I've been working at getting the hang of couponing recently to try and trim down our grocery bill. It definitely takes some practice to get really good at matching up coupons with sales to get the most bang for your buck, but on average I've been saving $20-30 per shopping trip, which according to the savings data they print towards the bottom of your receipt at Dillon's is generally about 30-40% of our total bill.
Well this week I had my most successful trip yet! Check out everything I was able to get for just over $33.
4 boxes of Rice Krispies (on sale for $1, had 2 $1/2 boxes coupons, so 50cents each)
1 box of Wheatables Nut Crisp crackers (on sale for $2.19, used $1 off Q, $1.19 after Q. They say the regular price is over $4 for these, so I wanted to try them out for cheap while I still could!)
1 box Betty Crocker cake mix (on sale for 99cents - decoratinging a couple cakes for my cousins' graduation, so I'm saving a bit of time and using a mix, plus I haven't found a white cake recipe from scratch that I'm really happy with. Any suggestions?)
1 pkg. Oscar Meyer all beef hot dogs (on sale for $2.50, FREE with coupon I got in the mail by signing up for it)
2 pkg. Athenos roasted red pepper hummus (on sale for $2.50 each, had a buy one, get one coupon, so $1.25 a piece) (I cracked the cannister of my food processor, so I currently can't make my own hummus :( How sad!)
1.67 lb. red grapes (1.29/lb. - these are a favorite of Claire's and we were out)
single serve Edy's caramel praline frozen yogurt (on sale for $1.25, had a coupon for FREE product. I would never buy one of these otherwise. WAAAAY too expensive for the size you get)
1 jar Private Selection pineapple salsa (on sale for $2.29 - very tasty! I hope to find a recipe like this that I like and can preserve some this summer. Until then, this will do.)
1 jar Kroger mild salsa (on sale for $1.50. Once again, we were out)
10 bottles of Powerade (on sale for $1 each, had 10 $1 off coupons from Recycle Bank, so all 10 were FREE) (these are a treat for Matt for after doing yard work)
7 boxes of Suddenly Salad pasta (regularly over $2.25 each depending on flavor, on sale for 99 cents each, had 7 - 40cent off coupons, which doubled to 80 cents, so only 19cents per box! These are nice for an easy summer dinner. Cook the pasta in the afternoon, add in a couple cooked and cubed chicken breasts and some veggies, chill and you're all set!)
16oz. bag of shredded cheese (on sale for $2.77. Not a fabulous price, but we needed it.)
2 Old Spice bodywashes (on sale for $3.50 each, had a buy one, get one coupon plus a $3/2 e-coupon loaded on my Plus Card, so 50 cents for 2 bodywashes)
2 Old Spice deodorants (same as deal above)
4 - 2lb. bags of powdered sugar (on sale for 98 cents. Like I said, I'm decorating cakes and therefore making frosting, so I needed to stock up!)
300ct. bag of cotton balls (on sale for $2.50. Again, I was out and didn't want to make a trip elsewhere to find a better price)
1 bag Rold Gold Honey Wheat Pretzels (on sale for $1.98, had a 55 cents off coupon, doubled to $1 off, so 98 cents) (I usually buy the Kroger ones, but with the coupon the name brand was cheaper. These help keep little hands and mouths busy while I'm working on dinner.)
When all was said and told, I spent $33.86 for all of those groceries and "saved" $75.85, or 71%!
I put "saved" in quotes because Dillon's really is overpriced on many items, but with coupons you can get some pretty good deals :)
If you're interested in trying coupons to save some money I have several blogs I follow listed on the right side of the page that help me to know when there is a good deal out there. Also, Money Saving Mom has a good series on getting started using coupons here.
OK, I'll stop being nerdy now, at least for a little bit ;)
5 comments:
Impressive! I really, really need to try to start doing this. Are you giving tutorials? :)
wow! good work. you are a fast learner.
Danielle - the best info I can give you is to check out the coupon sites I have on my blog list. That seemed to be the best option for me. And get a coupon file (I got mine in the dollar spot at Target last year - they regularly have them there). I'd be happy to share what I've picked up so far. I didn't save tons right away, but I figure every little bit helps!
Mary - you're actually the person that turned me on to Money Saving Mom with your little post where you got the travel size All, bread and either bananas or apples at Target for $3.something, so I wouldn't say I'm a fast learner, just persistent.
Awesome!!!
I know this post is juvenile, and I didn't even read your whole entry. I was just scanning through the photos and see this bag that says BALLS on it and the writing above it was too tiny to read. So I was curious what BALLS you bought at the store. Cotton Balls!
Post a Comment