Imagine it.
Daughter, age 7, already tired and staying up too late... She's crying and husband and I want rum and Coke. Except we have no Coke. And Pepsi products are on sale at Target.
Off to Target I went.
There's several items on this receipt that tick me off, but that happens at Target. In large orders, something always rings up wrong unless you watch like a hawk.
I spent $65. That's my grocery budget AND almost everything in mycheckbook until Sept. 16.
$65 exactly.
What I bought:
- Rold Gold honey wheat pretzel twists, $2.50
- Cool Ranch Doritoes, $2.50 (to go with the rum)
- Fritos scoops, $2.50 (to go with our favorite dip)
- 2 boxes Archer Farms real fruit bars, $2.29 each (we already have lots of these, but it's school season and they're normally $2.99/box)
- apple juice, $2.24 (we didn't need this, but there was a coupon-- buy the juice and get $1 off pasta and sauce. Pasta and sauce is on sale this week so I thought "awesome." But the coupon was expired but I didn't see that)
- fresh express veggie lovers salad, $1.99 (normally $2.99)
- Smuckers grape jam, no high fructose corn syrup $1.67 for 10 oz, minus $1 Target coupon
- Archer Farms summer fruits salsa, $2.99
- Archer Farms raspberry salsa, $2.99
- Archer Farms Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip, 2 jars, $2.99 each
- farfalle, $1
- tomato basil and garlic pasta sauce $1
- cucumber, 84 cents
- creamed corn, 2 cans, 77 cents each
- big tub of raisins, $3.29
- bananas, 6 at 17 cents each
- 4 12-pks Pepsi products, 3 for $11 plus free diet if you buy three (except I'm not seeing a free one, I bet I have a coupon in the car)
- silk almond, one chocolate and one vanilla, $2.99 each minus $1 Target coupon
- Silk Very Vanilla, $2.79
- Market Pantry six blend Italian cheese, shredded, 2 at $2.29 each (I love this blend)
- land o lakes butter, 2 pounds at $3.69 each
- whipped cream cheese, $1.64
- item I don't remember, 99 cents
Discount for reusable bags: 20 cents
Team member discount: 7.68
RedCard discount: 3.38
Tax: +74 cents
Showing posts with label coupon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coupon. Show all posts
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Rainy day Cheerios
This blog entry may become distracted and discombobulated. I apologize first off for that, but it's a rainy holiday and I worked the last four days in a row and we'll also blame my iron counts.
Run on sentence. Oh well.
I also apologize for the lack of photos. I have some on the laptop so as soon as i can get to an Internet connection I'll add them. Many entries lately will still lack photos as I've been so anxious to eat that I haven't stopped to photograph. Forgive me.
First, breakfast. Husband slept until 9:30, so we opted for cereal for breakfast since lunch is a mere two hours away. I had generic cheerios with Very Vanilla Silk soy milk. The combo jazzed up the Cheerios just enough. Daughter had generic fruit loops and the vanilla soy milk (way too sweet for me) and husband had a mix of fruit loops and Cheerios and also mixed vanilla and regular soy milk.
Next rant, Totally Target: www.totallytarget.com. This blogger is so serious about Target that she invested in a domain name. That's dedication. She uses the weekly ad, clearance items, price cuts and coupons to "get more red for your green." I don't use many coupons, in part because many are online now and it's unusual for me to have access to the Internet and a printer at the same time. She does a fabulous job scouring Target. She knows the store better than I do, and I work there.
But every time I see these obsessive couponing folks, especially the ones you hear about on reality TV shows, I question the value. Items like Velveeta Shells and Cheese, Glade plug-ins, and Trident gum. 90% of the products I see I do not and would not use. Now in the Target case, I did see Market Pantry sauce and dry pasta, which I would consider, and Seventh Generation products. I rarely buy cleaning chemicals, preferring vinegar, baking soda, 90% alcohol and hot water.
So, why would I feed my child overprocessed food like Velveeta shells just because it's cheap? I love her more than that. Besides, if I'm going to use insta-Mac and cheese the Aldi stuff is even cheaper than all those coupons. And I do use processed foods from time to time, I just add lots of vegetables. Many products I see don't make sense to me: cheese made of oil, dinners with ingredients I can't read, fresh fruit sliced so you don't have to cut it, Oscar Meyers lunchables (all those chemicals for mere meat, cheese and crackers), premade peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Maybe we're busy, maybe we're lazy but I believe food is pivotal to life, central to our family relationships and that the dinner table is sacred. But that's just me.
Run on sentence. Oh well.
I also apologize for the lack of photos. I have some on the laptop so as soon as i can get to an Internet connection I'll add them. Many entries lately will still lack photos as I've been so anxious to eat that I haven't stopped to photograph. Forgive me.
First, breakfast. Husband slept until 9:30, so we opted for cereal for breakfast since lunch is a mere two hours away. I had generic cheerios with Very Vanilla Silk soy milk. The combo jazzed up the Cheerios just enough. Daughter had generic fruit loops and the vanilla soy milk (way too sweet for me) and husband had a mix of fruit loops and Cheerios and also mixed vanilla and regular soy milk.
Next rant, Totally Target: www.totallytarget.com. This blogger is so serious about Target that she invested in a domain name. That's dedication. She uses the weekly ad, clearance items, price cuts and coupons to "get more red for your green." I don't use many coupons, in part because many are online now and it's unusual for me to have access to the Internet and a printer at the same time. She does a fabulous job scouring Target. She knows the store better than I do, and I work there.
But every time I see these obsessive couponing folks, especially the ones you hear about on reality TV shows, I question the value. Items like Velveeta Shells and Cheese, Glade plug-ins, and Trident gum. 90% of the products I see I do not and would not use. Now in the Target case, I did see Market Pantry sauce and dry pasta, which I would consider, and Seventh Generation products. I rarely buy cleaning chemicals, preferring vinegar, baking soda, 90% alcohol and hot water.
So, why would I feed my child overprocessed food like Velveeta shells just because it's cheap? I love her more than that. Besides, if I'm going to use insta-Mac and cheese the Aldi stuff is even cheaper than all those coupons. And I do use processed foods from time to time, I just add lots of vegetables. Many products I see don't make sense to me: cheese made of oil, dinners with ingredients I can't read, fresh fruit sliced so you don't have to cut it, Oscar Meyers lunchables (all those chemicals for mere meat, cheese and crackers), premade peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Maybe we're busy, maybe we're lazy but I believe food is pivotal to life, central to our family relationships and that the dinner table is sacred. But that's just me.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Wegmans!
Because of my anemia this summer, I have not done a major shopping order since... I don't even know when. I've done the medium kinds of orders that were meant to be small orders but ended up bigger than anticipated... but...
My family volunteers with the Mary Meuser Memorial Library. This weekend was the library's annual book fair, so we spent a total of something like $30 on food and we bought some cookies, soda, hot dogs and tomato pie for lunch, plus a molasses pineapple upside down cake for my husband's birthday. AND a GIGANTIC bowl of fruit salad that the Friends of the Library made at my suggestion and no one but me bought, so I bought it all.
Then we got home last night and since it was my husband's birthday, my husband bought Papa John's pizza for the family. Two extra large pizzas and a calzone, some of which we plan on freezing.
Now, before I get into this grocery order, after all the cake and junk we ate this weekend we had big salads with garden tomatoes, monterey jack cheese, HUGE amounts of broccoli and pepperoni for dinner.
And for my daughter's school lunch, my school lunch and my husband's work lunch we have eel sushi from wegmans and fruit salad. Plus, for my daughter, a thermos with soy milk and a bag of Boo Berry so she can make a bowl of cereal to go with her fruit and sushi.
To the groceries:
- Wegmans White Made with Whole Grains sliced bread, $1.69 - Wegmans coupon so it was free
- soy milk, $2.69
- individual 6 ounce container of Wegmans organic super yogurt, 75 cents - Wegmans coupon so it was free
- large curd cottage cheese, $1.99
- 2 boxes of wegmans feta and spinach peorogies, 2 boxes at $1.69 each
- bag of frozen peas, 99 cents
- bag of frozen french cut green beans, 99 cents
- bag of florentine ravioli, $2.99
- two boxes of frozen spinach, 89 cents each
- whole wheat flour, five pounds, $2.39
- unbleached white flour, five pounds, $1.69
- box of raisins, $1.99
- four cans of chunky soup, 4/$5 minus manufacturers coupon
- blueberry cobbler whole bean coffee by Fasig's, $4.99
- various cambell's soups, purchased because I had a coupon and my daughter is on a soup kick. I bought them for when I don't have homemade ready or in the freezer and she says she wants soup. I think I bought nine cans and have three coupons. One coupon was for kid soup, why were all the kid's soups chicken? Kids don't like tomato or beef or vegetable? Weird.
- 2 jars of organic mango salsa, $2.99 each minus $1 wegman's coupon
- several cans of cat food, many salmon flavored, which came up on the receipt as "Weg Salmon" and I'm thinking, "I didn't buy any salmon..." and "Why was the salmon $1.28?"
- NUTELLA! 16 ounce jar, $3.98 minus $1 manufacturer's coupon. I smell crêpes and nutella and bananas in my future. Except I forgot eggs...
- 2 cans of garbanzo beans, 65 cents each, for hummus!
- 3 cans of spaghettos and meatballs at $1.09 each, minus a manufacturers coupon, except, funny thing is, the kid hates them. They are for her dad and I.
- large can of crushed pineapple, 99 cents
- OKAY - IMPULSE BUY - one box each of Frankenberry, Booberry and Count Chocula, because once a year I can't resist, $1.89 each
- clover honey, $2.69
- chex mix, four bags at $1.99 each minus two manufacturers coupons
- Juicy Juice 100% juice orange tangerine juice boxes, because sometimes her thermos doesn't fit in her lunch box, $2.49
- 3 cans of dark red kidney beans no sodium added, 59 cents each
- one large can pineapple chunks, 99 cents
- Pepperidge Farm goldfish, $1.50
- Ziti, 3 boxes at 69 cents each
- one can peach slices in light raspberry syrup, 99 cents
- nugget-shaped pasta, 89 cents
- light red kidney beans, 59 cents
- Pear halves in pear juice, large cans, 3 @ $1.59 each
- six boxes Wegmans spirals and cheese dinner, at 3/$1
- Quaker yellow corn meal, $1.39
- Libby sliced mango, $1.29/can
- 2 cans wegmans tomato sauce, 55 cents each
- rigatoni and rotini, 89 cents each
- V8 cream of broccoli soup, $2.49 minus manufacturers coupon
- fruit cocktail, small can in juice, 99 cents
- 2/ 32-ounce containers of Wegmans vegetable broth, plus one of the thai culinary broth, at $2.99 each
- 2 cans of large pitted black olives, $1.29
- Libby's mandarin oranges, one can, 79 cents
- sliced peaches packed in juice, 99 cents
- 2 small cans of wegmans chicken broth, low sodium, 69 cents each
- 2 small cans of wegmans beef broth, 64 cents each
- Dawn dish detergent, $1.79 minus coupon
- Terra vegetable chips, $3.99
- 2 bags of Goya dry black beans, $1.29 each, to which my six-year-old said, "YUM!"
- 20 ounces of ketchup, 99 cents
- 2 liter of wegman's mountain, 79 cents (for him)
- 6-pack of 20-ounce bottles of Wegmans Zero, $1.50 (for her)
- 2 boxes of Quaker Goya Farina, $2.29 each
- 12 pack of liter bottles of plain seltzer, $5.99
- stew beef, $5.03 minus $1 wegmans coupon
- Extra sharp provolone, $5.03 minus $1 wegmans coupon
- 8 eel rolls from the sushi bar, $5.49 minus $1 wegmans coupon
- 2 bags of wegmans bagged salad blends, 2/$5
- broccoli crowns, $2.12
- red seedless grapes, $4.12
- broccoli slaw, $2
- apples, $2.37
- organic carrots, 1 pound, 99 cents
- 10 bounds of potatoes, $6.89
- Israeli couscous, $1.61
My family volunteers with the Mary Meuser Memorial Library. This weekend was the library's annual book fair, so we spent a total of something like $30 on food and we bought some cookies, soda, hot dogs and tomato pie for lunch, plus a molasses pineapple upside down cake for my husband's birthday. AND a GIGANTIC bowl of fruit salad that the Friends of the Library made at my suggestion and no one but me bought, so I bought it all.
Then we got home last night and since it was my husband's birthday, my husband bought Papa John's pizza for the family. Two extra large pizzas and a calzone, some of which we plan on freezing.
Now, before I get into this grocery order, after all the cake and junk we ate this weekend we had big salads with garden tomatoes, monterey jack cheese, HUGE amounts of broccoli and pepperoni for dinner.
And for my daughter's school lunch, my school lunch and my husband's work lunch we have eel sushi from wegmans and fruit salad. Plus, for my daughter, a thermos with soy milk and a bag of Boo Berry so she can make a bowl of cereal to go with her fruit and sushi.
To the groceries:
- Wegmans White Made with Whole Grains sliced bread, $1.69 - Wegmans coupon so it was free
- soy milk, $2.69
- individual 6 ounce container of Wegmans organic super yogurt, 75 cents - Wegmans coupon so it was free
- large curd cottage cheese, $1.99
- 2 boxes of wegmans feta and spinach peorogies, 2 boxes at $1.69 each
- bag of frozen peas, 99 cents
- bag of frozen french cut green beans, 99 cents
- bag of florentine ravioli, $2.99
- two boxes of frozen spinach, 89 cents each
- whole wheat flour, five pounds, $2.39
- unbleached white flour, five pounds, $1.69
- box of raisins, $1.99
- four cans of chunky soup, 4/$5 minus manufacturers coupon
- blueberry cobbler whole bean coffee by Fasig's, $4.99
- various cambell's soups, purchased because I had a coupon and my daughter is on a soup kick. I bought them for when I don't have homemade ready or in the freezer and she says she wants soup. I think I bought nine cans and have three coupons. One coupon was for kid soup, why were all the kid's soups chicken? Kids don't like tomato or beef or vegetable? Weird.
- 2 jars of organic mango salsa, $2.99 each minus $1 wegman's coupon
- several cans of cat food, many salmon flavored, which came up on the receipt as "Weg Salmon" and I'm thinking, "I didn't buy any salmon..." and "Why was the salmon $1.28?"
- NUTELLA! 16 ounce jar, $3.98 minus $1 manufacturer's coupon. I smell crêpes and nutella and bananas in my future. Except I forgot eggs...
- 2 cans of garbanzo beans, 65 cents each, for hummus!
- 3 cans of spaghettos and meatballs at $1.09 each, minus a manufacturers coupon, except, funny thing is, the kid hates them. They are for her dad and I.
- large can of crushed pineapple, 99 cents
- OKAY - IMPULSE BUY - one box each of Frankenberry, Booberry and Count Chocula, because once a year I can't resist, $1.89 each
- clover honey, $2.69
- chex mix, four bags at $1.99 each minus two manufacturers coupons
- Juicy Juice 100% juice orange tangerine juice boxes, because sometimes her thermos doesn't fit in her lunch box, $2.49
- 3 cans of dark red kidney beans no sodium added, 59 cents each
- one large can pineapple chunks, 99 cents
- Pepperidge Farm goldfish, $1.50
- Ziti, 3 boxes at 69 cents each
- one can peach slices in light raspberry syrup, 99 cents
- nugget-shaped pasta, 89 cents
- light red kidney beans, 59 cents
- Pear halves in pear juice, large cans, 3 @ $1.59 each
- six boxes Wegmans spirals and cheese dinner, at 3/$1
- Quaker yellow corn meal, $1.39
- Libby sliced mango, $1.29/can
- 2 cans wegmans tomato sauce, 55 cents each
- rigatoni and rotini, 89 cents each
- V8 cream of broccoli soup, $2.49 minus manufacturers coupon
- fruit cocktail, small can in juice, 99 cents
- 2/ 32-ounce containers of Wegmans vegetable broth, plus one of the thai culinary broth, at $2.99 each
- 2 cans of large pitted black olives, $1.29
- Libby's mandarin oranges, one can, 79 cents
- sliced peaches packed in juice, 99 cents
- 2 small cans of wegmans chicken broth, low sodium, 69 cents each
- 2 small cans of wegmans beef broth, 64 cents each
- Dawn dish detergent, $1.79 minus coupon
- Terra vegetable chips, $3.99
- 2 bags of Goya dry black beans, $1.29 each, to which my six-year-old said, "YUM!"
- 20 ounces of ketchup, 99 cents
- 2 liter of wegman's mountain, 79 cents (for him)
- 6-pack of 20-ounce bottles of Wegmans Zero, $1.50 (for her)
- 2 boxes of Quaker Goya Farina, $2.29 each
- 12 pack of liter bottles of plain seltzer, $5.99
- stew beef, $5.03 minus $1 wegmans coupon
- Extra sharp provolone, $5.03 minus $1 wegmans coupon
- 8 eel rolls from the sushi bar, $5.49 minus $1 wegmans coupon
- 2 bags of wegmans bagged salad blends, 2/$5
- broccoli crowns, $2.12
- red seedless grapes, $4.12
- broccoli slaw, $2
- apples, $2.37
- organic carrots, 1 pound, 99 cents
- 10 bounds of potatoes, $6.89
- Israeli couscous, $1.61
Friday, September 10, 2010
A trip to Forks Mediterranean Deli
So, at lunch time I went to CVS to get Zyrtec for my daughter and some household items. I had a coupon for free Zyrtec but they didn't have any, so I had to buy the big bottle of generic at $14.
But I also stopped at Forks Mediterranean Deli, where I got a 16 ounce bottle of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil for $5.99. Last bottle was 25 ounces and I believe it was $7.99. But they didn't have that size. I also got Zaatar bread, two packages with two flatbreads each, for $3.25. They even had Zaatar spices, but I'm not ready to venture into making my own Zaatar bread.
I also bought unsalted cashews, dried strawberries and dried pineapple rings. My total was $$22.69.
Monday, August 9, 2010
CVS and conquer
Today my daughter and I rode our bikes to CVS where we spent $15.72. We didn't really get groceries, but when you consider what we bought, it's a pretty cool deal. Some of the items I bought at Target yesterday I should have saved for CVS (Progresso soup was buy one get one at CVS, at $2.19 whereas Target was $1.66 each and the coupon was for four... so the per can cost at CVS before the coupon would have been $1.10, 56 cents cheaper...)
Consumer note: CVS often runs sales for items that have coupons in THAT Sunday's paper. For instance, I received this Sunday's paper and there was a 35 cent coupon for Colgate. CVS had Colgate buy one get one. Using the coupons in this manner prevents the "clip, save, forget" problem. And the deals (compare with my target example) are good.
I usually review all the drugstore circulars before looking at the coupons, and then review the circulars I thought had pertinent deals a second time after clipping.
In this week's coupons AND on sale at CVS: Nature Valley granola bars, Chex mix, Progresso soup, candy, razor blades (I think), and Colgate. Probably other stuff too, but it's been a while since I practiced this.
Coupons, circulars, and stopping at multiple stores only works if you know what you usually pay/ can find stuff at. (Wow, awkward English.)
At Target, I almost bought shampoo. But they wanted $1.92 for the big cheapo bottle of Suave. My motto is if you're going to buy cheap shampoo, you never pay more than a dollar, or $1.29 if you're desperate.
CVS had VO5 on sale for 69 cents.
So, my trip to CVS was about medicine. I needed my iron pills. Ferrous Sulfate. (200 pills for $9.79) Normally I would get these from my small independent pharmacy that I love, but I wanted to walk (or bike) and I knew CVS had other stuff on sale.
How far did my $15.72 go? (I was aiming for $11 because that's what I had in cash, and that would have worked if I got 30 Ferrous pills instead of 200 and since I take 2 a day...)
- Iron pills, 200 in the bottle at $9.79
- 3 bags of candy (sour patch kids, sour patch watermelons, and swedish fish), 8 ounces each. 2/$3.00 minus $2 manufacturer coupon (That's $2.50 for the set or something like 83 cents a bag, but NOT a necessary item, just fun for 'family movie night.' Sure can help the family from being deprived.)
- Colgate whitening 6.4 ounce tubes, buy one get one free, bought 2 at $2.49 minus 35 cent manufacturer coupon (2 big tubes of toothpaste for $2.14, that's $1.07 each)
- 4 bottles of VO5 shampoo/conditioner at 69 cents each.
Then take ALL that and subtract my CVS Extra Bucks of $1.50
Monday, December 28, 2009
Groceries
My husband went to the store because I wanted a sandwich. He ended up making two trips into the store because he forgot the coupons.
What makes this interesting from my standpoint is today I decided no more using my visa, I'm trying to stick to "cash"/checking account.
Our local Giant doesn't have the best produce, so this is what he bought:
Trip 1, total $32.74:
What makes this interesting from my standpoint is today I decided no more using my visa, I'm trying to stick to "cash"/checking account.
Our local Giant doesn't have the best produce, so this is what he bought:
Trip 1, total $32.74:
- Kraft Grated Parmesan, $3.49 (he couldn't find anything cheaper)
- Tostitos (for nachoes), buy one get one free at $3.99
- two cans of Giant black beans, 59 cents each
- Honey Turkey, 1/2 pound, $3.57
- Deluxe ham, 1/2 pound, $4.55 (highway robbery, grrr)
- Spring mix for Blue, our tortoise, $3.50
- Dole Italian Salad kit, $3.99
- Asiago bagels, six, $2.79
- My favorite multigrain sandwich bread, $4.29 (that's ridiculous and why I usually make my own)
- Chocolate soy milk, $2.39
- 2 cans Campbell's minestrone, $1.09 each minus 50 cent coupon
- vegetarian beef strips, $3.99 minus $1.50 coupon
- 2 packages spinach bites and 2 packages broccoli bites, $3.99 minus $2 in coupons (these freeze well and count as a vegetable on those hectic nights)
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