Publix Savings as of 5/26

I don't have all my Publix receipts available.

I am reporting on those I have available, and will try to do a better job of keeping track!

Here's my new total, including both yesterday's and today's shopping trips:

Amount spent: $331.32

Amount saved: $1,136.10

Percent savings: 77%

Shooting for an average savings of 80%! Great trips like today really help!

Publix, 5/26

Great new sales this week at Publix!

Here's what I got:

4 Oscar Meyer Beef hotdogs -- BOGO -- 2 for $4.09

Used 2 $1/2 Oscar Meyer hotdogs from 5/16 SS

Used B3G1 from Target.com

Paid: $2.09 for 4 packs!

4 pkgs. Planters Flavor Grove -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.99

Used 2 $1/2 Planters coupons from 4/11 SS

Used B3G1 from Target.com

Paid: $.99 for all 4!

6 Kraft salad dressings -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.19

Used 6 $.55/1 coupons from 5/2 SS

Used 2 B3G1 coupons from target.com (or were these B2G1? If it was B3, then I shouldn't have been able to use them. Uh-oh. Sorry, Publix.)

Paid: FREE for all 6!

4 Nabisco Oreo fudge cremes -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.99

Used 4 $1/1 coupons from the May All You

Used B3G1 from target.com

Paid: FREE for all 4, plus about $1 overage!

Paid: $3.21

Saved: $58.31

Percent savings: 95%

Winn-Dixie, 5/26

I don't do much shopping at Winn-Dixie. I have only been there twice since January before today. But I had some coupons to combine with some sales, so I just couldn't resist.

4 tubs Curly's barbeque pork -- B1G1 -- 2 for $5.99

Used B1G1 blinkie I got at Publix a while back.

Paid: FREE for all 4 tubs of barbeque meat!

2 Premio mild Italian sausage -- B1G1 -- 2 f0r $4.59

Used B1G1 printable coupon

Paid: FREE for both!

1 pk. Winn-Dixie brand hamburger buns -- $1

no coupon

Paid: $1

Total paid: $1

Total saved: $33.33

Total percent savings: 93%

Tonight's Frugal Dinner, 5/26

An easy and cheap dinner tonight!

hamburger buns -- $1 at Winn-Dixie

Curly's barbecue pork -- FREE at Winn-Dixie (Used B1G1 coupon combined with their B1G1 sale)

Knorr creamy garlic noodles -- $.34 from Publix last week

Steamfresh veggies -- $.34 from Publix in April

Tonight's total: $1.68 to feed us all! (Feeding 3 adults and 2 kids. Maybe only 2 adults, since my sister doesn't seem to feel well. Maybe only 1 adult, since my husband has strep throat. Even so, great deal!)

Tonight's Frugal Dinner, 5/24

Talani's working late today, and we have a Personnel meeting tonight. And company tomorrow. And vacation in 4 days. It's a busy day/evening, but then, they all are. So I popped an easy chicken dinner in the oven.

Mom and I put together about 20 (or what was it, Mom? I don't really remember. It was AT LEAST 12, but maybe 20 is over-estimating a bit.) chicken meals in ziploc bags. We made about 4 or 5 different recipes including Sticky Chicky, Maple-Chili, BBQ Jelly. Tonight's is maple-chili chicken. I'll make noodles and veggies to go alongside.

I wish I remember how much it cost to make the meals. I can say this: We bought the chicken when it was just $1.79 a pound for boneless-skinless breast meat at Sam's. We probably have 1 1/2 pounds of chicken in this meal. The maple syrup that went in the recipe was easily the most expensive ingredient, but we didn't use a whole lot. I would say that this dinner, with pasta and veggies included, cost no more than $6.00.

I was going to wait to post this until I had a picture, but I'm afraid of running out of time. We have to leave in an hour, and I have about a million things to do. Besides, when I checked it just a minute ago, it had that mostly-raw look to it that does not look appetizing at all. A picture would probably not be a benefit right now. :) The thing is, you're supposed to thaw the chicken in the fridge during the day. I popped mine in the oven straight out of the freezer, so it's going to take longer than it otherwise should to cook.

Find lots of freezer chicken recipes at www.oamc.8m.com.

Awesome Freebies in My Mailbox Today

Super freebies today! I forgot all about the $35 Visa gift card I "earned" from Rite Aid and the Single Check Rebate program. I requested it on March 3!

The free Justaburger card came for Dianna's birthday which was 3 weeks ago!

These two should cover the cost of our dinner-on-the-road and the late snack-on-the-road as we head for Disney World on Friday. We like to get cheesesteaks from this great place, Philly's, when we are traveling. They taste even better after the oil and vinegar and juices have soaked into the bread, so we always order an extra sandwich for a late snack. The sandwiches are too messy for the kids in the car, though, so we planned to stop at Whataburger to get them some easy-travel dinner.

The timing of the arrival of these things is so perfect. Praise God for His provision in His timing!

Why I'm a Believer in the Whole-Insert Method of Coupon Organization

The first time I bought a Sunday paper and an All You (December 2009), I sat down in the living room of my sister-in-law's house where we were spending Christmas vacation, and I cut out every single coupon. I put them in an envelope in no particular order. At that point, I thought that couponing might be more trouble than it's worth! Three hours of cutting, no organization, no planning for a shopping trip. Only cutting. I'm a busy lady; I don't have three hours a week to spend clipping.
Fortunately, within a couple of weeks, I read a post or watched a video about the whole-insert method of organizing coupons. I decided pretty quickly that I would join Team Whole-Insert. I bought an accordion file with lots of pockets and promptly filled it to over flowing. I have since purchased 2 large file boxes, a box of hanging folders, and a box of tabbed manila folders from Sam's for about $20 and created my expanded filing system. I have all the coupon inserts since the beginning of the year in varying quantities (some weeks I ended up with just one paper; some weeks I got six.). I have nearly filled my first box and am almost ready to graduate into the second.
Yesterday and early this morning as I prepared for my weekly Sunday morning shopping trip, I came across a Publix deal that used a coupon from the January 31 Smart Source. In two separated transactions today, I bought 6 travel-sized Zantacs. I used the $5/2 coupon from all those weeks ago. For each set of 2, I received $2.82 in overage. So, I had almost $9 total in overage today at Publix. I love this so much because with sales and couponing, $9 goes really far at Publix. Thanks to that coupon, I bought Zantac, bread, 2 brownie mixes, 2 barbecue sauces, and hot dog buns -- all without paying a penny. I also had a portion of the cost of Nathan's hot dogs and beef cube steaks covered by those coupons (about $2 out of $11 worth of meat).
For once, my new year's resolution has changed my life in a very literal sense. I have completely changed my perceptions of frugal shopping and spending. The whole-insert method of coupon organization has had a big part in that.

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- Publix (take 2)

Another awesome trip.

4 travel-size Zantac -- $1.09 each
Used 2 $5/2 coupons from the 1/31 paper
Paid: FREE for all 4, plus $5.64 overage!

2 Betty Crocker brownie mix -- 2 for $2.62
Used $.75 printable coupon
Paid: $.94 each, or $1.87 for both!

2 Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce -- 2 for $2.49
Used $1/2 coupon from 5/23 SS
Paid: $.75 each, or $1.49 for both
(A $.51 improvement over the deal at CVS this week.)

1 multigrain baguette -- $1.89
I have a bread thing. I can't resist.
Paid: $1.89

At this point in my shopping, I still have a little overage left to cover. I decided to get enough meat for a meal, knowing that I would only get a tiny portion of the meat for free.

2 pkgs. beef cubed steak -- $6.82 total
no coupon
Paid: $6.82

Paid with the same American Express gift card that I've been using for days. It goes a long way when you don't spend much at any given place! I love that all this stuff is free!

Total spent: $6.43
Total savings: $18.59
Total percent saved: 74%

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- Target

So, I've been out of love with Target lately. We've been in there a couple of times in the last month, but mostly just to look at the $1 corner for birthday present things for some kiddos Dianna and Jarod know. The deals just haven't been as great as I would want. I was excited about the Crystal Light deal that they have going this week. The Pure Fitness water bottle style drink packets will be perfect for Disney. And I had a gift card that was burning a hole in my wallet. Here's how we did:

1 12-ct Market Pantry pop tart -- $2.59
no coupon, but wanted it for Disney
Paid: $2.59

1 Market Pantry water-bottle-style drink mix -- clearance for $2.28
no coupon, but wanted it for Disney
Paid: $2.28

2 Lean Cuisine meals -- clearanced for $1.32 each
no coupon, but want to do well on the diet this week because we're going to DISNEY!
Paid: $2.64 for both

4 Crystal Light Pure Fitness water-bottle-style drink mix -- $1.97 each
Used 4 $1/1 printable coupons
Used $1/3 Target printable coupon
Paid: $3 for all 4, or $.75 per box!

20 oz. Diet Mt. Dew -- $1.49
no coupon, but had to get something and the Dew was a better choice than the Snickers.
Paid: $1.47

1 travel-sized Vaseline -- $1.47
no coupon, wanted it for a game at school and didn't think of it when I had access to look up coupons. And didn't want to go to the baby section when I was already right by the travel section. I understand that I paid too much for this item, and I'm pretty much okay with that. :)
Paid: $1.47

$.05 credit for using reusable bag.

Used several Target gift cards left over from the Fusion/Venus/Olay gift card promotions of a few months ago.

Paid with an Amex gift card whose purchase price has been accounted for in other posts. So really, all of this was free.

For the sake of record keeping:

Total: $14.04 after coupons
Saved at least $14.00 thanks to coupons and sales!

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- CVS (again)

I just couldn't help it. After church today, I took my 5 year old daughter to three stores with me. We did great!

No pictures this time.

Here's how we did at CVS (using my husband EC card since I used mine this morning):

2 Gillette body wash -- $4 each
Used $4/2 coupon from 5/2 PG
Paid: $2 each, or $4 for both!
ECB generated: $8 ($4 money maker!)

2 CVS Gold Emblem crackers -- $1 and $1.99
Used $1/2 CVS coupon (from the kiosk)
Paid: $1.99 for both!

3 travel-sized packages cotton balls -- $.99 each
Used 3 $1 CVS cosmetic accessories coupons (from the kiosk)
Paid: FREE for all 3!

2 CVS toilet paper single rolls -- $1.15 each
Used $1/2 CVS paper product coupon (from the kiosk)
Paid: $1.30 for both

Used $3 ECB

Paid: $4.95
Saved: $14.27
ECB generated: $8

Publix Savings as of 5/23

I don't have all my Publix receipts available.
I am reporting on those I have available, and will try to do a better job of keeping track!

Here's my new total, including both of today's shopping trips:

Amount spent: $328.11
Amount saved: $1,027.83
Percent savings: 76%

Made it to that 75% savings mark! Trips like today's really helps! I'll enjoy the accomplishment for a little while longer, then shoot for an average savings of 80%!

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, Publix

I just wanted to let it be known that I paid for all of my shopping today with gift cards whose purchase prices have been accounted for in other blog posts, so all the stuff I got today was literally free!

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- Publix

Ah, my beloved Publix.

2 single-dose Zantac -- $1.09
Used $5/2 from 1/31 (SS or RP)
Paid: FREE! plus $2.82 overage!

2 Nathan's hot dogs -- 2 for $5.19
no coupon
Paid: $5.19 for both!

hot dog buns -- $1.23
no coupon
Paid: $1.23

Total after coupons: $3.60
Total saved: $10.19
Total percent of savings: 74%

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- Walgreens

Probably my best stop today!

2 Oscar Meyer hotdogs -- B1G1 -- 2 for $2.99
Used FREE coupon I received in my Kraft Summer Sample Pack
Paid: FREE for both!

Goody ouchless barrette -- $2.99
no coupon
Paid: $2.99
RR generated: $3

Hawaiian punch sugar free drink mix -- $1
no coupon
Paid: $1

6 Hunt's tomato sauce -- $.25 each
no coupon
Paid: $.25 each, or $1.50 for all 6!

Used $4.50 RR

Paid: $1.29

RR Generated: $3

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- CVS

I love my early Sunday shopping trips! CVS was a winner today.

Thanks to hip2save and mysweetsavings for the great blog posts that I followed.

Here's the deal:

4 rolls of CVS brand paper towels -- $1.29 each
Used 2 $1/2 CVS brand paper products (from the kiosk)
Paid: $.79 each, or $3.16 for all 4!
I always seem to be out of paper towels, so I am happy to get these when I can.

2 Gillette bodywash (like we need more) -- $4 each
Used $4/2 coupon from 5/2 PG
Paid: $2 each, or $4 total
ECB generated: $8!! Money maker!

Nail polish -- $1.99

1 small size package of cotton wipes -- $.99
Used $1 CVS cosmetic accessories coupon (from the kiosk)
Paid: FREE!

2 bags of CVS cotton balls -- $1.99 and $.99 (b1g1 50% off)
Used 2 $1 CVS cosmetic accessories coupons (from the kiosk)
Paid: $.50 each, or $1 for both bags!

2 Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce -- 2 for $3
Used $1/2 coupon 5/23 SS
Paid: $1 each, or $2 for both!

2 Sobe lifewater -- b1g1 -- 2 for $1.79
Used B1G1 printable coupon
Paid: FREE for both!

2 M&M's -- $.89 each
Used B1G1 CVS coupon (from the kiosk)
Paid: $.45 each, or $.89 for both!

Used $2 ECB

Paid with three gift cards all having $1 and change each. (Two of these I received when I returned merchandise a couple weeks ago. The other card was from lightspeed consumer panel, a survey site that I sometimes do surveys with. You get a $5 CVS card (or your choice of several other cards) for every 3-5 surveys or so. It's been a while since I did any; maybe this summer I'll get back into it.)
Paid: $5.19
Received $8 ECB

Tonight's Frugal Dinner, Saturday 5/22

Not feeling well tonight.
In the middle of end-of-the-school-year-craziness. (Exams to grade, grades to post, etc.)
Trying to prepare for vacation; we leave in 6 days. Not close to being ready yet.
Dinner has be easy and quick and should virtually make itself.

It's a good thing I've become a smart shopper because I have plenty of easy-to-prepare, cheap meals on hand.
Nothing fancy, but filling and maybe even fun for the kiddos.

I'm feeding 3 adults and 3 kids.

1 bag of Fast Fixin' chicken fries from a long-ago Publix visit -- $1
Rice -- $.33
Steamfresh veggies purchased from Publix several weeks ago -- $.34(maybe less)
I'll add $1 to the total for butter, salt, pepper, ketchup, drinks, etc.

Tonight's dinner costs $2.67 TOTAL, or $.45 per person. Score!

Saturday Savings, 5/22 -- Publix

Awesome trip today! Since I paid with FREE Publix gift cards, all of the following was FREEEEEE!

8 Chips Ahoy cookies -- 2 for $3.79
Used 2 B3G1 Target coupons
Paid: $7.58 for all 8! (Buy 2, Get 6 Free; I love it!)

2 Betty Crocker brownie mix -- 2 for $2.62
Used $.75/2 Target coupon
Paid: $1.87 for both!

2 Kraft cheese blocks -- 2 for $4
Used $2/2 blinkie (noticed later that it was expired! I threw away the 4 coupons I still had. boo.)
Used $1.50/2 Target coupon
Paid: $.50 for both! (A quarter for a block of cheese? Awesome.)

2 Wesson vegetable oil -- 2 for $3.79
Used $1/2 coupon from April All You
Paid: $2.79 for both!

2 Mott's apple juice -- 2 for $3.07
no coupon, still a good deal
Paid: $3.07 for both!

6 A-1 Sauce -- 2 for $4.41 (Okay, who would ever pay $4.41 for sauce? Not me. We haven't purchased A-1 since we got married almost 7 years ago. I guess with 6 bottles, we're trying to make up for lost time?)
Used 2 B2G1 Target coupons
Paid: $4.41 for all 6 (Buy 1, Get 5 free? That's what I'm talking about.)

2 Herbal Essence products -- $2.39 each
Used 2 $1/1 coupons from 5/16 RP
Used 2 $.50/1 coupons from the Publix Live Well Feel Beautiful coupon booklet
Paid: $.89 each or $1.78 for both!

Used $6.99 ECB

Total paid: $14.37
Total saved: $74.51
Total percent savings: 84% (But remember, it's really all free since I used free Publix gift cards!)

Publix Savings as of 5/22

I don't have all my Publix receipts available.
I am reporting on those I have available, and will try to do a better job of keeping track!

Here's my new total, including today's shopping trip:

Amount spent: $328.11
Amount saved: $989.02
Percent savings: 75%

Made it to that 75% savings mark! Trips like today's really helps me get closer!

Publix Savings as of 5/19

I don't have all my Publix receipts available.
I am reporting on those I have available, and will try to do a better job of keeping track!

Here's my new total, including today's shopping trip:
Amount spent: $328.11
Amount saved: $900.14
Percent savings: 73%

Still striving for that 75% savings mark! Trips like today's really helps me get closer!

Publix -- Wednesday, 5/19

I think this was my best Publix shopping trip ever! I didn't get very much, but I saved a little bundle.

Here's the breakdown:

2 Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie mix -- 50% off, $1.32 each
Used $.75/2 manufacturer's coupon printed from target.com
Paid: $.95 each, or $1.89 for both!

2 8 oz. Kraft cheese -- 2 for $4
Used $2/2 blinkie I got at Publix a while back, when they were doing 3 for $5 on cheese
Used $1.50/2 target.com coupon
Paid: $.25 each or $.50 for both!

8 Knorr side dish mixes -- 2 for $1.49
Used 4 $.55/2 coupons from the "Family Is its own Reward" Publix coupon booklet
Paid: $.47 each, or $3.76 for all 8!

Used $4.50 Walgreens Register Reward.

Paid: $1.79, on a Publix gift card that I got for free when buying the $50 American Express gift card a week or so ago! So, really, everything I got was FREE, since the gift card was free!

Total before coupons: $12.60
Total after coupons: $1.79
Total savings: $22.79!
Total percent savings: 93% (My best ever, I think!)

Publix Savings as of 5/15

I don't have all my Publix receipts available.

I am reporting on those I have available, and will try to do a better job of keeping track!

Here's my new total, including today's shopping trip and my trip from 5/9:
Amount spent: $328.11

Amount saved: $877.35

Percent savings: 73%

Still striving for that 75% savings mark!

Saturday Savings, 5/15 -- Publix

Did pretty well today, especially considering that I bought a few things without coupon.
Check it out!

3 Red Baron pizzas -- on sale for $2.99 each
Used 3 $1.50 coupons from 4/25 SS
Paid: $1.49 each, or $4.47 for all three!

2 Cole's garlic bread -- 2 for $2.79
Used 2 $.50 printable
Paid: $.85 each, or $1.79 for both!

2 Talenti gelato -- 2 for $4.69
no coupon -- impulse buy; shame on us!
Paid: $2.35 each, or $4.69 for both

4 Chef Boyardee canned products -- $4.00 ($1 each)
Used $1.50/4 printable
Paid: $.63 each, or $2.50 for all 4!

8 ears of yellow corn -- $2.00 ($.25 each)
no coupon
Paid: $.25 each, or $2 for all 8

2 Pompeiian Extra Virgin Olive Oil -- 2 for 6.59
no coupon (There is a printable available, but I already printed my limit.)
Paid: $3.30 each, or $6.59 for both!
I find I am obsessive when it comes to buying olive oil. So much so that I'm hoping to find a way to print a set of $1 coupons so that I can go back before the end of the sale and buy another pair of bottles. I know that the grocery budget will be cut quite a bit during the summer months this year, and olive oil is so expensive! Since we like to cook with it, I find that I just NEED to make sure we have enough to get us through the summer. If we should use all that I bought, we'd be in trouble, since I have 6 bottles, but I just feel compelled to buy more.

3 Fisher Fusion snack mix -- $3 ($1 each)
Used $1 coupon from 2/28 SS
Paid: FREE for all 3!

4 Betty Crocker boxed potatoes -- 2 for $1.79
Used 2 $1/2 peelies
Paid: $.40 each, or $1.58 for all 4

Used $4/$20 printable CVS coupon

Total after store sales but before coupons: $35.98
Total after coupons: $19.98
Total savings: $49.00
Percent of savings: 73%

(Thanks to mysweetsavings, couponingtodisney, and coupon-chix for posting available deals. You ladies save me a ton of time every week!)

Another Publix Stop, 5/9

Just a little shopping today.

2 Ken's Steakhouse marinades -- 2 for $2.79
Used 2 $1 coupons (I don't remember what paper, but they are in a lot of papers.)
Paid: $.79 for both

$10 Publix card
AND
$50 American Express card
$4.95 activation fee
Used coupon from ad for the free Publix card
Paid: $54.95 for both

Total: $55.74
Savings: $14.79
Percent of Savings: 21%
An awful percent! That's okay, though, because I have the $50 Amex card, and I can get a TON of stuff for $50 at Publix. I'll recover my loss in that way. AND because I already consider the $50 spent in this post, I can figure the purchases made with the card as free in my percent of savings. (Does that make sense? I already spent the $50, so when I buy groceries with the card, I don't have to count that as money spent.)

Publix Savings as of 5/8

I don't have all my Publix receipts available.

I am reporting on those I have available, and will try to do a better job of keeping track!

Found a receipt from a previous shopping trip! Here's my new total, also including today's shopping trip:
Amount spent: $328.11

Amount saved: $813.56

Percent savings: 71%

Still striving for that 75% savings mark!

Saturday Savings, 5/8

Monster shopping trip today. After our tradition of breakfast at Chick-fil-a, we went to Target, Publix, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart (in that order).

Target was a disappointment. I went in looking for the 8 oz. version of Gillette body wash, reported on some of my favorite blogs to be less than $2. With the $4/2 coupon from a recent paper, this would have made 2 for free. I was also looking for the budget pack of Venus razors, reported (again on some favorite blogs) to be $4.99. With the $2 off coupon, plus the $5 Target gift card wyb 2 coupon I received in the mail, I was looking at spending $12 oop for 2 body washes and 4 razors. Then I would receive back $10 in Target gift cards. The 8 oz. Gillette does not exist at my Target, apparently, and the only razors I found were not budget friendly. I left Target without spending a thing.

Publix gave me a better experience. Since learning that Publix (at least the one I most like to shop at) accepts Register Rewards and Extra Care Bucks, I've been very eager to try using more of those there. I used a Register Reward there recently with success, so today I had a $5 off $40 CVS coupon and $8 in Register Rewards to try. I didn't take a picture, but here's the rundown:

6 boxes of Ziploc bags -- 2 for $4
Used 3 B1G1 Free coupons from 4/11 SS
Paid: $1 each, or $6 for all 6 boxes!

2 Betty Crocker cake mixes -- 2 for $1.95
AND 2 Betty Crocker frostings -- 2 for $3
Used 2 $.75 wyb both mix and frosting from 3/28 SS (also from 5/2 SS)
Paid: $.86 each, or $3.45 for all 4 items!

1 small carton Egg Beaters -- $1.67
Used $1 coupon from April All You
Paid: $.67!

2 Eight O'Clock coffees -- 2 for $5.09
Used 2 $.75 coupons from April All You
Paid: $1.80 each, or $3.59 for both!

2 Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake cookies -- 2 for $3.09
Used $1/2 from 3/28 SS
Paid: $1.05 each, or $2.09 for both!

2 General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals -- 2 for $3.59
Used $1/2 coupon from 5/2 SS
Paid: $1.30 each, or $2.59 for both!

4 lb. Boston Butt roast -- $8.68
no coupon

American Express $50 card -- $50, plus $4.95 activation fee
Paid: $54.95
Got back $10 Publix card for free!

BP $50 gas card -- $50
Used $10 coupon from the ad
Paid: $40

Used my $5/$40 CVS coupon, and $8 in Register Rewards.

Total after store sales, but before coupons: $155.31
Total after coupons: $110.04
Total savings: $62.99
Percent savings: 36% (eh, not good)

I love that I spent $110 and received all those groceries PLUS $50 in gas, $50 on American Express gift card, and $10 in Publix gift card. It's like buying those 3 cards, then getting all the grocery stuff for FREE!!

Walgreens

Good visit here, too.

4 Nivea Men's body washes -- $3.99 (not included in the 20% off sale, apparently)
Used 4 $3 coupons from the 5/2 RP (I think?)
Paid: $1 each, or $4 for all 4!
Received: $5 RR

1 Ramen noodles -- $.39
no coupon

Used $2 Register Rewards

Total oop: $3.55
Received back $5!

CVS was another bust. All out of stock of Nivea. That's what I get for waiting until Saturday to shop.

Wal-Mart
I was a little nervous about this stop after my rough couponing experiences lately. All went well, though.

6 Benadryl anti-itch sticks -- $2.28 each
Used 3 $5/2 coupons from 4/11 RP
FREE! plus slight overage!

Mango nectar -- $.98
no coupon

Agave Nectar -- $3.48

Thanks to the slight overage on the Benadryl, I only paid $3.14 for all this!

Total oop today: $119.87
Total saved: $95.99
Percent savings: 44%

Competitor Store Coupons at Publix

Just another reason to adore shopping at Publix! I recently saw someone use Walgreens Register Rewards to pay for Publix shopping. When talking to another couponing friend, I learned that Publix accepts Register Rewards AND CVS Extra Care Bucks, as well as $ off $ coupons from CVS and Winn-Dixie.
I had a $5 Register Rewards that expired today and wanted to test it. I purchased a package of meat priced at $5.30. When I handed over my $5 RR, my total changed to -$.08. (I'm not an advanced mathematician, but I'm pretty sure that $5.30-$5 does not = -$.08. whatever.) I added a pack of Skittles at $.85 because they were close at hand. I wish I had thought quickly and picked up one of the Buy-Theirs-Get-Ours-Free items instead. I could have paid a minimal price for 2 boxes of pasta or something. (Like I need more pasta.) I ended up paying $.83 for the meat and candy that originally totalled $6.15. That's 87% savings, even with my dumb choice to get Skittles!
I love the idea of using RR and ECB and $off$ coupons (I have a $5 off $40 from CVS that is just begging to be used at Publix!). I love shopping at Publix, and wish I had learned this stuff sooner.

Publix Savings as of 5/2

I don't have all my Publix receipts available.

I am reporting on those I have available, and will try to do a better job of keeping track!

Found a receipt from a previous shopping trip! Here's my new total, also including today's shopping trip:
Amount spent: $272.29

Amount saved: $714.19

Percent savings: 72%

Still striving for that 75% savings mark! Today's savings was over 80%, but it was such a small trip that it can't help my overall total very much.