So I'm really getting into this saving money thing! I've had fun this week planning out my list and getting together coupons and figuring out the best deals, and I think I did really well. I have shopped at CVS, Wal-Mart and Publix so far. Here's what I got at Publix:

Hotdog buns - $1.15
White bread - $1.17
Pineapple - $2.99 - $.75 printable coupon = $2.24
Cubed steak - $2.09 (on sale)
Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter with Honey - $2.99 - $.35 coupon DOUBLED = $2.29
Cascadian Farm granola bars - $2 (on sale) - $1 printable coupon = $1
Red grapes - $2.67 (on sale)
Sour cream - $.99 - $.50 coupon DOUBLED = FREE
Cream of Tartar - $2.69 - $1 coupon = $1.69
White corn (2 - fresh) - $.50 (on sale)
Baby carrots - $.85 (on sale)
Bacon-wrapped scallops - $4 (on sale)
Hebrew National jumbo franks - $2.50 (on sale) - 1 = $1.50
Oscar Mayer lunch meat (2) - $6 - $1 Target printable coupon = $5
Keebler Chocolate Lovers cookies - $1.99 - $1 printable coupon = $.99
Green Giant Green Bean Casserole - $1 - $.50 printable coupon DOUBLED = FREE
Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese - $1 - $.50 printable coupon DOUBLED = FREE
Milk - $2.29
Stouffer's Grandma's Chicken family  meal - $3.99 (on sale)
Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal - $2.10 - $2 printable coupon = $.10
Gravy mix - $.49 (on sale)
Publix premium ice cream (Chocolate Trinity, YUM) - $2.50 (on sale)

Then in addition, I had a $4 off a $20 purchase coupon from CVS. Because Publix accepts competitor's coupons, they accepted this one (though they are sometimes iffy about the $ off total purchase ones).

Total out of pocket: $35.65
Total value of products purchased: $77.75
Total amount saved: $42.10!!

I went to CVS during my lunch break today because I've been reading a lot about their Extra Care Bucks program. Here's what I came up with:

Transaction #1:
12-pack of Coke Zero (3) - $12 (on sale) - $3 printable coupons = $9
Vitamin Water 10 (6) - $8 - $5.50 coupons = $2.50

Total for transaction #1: $13.31
ECB earned: $10

Transaction #2:
Kellogg's Cereals (3) - $10 - $3 printable coupons = $7
Toothbrush - $2.99 (on sale)

Total for transaction (after applying $10 ECB): $.28
Additional ECB earned: $7

I walked out of the store with three 6-packs of Coke, three boxes of cereal, six Vitamin Water 20 oz. drinks, a new toothbrush, $7 toward a future CVS purchase, a $4 off coupon that I was able to use at Publix and a coupon for a $25 gift card if I fill a prescription at CVS. My grand total at CVS was $13.58. But part of that comes from my personal money for the month because I bought the Cokes to keep in my office.

Grocery total for CVS: $7.58
Non-grocery total for CVS: $6
Total out of pocket: $13.58
Total value of stuff bought: $46.24
Total saved: $32.66 (plus I still have $7 in ECB)

My purchases at Wal-Mart are a little more difficult to quantify as far as savings, because Wal-Mart doesn't provide that info. Here they are anyway:

Cheese crackers - $2 (on sale) - $1 coupon = $1
Purina 7lb cat chow - $6.98 - $1 coupon = $5.98
Angel hair pasta - $.74 ($.45 cheaper than Publix)
Centrum vitamins - $9.97 - $2 coupon = $7.97
Mac & Cheese crackers - $1 (on sale)
Garlic salt - $1.04
1/2 dozen eggs - $.52

Grocery total: $20.25
Approximate value of items: $28.70
Approximate amount saved: $8.45

Cake pan - $9.97 (doesn't count against grocery budget)
Mother's Day cards (2) - $.88 (don't count against grocery budget)

Non-grocery total: $11.83

Total spent for groceries: $63.48
Total budgeted: $75
Total value of all grocery items purchased: ~$152.69
Grand total saved: $89.21

That's a savings of about 59%!!

I am very proud to be $11.52 below our grocery budget for this week! This is the first time this has happened since we've been married, and it definitely won't be the last!
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3 comments:

On 9:03 AM, May 08, 2009 , Katie said...

How about I give you my weekly grocery list and you tell me where to shop and get my coupons. You are a money saving beast!!! haha! Good job... this is an encouragement to me to pay more attention to grocery sales & coupons and base my list more around those items available on the cheap rather than just what I want at a particular time.

 
On 3:13 PM, May 08, 2009 , Kathryn Thomas said...

you might find this interesting...

http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/

 
On 5:00 PM, May 08, 2009 , Misty said...

I follow them on Google Reader! I think their experiment was pretty amazing, and it's even spawned some spin-off experiments. I think there was one lady (possibly a news reporter?) who claimed you could eat for $1/day at Whole Foods if you plan it out right. I don't know about that, but I definitely have been inspired to be a MUCH smarter consumer, at least as far as not paying bloated retail prices for stuff when I can help it.

I'm also hoping to plant a garden at some point after we move into our house, but in the meantime, I have a friend who's offered to let me pick from her garden because her family always has extra!