Walgreens 5/17/11

I had more coupons for $.75 off Colgate Pro Clinical White toothpaste.

There is a deal at Walgreens right now

$6 for 2 of this toothpaste - a $4 RR (register reward/catalina that prints at register. Good on next purchase)

Making it $4 for 2.

Then I had two coupons for 75 cents off making the toothpaste 25 cents each. 

The RR does not take the discount off the purchase at the time so my OOP (out of pocket) expense was going to be $4.90.  I decided to throw a sucker in the mix 50 cents so that I could use a $5 RR from last week. That made my total OOP for this trip about $.50 including tax.

Walmart May 17, 2011

Here is my shopping list for the day:

 After my shopping trip I typed it all up so I could do the calculations more easily.

 Here's everything that I got. 

 Less than $30 and originally retailed for $60.  So just barley over 50% in savings. Not super great but it is stuff that I either needed (milk, foil, bananas, yogurt) or wanted Lysol wipes, coke for Shawn, lemonade for me.  Oh, the cheese isn't pictured up there. I wasn't sure if I was going to count it in this shopping trip or not but then I ended up putting it in my spreadsheet.

Target May 17, 2011

May 17th

Target has coupons for 50 cents of an Up and Up first aid item and the hydrogen peroxide is 62 cents. Its reported online that some Target stores have it for less.

Target also has coupons for $1 off an Up and Up pain reliever. The 24 count of Ibuprofen is $1.

There are coupons in a recent paper for $1 off Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner and it doesn't have a size restriction.  This stuff is 97 cents in the travel section at Target. (I would have made 3 cents on each one at Walmart... oh well).

Total for this stuff was something like 52 cents.

Free Body Wash

Free Body Wash

 

I had been trying to get these body washes for about two weeks and every store was sold out. Maybe because they were priced between $2.98 - $3.15 (at different stores) for the bottle and there was a SUPER high value coupon for $3.00 off one. That makes it free at some stores and just pennies at other stores. These are really big bottles and it smells SO yummy. I wish I'd had more coupons for it.

I paid something like $.42 cents in tax.

ProClinical Toothpaste

Toothpaste

These were regularly $3.47 at Walmart. They were in the clearance section marked down to $1.50.  I had a $.75 off coupon making it $.75    And since I bought it on Tuesday I got an additional $.25 off because it was "double coupon Tuesday" at Walmart.

Total price - $.50 cents each for really fancy toothpaste.

Smith's May 9th 2011

Free Free Free

Click HERE to see the spreadsheet and see how  this deal worked out on the pasta.

Quick Cook pasta is regularly $0.99 at Smith's.  When you bought 10 participating items you get $.50 off each item.  That made these $0.49 each. I had coupons for either fifty cents or fifty five cents off one.  If I'd done the deal at Walmart I would have made thirty cents on the deal... but unfortunately Smith's does not give overage.

I had a coupon for the Carefree pantiliners 20-22 ct.  $1.00 off 1 pack and they sell for $1.00

This coupon was found in SmartSource that was in the Sunday, May 8th paper.

Carefree Body Shape Pantiliners, 20-22 ct. $0.99
$1.00/1 Carefree Product from SS 5/8

 So today I got ten boxes of pasta and two packs of feminine products all for just 28 cents!

I Coupon Because...

I had the positive stuff first but I changed it because I wanted you to finish this post on a positive happy note. You can skip the "Not reasons I coupon" section if you want because really I'm just whining there.

 Not Reasons I Coupon

1. "Because everyone else is doing it" is NOT a reason I coupon. It is annoying that so many people are couponers now. Yes, I think everyone should  coupon but it doesn't mean I actually want everyone to do it. haha.  The more people that are into it means less of a chance I can get the deals.  Yes, that is selfish but this is a dog eat dog world! just kidding.   It is just extremely frustrating when I plan out a killer deal and I get to the store and the shelves are empty of everything and anything that I need or want.
2. "Watching Extreme Couponing on TLC inspired me" NOT.  I have never seen the show.  I have however, read a lot about the show and there is quite a bit of coupon fraud going on in some episodes. I do still have a life and don't spend 60 hours a week clipping coupons and planning my shopping trips.

 I Coupon Because...

1. It is fun. I'm not going to lie, I feel bad for the people stuck behind me in line at Walmart but I love it when they see how much stuff I buy and then my final total.  People have started asking me how I do it.
   
2. It saves LOTS of money. I have saved anywhere from 35-96% on my shopping trips. Since I'm getting better at it my average is now about 60-96%.
   
3. It gives me something to do. I don't have kids to take care of in the evenings and I needed something to do other than watch tv.  Why not have a hobby that helps our little family of 2?!?
   
4. I am now addicted to it.  When Shawn wants to buy a bag of chips and I don't have a coupon for it I cringe.  Its hard for me to pay full price for anything anymore. I can't believe I used to spend $70-$150 every time I went to Walmart.
   
5. It gives me a sense of pride to see how cheap I can get things for.  It takes a lot of work to get great deals and when I bring home an awesome 'haul' I'm pretty proud of my accomplishment.
6. We now have more food storage and definitely some storage of personal items (deo, razors, body wash, etc.)  Now we don't have to run to the store if we need a jar of pickles, I just pull one (a free one) out of the cupboard. Then when I find another awesome sale + coupons for pickles I'll get some more for cheap or even for free.
7. It helps me make new friends.  Yesterday when I was at Walmart several people stopped me to ask about my coupons. I love sharing what I know with other people and helping them get excited about it.  I also like to give my coupons to other people.  If I have tons of coupons for a product that I see someone else buying I'll give them one.  I also leave them on the shelves next to products if I don't think I can use them before they expire.  I'm getting to spend more time with my sister-in-law, Lydia, as we do coupons at Walgreens together.  It's fun to get to know her better and to have something else in common.
8. I just think it's really cool. This goes along with #1 and #5... but it is so awesome to get products for free or for a really good price.  Yes, it is a little embarrassing sometimes walking around the store with a big coupon binder but the better I'm getting at couponing the more confident I am. I'm proud of my binder now :)
   
9. Why not coupon?!?!  I've got time, I've now got the know how... why not save some money!?! It's logical.
   
10. My awesome husband actually encourages this couponing behavior I have now.  Yes he probably thinks I'm a little obsessive/addicted and that is true... but he likes how happy it makes me, he likes me having hobbies, he likes saving money, and he likes actually having food in the house.  I'm glad he's such a great support.