Almost as good as yesterday

With one mistake...

Today, I hit Kroger again for another shot at the mega sale.  Ronzoni's website has coupons.  Go get them!  So does Aquafresh for the trainer toothbrush.  All on mega sale right now.  Those coupons combined with one from mom (THANKS!) plus an Odwalla coupon from All You (I think) and the Millstone coupon from a few weeks back yeilded some awesome success at Kroger.  $22+ in items for a whopping $2.14.  :)  I was giddy.  That's 90% savings!!!

Original Price of all items=$41.79, Sale Price=$26.13

MY PRICE=$3.68  Savings of 91% overall

Ok, the bananas weren't part of the sale, but that's another story.  Kroger's banana price is horrible, but their marked down price is tolerable.  A couple week's ago we got a bag for $1 and it lasted a long time and I made a double batch of banana oatmeal cookies.  Today, when I reached the bananas Christopher (awesome young man) was restocking.  I asked, "Any old bananas?"  He pointed to some, I asked if they were marked down.  He said, "Ya, I'll mark 'em for you."  "With the red tape?"  "No, I'll get you a bag."  Oh goodie, I'm thinking, another $1 bag.  Christopher went into the back and brought back a bag.  He then proceeded to FILL IT with bananas that maybe had 2 bruises each.  Then he handed it to me, I nearly did a double take when I saw the price he had written on the bag.  "Sixty nine cents?!"  "yep"  "You're the MAN, Christopher!!"  When I got home, I weighed the bag.  Just over 5 lbs of bananas.  At Kroger's original pricing, that bag of bananas alone would have cost me just over $2.40.

On to CVS, I had 5 of the $1 off any Pert Plus coupons, $0.50 off Listerine pocket packs, and at least 3 of the $1 off Reach toothbrush or floss coupons.  I was planning to get the travel pert, and the 5 for $5 listerine, floss and toothbrushes if they had them.   You see my collection.  I was pretty sure I had matched up each item with a coupon and should have paid only 50 cents plus tax.  But a whiney boy or something must have distracted me because I was missing one coupon and paid $1.62 for all of it.  

I'm a little disappointed in myself because only 62 cents would have been more awesome.  But considering that I was paid back $1.30 yesterday, I guess I should still be happy.  Counting yesterday's "earnings" I guess we only paid $2.38 for everything on the table.  The bananas alone would have been worth more than that.  :)  Ok, I'm still giddy.

I was paid to shop!!

Yesterday I had a horrible experience at Walgreens.  No coupons worked even though they should have.  I was all but resigned to give up on ever trying at Walgreens again.

They are selling some small size boxes of Cream of Wheat for $1.  I had a $1 off ANY PACKAGE of Cream of Wheat.  No where on the coupon did it specify a size or say 'excludes trial size' or anything.  But when the clerk scanned the coupon, yesterday, it beeped.  The 2 clerks that dealt with me yesterday would not accept the coupon even though they should have.  I was so frustrated.

Today I decided to try again.  My plan was to use 'strategic cashiering' as described by Stockpiling Moms http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2011/03/strategic-cashier-selection.html described here.  After reading this article, I realized that all my problems at stores didn't necessarily have to do with the store I was at but with the cashier I had.  So, at Walgreens, if there wasn't a young male clerk, I was going to go straight to the manager.  But there was a young male clerk!!!  Male college students are the next best cashier to high schoolers.  I found the cereal, had my coupon went to him and said, "Since this says 'off any package' shouldn't it work on this?"  Made sense to him, but machine beeped again.  He checked with another guy, then called the manager and (in very different style than the other store) he pleaded my case to the manager.  "Yep, date's ok, says any package no size restriction or type."  He hung up the phone and pushed it through!!!

Yeah!  Free cereal!

The really fun thing is that Wal-Mart will now PAY YOU for shopping!  Ok, not really but they have a new coupon policy.  It states that if a coupon is for more than the price of the item, the overage can be applied to the rest of your basket or returned to the customer as cash.  Yep, you read that right.

On the Target website there's a $2 off any Revlon beauty tool manufacturer coupon.  I used 2 to get tweezers and nail clippers.  Then the $3 off Gain coupon from February on a small box of softeners.  Then the $2 off 2 M&M coupon from the All You magazine. (if you're not buying All You, available at Walmart only, you need to or get a subscription. It has coupons for greater value than you get in newspapers!!!)  After coupons Wal-Mart owed me $1.30!!!

Take note: this picture is on our freezer in the garage.  That's because I can't stand dryer sheets.  I think they're waaaaaaay too scented (hence not coming in my house) and I don't like the icky feeling on the clothes when they're used.  But!!!!  I was PAID to buy them!  We'll find some use for them!  Right now they're making the garage smell like not-car.

And...since I'm really delinquent on getting more baby pictures posted...here's one from a recent visit and this morning's double musical instrument fun.

Today's Kroger Trip 61% savings

No pictures, sorry, you'll have to use your imagination.  I just didn't have the energy for it, today.

Today wasn't as amazing as some past trips, but I was happy about some of my manager special purchases. Ok, I'm going against my idea that I eat what I have and don't buy things if I already have it or an alternative (like don't buy veggies if I have some that are frozen), but I wasn't paying top dollar.  :)

There were several items in a Manager's Special section of the produce area.  At the end of the Potato-onion table, down near the greek yogurt there were bags of potatoes, bags of 2 green and 1 red bell pepper, and several heads of lettuce.  All marked to sell for $1.  I didn't touch the lettuce, that really looked scary.  The potatoes looked fine to me, and I found 2 bags of the bell peppers.  I thought that was a pretty good price since greens can be 2/$1 and reds $1 each if you're lucky.  They're definitely at a 'cook tonight' kind of status.

I also snagged the bag of ripe bananas for $1.  Banana cake?  Muffins?  Pancakes?

Then I did the Mega Deal twice.  I had 5 of the Kraft coupons for $1 off 2 packages of Kraft Singles.  Did that, got them for .99 each.  The other set of 10 items was:

Dannon 2.29 -.5 mega - $1 coupon = .79
Dole fruit crisps 1.99 -.5 mega - .5 (doubled) = .49
Dole fruit crisp 1.99 -.5 mega - .75= .74
2 Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta 2(1.19-.5) - $1/2 = .38 for 2
2 Vitamin water 2(1-.5 mega) - $1 off receipt coupon = free!
Philly cooking cream cheese 2.49 -.5 mega - 1.5= .49
2 Annie's mac & cheese .99-.5 mega = .49

I did get some fresh things.  There are grapes by the produce door with a 2 for $4 sticker on them, they're 2 lbs containers so it's really $1 per pound.  Got 2 of those and also some of the Kraft shredded cheese that's on sale BOGO free.  I used 2 .50 off coupons.  Both of them took!  One for the one I was buying and one for the one Kroger was giving me for free.  Both were doubled.  So I got 2 packages of Kraft shredded cheese w/ touch of Philly for 1.49.

The best thing I saw in the Manager Special meat (which was fully stocked at 9 AM) was 2 packages of ground lamb for $2.50 each.  Those are going in the freezer until Easter.

So my 20 mega deal items came to a total of $13.77.  Manager produce + 1 loaf of bread $4.95.  Grapes $4.  BOGO Cheese $1.49.  Manager Lamb $5.

Total $29.13  Yes, that doesn't add up correctly.  I don't know why it happens but 0.08 tax is actually DEducted from my total.  Weirdness but OK!

61% savings after Kroger sales and coupons!