that I've noticed that's really pissing me off: when you read all the scenarios for getting all this good stuff for free, am I the only one who doesn't realize that you still have to go out of pocket for things up front? Or I didn't, anyway.
Probably due to my inexperience.
So when I report my Rite Aid success, I will disclose right up front: I had $11 in their +Up rewards from a previous visit to Rite Aid (where I learned that you still have to pay for things first THEN get the coupon for your NEXT visit). The $11 went a LONG way toward my success today.
So here's what I got:
4 boxes of Colgate toothpaste, on sale for $2.99 each. I had one lonely coupon for 75 cents off (one fail here: I had three coupons for $1 off but for Colgate TOTAL only. Phooey).
I bought two boxes of 36 count St. Joseph's aspirin for $1.50 each and two packs of Stride gum for $2 ($1 each).
I bought one box of Zantac cool mint tabs, 24 count, for $7.99.
And I bought one of their vegetable plants, a jalapeno, for half off and paid $2.15.
So with tax, it was $28.73.
I had a $5 coupon for the Zantac and a $2 Rite Aid coupon from their Video Values.
I had a 50 cent off coupon from Rite Aid for the gum.
I used the 75 cent off coupon for the toothpaste.
And I used a $10 +up and a $1 +up coupon, so I paid $9.48 out of pocket.
Yep, that's about 67% off. That made me happy.
But wait, there's more! Since I used my wellness reward card, I also got the following +Up rewards:
2.99 off next purchase times four for the toothpaste
1.50 off next purchase times two for the aspirin
$2 off next purchase for the Zantac
and $1 off next purchase for the gum.
so I have $17.96 worth of coupons for the next shopping trip to Rite Aid. So this is why it can be said that I made money on this purchase.
I'm really excited because I have a daughter who's going on a trip tomorrow and she needs some make up! I'll be referring her to Rite Aid for sure.
Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV)
I say that now because I am going to post my food storage inventory list. When I was a runner, we used YMMV a lot. It just means things are likely to work differently for you.
This is a preliminary list. It's in Excel so I'm not sure how it'll translate to this webpage, but I don't seem to be able to put a link to it. Sigh.
In fact, it doesn't translate at all. So I'll just type some of it out. Based on some of the reading I've been doing (and it really helps that I live in an area with a large LDS population, they are totally into the year food storage thing), and knowing what our family likes to eat, I am aiming for an inventory that will include:
40 lbs of rice per person
25 lbs of flour per person
1 lb of cornstarch per person
10 boxes of cereal per person
5 lbs of cornmeal per person
10 boxes of deluxe macaroni and cheese per person (who eats it, DH won't)
15 boxes of regular macaroni and cheese per person
20 packages of Top Ramen per person
6 boxes of lasagna per person
5 lbs of other types of pasta, per person
10 lbs of spaghetti per person
10 lbs of penne per person
10 lbs of elbow macaroni per person
10 lbs pancake mix per person
35 lbs of white sugar per person
6 lbs of brown sugar per person
10 cans of refried beans per person
1 10# can of powdered eggs
14 lbs of powdered milk per family
2 lbs of cocoa mix per person
and it goes on and on. I'd be happy to share the complete list, just let me know if you're interested. Perhaps I will figure out how to link it some day
This is a preliminary list. It's in Excel so I'm not sure how it'll translate to this webpage, but I don't seem to be able to put a link to it. Sigh.
In fact, it doesn't translate at all. So I'll just type some of it out. Based on some of the reading I've been doing (and it really helps that I live in an area with a large LDS population, they are totally into the year food storage thing), and knowing what our family likes to eat, I am aiming for an inventory that will include:
40 lbs of rice per person
25 lbs of flour per person
1 lb of cornstarch per person
10 boxes of cereal per person
5 lbs of cornmeal per person
10 boxes of deluxe macaroni and cheese per person (who eats it, DH won't)
15 boxes of regular macaroni and cheese per person
20 packages of Top Ramen per person
6 boxes of lasagna per person
5 lbs of other types of pasta, per person
10 lbs of spaghetti per person
10 lbs of penne per person
10 lbs of elbow macaroni per person
10 lbs pancake mix per person
35 lbs of white sugar per person
6 lbs of brown sugar per person
10 cans of refried beans per person
1 10# can of powdered eggs
14 lbs of powdered milk per family
2 lbs of cocoa mix per person
and it goes on and on. I'd be happy to share the complete list, just let me know if you're interested. Perhaps I will figure out how to link it some day
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