Friday, February 5, 2010

My First Day with Coupons


Well today I did it....I shopped at Publix with my envelope full of coupons.
This is a big deal for me because I am mostly an Aldi shopper with some Wal-mart thrown in there. (BTW...I still have to go to Wal-Mart. I hate you wal-mart for making me need you!)
Anyhoo....I spent several hours yesterday at http://www.southernsavers.com/ going through their list of Publix stuff, printing coupons, and then cutting my own out of the newspaper.

Here is my break down:

1. I usually have $200 to spend for 2 weeks. This includes non-food items...toiletries, dog food, medicines, cleaning supplies...all of that annoying stuff.

2. The non-food items I needed today where as follows:
Dog food
Dog treats
Lysol Wipes
Comet
Windex
Laundry Detergant
Fabric Softener
TP
Q tips
Ziplocs (large and small)
Aluminum foil
Vitamins
Paper Plates
Total I spent about $40 on these items, but I did get some good deals.
For instance.

Dog Treats: They were $3.69 each, but where buy one get one free. I also had a $1.50 off of 2 coupon, so I got $7.38 worth of dog treats for $2.19.....Total Savings $5.19

Windex: (I actually got "Glass plus" ) It was $2.49, but was buy one get one free, making it $1.25 for 1. I had a $1 off coupon, so I got it for .25.....Total Savings $2.24

Comet: $1.19 each usually. Walgreens had a coupon for 2 for $1...Total Savings $1.38


Food items:
These were some of my favorite food deals.
PREFACE: I usually buy Aldi brand snacks and cereals. I don't have a problem with it, however my husband....well lets just say, it will bless his heart to have some name brand snacks.

Cheezits: $3.19 a box. On sale, buy one get one free. I had 2 $1 off coupons. So I got 2 boxes for $1.19 . Total savings: $5.19

Claussen Pickles: On sale for $2. I had a $1 off coupon. So I got them for $1.

Frenchs Mustard: On sale for .93. I had a .50 coupon, but AHA, Publix doubles coupons, so they paid me .7 to buy mustard today!

Kraft Cheese: On sale for 2 for $4. I had 2 $1 off coupons, so I got them for $1 each.




I have a lot of deals like that.


Now, I did also go to Aldi cause lets face it, they cannot be beat on milk, bread, and fruit.
I spent $35 at Aldi. I figured up that if I would have bought the items I bought at Aldi, at Publix, I would have spent $50 on those items. ( Because there was no sales or coupons on those items.)


Walgreens had some good coupons, and since Publix doesnt consider them a competitor they won't take their coupons. So I did go into Walgreens for several things.
I spent at Walgreens $8.84, and saved $7.04.
This was on Campells soups, Comet, Chicken Broth, and Green Giant Vegetables.

Back to my Publix total.

I spent (and I always take a big gulp when I see this amount of money being spent, but I do have to remind myself that I got ALOT of stuff and nobody in my house will starve, smell bad, be dirty, or complain about Aldi crackers!)....$159.95 and saved $96.47.

So to sum up:

Total spent (at 3 places) $204.06
Total saved........................$118.51


I feel really good about that, escpecially considering the amount of stuff that I got, and the fact that this will last for at least 2 weeks.
Hopefully in 2 weeks I can do even better because I'll have more coupons stored up, I won't have to buy as much non-food items (i.e. dog food), and I will know a little bit better what I am doing.

Also, I know about the CVS thing, and I had planned on doing some stuff with that, but honestly, I am out of money, so it will have to wait.

I still have to go to Wal-mart to get some vitamins and duct tape. Oh well.

4 comments:

Missy said...

This is awesome! I wish I could do this where I live. So proud of you.

Missy said...

Opps! This is your mother, not you! I must be signed on as you.

teachertofour said...

Hey missy,
That is awesome. I did that a while back and loved all the stuff I came home with...on a good deal. I do have to warn you I started getting excited about all the special "non-Aldi" items I got to bring home I started buying more than we needed because it was a good deal...just make sure you don't do what I did. 8-)

hjn said...

Duct tape?.hmmmmmm....taping children's mouths up?
Just kidding! That was UGLY!!!
O.K. so your post is about saving money right? Well I use coupons too!!! It is a game with me !!! I love to come home and brag to my husband about how much I saved!!! He likes it too! So the Starbucks you were talking about!!! Well it is a recycled tea! I made my own tea that morning and shook it up like the barrista's do.....and then pour it into my recycled Starbucks cup!!! It just tastes better in that cup!!! I do this quite often.......sad but true!! It literally drives my husband crazy!! One year for my birthday he went to Starbucks and asked if he could buy some of their plastic cups! They looked at him like he was a crazy fool and just gave him a big old honking stack of those babies!!! It was my favorite gift! He got of cheap that year!!! So Miss Missy.......I am glad you have joined the ranks of the Coupon Queens!!! I hope I put a big smile on your face this morning! Have a good one!