Shopping week ending 9/21

There wasn't a whole lot of shopping done this week since we are all trying to use up what we have.

Walgreens:

Transaction #1
2- Colgate Max Fresh 2/$6...Got back a $3RR
1-Glade Expressions Starter $2.99...Got back $1RR
1- Blistex Moisture Melt $2...Got back $2RR

Used:
2- $1 Colgate mq
$2 Glade coupon from Bzzagent
Paid $7.76

Transaction #2
3- 12pk Coke (not pictured they went straight to the shelf in the garage) 3/$11
2- Reeses Pieces stand up bags 2/ $6
    **got back 5000 of the new Balance Reward Points for the Reeses and Coke Combined**
2-Colgate Max Fresh $2/6....Get $3RR
1- Glade Expressions Starter $2.99...Get $1RR
1- Blistex Moisture Melt $2...Get $2RR
14- Stride Gum (hold on I'll explain lol) 2/$2...Get 1000 Balance Points for every 2 purchased
      **I had enough B1G1 coupons to try this out and I can confirm that there was no issue
          purchasing this many at once and I did get all the points!!**

Used:
$1/2 Hershey's Pieces mq
2- $1 Colgate mq
$2 Glade coupon from Bzzagent
7- Buy 1 Get 1 Free Stride Gum mq
$3RR from last week
Paid $30.46

Total of 2 tranactions: $38.22....I have $12RR to use next week... I will get back $1.50 on the Gum for turning my reciept into Endorse...12000 Balance Points on my card
I am planning to let all the Balance Points stay on my card until Black Friday and then redeem them. Don't know what Balance Rewards are? Head on over here and check them out:
https://www.walgreens.com/balancerewards


Meijer

4- Kraft Ranch Dressing- $1.99
4- Nissin Big Cup Noodles- 61 cents
2- Glade Expressions Oil Diffusers- $7.99
Glade Expressions Starter- $3.99
Glade Candle- $2.99
2# Gala Apples- $2.99
Idahoan Potato Pouch- 95 cents
Sweet & Low packets- $1.97
3- Crystal Light- $2
1- Jello Mix-ins- $1.50
3- Wolf Chili (Dad likes this stuff I prefer homemade!)- $1
2- Gallon milk- $2.50
2- Oreo Cookies $2.98

Used:
$8 instant savings for buying 8 participating Kraft/Nabisco products
$5 mperk from Facebook offer
50 cent mperk on Lays chips
Free store coupon for the potatoes
$1.25 Jello Mix-ins mq from Kraft First Taste
Buy 1 Glade Candle Get Oil Diffuser Free mq
Free Glade Oil Diffuser coupon from Bzzagent
Free Glade Expressions Starter from Bzzagent
$1/4 Nissin Noodles mq
$1/2 Nabisco Cookies mq

Paid $30.42...Got back $5 in Catalina for next time...will get back $1.99 for turning my reciept into Endorse


CVS
(No Picture I was exhausted the day I stopped)
6- Gallons Milk (used Dads, Grandmas, & My extracare card) $2.79...Get $1EB each
2- Reese Cups 2/$6....Get $2EB/2
3- Dawn Hand Renewal 99cents

Used:
$5 EB from last week
3- 75 cent Dawn Hand Renewal mq
$1/2 Hersheys bagged candy mq

Paid $15.97..have $8EB to use next week

Also this week I spent: $20 for a bag of clothes for Cyn from a friend, paid $25 on the kids layaway at K-mart, and $20 mailing books for Paperback Swap, and Kay just had to have the Dora shirt at the mall today (clearanced to $3!).


Total spent this week $153....Leaving $75 for next week, I'm guessing we will be over budget this month but we have bought extra stuff for the Food Pantry so I won't freak out  **too much :) **

Shopping 9/14

First stop of the day was the Rhums Farm Stand (it may be spelled a little different but I know thats close!)Some of  todays pictures won't have the stuff for my Grandma because I dropped hers off on my way home and she will come raid my stock for the rest tommorrow :)
6- Zucchini & Squash 3/$1
4- Cucumbers 4/$1
5- Sweet Onions 79 cents a pound it came to right at $2
8- Tomatoes (red and yellow) $1.25 a pound = $3
3- Peppers 3/$1
13- Corn (they sell thiers in bakers dozens)= $3
Total= $12 (I LOVE the Farmers stands! So cheap and fresh!)

Stop #2 Aldis

3- Tomato Sauce: 39 cents each
Large Crunchy Peanut Butter: $3.69
Fruity Rice Cereal (I'm making cereal treats in the morning): $1.69
3- Tomato Paste: 39 cents each
Vegetable Juice $1.99
6- Tuna: 69 cents each
Hazelnut Spread (I love Nutella and this stuff tastes the same but less than 1/2 the price): $1.99
2-Baking Mix (again same as Bisquick WAY cheaper): $1.99
2 - Egg Noodles: $1.29
Cheese Melt (this stuff is even expensive in generic!!): $3.99
2- Grape Tomatoes: 99 cents each
Carrots: 99 cents
Fancy Lettuce: $1.99
Celery: $1.29
2- Avocados: 69 cents each
2- Lemons: 33 cents each
Head lettuce: 89 cents
Kiwi: $1.49 bag
6- Bags Salty Snacks (hey there was a lot of produce!): prices ranged from 99 cents to $1.79
Total spent: $45.00 (OUCH!!!)


Stop #3 Meijer

2- Mini Marshmallows: $1.30
8- Pizza Rolls: 99 cents
3- Hormel Beef Tips: $3.99
2- Pepperidge Farm Seasonal Breads: 2/$5
Swedish Fish: 99 cents
Blue Jello (this and the gummy fish are for a Nemo dessert lol): 47 cents
4- Yoplait Yogurt
Meijer Buns & Wheat Bread: 99 cents each
Aunt Millies Bread: $1.99
Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles: $2.98
2- Margarine Sticks: 89 cents each
4- Pears: $1.18 a pound= $2.62
Cottage Cheese: $1.50
Sour Cream: $2.19
Ranch/French Onion Dip: $1.29 each

I used these coupons:
4- 40 cents off 2 pizza rolls mq
3- $1 Hormel Entree mq
4- 50 cents of Yoplait mq
$5 Kraft catalina from two weeks ago (I almost let this one expire :/ )
50 cent MPERK on the Aunt Millies Bread
 Total= $39.03

Stop #4 CVS

4-  Deans Milk gallons: $2.79 (split 2 on Grandmas card, 2 on mine)
3- Hersheys Singles 6ct: 3/$3


Used $12EB from last week
Paid $2.16...Got Back $5EB


Stop #5 Marsh

3- Gala Apples: $1.28 lb= $3.12 (RIDICULOUS! I will so NOT be making applesauce this year!)
8- Betty Crocker Potatoes: $1
2- Angel Food Cakes (not pictured): $3.99 B1G1
2- Strawberries: $3.49 B1G1
Green Grapes: $1.77lb= $3.96
Bananas: 59 cents a pound= $1.62
2- Bunches Green Onion: 59 cents
9- Budding Corn Beef: 69 cents
1- Block Cheddar: $1.88
2- Shredded Mozzarella: $1.88
Idahoan Pouch Potatoes: $1.49
2- Hostess Cupcakes: $4.29 B1G1
2- Jolly Time Popcorn: $3.19 B1G1
3- Hamburger Helper: $1
Chips Ahoy $1.99

Used:
25 cents off 2lbs Bananas sq
75 cents off 2lbs Grapes sq
50 cents off Hostess Snack Cakes sq
50 cents off Nabisco cookies sq
Free Idahoan Potato Pouch sq
4- 75 cents off 3 Budding Pouches mq
4- 50 cents off 2 Betty Crocker Potatoes mq
75 cents off 3 Helpers mq

Total: 38.84


Random Expenses today: Chinese Buffet for Dinner $15 (used coupons!), rented movies for the weekend from Family Video $6,

Total for the day..... $158
Leaving $228 in the budget for the month.

Grocery Shopping 9/8

Ok so no picture of this shopping trip because most of it got spread out between the three houses but here's the rundown.

6 gallons milk- $1.99 each
3 loafs Aunt Millies bread- $1.49 each
3 heads lettuce- 99 cents each
5# Red potatoes- $2.50
3# onions- $2.99
Bananas (3 bunches)- $3.16
V-8 juice- $3.19 (ugh! but I needed it for Chili)
20 Barilla Pastas- 75 cents each (we won't need any for 6+ months now)
15 Velveeta Shells and Cheese- $1.49 (again we won't be buying any for a long time)
8 Progresso Soup- 99 cents


Total $77

I also spent $45 at a 31 party last night so $386 left in budget for the month.

Shopping September 6th

I had the whole afternoon off from work so I went out to do some shopping! Most of what I purchased will be going to the food pantry.

 

 

 

Stop #1 was Marsh North:

 

This week Marsh has a promo where you save $5 off your entire order for every 10 participating items you purchase so I will list the items prices on those after the 50 cent discount to prevent confusion.

 

Buy 10 Save $5 Items:

6- Progresso Recipe Starters 99 cents

7- Red Gold Tomatoes 59 cents

4- Barilla Spaghetti 75 cents

3- Velveeta Shells & Cheese Dinners $1.49

 

Also purchased:

16- Libby veggies 4/$3

4- Lunchables w/ Smoothies $2

 

I used the following coupons:

4- $1/4 Libby Veggies

2- 50 cent Progresso Recipe Starters (Doubled)

4- 75 cent Progresso Recipe Starters

4- $1 Lunchable w/ Smoothies

3- $1 Velveeta Shells & Cheese

$2 Catalina (from Yoplait deal 2 weeks ago I almost forgot to use this one!)

 



 Total after coupons was: $19.54 and a $5 catalina printed out from Kraft

Stop #2 was Party City:

Anyone from the Disboards will understand Disney Movie Nights and for the rest of you trust me you need Mickey Mouse on the brain to understand! Anyways I stopped to get a couple things for our Princess & The Frog night this weekend and I found some awesome clearance stuff:

6- Cake Decoration packs (Pirates, Dora, Little Mermaid, Tink, Mickey, & Toy Story) ..50 cents each
Pooh figurine...50 cents
Little Mermaid figurie...50 cents
8ct beads $2
4- little frogs 25 cents
8ct Tiana cups $1.75

Total this stop $9.37


Stop #3 Marsh South (2 transactions all items in the Buy 10 Save $5)

Transaction #1

10- Velveeta Shells & Cheese Dinners $1.49

Paid $14.90 got back $10 catalina



Transaction #2

4-Progresso Recipe Starters 99 cents
16- Barilla Spaghetti  75 cents

Used:
$10 catalina from first order
2- 50 cent Progresso Recipe Starters (Doubled)
2- 75 cent Progresso Recipe Starters

Total for this order $2.46 :) That makes me happy!!


Stop #4 CVS

10-Campbells Tomato Soup...59 cents
5-Spaghettios $1

Used:
2- $1/5 Campbells Condensed Soup
1- 50 cent/5 Spaghettios
$5 ECB from last week

Total...$3.40



Final Stop Walgreens

3- 12ct Cottonelle $5
2- Hormel Compleats $1.99

Used:
$1 Cottonelle store coupon (takes off $3)
2- $1 Hormel Compleats
$13 in RR from last week

Total... $2.31


Grand Total for today...$51.98 which leaves $543 in my budget for the month.  Whew now I need a nap!!

 

 

Food Pantry Donation 9/4

So today I busted out my coupons for the food drive at my church. We have a food pantry to help out those in need in our community but the shelves are looking a little bare. There are a total of sixty-two cans of veggies and eight cans of soup that were purchased over four transactions at two stores.

My first two transactions were at Marsh and they were exactly the same:

16- Libby's veggies 4/$3...used 4 $1/4 manfacturer's coupons
4- Food Club soups 2/$1
I had a $10 catalina I used on each order from doing the Kraft deal last week. So after coupons and catalinas both these transactions were.....FREE!!!!


Next I went to Mainstreet Market, which is a partner store of Marsh so they have basically the same sales but different loyalty cards.

Transaction #1:
16- Libby's veggies 4/$3...used 4 $1/4 manufacturers coupons
6-ValuTime potatoes 57 cents
I also had a $10 catalina for here from doing thier Kraft deal last week so total for this order was...28 cents :)

Transaction #2:
8- Libby's veggies 4/$3...used my last 2 $1/4 manufacturers coupons (A friend is supposed to be sending a few more so I may get to get a few more cans this week!)
So this order came to $4

So the Grand Total was $4.28 for 70 canned goods! Thats like 7 cents a can!!!!

Without my catalinas my total would have been $34.28 which would have came out to 49 cents a can which is still amazing.

This was my first shopping trips of the new month so we still have $595 in the monthly budget.  

Overview of my Budget

The most important thing to remember when your couponing is even if you are getting awesome deals if you aren't going to use the items before they go bad or if your spending more than your budget than you are defeating the purpose. I am going to start posting my weekly shopping trips and keeping track of my budget on here every week and see how I do over the course of the month.

I have a $600 a month budget but before any of my other savings queens gasp and disown me that includes EVERYTHING! In the budget is grocery trips, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS,  and all the various other places I may go in a week. It also includes all my gifts (birthday, baby, & wedding) throughout the year. I do have a seperate budget for Christmas presents. It also is not only for my house but my dads and my grandma's also. Grandma pays me for the things I buy for her and that money goes into our vacation fund.


I am hoping by posting what I buy on here I will hold myself accountable and maybe even save more money in the long run.