Today, I did better at Walmart, Walgreen's and CVS I think than at Safeway. Although I got to use store coupons + eCoupons + paper coupons all on one item at Safeway, if they're starting price, sale or not, is SO much higher, it's still not worth it. I chose to save my coupons for another day, and instead of getting what I planned on getting, I found good-priced products & food, then hunted on my coupon list to see if I possibly had an ecoupon or paper coupon for it. If I did, then I got those instead of what I originally had on my list. Our family doesn't really care if I buy frozen fish sticks one week and chicken patties the next - or vice-versa.
Here's some deals I found:
WalMart, I went in just to check prices on health & beauty items. I wrote in those prices next to the same item on my coupons list so I could enter them in a price book or on a price sheet later. I found Suave deodorant for 97 cents. I looked on my printout of coupons (alphabetized) and saw I had a coupon for .75 off ANY Suave deodorant. I only paid 22 cents for it (plus tax)! That's a great deal!
Walgreen's, I found Dawn dish detergent that's regularly $2.49. I clipped a store coupon from their flyer right there in the aisle for $1 off, so now it was $1.49. I had another paper coupon of my own for another $1 off. I paid 50 cents for it.
I saw Brut deodorant is normally $2.99. Last week they were sold out but I got a rain check to preserve the price at $1.50. I got one yesterday for the $1.50 plus used a paper coupon for another $1 off, so I paid .50 for that too. (With 5 of us, 3 hard-working guys, and living 30 miles from a store to buy more, we don't want to run out of deodorant). This was a great deal.
I also got 2 boxes of Garnier(?) HerbaShine hair color. It's always $7.99. I got a coupon for a FREE BOX by liking their Facebook page just a few weeks ago, and they mailed me the coupon. I also printed online a coupon for $3 off a box of the same product. My hair is long, and it usually takes 2 boxes, so getting a deal on 1 box but paying a lot for the 2nd is no fun. Yesterday I bought 2 boxes, used both coupons, and instead of paying $16, I only paid $5 for BOTH boxes, or just $2.50 a piece. Another great deal in my book.
Crest mouthwash - the largest one I've seen, is usually around $6 a bottle. After using the Dollar Tree version of mouthwash, that price seems ridiculous. Anyway, I happened to find it in Walgreen's on sale cheaper than the smaller bottle - it was $3.99. I had a coupon for $2 off a bottle, so I got a large $6 bottle for just $1.99. When I figured out the difference, we got MORE mouthwash per ounce than if we'd spent the same $2 at a dollar store, so that was also a great buy!
CVS - not really a coupon thing, but their flyer had VO5 shampoo & conditioner for just 77 cents, no coupon necessary, so we got a few of those.
Okay, now on to Safeway...
I found Eggo muffin tops (like frozen waffles), these normally sell for $3.69 each, but were on sale for $2. I had a store coupon for $1 off 2 and an eCoupon for another .75 off 2. I ended up paying just $1.13 each.
Yogurt - Greek yogurt cups usually range from $1.39 to $1.79 each. I can't pay that much for just 5 - 6 oz of yogurt, even if it is good. I had a lot of coupons on these:
I bought 5 Greek cups (some Yoplait, some Dannon Oikos). They were on sale for $1 each, so that's already a savings of about $2.50 on the 5 of them. Then didn't have any eCoupons on these but I had a paper coupon for a FREE cup, and 2 more coupons that let me save $1 on 2 cups, so those were like a Buy One Get One FREE coupon. I paid $2 for all 5 yogurts, just .40 each!
Also I happened to notice an "introductory price" sale sticker on Tampax Pearl Compak 18 ct. boxes. They're $5.49, I had an eCoupon for $2 off a box of any "Pearl" box. Then I had a paper coupon for Buy One Get One FREE on the exact same product up to $6.49. I got 2 boxes and paid a total of just $2.49 or only $1.25 each!
My biggest lessons learned this week:
1. You really can get better quality and spend less than for the store brand or dollar store brands by using coupons carefully.
2. Don't use a coupon just because you have it. If the store price, even on sale, is too high to start with, don't waste the coupon.
3. Pairing coupons - store flyer clipped ones + eCoupons + paper coupons = amazing savings!
Good luck on your own shopping! If you're interested in coming to a class at my house on Nov. 8th at 1:00pm, I'm hosting Kara, the one who taught me how to do this. For just $5 a person, you too can learn how to save BIG on groceries and household items. If you're not in AZ, I'm working on an East Coast program for you. It'll take some time to get to know what stores you have, their coupon policies, etc. But when it's done, I'll make it available on a blog for you.
