Hi and welcome to the Krazy Koupon Gal! So many people want to start using coupons to lower their monthly grocery bill, yet few know where to begin. It can be confusing at first, but, with a little persistence and a friendly guide to lead the way, you will be using coupons like a pro in no time!
It is so nice to have a stockpile for weeks when I don’t want to buy a lot of groceries. We had plenty of fruits, veggies and starches to make it through the week – still have over 10 lbs of potatoes and those organic carrots. I used a rain check at Sweetbay to get the beef at $1.99 a pound, too. I haven’t purchased much meat there before, but the ground beef was/is really yummy! After a couple weeks of only eating poultry… hamburgers and beef stroganoff were part of this week’s menu. Another new item to me was the Wholly Guacamole. I LOVE guacamole and these small packs are so convenient, since I am the only one in my family who eats avocado. The Black Friday deals were great at CVS and Walgreens! There were so many money-makers at CVS that I was able to buy the remote control helicopter and cars with my leftover Extra Bucks! How cool is that? And, the deal at Walgreens on wrapping paper was wonderful – buy 1 at $1.99, get 2 free!
Total before sales and coupons: $363.79
Total paid, including tax: $46.91
Not pictured, but included in totals (my boys were with me when I took the picture, so I couldn’t include these items - they are Christmas presents):
1 remote control helicopter (my 4 yr. old is going to be so excited!)
2 remote control cars (these cars look really neat and the boys will each have their own!)
Pictured:
6 rolls paper towels
1 tabletop ping pong set
1 Pepto Bismol
1 Starbucks coffee
1 Sheets energy strips (I know I bought a couple more, but I couldn’t find them for the picture… not sure why)
2 boxes Excedrin
2 Preparation H (moneymaker)
1 box Fiber One brownies
1 Kleenex tissues
1 Schick Titanium razor (hidden behind the coffee cup)
2 Gillette Fusion products (husband loves the after shave – they are going in his stocking)
1 L.A. Looks hair gel
10 ct. Finish dishwasher detergent
2 blue coffee cups (clearance - $.99 each)
2 toothpastes (Crest and Colgate)
1 baking pan
1 set mixing bowls
1 set measuring cup
1 oven mit
1 silicone baking sheet
1 spatula
1 loaf bread (mostly eaten)
6 roll Christmas wrapping paper
24 AA batteries
1 universal remote
1 ThermaCare wrap
4 ct. Schick Quattro razor cartridges
2 packs hair things
4 Theraflu products
1 Cepacol throat lozenges
2 Listerine pocket packs
2 Softlips chapstick
1 Carmex chapstick
10 ct. Breathe Right strips
1 pack floss picks
3 Revlon lip gloss (I think I bought 4 of these… must be with the energy strips)
4 toothbrushes
1 Benefiber sticks
1 pack M&Ms
1 Balance energy bar
4 Revlon nail polish
3 Wholly Guacamole (one already eaten!)
3 packs (1 lb. each) lunch meat
10 ½ lbs. ground beef (4 packs total - one already used, one not really visible in photo)
Note: Yes, the pink bakeware is from the P&G mail in rebate that I submitted a while back – the products look like they are high quality and I am happy to have a new baking pan and an oven mit that might actually keep the heated pan from burning my fingers!
What a week! Thought I had spent more this week, but added up my totals and realized I still have about $15 left from my $50 budget for the week. I don’t think I need anything else, though, so I guess the left over will get rolled over into next week… or maybe I will buy a couple more turkeys at Publix. Or, maybe some more butter. At $2 per pound, can you really have too much butter during the holidays? Christmas cookies anyone?
Total before coupons and sales: $280.81
Total spent, including tax: $34.28
2 Welch’s 100% juice
4 Caribou coffee
22 napkin packages, various sizes (special ordered, so NO shelf clearing)
8 first aid kits
2 President rondele cheese spreads
8 Lysol surface cleaners
10 boxes angel hair pasta
4 cans whole cashews
4 lbs. organic carrots
10 Sundown vitamins (fish oil, potassium and calcium/magnesium/zinc)
9 Tide laundry detergent, trial size
4 Breath Rite strips, trial size
1 pack hamburger buns
6 lbs. onions (gave 3 lbs. to family)
1 30ct Zyrtec (not a great price, but needed it and it went towards a gift card at CVS)
5 lbs. apples
4 lbs. butter
4 sour cream
1 Crest toothpaste, trial size
2 ketchups (found at deli counter at Walmart)
4 bags all natural frozen bread (looks so yummy!)
12 oz. string cheese
4 boxes frozen sausage
2 packs celery
2 bags cranberries (gave one to family)
2 lbs. bananas (all but one have already been eaten)
4 bags frozen veggies (broccoli and peas)
6 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
Not pictured, but included in totals:
A few pictures (my son wanted to put his picture and a note in the Christmas boxes, “so the kids will know I am their friends, because I smile”.)
3 jump ropes
1 pack bracelets
6 slinkys (spelling? It just doesn’t look right, but oh well.)
1 roll wrapping paper
1 toy dinosaur
(I finished off, last minute, 3 more boxes for Operation Christmas Child, so items are already on their way to make some little kids happy… hence the reason they are not in the picture.)
Stores I shopped at were Publix, Walmart and CVS.
I am thrilled with all the food I was able to purchase this week with so little out of pocket. Just the Ore-Ida tater tots and fries would have cost over $50 without coupons (they were not on sale – I just used coupons). My $10 gift card arrived this week from the Publix/ConAgra mail in rebate, so I used that to get my totals down. Remember, I don’t calculate the value of my mail in rebates until I actually receive them, so that means free money when they arrive in my mailbox! I can’t image what life would be like without coupons. At this point, the thought of paying full price for groceries sounds even crazier than the KRAZYness of using coupons. Once you get started… you’ll never go back.
Total before coupons and sales: $386.54
Total out of pocket, including tax: $50.38
6 Mr. Clean surface cleaners (on sale BOGO and I had (2) B2G1 manufacturer coupons and (3) $1/2 store coupons, so I only paid $.89 for all six!)
2 (5 lb.) bags flour
2 half gallons Smart Balance milk
5 ¼ lbs. apples (some already eaten)
4 (12 ct. each) Minute Maid juice boxes (I like to keep a couple juice boxes in my reusable bags that I bring to the store, so I have a fun treat for my boys while we are shopping.)
20 PlayDoh containers (75% off… one was being played with while I took the picture)
4 Idahoan instant potato packages
2 lbs. butter
4 turkeys (67 ½ lbs. total)
20 lbs. russet potatoes
10 vitamins (Fish Oil, Vitamin B and Vitamin D)
18 ct. eggs
1 jar dried beef
30 Reach floss (all out of $2.50/2 Reach coupons now)
18 bags Ore-Ida tater tots and fries (no shelf clearing – several different kinds purchased over two separate shopping trips)
4 (12 oz.) bags chocolate chips
1 trial size Scope mouthwash (clearance at Publix)
2 Blistex lip balm
2 toothbrushes
1 box baking soda
2 containers baking powder
9 Breath Right strips, trial size (money maker at Walmart!)
5 Vicks products, trial size (clearance at Publix)
4 packets Kikkoman seasoning (already used 1 pack)
1 bulb garlic
2 packages pepperoni (we made pizzas with one already)
Not pictured, but included in totals for the week:
1 loaf whole wheat bread
½ lb. mushrooms
12 oz. shrimp
1 head lettuce (I never seem to get the fresh produce into the picture… wonder why)
1 lemon
1 play sword (had to have 2 swords… purchased one last week, but “you can’t sword fight with only one sword, Mommy”. Of course they were now 75% off, too!)
1 Iron Man costume (also 75% off – this will get used all year-round)
Okay, so last week I didn’t save much on my groceries, but I still was able to keep within my $50 budget because of my stockpile. This week was a totally different story – I got some amazing deals! Plus, as a little bonus, I got some of my mail in rebates back for a total worth of $23.99. As you may remember, I did NOT calculate the value of my mail in rebates when I purchased the qualifying items (just acted as if they didn’t exist), so I have calculated them in this week like any other coupon. I used coupons to purchase the qualifying items also, so items were free even before rebate. Free money in my mailbox! So, as a little treat to ourselves, we bought rib eye steaks with some of my MIR money.
Total value: $722.37 (yes, my calculations are correct – I double checked)
Total out of pocket, including tax, minus mail in rebate money received this week: $48.39
Just thought you might like to know - total value of coupons used, not including ECB from CVS and RR from Walgreens used on purchases: $414.75! (I can’t believe I used over four hundred dollars worth of coupons this week. Krazy, right?!)
Items in first picture:
8 (3.5 lb) bags Purina dog food (ended up costing less than $6, including tax, for all 8 bags)
4 Apple and Eve juice
4 (12oz.) bags Caribou coffee (So fun trying new things - husband now loves this coffee!)
2 (12oz.) honey bears
8 Airwick candles (rain check)
2 spices, 100% organic (basil, cumin)
4 (32oz) bags Tyson chicken wings
10 bottles sparking water
5 Dawn dish soap
2 kid’s lawn chairs (clearance at CVS - $1.75 each)
8 (2ct.) Pillsbury frozen breakfast sandwiches
4 packs Skittles (more candy for Operation Christmas Child boxes)
4 packs Starbursts
10 Cover Girl face products
4 Reach toothbrushes
3 garden tools (clearance at Dollar General - $.10 each)
18 Reach floss (donated to church for Operation Christmas Child boxes)
2 flashlights
3 trial size Old Spice body wash
1 (30ct.) Zyrtec (not a very good price, but had to have it so I used ECB at CVS)
Second picture:
6 Caribou coffee
3 Planters cashews
2 packs Chips Ahoy cookies (gave one to family)
2 (4 lb.) bags sugar
16 bottles vitamins (2-3 of each kind and purchased on separate shopping trips – no shelf clearing. I will be donating at least 1 of each kind to a local ministry and food pantry.)
5 cans cream of mushroom soup (one already used)
2 cans organic tomato paste
6 T.G.I. Friday fajita dinners (I like to use these as a base and add some of my own ingredients)
2 (30oz.) Kraft mayo (gave one to family)
1 loaf whole wheat bread (mostly eaten!)
2 (10ct.) packs pens
1 travel size Tide detergent
1 toy sword (50% off original price)
4 bags Ricola cough drops (one already used – still getting over my cold)
1 box shark fruit snacks
12 Reach floss
4 Lumene face products
1 Illy iced coffee
1 lb. butter
2 Smart Balance Milk (traded the cookies and mayo for the milk – value of milk not included in totals)
2 packs frozen broccoli
1 lb. turkey, sliced
6 birthday cards
Not pictured, but include in totals:
2 (1 lb. each) rib eye steaks
2 ½ lbs. bananas
2 packs Cover Girl face make-up pads
1 bag toy bats (my 4 yr. old thinks these are so cool and they were 50% off!)
