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Archive for the ‘Safeway’ Category
Monday, January 26th, 2009
Safeway:
$26.21 worth of groceries for $2.87! Here’s the breakdown –
First transaction:
Total spent: $1.03
Total before coupons: $8.56
View receipt
Got:
1 tub of whipped butter – on sale for $1.99
3 trial sized packets of Airborne – on sale for $2.19, used three $2/1 coupons good on any Airborne, found in the January 4th Smart Source newspaper inserts. Final price: Free plus .31 cents overage each after coupon and doubles.
Second transaction:
Total spent: .07 cents
Total before coupons: $10.85
View receipt
Got:
2 bags of Purina cat chow – on sale for $2.00, used two $3/1 printables. Jai signed up for the same pet insurance quote that I did, so we were able to get two additional copies of this coupon. And, since it states that it is good on any size or variety, I was able to use it on a lower priced bag to receive overage. Final price: Free plus $1.50 overage each after coupon and doubles!
1 gallon of milk – on sale for $2.99.
1 trial sized packet of Airborne – on sale for $2.19, used one $2/1 coupon from the January 4th Smart Source newspaper inserts. Final price: Free plus .31 cents overage after coupon and doubles.
1 package of Hormel Pepperoni – on sale for $1.67, used one .75/1 coupon from the January 18th Smart Source newspaper inserts, which doubled. Final price: .42 cents.
I also earned my first Power Pump reward for this quarter, and racked up another 125 miles in the United Airlines GroceryMiles program – check out this post for more information.
Third transaction:
Total spent: $1.77
Total before coupons: $6.80
View receipt #1
View receipt #2 – the mushrooms didn’t get rung up the first time, and I had to go back through the line again so that I could pay for them.
Got:
1 Kashi Roll bar – on clearance for $1.15, used a coupon for $1 off any Kashi product that I found in Fred Meyer’s free “Naturally Preferred” magazine. Final cost: Free plus .35 cents overage after coupon and doubles.
3 cans of Hunt’s tomatoes – on sale for .77 cents each, used a $1/3 printable. Final price: .27 cents each after coupon and doubles.
2 cans of Chef Boyardee ravioli – on sale for .77 cents each, used two .50/1 coupons that I received in the mail. Final price: Free plus .23 cents overage each after coupon and doubles.
1.60 lbs of bananas – on sale for .39 cents a pound, final price: .62 cents.
.36 lbs of mushrooms – $3.29 per pound, final price: $1.18 for four mushrooms!!
Rite Aid:
Total spent: $12.98 – but I will get $6.00 back in rebates.
Total before coupons: $14.48
View receipt
Got:
1 80 count bottle of ibuprofen -the 50 count bottles were on sale for .99 cents each, but there were none on the shelf. I asked an employee if they had any more in the back, and she replied that they were out of stock, but that they could substitute an 80 count bottle for the same price. Works for me! I was glad to find a sale on this, since I just ran out of ibuprofen. Final price: .99 cents.
A two-pack of lightbulbs – free after rebate!
2 bottles of Dove body spray – on sale for $3.00 each, used a $1.50/2 coupon from the January 18th Red Plum newspaper inserts. I will also get $4.00 back in rebates, making their final price .25 cents each. I got a free sample of this body spray a while ago, and I really liked it!
2 boxes of trash bags – buy one, get one free sale. Final price: $5.49 for two. I was out of trash bags, and this seemed to be the best deal.
Posted in Rite Aid, Safeway | 1 Comment »
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
After I got back from Walgreens, I decided to stop by Safeway and get in on a few deals there. I did pretty well:
$25.15 worth of groceries for .59 cents – and I also earned $15 in gift cards! Here’s the breakdown:
First transaction –
Total spent: -.05 cents. They paid me .05 cents!
Total before coupons: $8.48
View receipt
Got:
1 box of South Beach Fiber Fit bars – on sale for $2.50, used a $2/1 printable, which doubled. Final price: Free!
1 bag of Purina cat chow – on sale for $2.00, used a $3/1 printable that I received for requesting a pet insurance quote. The coupon stated that it was good on any size or variety of Purina products, which is why I was able to use it on a lower priced bag to receive overage. Final price: Free plus $1.50 overage after coupon and doubles!
2 boxes of Hormel Pepperoni – on sale for $1.67, used two .75/1 coupons from the 1/18 Smart Source newspaper inserts, which doubled. Final price: .42 cents each.
.81 lb. of Bok Choy – .79 cents per pound, final price: .64 cents.
I thought that between the Bok Choy and the pepperoni, I would have more than enough items for the overage to pay for. However, the Bok Choy ended up weighing slightly less than I thought – the scales in the produce department just give you an approximate weight – so between that and my .03 cent credit for bringing my own bag, the register ended up negative .05 cents! Yes, they handed me .05 cents to take these groceries! Keep in mind, Safeway will be reimbursed for the full amount of my coupons by the manufacturer, plus a shipping and handling fee; so they did not lose any money by doing this.
Second transaction –
Total spent: .64 cents
Total before coupons: $9.17
View receipt
Got:
1 box of South Beach Fiber Fit bars – on sale for $2.50, used a $2/1 printable, which doubled. Final price: Free!
1 bag of Purina cat chow – on sale for $2.00, used another $3/1 printable. Final price: Free plus $1.50 overage after coupon and doubles!
2 boxes of Hormel Pepperoni – on sale for $1.67, used two .75/1 coupons from the 1/18 Smart Source newspaper inserts, which doubled. Final price: .42 cents each.
.89 lb. of onion – on sale for $1.49 per pound, final price: $1.33.
Third and final transaction –
Total spent: Zero!
Total before coupons: $7.50
View receipt
Got:
Three boxes of South Beach Fiber Fit bars – on sale for $2.50, used three $2/1 printables, which doubled. Final price: Free! You are allowed to print two per computer, and I printed these from my desktop PC, my laptop, and Jai’s computer – that’s how I get so many printables.
But that’s not all – every time I went through the checkout, I got a survey invitation:
These invitations printed out from the Catalina machine, and offered a $5 gift card incentive for taking their survey online. At first I thought these were invitations to the same survey, but when I got home I realized that these were all different surveys! I took each of them this morning and should be receiving $15 in gift cards for my time. I love taking these surveys – I got one of these invitations last summer, and I received a $5 Safeway gift card just for spending a few minutes answering their questions.
I’m so glad that the sales are starting to pick up again. The last few months have been pretty thin on the ground, at least in this area, so it’s fun to be getting the rock-bottom deals again!
Posted in Produce Deals, Safeway | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Whenever I need grocery items that I don’t have coupons for, I look for creative ways to lower my out of pocket expense. Today I saved some cash by turning in my old soda pop cans. I keep my cans in a cupboard under the sink, and they’ve been building up for quite some time. “Taking back cans” isn’t exactly high on the priority list, but the cupboard was stuffed full of bottles so I decided that it was high time to turn them in. Safeway has a bottle return center, and after you return your cans, it prints out a slip that can either be redeemed for cash or used to offset your purchases in-store. This was convenient, since I needed a few things anyway! All of my cans added up to $6.65 altogether, which was enough to pay for this:
Total spent: .10 cents
Total before bottle refund: $6.78
View receipt
Got:
1 gallon of milk
1 quart of half & half
1 package of rubber gloves
I also have some miscellaneous grocery expenses to report. I got sick last week, and Jai made a few shopping trips to buy me medicine and food – I had plenty of food already, but you know how only specific things sound appealing when you don’t feel well! He also picked up the Sunday paper for me. He spent about $25 for everything, give or take a dollar or two (Not all of his purchases had receipts, so I may be missing an item). I also stopped by the store later that week and bought a gallon of milk and a clearanced bottle of Starbucks flavored syrup, for a grand total of $5.94. I didn’t take a picture because there were no special deals to report, and I didn’t want to bore everyone!
Posted in Safeway | No Comments »
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Costco:
Total spent: $21.89 – no coupons
View receipt
Got:
1 huge package of toilet paper
Since the TP stockpile was running low, I figured I should re-stock. Comparing the current sale prices on toilet paper, this seemed like the best deal to me, although it’s certainly not cheap.
Safeway:
Total spent: $25.34
Total before coupons: $36.34
View receipt #1
View receipt #2
Got:
2.25 pounds of organic, fair trade coffee – $9.99 a pound, used six $1/1 coupons that I found in the coffee aisle, which doubled – see more details below.
2 cans of Del Monte corn – on sale for $1, used two .50/1 coupons, which doubled. Free after coupons!
1 gallon of milk
1 pound of butter
1 bunch of green onions
1 head of red leaf lettuce
.42 pounds of mushrooms
.54 pounds of broccoli
1 carrot
1 head of garlic
I found coupons in the coffee aisle good for $1 off Millstone coffee. The coupon stated that it could be used on a half pound or more of bulk coffee. I filled two bags up to the half pound mark, and used two of the coupons, which doubled, taking off a total of $1.50 on each bag. This worked out to be a great deal, so I went back through the line and got four more bags! I filled each one up to the half pound mark, but since the weight is approximate, each bag came up at a slightly different weight and price.
This much coffee would normally cost $22.50, and I paid a total of $13.50. That’s like getting almost a pound of organic coffee free! Sure, I could get other types of coffee for less, but good coffee is a luxury that I don’t mind spending extra on.
After I got home, I used some of my purchases to make dinner:
Angel Hair pasta with mushrooms and green onions, salad, and homemade garlic bread. I used the rest of the whipping cream from Tuesday’s mushy peas to make the cream sauce for the pasta.
Posted in Costco, Coupon Menu Corner, Safeway | No Comments »
Thursday, January 8th, 2009
I decided to make fish and chips on Tuesday night, so I stopped by Safeway to pick up a few ingredients:
Total spent: $7.12
Total before coupons: $8.90
View receipt
Got:
1 bottle of malt vinegar – this is a non-negotiable ingredient when making fish and chips. Cost: $2.77, and worth every penny.
1 can of sweet peas – on sale for $1.15, used one .50/1 coupon that I received in the mail, which doubled. Final cost: .15 cents.
1 pint of whipping cream – marked down by .75 cents, due to the January 8th sell-by date. Fine by me, since I was buying it to use that night! Final cost: $1.54.
1 quart of half and half – I’m taking a break from Coffee-Mate to enjoy some half and half in my coffee. The Safeway brand is .40 cents cheaper, but the only cartons that they had were verging on expiration, so I had to pay more for this kind. Cost: $2.69.
Here’s how it turned out:
I made this as authentic as I could, although not having the same ingredients in the states makes it difficult to capture the taste. First, I took a piece of halibut that a friend gave us, and breaded it in homemade shake ‘n bake, inspired by this recipe. Normally the fish would be deep-fried, but since I don’t have a deep fryer, I just baked it. Then I cut up two small potatoes into chips, soaked them in cold water for about 5 minutes, and then drizzled them in olive oil and fried them in a pan for 10 minutes. I then stuck them on a baking sheet with the fish, and cooked until done.
This was served with a loaf of homemade bread and mushy peas. Most of you are probably thinking, “What on earth are mushy peas?!” This is a side dish traditionally served with fish and chips, and despite the somewhat dubious name, they are very good. You can buy canned mushy peas in England, but obviously I’ve never seen anything like that here. I did a Google search to see if I could find a recipe, and I came across this approximation using frozen/canned peas. The main problem is that mushy peas are always made from dried Marrowfat peas, which I have never seen over here. But I was feeling adventurous, so I figured I’d give the sweet peas a whirl and see how it turned out. Jai liked them, but I didn’t – the sweet flavor is just too strong for me. Guess I’ll be packing dried peas in my suitcase the next time I go back!
Posted in Coupon Menu Corner, Safeway | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
I had one disappointing shopping trip on Sunday, followed by a great trip yesterday.
Safeway trip, January 4th:
Total spent: $6.99 – no coupons
View receipt
Got:
1 24 pack of TP
This trip was a dud for a few reasons. First, I had planned to pick up some Wacky Mac – Sunday was the last day that it was on sale for .99 cents, and there are .50/1 printables on both SmartSource and Coupons.com, which would make it free after doubles. However, the store was completely out of the sales fliers that contain the doubler, so I opted not to get any Wacky Mac, since there was no way for me to get my coupons doubled. On top of that, the store was also completely out of Sunday papers. But I still got the TP, since we’re running low. Toilet paper sales are rare around here, so I just have to take what I can get. After Safeway, I ran to a vending machine and got myself a paper, adding $2.50 to my budget.
But my trip to Walgreens on the 5th was much more successful. First transaction:
Total spent: Nothing out pocket, put $10 on my rebate gift card. And I got $9 in Register Rewards back!
Total before coupons: $14.00
View receipt #1
View receipt #2
View receipt #3
Got:
2 bottles of SlimQuick Energy shots – on sale for $4, got $4 in Register Rewards back for purchasing it.
2 bottles of Theraflu – on sale for $5 each, used two $2/1 coupons from the 10/19 Smart Source newspaper inserts. Final price: $6 for two, and I received $5 back in Register Rewards back for the purchase.
The reason there are three receipts is because when I made my initial purchase, I forgot to hand over my coupons – DUH. But they were very accomodating, and let me return the Theraflu and then re-ring it with the coupons. I put $14 on my gift card initially, but the manager did the return in cash, so I ended up with a $4 cash refund. I really appreciated them doing that!!
I thought this was a good deal for the Theraflu – I love stocking up on this stuff, because it really saves you money when you get sick.
For my second transaction, I used my $9 in Register Rewards to pay for some awesome clearance finds, and also scored some fantastic coupon deals:
Total spent: Nothing out of pocket, put $1.11 on my rebate gift card. And I will get $1.50 back in EasySaver rebates!
Total before coupons: $54.84
View receipt
Got:
4 pints of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream – on sale for $3, used four $3/1 printables. Free after coupons! These coupons were available for a limited time last week if you signed up on the Ben & Jerry’s website. The offer is no longer available, but if you printed these last week, use them at Walgreens! Jai and I both signed up for the offer, which is how we got 4 pints. YUM!
1 Blood Glucose Monitor – on sale for $14.99, used a coupon for up to $20 off from the 1/4 Red Plum newspaper inserts. Free after coupon! As you might guess by the fact that this is sitting next to ice cream, I do not have diabetes. However, I have relatives that do, and if they can’t use it, I will donate it. As a side note, if you or a loved one need one of these, check out this link to see if you qualify to have a free monitor mailed to you from One Touch!
1 package of Electrasol – on sale for $3.49, used a $2.50/1 coupon from the 1/4 Smart Source newspaper inserts, bringing it down to .99 cents. And I will get a $1.50 EasySaver rebate for purchasing it, so I’m .51 cents ahead!
2 jumbo packs of Stayfree – 96 pads altogether! On sale for $6.99 each. First, I used the “Buy One, Get One Free” coupon from the 1/4 Red Plum newspaper inserts, which took off $6.99. Then, I used a $1/1 printable, stacked with a $3 coupon from the Walgreens sales flier, which took $3 off each package. Final cost for both: Free plus .01 cent overage!
1 bottle of Palmolive dish soap – on sale for $1.79, used a coupon from the Walgreens sales flier for $1 off stacked with a .25/1 coupon from the the 1/4 Smart Source newspaper inserts. Final price: .54 cents
1 purse sized packet of Kleenex – clearanced to .24 cents
3 cans of Sweet Potatoes – clearanced to .24 cents each
3 rolls of ribbon – clearanced to .16 cents each
8 Santa & Snowman votive candles – clearanced to .12 cents each. I just couldn’t resist, these will be so cute to put in gift bags next year!
1 can of Pumpkin – clearanced to .44 cents
2 packages of Christmas gift tags – 200 gift tags in total! Clearanced to .49 cents each
2 Santa salt & pepper shakers – clearanced to .16 cents each
Pre-made Honey Maid Graham Cracker crusts – clearanced to .74 cents each. I was stoked about these – Jai’s birthday is in March, and I always make him cheesecake, so this was a great find!
2 packages of bows – clearanced to .24 cents each
2 packages of red & green tissue paper – look familiar? I paid $2.50 for one package of this before Christmas. But now they’re clearanced to .62 cents each, so I stocked up!
1 package of plastic cutlery – clearanced to .24 cents
1 bag of BBQ potato chips – Notice how the bag is empty! I was having a blast rooting through the clearance, and I realized that it was getting late when I noticed how hungry I was! This was just to tide me over until I got home.
I was really pleased with these deals, because I got a few awesome freebies and some useful items on clearance that will come in handy next Christmas and beyond. The bottom of my receipt listed my grand total savings – factoring in coupons, store specials, and pre-clearance prices – as $89.91. Not too shabby!
Thanks so much to Common Sense With Money and Hot Coupon World for posting these awesome coupon scenarios for Walgreens!
Posted in Safeway, Walgreens | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 5th, 2009
I made Fettuccine Alfredo for five people on Saturday night, so I needed to pick up a few supplies beforehand.
Safeway trip, January 2nd:
Total spent: $8.57
Total before coupons: $11.57
View receipt
Got:
1 gallon of milk
1 quart of half and half
1 box of Always pads – I got yet another $3/1 catalina for these, so I put it to use!
Walgreens trip, January 3rd:
Total spent: Nothing out of pocket, put $5.99 on my rebate gift card
View receipt
Got:
1 8 oz bottle of Parmesan cheese
I didn’t get any pictures of the dinner, but it was my first time making Fettuccine – and YUM, was it good. I used this recipe, which I highly recommend!
Posted in Safeway, Walgreens | No Comments »
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
With the end of the year approaching, it was time to use up some good coupons before they expired. I had a huge stack of expiring coupons, but I just cherry picked the really valuable ones and focused on using those.
Safeway trip, December 30th:
Total spent: $3.58
Total before coupons: $11.67
View receipt
Got:
1 package of Always pads – on sale for $6.29, used a $3/1 Always catalina. Final price: $3.29
1 package of mini doughnuts – on sale for $2.79, used a coupon that I received through the mail good for $2 off any Hostess product, which doubled. Final price: .29 cents
1 package of organic tofu – used a free tofu coupon. I joined Nasoya’s email club earlier in the year, and was invited to take a quick survey about their products. In return, they sent me coupons for free products!
The tofu coupon was free up to $2.49, and the package I bought was tagged on the shelf as being on sale for $1.99. However, it rang up as $2.59, so I asked the checker if she’d like me to go double-check the price tag. She said not to worry about it, and price adjusted the tofu to $2.49 instead so that I would still get it free. Whatever works!
I was only $4 away from my next Power Pump Reward, so this purchase earned me another .10 fuel discount, since it accumulates based on your pre-coupon total. The gas discount had to be redeemed by the 31st, so Jai filled his car on the way to work. (My tank is full – I haven’t been driving much because of my foot!)
I had 6 Power Pump Rewards altogether, resulting in a savings of .60 cents a gallon. Jai was able to fill up for $11 – that’s $1.13 per gallon.
I found a few more coupons that I just couldn’t let expire, so I made quick trip back to Safeway last night:
Total spent: .59 cents
Total before coupons: $7.08
View receipt
Got:
1 package of corn tortillas, 36 count – On sale for $1.99, used a $1/1 printable, which doubled. Final price: .49 cents. I have no idea where I found this printable, but I know I’ve had it in my stash for a long time.
1 6oz tub of yoghurt – on sale for .60 cents, used a .25/1 coupon that I received in the mail, which doubled. Final price: .10 cents
Package of two AA Energizer batteries – used a coupon for free Energizer batteries that I received in the mail.
I get a lot of questions about Safeway’s doubling policy, so let me give a brief explanation of how it works. Safeway doubles up to four coupons per transaction, up to .50 cents each. So if the coupon is .50 cents or under, it doubles the amount – so my .25 cent yoghurt coupon became .50 cents. If the coupon is over .50 cents, then .50 cents is added to the value of the coupon; so my $1/1 tortilla coupon became $1.50. This isn’t doubling in the mathematical sense, obviously, but that’s what Safeway refers to it as.
Happy 2009, everyone! Did you snag any good deals with expiring coupons?
Posted in Power Pump Rewards, Safeway | No Comments »
Sunday, December 28th, 2008
I was finally able to limp out of the house for the first time last Thursday and do a little shopping!
I had grand plans to use my $25 prescription gift card from Walgreens to stock up on some grocery items that I needed – I was up there to see the podiatrist anyway, so it would have worked out perfectly. But we had to scrap that because it was starting to snow and get icy, and we wanted to get back before it got too bad. The coast doesn’t usually get a lot of snow, so this is a little unusual for us.
I figured I could just do some deals at Safeway instead, since that’s close to home. But we were in a hurry to get there, since the weather was getting progressively worse and we wanted to finish shopping before it got really bad. As a result, I didn’t have time to work out any great coupon deals, and I ended up spending more in one trip that I have in a long time. Here’s the breakdown:
Rite Aid:
Total spent: $9.99 – no coupons, sadly. But this does apply towards my “Gift of Savings” rebate.
View receipt
Got:
1 box of hair bleach – time to touch up my roots!
Safeway:
Total spent: $33.42
Total before coupons: $41.16
View receipt
Got:
1 package of tortillas
1 bag of cheese
1 carton of egg nog – I was feeling festive!
A six-pack of yoghurt – used a free yoghurt coupon that I won in a giveaway from Laura Williams’ Musings
A four-pack of yoghurt smoothies – on sale for $2.50, had a .75 cent manager markdown because of its 12/22 sell-by date. I needed lots of yoghurt because I was starting antibiotics, and this helps settle your stomach when you’re taking them.
1 tub of petroleum jelly – this is a must have when you’re bleaching your hair; It protects your hairline from irritation.
1 package of cotton swabs
1 package of Always pads – Regular price $6.29, stacked a $3 off Always catalina that I had received previously with a $1/1 e-coupon. This was my first attempt using e-coupons, and on my receipt it showed up as “Club Card” savings, without any special notation that it was an e-coupon.
1 package of first aid tape
1.43 pounds of broccoli
1 bunch of green onions
.59 pounds of yellow onion
1 Avocado
1 head of garlic
1.09 pounds of tomatoes
A 10 pound bag of potatoes
This one trip cost as much as my entire budget for the months of September and October combined!! Ugh. But I think it’s important to realize that it’s OK to pay more during those times when it’s just not feasible to bargain shop. I may be Super Coupon Girl, but when I’m limping through ice and snow in a soggy slipper – since I still can’t get my foot into a shoe – even I throw up my hands. I also wanted to make sure that we were well-stocked on produce and so forth, since I wasn’t sure how bad the weather was going to get. But because I save so much on the majority of my trips and have a stockpile to help me, it doesn’t break the bank to have an expensive month because of uncontrollable circumstances.
So what’s the weather like where you guys live? Have you been hit by a snowstorm yet? We normally don’t get much in the way of snow here, so this past week has been a bit unusual. I’ve never seen a snowman on the beach before:
Posted in Rite Aid, Safeway | No Comments »
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