Major savings at Walgreens and grocery stores!

Ok so my biggest savings this week was at Walgreens. But my two local grocery stores had some good buys too!

62% savings on two transactions at Walgreens!
Using their Register Rewards "RR" system you can get coupons off your next purchase on qualifying items. I like the ones that are $5 or more off and then I either go back in the same week to use them or hold them for the next week. It's funny because I waited until the last day of the sale and could have gone back to duplicate the awesome savings if I'd had my coupon surplus with me!*** That is one good and bad thing about Walgreens that I have learned. They do not place a limit on how many "transactions" you do with in a week to get their register rewards and good deals (CVS does-limit one per member card-one member card per household). The cool part of that is you can go back and get the deal again. The downfall is that most drug stores don't stock up on these items (unlike grocery stores) so when they run out, you are out of luck. I believe they do have A rain check policy but I'd rather get it that day. So I combine Walgreens super sales with manufacturers coupons and get RR back. This week my retail (original store price)on 11 items was $64 and out of pocket I spent only $19.97. My best deal was Dove Body wash/soap. The items I got (24oz women's body wash, 6 pack women's bar soap, 6 pack men's body wash) retailed around $8 each. They were on sale for $6 each. Then I had a manufactures coupon for each (that happen to expire the next day) that equalled $1 off each-lowering my price to $5 each. I added my $5 from a RR deal I bought earlier in the day-lowering to $3.33 each. Then I got $6 RR for buying three. So that in theory made them like $1.33 each. Then the added bonus was that the body wash had a bonus deodorant attached to it (retail at least $2). So that's not too shabby! Then there was an error that the clerk made and my RR didn't come out so I ended up with a total of $6.97 and he just gave me cash back for the RR error and I left the store for $0.52!!!

I've been listening to the Krazy Coupon Lady podcast (free on I-tunes, new one each week) and they confirmed what I have found true for grocery stores. These lady's are good and they don't have places that do double couponing and they said that a good deal on food is about 50-60%. which made me happy because the last few weeks I have averaged a 55% savings on each transaction at the grocery store (I use Price Chopper & Hy-Vee). They also confirmed that you can get better savings at these type of food stores (they call high-lows---retail high, super low sales) than at major super stores (WalMart, Target, KMart) [which if you know me it THRILLED me because I hate WalMart-email me if you want my rants on them]!!! I have even stooped low(morally for me) to look at WalMart ads and they really don't have that great of sales. I have not found a deal good enough to merit me taking a trip there-granted it might have to be almost free and the ability to get multiples for me to walk in to that store (sorry to those of you with less options in your area-Dollar General is a good option!) They also talked about Bulk stores like SAMs and Costco-on produce you might be saving but everything else you are probably paying Way too much! So that pretty much confirmed my findings so far and made me feel good.

Big grocery savings items this week:

Hy-Vee
Hamburger/chicken/tuna Helper on sale for $0.88/box, add $0.75 off three= $0.63 each. A nice thing to throw in the cabinet for a fast meal every once in a while. Retail is around $2.50.
Fresh quartered chicken-$0.39/pound, 10 pound bag (like equivalent of 2.5 whole chickens)=$3.90. that's a lot, I'll cut some of it and freeze and my crock pot one piece for this week-should make two meals for us.
Michelinas frozen entrees (great for quick lunch at work) on sale for $0.49 each (retail $1.49) add MF coupon for $1 off 5= $0.29 each! Now that cheap lunch! $1 is usually good for the things I pick up for a quick lunch but that's super good!

Price Chopper
French's Worcestershire sauce on sale $1 each, add MF coupon =$0.25 each! I used the only two coupons I could get my hands on (it was a new coupon-non thrown out yet)
Velveeta Skillets Meals (new item, like Hamburger Helper products but they look better) on sale for $2, add $1 off one =$1 each. I picked up three-retailed around $3-good deal.


So that's the highlights this week. Sorry for long (if you are still reading!) I'm going to make an effort to blog more often instead of piling it all in one big post. There's just so much to talk about!!! Next weeks goals-get a CVS card and check them out-supposed to be better than Walgreens.

***my new crazy idea is to get a traveling file box and move my surplus of coupons (remember I only buy one set each week and cut them to carry in my purse and then find recycled (ok--dumpster dive) for extra copies) and file those by date in file folders. If I take these folders on the go I can go back into a store after finding a steal of a deal and replicate the transaction. And as CRAZY as it is I've started packing scissors in my car already for quick cutting on newly acquired coupons. :) I just have too much fun with this game!!!

Walgreens Good Deals-94% Savings

Ok so first off...WOW has it really been a month since I have blogged!  I've done some light couponing, but I've been pretty swamped with the busy season at work.  My house is still a wreck from the whirlwind of July.  But I had the chance this week to grin in amusement as I spent little to nothing and came home with lots of goods from Walgreens.

The first big sale I saw was for Kerr lotion, but it was a one day sale.  I was crossing my fingers that it was a deal in STL as we were traveling there for a wedding.  I made my husband, brother-in-laws, and father-in-law wait in the car on the way from the wedding to the reception so I could check out this awesome deal.  The deal was Kerr lotion (retail 6.99) on sale for $5.99.  Purchase one, get a $5 Register Rewards coupon good on your next purchase.  The cool part was that I had a $3 off Catalina coupon (comes out of the register at WG when you purchase other items).  So I ended up spending $2.99 plus tax and got $5 back.  So in essence I just gained $2 for buying that body lotion!!!!


So this week I did some research to decide how I could use that $5 to my best advantage.  My first transaction I got Aussie 3 Minute Miracle conditioner, retail $3.99, minus $0.99 WG Sale, minus $1 MFC = $2 total (plus Register Rewards gained at checkout $1).  Then I had been really waiting Peanut Butter M&M's and couldn't find the small bags at Target or Hy-Vee.  Walgreens not only had them, but had them on sale for $0.49 (normal $0.99-which is crazy high) and I was able to add a MFC for $1.00 off two so I got two packages of M&M for FREE.  In the same isle there was a sale on Trident Gum, usually $1.29 but on sale for $0.79 each.  I had a coupon for $1.00 off 3, so I paid $0.46 each pack of gum!  I then went to the shaving area.  I have a Gillette Venus razor and love it.  There is always Gillette products coupons in the month P&G insert (comes out the first Sunday of the month).  Walgreens was offering a $4 Register Reward for the ProGlide Venus Razor package (one razor, suction cup holder for shower, and two refill blades).  It normally was $10.99, on sale for $9.99.  I added a $5 off MFC so my total was $4.99 with $4 back.  I used my $5.00 coupon from the Kerr lotion the Saturday before and basically got that razor for FREE.  I added Bic Highlighters (normally $2.99, on sale for $0.79) and a package of face wipes for $2.49.  My total after $13.00 in MFC and $6.91 in Walgreens Sale was $7.45 AND TWO RR Coupons came out of the register totally $5 off my next purchase.  I calculated that to be a 72% savings, not counting the RR which I used on a future purchase.

Transaction #3
  This one was disappointing, kinda.  Revlon Nail polish, on sale for $3.99, buy one get a $3 RR coupon.  I couldn't find a MFC to go with it, but that is still a good deal.  I also added the $1 RR from the earlier transaction to make it $2.99 so with the new coupon-practically Free. So I purchased it but the RR didn't come out.  I asked the sales person and they handed me a mail in paper.  I guess it wasn't working but since it was advertised they had to still offer it, now I just have to mail it in and wait 6 weeks...not so much fun!

Transaction #4
 (I searched through my archive at home and couldn't find another gum or razor coupon, but did find two more M&M ones)
I really like those round face cleansing pads and was out, so I decided that would be my free item to get with my RR left over.  I also needed to stock up on M&M at that price (only problem is I eat chocolate fast-so stocking up ins't really the word, lol).  So I bought Clearasil Face Cleansing Pads, retail $5.49, on sale for $3.49; 4 bags of M&M's all on sale for $0.49 and more Bic Highlighters because $0.74 is super good and I wasn't sure if I would have enough to use my $4 off coupon.  My Grand Total for this transaction....$0.74!!!!  THAT's 94% Savings!!!  I was wishing for more RR to use next week, but I'm not feeling very good today so I'm not dumpster diving or driving to town!!!  I think I did pretty good for the week.

Weekly Summary
Transaction #1 in STL
  Lotion and Q-tips
 Total $5.47, RR of $5

Transaction #2
Conditioner, Razor, 3 packs M&M, 3 packs Trident gum, Highlighters, Face Wipes
Total $7.45, RR of $1 & $4

Transaction #3
Revilon Nail Polish
Total $3.06, RR of $3 (but my mail so I have to wait) :(

Transaction #4
4 packs M&M, Clearsil Face Pads, Highlighters
Total $0.74

Total spent was $16.72
Retail price was $52.93
Total savings was 68.4%

I could have had a higher percentage but I did buy Q-tips at full price, as well as Face Wipes.  But I needed those.  Still not bad.