Frugaloholic

In order to prepare for next Tuesday's gathering (we can talk about that later when things are more "firm"), I really paid attention to my shopping today. So that I can keep all of this in my head but not waste the paper writing it down, I'm typing up my experiences from grocery shopping today. That way you guys can see why I buy certain items and what coupons I found were useful.

First stop - Walgreens
Now, the thing about Walgreens was, I didn't really need anything. But I had some Walgreens coupons that would expire soon, so my plan was to use my Walgreens coupons to purchase something that would give me more coupons in return.

The first good deal was Campbell soups. I use condensed soups a lot in recipes, especially cream of mushroom. But 95% of the time it's cheaper to buy store brand soups. And guess what - they taste just the same! Imagine that! At Walgreens, Campbell's condensed soup is normally $1.59. It was on sale for $0.89 a can, but I had a $0.40 coupon off of two. That would make each soup $0.69 each, which is a better deal than store brand soups (usually around $0.80 per can).

Then I bought a Thermacare heat wrap. I never buy these things - EXPENSIVE!!! But with one purchase ($2.49 sale price) I would get $2.50 back in Walgreens coupons which I can use on any future purchase at Walgreens. I also used a $1.00 coupon so I actually paid $1.49 for it and still got back $2.50.

Lastly, I bought some conditioner. It was on the "ethnic" aisle - I'm not sure if that really matters for my hair, but the reason I bought it is because I would get back $6 in Walgreens coupons for a future purchase. As I left the store though, I thought I had paid too much. When I went back inside, it turned out that the cashier had not put through one of my coupons. During the process of trying to refund me the correct amount, the computer messed up, so in the end the manager gave me an extra $6 in Walgreens coupons. Sweet!

Next stop - Food Lion
This week Food Lion is having some BIG savings! As Stephen said when I got home, "Well, we've got plenty of starches to last us!"

I bought Food Lion brand lasagna noodles because we love lasagna around here, and I know I'll use them. They are normally $1.99 but were on sale for $1.35. All other types of Food Lion brand pasta were on sale for $0.59 so I bought a 1-lb box of elbow macaroni and three 1-lb boxes of spaghetti (we eat a TON of spaghetti!!) Then it was off to the Mac and Cheese! Food Lion brand macaroni and cheese is on sale this week for $0.10 (normally $0.87). Seriously - when I saw that in the advertisement I was sure it was a misprint!! But no! So of course I bought 10 of those. A couple immediately went to a guy at work who is getting ready to have surgery. I figured mac and cheese from a box is something his son can cook for him. :) Then I found a couple of jars of baby food that were on sale. Normally I would pass right by these but they were only $0.35 each and don't expire until 11/10. Certainly Brianna will be eating more than breastmilk by then. Lastly I bought cooking butter because I use it all the time. It's normally $3.29 for 4 sticks but it was buy one get one free, making one package $1.65. Then I used a $1.50 coupon making it roughly $0.15. AWESOME!! So for 18 items I spent $5.77. I saved $13.49 and only used one coupon! The guy behind me in line actually said, "Whoa! She got awwwl thayat fer under six dollers!?" (He was country but knew a good deal when he saw one!)

Last stop - Rite Aid
Rite Aid is usually the place I know I'm gonna go every week. But this month their sales and rebates have not been stellar. Because I use "rollovers" at Rite Aid (I spend the money I make at Rite Aid only at Rite Aid) I decided to splurge on a new toothpaste. I'm definitely not picky about toothpaste but I do love trying new kinds! Aquafresh has a new toothpaste out and Rite Aid had a rebate for it. So it is normally $4.39 (and by the way, who in the world pays that much for toothpaste? I will hardly buy a shirt for $4.39!!) and it was on sale for $3.49. Then I had a coupon for $1.00 off and a $1.50 rebate on it. That means it was $0.99 which I normally wouldn't pay for toothpaste but like I said, I felt like splurging.

By the way, if you save your receipts from Rite Aid from 9/13/09 to 10/17/09 you can send the information to Rite Aid and get a check back (plus any rebate offers you are completing!) So save your receipts!