Publix~~The Breakfast Edition

(sorry the picture is a little blurry...)

Today I ran to Publix for just a few things. As you can see it is mostly breakfast type stuff.

My haul today:
4 boxes of Cheerios
2 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios
3 boxes of Frosted Flakes
1 box of Apple Jacks
1 box of Cocoa Krispies
12 boxes of Poptarts
10 boxes of GoGurt
4 boxes of Whole Fruit frozen bars



Cost before coupons/sales: 112.00
Savings: 82.84 (74%)
Total out of pocket: 29.16--That averages to about 79 cents per item. Not bad.

My Publix Trip~~7/19/11

Even though I was irritated, I did manage to find a few things today at Publix.

4 Yoplait Smoothie mixes~1.60/each; $1 off coupon= .60
1 Noxema bikini shaver~2.99; $2 off coupon= .99
2 Colgate toothpaste~1.35/each; 50 cent coupon (doubled to $1)= .35
5 boxes of Mini-wheats~1.64/each; $5 off of 5 boxes coupon= .64
4 boxes of Ritz Bits~1.59/each; $1 off 2 coupon= 1.09
2 bags of Eight O'Clock coffee~3.42/each; $2 off 2 coupon= 2.42
6 bottles of Hershey's syrup~90 cents each; $1 off 2 coupon= .40
6 bags of Chex Mix~1.30/each; 50 cent coupond (doubled to $1)= .30
2 boxes of jumbo shells (full price; no sale, no coupon *gasp*)~2.09
2 pr of scissors~1.00; 1.00 off coupon=FREE
3 pks of mechanical pencils~1.00/each; $1/2 coupon=2.00 for all three

Total before: 102.95

Total out of pocket: 26.51

Total savings: 76.44 or 74%

Look at what I got for less than $20...

I made a little trip to Publix yesterday. I really like those Luigi Italian Ice things and had great coupons so wanted to be sure that I got those. Not a huge trip but a good trip. Everything you see on the table was 19.95 out of pocket.

Here is the breakdown:
2 bags of Tostitos~ 3.00/each (*gasp* No coupon...)

6 boxes of Barilla mini-bowties~ 58 cents each. I had 55 cents off coupons making them 3 cents a box

7 Luigi Italian Ice~ 1.60 each; I had $1 off coupons so 60 cents for each box (making them 10 cents per cup)

7 Dove deodorant~ 1.50/each; used 75 cents off coupons = .75/each

2 Crest toothpaste~ $1/each; used 75 cents off coupon = .25/each

6 Chow Mein noodles~ .40/each (no coupon)


Total before sales and coupons: 68.96
Savings: 49.01
Out of Pocket: 19.95

A total savings of 71 percent.

CVS Trip 6/22/2011

Now that the boys are out of school, I feel like I have the time to do my coupon shopping justice. Today I bounced back into it with a few trips to CVS. Lots of good stuff at CVS this week. Be sure to check out Simply CVS for weekly deal match ups. As well as, Coupon Wizards who have a wealth of information about everything coupon! Both sites offer scenarios if you are new to CVSing to get you started. I often use these to help jumpstart my thinking through of deals. And on weeks when I am feeling a little more "mommy-brain" than normal, I copy their scenarios to use for my stuff.

On to the deals!

Today I had my deals for CVS broken down into 3 transactions but only did two.

Transaction #1:
GUM Periobalance lozenges--on sale for 15.99 (no coupons available)
I used 11.99 in ECBs from the week before and paid 4.48 out of pocket.
I left with 15.99 in ECBs to use on my nest transaction.

Transaction #2:
2 Pantene shampoo 6.97 (used $2/2 coupon)
3 Powerade Zero $1/each (used a BOGO free coupon--cashier took off pre-sale price of 1.69)
2 Honest Teas $1/each (used BOGO free coupon--again cashier took off pre-sale price 1.79)
1 LA Looks gel 2.99 (used $1 off coupon)
1 Powerbar Energy bites 2.49
1 Gain dishwashing liquid 97 cents (used $1 off coupon)
2 Revlon nail polish 4.99/each (used 2 $1 off coupons)

I also used my 15.99 ECBs from Transaction #1 and paid 4.62 out of pocket.

I got back 14.49 ECBs for next week. So basically, I got all that stuff for FREE! The CVS I shopping at was out of the Bliss candy (5.99 get 5.99 ECBs back) but said she needed to unload truck still. I might go back later in the week to get those and maybe more nail polish--although with all the Revlon deals, we have a LOT of nail polish.

On my couponing adventure today, I also stopped at Publix. We had been low on cereal and I really needed to stock up again. No picture but here is what I got.

2 Magnum ice cream bars
3 boxes of Trix
3 boxes of Cocoa Puffs
2 Golden Grahams
4 Cheerios
2 Crystal Light drink mix
1 Sandwich from deli (for my cart pusher today)
1 6-pk of Sweetwater Georgia Brown beer (for my breadwinner)

Total before coupons and sales: 65.54

Total after sales and coupons: 30.98

For a savings of 34.56 or about 52 percent. A small trip so small savings...but better than nothing.

Publix Deals 4-19

After we hit the drugstores, we stopped by Publix. Thanks to a great coupon clipping service, Coupons and Things by DeDe, I was able to get some extras. I find it cheaper to order coupons from a clipping service than to buy a bunch of newspapers. Most of the time, Savannah doesn't get the good coupons anyhow so it would be a waste. For example, we didn't get the *HOT* Nivea coupon this past weekend. That just plain stinks. But no need to complain, hopefully some coupon service will have it in and I can order a few.

I haven't been to Publix in several months. Today's trip wasn't one of my better ones but it was still good and the kids are thrilled with Pop-tarts.

12 50-ct packs of gum
6 cans of pineapple
4 Ritz Crackerfuls
2 Wesson oil

4 Duncan Hines brownie mix
2 box Triscuts
5 boxes Special K
12 boxes of Pop Tarts
2 Alexia frozen breads

Total before sales and coupons: 137.52
Coupons used: 31.60
Sales: 67.27

Total out of pocket: 38.65 or a savings of 72 percent.

Not spectacular but I just can't bring myself to use my ECBs or RRs at Publix. If I did that, then how would I get free toothpaste and shampoo at CVS? Or cheap diapers at Walgreens? Although this Publix trip wasn't my best it still got me a *high five* from the cashier, Tammie and a "Great Job" from Andrew the bagger. And I love that!

P.S. The grumpy little boy in the background is my youngest. He had just woke up from a too-short nap and really wanted to eat something. :-)

Publix---January 19

A little late getting my Publix stuff up this week. I shopped on Wednesday but just hadn't had a chance to post. So I will now, and will probably post again soon. Eventually, I will post a family update, just need to have some time that I can sit and do that. But for now, you are stuck with my deal posts.

I was very happy to finally get to Publix after several weeks of getting my deals together only to have other things come up to keep me away. We were running out of cereal and with Lent coming, I needed to stock up on soup for Jeff to take for lunch.

Here is what I got from last week's ad:
4 boxes of waffles (these ended up being about 40 cents each)
4 boxes of soft pretzels (50 cents a box)
2 Power of Fruit bars (all fruit frozen bars. I like them, the kids...not so much LOL)
1 Jolly Time popcorn (FREE!! On sale for $1 used 50 cent coupon that doubled)
2 Fruit Loops
1 Frosted Flakes
2 Frosted Cheerios
3Cheerios
2 Rice Krispies
2 boxes of spaghetti
8 cans of Progresso (with BOGO and coupons these end up being about 90 cents each--GREAT PRICE!)
6 cans air freshener (After sale and coupon there were about 30 cents each!)
6 bottles grape juice
2 Coffee Mate creamers (after BOGO sale and coupon *ready?* TEN CENTS EACH!! WooHoo! These will go to church for coffee hour because we don't use it here at home.)

Total before sales and coupons: 130.18
Coupons: 33.50
Sales: 60.50

Total spent out of pocket: 36.18
Saved 94.00 or 72 percent!!

I hope to do a post soon about how *I* do what I do. Again, I just need to sit down and do it.

New Year's Eve Deals

Can't let good coupons expire and so you must shop on NYE. That is what I did today and was happy that I did. Two of my children and I went to CVS, Publix and Target. Our first stop was CVS. I didn't write out deals just a list of what I knew I wanted to get, my coupons and ECBs that I would get back. I was happy that they had everything in stock I wanted and it all worked out beautifully.

This trip included:
2 pk of Always pads (2 for $6)
4 Vitamin Waters ($1/each)
3 Honest Tea ($1/each)
4 Dawn dishwashing liquid (94 cents each)
1 Colgate (2.99)
1 Tone Body wash (3.88)
1 Pampers (8.99)
1 bag of chocolate covered pretzels (1.49)

Total before coupons: 34.11
Coupons used: 12.00
ECBs used: 15.79

Subtotal: 6.32
With tax: 8.37

Got back 10.00 in ECBs so basically everything was free.

Next stop was Publix. No picture because, really, those get boring. LOL But I saved 106.90 there and paid 56.82 out of pocket (and have a new cashier to add to the *avoid* list). Among the things purchased: 12 cans of Progresso soup; 8 packages of pizza rolls and various other things. Not my best but still a savings of 65 percent.

Then we stopped at Target. I had popped in there yesterday to just look around and saw that Christmas stuff was clearanced to 75 percent off. There wasn't much left but I did notice a bunch of those Wonka Exceptional bars/boxes and remembered that I had coupons for them at the house. I just hoped that the candy would still be there when I was able to get back! It seems that stuff goes very quickly now during Target clearance events.

I got 7 boxes of the Wonka chocolate. They rang up 99 cents and I had various coupons for $1 or $2 or $3 off 2 boxes. So mostly they were FREE!! The Ghirardelli bags rang up 1.74 and my coupons were $1 off 2, I think. I got 4 packages of cookies which was marked to 1.75. And a cupcake decorator for 4.48. My daughter is thrilled about this because it has a thing that allows you to fill cupcakes with different stuff. We expect great things from her now that she has this device. :-) I ended up saving 67.73. My total paid was about $35 but I paid with gift cards so it was all FREE!! (oh and Dollar Spot is labeled as 50% off but rang up 75)




I hope that you and yours have a safe and wonderful new year. And continue savings!

Christmas Eve Deal Shopping

I had intended on going to Publix before Christmas Eve but we have had sick children, husband home, and other stuff going on so I delayed and delayed. I had some last minute things to get today and figured since I was going out anyway, I might as well stop at Publix. I shortened my list to only the things I really, really needed opting to not get more cookie mix or hot chocolate mix. I stuck with what I know we would use soon. I still have plenty of cookie mixes left from the last big stock up.

I think I did well today. And I LOVED that Publix had all registers open. Baggers were at all of them and they had someone who met you in line to help unload your things. The woman who was helping me actually sorted my coupons and made sure that I had the right ones. Then she handed them to the cashier, Tammie, and told her that they were all there. How wonderful! I thought we would be in line a while when we walked in but it was less than 5 minutes.

So here is the breakdown:
10 Colgate toothpastes (one sale for $1--had 75 cent coupons)=25 cents each
12 jars of pickles
14 boxes of Betty Crocker potatoes
5 boxes of Ritz
5 boxes of Triscuits
4 boxes of Froot Loops
1 box of corn pops
2 boxes of Rice Krispies
3 boxes of Frosted Flakes
2 boxes of Chex cereal

Total before sales/coupons was 150.29
Special store savings: 76.74
Coupons: 44.50

Total out of pocket: 29.05

Total saved: 121.24 or about 81% !!

I was thrilled to see less than $30 for all of that! 12 boxes of brand name cereal (14 oz boxes) would cost at least that much by themselves.

And this is what happens when Mom tries to take a picture with 2 little ones "helping"...

Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Take the Good, Take the Bad...

Some days you are on your game and some days you just are not. All week I had been saying that I wanted to get my CVS stuff done so that I could get that shopping done before Saturday. When I wait until Saturday, signs are changed, stuff is sold out, and I have to think on the fly to re-do my transactions--which I don't do well. I have a hard enough time trying to get the least out of pocket as it is. I wish there was some kind of program (and someone tell me if there is) where I could plug in the deals *I* want to get, what ECBs I have on hand and my coupons then I push a button and TA-DA, scenarios are worked out for me. I mean, I can follow other bloggers scenarios but I would really like to get better at doing at it on my own. I did find a blog today that has a $5 CVS challenge each week. Check it out if you are just beginning your CVS journey.

Anyway, this morning I worked out what deals I wanted to get, gathered my coupons and set out to my local CVS stores. No Blink eye drops in sight, one lone Smart Water at the first CVS (none at the 2nd), no razor...you see where this is going? My thought out scenarios were NOT going to work. I did one transaction at the first CVS then headed to the next one. As I saw more and more stuff unavailable, I just opted to do all the other things I wanted in one big transaction and be done with it.

The Bad

This is everything I purchased today.
3 John Frieda hair things
2 Glade scented oil refills
2 Glade jar candles
1 Crest toothpaste (which did not produce ECBs as I thought it would)
Bonus 2-pk of CVS wipes
1 Tylenol Precise cream (no ECBs--even though I have not reached limit)
1 Excedrin Menstrual
10 Powerade/Smart water/Fuse/Vitamin water
1 Covergirl lipstain (rang up 8.99 and did NOT give ECBs)

So out of all of that I paid 45.74 out of pocket.
I expected 26.50 in ECBs but got 15.00--I used the 5 from the first transaction on the 2nd. I was pretty disgusted at myself. I don't know if I purchased the wrong stuff or what. There was a sign with the lipstain and it should have given the ECBs IMO but who knows.

But to counter that I ran to Publix as well. I rarely shop on a Saturday at Publix but since I had coupons that were going to expire soon and with school starting, I didn't want to chance missing out on something good. I did well at Publix.

I was disappointed in the fact that the shelves were bare of some things. I mentioned this week that it was easier when everyone thought that couponing was "lame". I try not to clear shelves. If I have plans to purchase a large number of an item and I get there and there are only enough for my deals, I don't get all of mine. Today at Publix there was no yogurt and the ice cream was wiped out (I bought the last 4 so I guess *I* cleared the shelf in that case). I always try to look at the supply on the shelf and only get stuff if it looks like there is plenty. The ritz and vanilla wafers were well stocked so even though I bought 8 of each, there was a TON more.

The Good

What I got at Publix today:
5 pks of Solo cups
5 pks of Solo plates
5 bags of Chex Mix
8 boxes of Nilla Wafers
8 boxes of Ritz crackers
4 Starbucks Coffee Free ice cream
8 V8 Splash juice
6 boxes of Lipton tea bags (family size)


Total before sales/coupons: 178.99
Sales: 87.63
Coupons: 41.00

Total out of pocket: 50.36. Saved 128.63 or about 72 percent.

I hope to get my CVS stuff together early in the week. I drop my boys off at school at 8:30 and could swing by CVS right after that. I just need to be prepared. I also want to swing by Publix to see if they restock the ice cream. I really want more of that...I mean for about 49 cents/pint, I can see why the shelves were wiped out!

I need to be consistant. I want to get better at this. I need to get better at this. It just takes work and practice.

More Stocking Up at Publix

One of the things I have learned from my years of frugal shopping is the importance of stocking up. When something is at a good price, you should stock up on it. That's why I have 20 bottles of shampoo or 20 tubes of toothpaste most of the time. I think now I can safely say that we are stocked up on a few more things.

Today was my largest trip to Publix ever. There were so many things that for me were good deals. I spent more out of pocket than I normally do but was still under $100 (including the 3 drinks for the helpers). And if I come in under $100 for my large family, I am doing good in my book.

I saw a sneak peek of the ad early last week, so once again I ordered coupons. This time from My Coupon Hunter. They ship from Florida so the coupons got to me quickly. I love ordering coupons online. Often when an ad match up will say that such-and-such coupon was in the Red Plum on 8-15, I will look and we didn't get it. It is kind of irritating. Ordering coupons assures me that I will get the ones I need, at the time I need them. And in the long run, it is cheaper than buying multiple newspapers each week. And for my local friends, I accept coupon donations to feed my habit.

So here is the break down of what I got this week:
7 Lysol trigger cleaners (some of these will go to church for the nursery)
2 Lysol NeutraAir (for church)
3 3-pks of Dial Soap
7 20-ct bottles of Excedrin
6 packages of Wanchai Ferry frozen dinner
2 Athenos Feta cheese
14 jars of Mt. Olive Pickles
6 pks Mt. Olive Pickle packs
6 pks of Dole fruit/gel bowls
18 boxes of hamburger/tuna/chicken helper (seems like a lot but it takes 3 boxes to feed my family)
5 boxes of cereal (still have a lot from the last 2 weeks of sales)
10 boxes of Luzianne family size tea bags (We drink a lot of tea! It is the South afterall!)
6 boxes of Taco Bell dinner (these included a bonus koolaid inside)
4 boxes of whole grain pasta
4 bags of coffee
3 box cake mix
3 cans of frosting
6 jars of peanut butter

A few of my best deals: the Dial soap was BOGO and ended up being 92 cents each. I had 35c coupons which doubled to 70c making the soap 22 cents---I just wish I had ordered more.

The Excedrin was on sale for 1.49. I had $1 off coupons making each bottle 49 cents. Excedrin is my headache medicine of choice!

The pickles after coupons averaged out to about 80 cents each jar. And the Hamburger Helper was about 50 cents each after coupons. The coffee was less than $2 and I have a mail in for a free iced coffee cup when I send in 3 upcs from the coffee.

The BIG numbers from today:
Total before coupons/sales: 333.31 (told you it was BIG!)
Sales/BOGOs: 165.15
Coupons used: 72.95

Total out of pocket: 95.21 (again more than usual at Publix but still under $100)

Total savings: 238.10 !!!! I saved 71.44% today at Publix!!!

Today my cashier was Harold. I like him. He gets excited when he sees your savings. As he wrapped up my receipt (which was taller than me), he said, "You saved 238 today!" The man behind me said, "238?!?!?" The girl behind HIM said, "What???? 238???" LOL The man looked at me and said, "I wanna shop with you sometime!" I told him I am usually there at Publix every Tuesday. :-)

Publix~~August 17, 2010

I was smart this week. I put my Publix deals together on Saturday afternoon so that when I had time to run out, they were waiting for me. It was nice to find out I was not having company this afternoon and could run out without spending an hour or so putting my list together.

This week's haul includes:
10 boxes of Breyer's Smooth and Dreamy bars
2 Dannon yogurt smoothies
2 pks of Dixie paper plates
4 bags of Tyson breaded chicken (guess what is for supper tonight!)
4 jars of Prego sauce
10 boxes of Frosted Mini-wheat in a variety of flavors
2 pks of Stayfree overnights
2 pks of regular Stayfree (bonus pack w/ 8 free)
4 boxes of pancakes
3 pks of Idaho mashed potatoes
1 bottle of Ocean Spray blueberry juice


Total before sales and coupons: 164.91

Total out of pocket: 58.37

Total savings: 106.54 or 64.5%

I also had coupons for the pasta bogo but the coupons I had were for ones not on sale. Oh well.

Today I bought things that weren't BOGO but that I had good coupons for such as the Stayfree. These are on sale for 1.99 and I used BOGO coupons that were in the paper. They ended up being about $1 each. I also bought the Dixie paper plates which were $2 each using 50cent coupon (doubled to $1) making them $1 each. And the yogurt smoothies were not BOGO this week but ended up being about $1 each after sale and coupon.

Last week, I was telling some friends about my Publix shopping. One friend looked at me and said, "Do you NEED all those pickles??" (I bought 12 jars of Vlasics last week.) I said, "Need? No but they will keep forever so..." I need to remember to tell her on Sunday that we only have 4 jars left! LOL People with small families don't realize that a family my size (9 of us) can eat a jar of pickles at one meal. The only jars that have lasted more than one day are the Zesty kind (which are Daddy's) and the bread and butter (which are mine).

So while you may look and say, "That's a lot of cereal!" It is if you have 4 in your family. But one box of cereal is gone at breakfast for us if all the kids have a bowl (and some growing pre-teens have 2). Don't even ASK how much milk we go through---or apples!! I need to buy a cow and an apple tree!!

Yes, another Publix post....

I promise that I will have more than just Publix posts at some point, but it seems that Publix is my saving place of choice right now. Today I focused on stock piling and back to school stuff. As I said in my previous post, our children will be going to public school so I will need stuff for either after school or packing in lunches. I again saw a "sneak peek" of the ad and ordered extra coupons from Coupons by Dede and My Coupon Hunter.

7 boxes of cereal
11 boxes of Lance crackers
6 boxes Nabisco munch packs
3 boxes of Crystal Light PureFit drink mix
8 boxes of fruit snack
12 bottles of salad dressing
2 jars of pasta sauce
12 cans of almonds
12 jars of pickles

Non-deal items:
gallon of milk; 2 cokes

Total before sales/coupons: 239.16
Discounts/coupons: 157.20
Total out of pocket: 81.96

Total savings of 65.73%

Publix~~July 27th

It has been a while since I have posted. In all honesty, it has been a while since I have been to Publix. We have a lot of stuff going on here at home and I just haven't had time to shop the deals. But we were out of cereal and since that is my favorite deal at Publix, I decided to head out this week coupons in hand.



Here is what I found:
2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs
2 boxes of Corn Chex
2 boxes of Trix
6 boxes of Cheerios
2 Stouffers family size lazagna
6 boxes of Tuna/Chicken Helper
2 Glade scented oil refills
4 Glade jar candles
2 loaves Cole mini-loaves

Total before sales/coupons: 90.25
Coupons/sales: 60.69
Total out of pocket: 29.56

Total Savings: 67%

I am already getting my things together for next week at Publix. I really need to set time aside each week specifically for working on coupons and deals. With the changes happening in our home, I am going to need it more than ever!!

Last Minute Trip to Publix

Some days you just don't feel like making the deals all nice and neat on the table. So there they are still in the bags as they were brought in from the van. I thought about putting them out on the table but then I looked at the table and it was covered with random things. I just didn't have the energy to clean, then put the stuff on the table and THEN put it all away. Putting it away took some time anyway because I had been slacking in making sure things were neat to begin with so I needed to do some rearranging, condensing and stuffing. But it all fit!

Today at our local Publix, I had a new cashier. A young girl who actually stopped while she was scanning some of my things to write down something that she wanted to try. Never had that happen before. Interesting. She rang every thing up and then did my coupons. A woman came up behind us while she was ringing my coupons and said, "Wow, that is a LOT of coupons!" I couldn't really "read" her and couldn't tell if she was going to be one of people who are irritated by us couponers or if she was just interested. I smiled and said something polite and was pleased to find that she was interested in my savings and where I get my coupons and all that fun stuff. When she heard my grand total, she smiled and said, "I am really proud of you!" Awwww....

I feel like I didn't really do THAT well but things I bought are great stock pilers. For example, ketchup was BOGO this week. I ordered coupons from Coupons and Things by Dede for those. They were about 69 cents each and my 20 cent coupon doubled making them 29 cents each. I bought 10.

I also got DelMonte Fruit Chillers. My kids LOVE these. They are fruit sorbet in tubes like popsicles. Publix had them on sale for 1.79 (not BOGO). I was saving up my $1 coupons for a sale and here it was. So after coupons, I paid 79 cents each. I only got 5 because I know these are on clearance at Target as well so I will grab some there too.

Nabisco crackers were BOGO. They were 1.50 after the sale. I used $1/2 coupons so about $1 each after my coupons...for Ritz, yes! I bought 10 boxes.

Another non-BOGO thing I got was Stouffer's Family size lasagna. There was on sale for 3.99, which is really a GREAT price. I had coupons from becoming a fan of Stouffer's on Facebook for 2.50 which made the final price 1.49 each. Along with some Pillsbury refrigerated bread sticks (also on sale a Publix) we had dinner last night for less than $5!

Along with those things, I also purchased:
15 boxes of Kellogg's Cereal
6 boxes of SuperPretzel Soft Pretzels
4 Greek yogurt containers
3 YoPlus Yoguirt
4 boxes of Poptart
12 Pillsbury dough (various things)
10 Taco Bell dinner kits
2 Valley Steamer vegetables

Total: 199.76
Sales: 85.05
Coupons: 50.80

Total Savings: 135.85 or 68% (that seems to be my average most of the time).

Publix--5/10/10

I have found the joy of ordering coupons online. There are several places that have this service available but I have been getting mine from Coupons and Things by Dede. My coupons are send out quickly and as long as I order them early enough, I get them by the weekend. This has been helpful with Publix deals that I really want to get.

Today I made my Publix run. I don't usually have my stuff ready in order to go before the weekend so I try to go on Monday or Tuesday. Lucky for me, in Georgia, the Publix sales go from Thursday until Wednesday. The times I have gone on Wednesdays though, I have found that they are out of several things.

Today I got several really good deals that are brag-worthy! Dove deoderant was buy one, get one free (BOGO) for 2.29 which made them about 1.14/each. I had $1 coupons so final cost for those were 14 cents EACH!!

9 Lives cat food was also BOGO, each bag was about 1.99; after my coupon they were 99 cents!!

My favorite was the Hidden Valley Dressing. They were BOGO making each bottle 1.69/each. I had $2 off coupons (ordering extra for the deal) meaning that Publix PAID ME to take home the dressing!! Gotta love better than free!

Other things I got today:
4 boxes of Cheerios
4 boxes of Trix
2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs
2 boxes of Special K w/berries
15 boxes of Pop Tarts
6 bags of 8 o'clock coffee
6 bags of Tyson breaded chicken
4 boxes of Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches
4 jars of Peter Pan peanut butter
6 packs of Pillsbury ready to bake cookies

Total before coupons/sales: 253.41

Total out of pocket: 80.80 (a little more than usual but that is OK...)

Total Savings: 172.61 or 68 percent!

"You saved how much????"

That was what the lady behind me in line today asked when I checked out at Publix. "You saved how much??" When I pointed to the screen, she said, "People say you can save with coupons. I just don't see how..." I smiled and said while taking my receipt from the cashier, "Like THAT!" She just shook her head. There will always be doubters. Those people who say, "There are never coupons for what I buy..." Or, "Generic is cheaper than that..." Oh really? You can buy generic cookie mix for 30 cents? Yea, I didn't think so.

I go through lazy spurts. I see the deals but just don't make it to the store. I do have seven children at home now plus 2 different auto-immune diseases so I think it is understandable that I don't get EVERY deal out there. When I go through these spurts, it seems to get compounded by my lack of enthusiasm to sort, cut, file my coupons. I have coupons here and there and every where. So earlier this week, I removed the dead desktop computer from the desk it was on and set me up a little coupon nook. Now I can sit at the desk and work on coupons. I bought a new hanging file folder to put everything in--including some household, school and church stuff.

Here is where the magic happens. And yes, that is my twitter feed off to the side of my laptop screen. LOL

I think it will work out nicely. The desk is right by the dining room table where we do school so I can sit here and work while the children do school. So, since I had a nice new set up, it would seem foolish to not do some deal shopping, right?

On Monday, I made a CVS run. I hadn't been in a while and had ECBs the were expiring that day. This is what I got (no picture, sorry): 1 Softsoap, 2 Oral B toothbrushes, 2 Nivea body wash, 2 Nivea lip care products, 2 sets of Nailene nails and 1 pk of mints (for my shopping helper). Total was 45.10 before coupons. After my coupons and ECBs, I ended up paying 9.14 out of pocket and got back 14.00 ECBs for next time. Not bad.

Tuesday, we went to Staples. There I purchased 2 20-count packs of batteries (9.99 each); 2 reams of paper (6.49 each) and 2 clearanced Bendaroos (2.50 each). Subtotal was 37.96. I used my Staples rewards from buying toner last month (11.00) so total out of pocket was 28.85. I will get back 19.98 for the batteries in Staples rewards and submitted for a rebate on the paper (10.98). So after I get those back I made 2.11 even WITH the bendaroos (which were NOT on my list).

Then there was today, Wednesday. I managed a quick trip to Publix. And got a bunch of good deals...and this time, there is a picture!

They were out of a few things that I wanted to get but I am not up to asking for rain checks yet, maybe someday but for now I am content to get what I can get. And I think I did pretty good.

10 bags of Steamfresh Veggies
2 50 oz bottles of All detergent
8 pints of Whole Fruit Sorbet
8 boxes of Fruit Chillers
3 4-pks of Yoplus yogurt
6 cans of Campbells Chunky Soup
4 packs of Pepperidge Farms Flats
10 bags of Betty Crocker cookie mix
3 boxes of Fruit Loops
3 boxes of Frosted Flakes
4 boxes of Rice Krispies

Total before coupons/sales: 167.79
Total Savings (coupons and sales): 132.11
Total out of pocket: 35.68

Total savings: 78.74%

Who says you can't save with coupons??

Publix 2/27

*No picture this time...*

I knew that there was a bunch of stuff that I wanted to get at Publix but I also knew that most of my coupons for those deals were going to expire on the 28th. So that meant--- the dreaded Saturday shopping trip. LOL I just really don't like grocery shopping on Saturdays because that is when everyone else does. I don't like crowds or feeling like I am being pushed through the store. But since I wanted to get the goods, I bucked up and just did it!

8 Right Guard deoderants
5 Green Giant Valley Steamers
8 Starkist Albacore tuna pouches
4 boxes of Golden Grahams
4 boxes of Lucky Charms
4 Knorr side dishes
6 boxes of Lipton iced tea bags
10 boxes of brownie mix
4 jars of Ragu
3 cans of Pam cooking spray

Total: 161.55
Store sales: 79.41
Coupons: 30.95

Total out of pocket: 51.19

Savings of 110.36 or 68 percent!!

The best part of all this saving is that my normal grocery list is getting shorter and shorter due to have a decent stockpile building up. And that is my goal, to stockpile so that in the end, I can lower our total grocery bill by using what we have on hand. So far it has worked out well. But I might need to get my carpenter hubby to build me another pantry. *giggle*

Seeing is Believing

I am very much a visual person so I like seeing pictures of other people's deal. I guess that is why I post mine. I like to see it all on the table. Just saying 11 boxes of cereal doesn't do anything for me but seeing those 11 boxes, I can really get a feel for what people save.

So here are my Publix deals for this week. Love the Viva Italia sale that they had! Progresso Soup!!! Pasta!! Great stuff for Lent!

Here is the run-down for today:
4 pizza crust
2 frozen garlic bread
9 boxes of frosted mini wheats
2 boxes of cheerios
4 boxes of muffin mix
12 boxes of pasta
12 boxes of Zataran's bean/rice varieties
12 cans of lenten soups
9 cans of tomatoes in various styles (whole, diced, crushed, sauce)
3 bottles of olive oil
4 bottles of salad dressing
4 jars of pasta sauce
8 boxes of broth
2 bags of cheese puffs



Total before sales/coupons: 216.06
Store specials: 103.90
Coupons: 40.60
Total out of pocket: 71.56

A total savings of 144.50 or 67% !!

This more than I usually spend at Publix but the Progresso soup is a must during lent. My husband takes his lunch to work and he really enjoys the soup! The Zataran's is good too for a quick lunch on Saturday or Sunday...and no meat in those either. And who doesn't eat a ton of pasta during Lent??? LOL I know we do!!

I had to a bit of rearranging in the pantry to get everything in but I think that is a good thing. Funny thing though---we still are out of ketchup! LOL

Happy Savings!!

Another High Five at Publix...

I was thinking that I would not go to Publix this week but then I saw our cereal supply dwindling (and by dwindling I mean, we were down to 3 boxes) so I decided to get my stuff together and head out. It looks like a bunch of junk but most of  it will keep for a while. I also was telling my daughters that for 30 cents for 3 dozen cookies--fresh made...You can't beat that!

So here is what I got today:
5 Yoplait Fiber One yogurt
10 Pillsbury ready to bake cookies
3 Steamfresh Meal for 2 (Shrimp Alfredo yum)
4 boxes of Frosted Flakes
3 boxes of Fruit Loops
6 cans of almonds
12 boxes of fruit snacks
6 pouches of cookie mix (each pk makes 3 dozen cookies)


Total before sales/coupons: 152.04
Advertised specials: 76.73
Coupons: 33.40
Total out of pocket: 41.91

A savings of 110.13 or 72%

This coming week looks to be good at Publix as well. They will have Progresso soup BOGO!! That is my husband's favorite to take for lunch during Lent so hopefully I can score some of that. It seems that Publix has a much better variety of soup than my local (and by local, I mean across the street LOL) Food Lion.

I searched for the the older male cashier that I was told gets very excited if you save a lot but he was working the express lane so I couldn't go to him. But I did find my fave, Tammie!! She got so excited ringing my coupons. I love it when a cashier gets excited too. As we were leaving I told my girls that I just don't understand people who say they can't save with coupons. Even if you only save 25 cents, it is still worth it.

Today I was sitting at the dining room table getting my "deals" together, my oldest came out of his room, saw me and started chuckling. He said, "Some people bring their work home with them. Papers, graphs, all that stuff. And then there's you and your coupons. Look at the table, it is covered!" LOL I said, "Well, you haven't complained about the 11 boxes of Toaster Strudel or all the goodies I get with my coupons." He replied that he wasn't complaining, he just thought it was funny that couponing is my *job*. LOL

Another Successful Publix Trip

I am finally getting excited about deal shopping again. It is my job as a wife to use my husband's money wisely! Just as I need to make time for my daily prayers, I need to take time to get my household in order and that includes being frugal.

Today I made another trip to Publix. I got all that you see in the picture (minus one bag of Pita chips that my store helper and I munched on while going home. LOL) for 37.38.

10 pks of yogurt
2 Ranch veggie dip
2 Sour cream
2 jars of pickles
6 mustard
4 boxes of Special K
5 boxes of crackers
2 Velveeta cheese
4 jars of peanuts
4 boxes of mac/cheese
3 bags of pita chips

Before sales and coupons: 121.88
Store sales: 53.70
Coupons: 30.80
Total out of pocket: 37.38

Two weeks ago the cashier gave me a high-five. This week, Shauna and her bagger, cheered and clapped after having me read how much I saved. LOL They told me that one of the other cashiers practically throw a parade if you save a lot! I told them that maybe next week I will go to him. LOL