Savings Saturday: Kroger and Walgreens trips

November 8, 2009 by

I have been in a bit of a shopping rut lately, but I managed to get out today to Kroger and Walgreens.

At Walgreens, I had $46 in RR to “roll.” I mainly bought items that we would use. My husband only uses the Gillette deodorant and it hardly ever goes on sale. I would have liked to buy more, but it was hard to find things to roll the $2 PG RR into. I did 8 separate transactions at 3 different stores. My total OOP was $2.36. I still have $24 in RR left to spend. My scenarios for the week are mainly here although I did change some things up based on what was in stock and also because I found out about the BOGO free Almay mascara deal after I made my initial scenarios. (I will send off for the $5 Dulcolax rebate, too, so technically, I will come out $2.64 ahead!

I hadn’t been grocery shopping in two weeks, so this was a major “stock up” trip for me. My total OOP was $57.35. My total before coupons was $221.88, so I saved $164.53 and I earned two $.10 off gas rewards, too. I bought 70 Mega sale items (so $35 was deducted automatically for that). I bought a total of 111 items, so the total cost per item was $.52. There was $7.93 in “non-grocery” items included (laundry detergent and Kleenex). Technically, I’m still over my $40 weekly budget by $9.42, but considering that I didn’t buy groceries last week with the exception of milk, I’m OK with that and I’m still under budget for the month.

Here’s a run down of what I got:

Mega sale items (see coupon match-ups here)
3 All Small & Mighty
2 Banquet Brown ‘N Serve sausage
2 Quaker granola bars
4 Betty Crocker potato pouches
1 Bird’s Eye steamfresh vegetables
2 Bird’s Eye steamfresh meals
1 Bumble Bee tuna pouch
4 Carnation milk
2 Chex mix
5 DelMonte tomatoes
3 Dole Mandarin oranges
1 Heinz ketchup
3 Hormel chili
1 Hormel peperoni
6 Keebler cookies
2 Ore Ida hashbrown potatoes
1 Snuggle fabric softener
5 Sunny Delight
2 Cheez It crackers
6 Uncle Ben’s rice
3 Kleenex
1 Kotex
2 Tombstone pizzas
2 Daisy sour cream
1 Ken’s salad dressing
5 Gatorade

Other items:
1 loaf Sara Lee Bread
1 bag Sara Lee mini bagels (free with bread purchase coupon)
4 grapefruit
2 dozen eggs (used BOGO free printable coupon, no longer available)
6 Armour Vienna sausage (used .60/6 coupon from home mailer)
3 lbs grapes
1 gallon milk
12 Campbell’s soups (cream of chicken & cream of mushroom)
6 Kroger chicken broth
2 cans Kroger enchilada sauce
2 lbs bananas
1 bag frozen chicken breasts

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Walgreens scenarios for the week of 11-8: newbie, low OOP scenarios and ideas for "rolling your RR"

November 7, 2009 by


You can find coupon match-ups for this week’s deals here.

Here are some scenarios if you are new or just getting started: $39.73 in merchandise for .24 OOP

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 1 Bayer Contour or Breeze monitor – $14.99

Use $30/1 Contour/Breeze coupon

Spend $0 OOP, get a $5 RR

Transaction #2:
Buy 3 Lubriderm – $3.79/each
Buy 1 Robitussin To go – $2.49
Buy 1 Royal instant pudding – $.25/each

Use 3 $2 Lubriderm coupons
Use $1 Lubriderm coupon from Diabetes & You booklet (should deduct $3)
Use Royal instant pudding in ad coupon
Use $5 RR from Contour

Spend .11 OOP, get an $8 RR for the Lubriderm and a $2.50 RR for the Robitussin

Transaction #3:
Buy 1 Almay Pure Blends Foundation – $9.99
Buy 1 Royal instant pudding – .25
Buy 1 Hallmark white tissue paper – .39

Use $8 RR
Use $2.50 RR
Use Walgreens in ad coupons for pudding and tissue paper

Spend $.13 OOP, get a $10 RR

Here are some scenarios if you would like to use the $5/25 coupon from this week’s ad:

SCENARIO #1:
Buy 1 Almay Pure Blends foundation – $9.99
Buy 3 Lubriderm – $3.79/each
Buy 1 Dulcolax – $7
Buy 1 Colgate 360 toothbrush – $3.49
Buy 2 Hershey’s holiday candy – 2/$5
Buy 1 Robitussin To Go – $2.49

Use 3 $2 Lubriderm coupons
Use $1 Lubriderm coupon from Walgreens Diabetes & You booklet – should deduct $3
Use $3 Dulcolax coupon
Use $1 Colgate 360 printable
Use $1 Hershey’s kisses coupon

Total after coupons = $25.34

Use $5/25 Walgreens coupon

Spend $20.34 OOP, earn $26.50 in RR ($10 Almay RR, $8 Lubriderm RR, $4 Dulcolax RR, $1 Colgate RR, $1 Hershey’s RR, and $2.50 Robitussin RR), send in for $5 Dulcolax rebate, total OOP = $15.34

SCENARIO #2:
Buy 4 Huggies jumbo packs – $8.99/each
Buy 2 Walgreens spices – $.50/each
Buy 1 Royal pudding – $.25/each

Use 4 $2 Huggies printable coupons from here (you should be able to print 2 per computer)
Use Walgreens coloring book coupon ($1/each – should deduct $4 total)
Use Walgreens in ad coupon for the Spices and pudding

Total after coupons = $25.21

Use $5/25 Walgreens in ad coupon

Spend $20.21 OOP
*Don’t forget to send your Huggies receipts in to Caregivers Marketplace (you have to have receipts from 5 jumbo packs to do this), total OOP after Caregivers rebate = $17.21 ($4.30/pack of diapers!)

SCENARIO #3:
Buy 1 Gillette Fusion cartridges – $25.99
Buy 1 Colgate 360 toothbrush – $3.49

Use $3 Gillette coupon
Use $1 Colgate coupon

Total after coupons = $25.48

Use $5/25 Walgreens coupon

Spend $20.48 OOP, get a $3 RR and a $1 RR

Ideas for “rolling” your RR from last week:

If you have the $10 Almay RR:
Buy 1 Dulcolax – $7
Buy 3 Lubriderm – $3.79/each
Buy 1 Colgate toothbrush – $3.49
Buy 2 Walgreens spices – 2/$1
Buy 1 Royal pudding – $.25

Use $3 Dulcolax coupon
Use 3 $2 Lubriderm coupons
Use $1 Lubriderm Diabetes & You coupon (should deduct $3)
Use $1 Colgate coupon
Use in ad coupons for pudding and spices
Use $10 RR

Spend $.11 OOP, earn $13 in RR ($4 for Dulcolax, $8 for Lubriderm, $1 for Colgate) – don’t forget to send in for the Dulcolax $5 MIR!

If you have an $8 Lubriderm RR:
Buy 1 Dulcolax – $7
Buy 1 Robitussin To Go – $2.49
Buy 1 Colgate toothbrush – $3.49

Use $3 Dulcolax coupon
Use $1 Colgate coupon
Use $8 RR

Spend $.98 OOP, earn a $4 RR, $2.50 RR, $1 RR

or

Buy 1 Dulcolax – $7
Buy 1 Robitussin To Go – $2.49
Buy 3 Walgreens spices – 2/$1 w/ in ad coupon
Buy 1 holiday cup – .12

Use $3 Dulcolax coupon
Use Walgreens in ad coupon for spices and cup
Use $8 RR

Spend $.11 OOP, earn $4 RR and $2.50 RR

If you have a $5 Almay RR:
Buy 1 Robitussin To Go – $2.49
Buy 1 Colgate toothbrush – $3.49
Buy 1 holiday cup – .12

Use $5 RR
Use $1 Colgate coupon
Use Walgreens in ad coupon for the cup

Spend $.11 oop, earn $2.50 RR, $1 RR

Some helpful tips:
*At Walgreens, you cannot do a promotion more than once in a transaction and earn Register Rewards. So, if you buy more than 1 Colgate this week in one tranasction, you can still only earn 1 $1 RR.

*You also cannot use the Register Rewards earned from a promotion on the same promotion and earn Register Rewards again. For example, if you buy Colgate, get a $1 RR and use it to buy another Colgate, another RR will not print.

*Typically, you cannot use the Register Rewards earned from a promotion with the same manufacturer and earn Register Rewards again.

*Register Rewards are considered to be “manufacturer’s coupons” and you can only use one manufacturer’s coupon per item. You will have to add “filler” items. The in ad coupons often have good, inexpensive filler items. (this week, my favorite fillers are the Walgreens spices, the Royal pudding, and the holiday cups)

*If you are buying items that would result in a “free” item or “overage” when combining a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon, give the manufacturer’s coupon FIRST, and the store coupons LAST to avoid beeping/issues at the register! Make sure that you are purchasing enough items in your total transaction to “cover” the overage. You will not get cash back and you will have to add items to cover the overage or they will not take the coupon.

*If your Register Reward doesn’t print for some reason and you have fulfilled all of the obligations for the “deal” (including not using RR from the same parent company to pay) DO NOT let them tell you it is because you used coupons! Chances are they didn’t print because the catalina machine is not working. You have two choices: you can return your items and try again or you can contact the catalina company by doing the following:
*The store will give you a form to fill out and mail in to catalina
*Call 1-888-8coupon, option 3
*Use the online form to contact them: Contact Catalina Marketing (when I have tried contacting them this way, my results have not been very good….your best bet is to call)

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Walgreens deals for the week of 11-8

November 7, 2009 by


This is the coupon match-ups for the week. You can find the scenarios for the week here.

There is a $5/25 purchase coupon in this ad. Keep in mind that your purchase must total $25 AFTER all coupons and discounts.

Here are the weekly RR deals:

FREEBIES:

Buy a Bayer Contour or Breeze2 Blood Glucose Meter – $14.99, get a $5 RR
*There is a mail in rebate for this, but you will NOT get the rebate if you use coupons (including RR) to pay
$30/1 Breeze 2 or Contour meter from Bayer – 10-25 RP insert or 2-1 RP insert

OTHER RR DEALS:

*Colgate Total Advanced or Enamel toothpaste or 360 Deep Clean or ActiFlex toothbrush – $3.49, get a $1 RR – it’s like paying $1.49 after coupons and RR!
$1/1 Colgate Total Enamel Strength printable and $1/1 Colga ActiFlex toothbrush printable here
.75/1 Colgate 360 toothbrush – 10-25 SS

*Buy EPT, Monistat, or KY – $11.99, get a $2 RR
$4/1 Monistat – 1-4 RP2
$2/1 Monsitat printable here
$3/1 Monistat or EPT – 6-28 SS or 8-23 RP
$2/1 KY brand product – 5-10 RP

*Buy Gillette razor cartridges, get $3 in RR (4 or 8 ct cartridges)
$3/1 Gillette Fusion cartridges (6 ct or larger) – 11-1 PG insert
8 ct is priced at $25.99/each, 4 ct is priced at $14.49/each

*Buy Hershey’s Holiday candy (kisses, bells, or minis) – 2/$5, get a $1 RR (this is a monthly deal)
$1/1 Hershey’s kisses – 9-13 SS

*Buy Hershey’s Pot of Gold – 2/$9, get a $3 RR (this is a monthly deal)

*Buy Kotex (18 pk tampons, 14-24 ct maxi pads or 48-64 ct pantiliners) – 2/$6, get a $1 RR
$1.50/2 Kotex liners – 10-4 SS
$2/2 Kotex pads – 10-4 SS
$1.50/2 Kotex tampons – 10-4 SS
$1/1 Kotex printable here

*Spend $20 on participating products, get a $10 RR: Benadryl or Tylenol – $4.99/each, Zyrtec – $18.99/each, Sudafed PE or DM – $5.99/each
$1/1 Benadryl – 8-23 RP
$1/1 Tylenol – 9-13 RP
$3/1 Zyrtec printable here
$4/1 Zyrtec – 9-13 RP or 10-11 RP
$1/1 Sudafed printable here
$2/1 Sudafed PE – 10-4 SS

*Buy Prilosec OTC – $18.99, get a $5 RR
$3/1 Prilosec OTC – 11-1 PG, 10-11 PG

*Buy Softsoap body wash, Irish Spring body wash, or 8 pk bar soap – $3.99, get a $1 RR

*Buy Vicks (NyQuil or DayQuil liquid 10 oz or 20 ct, Formula 44 – 6 oz) – 2/$12, get a $5 RR (this is a monthly deal, good through 12/26)
$1/1 Vicks Formula 44 – 10-11 PG
$1.50/1 Vicks NyQuil or DayQuil – 11-1 PG insert
$1/1 Vicks NyQuil or DayQuil – 10-11 PG insert

*Zicam – $9.99, get a $3 RR
$1/1 Zicam – 10-25 SS

BOGO free deals:
*Cheez-It (7.5-9 oz) or Keebler cookies/crackers (11.5 or 16 oz)
$1.50/2 Cheez-it – 10-4 SS
$1.50/2 Keebler cookies printable here
$1/2 Keebler Fudge Shoppe printable at snackpicks.com (must register)
$1/2 Keebler Club crackers at snackpicks.com

*Clearasil products – some items should be free or close to free when you use 2 $2 coupons!
$2/1 Clearasil – 9-27 SS
$2/1 printable here

*CoverGirl lip color
$1/1 GoverGirl – 11-1 PG & 10-11 PG
$2.50/2 – 11-1 PG

*Gift tags or bows (.99/each)

*Nature Made Heart Health supplements

*Rimmel foundation, concealer, powder, blush, or eye
$1/1 Rimmel product – 9-13 RP
$2/1 Rimmel product – November All You Magazine

*Select holiday gift wrap

*Theragran-M multivitamins

*Walgreens 80 or 100 ct pain reliever (ibuprofen, all day pain, headache, or migraine relief)
*Walgreens bandages and other First Aid items
*Walgreens Calcium supplements

*Wet ‘N Wild cosmetics

Cheap filler items:
*Baking supplies (Deerfield Farms baking soda, Morton iodized salt, Clabber Girl baking powder, or corn starch) – 2/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Christmas gift sacks or tumblers – 8/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Encore gourmet spices – 2/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Hallmark white tissue paper – $.39 w/ in ad coupon
*Hershey’s candy – .49 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Jell-O – 2/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
.50/2 printable here
*Jiffy muffin mix or corn muffin mix – 2/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Palmer or Willa Wonka Christmas candy – .39 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Royal instant pudding – 4/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Russell Stover Christmas candy – .39/each (w/in ad coupon)
*Xcel solid air freshener – .39 (w/in ad coupon)

MONTHLY RR DEALS: (11/1-11/28) – there are many other monthly deals, these are just the highlights

Almay: Buy 1 or more Pure Blends eye shadow, mascara, or lip gloss, get a $5 RR

Almay Pure Blends Foundation is $9.99, get a $10 RR

Lubriderm is also a monthly deal – buy 6 oz Lubriderm (priced at $3.79-$4.29), get a $2 RR when you buy 2 or an $8 RR when you buy 3

There is a $2/1 Lubriderm coupon in the 10-11 RP
There is a $2/1 printable here
There is a $1 Lubriderm coupon in the Diabetes & You booklet

SCENARIO:
Buy 3 Lubriderm – $3.79/each

Use 3 $2 printables
Use $1 Diabetes & You coupon book coupon (should take off $3)

Spend $2.37 OOP, get an $8 RR

Dulcolax is a monthly deal – Spend $7, get a $4 RR

There is a $2 printable coupon here and some bottles also have $3 hang tags
There is a $5 MIR here

SCENARIO:
Buy Dulcolax – $7

Use $3 hang tag coupon

Spend $4 OOP, get a $4 RR (send in for the MIR and it’s a $1 moneymaker!)

Robitussin To Go is $2.49, get a $2.50 RR!

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More Walgreens deals!

November 6, 2009 by

Are you worn out from all of the Walgreens deals yet? Here are a few more!

I read this on several blogs yesterday, so I’m not sure where it originated:

Comtrex 20 count is priced at $5.99. There is a $3/1 coupon that was in the 11-1 SS insert and there is a $3 coupon in the Walgreens November coupon booklet (these are usually located at the front of the store where the ads are).

Here’s how this works:

Buy 1 Comtrex (20 ct) – $5.99
Buy one “filler” item – Hunt’s tomato sauce is .39/this week (this have to do this because you actually end up with .01 “overage” and there will be problems at the register if you don’t)

Use $3/1 manufacturer’s coupon (you MUST give this first)
Use $3/1 Walgreens coupon from the November coupon booklet
Use Walgreens in ad coupon for the Hunt’s

Spend .38 OOP

Apparently the Pantene Pro-V trial sized items (which are priced at $.99/each) are also producing the $2 RR this week!

Here’s how this deal works:

Buy 2 trial-sized Pantene Pro-V – $.99/each

Spend $1.98 OOP (or use a filler and a $2 RR to pay), earn a $2 RR!

Check out the other Walgreens deals for the week here and here!

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More Target Toy deals!

November 6, 2009 by

The PlaySkool Step Start Walk’N Ride is on price cut for $17.79. There is a $5/1 coupon here, so you only pay $12.79! (thanks Hip2Save!)

My son learned to walk using this toy and absolutely loved it! (I don’t think I’ve ever posted pictures of my kids on here, but I just had to share this one which was taken when he was about 13 months old – he’s almost 3 now, but it sure doesn’t seem like it was that long ago!)

You can check out other Target toy deals here and here.

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