Shopping Trip 7/21

We ended up doing our grocery shopping tonight and we did pretty well. We went to 3 stores, all within a few miles of each other. We still need to go get ground , chicken and some fresh vegetables later this week. I went over my intended $50 budget for the week, but it was unavoidable. The last few weeks, Tops has not had that great of deals so I didn't stock up on much.


ALDI'S

Our first stop was Aldi's. I shop at Aldi's for things that usually don't go on sale or for things that are cheaper no matter what. These are usually baking goods, and they have really good prices on milk and eggs.

• 2 sponges with green scrubby surface $.99 (+.08 tax) - non-food
  
• 2 containers of Parmesan Cheese $2.39 each
  
• 3 lbs of unsalted butter $.99 each
  
• flour tortillas $.99
  
• 4 boxes of corn muffin mix $..35 each
  
• 4 5 lb bags of flour $1.59 each
  
• 3 packets of taco mix seasoning $.33 each
  

Amount Spent: $18.56
Approx Amount Saved: $11+
Grocery Challenge Amount: $17.49

TARGET

We then headed over to Target. I wanted to look at some of their frozen meat and dinners. I have several regular manufacture coupons which combined with the Target coupons, could have saved us some money. Upon looking at the prices at the store, I decided to wait and buy them at another time. I am hoping that they will go on sale. Upon looking at my receipt when I got home I noticed that the cashier rang in $1.30 instead of taking $1.30 off as a coupon. I am not sure what I am going to do about this yet, if anything.

• 4 boxes of Kraft Mac N Cheese $.52 each = $2.08. I had a coupon for buy 3 and get one free and I believe this is where the cashier made the mistake by adding in the $1.30. Otherwise, I would have gotten 4 of them for $1.56
  
• Kashi cereal on sale for $2.99 (hubby wanted it lol) and I had a Target coupon for $1 off, making it $1.99
• Ghiradelli chocolate chips (yummmm) On clearance for $2.33 and I had a Target coupond for $.75 making it $1.58
• International Delight $1.57 and I had an internet printable for $1 off one, making this $.57
• 1 Degree fine fragrance deodorant and one spray. $3.64 each = $7.28. I had 2 target coupons for $2 off one, and a manufacture internet coupon for $1 off two. So, I ended up paying $2.28 for two. This is great since I really love the smell of these! -non-food
  
• 2 Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste sample size $.97, these were free after two coupons for free sample. -non-food
  
• 10 bottles of Sobe Life Water (hubby's idea)on sale for $1 each and received a $5 gift card to be used on a future visit
• 3 boxes of Kleenex with aloe 130 ct on originally $1.58 each, on clearance for $1.08 per box = $3.24. I had a $1 off 3 target coupon and a $.50 manufacture coupon which made them 3/$1.74 or $.58 each - non-food
  
• 24 ct of Crayola crayons $.27. - non-food
  
• 200ct of straws $1.00 - non-food

Original Amount: $45.70
Amount Saved: $22.35
Amount Paid: $23.35
Grocery Challenge Amount: $17.02

TOPS

Our last stop was Tops. By this time it was 6:40 and hubby was getting anxious because his baseball game was going to be on in 25 minutes! Nothing like being rushed through the store. So, needless to say I forgot a couple things. I had wanted to get a ham steak that was on sale for $2 and some pork chops that were on sale for $1.99 a pound. I guess I will just get it later in the week when we are in the area again. Here is what we bought:

• Spongebob pinata for birthday party. Original price $15.99, on clearance for $1.99.
  
• 5 2-liters of various Diet Pepsi on sale for $1 plus $.05 NY deposit
• 2 cans of Bumblee tuna on sale for $.89 each. Used internet printable for $1 off 2 to make them $.39 each
• box of Tops brand diapers, originally $18.89. On clearance for $9.44.
• 2 boxes of Tops instant oatmeal (Aldi's still doesn't have any) on sale for $2 each
• 2 kids character chairs (one pink with princess and the other red with Lightning McQueen - for the little kids) originally $6.99 each, on clearance for $3.49
• 4 Breyer's yogurts $.60 each. Used 2 Breyers coupons that said $1 off any 2 Breyers products, making these $.10 each
• 2 gallons of skim milk. $1.99 each
• 9 Weight Watchers yogurts 6/$4= $6, used 3 internet printables for $.55 off 3 which doubles to $1.10 each, making these $.30 each

Original Amount: $79.17
Amount Saved: $42.15
Amount Paid: $37.02
Grocery Challenge Amount: $17.53

I also wanted to let you all know that there are some coupons for Hunt's Snack packs, Chef Boyardee, and more, click here.

Target Deals 7/12 - 7/18

Here are the deals I found at Target this week. If you find more, please leave me a comment letting us know.

• Yoplait yogurt $.50 each. You can print coupons here or here or use coupon from 6-7 insert. Saved $.40-$.50 on 6, making them 6/$2.50 or $2.60
• Nature Valley granola bars $2.30. You can print$.40-$.50 coupons here or here or use coupons for $.70$.75 off 2 from 5-31 insert or 7-12 insert, making this $1.80 - $1.95 a box.
• Kelloggs Raisin Bran or Mini Wheats $1.88. You can find a $1 coupon from 6-7 insert, making this $.88
• Huggies wipes 448 to 504 ct or Pampers wipes 420ct to 539ct $11.99. Use $.75 off Huggies wipes from 6-21 insert to make them $11.24 a box. OR Use $.50 off Pampers wipes to make them $11.49 a box
• Huggies or Pampers jumbo diapers $8.99. Huggies overnight diapers may be included, if they are, you can print a coupon here and here, making them $6.99. You can use $1.50 off coupon from 6-21 insert to make the Huggies $7.49. You may also have some other coupons you received via snail mail that you can use. For the Pampers, you can use $1 coupon from 7-5 insert, making them $7.99 each
• Kleenex facial tissues 3 pack $5. Use $.50 coupon from 7-12 insert to make these 3/$4.50
• Scott 20pk toilet paper $13.99. You can print a coupon here or here or $1 off or use $1 coupon from 7-12 insert, making it $12.99.
  

Target Coupon Policy Email

In response to a question about coupon policies at Target, I emailed the company and received this response:

RE: Using Coupons at Target‏

From:	guest. relations @ target dot com
	You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as junk
Sent:	Wed 7/08/09 12:44 PM
To:	couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail dot com

Dear Lisette,

Thanks for asking us about using coupons at Target. Coupons are a
great way to save even more when shopping with us, and it's easy
to use them at our stores. Because of the variety of coupons
available to our guests,we do have some guidelines for how coupons
can be redeemed at Target.

When accepting coupons, we use the following guidelines:

- We accept two kinds of coupons: Target-issued and manufacturer
issued.
- We'll accept one Target coupon and one manufacturer coupon for
the same item,unless either coupon prohibits it.
- We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater
than the purchase value of the item; in this case, we're able to
adjust the value of the coupon to equal the price of the item.
- We can't accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for
products not carried in our stores.
- All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier while
you're checking out.

For questions about using a specific coupon, we encourage you to
stop by Guest Service and ask to speak with the Guest Service Team
Leader. They'll do their best to help while you're in the store. If
you still have questions after speaking with them, please call our
Guest Relations team at (800) 440-0680. Either way, we're here to help!

We appreciate the opportunity to share this information with you.

Sincerely,

Angela
Target Guest Relations
www.target.com
[THREAD ID:1-6S1JYB]

There was no mention of internet printables on their policy list, so I just emailed them back to ask if these were accepted (they are at my store) and what happens when coupons don't scan (even the Target printables don't scan when I use them). I will add to this when I hear back from them.

Aldi's and Target Trip 7/7

We had to go to Aldi's tonight and then we headed over to Target to get a few things. They were out of the oatmeal for the kids at Aldi's, so we will stop in quickly the next time we go to work on the garden.

Here is what we got at Aldi's:

• 3 loaves of white bread $.79 each. I have started making my own sandwich bread, so these loaves are for those times when I don't have time (or energy lol) to make more of the homemade.
  
• 2 packages of 40ct paper plates $.99 each. These are to be placed in the basement and only used on certain occasions.
  
• 3 pack of green peppers $1.99. I will be chopping these up tonight or tomorrow and putting in freezer for future use.
  
• Tastes Like Butter $.99. We were out of the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and I don't have a coupon for any other tub butter, so I decided to try this. My mom says it is pretty good, so I have to believe we will like it.
  
• 6ct of popcorn $1.49. This is a really good price. I usually pay $.99 for 3 on sale at Tops.
  
• 1 pound of ham $3.49, to make panninis with later this week.
  
• garbage bags $2.49
• 2 jars of strawberry spread $1.99. We thought we would try these since they are considerably cheaper than other spreads/jellies without high fructose corn syrup.
  
• bag of onions $1.99
• 2 packs of white American cheese slices $1.49 each
• 1 package of sponges with green scrubby on one side - 2ct $.99
• jar of salsa $1.49
• 1 lemon $.39
• box of animal crackers $1.29. This was bought only because my 3 year old daughter begged and pleaded with me. I would rather buy her animal crackers than candy or goodies.
  
• Canola oil $2.49. I buy this instead of vegetable because it is better for us.
  

Amount Spent: $30.84
Amount saved by shopping at Aldi's:at least $13

We then headed over to Target to use a bunch of Kashi manufacture coupons along with Target coupons. Of course, none of them rang up right, so the poor cashier had to ring each one in by hand. What a pain, but it saved me a lot of money. lol. If you would like to print the Kashi coupons (they expire on the 14th) click here to go to a Target coupon generator.

The picture below shows what I got at Target, except for the gift for my daughter and 1 box of Kashi bars (my husband broke into those on the way home lol).

Here's what I bought at target and the coupons I used:

• 3 boxes of Kashi Waffles at $2.54 each = $7.62. Used 3 $1.50 manufacture coupons, along with 3 $.25 off Target coupons to make these 3/2.37 or $.79 each
• 1 box of Kashi Waffles at $2.54. Used $1.50 manufacture coupon alone (because I was a bonehead and only printed 3 target coupons instead of four - but I wanted to use it anyway because it is still a pretty good deal and the coupon expires soon), making this box $1.04
• 2 boxes of Kashi cereal bars on sale for $2.50 each = $5. Used 2 $1.50 manufacture coupons plus $1 off 2 Target coupons to make these 2/$1 or $.50 each
• 2 boxes of Kashi TLC bars on sale for $2.50. I only had one manufacture coupon (I was bummed) which was $1.50 plus I used a $1 off 2 coupon to make them 2/$2.50 or $1.25 each
• Hanes 5 pack of ankle socks $5. At $1 per pair of socks, this seemed like a good deal and I desperately needed socks. The monster in the dryer has been eating mine lately. I got the ones with the pink on the toes so that my husband does not try to wear them when he runs out of clean socks. LOL
• 2 boxes of Kashi cereal $2.66 each. Had a Target coupon for Buy One Get One Free (I thought I had a manufacture coupon for the cereal also but couldn't find it - C'est la vie) which made them 2/$2.66 or $1.33 each
  
• Princess coloring table. Originally $12.98, on clearance for $9.08. This is for her birthday next month and will be deducted from her amount, making the balance about $76.
• Degree Fine Fragrance deodorant $3.64. I used a $1.25 manufacture coupon and a $1 target coupon to make this $1.39.
  
• Degree Fine Fragrance spray $3.64. I used a $1.25 manufacture coupon ans a $1 Target coupon to make this $1.39 (I bought Sexy Intrigue and it is awesome smelling!)
• Target brand antacid (generic Tums) Originally $2.29, on clearance for $1.60
  

Originally Amount:$57.19
Amount Saved: $29.02

Amount Paid: $28.17 (saved 50.7%)

If you don't include the socks and the gift (neither are part of my grocery budget), then the I saved more like 64% on this shopping trip for food and HBA. All in all, I think I got some pretty good deals, especially considering the amount of Kashi products I was able to get cheap.

As a side note, I just wanted to pass along to you that Target is having a clearance on a lot of their toys right now, and I only see them having better clearance prices. Most are at about 30%, but if this year is anything like last year, there will be even better toy clearance prices within the next month or so. This is the time of the year where they want to get rid of last year's toys, to make room for the new toys for Christmas. So, if you have a little extra money, this would be a great way to get some gifts for the kids.

Also, if you are looking for patio furniture, they have them marked down 75% off!!

Target Trip 7/4

We decided to stop by Target after our 4th of July cookout at hubby's uncle's house. It looks like Target is gearing up for their massive toy clearance (to make room for all the Christmas toys in the fall). They had A LOT of clearance toys for really good prices and I expect to see more in the next month or so. If you have kids and you have the extra money, now would be the time to be buying for Christmas! My daughter's third birthday is coming up in August and I have $100 budgeted for it, so I am trying to get the most out of it.

Here is what we bought:

• 3 boxes of Eggo Bakeshop at $1.50 each. Had 3 coupons for $1.00 off one, making these 3/$1.50 or $.50 each.
• Digourno Flatbread Melt $2.79. Used free coupon that I received via snail mail.
• Pullups for daughter at night time $9.74. Used $5 coupon (which was expiring that day) which made them $4.74
• Word World toy for my daughter's birthday. Originally $29.98, on clearance for $14.98

I used the remainder of a $5 gift card that I had gotten a few weeks ago for buying specific products ($4.72).

Original Amount: $47.01 (w/out tax)
Amount Saved: $30.51
Out-of-pocket: $13.16 (saved 72%)

I just wanted to mention that we went into the new Hobby Lobby last week to look around. That is a really nice store and every crafter's paradise. LOL. But, I was good and didn't buy anything! Although I would have loved to have boughten some stickers or stamps for my scrapbooking. It helped that I knew we didn't have the money for it.

Target Deals 6/23

Good deals at Target today. Could have been a little better, but I had a headache so I my brain wasn't working right. We were going to go to Tops also, but decided to wait until tomorrow when hopefully my brain will be fully functional again. Here's what I got tonight:

• Kashi Go Lean bars. $2.94, minus $1.50 coupon = $1.44. Now normally I would have waited for them to be a little cheaper, but hubby wanted them so I gave in. LOL.
  
• A1 steak sauce. On sale for $2.69 minus $2 coupon = $.69
• 4 boxes of Kraft Mac N Cheese $.52 each = $2.08 minus coupon for buy three get one free. So these ended up being $3.9 each
• Degree deodorant $2.34 minus $1.50 Target coupon = $.84 minus $1 manufacture coupon = overage of $.16
• 2 rolls of Bounty Basics paper towels $.99 each = $1.98. Use $.50 off any Bounty Target coupon plus $1.00 off any 2 Bounty manufacture coupons = $.48 for 2 rolls.
  
• 4 pack of double A batteries $1

My total came to $5.28. I used a $5 gift card earned from a few weeks ago and$.28 from another $5 gift card from last week. Out of pocket expense: $0!

Hope you had a great day also today! Have a wonderful night.