I had $2/1 mq's and $1/1 Whole Foods q's to give overage on each one. I made my list and hoped that they would still be there. My kids were up early this morning, so we loaded up and headed to Publix. Lo and behold- a whole shelf of them! YAY! I wanted them for gift baskets anyway. . . 14 total items. I took both my kids and they were very well-behaved (ok, I bribed my four-year old with Moe's, I admit it) and enjoyed their balloons. I also saw the store manager and we talked for a while, along with two other managers. It was good to have a few minutes to talk with them when the store was kind of quiet. The only cashier at the time was one that I've had trouble with before on overage (one of the very few at this store) so I waited a little to see if anyone else would clock in, and then the line backed way up, so I asked the managers if there were other cashiers and two of the managers jumped on register, one of them checking me out. :) Makes it so much easier.
I did forget to include my $1/1 Guiding Stars FLip, which would have made my total $.33. Rats.
***Note: I have mentioned before, but will say again, I had a raincheck that was issued while the $3/1 FLip was valid (it has since expired). Store management at this store will allow me to use the expired q's on the products from during the raincheck cycle since I was unable to purchase the items when I had the valid coupons. It never hurts to ask if your store will allow this.
***The Glad Fire Up the Grill coupon was from a Keith Urban flyer I picked up at my store a month-ish ago which expires 9/30/09. (This was a four page brochure that was black and red, there are also $3/1 Charcoal q's, $1/1 KC Masterpiece q's and $1/1 Hidden Valley Ranch q's in this brochure)
***The Pam coupons were hangtags I traded for that had a picture of the Pam Grilling Spray but said any Pam cooking spray (I double checked to make sure I was getting the right thing). The Grilling Spray was actually cheaper at my store $3.19 I think? But I wanted the Olive Oil one.
14 Method Baby & Kid $2.00 {clearance}
-$2/1 mq + $1/1 Whole Foodsq = -$1/ea
2 Mrs Pauls fish filets $3.99/ea
-$3/1 mq + $1/1 Publixq = -$.01/ea
1 6-pack Yuengling $5.79
-no q's
1 5lb bag Russet potatoes $1.99
-no q's
2 Tide Free 100oz $11.99/ea
-$1/1 mq + $1/1 Targetq = $9.99/ea
1 Swiffer Wet Jet pads $6.49
-$.50/1 mq= $5.49
6 Kingsford Matchlight Charcoal $7.99/ea (raincheck)
-$3/1 mq + $3/1 FLip = $1.99/ea
6 Glad Snack bags $1.59/ea
-$1/1 mq + $1/1 FLip= -$.41/ea
6 Pam Olive Oil Cooking Spray $3.39/ea
-Free mq wyb Charcoal= Free
6 pork items totaling: $10.89
-$6/1 mq= -$25.11
6 beef items totaling: $12.60
-$2/1 wyb charcoal Food Lion q= $.60
-$5/$20 meat purchase FLip= -$5.00
Used $5/25 comp. q
Used $3.50 oyno Kroger cat
Total food tax: $3.74
Total non-food tax: $4.89
Total oop: $1.33
Total Savings: $265.70 (99.5%)
Then I went to CVS, but a lot of the things i wanted were already out of stock, so I had to get rainchecks. I NEEDED more Robitussin and Thermacare patches, so I didn't get a GREAT deal, but I got a good deal. But the BEST deal I snagged was due to the 75% clearanced summer items. I happened to go in when they marked down the patio furniture. There was a nice glass-tempered table/chairs set regularly priced $129.99, that was 75% off. Plus I had $10ecbs. So I got the set for $25.50!! This is less than what we bought our plastic chairs/table for.
I can't wait to put it together and take a picture so you all can see it!
Transaction 1
1 Robitussin 7.00
-$2/1 mq
1 Thermacare 6.99
-$3/1 mq
1 Chapstick Shimmers 2.99
1 Junior Swim Goggles 1.25 {75% clearance}
1 Bobble-head Sprinkler $2.49 {75% clearance}
Used $15.72 ecbs
Total oop: $1.92 (all tax)
Total saved: $35.95
earned $5 ecb
Transaction 2
1 Tempered Glass Table/Chair set $32.49 {75% clearance}
Used $10ecb
Total tax: $3.01
Total oop: $25.50
Total saved: $107.50
Great shopping!! I would drive an hour for your great deals as well!
ReplyDeleteA few questions for you.
ReplyDelete1. Which Publixes are you shopping at?
My Publix doesn't accept the Target coupons. I live in the Nashville area, and there are many Publixes here. It would probably be worth the drive to go to another Publix.
2. The Target and Food Lion coupons say one per transaction-how are you getting around that? Is this also dependent on the individual store/manager?
3. How do you get "Whole Foods" coupons? Are these in store, printable or mailed?
4. How many newspapers do you buy?
5. When publix has store coupons-like the advantage buy fliers, are you taking a whole stack?
6. Since you don't list where your manufacturers coupons come from, what site are you using to compile your deals mostly. Ie southern savers?
Is the Glad Q really from Target or is it from Food Lion? If it's from Target, is it an IP? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh, and where did you get the Glad $1 MQ?
ReplyDeleteMargery- oopsie! You're right, that Glad is a FLip, I corrected my post- thanks! The $1/1 mq came from the Fire Up the Grill booklet/flyer with Keith Urban on it- it was at Publix a few months back. (the q's expire 9/30)
ReplyDeleteNomdeplume (lol at your screenname, btw)
I regularly shop at Belle Meade and Maryland Farms. Both take the Target coupons. It is my understanding that the Concord location takes Target q's as well. I also occassionally shop Nippers Corners but they do not take Target q's. I shopped the new Antioch store once, and they take Target q's, and have a pretty good coupon policy- it's further away for me though, so unless I really need something, I probably won't shop there. (But it is nice)
Most of the store managers/CS Managers?CS Associates I have talked to/asked at all the stores say they won't make you separate all the transactions since it's easier to do it all in one. My Targets will also allow this. Food Lions computers are set up to only allow one per transaction, but my store will allow multiple transactions, so again, it's just easier and less time consuming to do it all in one.
Whole Foods coupons come from the booklets found at Whole Foods. They're free and you can pick up as many as you want. I drop by when I'm in the area and get a few each time I'm over there.
I usually buy 4-6 papers, depending on how "good" the coupons are, and my grandmother and mom give me theirs (since I shop for them too). I also have a deal with the Food Lion near me- they let me come in on Saturday afternoon and pick up any inserts from the leftover papers from the previous Sunday. (Last week I got 8) Since the paper route-driver picks up old papers and recycles them, the store gets credited back for unsold papers, but they don't care if the inserts are in them.
Yes, I try to grab a bunch of the advantage buy flyers when I see them. If I know there's a moneymaker or something I will need a bunch of, I take a stack. :) This week the stores were out of them and I needed more q's. The store manager allowed the cashier to just enter the coupon several times (since it's a Publix coupon), since they were out and didn't have more for me.
I compile my deals from several places, mostly Southernsavers and HotCouponWorld. I like HotCouponWorld's forums b/c I get ideas from others that I may not have thought of myself!
Hope that helps you out- thanks for dropping in!
Which $5/25 comp Q are you using? I know that most Publix allow GFS, but those are normally $5/50.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Jennifer- I am using the $5/$25 Rite Aid q printed from Coupons.com - I have used it at Maryland Farms, Belle Meade and Antioch (the new store) with no problems.
ReplyDeleteBummer - I shop at the Concord store & they said they will accept them, but ONLY towards pharmacy items.
ReplyDeleteAlso, where is the Antioch store?
The Antioch store is off of Murfreesboro Road in the middle of nowhere. :D Literally. If you're coming from I-24, you'd go past the mall and turn right on Murfreesboro Rd, then go about 5-8 miles. It's in the middle of a field on the left.
ReplyDeleteJennifer- also, have you talked to the store manager about the 5/25 q? That's odd that they will only take them on pharmacy items, because if you actually use that coupon at Rite Aid, you may not use it at the pharmacy- it is for front end purchases of cosmetics, food, health and beauty, etc. Seems your Publix has it a little backward! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't talk to the store manager yet. I talked to a CS rep first who told me it could only be used in the pharmacy. I explained that the Q says $5 off ANYTHING. Then the CS manager told me I could use it at the front checkout but needed to have $25 worth of pharmacy items in order to use it.
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side, I was able to get a 45 day supply of Zyrtec for $15! (Reg price $28. Used $5/25 comp, $4/1 Publix & $4/1 Mfg Q)
Jennifer- allrighty then! At least you got a good deal on the zyrtec :D
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you for the tip on the great patio sets at CVS! I got the last one at my store last night. After my $5/25 and burning all my ECB's, I paid $16 including tax! I had really been wanting one, but would never have noticed them at CVS without your tip.
ReplyDeleteI smiled to myself when I read about how the clearanced Method products were weighing on your mind. Only us hard-core couponers can understand that feeling! Last night I made a late-night trip to Kroger for some clearance items I'd seen that morning that I had high-dollar coupons for at home that doubled with super-doubles. I got 64-load Biokleen laundry detergent and 2 Van's frozen waffles for $4.50!
Also, I love your "About Me" info. I also feel that it is my job to make my husband's income stretch as far as it can. Being wise with money is a good example for our children and also is good for our marriage. In those lean months, my husband knows he can trust me to be a good steward of the money we have. There is a sad article in the Tennessean today about how people on food stamps are more likely to be obese. The experts cited all said that it is unreasonable to expect people to be able to provide healthy food for their family on as much as $668 in food stamps per family of 4! You are so right that no one in this state should go hungry and you are a wonderful example of how we can provide healthy, sometimes even organic food for our families for very little. Thank you for your inspiration!
-Jen
Jen- *sniff* thank you for your kind comments! I will not hesitate to say that at one point we were a recipient of food stamps. Sometimes it happens. And unfortunately, no one tells those recipients how to stretch their money! When we were receiving, the only thing they said was, use coupons to make your money go further. That was it. I have been playing around with the idea of offering a free class to Food Stamps recipients. I don't know that I have the time, but I am still mulling it over. I saw on the news a few weeks ago a story about how people were going hungry because they couldn't afford to buy food. It made me sad and angry that the information just isn't out there. Even without being hard core like I am, just by matching sales with coupons and stockpiling sale items, you can certainly cut your grocery bill by half, easily.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks again. :) And you're welcome for the tip on the patio set! I wish I'd had a 5/25, that would have been awesome! You did great! We had dinner on our deck tonight sitting at our new table. I love it.