WALGREENS

Okay well I had a blast at Walgreens too!

I got:
5 Venus Razors
6 tins of Altoids
3 packs of paper plates
4 rolls of paper towels
1 8 oz cream cheese
1 string cheese
3 sure deodorants
1 Gallon Milk
1 Creamer

I used
5 $4 coupons for the Razors
6 $1 coupons for the altoids
3 .50 coupons for the paper plates
4 .25 coupons for the paper towels
2 $1 coupons for the Sure deodorant
1 .75 coupon for the sure deodorant
1 .50 coupon for the creamer

I used 2 $7 Register Rewards
Total I spent: 30.56
19.58 of that was Gift card
12.05 of that was out of pocket

BUT I have $30 in RR for later :)

Again let me know if you want more details!

Budget Update!

Okay, well as I suspected, this month will be harder to judge, since we will have company, and next month will likely be the same. Then January is when we usually take our family trip to Alabama to see our family. SO...I will do my best to keep posting just to show you what frugal finds I found! BUT it may honestly be a little later before I can show you how we do $160 a month. The MoneySavingMom breaks hers down and tries to only spend $40 per week. That is always my goal, but it usually works better for me to look at it on the one month scale. We also have a few rules that I may not have shared with you just yet about our grocery budget:

1. It is not a do or die type budget. We do understand (take this month for example) that things will change.
2. I get my grocery money in cash and I try VERY hard to stick to that budget. It usually works well. We had two very successful months before the holidays hit!
3. Any refunds I generate with my grocery budget get added to the grocery budget. For example, the turkey I bought during triple coupons, had a free after rebate offer on it. And the Just for Men, that $7 rebate, both of those will go into my grocery money. Also, any purchases I make at Walgreens I use my gift card. THAT means those don't come out of my grocery budget. Which is why I do often buy sugar, cream cheese, milk, etc at Walgreens.

I think that covers most of our rules. I will let you know as this keeps up how we have done. I went to Aldi's, Lowes Foods, and Walmart last night, but I don't have my receipts handy, so I can't tell you how awesome we did...I will tell you when I can though! I am thinking that even if I can keep the budget under $200 that would be good...what do you think?

Oh, and do you have questions? I would love to answer any questions, just let me know :)

CVS Findings!

Okay well, I seem to have spent a little more than I intended, since we are trying HARD to stay within budget while having family in town AND hosting Thanksgiving dinner! However, I am still really proud. I made three trips and these are the results:
Trip 1

I bought:
4 Glade Glass Scents 2.50 each (10.00)
1 bag Peach Gummy Rings my favorite! (.50) ~they were 90% off!
1 Peeps Halloween candy (.09) ~again, 90% off
1 Brach Autumn mix (.13) ~finally, 90% off

that totals to: 10.72
I used these coupons:
2 Buy One Get One free for the Glade (so -$5)

That bought my total to: 5.72

I then used 5.29 in ECB's
=.43
+.37 tax

Total-$.80

I earned $5 ECB's on the Glade

TRIP 2

I bought:
4 4-pack of AA batteries (5.29 each)
total 21.16

-$1.75 in mc (I had a $1 and a .75)
=19.41
-$14 ECB's
=5.41
+.48
=5.89 TOTAL

I earned $15 ECB's (all in all this isn't bad, but I sorta regret this purchase...it is more than I ever like to spend Out of Pocket (OOP) at CVS, however, Matt really encouraged me to get the batteries with Christmas coming!)

Finally
TRIP 3

I bought:
1 Loreal Age Prefect 15.99
1 print .29 (for my application to school YAY!)

Total = 16.28
-1.00 Loreal mc
=15.28
-$15 ECB
=.28
+.09
=.37

I earned $15.99 in ECBs

Over all I am very pleased with the weeks purchases at CVS I can't wait till next week. They have some awesome deals to bust up that $15.99 ECB I am stuck with!

About that meat ...;)

Well, since you asked about meat...I went to Kroger tonight. I had two things on my mind. The 39 cents per pound turkey AND the $1.67 per pound Boneless Skinless Chicken breast. This is what I got:


1 21 pound turkey! YAY! (8.31)
6 8 oz packages of cheese (3/$5) (Remember all that pepperoni?)
1 Oscar Myer Bacon (1.69)
1 Ham lunch meat (1.29)
1 Coffee Mate (1.99)
3 cloth napkins (.25 each) ~ For a kids craft project
1 bag of fall candles (.97)

Total-$25

- .50 mc on the coffee mate (doubled)
+ .58 tax
=24.58

NOW in all the excitement about that HUGE turkey (anyone want to join our "misfit Thanksgiving" I think we have enough turkey!) I forgot to get my rain check on the chicken. I may just pay the 1.99 at Lowes Foods this week.

Just to show you what a 21 pound turkey would normally cost...

Walgreens Take TWO! (Made some money!)

So I made some money at Walgreens today...and honestly it just makes me smile.

I bought-
2 5lb bags of sugar (3.49 each)
1 Loreal Age Perfect (14.99)
1 Blue Bonnet Marg (1.35)

Total-23.32
-$5 off $20 purchase*
=$18.30
-$3 (in ad coupon for the sugar, making it 1.99 each)
-.30 Domino Sugar mc
-.30 Domino Sugar mc
-.50 Blue Bonnet mc
-$2 Loreal mc
=$12.22
+.78 tax
=$13.00 (gift card)

I will get a 14.99 (+10%) rebate for the Loreal on my Walgreens Gift Card. Making my profit at least $2

*The coupon is supposed to be $5 off a $20 purchase, and that meaning $20 AFTER coupons, however, I have talked to the manager and several clerks and they don't go by those rules. I even had a manager helping me tonight and we talked about it. So, just an FYI!

Left out a Kroger

Okay, So here is a recap of where we are this month and what I have spent and what we have left!

I now have $71 and some change.

I think I left our a trip to Kroger where I bought this:



For the grand price of 6.67.
I had coupons for everything except the Oats. But we will use those, and I think they ended up being $2 each!

I also went to ALDI's last night with the kids. We spent $30.30 and got:
Potatoes
2 bags Tortilla Chips
2 loaves bread
1 gallon milk
2 dozen eggs
3 8 oz chunks of cheese
2 packs hot dog buns
1 bag brown sugar
1 pack coffee filters
1 2 lb carton of red grapes (which I am enjoying now:))

SO...we will see how the rest of the month goes with what I have left...do you think I can do it? I am having my doubts! I am ready to see!

Can you say tired?

Okay well deal hunting can be a bit tiring. Let's see, since Thursday, I have been to Harris Teeter, 6 times. I added a Kroger in there. Then of course yesterday I went to CVS and Walgreens. I finally was done with the triple coupons at about 11:30 (hmm, that was a little too close to the end at Midnight) and crawled into be at about 1:30 am. After taking lots of photos for you of course!

So, I have been talking to many several people lately and, you all (at least I hope you are reading this) seem to want to know how I can provide our family with groceries and such for $160 a month. SO, what I am going to do (at least try to do) is post every purchase I make. That way you can see how we make it work!

That said, the next few months may be somewhat trying...with the holidays, my Daddy and Sister are coming in November! Then my Mom and Step Dad in Dec, finally in January, we will attempt to drive home to let our sweet Lydia meet the rest of the family. However, though all that I will try my best to keep my budget of $160 a month. We shall see.

To be able to easily follow this I will put a label on each post that goes with a certain month. For us, our month started on Friday (well I cheated and "borrowed" to make it start Thursday! So this month the post label will be "month 1" Let me know if you are really interested in this...I don't want to put the effort out there if there is no one to read it...

Well below you will see the beginnings of the month. We started strong!

Triple Coupons Sum Up-

Six trips, and here is the summary...
Trips one and two are here
TRIP 3-12.22

TRIP 4- 7.08 (and I should get a rebate mailed to me of 4.49!)

TRIP 5- 9.63

TRIP 6- I am still looking for this total, but it was closer to $25/$30


No great detail, since it is over...let me know if you want more info! I am missing some receipts, I will update this when I have them!

CVS

What a great week!

Trip 1:



I bought:

1 Loreal Anti Wrinkle cream 11.99
1 St Ives Body Wash 3.99

I used these coupons:
- $1 mc for the Loreal
- $2 mc for the St Ives (here)
- $1 Store Coupon for any full size body wash

I then used $11 ECBs (extra care bucks, from previous trips)

Toatl OOP- $1.25

ECB's earned - 11.99 (for Loreal)
3.00 (for St Ives)

earned $4 YAY!

Trip 2


I bought:
Huggies Diapers $9.50
Peeps (clearance) .25
St Ives Body wash 3.99
Listerine Agent Blue 3.99

I used these coupons
- $2 mc for the St Ives (here)
- $1 mc for the Listerine Agent Blue (here)
- $1.50 mc Huggies Coupon

I then used the $11.99 ECB from the first purchase

Bringing my total to 1.24
+.52 tax
=1.76 OOP

AND I earned $3 ECB for the St Ives AND $3 ECB for the Listerine!

Neither store had the water :( I may try for it later, but not really needed, so probably not...we will see!

Week at Walgreens

Well as I said, Walgreens had some cool deals this week. Combine that with the great coupons and you had a really good week.

Trip 1:


On this stop, I got:

2 papers (more coupons) .93 each
3 tissue papers .99 for all three
1 can Progreso Soup 1.25 (with in ad coupon)
1 Blue Bonnett Marg .67 (with in ad coupon)
2 Reach Floss .99 (with in ad coupon)
1 Corn Starch .50 (with in ad coupon)
1 Baking Powder .50 (with in ad coupon)

I then used:
-$1.10 Progreso mc coupon HERE (final - .15)
- $1.00 mc coupon for corn starch and Baking soda(Sunday's paper)(final-FREE)
- $1.00 mc coupon for Reach floss (final-FREE)
- $1.00 mc coupon for Reach floss (final-FREE)
- .50 mc for the Blue Bonnett Margarine(Sunday's paper)(final- .17)

tax on that was .39

bringing my total to - $3.54 (on gift card)

Trip 2


I bought:

4 baking powders - .50 each (with in ad coupon)
3 Blue Bonnett Marg - .67 each (with in ad coupon)
1 Sunkist - $1.29

Then I used:
2 - $1.00 off 2 Baking soda(Sunday's paper)(final-FREE)
3 - .50 mc for the Blue Bonnett Margarine(Sunday's paper)(final- .17)
1 - $1 off Sunkist Soda (printed from the register in a previous trip)

My total was then .79
+ .17 tax
=.96 (on gift card)