Albertsons Double Coupon Grocery Shopping

Albertsons have the magical little coupons available that double manufacturer coupons again. I'm very lucky that my store lets me use three per transaction so that I don't have to check out so many times.

This shopping trip was a really great one. They had Mozzarella cheese on BOGO as well as Tillamook Cheddar on sale for $6.99 for two pounds. I stocked up on those, which was $14 of the final bill.

I paid $49.06 for $124.19 worth of groceries. A total saving of $75.13, which is over 60%.

Grocery Shopping from June 15th

Between CVS, Smiths and Target I had a decent grocery shop this week. I'm still working on building my stockpile but also adding in the occaisional luxury like buying my favorite cheap wine.

Total Value: $104.34
Total Paid: $45.18
Saved: $59.16 (57%)

And here is my question dear readers. Do you like seeing the break down of what I spent where? Would you like me to just highlight the good deals? Would you rather not read it at all?

Using Overage to Pay for Produce

I went to Walmart very late last night on my way home because there was an opportunity for a saving that I didn't want to miss out on.

As a couponer, it can be very challenging to buy things like produce or proteins like meat and fish. We eat fish primarily in my house and I'm always sad when we run out because I know it'll take up a huge chunk of my grocery budget.

So I discovered that at Walmart, travel sized Dial body wash was on sale for $0.97. Also, a recent Manufacturer's coupon for $2 off any Dial Lotion or Body Wash with no size restriction meant that I could take these coupons to the store and use overage to purchase items I can't normally buy cheaply. I had six coupons and they happened to have six body wash left. So I purchased 2lb fish fillets, some fresh garlic and fresh ginger, along with 6 tiny bottles of Body wash for $1.65. This was down from $13.18 for a savings of 87%.

This is a rare feat, but a good one!

Drugstore Shopping from June 12th

I didn't go too crazy at the drugstores today. I tried to only get things that I knew I would use and I laid off most of the candy sales. Leon the cat refused to be parted with the milk while it was on the table.

Total Value: $33.20
Total Paid: $5.43
Total Saved: $27.77 (84%)
Got back $4 RR and $3 ECB

CVS

Transaction 1

Zyrtec 5 Count - $6.99
Sale Price - $5.99
Used $2/1 MQ
Used $1 ECB

Paid $3.48 OOP Got $5.99 ECB

Transaction 2

Motrin PM - $5.99
Sale Price - $4.00
Used $1/1 MQ

Viva Milk - $3.19
Sale Price - $2.99

Used $5.99 ECB
Paid $0.32 OOP Got $3.00 ECB

Transaction 3

Motrin PM - $5.00
Sale Price - $4.00
Used $1/1 MQ

Used $3 ECB
Paid $0.32 OOP Got $3.00 ECB

Those $3 ECB's will be used towards milk this week. I love using ECB's to buy milk.


Walgreens

Wal-Fex Allery 5 count - Sale Price $3.99

Nestle Crunch Bars - Sale Price $0.39
Used 2 $0.35/1 MQ's
Used 1 B2G1 MQ

Used $2 RR
Used $1.08 Store Credit
Paid $1.31 OOP Got $4 RR for next week.

Walmart Shopping from May 15th

I had a fairly decent shopping trip at Walmart. My intention was to nab a few free or incredibly inexpensive items as I continue to build my stockpile. I've had mixed results at Walmart and my new rule is that I don't go unless I have at least 5 different things to pick up... mostly because I don't like to be disappointed. Here is how I did.

Value - $38.57
Spent - $10.63
Saved - $27.94 (72%)

L'Oreal Eyeshadow - $7.99
Walmart price - $4.97
$2/1 MQ
Total - 2.97 (63%). Purchased 1.

This is on sale at Walgreens for B1G1 50% off, but Walmart has a much better deal.

Tidy Cats Cat Litter - $2.99
Walmart price - $1.77
$1/1 and $1.10/1 MQ's
Total - $0.77 (74%) Purchased 6
Total - $0.67 (78%) Purchased 1

I wish I had more of those $1.10 coupons but I only had one left. This was a stockpile item. I hit my max of 10 and don't need to buy any more for a while.

Bic Comfort 3 Razors - $3.99
Walmart price - $2.88
$3/1 MQ
Total - $0.12MM (103%)Purchased 1

Wilkinson Sword Twin Razors - $0.97
$1/1 MQ
Total - $0.03MM (103%)

Lawry's Taco Seasoning - $0.99
Walmart price - $0.58
$0.50/1 MQ
Total - $0.08 (92%) Purchased 10

We don't use Taco seasoning much at all, but now I have a good supply for those times when we do decide to use it.


So how did you do?

6 Frugal Items You Should Get for Christmas

Are people asking you what you want for Christmas at the last minute this year? Or do you want to find something to buy for someone who you know lives a frugal lifestyle? 

Here are my six top picks for anyone faced with this question!

PUR DS-1800Z 2 Stage Water Dispenser

I adore this water filter tank. When combined with a good solid water bottle, you never really need to buy bottled water again. It can also be a great way to get out of the soda habit!

Reusable Grocery Tote Bag 6 Pack ComboI keep these in my car and use them not just for groceries, but for taking our recycling or taking things to work. These are great for the environment and buying a large pack of them is cheaper than buying them as you go shopping.

Honeywell FocusPRO 6000 Programmable ThermostatA programmable thermostat can save you a fortune in energy costs! Just have it set to stay off at night and switch on right before you get up, that way you aren't wasting energy while you are unconscious

CamelBak BPA-Free Better Water Bottle with Bite ValveHere is a fantastic water bottle to go with that Pur Water tank!

365 Ways to Live Cheap: Your Everyday Guide to Saving MoneyTrent Hamm is a well respected personal finance blogger who has just come out with his first book! 

The Complete Tightwad GazetteThis book is one of the most highly recommended frugality books out there! 

Hopefully this list will help you with your shopping list, be it for you or for someone else!

Christmas Is Coming: A Plan for Painless Shopping

Image by Sister72

I confess, I'm not a fan of Christmas. I love the idea that you get together with your family and have a day of gifts and happiness, but most of my family lives 4,000 miles away from me and I usually can't get home more than once a year. 

The one thing about Christmas that wears me down is how expensive it can get. If you play your cards right and get ahead of the game, though, it can make everything easier and less stressful. 

Make a Shopping Plan

Now is the time to figure out what you want to get everyone. Make a list of what you would like to get for everyone. Include a dollar amount that you will be spending. Total that dollar amount up and add ten per cent to cover tax and the fact that you are likely to have forgotten something. There are 9 weeks until Christmas, but you want everything to be in your hot little hands a week before to minimize stress and allow yourself some wiggle room. Divide what the amount you need by 8 and that shows you how much money a week you'll be spending on Christmas up until Christmas. 

Now every week take your money and see what on your list you could buy with it. If you have items you can pick up, go and grab a few of them in your lunch hour or on your way to run another errand. If you don't have enough that week for an item, roll it over to the next week and keep going until you do. If you have a week where you aren't picking an item up, take the time you would spend doing that wrapping presents that you have previously bought.

If you follow this, you have the week before Christmas to do any additional preparation like cleaning the house up or cooking in advance, or picking up things you might have forgotten. 

Make Presents if You Can

I'm a huge fan of handmade presents. I knit a lot of gifts at Christmas time and I hope that they are well received. Knitted items are great, but another good inexpensive idea is to make up things like bread or cake mix, or pancake mix and gift that to people that you tend to give smaller gifts to. Pancake mix is a really good one because home made mix is cost effective and simple, and most people have the pans and added ingredients in their homes to make the mix up without having to buy anything new (like a bread pan). Some nice cellophane bags and ribbons along with hand written instructions on a small card can make this simple gift look sweet and special. 

If you aren't into making presents but still love the handmade feel, check out Etsy for handmade items. They have just about everything you can think of.

If you send Christmas cards, now is also a good time to start preparing them. You can purchase them and write up a few a week, then send them all in the first week of December. 

What other ways to you prepare for Christmas?

 

3 Months Ago on Distilled Rose Personal Finance

Weekly Financial Round Up 06/22