Walgreens, Walmart, and Kroger

I've been absent from blogging forever, it feels like. I'm a teacher, and one of the occupational hazards is illness. I've been sick for practically the last 3 weeks. First I had the flu, then I came down with some kind of congestion cold, then I moved on to severe sinus problems accompanied by headaches for 6 days straight. I'm finally starting to feel better, and its about time I got back to blogging. :-)

Here's my shopping trips for this week. I stopped at Kroger, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Walgreens Transaction #1
2 Crest toothpaste, clearance at $.95 each
2 Crest Healthy Radiance toothpaste and whitening strips, clearance at $2.79 each
3 Listerine Mouthwash, $3.00 each
3 Kleenex 110 Ct tissues, $.89 each
2 packages pencils, $.99 each

Coupons Used
$1.00/1 Crest toothpaste
$.75/1 Crest toothpaste
$5.00/1 Crest Whitening Strips (I bought 2 of the Heatlhy Radiance because I was afraid the register would beep at me for having an overage)
$3.00/3 Listerine
$.50/3 Kleenex Tissues
$10.00 Walgreens Register Reward (RR)

Total Before Coupons: $24.28
Total After: $2.83
I also received a $6 RR for buying three Listerine mouthwashes. I also received a $1 RR, but I'm not sure what I bought that made the RR print out.

Walgreens Transaction #2
Listerine Whitening Rinse, clearance at $2.19
2 Crest toothpaste, clearance at $.95 each
3 Crest Healthy Radiance toothpaste and whitening strips, clearance at $2.79 each
3 Reach Toothbrushes, $3.00 each
2 Oral B Stages Toothbrushes, $3.49 each
1 Colgate Total Care Toothpaste, $3.49

Coupons Used
$.50/1 Listerine Mouthwash
2 $1.00/1 Crest Toothpaste
$.75/1 Crest Toothpaste
$5.00/1 Crest Whitening Strips
$3.00/3 Reach Products
BOGO Oral B Stages Toothbrushes
$.75/1 Colgate Toothpaste
$2.50 Colgate Easy Saver Coupon
$10.00 RR
$1 .00 RR

Total Before Coupons: $32.82
Total After Coupons: $3.88
I also received a $6 RR for buying 3 Reach Toothbrushes

Kroger
Kroger Colombian Coffee, $2.99
Kroger Butter, $1.93
Country Crock margarine, $1.49
Kroger Tortilla Chips, $1.00
Kroger Comfort Baby Oil, $2.99 (I use this for eye makeup remover)
.58 lb Roma Tomatoes, $.57
Wholly Guacamole, $2.00
Celery, $1.99
Bell Pepper, $.89
2.19 lb Grapes, $3.61
Kroger Chocolate Chips, $1.28

Coupons Used
$1.00/1 Kroger Comfort Baby Item
$1.00/1 Wholly Guacomole

Total Before Coupons:$22.32
Total After Coupons: $20.32

Walmart
2 Huggies Gentle Care Changing Pads, $2.82 each
1 Huggies Travel Wipes, $1.00
6 Johnson's Buddies, $.97
2 Glucerna Cereals, $3.94 each
Whoppers Strawberry Candy, $1.50

Coupons Used
$5.00/1 Gentle Care product ( I bought two items to avoid register beeps)
$1.00/1 Huggies bath and body product
3 $2.00/2 Johnson's Buddies product
$10.00/2 Glucerna Cereals (I wish my Walgreens carried this cereal because I would have received a RR for it)

Total Before Coupons: $22.24
Total After Coupons: $1.74

Total Before Coupons For All Transactions: $99.86
Total After Coupons: $28.77
Total Saved: $71.09

We didn't have to buy much food this week because I have a lot stockpiled. We are now pretty well stocked up on dental care items after this great week at Walgreens, and I also made $12.00 in RR!! This was a good week. I didn't really see anything that great at Rite Aid, but I might stop by this weekend if they have another $5/25 coupon. Come back tomorrow to see my menu plan for the week!

Stephanie

Kroger, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Save a Lot

I had a fun day shopping today, and I got some pretty good deals.

Kroger

20 assorted Hunts Tomatoes $.95 each, used 10 $.40/2 coupons, doubled to $.80

2 Hunt's Tomato Pastes $1.00 each, used $.40/2 coupons, doubled to $.80

3 Cottonelle 4 pack toilette paper used 3 $.50/1 coupon, doubled to $.99

2 Kroger Tortilla chips $1.00 each

1 Kroger Dried Black Beans $1.29

1 Kroger Dried Garbanzo Beans $1.25

1 Cucumber $.82

1 Roma Tomato $.42

2 Johnson's & Johnson's Buddies Bars, $1.09 each, used $2.00/2 coupons

2.05lb bananas, $.38/lb

2 Aquafresh Whitening Toothpaste, $1.00 each, used 2 $.75 coupons

I also had a $1.00 off Kroger Coupon

Total Before Coupons: $40.15

Total After: $20.79

Rite Aid

1 Huggies Jumbo Pack $12.49, used $1.50/1 coupon, and will receive $2.00 in Single Check Rebate (SCR)

1 Always 18ct, used 1 Free Infinity coupon

1 Fructis Wonder Waves shampoo $2.99, used $1.00/1 coupon and will receive $2.99 in SCR

10 Soy Joy bars $5.00, used $3.00/10 and will receive $5.00 SCR

I also used a $5/$25 Rite Aid Coupon

Total Before Coupons and SCR: $34.94

Total After: $2.38

Walgreens

Transaction #1

1 Fusion Gamer Razor $8.99, used $4.00/1 coupon and received $6.00 RR

Transaction #2

2 Oust Air Sanitizer $2.99 each, used BOGO coupon and will receive $2.00 ESR

1 Orajel Toothpaste $1.99 each, used $1.00/1

2 Reynolds Wrap $1.59 each, used 2 $1.00/1 and Walgreens coupon

Total for Both Transactions Before Coupons and ESR: $27.65

Total After: $4.44

Save a Lot

8 lb Potatoes $3.49

1 lb Kidney Beans $.99

1 lb Great Northern Beans $.99

Total: 5.89

Hubbie also bought some expensive spices from Cash and Carry. He bought 1 giant garlic powder and 1 giant onion powder. His total was $16.76

Total Before Coupons for Everything: $125.39

Total After: $50.26

One quick note about my purchases. I bought several items for free or cheap that were baby related. No, I do not have any children, and I am not expecting. I buy some of these items when they are free or cheap because I know plenty of people that are pregnant that need baby items, or that need baby presents :-). I just wanted to clear that up for all the people I know who read this blog.

Stephanie

Kroger and Rite Aid Trips

One of my first steps to being more frugal was to implement menu planning. I started off by just thinking about what I wanted to eat and planning that meal for the week. This method made grocery shopping easier, but it didn't really save me any money.

My next step in my quest for frugality was to do a quick sweep of my cabinets and freezer, checking to see what ingredients I already had and planning my meals around those items. This was really a money saver! Before I started checking my cabinets and freezer, I would come home with items that I already had! My freezer was like a bottomless pit of frozen veggies. Now, I know what I have, and I only buy things that I need. When I do buy things, I try to only buy them when they are on sale, or I have a coupon.

I have also started to stockpile foods that I use most often. We eat lots of canned tomatoes. Almost every meal we eat has a can of tomatoes in it. I know I will always use tomatoes, so when I find a good deal, I stock up. This saves me money because I am only buying tomatoes when they are on sale, instead of getting a few cans every week at a crazy expensive price.

This week Hubbie had the idea to do 2 weeks of shopping. Normally we only do 1 week of shopping because I'm just not prepared enough to plan two weeks worth of meals. This week, to my delight, Hubbie sat down with me and helped me do 2 weeks worth of menu plans! I'll probably have to go back to the store to get more bananas for snacks and baking, but I'm excited about the time it will save to only go grocery shopping once every two weeks!

Kroger

4 Half Gallons Kroger Milk $6.00 (These went on sale the day after we went shopping, I was so bummed)
1 Kroger Sour Cream $1.05
1 cut veggie tray $3.94
1 Bird’s Eye Broccoli $2.35 -used $0.35 coupon, doubled to $0.70
.34 lb garlic $0.91
1.85 lb bananas $1.09
1 Barilla Spaghetti $1.39 - We only eat whole wheat pasta, so our pasta prices tend to be a little expensive. Since we don't eat meat, whole wheat items are a good way to get extra protein.
1 Ronzoni Lasagna noodles $2.49
1 Imagine Vegetable Broth $3.29 -used $0.55 coupon
1 Ole Corn Tortilla Shells $1.69
1 Dish scrub pads $ 1.39
1 Kroger Old Fashioned Oats $2.39
5 cans Red Gold Tomatoes $4.00
2 Kroger Tortilla Chips $2.00
2 Ragu Pasta Sauce $3.40 -used $0.75/2, $0.50 Kroger Card ecoupon
1 Kroger Vegetable Oil $2.97
1 Kroger Tomato Sauce $0.34
5 Johnson’s Buddies Soaps -used $2.00/2, $1.00/1, $1.00/1 coupons

used $1.00 off any Kroger purchase coupon
I also had another $1.00 credit on my receipt. I can’t remember what this was from.

Total Before Coupons: $46.14
Total Saved: $8.50
Total OOP: $41.58 for two weeks of groceries

Rite Aid: Week of 1/25-1/31
I also did my Rite Aid shopping on the same day. I got some pretty good deals this week that I was very excited about.

Rite Aid Transaction #1
1 Listerine Total Care $4.99-used $2.00 Rite Aid coupon
1 Always Infinity 18 ct $5.99 -used Free Infinity 18 ct coupon
1 One Touch Ultra 2 Meter $19.99 -used $19.99 off of one coupon
used $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon

Total Before Coupons: $30.97
Total Saved: $32.99
Total OOP: $0.52

Rite Aid Transaction #2
1 Listerine Citrus $ 4.99 -used $2.00 Rite Aid coupon
1 Dove Body Wash $2.89 -used $1.00 of any Dove body wash coupon
1 One Touch Ultra 2 Meter $19.99 -used $19.99 off of one coupon
used $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon

Total Before Coupons: 27.87
Total Saved: $28.00
Total OOP: $2.25

Rite Aid Transaction #3
2 Listerine Total Care $ 9.98 -used two $2.00 Rite Aid coupon
1 One Touch Ultra 2 Meter $19.99 -used $19.99 off of one coupon
used $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon

Total Before Coupons: $29.97
Total Saved: $29.00
Total OOP: $3.74

The Listerine is part of an ESR for February, and I will get back $10.00 for buying 4 Listerine.

Value of Items: $88.81
Coupons Value: $89.99
Total Spent: Rite Aid: $6.51
Profit this week after ESR: $5.49

I'm not too crazy about the Rite Aid deals this week, so I'll probably just skip it all together. Check back later this week to see how my Walgreens trip went!