Grocery Shopping is Fun!

I have been trying to get the hang of really doing this whole couponing thing effectively before I start posting about it!  Last Friday and this Friday I think I did pretty well!  My grocery bills were halved by the time I paid, but I am realizing I will never be the girl that can tell you where I actually got most of my coupons from!  It's just not fitting into my schedule to be quite that organized!

This is what today's trip to Stop & Shop got us:

 

(Yes, we know that's a wall behind the food, little ones are learning to read!)

      There are 2 packages of meat missing - chicken thighs (boneless, skinless and sweet italian sausage).  I am still slow at this so I needed to clean off the table first and I really wanted to get that meat in the freezer.  (Um, organizing is another goal I have - probably help me save some money if I didn't keep losing things in the house, too!)

      The important stuff is this:

                                               Total Before Savings Applied:  $153.76

                                              

                                               Stop & Shop Card Savings:     $39.40                                               

                                               Personal Thanks Savings:         $7.75

                                               Manufacturers Coupons:          $15.45

                                               Double Coupons:                     $8.45

                                               Cashier Flub:                           $8.00

                   (Cashier couldn't figure out 2 $4.00 coupons, so he put them in as if I had paid cash) 

                                                            TOTAL:                     $79.05

                                               

                                              Total AFTER all savings:          $76.19

This is the first time that I have EVER saved more than I have actually forked over!  I was so excited!  My husband, while ecstatic that we are saving money, thinks I am nuts!  He humors me though, and gets excited for me too! 

I know that no one reads this but my Mom right now (hi Mom!), but if by chance you are reading and I have browsed your blog, I would like to say Thanks!  Reading all of the posts out there and all the deals helps me figure this out much easier!

My Wal Mart Trip ...

I went to wal Mart today to pick up a few things...but I took my toddler.  She is a lot of fun to shop with, but all the money I would have saved, she spent!  Anyhow, I thought I wouls share the deals I did find.  Nothing spectacular, but like I said, I am still new at this, so hopefully I will get better at it!  (And I promise to learn how to link to printable coupons and to remember to write down where I got coupons from!)

This is what I got today:

Peter Pan Peanut Butter  $2.08 per jar.
          Buy 2 get one free Coupon!
          3 jars for $4.16 or $1.39 per jar

Chef Boyardee Canned Pastas  $.98 per can
         Buy 3 get one free coupon
         4 cans for $2.94 or $.74 per can

Neosporin Lip Care  $4.00
         $3.00/1 coupon
          1 tube for $1.00

Sunbelt Fruit & Grain Cereal Bars  $2.00 per box
         Buy one get one FREE coupon
         2 boxes for $2.00 or $1.00 per box

Nabisco Wheat Thins/Triscuits 2/$4.00
         $2.00 off 2 coupon
         2 boxes for $2.00 or $1.00 per box!

So, if this was all that I had bought, I would have spent $22.16.  After coupons I actually spent $12.10.  So I saved $10.06!  Wow!

Of course that is all negated by the Yogo's, Band Aids, Sippy cup, and, um, all the other things she who is so cute just had to have!  I suppose if I hadn't saved the money with coupons I'd be really sad about what I spent!  Lesson learned:  Do NOT take toddler on a shopping trip alone!  (Yes, I know I could have said no to her, and I usually do, however, we were having a good time, and I just so happened to be in a very generous mood today!)

A Whole New World...

Welcome!  This blog has been simmering in my brain for quite some time now.  lease bear with me.  While I know what it is I want to accomplish here, it may take me some time to actually be able to do it all well!  It has become a mission of mine to become debt free by next January.  Can we do it?  Yes.  Is it going to be easy? Not at all.  I am a shopper.  I love to shop, think I am getting a great deal, spend too much money, and then feel guilty about it later.  Soooo...I have decided that it is time for me to use my love of shopping to my advantage.  I now spend time every Friday and every Sunday poring over circulars and feverishly printing and cutting coupons.  So far, I haven't done quite as well as I think I will when I start out.  That is telling me I have a awful lot of learning to do!

I hope that I can help you out as I learn!  I will do my best to post any deals I can come up with and highlight the circulars where I can!  I will also be reaching out to see if I can't get some pointers!  Let me know if you have any for me!