Grocery Savings!

I went to Walmart yesterday and saved over $20 using my coupons! Our Super Walmart here is actually decent and they ad match, so it is worth going there instead of running all around town chasing the best deals, wasting gas and wearing myself out.

For those that aren't familiar, all you do is take the competing store's ad in and show it to the cashier, and they will adjust the price down. Super easy to do!

The ads for grocery stores come to the house on Tuesday or Wednesday. When I get them, I look through for the best deals and make lists for each store. I also always write down cereal, toilet paper and cleaning stuff. Then I go through my coupons and match them up with the sales. I have a 3 ring binder, and keep the coupons in the sheets for baseball cards. That way, I can see all of my coupons and not be digging through an envelope.

From there, I finalize 2 lists- 1 for Walmart and 1 for another grocery store. Here in Nebraska, that is usually Hy Vee. Walmart doesn't have everything Hy Vee does, and it is only half a mile away, so it is no biggie to go there.

For Walmart, I pull out all my coupons ahead of time so I'm not pulling them out at the register. I also pull out high value coupons to check on the prices to see if I can get them for cheap. If I can get them for cheap, I do, and stockpile them. Basically, I have a pantry with peanut butter, sauces, soups, and cereals that I know I will use before they expire, but only buy when it is on sale. I do the same thing with meat in my deep freeze.

This week, here were some of my best deals:

Starbucks Ice Cream, 1 pint. On Rollback for 2/$5, and I had 4 $2 off coupons (I get the paper, and others give me the inserts from their papers.) So I got 4 pints of ice cream for $2 total, or 50 cents each! That is a savings of $8! Yes, I know not the best for when I am dieting, but everything in moderation- just don't eat the whole pint at once, measure out half a cup.

Charmin 12 Big Roll Toilet Paper. Normally $7.58 at Walmart, had an ad match for $5.98. Also had a 25 cent coupon, so I got it for $5.73. The best deal I have seen around here in awhile.

Strawberries, 1 pound. They were $1.88 at Walmart and had an ad match for 99 cents.

Eggo Bake Shop Pastries. Were 1.98 and I had 4 $1 coupons. Got them for 98 cents each! Target also has them on sale this week and you could get them for just 50 cents each if you have the time for a separate trip. I did not. For the details and coupons links, check out moneysavingmom.com

Kraft BBQ Sauce. Had an ad match for 78 cents, and used a 50 cent coupon. So I got it for 18 cents, and it is normally 99 cents! James will use this for leftover roast, to make BBQ sandwiches, on chicken and pork chops.

Kraft Salad Dressing. Was $1.58 and I had a $1 coupon. Not quite the 8 cents I paid last time with a $1.50 coupon, but it was still only 58 cents! Not only can you use this as a salad dressing, but I got the Asian Sesame Dressing and plan to use this for a marinade on chicken.

Again, they key is to stockpile shelf-stable items and meat when they are cheap and supplement with fresh veggies, fruits, and milk. You can then plan your meals around what is on hand and save money, versus planning a menu and then shopping for it, often at a higher cost.