So, I um did a little school supply shopping today

and I totally scored! I don't have a picture, because I was a good girl and put everything away right when I got home. I'm always so excited when I get home from a big couponing/money-saving run that I've unfortunately trained my children to descend like vultures on my bags of loot. They wanted to immediately use all of the new crafty stuff, so I had to get the majority of it out of sight out of mind.

disclaimer: I started out with 2 $5 RR (Register Rewards) from last week's Walgreens' Huggies deal and I had a $2.99 ECB (Extra Care Buck).

I ended up with:

Walgreens (2 trips):
6 - scotch tape (on sale for .39 ea - used $1/3 Scotch tape manu q from 7/12 RP)
3 - 12 packs Crayola colored pencils
5 - folders (planning a really cool color project for the kids with these)
8 - white poster board
1 - 2 pk erasers
1 - 5 pk highlighters
2 - 10 pk pens
2 - 2 pk G2 gel pens
1 - paper clips
2 - hefty storage bags (BOGO $3.29 - used 2 $1/1 manu q's from 5/17 RP)
1 - toilet brush (it's a glamorous life, I tell ya)

spent: a whopping 12 cents
saved: $50.27 (of course that savings refers to the me of 3 years ago. I would never spend money like that on office supplies now. I <3 coupons.)
ended up with: 2 - $1 RRs from the gel pens.

CVS (2 orders):

2 - pkgs filler paper
2 - 10 pks pens

spent: nada
saved: $9.36
ended up with: my original $2.99 in ECB

Total spent: 12 cents
Total saved: $59.63

The past couple of weeks I've had the loveliest checker at CVS and no one waiting in line. So I've been doing two orders in a row. I just tear the ECB off of my receipt and hand it right back. I don't do back-to-back orders if there is anyone waiting, though. I just get back in line.

Even if you don't have any RRs or ECBs to start with, this is a great week to jump in. At CVS, you could just buy the 2 packs of pens - spend $1.98 (plus tax) and get the $1.98 ECB and then roll that onto one package of notebook paper - spend .02 (and possibly tax) and get the $2 ECB. Then roll that onto the 2nd pack of paper and get another $2 ECB. Then roll that onto other stuff or keep it for next week's deals.

At Walgreens the gel pens are $1 and you get a $1 RR. Buy your pens then spend the $1 RR on a bunch of the .09, .19, or .29 goodies.

Lots of yummy shopping endorphins for pocket change.

And one funny story: On Friday I did the Huggies deal and my RR didn't print. The checker said that they were having problems with the machine before I checked out, so it wasn't a surprise. She called the manager and said, "I need you to come print this RR. It didn't print and I know it should have, because this lady knows her stuff." LOVED that.

$500 challenge update - I heart coupons

(For some reason, I can't get the spaces to stay in this post - sorry everything is running together.)

This is what $9.84 looks like:

Did you see my bag?!? I had $6 in RR at Walgreens that were expiring tomorrow. There was nothing that I wanted to roll them on to. I checked the food aisles, but there wasn't really anything we needed and not much that doesn't contain HFCS or trans fats. My Walgreens does carry organic milk, but the fine print on the RR excludes dairy.

Anyway, I found that great big insulated bag for $4.99! In this Texas heat, it will be perfect for trips where I'm stopping 2 or 3 places. Woo-hoo!

So, the breakdowns:

Walgreens

1 big 'ol lovely bag $4.99

2 baking soda - 2/$1 with in-ad coupon

1 salt - .50 with in-ad coupon

used $1 RR and $5 RR

spent .49

saved $8.39

Kroger - I heart Kroger

Those big bags of bananas were marked down to .30 PER BAG. I bought 2 bags - 7 lbs of bananas for .60!! They would have been $4 at this week's sales price. I saved a couple for snacking on tomorrow. I peeled the rest, broke them into thirds, and froze them. I'll use them in smoothies or maybe, banana bread. AND only 1 of them had a bad spot. They are perfectly ripe. Another woo-hoo!

The Wholly Salsa was on sale for $1.99. I used a BOGO Wholly Salsa q and a $3 off chips wyb Wholly Salsa q. The BOGO q rang up as $2.99 - the regular price. The chips were $3.49. So, both Wholly Salsas and the chips were $1.48 - total!

2 Wholly Salsa

1 Tortilla chips

1 lb organic strawberries - $2.50 on sale

1 cantaloupe - $1.88 on sale

7 lbs of bananas - .60

spent: $6.22

saved: $11.88

Tom Thumb:

2 Texas sweet onions - on sale for .49/lb - .84

1 honeydew melon - on sale for $1.50

6 ct eggs - .79 on sale

spent: $3.13

saved: $4.04

Total spent: $9.84

Total saved: $24.31

$500 Challenge Totals:

food & eating out (includes HBA): $187.59 ($155.68 savings)

- (eating out $53.36)

gas: $110.74

clothing

coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05

household necessities (like air filters, etc)

entertainment:

- Derek allowance: $20.46

- Wendy allowance: $18.85

- Kids' allowance: $5

crafting supplies: $45.38

gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $452.95

Remaining: $47.05

Redbox code - free rental 6/1 only

I just got this email from Redbox:

Get a FREE one night rental from redbox when you buy a 3 oz Endangered Species Chocolate bar. This all natural chocolate bar using ethically-traded cacao, is a great-tasting hunk of chocolate yum you can feel good about. When you check out, your receipt will include your code.The offer's valid at Walgreen's from 6/1/09 to 7/31/09, so hurry. But does anyone really have to tell you to rush for a chocolate fix?

As I was coming to post it, I saw this post from Common sense with money: Get a free movie rental at Redbox locations today 6/1 only, when you use the code FM63H7 at checkout. To use the code you will need to visit your local Redbox location, select “Rent with Promo Code,” enter code, select movie and continue to check out. This code expires 6/1 at midnight CST. Thanks Cha-Ching on a Shoestring!

Enjoy!

$500 challenge - update

Crazy, crazy week for this family - cellulitis, wasp sting, stitches, possibly hand foot and mouth disease - woo!

So, I caved last night and ordered pizza. We always order from a local chicago style place. They have a pick-up special - 2 1-topping 16 inch pizzas and a 1 liter coke for $19.47. You get a card for each pizza you buy - 25 cards = any pizza free. We always order the pick-up special, so our pizzas are always $10 each. When we reach 25 cards, we call the giant everything on it pizza we order our $250 pizza.

Derek filled up is car: $35.52

Walgreens: fluids for my poor sick boy
bought:
Pedialyte $5.29 - used $2/1 insert coupon
2 ltr 7up $1 on sale
popcorn $1.99

paid with $5 RR and $1 RR from last weekend
spent: .28
saved: $8.89

Tom Thumb
The past couple of times I've gone to Tom Thumb they've given me catalinas of store coupons. (Catalina is the name of the company that makes those machines that print the coupons they give you with your receipt. So, those coupons are called catalinas. If you ever want to freak out a checker, ask them if their catalina machine is working. They'll think you're a secret shopper or from corporate or something.)

Anyway, the coupons have actually been pretty good. One was for $3 off of the 24 double roll pack of Cottonelle. It's a store coupon, so that means that I can "stack" it with a manufacturer coupon. (Most stores let you use one manu coupon and one store coupon per item. If you're not sure what you have, check the barcode. Manufacturer coupons always start with a 5 or a 9. Store coupons usually start with a 0.) So I had $4 off ($3 store and .50/1 doubled insert) - now I just needed a sale. The Sunday circular had purchase 2 large size items and get them for $9.99 each. Derek asked me for large trash bags for the yard, awhile back and I had a $1/1 Hefty insert q - so there was my second item.

I also had a $10/$50 coupon that my SIL gave me that I thought I might use. I rarely spend that much at Tom Thumb, but since I was already spending $15 (the Cottonelle and Hefty) and I knew I was going to check the dairy markdowns, I thought I'd see how close I was once I had the things I wanted.

Derek usually has a running list of things he wants me to keep an eye out for - I try to work them into deals whenever possible. He asked for wasp spray before I left and since one of those little &%^#'s stung me Sat morning, I was inclined to look for it.

One of the catalina coupons that I mentioned earlier was for $2 off a grande specialty Starbucks beverage in the store. I really, really wanted an iced coffee. It was a $1.95, and I figured it didn't count as "specialty." So, I was standing there trying to decide if I wanted a Mocha Frap. The barista asked me if I was looking for something in particular, and I told him that I really wanted the iced coffee but didn't think I could use the q. He said, "Well let's try it!" and it worked! I paid .11 for my grande iced coffee (the tax)! I tried to give him a tip, but he said they weren't allowed to accept them.

Armed with my .11 yummy bev, I hit the aisles and here's how I did:
2 - 27 oz Wallaby organic yogurt - marked down to $1.95 ea (and they don't expire until June 11!)
32 oz bag of shredded cheddar - marked down to $4.50 (again, June 11! The shredded cheese freezes really well - this went straight into the freezer.)
24 double roll pack of Cottonelle - $9.99 used $3 store and .50/1 doubled insert - so $5.99
55 bag Hefty large trash bags - $9.99 used $1 insert - so $8.99 (ok price - but worth it to get the toilet paper so cheaply and to check an item off my honey-get list)
1 gal organic whole milk - $5.49 (on sale but not marked down - Derek wants to make homemade ice cream)
1 carton organic heavy whipping cream - $3.79 (homemade ice cream)
1 10-pack Nestle lil' drums - $5.19 used $1/1 manu coupon I found in Family Fun magazine (outrageously expensive, but a treat for my lil sickie-sicks)

Are y'all still with me? So, at this point I've "spent" $36.85. The $10/$50 is AFTER all coupons have been subtracted - using it means I'll spend at least $40. I'm already planning on spending $36.85 - $3.15 away from $40. Spending that additional $3.15 and using the $10/$50 means I'll get an additional $10 in groceries. I thought it was worth it - so I added:

3-pk Huggies wipes refill (216 wipes) - $5.99 used .75/1 insert q
Food coloring - $4.49 - used .75/1 insert q (I ended up going over my $40 total, so I should have put this back. We're using it for homemade washable paint and play-doh, so I'm glad I didn't put it back.)
Wasp & Hornet killer - they actually had an organic kind made with essential oils! - $6.29

Grand total: $44.22
saved: $35.45

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $143.86 ($131.37 savings)
- (eating out $19.47)
gas: $70.53
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $15.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $5
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $364.01
Remaining: $135.99

Stocked up on toilet paper (2 months ish), trash bags (6 months or so), diapers (1 month), wipes (at least a month), ground beef (2 months), cheese for the rest of this budget month, coffee (2 months), coffee filters (3 months), brown rice (2 months)

Still needing a deal on canned organic tomatoes - I hate buying them one at a time and I'm three cans away from that point. If anyone notices a great sale at Whole Foods, please let me know. I'm also keeping an eye out for good chicken prices at WF - I'm starting to run low in the freezer.

We're still eating the produce from last week. I'll need to buy fresh produce next week. I have a coupon for 1 lb of chicken free when you spend $40 at Central Market (Texas store). Depending on their sales next week - I may just stock up on produce, canned tomatoes, and get chicken there.

I need to fill my car up in the next couple of days - that will be about $35.

I'm planning on 3 more gym trips ($6) and a couple of summer movies ($10ish) before my budget month ends on the 18th.

I have $6 in RR at Walgreens, $4 in ECB at CVS, and $1.38 on the Target gift card.

Other than illnesses and accidents, I think this month is going pretty well! And if you read this whole post - bless your punkin' heart and thank you.

$500 challenge - update

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend! We spent the weekend with my in-laws and were treated to a wonderful meal and swimming with friends, today. As a result, I'm cramming the past three days' receipts into this post.

Y'all remember when I said that I was giving myself permission to adjust the amounts from week to week? Yes, well, that takes effect right now.

We apparently decided to enjoy this lovely holiday weekend by spending like crazy people. Let's see how my receipts break down. I'll list details when I think it's info that will be helpful - lmk if there's anything else you're wondering about. I'm not going into too much detail on the Walgreens and CVS deals, because Walgreens was last week and the CVS deals were only good yesterday and today (Sun-Mon).

First, the semi-normal spending:


Walgreens - I had several Walgreens runs throughout the day on Friday. I took advantage of the MM (moneymaker) that I mentioned in my last post. I was able to do it 4 times on Fri. I tried once more on Sat, but the deal was dead.

The deal was: buy one particular kind of Right Guard for $2.99 - I used a $1/1 coupon and paid $1.99 and received a $5 RR. So, basically I made $3 on each of the 4 that I was able to purchase on Friday.

I used one $5 RR to buy 3 packages of coffee filters, Skintimate shave gel, and a candy bar (because I was under) - I spent another .41 and received a $1 RR.

I used one $5RR to purchase saline spray that Kira needed while we were at my in-laws, another package of coffee filters, and another Skintimate - I spent .10 and received another $1 RR

Totals for Walgreens:
Spent $10.46
Saved $31.85
I have $12 in RR left - I'll either "roll" these on other RR deals this week, or use them to purchase baby wipes at the end of the month.

Kroger - I hit Kroger yesterday evening for the Huggies Pull-ups deal I mentioned in my previous post.

2 jumbo packages of Huggies Pull-ups - $9.99 ea - used 2 $2/1 manufacturers coupons, $2/1 shortcuts.com coupon (this is loaded on your shoppers card and comes off when you checkout) - $3 came off because I purchased $15 worth of Huggies
1 Mahatma Brown Rice - used .50/1 manu coupon (doubled)
1 Cheerios 14 oz - used FREE coupon - home mailer from Kroger
2.78 lbs of bananas

Kroger totals
Spent: 12.25
Saved: 17.36
I will send my receipt in to the Caregiver's Marketplace to get an additional .75 back on each package of Huggies.

Tom Thumb - just a quick check of the markdowns in the dairy dept.
1 dozen Eat Smart w/omega 3's eggs - marked down to .95
Tropicana OJ - marked down to $1.70

Spent: $2.65
Saved: $2.75

CVS - went on a fruitless hunt for this week's moneymakers. I had no ECB's to start with, but thought that the $3.99 tampons with $3 ECB back was a good way to get back in the game.

trip #1
18 ct Playtex tampons - $3.99 - used $1/1 manu coupon

spent: $3.23
saved: $2.30
rec'd: $3 ECB

trip #2 - again, a little high for me at CVS, but we use band-aids like crazy around here - .49 per box ain't bad.
2 boxes of band-aids: $2.99 ea - used 2 - $1/1 manu coupons
used previous $3 ECB

spent: $.98
saved: $8.00
rec'd: $4 ECB

Whole Foods - I hit Whole Foods on Friday to take advantage of the $2.49/lb ground beef (of course my friend, Kam, got a WAY better deal at a local natural foods grocery store - lucky!)

3 family packages of ground beef - about 7 lbs altogether
Agave Nectar - bulk foods - $1.36
Maple Syrup organic - bulk foods - $5.99
Southern Star Blonde Bombshell beer - for the weekend, of course! $7.49
cut watermelon for the kids to munch on in the store - $2.00

spent: $36.49
saved: $8.40 (based on the normal cost of the beef)

Gas: $35.01 - filled up for the weekend

Now for the unusual spending:

Dr. Jeckyll's - $8.58 - gift for Derek's dad

Half-Price Books - $27.06 - my book club book, books for the kids and Derek, and a gift for Derek's brother

Tom Thumb - $14.55 (saved $6.01) - grown-up bevs for today's cook-out - I'm breaking this down into 1/2 Derek allowance and 1/2 Wendy allowance in my totals below.

Joann's Fabrics - $45.38. I was really, really bummed about this trip. I spent almost $20 more than I had planned, because of some very poor signage that gave the impression that something was on sale that wasn't. I don't want to go into too much detail, because about 2/3 of my trip was for some gifts. I usually let this kind of thing roll right off my back, but this had me so upset that I actually emailed the company. We'll see how they respond.

So, for now, grand totals:

food & eating out (includes HBA): $66.06 ($70.66 savings)
gas: 35.01
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $15.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $3
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

yep. that's half the $500 already. But, we're set on diapers, coffee, coffee filters, and ground beef. We shouldn't need gas again until the end of next week. I'm not expecting to buy any more gifts this month. Y'all are about to see some crazy budgeting!

Sorry for the long post - please let me know if you have any questions!

$500 challenge - on your mark

Pay check hit the account this morning, so here we go. I think I'm going to do stream-of-consciousness style posts, so you can see how I go about grocery shopping in a month. LMK if it gets confusing, or if you need more explanation.

A reminder - my $500 for the month includes:
food & eating out
gas
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies
household necessities
entertainment
crafting supplies
gifts

I've spent the past couple of days going over what we have currently. I need to restock diapers/pull-ups for Kira. Kroger has a deal this week on Huggies that I may take advantage of. I also have a back-up raincheck from a sale at Walgreens from a couple of months ago - for $4.50 per pack on the Walgreens' brand diapers. I had the cashier write the raincheck for 4 packs. Rainchecks are a great way to guarantee yourself a sale for later.

We've also used almost all of our canned organic tomatoes stash, so I'll be keeping an eye out for a chance to restock those.

We're good on pasta, but getting low on brown rice.

Whole Foods has ground beef for $2.49/lb this week - I need to get there by Wed.

Derek ordered coffee this morning - $52.05 for 10 lbs including shipping. We'll be drinking this and this this month, if you're interested.

There's a moneymaker at Walgreens right now that I may try to take advantage of. I'll do a separate post on that - if I end up making it over there today.

Just read back over this and realized that I should start at the beginning! Before I shop, I look at the current ads. I check for organic produce sales and any obvious freebies. I then check the blogs over in my blogroll for any deals they've mentioned. I check the individual forums at Hot Coupon World and then I click on "new posts" to see what people are talking about - that's how I found the moneymaker deal mentioned above. I usually do all of this checking in little bits of time a couple of days before I actually plan on shopping.

I have an envelope for each store. I note the sales I want to hit on the outside of the envelope and then put any relevant coupons inside. I try to list things in the aisle order of the store. It cuts down on my time in the store, since I rarely have to back track. I do take my coupon binder in the store, too, but I rarely use it.

Kind of a random post here, but hopefully you find a nugget of useful info!

Now for the math:
I'm taking the $52.05 from the coffee off the top and adjusting my weekly amounts. That leaves me $111 per week to work with.

$500 Challenge running totals.
$52.05 - coffee

And finally - I changed the format of the blog - I didn't like how the last template ran the top and bottom of each new post together. What do you think?

I'd love questions! Ask away!

Walgreens' $5/$25 for 5/20 and 5/21

Walgreens has finally released another $/$$ coupon.

Go here to print your $5 off of a $25 purchase coupon. It's good 5/20 and 5/21 only. Remember your $25 total is AFTER all store and manufacturer coupons - so you are looking at a minimum oop (out of pocket) cost of $20. I usually try to combine Free after RR deals with things I need, when these are available.

Mercedes at Common Sense with Money has a break even scenario worked out. Even if you're not planning on going to Walgreens, you might want to look the scenario over to see how it's done.

Thanks Mercedes!

Q&A - Part 1

I have a handful of questions to answer. Most of these will end up as posts in themselves - they're really good questions!

Lacia asked: My biggest problem is that I buy mostly fresh stuff, and I find all the coupons are for boxed/pre-packaged food that I don't tend to ever buy. Plus our stores here (remember, I live in Canada), don't do coupons like they do in the U.S. I guess i have to get on some sort of mailing list with the companies I do buy from?

Yes - contacting companies is a GREAT way to get coupons for products you buy. You will often even receive coupons for FREE products. It doesn't take much, just a quick email letting the company know that you like their products and including your contact info.

I'd also suggest really getting to know the stores you shop most frequently. Do they have in-store coupons? Do they offer a bulk discount? If so, take advantage of it when a product you like goes on sale. With fresh food, like meat or produce, really pay attention to costs. I have a buy price and a stock-up price on meats - and stockpile in the freezer when I can. I check the on-line ads of the three stores I buy produce from before heading out - that way I know who has the best prices that week and buy accordingly.

Lourdes asked: I'd love to hear about how you have paid $10k of debt in about 2 years. Also, what does your "fun" budget look like (vacation, entertainment, etc.)?

Short answer on the debt repayment - Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, budgeting, and no new debt.

As far as "fun" money - we each get $20 a month for whatever. I use the kids' money to cover unexpected play date expenses, little treats here & there, etc. It's not much, but until we're totally out of debt, it'll do. We're blessed to have all of our family close by, so most of our family fun involves extended family get-togethers and events. If I know something's coming up (like the State Fair in October - woo-hoo!!), I budget that in for the month.

We also take full advantage of the library - we check out books, DVDs, CDs, even magazines.

Our downfall is eating out. We only eat out about 6 times a month, but that's still too much. I also have the hardest time actually budgeting for it. It's like I don't want to admit that we do it! Ah well...it's a work in progress.

Lourdes had a Walgreens issue: went to Walgreens today and they didn't let me use my MC because they said that RR wouldn't print out. THEN, they didn't let me use my RR to purchase a different item. I haven't read anything about this being a new policy. Did I just go to a crabby Walgreens?

More likely you had a poorly informed cashier. A manufacturer's coupon shouldn't have an effect on the RR printing. I have heard of one occasion where the coding on the coupon did prevent the RR from printing - but just that one time. I'll let you know if I read anything else, though.

The RR is "good on your next purchase." They absolutely should have let you use it to purchase another item. I would request a manager's assistance next time on both of these issues.

I have rarely had issues with cashiers, but when I do I just calmly smile, request the manager, and calmly explain the situation to the manager. Although I may be sweating bullets while my heart beats crazily, I just keep smiling. You can always say, "Thank you, I won't be needing this then."

Karly asked: What kind of storage system do you have for all your stockpiling? I feel like I need a deep freezer and maybe some shelving in my basement.

This one will most definitely be a future post with pictures. When I started couponing and was having so much fun getting freebies/money-makers I had HBA items coming out my ears and nowhere to store them all. Plus, I'm the only one in the house using a lot of those things - I don't buy products with phthalates for the kids to use and Derek's shaved head doesn't require much shampoo. So, I've scaled back my stockpile on those items.

I have a shelf in my linen closet for shampoos, bodywashes, the kids' Burts Bees wash, shaving cream, and lotions. I have two Sterlite carts with drawers that I use for make-up, soap, toothpaste/toothbrushes, razors, and pads/tampons. Toilet paper is stored in the top of my bathroom cabinet.

For food, I actually don't have the towering food stockpile you may have seen in the stockpile pics of others. We don't eat a lot of processed foods - most of our cooking is done from scratch. I over-stocked when I began couponing, and ended up having to throw things out that had expired. I try to be conscious of rotating my stock, now - and give things away as needed.

We have a laundry room off of the kitchen that I've added shelves to for a pantry. I have one shelf dedicated to pasta (it's often free or very cheap with coupons - Whole Foods actually has a Buy One Get One coupon out right now for their pasta). One shelf holds condiments (mustard, hot sauce, worcestershire, barbeque sauce). One shelf holds canned tomatoes.I have flour stored in rubbermaid containers - 5 bags per container. (I've never had a problem with bugs - but use the containers just in case). These are stacked next to the shelves. I have another container that holds bagged rice (brown and white). I'm actually re-stocking that one right now with the current Mahatma .50/1 insert coupon.

I do have a small upright freezer that I purchased at a garage sale for $50. I currently have meat, veggies, tortillas, and cheese stored in it. I'm gradually switching to keeping the majority of the meat in our small fridge freezer, though. The upright's door was accidentally left open one day - I'd much rather have the free/cheap veggies and cheese get ruined than the meat, next time!

I'd say that we could comfortably live on my current stockpile for 2 months, although some meals would have to be very creative. I'd like it to be enough for 3 months, but it ebbs and flows with our needs. It really is like a back-up emergency fund.

If you're interested in adding a freezer, I'd research whether an upright or chest would be better for your needs. There are pros and cons with both. If adding shelves is an option for you, I'd go for it. I'd love to eventually have built-ins in our laundry room.


Keep the questions coming! If I can't answer something, I'll do my best to find someone who can.

This Weekend's shopping

Are y'all ready?

First, let me say that these types of posts won't always be this long - and this one's gonna be a doozy! Since I'm just getting started with this blog and since I suspect that most of you are just getting started couponing, I'll have a lot more explanation here in the beginning.

If it's too much, don't read it all. Seriously. Just take what info will be helpful for YOUR family - however much or little that may be.

First, my stores - where I shop regularly and how often:

Whole Foods - I generally hit Whole Foods 2 times a month. I try my best to shop on Wednesdays, because their weekly sales overlap that day. I also usually have one or both kids with me. That's actually on purpose. We nosh on cut fruit for a treat and talk our way through the store. Whole Foods is about 20 minutes away, so more trips than that just aren't reasonable or worth it.

Within 5 minutes of my house, I have: Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Tom Thumb. Usually 2 times a month I do the circle - it usually takes about 2 hours start to finish. I try to do this on Sundays, because Tom Thumb marks down dairy on Sundays. I can count on getting a gallon of organic milk for $2 - $3 and usually deals on organic sour cream and sometimes, cheese. I do my circle alone, with a cup of coffee and Sunday Jazz Brunch playing on the radio. It is bliss.

Kroger - sometimes I go for weeks without stepping foot in Kroger. Some weeks I end up there 2-3 times in one week. It just depends on the deals, the shape of my stockpile, and life in general.

Tom Thumb - I'm usually there once a week for the milk. Tom Thumb is on Derek's way home from work, so this might actually be his once week a stop.

Walgreens/CVS - these are all over the place, so I usually just work in stops here on the way to or from other errands during the week - or my circle, as mentioned above.

Target - Y'all know you shop Target. I don't regularly grocery shop there. However, if I know I'm going there for something else, I'll check the blogs and hotcouponworld for current deals.

That sounds like a lot of shopping, but actual time is:

Whole Foods - 2x a month, 1 hour a trip = 2 hours per month
My "circle" 2x a month, 2 hours a trip = 4 hours per month
Other trips as needed, probably about an hour a week on average = 4 hours per month
Prep time - this is hard to figure since it's just part of my existence now, but I would say a safe estimate is an hour and a half a week. You will spend more time on this part at first. = 6 hours per month

So, 16 hours per month including drive time, or an average of 4 hours a week. I think if you add up your drive times and times in stores during an average month, you might find that you're spending that much time or more shopping, right now. Plus, I consider this the part-time job that lets me stay home with my kids - so a 4 hour work week, that often includes much needed me time.

And now for the shopping! This was a big, not typical, shopping weekend for me. Derek worked Saturday, so I shopped on Friday and Sunday. I'll list the receipts in order.

Friday - Whole Foods
Canola Oil (for baking bread) - $3.99
365 Organic Honey, 12 oz - $3.99
365 Organic Raisins, 15 oz - $3.69
2 pkg- 365 Organic Corn Tortillas - .99 ea
4 pkg - Organic Flour Tortillas - 2.19 ea
Whipped Cream Cheese - $1.98
5 lb bag Organic Red Potatoes - $4.99
Garlic - 4bulb pack (I buy this so I can use the bag for a dish scrubby) - $1.29
1.4 lb organic white onions - $2.37
2.5 lbs organic braeburn apples - $4.84
.74 lbs green beans (conventional, but local) - .73
cantaloupe chunks (for K and I to nosh on during shopping) - $1.70
Nutmeg (Whole Foods brand - for baking) - $5.99
4 lbs of ground buffalo (split into 2 - 2 lb packages - one for this week, one for the freezer) - $20.56
1/2 lb sliced nitrate/nitrite free bacon (for cooking with pinto beans) - $3.29

Total: $70.15
Saved - Whole Foods doesn't track savings on the receipts. I know I didn't use coupons on this trip. I bought the ground buffalo because it was $2/lb cheaper than usual - so savings for this trip are $8.

Kroger - Friday
3 - 4 pks Angel Soft Toilet Paper - used 3 .50/1 coupons from inserts (doubled) - FREE
3 - Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli @ .99 ea - used one .35/1 insert coupon (tripled) and one $1/2 insert coupon - 1 package FREE, 2 packages .49 ea (The whole steam in bag thing weirds me out, so we actually cook these in our regular steamer.)
1 - Challenge Spreadable Butter @ .99 - used .50/1 coupon from inside previous package of butter (doubled) - FREE
1 - Mahatma Jasmine Rice @ 2.69 - used one .50/1 insert coupon (doubled) - $1.69
1 - Eggland's Best Eggs @ 2.59 - used one .50/1 insert coupon (doubled) - $1.59
2 - 16 oz Kroger Sharp Cheddar @ 2.50 ea
2 - 16 oz Kroger Shredded Cheese @ 2.50 ea

Spent: $14.04
Saved: $19.83 (coupons and store savings)

Tom Thumb - Friday
I mentioned before that Tom Thumb (Randalls or Safeway in other areas) has a promotion going on right now - Living Well, Feeling Great - spend $30 on particular products, receive a $10 oyno coupon. This particular promo has lots of organic products included. There are also several freebie/really cheap options, but I was focused on buying things we really needed for the next two weeks. If you'd like more info on scenarios for this promo, check here.

A note about Tom Thumb promos, they are notoriously screwy. Knowing this, I made a point of selecting items that put me at $30 AFTER calculating in Tom Thumb store coupons. In this instance, I only used one manufacturer coupon - manufacturer's coupons come off of the $30 total - they shouldn't affect the promo. If you do shop a promo and it doesn't work - odds are one of the products you selected wasn't included correctly in the computer. The manu coupons have nothing to do it with it - even if the cashier thinks they do. When this happens, I just go wait in line at the service desk. I let them know what I purchased and they have always gone ahead and printed my coupon for me.

1 - 18 oz box of Cheerios (with a pack of flower seeds inside!) - $2.99
1 - All 2x Free & Clear - $4.49 - used .35/1 insert coupon (tripled)
1 - O Organics 1/2 gal whole milk - $2.99 (used .50/1 store coupon)
1 - O Organics 1/2 gal 1% milk - $2.99
1 - O Organics Orange Juice - $3.99
1 - O Organics Herb Salad, 16 oz - $5.49 - (used $1/1 store coupon)
1 - O Organics Almonds, 11 oz - $8.99 (I mix these with Cheerios and Whole Foods organic raisins for a trail mix for the kids - and use them in salads for the adults).
1 - organic carrots, 1 lb - $1 (not part of the promo)

So, my total for the promo after store coupons was $30.43. My all coupon came off of that total.

Spent: $30.66
Saved: $15.33 - and have a $10 oyno for next week's milk and produce.

I could also "roll" that $10 oyno into another round of the promo. I could buy the exact same list above, use the $10 oyno and pay $19.66 out of pocket and receive another $10 oyno.

Kroger - Sunday (This trip would normally have happened right after the first Kroger trip. I could only use 3 Angel Soft coupons at a time - I had six. I normally would have put the first round in the car and then walked back in for a quick second run. However, I took the last three bags of broccoli and wanted to check back when they restocked.)

3 - 4 pks Angel Soft Toilet Paper - used 3 .50/1 coupons from inserts (doubled) - FREE
8 - Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli @ .99 ea - used 4 $1/2 insert coupon - .49 ea
1 - Wholly Salsa - clearanced at $1.49
1 - Lays Potato Chips (for D & J's "boys' night") - $2.68 - used $3 off chips wyb Wholly Salsa insert coupon. - yep, they paid me .32 for the chips.

Spent: $5.09
Saved: $18.07

Big Takeaway from this trip - sometimes More is Less with coupons. I could have bought the chips alone for $2.69. Because of the coupon I was able to get the salsa AND the chips for $1.17.

CVS - Sunday
1 - Neutrogena Soap - $2.99
1 - Bandaids - $4.49 - used $1/1 Band-Aid product

used $6 ECB to "pay" for this trip - there are larger Neutrogena and Bandaid deals going on at CVS this week - I may or may not take advantage. Part of why I CVS is so that I can burn ECB's when I need to.

Spent: .48
Saved: $7

Grand totals:
Spent: $120.42
Saved: $68.23 and have the $10 oyno coupon

I'm actually shooting for $150 this month. I'll use the $10 oyno on milk and produce when we run out of milk. I don't plan on buying any more meat for the month - we'll use what I have frozen. So really just produce and milk as needed. I bake our bread in the bread machine and have yeast for a year and flour for 3 months already stockpiled.

Ok...questions?