For some unknown reason Claire decided to greet the day just after 6 a.m. today. She's done that a couple of times, so I knew it was futile to fight it. She got a bath, I took a shower, I gathered my coupons and we headed back to Harris Teeter.
Today wasn't even as good as yesterday, which wasn't stellar. They were out of Heinz ketchup, again (free), Betty Crocker pouch potatoes (free), Suave men's deodorant ($.24), Skippy peanut butter 40-ounce ($.74), Suave lotion (free after rebate), and Windex 26-ounce ($.34). However, there were some bright spots. Here's how we made out:
* Betty Crocker frosting, $.49
* Pepperidge Farm frozen garlic bread, $1.45
* 16-ounce Newman's Own salad dressing, $1.50
* Tetley tea bags, $.34
* Nestle chocolate chips, $1
** Mrs. Dash lemon-pepper, two for $1.89 each
*** Jolly Time microwave popcorn, FREE
***** 16-ounce Nestle Coffee-Mate liquid creamer, $.89
**** 15-ounce Country Crock spread, $.24
Tony's Crispy Pizza, FREE
Now for the disclaimers:
* The frosting, garlic bread, salad dressing, tea bags and chocolate chips were good deals -- not phenomenal -- but I'm glad I got them because we use all of them regularly. If you've known me any length of time you know I am prone to occasional chocolate cake cravings around the time we should be going to bed, and when that happens it's convenient to have the ingredients in the pantry. (Or inconvenient, depending on how strictly you watch your calorie intake. We usually choose cake over diet discipline.)
The point of triple coupons (and any frugal efforts), in my opinion, is not simply to save money but to save money on things you would have bought anyway. The exception, of course, is free things. Free is free. That's how I ended up with $76 worth of random cold and allergy medicines from Rite Aid last week ... but I digress.
** We just ran out of lemon-pepper and we use it all the time, or I might have skipped the seasoning because I don't think it was THAT cheap. Although $1.89 per jar might be cheaper than buying generics in bulk, etc. -- I haven't comparison shopped that yet.
*** We never buy microwave popcorn; popping it on the stove is healthier and basically free. Still, sometimes it would be nice to stick a bag in the microwave and have it cook itself. Plus, this was free.
**** I didn't really need the vegetable oil spread -- we buy the big tubs of generic and they last us forever, even though I feel like we use it all the time -- but it was a good price, won't go bad for a long time and eventually we will need it, so I bought it anyway.
***** My buying flavored creamer flies in the face of what I said four paragraphs ago. It is something I definitely would not have bought without a coupon; regular store-brand half-and-half is all we need. And this wasn't a particularly great price, even with the tripled coupon. I had some with my coffee when we got home. I wouldn't pay more than $.89 for it. Still, it's nice to mix things up sometimes.
The best thing that happened is I ran into the same people from church I saw yesterday and they insisted on giving me three $.85 coupons for the paper towels I bought yesterday, meaning I can return the ones I bought for $1.29 and get three rolls free instead. Apparently these people are pretty much pros at the coupon game and have about 100 rolls of paper towels in their garage, so I guess you could say they don't need anymore right now.
The store was out of these paper towels today, but I'm going to check back tomorrow for them and the rest of the out-of-stock freebies. Worst case, I guess I'll get a raincheck for these items so at least I can get them for the sale price plus doubled coupons after the tripling madness is over and the shelves are restocked.
Today I also bought about five pounds of 80/20 ground beef because it was on sale for $1.59/pound. I also used a $.50 coupon that printed out with my receipt yesterday (but it didn't triple). All told, I spent $14.86 and saved $26.76 today.
3 comments:
This post made me tired! This seems like a lot to keep up with but some definite savings too. Of course, I don't like going to the grocery store, so having to go so many days in a row would mentally exhaust me. I'm impressed with your efforts.
So much better than myself. but, I am having a hard time finding coupons for products I actually use. Will keep trying! Good job, jenn!
I am having the same problem as Lauren. I think we are too brand loyal. I think you did great Jennifer. If Amanda ever shares her secrets again, I want to be in the audience. I spent $25.45 for groceries that should have been $70 some dollars. Not bad, but not great either. I am a novice at this couponing thing.
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