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:
