Friday Finals - Week of 8/14

A pic of my CVS Trip (Details below!)

My weekly budget for the three of us, including one child in diapers, is $75 per week. This week my total was $76.62, so I was $1.62 over budget... not too bad. I did go to the store more times than my goal of 1 grocery store and 1 drugstore per week. However, I did only go to 1 grocery store...Ha! Ha! I just went a few times to take advantage of the Publix Gas card deal, plus the mystery penny item on Wednesday! Anyway, here's how I did:

• Publix - 8/13: I paid $18.19 for $57.69 worth of groceries for a savings of 68%!! This included a box of Pampers, a ham, and a Greenwise chicken, along with a few other items!
• Publix - 8/16: I paid $22.63 for $67.92 worth of groceries for a savings of 67%! This included organic milk, cheese, pancake mix, orange juice, organic frozen veggies, salad, shrimp, raisins, tampons I found on clearance for $1.50 per pack, and much much more!P
• Publix - 8/17 - I paid $33.07 for $79.35 worth of groceries for a savings of 58%! I know the percentage looks ok, but I was not too happy with this transaction. I didn't go in with a very good plan, and I spent far more than I thought I would. I only wanted to pick up a few items that were on BOGO in order to get the penny item, and somehow I came out spending much more! I was hoping to be way under budget this week, but this transaction killed it! Sad!
• CVS - 8/19 - I paid $2.73 for $34.05 worth of groceries and personal care items for a savings of 92%. Now, this was one of my best CVS trips ever! I went to a new one. It was really quiet in the sore, and the cashier was very helpful. It looked like there were some executives there, so that may have encouraged them to go the extra mile. They were out of a lot of items, but were willing to substitute for many of them, which was the first I had ever seen! I got a candy bar, bandaids, tampons, diapers, fingernail polish, and bodywash. I used $5 in ECBs from last week, but I got $6 ECBs back, so I think I did pretty good!

My total for the week was $76.62 for $239.01 worth of groceries, for a savings of 64%! Not too shabby! This couponing thing is really amazing! I have never been so stocked on diapers, wipes, tampons, pads, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, and much more, and we are spending less than ever! Amazing! What a blessing! :)

If you have any questions about how I did it, leave a comment below, or check out my favorite websites, which are posted on my sidebar! Hope your week went as well as mine!

Weekly Totals 8/7 - Gas Card Savings

This is a picture of my big Publix trip where I closed down the lane (Details below)!

I did much better this week on both of my goals:

• The first goal was to stay within my $75 per week budget and try to make up for my shortfall last week when I was over $18.58. This week I only spent $59.95, so I was $15.05 under budget, so now I am just $3.53 over for the month! Also, I saved 76% this week!
• The second goal was to not go to the grocery store more than once (twice at most) and one drugstore. I went to CVS one time, and I went to Publix twice. However, I really did do much better on the grocery store part! I only made one big shopping trip. The second one was only because I went to return a movie to the Blockbuster Express, and my hubbie had asked for homemade mac n cheese and I didn't have enough cheese. I only picked up 3 items, so I think I did really good this week on both of my goals!

Here are the details for my big Publix trip... I had so many coupons that they actually had to shut down the lane and call the manager over. I typically warn people behind me that they might want to choose another lane because I have a lot of coupons, but this time, they saved me the hassle and closed the lane altogether. It was quite an event and every manager in the store was watching over it. I felt like I was on "Extreme Couponing". However, I didn't clear any shelves. I only bought things we need/would use and probably within the next week or two. I just had a lot of coupons come in the mail lately for FREE items, plus the gas card deal was really great ($10 off $50 gas cards wyb $25 in groceries(before coupons)!!), so I stocked up!! I actually got 6 gas cards! Keep in mind, that the $25 is BEFORE coupons, so my total was actually over $160 before coupons, but only came out to $44.46 after! Anyway, here are my totals:

• Quick Publix trip: Paid $5.65 for $8.94 worth of groceries for a savings of 37%.
• Big Publix trip on 8/10: Paid $44.46 for $194.70 worth of groceries, for a savings of about 77%. I am having trouble getting my calculations to match Publix's. They say I saved over $156, but I only calculate about $150. I think some coupons got messed up along the way in all of the chaos. I tried to duplicate the receipt, but it just doesn't match up. Oh well, it was still a really good shopping trip. I got a lot of stuff for $45, including organic milk, cheese, fruit, produce, bread, lunch meat, popcorn, meat, Advil, tampons, shampoo, etc.
• CVS on 8/11: Paid $10.00 for $34.09 worth of groceries, for a savings of 71%, plus I got $8 in ECBs for next week! I went to pick up my rain check items from last week, and they only had one in stock, but I got it (the Gillette razor), plus the Pampers diaper deal, and some water and coke for our upcoming vacation. Not bad considering the diapers alone would usually cost me that much, and I have $8 for next week! :)

I won't list everything we ate this week, but one highlight is the slow cooker pulled pork tacos. They were AWESOME... These were so good that my hubbie went back for seconds, even after he had actually gone to Salsaritas and eaten pork quesadillas for lunch not knowing what I was making. So here is the recipe... http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pulled-pork-tacos-00000000008021/index.html Thanks to iheartpublix.com for recommending them!

All in all, it was a good week! I averaged a 76% savings and stayed under budget for the week and only $3.53 over for the month. Check back next week to see how I do!

If you have questions about how I do this, feel free to leave a comment below or check out my favorite websites. They save me a TON of money!

www.iheartpublix.com

www.southernsavers.com

www.winndixieonadime.com

www.thekrazycouponlady.com

Weekly Totals - Week of 7/31 - 60%

So, do you ever just feel like throwing the budget out of the window and taking a break for a week? Well, that is how I felt this week! I have been really busy, plus I have really worn myself out with going to the store too many times. I have decided that I have a new goal to go along with the budget. I am going to attempt going to the grocery store only once (or twice max) per week, plus one drugstore. Ok, so that is why I went over budget this week, I bought enough stuff on Wednesday at Publix to get me through until next Wednesday (I think). If I find out about some great deals, I may stop back by, but I am going to try to make it until next Wednesday.

For this week, I spent $93.58 (OUCH!! Way over my $75 per week budget), but I bought a box of diapers, laundry detergent, toilet paper, and paper towels. We are brand loyal on both the diapers and laundry detergent, so when I find them on a decent sale, I have to pick them up. do have $6 in ECB still sitting in my wallet waiting on next week, so with that, plus not going to the grocery store until Wednesday, I am hoping to make up my deficit and still be within budget for the two weeks.

I am not detailing every transaction this week. It just takes too much time. I will tell you about one good deal I found if you are brand loyal to Tide. At Publix, the Stock up on Savings booklet has a coupon for "Free Stain Release wyb Tide". I don't really use the Stain Release, but it did allow me to use a $2 off man coupon for both the Tide detergent and the Stain Release, so I ended up getting the Tide $4 off the sale price, ($11.99 - $4.00 = $7.99 for the 100oz!!) plus I have some free Tide Stain Release!

Here's the summary of my transactions:

• Publix 7/30 (I know this is last week, but I already did my totals on 7/29, so I included this in this week's) - This was a last minute run before company came over plus I included a pack of diapers, so I could use one of my $5 off transaction coupons. It is not very good savings because I had to pick up some things that weren't on sale - Paid $20.76 for $38.80 worth of groceries for a savings of 40%
• Aldi 8/1 - I got a lot of produce and stocked up on juice, plus got some frozen fish - Paid $27.37 for what would have cost me $37.33 on sale at Publix, for a savings of 27%
• Publix 8/2 - I ran to Publix to pick up the last of the sale items I wanted - Paid $11.53 for $27.53 worth of groceries, for a savings of 71%
• Publix 8/3 - I picked up the big sale items, grabbed the Tide sale, plus stocked up on enough of my weekly items, i.e. milk, yogurt, etc to get us to next Wednesday - Paid $33.27 for $85.24 worth of groceries, for a savings of 61%
• CVS 8/5 - I decided to make a last minute run to CVS because I checked my account online and they gave me a $4 off $20 coupon. They didn't have what I wanted, so I got a raincheck on those items. I then decided I would pick up a few things that we are running low on and use the $4 off $20 plus burn a few ECBs. My subtotal was negative (much to my cashier's dismay - see how to do this at www.simplycvsshopping.com - it is all about coupon order). I paid $.65 with tax for $35.41 worth of groceries for a savings of 98%!

So, for the week, I paid $93.58 for $236.97 worth of groceries, for a savings of 60%! It is probably a little more savings than that because I was very conservative on my Aldi estimates.

Friday Finals - Week of 7/24

Friday Finals are here! Man, the weeks fly by so fast! This week I spent a total of $87.51, but my Mom gave me $20 for diapers, so only $67.51 out of my grocery budget, which is under my $75 goal! Woo Hoo! I saved $168.74, which is 66%! That is pretty good for a week! I went to way too many stores and too many times. I am so tired of shopping this week. I've really got to work on that part. Below is how I did at each store. You can click on the links to see what I bought at each one:

• CVS Trip - 7/24/11 - Paid $1.74, Saved $34.02, or 95%http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/cvs-trip-72411.html
• Publix Trip - 7/24/11 -Paid $27.34, Saved $27.81, or 52%http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/cvs-trip-72411.html
• Aldi 7/26/11 - Paid $10.51, Saved $3.12, or 23% http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/aldi-72611.html
• Publix Penny Item Day - Paid $6.59, Saved $58.53, or 69% http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/publix-penny-item-day-7272011.html
• CVS Trip -7/29/11- Paid $2.95, Saved $37.44, or 93% http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/cvs-trip-72911.html
• Wal-Mart - Free Chiquit Bites - Paid $.47, Saved $8.00, or 94% http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/wal-mart-free-chiquita-bites.html
• Bruno's - Paid $17.91 http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/brunos.html

Bruno's

I am not a Bruno's shopper at all, but we are having some family over to hang out at the pool and cookout tomorrow, and I needed a Boston Butt because that is what my husband wanted to cook. When I was at Publix, I noticed the cheapest one was $20!!! So, I looked through the weekly ads and noticed that Bruno's had theirs on sale for $1.99/lb, so I ran over to get one. I also had to pick up a few things I forgot to grab at Publix. I don't show any savings here, but technically the Boston Butt was about $7 cheaper than Publix!!

• Boston Butt - $13.05
• Sour Cream - $.99
• Cole Slaw - $2.39
• Total OOP with tax = $17.91

Wal-Mart - Free Chiquita Bites

I am not much of a Wal-Mart shopper, but I had some coupons for Chiquita Bites, and I didn't find any at Publix, so we ran in for about 5 minutes to pick up some. They only had 8 left, so we grabbed those. They will make great snacks for my daughter for the upcoming week.

• 8 Chiquita Bites - $.98 - Used (8) $1.00 off coupons
• Total OOP with tax = $0.47, for a savings of $8.00, or 94% ( I always include tax in my calcuations because I do have to pay something, even when the items are "Free")

CVS Trip - 7/29/11

I went back to CVS to see if they had gotten the Skintimate shave cream in, and, amazingly, they still had some in stock. I think we are stocked up on shaving cream for probably the next year or two. We don't really use that much, but I was out, and I got this large stock for less than I would have spent on one anyway. Here's what I got:

• 2 Edge Gels - $2.19 -used (2) .55 off coupons
• 4 Skintimate Creams -$2.19 each - used (2) $1.50 off coupons + (2) $1.00 off coupons
• 1 Hydro 5 Razor - $7.99 - used $4.00 off coupon (Got back $10 ECBs for purchasing $20 in Schick products)
• 1 Bengay - $5.99 - used $5.00 off coupon (plus I got $2.00 ECBs), so this made me $.99
• Used $5 off $25 transaction coupon
• Used $5.68 in ECBs
• Total OOP with Tax = $2.95. I saved $37.44, or 93%, plus I got $12 in ECBs for next time! :)

Publix Penny Item Day - 7/27/2011

I went to Publix on Wednesday, purely with the intention of getting the penny item, which I thought was going to be Publix Spring Water. To my surprise, my store had changed it to 8 O'Clock Coffee!!! Do you know how much better of a deal that is?!?! We don't even buy much bottled water at our house because we have filtered water in the fridge. But $.01 coffee, that is a definite savings. So much so, that when I got home, I went and got the penny item coupon from the neighbor's paper, and I went back to Publix for more!! Anyway, I will include both transactions here:

Transaction 1:

• 6 Think Thin Bars - 3/$5.00 - Used (5) $.50 off Whole Foods Coupons (I forgot 1) plus (6) $.50 off manufacturer's coupons that doubled to $1.00, so these cost me $1.50 total.
• Gerber Biscuits - $2.19 - Used $1/2 Gerber manufacturer coupon + $1 off Gerber Publix coupon
• Gerber Puffs - $2.00 - Used above $1/2 man coupon + $1 off Gerber Publix coupon
• 2 Honey Nut Cheerios - BOGO $4.99 - Used $1.00 off coupon + $.75 off coupon
• 2 Original Cheerios - BOGO $4.99 - Used (2) $1.00 off coupons
• Lipton Onion Mix - $1.47 - Used $1.00 off coupon
• Publix Onion Mix - Free with promotion - buy Lipton onion mix, get Publix brand free (Regular $1.15)
• 8 O'Clock Coffee - $.01 Penny item (Regular $6.99)
• $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie Coupon
• Total OOP with Tax = $5.57, Total Saved = $39.18, for a savings of 88%
• I was so excited about this transaction. My daughter loves Cheerios and the coffee was a steal! I was definitely on a coupon high!

Transaction 2:

• 2 Organic Valley
• Milks - $3.99 each
• Publix Shredded Cheese - on sale for $2.50 (Regular $3.19)
• 8 O'Clock Coffee - $.01 Penny Item
• Pampers Cruisers -$19.99 - Used $1.50 man coupon + $5.00 store coupon (From stocking spree booklet)
• $5 off $30 Transaction coupon
• Total OOP with Tax = $21.02, Total Saved = $19.17, for a savings of 48%

Total of both transactions = $26.59. My Mom had actually given me $20 to buy some diapers, so only $6.59 came out of my grocery budget! Yeah!!

Aldi - 7/26/11

I don't go to Aldi much because it is way too far away from my house and not worth the gas. However, I was in the neighborhood running errands, so I had to stop by for a few things. For savings, I use a comparable price that I would find on sale at Publix.

• Vanilla Icecream - $2.49 (comparable price = $2.99)
• Cream of Mushroom soup - $.59 (comparable price = $.89)
• Lemonade - $1.89 (comparable price = $2.5)
• Broth - $.59 (Comparable price = $.89)
• Orange Juice - $2.39 (Comparable price = $2.99)
• Strawberries - $1.69 (Comparable price = $2.50)
• Total OOP with tax = $10.51, for a comparable savings of $3.12, or 23%

The savings looks low, but keep in mind that I compared to a sales price, so this is very conservative. Also, I didn't have to plan much or bring any coupons. Aldi is a nice break for me! :)

Publix 7/24/2011

I went to Publix more than once this week, but here is the first transaction. I wanted to get some cereal while they had Kellogg's 50% plus I picked up a few necessities for dinner for the week. Not my best trip, but definitely things we needed. I didn't have a lot of coupons, so this is a good example of how just watching sales, you can do pretty well.

• Quaker Instant Oatmeal - On sale for $1.96 (Regular $3.91)
• Nature's Own Bread - On sale for $1.40 (Regular $2.79)
• Stonyfield Yogurt - $2.50
• Solo Plates - On sale for $2.00 (Regular $2.99)
• (2) Kellogg's Fiber Plus - 50% off (Regular $4.19) - Used (2) $1.00 off coupons
• (2) Quaker Chewy Bars - BOGO (Regular $2.99) - Used Target $1.00 off 2 coupon
• (2) Sargento Cheese - On sale for $2.50 each (Regular $3.69)
• Ground Chuck - On sale for $3.98 (Regular $4.70)
• Greenwise Whole Chicken - $7.48 - (I realize this is expensive for a whole chicken, but I really wanted to try out cooking a chicken in the crockpot. My Mom gave me the idea, and I looked online for how to do it. It turned out really well! Also, I like to buy the kind without antibiotics and hormones, which is more expensive, but definitely worth it! It made two meals, so it actually isn't THAT bad. I will be watching for sales on this in the future though!)
• Kraft Mayo - On sale for $2.59 (Regular $5.17) - Used $1.00 off coupon
• Used $5 off $30 Transaction Winn-Dixie coupon
• Total OOP with tax = $27.34, for a savings of $27.81, which is 52%!!

Freebies!!

I don't usually post about deals I find that aren't grocery related, but today I had some freebies I was excited about, so I thought I would post.

Pier 1 has a $10 off $10 transaction coupon on facebook today, so I actually went there looking for some storage bins for my daughter's toys. They were all overpriced, so I headed to the clearance section. I can't pass up a free $10 worth of stuff. I found two things I have actually ben wanting...

• a doublesided tumber with screw on lid and permanent straw - On sale for $6.99 (Regular $8.95)
• an offset spatula - On sale for $3.48 (Regular $7.00)
• Used $10 off $10 coupon
• Total OOP with tax = a whopping $0.51!!! Woo Hoo! I saved $15.48, for a savings of 97%!

I don't include this in my grocery budget, it wouldn't make a dent anyway, since it was only $.51, and I actually just paid them cash out of my wallet, which I never do! :)

Also, when I got home, I had a load of freebies in the mail:

• coupon for free Pantene
• free trial size Crest toothpaste and mouthwash, plus Crest coupons
• Publix magazine, with coupons inside, including a free half gallon of milk!!! Sweet! :)

What a nice freebie day! Way to start the week off! :)

CVS Trip - 7/24/11

I went to CVS on Sunday mainly to get the Skintimate shaving cream deal. However, it was apparently sold out after the first 3 people got there! Oh well, I got a rain check, and I ended up picking up some other good deals. Also, the "Magic Coupon Machine" gave me another $5 off $25 coupon, so that will great to use next time! Here's how I did:

• Orajel My Little Pony - $4.19 - I messed up here. I thought it was on sale for $3.50, but you have to buy 2 for that price.
• Palmolive Dish Liquid - On sale for $.99 (Regular $1.67) - Used $.25 off coupon
• Papermate Pens - On sale for $1.99 (Regular $2.19) - Got back $1.99 in ECBS, so FREE!
• Gatorade Lemon Lime - On sale for $.88 (Regular $1.99)
• Crest With Scope - On sale for $2.99 (Regular $3.99) - Got back $2.00 in ECBs
• Finish Dishwashing Detergent - On sale for $2.99 (Regular $5.98) - Used $.50 off coupon
• Kotex Pads - On sale for $3.49 (Regular $4.79) - Used $1.00 off coupon + Got back $2 in ECBs, so these were $.49
• Renu Contact Lens Solution - on sale for $7.89 (Regular $9.99) - Used $2.00 off coupon + Got back $6.00 in ECBS, so these made me $.11!
• Used $5 off $25 coupon
• Used $14.99 in ECBs
• Total OOP with Tax = $1.74, for a savings of $34.02, which is 95%!! Also, I got back $11.99 in ECBs to use next time, plus the extra $5 off $25 coupon!

I hadn't planned on purchasing most of these items, but my $5 off $25 expired on Sunday, and I couldn't get the shaving cream, so I looked through the sale ad and found some things we could use that were still a pretty good deal. I think it turned out pretty well for unplanned items! :) I will try to go back on Thursday and get the shaving cream if I can beat the crowd. If not, I will wait and use my raincheck.

Week of 7/17 Summary

Ok, so here is the summary of the week! For those of you that don't know me, I just finished the All You Challenge, and I am trying to stick to the $75 per week budget I used. I didn't quite make it this week, but I did have to buy charcoal (shouldn't that go under utilities, since I am not using my gas oven??? Ha! Ha!). I didn't do very good about posting each transaction as I did it, but I did post each of them separately today, so you can look back at the previous posts to get the details about each one. Here is the list:

• Winn-Dixie - Total Spent = $29.45, Total Saved = $36.10, for a savings of 58% (http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/winn-dixie-7172011.html)
• Publix 7/18 - Total Spent = $35.28, Total Saved = $39.32, for a savings of 53%(http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/publix-71811.html)
• Publix 7/20 - Total Spent = $13.54, Total Saved = $22.86, for a savings of 63% (http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/publix-penny-item-day.html)
• Walgreens 7/22 - Total Spent = $1.60, Total Saved = $13.16, for a savings of 90% (http://dealninjamom.blogspot.com/2011/07/quick-trip-to-walgreens-for-milka.html)

Total Spent for the week = $80.87, Total Saved = $112.44, for a total savings of 58% for the week!

I went a little over my $75, but remember, I did buy charcoal, and I am going to claim that should be utilities! :) Not too bad of a week, especially considering I got a lot of meat, and we fixed a meal for friends who just had a baby, so this had an extra meal in it also. I am going to have to tighten it up though, if I want to keep up a $75 a week budget, or I will have to make it $85. I always seem to go just a little over.

Quick Trip to Walgreens for Milka!!

Ok, so I was actually done with my shopping for the week, BUT I saw that Milka was FREE at Walgreens. It is really close to my house, so I had to stop by and pick up some! YUMMY! I love this stuff! What is really funny is I even have a picture of myself with the Milka cow in Germany (quite a few years ago)! Isn't that hilarious!

One of my coupons didn't print, so I only had 3 coupons, but I still bought 4, so I could use the extra $1/2 coupon. I figured $1.00 for 4 bars of Milka was still a pretty good deal! I picked up the deal on Free Mitchum while I was there!

• 2 Lady Mitchums - on sale for $3.00 - used $1.00 off coupon - got $4 in rewards, so net $0.00
• 4 Milka Bars - on sale for $1.50 - Used (2) Walgreens $1/2 coupons + (3) $1.00 off Milka manufacturer coupons, so total = $1.00
• Total OOP with tax = $5.60, but I got $4.00 back, so net = $1.60!! I saved $13.16, or 84%!!

Publix Penny Item Day!

I always like going to Publix on Wednesday for something because it is Penny Item Day! I only needed a few things, but I had to get the penny item, and I also had just enough stuff to use another one of those $5 off coupons! As you can see, my daughter likes going to Publix too because she gets to "steer" the cart and gets a cookie!

• Kingsford Charcoal - $9.79
• Publix Meat Franks - $2.49, but they were the penny item, so $.01!!
• Jif To Go Peanut Butter - $2.09, used free Jif To Go Coupon I got in the mail, so FREE!!
• OceanSpray Cranberry juice - on sale for $2.80 (Regular $5.59)
• 5 ThinkThin Bars - 3/$5 - Used (5) $.50 off Whole Foods coupons plus (5) $.50 off manufacturers coupons, so these were about $.17 each!
• KC Masterpiece - $1.89 - Used a coupon for $2.00 off wyb Kingsford and KC Masterpiece, so this was essentially free because we needed charcoal (and I didn't stock up during 4th of July Sales...oops!)
• Parsley - $.99
• Raspberries - $3.69 - Used $1.00 of Driscoll's coupon (I had planned to buy strawberries or bluberries, but none of them were Driscoll's. My daughter needed a change anyway, and she likes these)
• Used $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie coupon (I have now used 1 whole book, so these have paid for themselves!
• Total OOP with tax = $13.54, and I saved $22.86 or 63% - pretty good for a quick trip on Penny Item day, especially since this included a $10 bag of charcoal!

Publix 7/18/11

I made two transactions at Publix on 7/18, so that I could use 2 of the $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie coupons I got in the "Enjoy the City" books! These books are really paying off already!! Here's how I did:
Transaction 1

• Stonyfield YoBaby - $2.50, used $1.00 off coupon
• Stonyfield YoBaby - $2.50
• Breyer's Icecream - On sale for $3.00 (Regular $5.99) - Used $.75 off Target coupon
• Ground Round - On sale for $3.91 (Regular $4.30)
• Kraft Natural Slices - $3.29 (They went up on these! BOO!) - Used $1.00 off coupon
• SPAM - On sale for $2.50 (Regular $2.89)
• 8 O'Clock Coffee - On sale for $3.50 (Regular $6.99) - Used $1.00 off coupon
• 2 Milkbones Chewy - BOGO $3.19 - Used (2) $1.00 off Winn-Dixie Milkbones coupon plus a $1.50 off 2 Milkbones coupon, so these were a moneymaker!!
• Organic Valley Milk - $3.99
• Used $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie coupon
• Total OOP with tax = $17.84, for a savings of $22.70 or 56%

Transaction 2

• 4 Oscar Mayer Family Packs Lunch meat - On sale for $5.49 - Used (2) $1.00 off coupons plus a Buy 3, Get 1 Free Target Coupon, so I paid $14.47 for all 4 lbs, or $3.62 each
• Sweet Onions - On Sale for $.46 (Regular $.59)
• Green Bell Peppers - $1.15
• Taco Bell Mix - $.93
• Organic Valley Milk - $3.99
• Used $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie coupon
• Total OOP with tax = $17.44 for a savings of $16.62 or 49%

Total Publix OOP = $35.28 for a total savings of $39.32, or 53%!

My goal is to save 50% or more, so this is right on top of it! YEAH!

Winn-Dixie 7/17/2011

I went to Winn-Dixie on Sunday because they had some BOGOs on meat, plus a good deal on salad. I also got a great deal on Duncan Hines brownies while I was there. These always come in handy when we have company or need a treat to bring to someone. Here's how it went

• PF Sandwich Buns - On sale for $2.50 (Regular $2.99)
• Dole Tender Salad - On sale for $1.99 (Regular $3.79) - used a $.75 off coupon
• Pork Sirloin Roast - On sale for $10.56 for a little over 6 lbs (Regular price $18.82)
• Ground Sirloin - On Sale for $4.43 (Regular $5.56)
• 2 Chuck Roasts - BOGO $11.78
• 4 Duncan Hines Brownies - BOGO $2.39, plus I had a coupon for buy 2, get 1 free, so I paid for 1, and got 4!!!
• Used $5 off $30 Transaction coupon
• Tax = $1.55
• Total = $29.45, Saved $36.10, for a 55% savings!! Not too bad for meat, salad, and brownies (Sounds yummy!)

All You Challenge Week 4

This is the last week of the All You Challenge, and I have completed it with a 4 week average of $71.33 per week for groceries. Woo Hoo! However, I started with a great week 1 and even week 2 and went downhill after that. I even did it while still feeding my daughter all organic dairy products and lots of fresh produce and stocking up on some diapers...not bad! I did learn a lot, and I think I have refined the way I use coupons. I am not in search of every deal now. I am really focused on getting the things we need at the best price possible. I am also changing some of the things we eat. We don't need big meals every night. I try to make a good meal and then have leftovers, and then make something easy and cheap another night.

Ok, so here is how my week went. I went over a little, but I had some extra room from the first two weeks.

CVS trip - I had 2 rainchecks, so this was my best trip to CVS ever!

• Balance Bar - $1.69 (got $1.69 ECBs)
• Complete Contact Solution - $7.99 (got $7.99 ECBs)
• Always Infinity Pads - $3.99 - used $1.00 off coupon (got $2.00 ECBs)
• Rephresh Tampons - $6.79 - used $1.00 off coupon (got $7.00 ECBs)
• Used $4.00 off $20.00 CVS coupon
• Used $13.50 in ECBs
• Total OOP with Tax = $2.16 (got back $18.68 in ECBs!!!), for a savings of 91%

Publix Trip 1 - had to stop in to get some hotdog buns and drinks for friends coming over to swim(would have gotten the drinks at CVS, but they were sold out of coke products from last week's sale).

• Coca Cola 1.25 L - $.99
• Sprite 1.25 L - $.99
• SmartWater - $1.25 - used $.75 off coupon
• Powerade - on sale for $.88 (for my hubbie - he was working in the yard all day)
• Strawberries - on sale for $2.50
• 2 Yoplait Yoplus - on sale for $2.29 BOGO - had 2 $.50 off coupons that doubled to $1.00 each, making these $.29 for both!
• Publix Hot Dog Buns - $1.29
• Total OOP with tax = $8.18, for a savings of 46%

Winn-Dixie - Quick trip because we were out of swim diapers (and we have a pool!), and I won a $10 gift card to Winn-Dixie from a giveaway on www.winndixieonadime.com (Thanks Christy!), so I knew I could get some free swim diapers.

• 2 Long Grain Rice - on sale for $2.19 BOGO
• Pampers Splashers - on sale for $8.88 - used $1.50 coupon
• Dole Classic Romaine salad - on sale for $1.50 - used $.75 off coupon
• Used $10 Gift Card
• Total OOP with tax = $.95, for a total savings of 95%

Whole Foods - This is NOT a savings trip and broke my budget for the week!! I went because on Tuesday they have a 3 topping Large pizza for $10, and it is all natural. This makes for 2 great dinners at my house. While I was there, I picked up a bottle of wine because hubbie LOVES wine with pizza and some organic milk for my daughter because they are the only ones that sell Organic Valley whole milk with Omega-3 and Vitamin D. However, they have gone up $.70 a half gallon on the milk, so it was outrageous. I will just buy her the milk without the extras at Publix from now on. Here's how horrible I did (I just haven't mastered savings at Whole Foods):

• 2 Organic Valley Half Gallon Milks - $4.69 each!!
• Organic Limeade (32 oz) - $.99
• Wine - $5.99 (this was a sales price, but I don't know what regular price was)
• Pizza - on sale for $9.99 (regular $13.99)
• Total OOP with tax = $28.68 - OUCH!!! That is not much food for so much money! I can't shop at Whole Foods anymore - lesson learned! I saved a pitiful 12%

Publix quick trip 2 - I realized I needed a few more chow mein noodles (hubbie and I both eat these for lunch a lot) while they were BOGO, so we swung by Publix.

• 4 Chow Mein noodles - $.79 BOGO
• Total OOP with tax = $1.72 for 48% savings ( I always include tax in the numerator when I am calcualting savings. I figure it is part of the cost).

Publix regular Wednesday trip

• Publix Bran Flakes - Penny item (Regular $2.49)
• 2 Lipton Onion Soup Mixes - $1.47 each - used $.6 off 2 coupon
• Milkbones chewy snacks - on sale for $1.60 (Regular $3.19)
• Milkbones Essentials Plus - $3.99 - used coupon for free Milkbones essentials wyb any milkbones
• OJ Home Squeezed - on sale for $3.00 (Regular $3.99)
• 2 Yoplait smoothies - BOGO $3.19 - used two $1.00 off coupons
• Juicy Juice - on sale for $2.50 (Regular $3.79)
• Arnold Bread - on sale for $2.15 (Regular $4.29)
• Coleslaw mix - $1.49
• Stonyfield Squeezers organic yogurt - $2.99 - used $1.00 off coupon
• Sockeye salmon - on sale for $9.99/lb - bought .8 lbs for $8.00 ( I bought frozen last week and it is still in the freezer, but this week fresh was on sale, so we wanted to get it fresh while we could. I am so glad this is back in season.)
• Egglands Best - $2.49 - used $.35 off coupon that doubled to $.70
• Scotch Scissors - on sale for $1.00 - used $1.00 off coupon to make it free (These are kids, but I plan to put them in my purse to use to cut coupons in the store)
• Buddy Fruit - $1.00 - I wanted Olivia to try this. I heard that other kids her age love it (and she did love it!)
• $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie coupon
• Total OOP with tax = $25.28, for a savings of 53%

Aldi - I tried my hand at Aldi for the first time today. This caused me to go over budget for the week, but technically we will be eating these things next week. I found some good deals. I think it is really good for things that you need but don't have any coupons for. I thought it would be hard to leave the coupons behind, but I found it somewhat nice to get a break from them, yet still not spend too much money! I wich it was closer to my house. I would probably shop at Publix for the sale items and the organic items for my daughter and Aldi for the rest. For this post, I used "comparable" Publix prices to calculate my savings. In fact, I used the Publix sale price on things that are on sale, so I think my trip was worth while!

• Plain Potato chips - $1.39 (comparable price - Ruffles on sale at Publix- $2.14)
• Wavy Potato chips - $1.39 (comparable price - $2.14) - I need these chips for a family reunion tomorrow. I don't usually buy very many chips.
• Bananas ($.40/lb) - $1.00 (comparable price $1.72)
• Red Grapes (2 lbs) - $2.98 (comparable price $3.98)
• 2 Apple Juice - $1.49 each (comparable price - Juicy Juice on sale at Publix - $2.50)
• Half Gallon milk - $1.89 (comparable price - $1.85) - I didn't really save on this one. It was more that I just didn't want to make another stop, and I decided my husband and I could drink regular milk instead of using our daughter's expensive organic milk for our cereal in the morning!
• Cookie Dough - $1.89 (comparable price - $2.50)
• Chocolate chips - $1.79 (comparable price - $2.99) - I plan to make some frozen chocolate covered bananas
• Pork Luncheon meat - $1.69 (comparable price - $2.00) - this is like spam. My hubbie has been begging me for it, since he saw a special about SPAM on tv the other day.
• Vienna Sausage - $.39 (comparable price - $.69) - another hubbie request
• 2 packs Baby carrots - $.99 each (comparable price $1.49)
• Total OOP with tax = $22.95, which is a 28% savings using comparable prices! It was weird to check out so quickly, and not hand over any coupons. However, I think I did pretty good without them. Don't worry, I am not giving up my coupons any time soon, but I will keep these Aldi prices in mind when I am comparing prices of items with coupons. I do know I will never be able to buy the toothpaste, toothbrushes, contact lens solution, etc for free at Aldi, but it definitely has its place for produce and juice!!

My total for this week was $89.92, with a 50% savings. That is just ok, but it seems like I got a lot of stuff (At least my post was long!).

So, that is the end of the challenge, but I plan to keep posting on my weekly deals. I might start posting them as I do them, so I don't have such a long post at the end of the week, but we will see.

My total OOP for the 4 weeks was $285.30, which is $71.33 a week, and I saved 62% off regular price! I am so happy I did it, and I can't believe I saved that much including all of our groceries for 4 weeks! I plan to keep up this $75 a week budget as long as I can!

I am not posting our meals this week. This post is just already way too long! I went to too many stores, which is probably why I spent so much!

Living Social Coupon Book!!

Today on Living Social, you can buy an "Enjoy the City" book of coupons. One coupon book costs $10, and it includes $20 in coupons to Winn-Dixie (Also taken at many Publix stores as a competitor coupon!!). So, if you are like me and shop at Publix A LOT and at Winn-Dixie some and know for sure that you are going to spend money there anyway, this is a great deal! It is not limited to just the Birmingham stores, you can use this anywhere. What makes it even better is that you have the option to buy 3 books for only $20!! This is the option I took because I paid $20 for $60 in grocery store coupons! YEAH! Plus you get a lot of other coupons that you may or may not use, but you will have them for free either way!

I just thought I would pass this great deal along! Be sure to use my link below if you buy one, so I will get credit (and can get more coupons!!) Oh, and the deal is only good through the end of the day on Monday, July 11th, so you have to hurry if you want one!

https://livingsocial.com/deals/71355?ref=conf-jp&rpi=18640031

All You Challenge Week 3

Alright, so this week was not as good as before, and I keep forgetting to take a picture of my groceries...something about trying to get a load of groceries in the house while watching a 1 year old makes me forget! :) Anyway, I have a few Publix trips and one CVS trip.

For the first two Publix trips, I went back during the gas deal to get a few more groceries while I could get the $10 off.

Publix Trip 1

• Pampers Cruisers (size 3, box of 80) - $19.99 - used $4.00 off coupon, making these $15.99
• Pampers Baby Wipes - $6.91 - Used Publix coupon for a free pack of wipes wyb diapers + $1.00 off wipes coupon, so these made me $1.00
• Margarita Mix - on sale for $2.00 (Regular price $3.99) - this was a holiday splurge
• Coors Light 12pack - $9.69 - another holiday weekend splurge for my husband
• These last two items caused me to be over for the week. I am glad I had some extra room in the budget from the past two weeks.
• Gas Card Discount - $10
• Total OOP with Tax = $19.77 - 55% savings, which is actually not bad considering I got diapers and alcohol!

Publix Trip 2

• Spring Mix Salad - on sale for $2.00 (Regular $3.99)
• Kraft Swiss Cheese BIG slices - $2.99 - used $1.00 off man coupon + Target $1.5 off 3 Kraft Cheese coupons
• Kraft Shredded Mozzerella - On sale for $2.00 - used above Target coupon
• Kraft Sharp Cheddar slices - $2.99 - used $1.00 of man coupon + above Target coupon
• Nathan's Franks - on sale for $3.50 - used $1.00 off man coupon (printable) - my husband loves these, otherwise I wouldn't spend so much on hot dogs
• Beechnut Fruities - on sale for $1.00 - used $1.00 off man coupon (printable)
• YoBaby Yogurt - $2.50 - used $.50 off coupon (doubled to $1.00)
• Oscar Mayer Roast Beef shaved lunch meat - on sale for $3.34 - used $1.00/2 coupon
• Oscar Mayer Chicken shaved lunch meat - on sale for $3.33 - used above $1.00/2 coupon
• Hormel Pork Tenderloin - on sale for $6.99 (regular $7.99) - used $1.00 off Hormel flavored pork coupon
• Vienna Sausage - $.67 - my husband's special request
• 2 Organic Valley half gallon milks - $3.99 each
• 2 Whitewheat bread loaves - BOGO $2.49
• Gas Card Discount - $10
• Total OOP with tax = $26.50, for a total savings of 53%, which isn't horrible considering what I got, but isn't as good as I would like

Publix Trip 3 - This is the new sales ad that started on Wednesday

• 10 Nissin Chow Mein noodles - BOGO $.79 - $3.95 total
• Quaker Quick Oats - on sale for $1.33 (regular price $2.65)
• 2 Viva Paper towels - on sale for $1.50 each - used Publix coupon for $1.00 off 2, plus $.5 off man coupon (doubled to $1.00)
• Scotch Magic Tape - $1.49 - used $.50 Target coupon + $1.00 off man coupon (printable) = Free!
• Ziploc Bags - 1 sandwich for $1.99 + 1 gallon freezer on sale for $2.50 - used $1.50 off 2 man coupon + $1.00 off store coupon - I think this is right. I know I had $2.50 in coupons??
• Dove Deodarant - on sale for $1.50 (Regular price $2.99) - used $.75 off coupon
• 2 Crest Toothpastes - on sale for $1.00 (Regular price $2.93) - used $.75 off coupon for both, making these $.25 each (Also, they have $10 in coupons inside. One of which is $1.00 of Iams, which is what we feed the dogs, and I can never get enough coupons, so these made me $0.75, not including the other coupons that were included!)
• Publix Tampons - $2.99 - used Publix BOGO coupon for tampons/maxi pads, so these were free
• Publix Maxi Pads - $2.19
• Wishbone dressing - on sale for $1.43 (Regular price $2.85) - used $1.00 off Publix coupon
• Bumblebee Tuna - on sale for $2.00 (Regular $3.99)
• Publix Frozen Vegetables - on sale for $0.99 (Regular price $1.39)
• 2 Nestle tollhouse cookie dough - on sale for $2.5 each (regular $3.29) - used $.55 off 1 Publix coupon + $1.50 off 2 man coupon
• Sockeye Salmon - on sale for $8.99 (Regular $11.99) - I like to have at least one fish meal a week. Salmon is expensive, but it is good for us, and this is a good price for Sockeye salmon.
• Top Sirloin Steak - on sale for $8.45 (Regular $9.99) - I kind of splurged here. This was unplanned, but I saw it on sale and I knew my husband would love to have it.
• Bananas - $.48
• Tropicana Orange Juice - on sale for $3.00 (Regular $3.99)
• Birthday Card - $.99
• Publix Ranch Dressing - $.01 - Mystery Penny Item!
• $3 off $50 Publix RecycleBank coupon
• Total OOP with tax = $40.93, for a 51% savings, not great, but not horrible. I try to save a minimum of 50%, so I just barely did that.

CVS Trip - they were out of the Always Infinity pads, so I got a raincheck. I just bought some toothbrushes. I used my $1.50 in quarterly ECBs, so I turned out pretty well.

• 2 Colgate Advantage Toothbrushes - $2.99 each - used $2.00 off manufacturers coupons for each
• Used $1.50 ECBs
• Total OOP with tax = $0.84, for an 87% savings. Also, I got $2.00 in ECBs back for this deal, I essentially made money!

When I was leaving CVS, the manager came running out trying to give a girl her ECBs that she left, but she pulled out too quickly. I was telling him that I couldn't believe someone would just leave them like that. He proceeded to tell me that people do this all of the time, and he gave the $1.50 in ECBs to me. He said the cashier would override them and let me use them with my card. That really made my trip a moneymaker! I paid $.84 and walked out with $3.50 in ECBs! I still have $10 in ECBs from last week also, so I am sitting on $13.50 right now. I had a good night. I also went to Arby's and used the BOGO value menu deal, so I got a chicken sandwich and curly fries for dinner, and I paid $1.05. After the ECBS, I got dinner and toothbrushes and came home with more money than I left with! I thought that made for a pretty good night!

Anyway, I digress! My total for the week is $88.04 for a 54% savings. Not my best, but not my worst either!! I went over my $75 a week, but I only spent $107.34 over the past two weeks, so I had $42.66 extra to play with. Now, my 3 week total is $195.38 for an average of $65.13, still $10 under budget per week!! YEAH!!

Here is what we had to eat:

Monday - ended up at Chili's with some friends - we ate the 2 people 3 courses for $20 deal - this was a really good deal. We both enjoyed our meals.

Tuesday - Loaded twice baked potatoes (never did make them last week)

Wednesday - Ham & Rice & Broccoli

Thursday - Hubbie out of town, so I had Arby's BOGO Value meal ($1.05!!)

Friday - I will probably eat the last two baked potatoes that my husband didn't take to work for lunch

Saturday - probably Steak, rice, green beans

Sunday - probably salmon, rice, salad (and use some tomatoes from our garden!)

All You Challenge Week 2

The second week of the All You Challenge turned out to be a prety good one, although I had some help from Publix's $10 off $50 Gas card when you buy $25 in groceries! I bought a lot this week, so this may be long.

I grabbed a few things at Wal-Mart.

• Cascade Trial Pack - $.97 - Used $1.00 off coupon (I just wanted to use this coupon before it is expired, and I saw I could get a trial pack for free with it!)
• 2 packs Wet Ones - $.97 each - Used $1.00 off 2 coupon ( I keep these in my purse to wipe off tables, high chairs, and grocery carts for Olivia!)
• Picture birthday card - $1.32
• 40 Ct Bayer ES - $5.96 - Used $1.50 coupon printed from Bayer website ( I bought some free ones of these in previous weeks at Publix, but my husband has used all of them. I guess I should have gotten more freebies!)
• Total at Wal-Mart = $7.51 with tax. I had a store credit, so I only paid $4.04, but for the purposes of this, I spent $7.51. Total Savings was 32%. Not very good because of the Bayer, but we needed it, and I made that purchase at 6:30 in the morning after a workout and right before my husband left town for the week...talk about a quick, last minute purchase!!

I went to CVS, but they were out of the deal I wanted, so I got a raincheck, which was actually nice because now I can wait and combine it another better deal if one comes up in future weeks!

Ok, so here goes Publix. I first went on Tuesday to catch the last of the sales from last week, since their sale cycle runs Wed - Tues. Here is what I got:

• 2 Honey Nut Cheerios - Sale Price $1.99 (Regular - $4.39) - Used $1.00 off 2 coupon, making them $1.49 each
• 2 Cape Cod Chips - Sales Price $2.50 (Regular - $3.49) - Used $1.00 off 2 coupon, making them $2.00 each
• Dixie Crystals 5 lb sugar - Sale Price $2.99 (Regular $4.09) - Used $.55 Publix coupon + $.50 coupon from the paper that doubled to $1.00, making it $1.44!!!
• 2 Ben & Jerry's Ice Creams - Sale Price $2.25 (Regular $4.49) - Used $1.00 off Whole Foods coupon, making them $1.25 each
• Mt Olive Pickles - Sale Price $1.40 (Regular Price $2.79) - Used $.50 coupon that doubled to $1.00, making them $.40.
• 2 Johnson & Johnson Naturals Baby Shampoo/Lotion - Sale Price $3.79 (Regular $4.79) - Used $3/2 Publix Coupon + 2 $.50 off coupons that doubled to $1.00, making them $1.29 (Great Deal for her shampoo & lotion!!)
• Total with Tax = $15.62 for a 62% savings! Not too bad for items we use regularly!

So here is the big one... New sale at Publix! $10 off $50 gas card when you buy $25 in groceries Before Coupons!!! This is huge. I really built up my before coupon amount, so that I could get more $10 off Gas Cards!

• Boston Butt - Sale Price $9.97 (Regular $12.47) - Used $1.00 off Meat Coupon from BabyClub Newsletter
• 9 Bird's Eye Frozen Vegetables - Sale Price ranged from $.99 to $1.29 - all 50% off - had 1 coupon for $.35 off SteamFresh Lightly Sauced that doubled to $.70 off
• 2 Hormel Natural Lunch Meat - $3.69 each - Used 2 $.50 off coupons that doubled to $1.00
• Kraft Shredded Cheese - Sale Price $2.00 (Regular $3.79) - Used $1.00 off man coupon + $1/2 Kraft cheese Target competitor coupon
• Kraft Sliced Cheese - $2.99 - Used $1.00 of manufacturer coupon + it combined with the above Target coupon
• Florida's Natural Orange Juice - Sales Price $3.00 (regular =$3.79)
• Chock Full O Nuts Coffee - Sale Price $4.00 (Regular $4.99) - Used $.75 off coupon
• 3 Scotties Tissues - Sale Price $1.00 each (Regular $1.25) - Used $.5/3 coupon that doubled to $1.00
• Whitewheat bread - Sales Price $1.25 (Regular $2.49)
• Bounty Napkins - Sales Price $2.99 (Regular $3.49) - Used $1.00 off coupon
• Mueller Angel Hair Pasta - Sales Price $.75 (Regular $1.49) - Used $1.00 off coupon
• Breakstone Sour Cream - Sales Price $1.50 (Regular $2.39)
• Weiman Cooktop Cleaner - $3.99
• Weiman Cooktop Scrub Pads - $1.99 - Used Publix coupon for Free Scrub pads wyb Cooktop cleaner - I have been wanting something that will really get my cooktop clean, so this was my chance to try out something new.
• Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce - Sale Price $1.18 - Regular $2.35
• Grapes - Sale Price $2.55 (Regular $4.08) - Used $2.00 off Produce Coupon
• Strawberries - Sale Price $2.00 (Regular $3.50) - Used $1.00 off Produce coupon
• French's Mustard - Sale Price $.98 - (Regular $1.95) - Used $1.00 off coupon
• Yoplait Whips Yogurt - $.75 - Used Free Yoplait coupon
• 5 Think Thin Bars - 3/$5 - Used $.50 off Whole Foods competitor coupon + $.50 off man coupon (doubled) - making these about $.17 each.
• Benadryl Itch Cream - $4.39 - Used $2.00 off Publix Coupon + $2.00 off Manufacturer coupon, making it $.39 ( I keep getting poision ivy, so this will come in handy!)
• Suave Hairspray - $2.99 - Used coupon for free Suave Hairspray
• Mueller Elbow Pasta - Sales Price $.74 (Regular $1.49)
• Curad Waterproof Tape - $2.69 - Used $2 off Publix coupon + .5 off man coupon (doubled)
• Coleslaw mix - Sale Price $1.69 (Regular $1.89)
• Lawry Baja Marinade - =$1.38 (Regular $2.75)
• 2 Bush's Beans - Sale Price $1.15 (Regular $2.29)
• 2 Organic Valley Milks - $3.99 each - Used $1.00 off Dairy coupon
• Publix Butter - Sale Price $3.00 (Regular $3.79)
• Finish Dishwasher Detergent - Sale Price $3.50 (Regular $6.99) - Used $.75 off coupon
• Publix Potato Salad - Sale Price $1.30 (Regular $2.59) - Used $1.00 off Deli Purchase Target Competitor coupon
• Playtex Tampons - Sale Price $2.99 (Regular $4.29) - Used $1.50 off coupon
• 2 Beechnut Fruities - Sale Price $1.00 (Regular $2.00) - Used $2.00 off 2 coupon
• Stonyfield YoBaby Yogurt - $2.50 - Used $.50 off Coupon (Doubled to $1.00)
• Stonyfield YoKids Yogurt - $3.29 - Used $.50 off coupon (Doubled to $1.00) + Publix $1.00 off Stonyfield Yogurt coupon
• BandAids - $2.89 - Used $2.00 off Publix Coupon + $.50 off man coupon (Doubled to $1.00)
• Publix Tortilla Chips - $2.59 - Mystery Penny item made these $.01
• My precoupon total came to $128, so they let me buy 5 gas cards, and get $50 off!!
• Not including the $250 in gas which I will no doubt use, my OOP total came to $27.73 with tax!!! That is an 83% savings!!!! WOW! I was so excited! I did forget to use one of my coupons, and I had to go back to get them to take it off, but I think it turned out pretty well over all (especiall considering I had a 1 year old with me!!). I actually kind of felt like I was stealing when I left, although I did nothing wrong. It was just too good of a deal. I don't think I have ever gotten so much stuff for so little!!

I actually went back to Publix because I like to buy fish the same day I use it, so I went back on Thursday when I planned to cook fish, and got the following:

• 20 pc hot wings - Sale Price $6.99 (regular $8.89) - these keep me from having to cook for a night or two - YEAH!!
• Tilapia - $5.59
• Maple Syrup - $6.99 - This is the expensive stuff, but we like to use the real thing and not the corn syrup kind.
• Diaper Genie Refill - $7.99 - Used $1.00 off Playtex Publix Coupon + $2.00 off Playtex manufacturer coupon - These are always really expensive, but I figured now was the time to get it, with the combination of 2 coupons & the gas deal.
• Gas Card Discount - $10
• Total OOP with tax was $16.76, which was only a 47% savings, but this trip was purposely designed for a few expensive items, and it was the best time to get them with the $10 off!

My total for the week came to $67.62, which is a 73% savings off regular price. I would say that isn't too bad! I sure did get a lot of stuff for $67!! I am still under budget too! I may go back and get a few more things. If I do, I'll include them in next week's totals, or I may actually wait until next week to get them. The gas card deal is just too good to pass up!

Here is what we had to eat:

Monday - Spagghetti & salad

Tuesday - Hubbie was out of town, so I had Zaxby's for $5

Wednesday - Hubbie out of town, so I had leftover Spagghetti

Thursday - Baja Tilapia - this was pretty good - here is the recipe - http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2010/04/baja-tilapia.html

Friday - probably the wings & potato salad

Saturday - probably loaded baked potatos

Sunday - leftovers

Monday (I'll include it since it is a holiday weekend) - Boston Butt, baked beans, cole slaw

Publix trip - Best Savings Ever!

I just got back from my Publix trip, and it has to be the best trip I have ever had. I spent a total of $280, but that included $250 in gas cards, which makes my total groceries only $30!! My total savings was $134.93, which is over 80%!! Including the gas card coupons, I had over $100 in coupons!! Oh, and I forgot to give him a $2.99 off coupon, so I am going back for that. It was for Suave Hairspray, and I only bought it because it was free, so that will put me at 83% savings.
I have saved that high of a percentage before, but I was usually only buying a couple of things. This was on a buggy full of real groceries, i.e. organic milk, boston butt, frozen vegetables, strawberries, grapes, etc. Woo Hoo!! :)

Publix $10 off Gas Card

I am so excited this deal is back again! In the upcoming Wednesday ad for Publix, they are going to run the "$10 off a $50 Gas card wyb $25 worth of groceries" promotion! I love this deal! I go buy my groceries $25 at a time, and I get $10 off each time! Just think, that is 20% off gas! No gas card can beat that deal!!!

Week 1

(Pic is of my Publix trip)
So, here we go.... Week 1 of the "All You" Grocery Challenge.

The problem for me is this is week 4 of the month, so I am pretty much out of money, so this week we went to the stockpile, leftovers, etc. to eat. The best deals this week were the "Think Thin" bars at Publix (they paid me $.25 to take them!), the Bayer Advanced ($.50), and the Tylenol Precise Cream (Free!).

Here is what I bought...

Trip 1 - CVS
2 Transactions

Transaction 1

• Gain Dish Soap - On sale for $.97 - Used $1.00 coupon that they adjusted down to .97 = Free
• Hershey's Bliss - $5.99 - Got back $5.99 in ECBs = $0.00 net
• Colgate Toothbrush - On sale for $2.79 - Used $1.00 coupon - Got back $2.00 in ECBs = -$.21
• Used $5.99 ECBs from last week
• Total OOP with Tax = $2.57 - Received $7.99 in ECBs. Net = -$5.42

Transaction 2

• Pampers Box of Diapers (96 diapers) - On sale for $20.00 - Used $1.50 coupon
• Huggies Pack of Wipes (216 wipes) - On sale for $6.00 - Used $.75 coupon
• Used $7.99 in ECBs from previous transaction
• Total OOP with Tax = $17.84 - Received $10.00 in ECBs for buying $25 worth of diapers and wipes. Net = $7.84

Wal-Mart - needed some sausage for a recipe. No one had the kind I wanted on sale, and I had a store credit to Wal-Mart

• Johnsonville Sausages - $2.50
• Total with Tax = $2.70

Publix - My main shopping trip every week is to Publix on Wednesdays because that is when the new sales flyer comes out and I can get the Mystery Penny item. This list is a long one.

Transaction 1

• YoBaby organic Yogurt - $2.50 - Used $.50 coupon (doubled for $1.00 off)
• Eggland's Best eggs - On sale for $2.00 - Used $.50 coupon (doubled for $1.00 off)
• 4 pack Carrot Nut Muffins - On Sale for $1.50 (this was my splurge of the week - I LOVE these muffins!!)
• 2 Knorr Sides - On sale for $.79 each - Used $1.00/2 coupon
• Duke's Mayo - On sale for $1.50
• Bananas - On sale for $.60
• Blueberries - On sale for $2.00 - Used $2.00 off produce coupon
• Fresh Express Salad - on sale for $2.00 - Used $.50 coupon (double to $1.oo off)
• 3 Packs Publix Frozen Vegetables - $1.39, $1.79, and $1.49 each (paid full price - I should have bought more the last time they were on sale!!)
• Tylenol Precise Cream - On Sale for $4.99 - Used $5.00 off coupon
• 4 Think Thin Bars - On Sale for $1.25 - Used 4 competitor coupons for $.50 off + Used 4 manufacturer coupons for $.50 off (doubled to $1.00). (so they paid me $.25 to take these, and I love eating the on the way to the gym at 5:30 in the morning!!)
• 2 Power Bars - Used 1 store BOGO coupon and 1 manufacturer BOGO, so $0.00
• Publix Brand Oatmeal - $1.99
• Publix Apple Juice - Mystery Penny item, so $0.01
• Somewhere along the line I had another $1.50 in coupons. Either the cashier messed up, or there are some I can't remember, but there is another $1.50 off my total that I can't seem to come up with.
• Total OOP with Tax = $13.69!!!!!

Transaction 2 - I went to another Publix later in the day. I realized I forgot to buy bread, and my favorite Publix was out of the Bayer, and my husband needed some for his shoulder.

• Bayer aspirin - $3.49 - Used $2.00 store coupon and $1.00 manufacturer coupon
• Sara Lee Whole Grain White Bread - $1.99
• Total OOP with Tax = $2.92

Total OOP for the week = $39.72 plus I have $10.00 in ECBs leftover at CVS.

Total Regular price of items is $107.82

Approximate savings is ~68% off, not including the $10.00 in ECBs.

I don't think this is too bad for the first week of the challenge, especially since this included a 96 count box of diapers and big pack of wipes. However, I didn't have to buy many items for dinner.

Here is what we ate for dinner:

• Sunday - Leftovers
• Monday - Leftovers
• Tuesday - Beef Strogonaff & Broccoli
• Wednesday - Sausage Primavera (this was so good that Arnold took it to lunch, so I didn't get to use leftovers for another meal, but that's ok, since it meant he didn't have to buy lunch out for a day!) - Here is the link to the recipe - http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2011/03/johnsonville-three-cheese-italian-style-chicken-sausage-oven-roasted-pasta-primavera.html
• Thursday - Frozen Pizza and salad (went to visit a friend with a new baby in the hospital, so we had to do something quick)
• Friday - Ham & Rice & Green Beans
• Saturday - probably out somewhere because we are going to my niece's all-star game

Ok, I am tired of writing now, but I have journaled my whole week 1 in one post, so that's not bad! Also, I came in under budget! Now, I can link up to my first "Friday Finals" on www.southernsavers.com. I always read them and feel inspired, but I never submit my own.

Couponing to Stay Home Full-Time

Ok, so this is my first post on my new blog. No promises that I will be able to keep this up regularly, but I am going to try this out...

So, here is my story... a little over a year ago, I had my beautiful daughter Olivia! Even though I had a really good job, after having her, I had a hard time with leaving her in daycare and going back to work. In order to not make any rash decisions that I would possibly later regret, we decided that I would go back part-time and give it 6 months to see if I wanted to keep working or stay home full-time. After 6 months of working 3 days a week and being home with Olivia for the other 4, I decided I wanted to be home with her everyday!! However, in order to do that, we had to take a big cut in income. That part was hard, but we sat down and looked at the numbers and realized it was possible. It just meant that we had to tighten our spending belts a little. One of the big things I did was to start couponing. I don't mean just cutting coupons out of the Sunday paper and using a few here and there. I mean REALLY watching sales and matching coupons to the sale and only buying things at the lowest point possible! All of this while not giving up the health of our family (mainly our daughter who gets $4.00 per half gallon Organic Milk and organic yogurt everyday)!!


I have been really couponing for the past few months, and so far, I have made budget every month and we have a lot more supply at the end of the month, i.e. plenty of paper towels, toothpaste, shampoo, deodarant, and items in the pantry and freezer. However, at the end of every month, we still exhaust all of the money we have set aside for groceries and feel broke. So, that brings us to now, I have decided to take on the "All You" Grocery challenge. It is a 4 week challenge where you can only spend $25 per person per week for groceries, so that is $75 for my household. I plan to journal my efforts on this blog, and hopefully, once the challenge is over, continue to meet this new budget. That way we won't feel so broke at the end of every month, we will have a little bit of money to do things we want, and then we will have some money to save towards the many big items we need (new siding on the house and a new car in the next year or two). Hopefully through my efforts I will also be able to save some family and friends money also!