Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Mark this day!

This week has been my best savings week ever....here's my totals:


PUBLIX: Spent 87 SAVED $124.85
Kroger: spent 11.35 SAVED $38.92

***drum roll please***

Walgreens: spent $0 saved $119.68
got $3 to spend next time
(doing a HAPPY dance!!)
(everything in the picture above cost me $11.35 this
is Wal-greens and Kroger purchase from today keep in mind things are stacked on top and behind each other you can'tsee it all on my little table, sorry!)

I would post all the lists, but that would be insane so since Wal-Greens was my best store this week here is my list of what I got from there:

4 boxes of Splenda granules
3 Ajax powder cleaners
2 large cans of Niagara spray starch
4 boxes of Electrosol gel tabs (dishwasher detergent with drying agent)
2 Palmolive dishsoap
1 pkg wax paper
1 box 1 gallon ziplock (walgreens brand)
1 box zipper sandwich bags
3 toilet bowlfresh things
1 Glade french vanilla candle
1 Revlon new matte blush
2 bottles Garnier Nutrisse Shampoo
2 bottles Garnier Nutrisse Conditioner
4 different kinds of Garnier Nutrisse styling products (mousse, shine, hairspray, etc)
1 box Frosted Mini Wheats
1 box Smart Start cereal
1 box Special K with strawberries
1 box frosted flakes

I think that's it.....I'll start the next part by saying :

www.thegrocerygame.com it's GREAT!!!
Yes you have to pay for it, but I earned my money back with zero problem today. You only pay every 12 weeks. I get it for 3 stores...Kroger, Publix, and Wal-greens (its $10 for the first stores list and $5 a list after that)...it tracks the instore sales, weekly sales flier and coupons...and tells you what coupons to use on what sales how much you'll save and if it's worth it or not...for 3 stores I pay $20 every 12 weeks...although right now I have it for FREE because so many of my friends have signed up too and gotten hooked (had no idea that was part of it when I told them about it though...whooohooo...love FREE!!)

if you sign up (there is a FREE trial you can do) please be sure to put my email address in as a referral....I would appreciate it greatly!
thadandrachelb (at) msn (dot) com

HERE and HERE are past blogs with more links and info

here's how I did it today for those wanting to know.

The coupons in the paper will combine with the coupons in Wal-greens flier...plus Wal-Greens offers rebates on items all the time PLUS inside the rebate book (just inside the store) there are even more coupons.

For instance (the grocery game told me just what to do where to find my coupons and how to use them)
The garnier nutrisse coupon is in the rebate book..combine it with the ones that were in this past Sunday's paper, combined with it being on sale and you end up getting it all FREE (I actually got money back because a couple things I got were at closeout price below the sale price)!! So you can get as many as papers as you rec'd...I got 4 this past week because there were so many awesome coupons in it. Although the Wal-greens coupon says on it one item per coupon, the cashier told me that is not the case and stopped me from clipping the coupons out of so many different easy saver books....she can just scan the one coupon that many times with no problem.

My total above does not reflect the rebates that I will receive for certain items. BUT it does reflect me using the Wal-greens card with last months rebate $$ I got back on it. The $3 was a register reward....for buying the 4 boxes of cereal (on sale and I used a coupon, but the register reward just states 4 boxes of kellogs cereal, doesn't matter of the sale of if you have a coupon)...I got a $3 card for my next purchase.

my total without that the rebate card would have been $39. 78. But I had my Wal-greens gift card with the money I earned in rebates from last month (you can choose to just get a check in the mail but if you choose a gift card they add 10%). My total for rebates for this month is already I think $15.....and still a few weeks to go so I will just keep turning that money over and using it the next month...hope that makes sense. If not and you want to learn just let me know, I'll try to explain better. I have NEVER been a coupon person, I was the person that clipped them VERY occassionally and they never made it to the store with me. I never knew prices on what I bought, I just bought what I needed/wanted....

NOW I have a grocery store at home. I don't shop from a menu, I stock up on awesome deals and then I have plenty to create menus from right in my own pantry. I have a basket in my linen closet of shampoo, toothpaste etc that I get for free and it's there when we need it and I have a cleaning shelf with cleaners and such and lightbulbs....it's great...So if there is ever some big storm...come on over, we will want for nothing!! I haven't grocery shopped in a few weeks...avoided the Christmas madness...I already had what I needed overall and had no reason to go.

HERE's a key so many miss....do not clip coupons and just use them that week...HANG ON TO THEM, that's why they don't expire for a while...sales cycle about every 12 weeks and you can catch a great sale and then use a coupon!

The biggest plus to couponing is sharing...you have lots of stuff to donate and share...so I encourage anyone doing it or getting started...don't build up so much of an insane stock when others around you might benefit from your savings too...

SHARE the blessings!!




7 comments:

Anonymous said...

HA! Now you have tons of boxes of cereal to feed your kids during an ice storm!

Pablo y Raquel said...

so so true!! but I seem to remember a few ice storms where I had a crowd in my house (eh hem!) and in those days I had to ask everyone to bring food from their homes...NO MORE!! Come for shelter and I'll even feed you...it's the Bartlett Bed and B'fast....B'fast available 24 hrs

The Unlikely Homeschooler said...

oh shoot that posted under the other account...still me sorry!

King Family said...

I am so glad you posted this. I have been trying to do this on my own. But I have looked into the grocery store game. I guess I need to do that. I will put your e-mail down. I am surprised at Wal-greens. I never go there.

The Unlikely Homeschooler said...

I didn't either Melanie, I even witnessed all my brother in law got for free for years and still just never thought to...but oh my goodness! It's simply amazing! Thanks for putting me down I appreciate it!! and let me know how it goes...I need to start emailing out to everyone when I find other deals out there beyond grocery games, because they are there! I'll do my best! GOOD LUCK! It's a lot of fun when you get going...gets a little frustrating at first when you don't have the coupons, but use that to motivate yourself and look forward to when you are the one with the coupons. I can even email you my file that I used (I didn't do it another girl doing GG did) to label my coupon book if you want...just let me know, and you have my number if you have questions!

Anonymous said...

Hey, send me that file for your coupon book. I need a better way to organize. Melanie, yo ushould totally do it. RB, my dad sent me tons of coupons today from his paper that he didn't use and i went back to walgreens and got more free shampoo! I will bring my own cereal if we have to shack up with you again! You can just make those crazy red cake balls. (insert joke)

Amy said...

Okay girl I think you've got my attention now. I've been playing with the gg site and think I'm hooked as well. I haven't saved outrageous amounts like you but it's my mission to be able to. I got FREE cat food yesterday and was just so proud of myself. I can see why it can be addictive. Now I just need to get more organized. I had my mom mail me all her old coupons that she hadn't used and I'm about to go snipping. Do you mind sending your file that you used? I also wanted to see how often you have to weed out your stash of expired coupons? Any help is good help. You are awesome.