Coupon Adventures Week #4

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

As I began my 4^thweek as a ‘Couponer’ (I guess I could be classified as one now, right?) a few things were running through my head. On the positive end, I felt like I had established a routine regarding finding and storing coupons, looking through sale ads, matching coupons to sale items, and creating my shopping list. On the opposite end of positive, (That means negative, in case you weren’t sure.) since I began this journey I have strived to spend less than $100.00 at Meijer. My husband and I have a running joke that spending at least $100.00 is a requirement at Meijer. So far I have yet to reach this goal. I have tried couponing because I want to save money and it doesn’t seem to me that I am saving money. If I look at my receipts I am able to see the‘savings’, but I’m quite seeing the savings that I’m looking for. I have to be honest I was thinking that this may all be a waste, until I completed my transaction at Meijer and saw my total came to $90.90! ~SUCCESS! ~ I spent less than $100.00 at Meijer!

I ran across a few new things this week that I would like to caution you about. First of all, I found it very helpful to have the store ads with me while shopping. It was also helpful to have the items I intended on purchasing circled (I was able to quickly find items when needed) in the ads. Manufacturers use such similar adjectives (Such as Super pack or Mega pack on toilet paper) on their products that it can be confusing to determine which specific product is on sale. The cashier and managers were very friendly and helpful when mistakes were made. I was appreciative and impressed with the customer service at both Target and Marsh. Second, be sure to watch as the cashier scans your items. Just because items are on sale in the ads does not mean that they have been entered in the computer system. I was thankful to have my ad with me so I could quickly and easily show the cashier the advertised price. This situation was handled appropriately and corrected. Lastly, I found it helpful to estimate how much my total bill should be before going to the stores. Knowing the estimate helped to alert me that items rang up incorrectly.

Meijer:

Sale and Coupon items purchased:

Item:	Original Price:	Sale Price:	Coupon:	Savings:
Cereal	$3.99 (I bought 2 = $7.98)	3 for $10.00 ($3.33 each)	$1.00 on 2	$2.32
Hot Pockets	$2.24 (I bought 6 = $13.44)	5 for $10.00 ($2.00 each)	$1.00 on 6	$2.44
Freezer Bags	$2.59 (I bought 2 = $5.18)	2 for $4.00 ($2.00 each)	.75 on 2	$1.93
Sandwich Bags	$2.50 (I bought 2 = $5.00)	2 for $4.00 ($2.00 each)	.50 on 2 (coupon doubled)	$1.50
Deodorant	$4.09	$3.98	$1.00 on 1	$1.11
Smoked Sausage	$3.69	2 for $5.00 ($2.50 each)	.55 on 1	$1.74
Cookies	$2.49 (I bought 2 = $4.98)	2 for $4.00 ($2.00 each)	$1.00 off 2	$1.98
Fruit	$1.45 (I bought 2 = $2.90)	4 for $5.00 ($1.25 each)	.50 on 2 (coupon doubled)	.90
				Total Sale and Coupon items savings: $13.92

Sale Item Purchases:

Item:	Original Price:	Sale Price:	Savings:
Milk	$2.99 (I bought2 = $5.98)	2 for $5.00	.98
Salad	$2.99 (I bought 3 = $8.97)	3 for $5.00	$3.97
Pastry Treats	$1.79 (I bought 3 = $5.37)	3 for $5.00	.37
Apple Sauce	$1.79 (I bought 3 = $5.37)	3 for $5.00	.37
Fruit Cups	$2.00 (I bought 3 = $6.00)	3 for $5.00	$1.00
			Total Sale items savings: $6.69

Total Meijer Savings: $20.61

Marsh:

Sale and Coupon items purchased:

Item:	Original Price:	Sale Price:	Coupon:	Savings:
Bacon	$4.69	$3.69	.75	$1.75
Toaster Strudel	$2.95 (I bought 3 = $8.85)	2 for $4.00 (I bought 3 = $6.00)	.75 on 3	$3.60
Nature Valley Granola Bars	$4.19 (I bought 2 = $8.38)	4 for $10.00 (I bought 2 = $5.00)	.50 on 2	$3.88
Breakfast on the Go	$3.79 (I bought 3 = $11.37)	2 for $5.00 (I bought 3 = $7.50)	$1.00 on 1 $1.50 on 2	$6.37
				Total Sale and Coupon items savings: $15.60

Sale Item Purchases:

Item:	Original Price:	Sale Price:	Savings:
Bread	$3.19 (I bought 3 = $9.57)	Buy 1 get 2 free	$6.38
Chips	$4.29 (I bought 2 = $8.58)	Buy 1 get 1 free	$4.29
Juice Boxes	$2.59 (I bought 2 = $5.18)	$2.19 (I bought 2 = $4.38)	.80
			Total Sale items savings: $11.47

Total Marsh Savings: $27.07

Total Weekend Savings: $47.68

What I learned:

1. Bring the store ads with you. The sale prices do not always ring up correctly.

2. Read the fine print carefully on what specific item is on sale.

3. Have an estimate in mind of what your total bill should be when all is said and done.

On the Go Bags

Are your kids anything like mine? Do they need things to keep themselves busy or else . . . trouble is bound to occur? Frequently we find that our weekends are spent running around town getting groceries and what not. We also tend to eat at restaurants more often on the weekend as opposed to during the week. In an effort to try and keep my kids occupied and maintain a sense of sanity for my husband and myself I helped my kids to create On the Go Bags.

You may be asking “Just what is an On the Go Bag?” An On the Go Bag is a bag with items in it that can be taken on the go. These items consist of many different things. The bottom line is that the items are small enough to fit in the bag and provide my kids with something to do in the car, at a restaurant, in the grocery cart, or while waiting at the doctor’s office, etc.

We had old preschool bags that my kids were not using any more sitting around the house. They are the perfect size for my kids to be able to handle them. I did not purchase new items specifically for the bags. We looked around the house for items that we already owned. From time to time the items need to be refreshed so we put away the old items and get out new ones. The bags are kept in the closet on a hook with their coats. I do have a rule that they must be able to track of. I asked my kids for their input when adding items to the bag. Let’s face it, carry the bag; my husband and I are not carrying the bags!This rule eliminates 2 things, 1) There can’t be too much stuff in the bag or the child will not be able to carry it and 2) I don’t have one more thing to keep if they don’t like what’s in the bag, the bag won’t serve its purpose!

Items you could use to create a restaurant bag of your own:

Puzzles, books, games, coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, stickers, small action figures, magnetic sets, cards, the possibilities are endless . . .

These are items from G's bag. He is 3. He has a game (which came in a kid's meal), 2 activity books, 2 books, a toy car, a toy animal, a magnetic play set (I got from the dollar spot at Target), and a pencil pouch with crayons and pencils in it.

These are items from B's bag. He is 6. He has 3 different games, activity/coloring/sicker books, 2 books to read, an mp3 player that has books on cd loaded on it, small action figures, and a tin with pencils, crayon, and markers in it.

Does anyone else have On the go Bags? What do you include in your bags?