Results from today's Frugal shopping trip!
$202.19 worth of food!
$47.49 Out of Pocket!
BUT!
I received $26.00 in Catalina's + 2 FREE Movie Tickets ($24.00 value)!!
So my FP: FREE + $2.51 profit!!
(when you subtract Catalina amount and value of movie tickets!)
I did 7 transactions today, at 3 different stores. Here's what I did:(everything I purchased was on sale today. i will be calculating the regular non sale price for total cost, because of how my receipt reads.)
ALBERTSONS
Trans. #1:
6- Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats $2.50
4- Kellogg's Pop Tarts $2.50
-6 $1/1Q (Cereal)
-2 $1/2Q (Pop Tarts)
Total Cost: $50.10
FP: $17 + 2 FREE MOVIE TICKETS! (a $24 value!)
Trans. #2:
3- Kellogg's Corn Pops $1.50
1- Kellogg's Fruit Loops $1.50
-3 $1/1Q (Corn Pops)
-1 $1/1Q (Fruit Loops)
Total Cost: $18.36
FP: $2.00
Trans. #3:
1- Corn Pops $1.50
-1 $1/1Q
Total Cost: $4.19
FP: $0.50
VONS
Trans. #4
16- Arrowhead Water 6 packs $1.99
CRV $4.80
-1 $1/2Q
-$16.00 in Catalina's from last week
Total Cost: $52.64
FP: $19.64 + $26.00 in Catalina's printed out AND another $1/2Q for Arrowhead water!
So FP was more like FREE + $6.36 profit after you figure in catalina's! =)
RALPHS
Trans. #5:
3- Barilla Pasta $0.99
1- 1/2Gallon Ralph's Milk $1.25
2- Vitamin Water's $0.99
3- Mentos Gum $1.00
-3 $.50/1Q (Barilla Pasta) -these doubled to $1.00
-1 $.50/1Q (Real Ca. Milk)- this doubled to $1.00 -Manager informed me that ALL Ralph's brand Milk and Cheese are made from California cows, and that these coupons are accepted for Ralph's brand milk products!
-1 $.50/1Q (Vitamin water) -this doubled to $1.00
-1 $1/1Q (Vitamin water)
-1 $1/1Q (mentos)
-2 $.55/1Q (mentos) -these doubled to $1.00
-1 $.50/1Q (Real Ca. Milk) -this doubled to $1.00
Total Cost $16.63
FP: $1.25
Trans. #6:
1- Mission Tortilla's $1.99
1- 1/2Gall Ralphs Milk $1.25
4- Barilla Pasta $0.99
2- Earth Grain Bread $3.49 (B1/G1FREE)
2- Vitamin Water $0.99
-$1.00/1 in ad Q for Mission Tortilla's
-1 $.50/1Q (Real Ca. Milk) -this doubled to $1.00
-4 $.50/1Q (Pasta) -these doubled to $1.00
-2 $.55/1Q (Bread) -only 1 of these doubled to $1.00
-1 $.50/1Q (vitamin water) -this doubled to $1.00
-1 $1.00/1Q (vitamin water)
Total Cost: $25.52
FP: $4.24
Trans. #7:
5- Barilla Pasta $0.99
9- Mentos Gum $1.00
4- Vitamin Water $0.99
1- 1/2Gal Ralphs Milk $1.25
-5 $.50/1Q (pasta) -these doubled to $1.00
-9 $1/1Q (mentos)
-1 $.50/1Q (Real Ca. Milk) -this doubled to $1.00
-1 $1/1Q (vitamin water)
-3 $.50/1Q (vitamin water) -these doubled to $1.00
Total Cost: $34.25
FP: 2.86
I called ahead to my local Ralphs to find out what there coupon policy since I've heard different
things. There policy now is that only ONE of the same coupon will double in a single transaction.
It used to be that they would only double up to the first FIVE coupons in any transaction. That's
changed in the last month at my local Ralphs. However I noticed as I was checking out that
almost every single coupon was doubling. I asked the cashier why that was. He said that as far as
he knew Ralphs doubles coupons, and the register does it automatically. So if the register was
doubling every coupon, than there isn't anything he can do to override the register. Okay! I have
no idea if this was a glitch in the cash register, or if this is in fact the case at my local Ralphs!
Could it be I've found a gem of a Ralphs in my area? I still prefer Vons, but my Ralphs trip sure
put a smile on my face today, as well as the whole shopping trip today! It also put a big smile on
my husband's face when I walked in the door with TONS of food, and told him how much I spent
out of pocket, and how much I got back in Catalina's, PLUS FREE MOVIE TICKETS to boot!!
Have I ever mentioned that we are living on a $300 a month grocery budget for our family of 6?
That $300 a month used to barely get us through the month with enough food to eat, and the
only reason it did is because we relied heavily on W.I.C. (and trusting that the Lord would
provide for our every need!) Now that same $300 a month budget is providing such an
abundance of food that I am now able to "splurge" (within our budget) on our kids, but more
than that we are able to give more abundantly to those who are truly in need! $300 a month!
Now do you think coupons are worth the time and effort? =)
