Publix Nibble

For my lenten sacrifice, instead of giving up a food item (though I probably should), I’m going to curtail my bargain hunting.   It has become all-consuming and a time-waster all week long, checking for something I may have missed.   SOOOO my coupon and grocery posts are going to be fewer because, HOPEFULLY, I will spend less time dinking around :).

And now for the details.

Not much on coupon + sale for me this week other than the Pillsbury deal I already wrote about here.    We were out of town this weekend so I didn’t bother to buy much before we left in case the fridge died or something while we were gone.   I also didn’t want the meat to go bad.

I went first thing in the AM to get staples for lunch:

Milk – 1 qt – $1.59

Bananas – 1.4 lbs – $$0.97 ($0.69/lb.)

Peter Pan PB – $3.99

Cream Cheese – $1.85

Bread – $3.69 – $0.55 peelie = $3.14

Total Spent – $12.09

Total Coupons – $0.55

Total OOP – $11.54

Savings – 4%

Trip Two was to get what I needed for the week.   Again, I didn’t really have any coupons and not much was on sale.   My limited pantry space has limited my savings.  BUT I spent about $66 this week so I’m starting to get CLOSER to my goal of $50/week.   This is the same grocery budget I’ve had for 3 years even though the price of groceries has almost doubled in that time.   Anyway, I bought:

Italian Sausage – $2.49/lb – 2 PKS – $6.25 total

Pancake Mix (Krusteaz) – $1.89

Pepperoni – $3.89

2 Banquet Sausage – $1.89 BOGO

Kaukauna Cheese Ball – $3.99

Olives – $1.95

Pickle Relish – $1.59

OJ – $3.99 – up $0.20 :(!

Hamburger Buns (none to be found at the WD!) – $2.99

Puczki – $4.49 — it’s not Fat Tuesday without Puczki!!!

Total Regular Price – $40.14

Total Sale Price – $33.02

Savings – 17%

Publix Nibbles

So I finally found out what happens if you are assertive enough to point out that they charged you a price different from the sign.

I went to Publix yesterday to get bananas and some bagels for breakfast.   Sign said $2.99 / bag for bagels.   Check out listed them as $3.99.    Guy did some digging and saw the sign was left out from last weeks sale.    I got one free and the other two at the old sale price.  Neat!

Today, however, I had some major luck.   I was actually able to do a shopping trip EXACTLY as I planned it before I left.   They had everything I wanted and used all the coupons right.   I bought:

4 Pillsbury Pizza Dough Tubes, 6 Crescent Roll Tubes and 5 Garlic Breadstick Tubes.   All on sale for 3/$5.00.    15 items @ 3/$5 = $25.00.   Plus I used coupons — a $0.75/3 blinkie (collected a week or two ago before the box emptied), a $0.60/2 IP from the Pillsbury newsletter site, (4) $0.40/1 pizza dough, and (6) $0.25/1 Crescent Roll’s = $4.45 in Q’s.   PLUS there was a mail-in form in a Sunday insert a few weeks back where if you bought 15 participating items IN ONE TRIP from Publix, you get a $10 Publix Gift Card.    SO:   $25.00 on sale – $10 MIR – $4.45 MFG Q = $10.55 for 15.   Avg of $0.71 each.   Not bad for stuff that normally costs $2.50 each!!!

I also had some Q’s from my Baby Club new member packet that I used today.     They had the large refill packs of Huggies Wipes on sale for $5.99 and I got a $1.50 Store Q = $4.49.

AND Huggies Baby Soap was BOGO AND I had a BOGO Store Q so I got 2 for FREE!!!

And, not quite as cool, I needed some cheese for all the pizzas we will be making 🙂 – Sargento – 2/$4 – $0.50/2Q = 2/$3.50.   Not great, but not bad.

Total regular price – $60.43

Total Sale Price – $38.28

Total Coupons – $9.74

Total OOP – $28.54

Total MIR – $10.00

Trip Cost – $18.54

Savings – 69%!!

I think that’s my personal grocery store best!

Coupon Craziness 5.5

Let me just start off by saying I HATE Florida pricing laws. I never realized it was different until I left Michigan. In Michigan you are required to put a price on EVERY item (except 25 or something like that). And if you are charged the wrong price, you have to fix it and then some.

In Florida, nothing is labeled. And it’s probably on the wrong hanger or over the wrong shelf tag. And the stores never put up their sale taggies in front of the items or take their sweet @$$ time doing it. It’s enough to make me go batty!!!

Okay, rant over. Today was a mixed bag.

First, I went to Publix. The Grocery Game (referral info: jensteed.08 at gmail dot com) had listed a great deal on Cover Girl lip gloss for $0.75 each. My Publix, however, doesn’t carry cosmetics. Talk about moving from Podunk to Podunk South.

Then I went to CVS.

I fared a little better there. I bought:

Huggies Wipes – 2/$5, less a $0.50/1Q = $2.00

Huggies Baby Soap -2/$5, less a $1.00/1Q = $1.50

Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash – $3.99 – $0.75/1Q – $1ECB = $2.24

Kotex Long Pantyliners (16ct) – $1.49 – $1.49/CRT = FREE!

Stinky Foot Powder Spray – $4.99

And finally, the basis of my rant, 12 Hershey Bars, 50% off for Valentines day. I THOUGHT I heard someone say they rang up at $0.25 yesterday, but what they SAID was $0.75. When I got out to the car and looked at the receipt and found out they were 3 times more than I thought, I couldn’t decide whether to take them back or not. $0.75 a bar? That’s almost full price! 50% off my butt!! Then in my pissivity, I opened one and started chowing away. They are a LOT bigger than normal. These bars were 3.5 oz each; normal bars are 1.45 oz. So I kept them :).

Total Regular Price – $44.59

Total Sale Price – $27.47

Less Coupons Used – $3.74

Total OOP – $23.73

Less ECB’s Earned – $22.73

Savings – 50%

I also made a quick stop at the WinnDixie. I don’t like it as much as the Publix (it’s dirty), but they have better sales. The Grocery Game also pointed out this deal that I got:

2 boxes of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes (12 oz) – on sale for $1.77 each – $1.50/2Q = $1.02/box.

Total Regular Price – $6.58

Total Sale Price – $3.54

Less Coupons – $1.50

Total OOP – $2.04

Savings – 69%

Publix Nibbles

I made several trips to Publix during the last week or two but didn’t get things entered very timely. Since I want them all posted as a price book of sorts, I’m putting them in and backdating the post so as not to distract those who don’t care about a lengthy grocery store post.

I was hoping to get more on my run last Friday (2/6) but I didn’t do my homework well enough and some of the stuff that was on sale and had coupons for wasn’t stuff we would use or wasn’t otherwise what I thought it was. Isn’t that part of the art of couponing? To not buy things that will go to waste just because it’s a good deal?

Anyway, on Friday, I picked up some sale items and perishables. There was no menu plan because we have friends in from out of town and we are all winging it based on the kids schedules. I bought:

On sale, with coupons:
4 boxes of Uncle Bens rice – $1.49 each, on sale BOGO and I used 2 $1/1Q from their website = $0.25 each.

3 Idahoan potato packets – $1.39, on sale for $0.50, used a $0.75/3 coupon = $0.25 each

On sale, no coupon
French bread – $1.29
Pepperoni – $3.00

No sale, with coupons
2 Kraft shredded cheese – $3.89 each – $1Q = $2.89 each

No sale, no coupons
Donut holes – $1.79
Bananas – $1.29 ($0.69/lb.)
Pineapple – $6.49
4 Peaches – $3.28 ($1.99/lb.)
6 eggs – $0.95
Quart of milk – $1.59
Quart of Silk – $2.35
Chicken breast – $8.42 ($3.99/lb.)
Tortillas – $2.59
Miracle Whip – $2.39
2 Pizza Sauce – $2.75
Olives – $1.29
Spicy Chili Beans – $0.81
Salsa – $1.99

Total regular price – $64.52
Total sale price – $57.36
Less coupons used – $4.75
Total OOP – $52.63
Total savings – 18%

Monday, I went back for some sales that I saw on the Grocery Game list. I’m not sure if I’m going to continue that. By the time she gets it up there are only 2 days left and the good stuff is picked over AND it’s so expensive down here that her prices are always lower than I will find them. So what am I paying her for again? I guess I’ll have to see what I buy based on her info this month to find out if it will pay for itself.

BUT, I did find a few deals from here that I went back for and a few staples.

On sale, with coupon:
2 knorr sides that were BOGO ($1.69 each) and I had a $0.75/2Q to use = $0.47 each. NOTE: they were the Garlic & Butter Cajun Sides–the most terrible thing I ever tasted! Good thing they were cheap!

On sale, no coupon
2 Land O Lakes Spreadable butter – $1.50 each
White vinegar (gal.) – $2.29
2 loaves of French bread – $1.29 each

No coupons or sales
Steno pad – $1.29

Total regular price – $15.62
Total sale price – $11.43
Less coupons used – $0.75
Total OOP – $10.10
Savings – 35%

Tuesday, I went back again because I found the coupon I was looking for Monday.

On sale, with coupon
3 starfish pouch creations on sale 3/$5 and had a B2G1 coupon. This made them $1.11 each. I’d like to eat for fish so I’m happy with that price to try it out.

No sale or coupon
BBQ Sauce – $1.29

Total regular price – $6.95
Total sale price – $6.29
Less coupons used – $1.67
Total OOP – $4.62
Savings – 33%

I’m liking that finding good deals means I get to try new things.

Publix Nibble

I did a little better at matching coupons with sales at the Publix this week.

Not on sale or coupon-ready but bought anyway:

Beer – 12 pk – $10.49

Milk – 1 qt – $1.59

Fresh Squeezed, not-from-concentrate, Florida grown OJ – $3.79

Yummiest Pre-Cut Pineapple EVER! – $8.03

Flat Earth Chips – $2.99

Parmesian Cheese – $2.19

Bananas – $1.10

Bread – $3.69   (we like what I call LEAD BREAD)

1/2 dozen eggs – $0.95

On Sale or Coupons:

Combo Meal (8 pc Mixed Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Baked Beans & 4 pc Kings Hawaiian Rolls) – $10.59   + coupon for free 1 gal green tea ($2.39)

Dole Fruit Cups (4) – BOGO – $5.26 – $0.75/3Q = $1.12 each

Dole Fruit Parfaits (2) – BOGO – $2.63 – $1/2Q = $0.82 each

Strawberries (2) – 2/$5 (sale)

Campbells Chunky Soup – BOGO – $2.55 – $0.50/2Q = $1.03 each

Nestle Cookie Dough – 2/$5 – $1/2Q = $2.00 each

Betty Crocker Potatoes (2) – $1.89 each (reg price) – $1/2Q – $1.39 each

Bertolli Spaghetti Sauce (2) – BOGO – $3.13 = $1.57 each

Total Spent – $68.49

Total Saved – $27.75

Savings – 40%