3-10-12 Shopping Trip

The new experiment of shopping twice a month is turning out to be successful!
I bring home less and less stuff in one trip! :)

I'm also very proud of myself today for not buying things I didn't need...

Ok, I bought some things that I didn't need. But they will get used/consumed.

For example, of something I turned down. At Raley's Progresso canned soup was on sale (select varieties) for only $1 a can!! With my $1/4 coupon I could get them for $0.75 each. Which is a really good price for that kind of canned soup. The only reason I didn't take advantage of the deal is because I don't need canned soup. I have a good stockpile of it already, and I don't feel that I need to add to it at this point.
So even though it was a good sale and coupon deal I still saved $6 by NOT buying any (I had 2 coupons).

As for the purchases I did make it to the checkout line with, here are the highlights from the trip, as well as a break down of my transactions and savings at both CVS Pharmacy and Raley's stores.


Everything in the picture below was either a $1 or less!!

Ocean Spray Juice $1 ea.
Dole Tropical Fruit $1 ea.
Fresh Express bagged salad $0.99 ea.
Nature Valley granola bars $0.99 ea.
Variety of Protein bars (21 total) averaged $0.94 ea.
French's Classic Yellow mustard $0.74 ea.
Uncle Ben's ready rice cups $0.71 ea.
Johnson & Johnson hospital grade gauze pads $0.57 ea.
Softsoap Body wash $0.50 ea.
Iodized salt (kroger brand) $0.45
Tortilla chips (raley's brand) FREE
Fire Roasted salsa (raley's brand) FREE
Pepper and Corn salsa (raley's brand) FREE
Jelly Beans FREE


Paid a little over $35 for everything in the picture below. Did 4 transactions to make it happen!

Transaction #1
Colgate multipack toothbrush $7.29
used $0.75/1 coupon
Total OOP: $7.04 w/ tax
received $3.00 ECB (extra care bucks/CVS cash)

Transaction #2
2 Softsoap body wash 2/$7
used 2 $0.50/1 coupons
1 Jelly Beans $0.99
used $3.00 ECB from Trans. #1
Total OOP: $4.47 w/ tax
received $5.00 ECB (for softsoap)
received $0.99 ECB (for Jelly beans)

Transaction #3
4 M&M's bagged candy $12 ($3 ea.)
used 2 $1.50/2 coupons
used $5.99 ECB from Trans. #2
Total OOP: $3.01
received $3.00 ECB

Transaction #4
Listerine $5.99
used $1/1 coupon
3 Zone perfect bars $0.37 ea. (clearance)
3 Met Rx bars $2.57 ea. (Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale)
used $2/2 coupon
3 Pure Protein bars $2.19 ea. (B2G1 free sale)
used 2 $1/1 coupons
12 Balance Bars $1.77 ea. (B2G1 free sale)
used 2 $1/5 coupons
used $3.00 ECB
Total OOP: $21.19

All 4 Transactions together:
Spent: $35.71
Saved: $47.18
I love saving more than I spent!!


At Raley's spent less than $20 on everything in the picture:

Just one transaction this time :)

Downy softener $4.49
used $0.50/1 coupon
2 Filippio Berio olive oil $3.99 ea.
used 2 $1/1 coupons
2 Keebler cookies $1.99 ea.
used $0.55/2 coupon
2 Fresh Express Salad $0.99 ea.
2 lbs Tomatoes $1.49/lb $2.71
Bob's Red Mill whole grain oatmeal $2.49
used $1/1 coupon
Raley's Tortilla chips $1.99
Raley's Fire roasted Salsa $1.25
Raley's Pepper and corn Salsa $1.99
used Raley's store coupons Get all 3 items free when you spend $20

Spent: $19.58
Saved: $29.26

I also shopped at Smith's, Albertsons, and Walmart. Most of the $1 and under items were from Walmart. And, at Smith's I purchased mostly meat as they were having a very good sale on Beef and Pork, and, even though I did buy other items at Smith's I didn't use any coupons there today!!