I got some good deals today but over all, I only saved 60%. I never thought the day would come where 60% savings would be a disappointment, but it sort of is. One super awesome deal was the three family packs of chicken shown above. They have a special rack for stuff that's about to expire in the meat department. They put orange stickers on the packs of meat and they usually say "reduced for quick sale". Well I always check it out but very rarely buy anything because it scares me. Last week they had a very grey package of sausage and I could feel the food poisoning attack just by looking at it. So normally, I don't get anything but today I noticed they had a ton of boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale for $0.99/lb. (a normal cheap price for boneless skinless chicken breasts is $1.97/lb) So I just had to ask the butcher for info on it. I walked up to him and said "HI, i see there's a lot of chicken breasts for sale. Are they going bad? Will my family DIE if i feed it to them?" He started laughing at me and said that no, we wouldn't die, that actually nothing was wrong with them. They just accidentally ordered 300 lbs of extra chicken breasts so the manager said to mark it down to get it out of there. So not only was the stuff not going bad, it was brand new!! So i picked up three family packs of chicken. That was probably my most exciting deal this week. I did get some stuff for free, but the chicken was like an extra special bonus today.

1 Glade fan starter kit (FREE)

2 Tubs Smart Balance Spread

1 Exedrin Menstrual Gelcaps (FREE)

1 Pack Extra Gum (FREE)

1 CVS Vitamin D (FREE)

1 Single Dr Pepper (FREE- was thirsty)

3 40 count Packages Huggies Gentle Care Diapers

1 Large Tub Cottage Cheese

2 Boxes Pop Tarts

1 Bag Spanish Rice

1 Bag Yellow Rice

1 Bag White Rice

2 6-packs Treetop Applesauce

1 Hormel Complete Meals (FREE)

2 6-Packs Danimals Smoothies

1 12-Pack Quilted Northern toilette paper

1 Ken's Light Salad Dressing Spray

2 6-packs Dannon Lite and Fit Yogurt

2 Mc Cormick Seasoning Packets

3.87 lbs Bananas

2.26 lbs Red Seedless Grapes

1 Bunch Green Onions

1 Bag Lettuce

13 lbs boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

3 lbs T-bone Steak

8 Atkins Protein Bars

Total Price- $183.95
Total Paid- $73.61 110.34
Total Saved- $110.34/60%

I also received $12.99 in store credit to use next time.

Diapers

I made a quick trip to CVS today to take advantage of the last day of their sale. I needed some Diapers. Long story short, I walked out of there with two jumbo packs of Pampers and Johnson's Baby Shampoo for $8.79 out of pocket and got a $5.00 ECB (like cash) to spend in their store at my next visit. Not bad!! One pack of diapers cost $12.49 all by itself but after coupons and such, I made out like a bandit. Sometimes i really feel like I'm stealing. But I'm just being smart!

Weekly Grocery Shopping

I did okay this week. Saved 70%. Here's what I got....

1 Baby Wipes 80 count
2 EAS meal bars
2 Aveeno Anti-Itch Creams
1 Reach Toothbrush (FREE)
2 Revelon Eye Shadows
4 Olay Bath Soap Bars
7 Boxes Mac & Cheese (FREE)
10 Jars Baby Food (FREE)
16 Rolls Toilette Paper
5 Boxes of Lean Pockets
2 Cans Dole Pineapple Chunks
2 Loaves Bread
9 Bags Frozen Veggies
2 lbs Onion
1 lb Aparagus
1 Bag Lettuce
1 Zone Perfect Bar (FREE)
4 Atkins Meal Bars

Total Price= $121.17
Total Paid= $36.59
Total Saved= $84.58/70%

Weekly Grocery Shopping: SUPER AWESOME!!!

Today I did my weekly grocery shopping. i had twenty five bucks left over in my budget. i am trying to wrap my head around how much i saved and everything and well... it's a little bit hard to explain, but I'm going to try. Walgreen's gives you rebates which you claim at the end of every month and they give you a gift card to use in the store. if you choose a gift card, they give you an additional 10% back. so technically if you only purchased the stuff that is free after coupons and rebate, they would be giving you the 10% back and they would actually be paying you to shop there! crazy i know.
CVS does what they call easy care bucks. I am currently learning the ins and outs of the ECB's. basically ECB's are like a cash coupon printed on you receipt and certain items in the store qualify for them. for instance.... today, i bought a razor that was on sale for 7.99. i had a coupon for four dollars off so the final price was 3.99 but it was an ecb qualifying item so i got back $4.00 on my receipt to use on my next purchase. it's slightly confusing but once you get the hang of it, it's super fun and you can get so many things for free. so here's my crazy shopping trip this week... I'm going to break it up by store this week and I'm not going to put how much i saved. read all the way to the end for the magic number.......

Walgreen's

1 pkg Excedrin Gel Caps
5 packets of vegetable seeds (like to plant a garden with)
2 boxes sugar free Jell-o
1 box Reynolds wrap foil
1 box of 6 Walgreen's nutritional drinks
8 rolls paper towels
Total spent: $12.49 BUT, i had a gift card from my rebates from Walgreen's' from last month so I actually spent none of my own money out of pocket for this store.

CVS

1 Gillette Fusion Razor
1 EARrinse cleaner

Total spent: 6.78. I used ecb's hat i had earned last week in the amount of 5.98 so my total cash out of pocket was 6.78 BUT, i received 11.99 in ecb's towards my next purchase.

Ralph's

3 Avocados
1.75 lbs top sirloin steak

Total Spent: 4.78

Albertson's

8 Cans Progresso Soup
2 Cans Betty Crocker Frosting

Total spent: 13.00 BUT, I received $10.00 to use on my next purchase.


So, i ended up spending $24.56 in cash out of pocket tonight. BUT, I ended up getting $25.99 to use towards other purchases in the future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously that's freaking amazing. I had to do the math like fifty seven times to make sure i was not going crazy and had my figures correct. i even used a calculator. so yep.... i spent 24.56 in cash, but got 25.99 to use next time i shop (just like cash, no minimum purchase or whatever). yeah... I'm awesome. Come pat me on the back!

Weekly Grocery Shopping

So last night I did my weekly grocery shopping. I did not have to get anything except pull ups and wipes for the kids so I just bought a few things that were on sale. Here's what I snagged....

1 box Totino's Pizza Rolls (55 cents)
1 Carton Cottage Cheese
1 pkg of 231 baby wipes
1 Jumbo Pack Pull ups
1 Garnier Shampoo - FREE After Rebate
3 Xtra Laundry detergents (32 loads each)- FREE
2 Tubes Colgate Toothpaste- FREE

Original Price= $43.81
Total Saved= $30.32
Total Paid= $13.49/70% Savings

That's it for this week!

Weekly Grocery Shopping

I didn't need much this week and I had to make a run to Sam's club for the ever important diapers so my budget was smaller this week and I just bought some stuff that was on a good sale. Also, I am splurging on Friday and buying some lobster tails so I needed to save my money for that (i will probably go over budget a bit this month because of Valentines day and I'm cooking dinner for my dad and step mom for their birthdays, but I'm going to try to stay under budget!!). My local grocery store is having a one day sale on lobster tails on Friday for people to buy for their sweethearts on Valentines Day so we're going to get a few so we can have a special dinner on Saturday. Fun! Here's my deals for the week.....

1 Pkg Fruit Roll Ups
2 Pkgs of 4 Yo-Plus Yogurt
1 Pkg of 6 Yoplait Kids Yogurt
4.65 lbs of Peaches
2 Pkgs Menthos Gum
1 Pkg Fresh Express Lettuce (I buy this every week, sale or not)
1 Canister Windex Wipes
1 Pkg Pledge Multi-Surface Wipes
1 Canister Scrubbing Bubbles Wipes
1 Bottle Fantastik Cleaner

Original Price= $53.14
Total Saved= $38.97
Total Paid= $14.17/74% Savings

I have been trying to get a collection of cleaners in both of my bathrooms and in the kitchen so I don't have to bring all the cleaners around to each room and up and downstairs fifty times. I just need a few more things and I will have a full set of cleaners in those rooms. Hopefully I will get some good deals again soon on those items!

Weekly Grocery Shopping

Last night I went to the grocery store and to Walgreens. I did pretty darn good if I do say so myself..... My grocery store was having the same sale where if you bought ten participating items, you got $5.00 off your purchase so a lot of the items I bought are repeats of last week. Here's what I purchased...

5 boxes sugar free jello
2 bottles Theraflu warming liquid - FREE after Walgreens Rebate
1 Revelon creme color lip gloss- FREE after Walgreen's Rebate
1 Revelon Age Defying foundation- FREE after Walgreens Rebate
2 Cans Hormel Chili- FREE
10 Cans Hormel Chili (only 50 cents ea.)
1 box Fiber One Granola Bars
4 boxes Kellogs Fruit snacks
2 Pace picante Salsas
1 pkg Chex Mix (only 50 cents)
1 Container Cool Whip Free
1 Windex Wipes
1 Lysol Cleaner
1 Soft Scrub Spray
1 Lysol Toilette bowl cleaner
1 pkg Fresh Express Lettuce
0.92 lb onion
2.58 lbs Red seedless grapes
1 4lb Tri Tip Roast
4 pkgs Johnsonville Sausage or Bartswurst
1 Lady Speed Stick deodorant

Total Purchased= $172.19
Total Spent= $35.90
That's 80% Savings!!!!!! Holy Mamasita! THAT BROKE MY RECORD!!!!! WOOOOO!!!!

Wow! That's all I have to say about that! Wow!!

The Grocery Game

My local grocery store was having a fun sale this week where if you bought 10 participating items, you got $5.00 off your bill. You could get the deal up to 3 times, meaning $15.00 taken off your bill at check out. So Fun! Combine that with coupons= FOOD STORAGE!!
I saved more yesterday than I think I ever have. I usually average about 60%-65% but yesterday I saved 75% WOOO HOOO!! Here's the list from my shopping trip... Green Items were free....
8 cans hormel chili (only 50 cents per can- normally over 2.00 per can)
2 cans hormel chili- FREE
2 Curves Granola Bars
1 Nature Valley Granola Bars
1 box OR Naturals Microwave Popcorn
1 Goldfish Crackers
1 Cheerios Snack Mix
1 Franks buffalo Sauce- FREE
1 Newman's Own Marinade
1 Frenches Yellow Mustard- FREE
1 Frenches Spicy Brown Mustard- FREE
2 Pace Picante Salsa's
1 Kraft Light Mayonnaise
2 Revlon Colorsilk Hair Color (only 99 cents ea.)
3 boxes Kleenex Tissues
1 box Triscuit Crackers
2 Glade Aerosol Sprays
1 16 oz Light Sour Cream
1 box Nabisco Wheat Thins
1 Cantaloupe
1 lb Ground Turkey (only 1.99/lb)
4 Atkins Meal Bars
1 box Fiber One Granola Bars

Total Groceries= $122.00
Total Actually Spent= $31.00!!!
Total Saved= $91.00/75%