My Weekly Savings: Coupons, Costco & Price Matching

There were a number of really great deals this week that I wanted to be sure I got before Shabbat, so I braved FOUR different stores in one day. And at three of them, I was accompanied by my very “busy” two-year old.

This many stores in a week, let alone in a day, is really unusual for me. Usually I shop at one or two stores a week (or better yet, make my husband go!).

 

CVS

I didn’t have any ECBs to roll, so I just divided my trip into two transactions. When I scanned my card at the Magic Coupon Machine, it spit out a lovely $2 off ECB for my birthday (be sure to update your details online!).

1st Transaction:

Aspirin – $2, Get $1 ECBs, use $1 off coupon from All You Magazine
Toothpaste – $2.49, Get $2 ECBs, use $2 off coupon from newspaper insert
Allergy Medicine – $3.69, Get $3.69 ECBs
RepHresh Brilliant Tampons – $6.79, Get $6.79 ECBs, Used $1 off printable coupon
= $10.97 + tax out of pocket

2nd Transaction:

4 12-packs of Coke ~4/$13, Get $3 ECBs, Used $1 off coupon from Recyclebank (wish I had had more of those)
= $12, paid with $11.79 in ECBs
Out of pocket: $.21 + tax

Total out of pocket ~ $10.98 + have $6.69 in ECBs for next time.

Costco

Here’s a prime example of why I need to build margin into my budget. I bought five items and spent $33! Of course, two bags of cheese cost $19 alone!

Milk, shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded “Mexican Blend” cheese, 3 dozen eggs, and 60 waffles (don’t judge me, mornings are hard in our house) = $32.64 + tax

Target

My main goal at Target was to return something (wrong-size lightbulbs) and get the Kashi deal. While there, I picked up a few other freebies and found a clearance lamp for my boys’ desk for just $2.48.

4 boxes of Kashi cereal ($2.99 each) + 2 boxes of Kashi cookies ($2.79 each)
Used (3) $2 off coupons from Recyclebank
Used (1) $1.50 off coupon from a recent free sample
Used (1) $1/2 Target coupon for cookies
Used (1) $1/3 Target coupon for cereal
= $5.05 ($.84 each) after coupons and 6th box free

4 bags of Pup-Peroni – my store took all four coupons, so I paid just $.95 per bag (normally $2.99)

2 Whiskas cat treats – FREE after coupon

Bayer Aspirin – FREE after coupons (wish Target allowed money-makers)

Lamp – $2.98 (50% off)

Newman’s Own Organic – $1.89 (regular price – I didn’t have it with me, but there is a $.50/1 coupon in last week’s insert)

Bamba – $2.19 (ha – you can see it in my daughter’s hand off to the left of the picture… impatient little thing)

Total = $14.85 + tax (I saved an additional 5% by using my Target Debit Card)

Walmart

I actually did this trip a bit later in the day with my 6 year-old, who is so much easier than the toddler!  I used a couple of coupons plus did some price-matching to Aldi.

9 avocados – matched to Aldi ($.49 each, regularly $1.79 each at Walmart)
green & red grapes – matched to Aldi ($.79/lb, regularly $1.89/lb at Walmart)
2 packages of Waverly paper plates (for Sukkot) – on sale for $2.50, regularly $2.88, used 2 $.75/1 printable coupon
Purex laundry crystals – FREE after coupon that was about to expire (not sure where I got it?)
Ricotta cheese & cottage cheese for stuffed pizza – not on sale, no coupons
Resolve Stain Stick – $2.50 – $.65 coupon from peelie = $1.85
Mint chocolate cookies – not on sale, no coupon (not pictured….)
= $19.17 + tax

Total for the day: $77.64 (Retail: 157.44)

How’d you do this week? Anyone else score some Kashi at Target? What were your best finds?

Comments

  1. Great trip! Wal mart wouldn’t let me price match the Aldo avocados because their avocados are “better quality”. What an excuse!!

  2. We went out motzai shabbat to hit up CVS for a deal. Got two bottles of body wash for 24 cents each after coupon and ECBs.

  3. Impressed! How much time would you say went into this trip (not the actual time shopping, but the prep work to figure out which deals would work for you, where they were being offered, etc.?)

    • Well, since I do the match-ups for most of the stores I shopped at on this trip, the work was already done for me! Pulling coupons and making my list took about 20 minutes, I’d say. Definitely worth a savings of $75! 😉

  4. Isn’t that kosher “Mexican” cheese blend the bomb? We use on everything. In fact ever since our Costco started carrying it we are eating WAY too much cheese ;-p

  5. Great deals! I bought 30 kashi items, used coupons for all but 4 of them. My total was about $35. We are now stocked for lunchboxes for a few weeks 😉

  6. I bought Colgate toothpaste on sale this week at Giant Eagle for $1.34 (it was BOGO $2.68, but they let you buy just one), and had a $.75 coupon which they doubled. Result–the store “paid” me 16 cents!

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