Saving Money This Week Update

This week, I am trying to get our grocery budget as low as it can go. (my goals is to spend 50.00)
On Sunday I sat with coupons, sales flyers and made a list of the stores to go to and what to buy.

So far, I have made 1 trip and I think I did pretty good.

Trip 1: CVS

1 mini-box Keebler club cracker (free with sale and coupon)
1 mini box graham crackers (free with sale and coupon)
2 cans Campbell's Select Soup (1.50 total after sale/coupon)
2 rolls of wrapping paper (58 cents)
2 tubes of Aquafresh advanced toothpaste (free after sale/coupon)
1 bottle children's motrin (4.75 after sale/coupon)
1 bottle childen's tylenol (4.75 after sale/coupon)
2 bottles of excedrin (free after sale/coupon)
1 box sudafed pe (3.99 after sale/coupon)
1 box tylenol cold medicine (3.99 after sale/coupon)
2 bottles robitussin (free after coupon/sale)
1 tube colgate toothpaste (1.75 after coupon/sale)
2 pack storage bags (4.99 after sale)
extra 5.00 off coupon
20 extra care bucks

Out of pocket paid: 6.18
Savings as on receipt: 79.28
Bonus: 18 extra care bucks earned to shop with next time


Trip 2 (with a lesson!): Dominicks
2 boxes Fruit Roll-ups (2.50 for both after coupon/sale/bonus (normally 2.99 for 1))
2 boxes Fruit snacks (2.50 for both after coupon/sale/bonus (normally 3.29 for 1))
4 boxes nature valley granola bars (4.50 for all 4 after coup/sale/bonus (normally 3.39 for 1))
2 boxes cheerios and 2 boxes lucky charms (4 dollars after coup/sale/bonus (it would have been 22.56 at regular price)
*1 box brown rice cereal bars 4.59 (didn't check the receipt - this was on special for 3.50 and I could have saved 1.60 on it but since I didn't pay attention and at this point I won't drive back for that)
*1 box Koala crisp cereal (3.00 with sale)
2 soft scrubs (3.39 for both with sale)

Out of pocket: 21.00
Savings: 40.32

Not only did the register make the mistake I just caught as I was typing, but the register shorted me one of the 4 dollar bonus subtractions. I mentioned it to the cashier and she said no, I had hit the limit, then showed me the add to prove the limit and lo and hehold, there is NO limit mentioned in the ad. At that point I had to go to the customer service desk. There were 2 ladies back there. One said the computer did NOT make mistakes and if anything they were giving bonuses to people who didn't deserve them. I offered to empty my cart, show her my items and all that. She again said there was a limit (but again, couldn't find it listed in either ad she looked at). The other woman very nicely gave me 4.05 cents cash. I kindly thanked her and she commented "well thank goodness it is Wednesday because this bonus has caused nothing but troubles." I said, well, I am sorry for the problems, but there was no limit listed (and there were three bonuses listed and I used each one one time, so it's not like I tried to do it 52 times in my trip). I do hope you have a great day." She smiled and assured me it wasn't my fault and was very nice. The other two people treated me as if I were trying to rob the store at gunpoint. (FTR I did very nicely ask for the correction and I thought they could have replied just as nicely in return.)

Trip 3: Walgreens
4 cans progresso soup (4 after sale/coupon contrast this with 2 for $4.00 SALE at other local store)
2 bottles sunlight dish soap (1.78 after coupon - so it's like getting B1G1)
*5 boxes royal jello mix (1.00 total)
3 cans jif peanut butter (3.95 for all 3, not the best savings but pretty good overall and it will probably last us until fall)
*1 container sunmaid raisins (2.00)

out of pocket: 13.81
savings as printed on receipt: 15.39

Trip 4: Target
1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes (94 cents price reduced)
2 boxes market pantry mac n' cheese (74 cents - no bargain)
1 goldfish (1.50 on sale)
1 can diced tomatoes (.69 - I think no bargain)
1 package celery (39 cents with coupon)
1 package broccoli (99 cents with coupon)
*Chips (2.29 - no sale but they are safe for my dd to eat and we were completely out for her so I needed some snack besides celery for her)
*Ham (10.57 - again no sale, but I have about 4 soups planned to use this for and we like to just munch on it cut up anyway LOL!)
tomato soup (1.04 - no sale)
Fantastik cleaner (1.69 on special)
2 travel pack 40-count wipes (.94 after coupon)
1 reusable bag (1.49 not on sale, but my splurge that I can feel good about - it fit all but one bag's worth of groceries today (we had filled the two bags we brought with at the other stores already)

out of pocket: 26.44
savings (estimate because receipt doens't print it): 8 dollars?


Total spent this week: 67.43
Total saved: 142.99
Bonus - 18 extra care bucks

*items that are safe for my gluten/dairy/wheat/soy free child!

My goal was to shop for less than 50. However, in reality I had 90 to go into the store in. I did not originally plan to walk into the Target so I would have been well under my 50 dollar goal, however, we did need some more items from there and even though I want to budget shop, I still need to successfully feed my family, and spaghetti is not going to cover us every night, thank you very much. Also, I forgot that we would run out of items safe for my daughter to eat. Her safe food was 22 dollars of it. Am I upset to have to buy those for her? Heck no! I am glad that we are able to provide her food that is safe and won't make her feel sick! And when it's all said and done, we haven't even gone over the budget technically so really, how awesome is that? I am actually under by 20-some dollars!

Yes, I do love my coupons! I have also asked 2 people to start saving their Sunday coupons for me and if I can get the courage I will ask others to start saving them for me too because they are making a HUGE difference for us and I know lots of people who get them and don't use them