Non-Extreme Coupon Shopping Trip

6 months ago I would have considered myself an "Extreme Couponer".  Heck, I even called myself that with pride.  However, since the airing of TLC's Extreme Couponing, I now realize I am no where near "Extreme", if that show defines such title.  I now refer to myself as a "Real Couponer".  Yes, I love my coupons, the savings they bring my family, and my ability to provide awesome, well rounded, family pleasing meals for a fraction of retail cost, but I am not a hoarder.  I do not have 100's of items in my closets and garage just because they were cheap/free.  I may buy 20 of something (like I did today), but only when the item is at rock-bottom price, is something that my family uses frequently, and will be used before it's expiration date.

Take the sausages I bought for example.  I make breakfast for my family of 5 every morning and we generally go through 2 boxes of these sausages each week.  Therefore, the 20 boxes I bought will last us approximately 10 weeks, long enough for the next sale cycle to come around and allow me to stock back up for another 6-10 weeks.   At full price these 20 boxes would have cost me $35.80, however, I paid just $13.80 for them today; a savings of $22.00, or 63%.

I normally aim for a 50% or better savings, but today I bought lots of stock-up items, as well as a good bit of fresh produce, dairy, and meats.  I'm quite pleased with my overall savings of 44% ($95.40 at both stores)

Kroger

2 Coke 2 liters    1.19*

2 Kraft BBQ sauce .99*

Coffee Mate 2.99*

Huggie Wipes 2.44*

6 Chef Boy-ar-dee .99*

6 Totinos Party Pizzas 1.29*

20 Banquet Brown-n-serve Sausage (links & patties) 1.29*

Oscar Meyer bacon 3.29*

2 Totinos pizza rolls 1.29*

2 Oscar Meyer hot dogs 1.79*

2 Fruit by the Foot 2.29*

Flour 1.55**

Sugar 2.28**

2 Muffin mixes .58**

Chocolate Chips 2.15**

Garlic Salt 1.00**

Cinnamon 1.00**

Minced Onion 1.00**

3 Creamed soups .68**

Flour tortillas .89**

3 kraft shredded cheese 1.99

Stouffer’s lasagna 9.99

Chicken breasts 6.99**

Italian brats 3.50**

Pork chops 6.24

3 Ribeye steaks-manager markdown 13.09

Sausage roll 1.99**

2.07 lb bananas 1.14

0.86 lb apples 1.45

3 white corn 1.14

Nectarines 2.00

4 Cheetos 1.99*

Fritos 1.99*

Little Debbie Honey buns 1.59

Little Debbie cakes 1.79

Bread 1.00**

Hoagie Buns 1.99**

2 Large Eggs .88**

-$12.00 Daytona Sale Savings (0.30/per item with *)

-$6.98 Employee Savings (20% off each item with **)

-$13.55 Manufacturer coupons

=$110.97 paid    

Total savings of $81.14 (42%)

Publix

3 pepsi 12 packs B2G1F 3.26 each after savings

2 Cookie Crisp BOGO 1.65 –(2) .85 coupons = 0.80 each

YoPlait YoPlus 1.15 - .50 coupon doubled = .15

Tennessee Pride Sausage 1.99 - .75 coupon = 1.24

=$12.76 paid   

Total savings of $14.26  (53%)

Blessings from my home to yours!

~K