My Week of Savings in Review: 2/21 - 2/27

Here's my no frills week in review:

Fred Meyer:

Ham: $1.29 (half off)
Chicken 79¢/lb: $7.55
Land'O Frost Lunch Meat: $2 each w/MF coupon
Keebler Cookies: $1.29 each w/MF coupons
2 Gallons of Milk: Free w/ cookies (promo)
FM Cottage Cheese: 99¢ each
FM Creamer: $4.35
Cauliflower: $1.76
Bananas: $1.85
Lettuce: 99¢
Kroger Puffs: $1.67
Coffee: 2 half lb bags Free w/Coupon
Paid: $19.64 (after $14.64 in rebate money used)

Walgreens (details here)
Paid: $4.16
Earned: $6 in register rewards

Fred Meyer: (details here)
Paid: $8.01

Not Pictured:
3 Loaves of bread for $3.75

Total this week: $35.56 and I have $6 in register reward for next week.  I am at $246.11 for the month, slightly over my allotted budget of $240.00.    I do plan to buy two more fryer breasts tomorrow in preparation for my upcoming freezer cooking day, which will push over even more.  My goal was a little low, so I'm not sweating it.  I'm very pleased with my total savings for the month of $523.42.  It makes it so worthwhile to spend the time each week clipping coupons and finding deals!
Update:  I've noticed that my totals don't from my savings tracker don't make sense.  I should have been a little under budget.  I'm going to have to do a little research and calculations today to figure out why.  To be continued....

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My Weeks of Saving in Review

I didn't add  receipts into my savings tracker for two weeks and missed my last week of savings review.  Wow, I don't plan to do that again.  It was a bit tedious to put everything together so I am just going to post where I stand and a few of the high-lights.

Total Shelf Cost: $424.49
Coupon Savings: $150.92
Total Savings: $266.95
Total Spent: $149.75 (two weeks of shopping)

 Here are a few of my favorite transactions:

Rite Aid:

Paid: $2.11

Total Coupon Savings: $24.98

I ended up meeting the $50 P&G rebate because I also bought Pampers the day before, so I earned a $15 Visa giftcard!  The only bad part was that I paid $19.56 with tax the three packs of diapers (qualifying my for $7 in rebates), but I could have use the $20 Gift of Savings check I still have!  Oh well, I''ll find a way to roll it before it expires in April.

Albertsons: 5 Total Transactions

(3) ActiviaYogurt: Free

 (3) Tuna: Free

(40) Baby Food: $8

(12) Dannon Yogurts: 16¢ each

Tomatoes: 25¢ each after rolling catalinas

(8) Free boxes of pasta (not pictured)

Total OOP: $12

 

These transactions were all done using (3) $1 MF coupons and (3) Albertsons doublers, as well as rolling $1 OYNO catalinas from the tomatoes.  I also stocked up on lots of other items that aren't pictured, like chicken at $1.88 per pound and pork chops at $1.38 per pound, as well as produce and dairy.

This is month to date:

 

My goal for this month for groceries and personal care items is $240.00.  I have spent $211.37 so far.  But, I have received $14.62 in rebate checks that I haven't cashed yet, as well as $13.99 in Walgreens register rewards that expire on 2/22.  This brings my available expenditures to $57.24.  No problem- I hope!

A Small Addition to My Week In Review

I think I posted my week in review too soon because I had to run to Fred Meyer today and take advantage of the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish deal that ends tonight, as well as pick up a couple cheap boxes of Triscuits.  I originally had trouble printing the Goldfish coupons, but I found a working link this afternoon.

I only spent $1.50 out of pocket.  Here's how:

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish $1 each
Used (4) $1/1 printables (2 per computer)
Final Price: 25¢ each
(Thanks Frugal Living NW!)

Nabisco Snack Crackers: $2.50 each
Used 3/$5 in ad coupon, limit 3
Used $2/2 printable (FF) or (IE)
Used (1) $1/1 from 1/24 Smart Source
Final Price: 66¢ each


Used a $1.50 Fred Meyer Rewards rebate that came in the mail
Paid $1.50!

Total this week: $63.12

Don't forget, these deals end tonight!  For the upcoming week's deals go here.


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My Week of Savings in Review 1/31-2/6

It's time once again to share how my shopping went this week.  I am happy to report a very mellow one compared to the previous two, with only a few trips to Albertsons and Fred Meyer.  (A bit of a relief after 10 separate transactions last week alone.  I know, it's exhausting to even think about!)  I track Sunday through Saturday, and this week starts on Jan. 31st, so I am going to count it as part of my February budget.  I am aiming for $60 per week. That's a little lean for me.  But, it's a short month and I went over a little in January so I am going to give it a shot!

ALBERTSONS:

Transaction #1
35 Boxes of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars: $1 each, used (7) $3/5 MF coupons: $14
5 Quaker Oat 48 oz  $7, used (1) $3/5 MF coupon: $4
Spent: $18
Saved: $129.10!

 

Transaction #2
(2) Skippy Peanut Butter: $3, used $1/1 MF + doubler: $1
(2) Smart Taste Pasta: $3.38, used $1/1 MF + doubler: $1.38
(1) Bagel Bites $1.99, used $1/1 MF + doubler: FREE
(2) Lipton 100-ct. Tea Bags: $5, used $1/1 MF: $4
(5) Quaker Instant Oatmeal boxes: $5, used $3/5: $2
Spent: $8.37
Saved: $27.21

 

Transaction #3

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter $3, used $1/1 MF + doubler: $1

Best Foods Mayo $5, used $1/1 MF + doubler: $3

Skippy Peanut Butter: $1.50, used $1/1 MF + doubler: $1

Spent: $5

Saved: $16.54
 

FRED MEYER

Transactions #1
 Forgive me, this is going to be from memory.  I entered all of my information into the savings tracker earlier in the week then promptly threw away the receipt.  Not very good planning!

5 lbs of Onions $1.99
Bananas 59¢ per lb
5 lbs of Carrots: $2.69
(3) Mission Tortillas $2 each, used (3) $1/1 MF coupons (I wish I would have waited!)
2 Gallons of Milk $1.99
(2) Sun Laundry Detergent 99¢ each with in ad coupon from Friday's paper
(5) Bumble Bee Tuna 75¢ for 5 also with in ad coupon from Friday's paper
(6) FM brand Cream of Mushroom soup: 50¢ each
(1) 4 lb generic Sugar: $2.69 (?)
(1) Cupcake holders $1.19 (is that what they are called?)
1/4 lb bulk walnuts: under $1
(2) Land O'Frost Deli Shaved Meat: $2.50, used $1/1 MF: $2 each
Spent: $24.68
Saved: $11.93

Transaction #2
Private Selection Eggs: $1.66 (sale)
Tilamook Cheese $3.99 with in ad coupon
Spent: $5.66
Saved: $4.32

 

 

This is from my savings tracker.  You can download this great tool for yourself thanks to Angela at The Coupon Project.  (I love it!) 

As you can see, I went just a wee bit over budget. 

Total Spent this week: $61.62
Total Saved: $199.10 or 76%

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My Week of Savings in Review 1/24 -1/30

I had another busy shopping week, but I think it was well worth it because I saved $248.98!  My total out of pocket was a little high at $110.55 (gasp), but there were so many great deals this week that I had to take advantage of!

Walgreens:

   Pert and Sure were all FREE with coupons and RR's (not including tax)

I bought the oatmeal before I knew about the upcoming Quaker promo

Bobby pins were B1G1 Free:

Total Tans #1 $5.66 OOP + $4 in RR

 Total Tans #2 :$2.76 + earned $2 RR

Fred Meyer:
Kraft cheese promo: 50¢ each after Q's & $5 cat!

Finish: $1.29 each

International Delight: Free w/ coupon

Oranges: 33¢ lb

Romas: 99¢ lb

Clean & Clear: $1.99 w/coupon

Yogurt: 40¢, not rockin deal, but needed for lunches
Total: $17.12 + earned a $5 cat

Fred Meyer: Yes, I had to get more cheese!

Large bag of dog food not pictured
Total: $10.64 + earned $5 cat

Safeway: (sorry, no picture)
 5# hamburger, bag salad, bananas
Total: 63¢ after $7 in catalinas

 

This is where it gets expensive:

Wags #3: $20.53 , earned a $5 RR so diapers $4.32 each before tax

Babies R Us: $12 (saved 50% on organic baby food, hopefully the last I will need to buy)

Fred Meyer: $9.55 (nothing exciting, except everything on sale, no Q's)

 

Wags #4: $20.32 + earned $5 RR

Wags #5: Total 76¢ + $2 RR

Albertsons:  
Total $6 (Quaker Promo)
 

Fred Meyer: Ziploc Promo 
Total: $2.31 after $5 cat, + earned $2 cat

 I still have $9 in register rewards to spend this week too, but I paid close to that for coupons on

Ebay, so it kind of evens out!

I spent $314.95 this month, a little above my goal of $300. I am stocked up, so hopefully the month of February will reflect this in my spending. 

Total Savings for January: $706.72 or 69%!
I also received $49 in rebate checks from December!

  

You can download a copy of this Excel Savings Tracker here.

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My Week of Savings In Review 1/17 -1/23

All in all it was a great week for deals!  I really didn't want to do this week in review though for several reasons.  I made three shopping trips and had nine total transactions.  I  got everything logged into my savings tracker, but corresponding the deals to my pictures was a little tricky because there are so many.  To complicate things, I bought a new computer over the weekend and was having trouble linking it with the old one.  Today I was also having a problem with internet explorer, so I switched to Firefox, and there seem to be some differences. Yikes!

After only spending $30 the previous week, I made up for it by spending $65.98 this week.   My savings were $139.58 or 68%.  I did a lot of stocking up and am really happy about that.  Eventually I hope to be able to eat from my pantry too, but this wasn't the month to do it.  Soon though, very soon!

SAFEWAY:

Paid: $11.93

Shelf Cost: $37.27

Saved: 68%

 

Paid: $2.60

Shelf Cost: $23.72

Saved: 89% and earned a $3.50 OYNO coupon

 

I had two more transactions that I didn't get  photos of.  This is what my stock pile of fruit snacks looks like now though!

Spent: $6.57 OOP, used $3.50 catalina

Shelf Cost: $48.21

Total Savings: 87% and I still have $6 in catalinas

ALBERTSONS:

Spent: $17.43

Shelf Cost: $46.50

Total Savings: 65%

FRED MEYER:

There is one picture missing, in which I bought more TP, baby food, gum and produce.

Spent: $27.45

Shelf Cost: $27.45

Amount Saved: 49%

Here's how I am doing for the month:

 I still have $95.74 to spend and still stay within my budget.  I plan to stock up on meat and diapers this coming week, so I might just hit that mark.  So far I have saved $453. 42 or 69%!

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My Week of Savings In Review: 1/11 - 1/16

You will notice that I am only counting six days in my review this week.  That is because I accidently added an extra day to last week's review, so I am getting back on track.  I purposely did very little shopping the past week, skipping my usual Walgreens and Rite Aid trips all together.  The reason for this is that I just didn't feel like shopping much, mostly because I am stocked up on my personal care items, including diapers.  Here are my trips to the grocery store:

Fred Meyer:

Spent: $26.66

Saved: $30.04 or 57%

Best Deals:

All Detergent: $1.50 each
Fred Meyer Soda: 10¢ each
Fred Meyer 6 pk Double Roll TP: 99¢ each
Rosarita Refried Beans: 66¢ each
Land O' Frost Deli Meat: $1.50 each
Bread: Reduced to 79¢
Gum: 44¢ each
Hunt's Pasta Sauce: 45¢ each (eCoupons didn't subtract!)

Fred Meyer (HERE):

Spent: $4.50
Saved: $15.18 or 79%
(Updated, I almost forgot this trip!)

Albertsons:

Spent: $1.40

Saved: $9.91 or 88%

I used $5.50 in catalina coupons!

Best Deals:

Potatoes 10 lbs: 99¢

Chicken: 69¢ per lb

My husband did stop by the store on his way home from work to pick up milk and tomatoes that I didn't snap a picture of.  I don't have the receipt either, but he says it was around $3.  That makes my total for the week $31.36.  This is really low for me, and I will be making up for it next week.

Here is how I am doing so far this month:

Shelf Cost of Items Purchased: $447.37
Coupon Savings: $164.12
Discounts/Store Savings: $146.98
Savings Total: $311.10

Total Out of Pocket This Month: $138.28
Total Savings: 69.5%

How are you doing?  Sometimes I think that I need to spend a little less money.  I read a lot of other blogs and am always amazed at how many of them can stay under $50 a week.  That is simply not realistic for me at this time.  I have been seriously coupon clipping, deal seeking and stockpiling for about 6 months now.  I still have a lot to learn, and am getting better all the time.

If you are new to the whole coupon game and want to get started, or aren't saving as much as you would like, I recommend checking out Angela's Getting Started Post HERE.  It is a great resource for beginners, and even seasoned shoppers who want to pick up a few tips!  You will find an awesome savings tracker there that you can download too!
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My Week of Savings in Review: I Saved $270!

This week I saved a whopping $270.89 or 75% on my groceries and personal care items!  My total out of pocket was $66.32.  I am still building my stockpile, which is absolutely necessary to saving money!  I got lots of free salsa (here, and good through Feb. 2nd!), canned goods and cheap creamer this week.  I'm a big believer in buying store brand items in order to save money too.  I also love great deals, like the Kashi, when I find them!  It was a great week at Walgreens to boot.  Here's what I got:

Fred Meyer: Trip 1

Spent $4.53

Saved $25.88 or 85%

(Not Pictured: 3 # bag of Carrots)

Fred Meyer: Trip 2

Spent: $46.20

Saved $42.52 or 48%

The creamer was 60% off so I purchased I stocked up.

I also stocked up on some canned goods. 

I saved some money on non-sale items I needed by buying the store brand.

Walgreens: 4 Transactions!

Total Spent before tax: $6.53

I also have $2 in Register Rewards left over!

Total Saved: $81.60 or 93%

Albertsons:

Total Spent: $9.06

I still have $5.50 in future purchase coupons!

Total Savings: $53.89 or 93%

Here is my month to date savings:

It is really motivating to see how much I am saving and I am loving the new savings  tracker I downloaded from The Coupon Project. I keep mentioning it because it is a really handy tool to see how all my hard work is paying off.  I have already saved $254.97 this month, that's an average of 72%! Woohoo!

How are you doing?  I would love to hear about it!

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Week In Review: 12/27 - 1/2

This is my Week in Review for December 27th through January 2nd.  As you can see by the pictures above, I did very little shopping.  I was so busy with the holidays and traveling, that I didn't have much time.  In fact I didn't pay attention to any deals last week and only used one coupon for this trip (gasp)!

 So, I am happy to report that I managed to buy everything on sale and found a store coupon for the sausage.  I also found bread on sale, so I stocked up on a few extra loaves to freeze.  When I was reviewing my receipt though, I noticed that I was charged $4.99 lb for the tomatoes I bought!  The cashier had charged me for heirloom and not roma tomatoes, so I had to get a price adjustment.  This is a great reminder to pay close attention to the register when your items are being rung up.

 I ended up spending $26.21 and saving 42%.

What I am most excited about was implementing the savings tracker that Angela at The Coupon Project created.  (I had attempted to make one myself a few months ago, but ended up abandoning it.)  What I most like about hers is that it figures out your total savings for you!  If one of your New Year's resolutions is to save more money, then I recommend you download it here.  It will help you see where your money is going and hopefully help you become a savvier shopper!

My Week in Review: 11/29 - 12/5

 This is my once again, very late week in review, for November 29th through December 5th.  I sometimes slack doing these because they are a little time consuming.  I'm not good about logging my purchases into Excel when I get home from shopping.  I'm usually busy snapping a quick photo, putting the stuff away, and tending to the baby.  (She is sick this week, so I've been procrastinating even more.)  I am usually good about putting my receipts in an envelope to tally later though.  It's important for me to keep track of my spending, not only from a financial standpoint, but also so I can see that the time I spend coupon clipping and deal planning is really paying off!  The reality is that it does take time, no matter what else says.  I'm sure with more time and experience, the process will get faster and easier.  So here goes with last week's savings:

Safeway:

Percent Saved: 99%

Total OOP: 61¢!

Total Before Savings: $35.46

Details: here

Fred Meyer:

Percent Saved: 61%

Total OOP: $61.68

Total Before Savings: $144.53

Walgreens: details/pictures here and here

Percent Saved: 87%

Total Spent: $17.79

Total Before Savings: $139.84

I wish I could trim my spending down a bit more, but in general I am happy.  I am a work in progress, and getting better all the time.  When I look at how much I would have spent before the coupons and deals I am ecstatic!

Week In Review: 11/22 - 11/28

As expected, after spending only $27 the previous week and eating out of the pantry, this week's bill was a bit steeper!  I needed to stock up on diapers and buy holiday food, and my spending amount definitely reflects this.  Here's a wrap-up of my weekly spending for Nov. 22 through Nov. 28.

Walgreens:

Purchased: 4 packs of diapers, 3 packs of gum, 2 Coffee-Mate Creamers

Amount Spent: $23.51 with tax

Adjusted with Caregivers Market Place Rebate: $19.76

Amount Saved: $29.93

Highlight: Diapers Average out to $4.25 each!

Safeway:

Purchased: 14 Can't Believe It's Not Butter

Spent: $13.86

Amount Saved: $28.00 and

Earned: $19 Off My Next Order Catalinas!

Highlight: $5.14 Money maker!

Fred Meyer:

Amount Spent: $35.45

Amount Saved: $33.84

*Two half gallons of ice cream not pictured.

Highlights: Meat marked down to $1.49 & had 55¢ off coupons,

Soy Sauce ended up being around $1 each after coupons, bacon was $1.75 each

after coupons!

Fred Meyer Transaction #2: (no picture taken)

Amount Spent: $12.00

Amount Saved: $14.50

Highlights: Had to buy some Thanksgiving fixings in a hurry, but I lucked out and didn't have to buy the turkey this year!

Total Savings this Week: $106.27 or 56%

and still have $19 in catalinas!

My Week In Review: 81% Savings

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  I am sooooo late writing this.  With holiday baking, checking out the massive amount of sales out there, and the normal day to day I have been super busy.  I'm doing a quick recap of my shopping last week.  It helps me keep track, and also appreciate the time I spend clipping coupons, hunting for deals, and lately becoming a slave to the computer.  Not the last part, it's fun and completely worth it!

 This is my week in review for 11/15 through 11/22:  81% Savings!

Safeway:

Amount Spent: $3.35

Amount Saved : $19.03

Target:

Amount Spent: $6.71

Amount Saved: $33.69

Walgreens:

Amount Spent: $8.95

Amount Saved: $28.90

Wags: Had to use a $10 catalina that was about to expire!

Amount Spent: $1.21

Amount Saved: $25.77

Fred Meyer:

Amount Spent: $6.53

Amount Saved: $8.78

Earned a $2.00 Catalina for butter!

Last week was all about adding to my pantry.  I really didn't need much else.  The upcoming review will be a little heftier to be sure! I'm finding, it does take a bit of time to learn all the money saving tricks, as well as to build a decent stockpile.  I'm happy to be getting into the groove with all this couponing and deal seeking.  It's fun to share with all who stumble upon my blog.  I was in a rut at the begining of the week, but I think I've dug my way out.  Thanks for all who have left me comments this week.

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving!