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Coupon Abbreviations
  • SC = Store Coupon
  • MC = Manufacturer Coupon
  • SS = Smart Source
  • RP = Red Plum
  • PG = Proctor and Gamble
Coupon Terms
  • WYB = When You Buy
  • B1G1 = Buy One Get One Free
  • .75/1 = 75 cents off one item
  • .75/3 = 75 cents off three items
  • EXP = Expiration Date

Going Nuts? I can help you understand coupon terms and abbreviations

Friday Finals: Fun Shopping Trip 4/30

on 4.30.2010 at 11:39pm
Jenny 37 Comments

I had a great time this week multi-tasking while I shopped.  I was meeting a magazine crew to take my picture in my favorite store and decided that instead of just grabbing random products for a picture I would just go shopping and they could take a real buggy shot.   I had a great trip and a lot of fun.

The editor that followed me around is brand new to couponing so it was fun to share ideas and tips.  I rarely if ever go shopping with folks so I kinda felt like this was a field trip and crash course for her!

My actual picture of deals I’ll post for you in a few weeks, when the magazine comes out.  But the savings I’ll share now.

publix-screen-shot

This is a picture before we started any coupons.  It’s always fun to see what my savings are from just sales and then what part is coupons.

Publix:
Total Before sales and coupons (the two numbers on the picture added together): $175.52
Total Spent: $54.39
Total Saved:  $121.13

How did you do this week?  Leave a comment or link to your savings.

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  • http://supercouponlady.blogspot.com Tosh

    Thanks for letting us link up! What magazine is it? That is so exciting!

    • http://www.southernsavers.com/ Jenny

      It's a local magazine in our area called Lexington Life.

      • kbribelin

        Jenny, is there any reason friday finals can't come earlier in the day, so we might go out and duplicate some of the great deals weve seen?

  • kelli

    Walgreens
    total before sales and coupons: $76.35
    total oop: $2.60
    total saved: $73.75 or 96%
    this is my second week of Walgreens and I'm still trying to get the hang of it, it's a lot trickier than CVS. I did end up with $41 RRs (I started the week with $20) because I had 2 free Bayer Contour coupons left.

    CVS
    total before sales and coupons: $126.94
    total oop: $1.03
    total saved: $125.91 or 99%

    Rite Aid:
    total before sales and coupons: $185.43
    total oop: $5.80
    total saved: $179.63 or 96%

    Food Lion
    total before sales and coupons: $13.31
    total oop: $2.57
    total saved: $10.74

    Kroger:
    total before sales and coupons: $75.52
    total oop: $4.12
    total saved: $71.40 or 94%

    Walmart
    total before sales and coupons: $6.48
    total oop: $0 (really $.16 cents but I paid with a quarter that I found on the floor)
    total saved: $6.48 or 100%

    and I spent $2 on papers

    Weekly Total
    total before sales and coupons: $485.03
    total oop: $18.12
    total saved: $466.91 or 96%

    • kbribelin

      what part of the country do you live? I'd love to know the coupons you used….especially at cvs……

      • kelli

        sorry, I meant to reply to this last night. I live in southwest virginia.

    • kbribelin

      really kelli, can you tell us what q's were used so we can still perhaps go grab some of the deals you got?

      • kelli

        are you just interested in cvs? I didn't actually use very many coupons at cvs this week.
        I used the oral b $2 off and bogo coupons.
        I used a $5 off Lysol no hands soap dispenser to go with the $5 coupon that printed from the coupon machine.
        I also used a free Bayer Contour coupon to go with a rain check that I had.
        I bought a few 90% off clearance items and some small tubes of cvs brand sunscreen which are included in the buy 2, get $5 extra bucks deal.

      • kelli

        walgreens – I did 1 transaction that was 1 stayfree, 1 skintimate and a box of pudding, used a $1 off stayfree and paid with $5 rrs and $.68.
        I did 3 transactions that were 1 skintimate, 1 flossers, and 1 pudding and paid with $5 rrs and $.64.

        • kelli

          food lion – I bought some potatoes that were on sale, some marked down ground pork, and some tomato soup. I used $1 off 2 soup.

      • kelli

        kroger – I just bought free green giant veggies- used the $.50 printable, which doubled and the scrubbing bubbles power sprayer – used a $5 off and a bogo printable for the refill, making both free after catalina

      • kelli

        rite aid – 3 trips
        2 bottles nature bounty calcium = $11.99 each, bogo – 2 $5 off coupons and 2 $1 off vv coupons = both free
        2 boxes of band aids = $1.99 each – 2 $.50 off coupons and 2 $.50 in-ad coupons = $.99 each
        2 Finish Quantumatic = $5.49 each – 2 $3 off coupons and 2 $1 off vv coupons = $1.49 each
        - $5/$25 coupon, my total was all tax = $1.05

        1 bottle of RA dandruff shampoo = $6.29
        2 bottles of Everlast = $19.99 each, bogo – bogo coupon = both free
        - $5/$25 coupon, my total was $1.29 plus $.75 tax

        2 Finish Quantumatic = $5.49 each – 2 $3 off coupons and 2 $1 off vv coupons and $1/$10 household = $.99 each
        2 Everlast = $19.99 each, bogo – bogo coupon = both free
        4 bottles of Pantene = $4.99 each, bogo – 2 $3/2 coupons = $.99 each
        - $5/$25, total = $.96 plus $1.75 tax

  • Paula

    HOW do you all organize your coupons/game plan?! To cut them, or not to cut, folders, paper clips? I am still not saving more than I spend…lucky to save about the same amount as I spend so far but I am still new…Any tips?:)
    Thanks!

    • carmengbailey

      it does take a little time to see big savings. start working on your stockpile, that will help tons. that helps you to only buy things you need when they are on sale. of course there are things you always buy like produce, milk. but most everything else can be stocked up. when i first started, i still when to supercenters for the things that didn't have coupons (like milk), until i could see my savings grow. now i save so much on everything else, it is still in (and way below) my budget to buy everything @ Publix.
      about coupon organization-i only clip as i need them. otherwise, i keep them filed in foldersby date so they are easy to find. but find what works for you. that works for me! I also make a menu for the week based on sales and stockpile items, so i don't pay full price for too many items.

    • kathi

      Jenni can explain better than I but different methods work better for different people. I didn't believe her when she said that because I had been couponing for years using the little coupon file folder system and I knew that was inefficient for me. I LOVED her idea of keeping the inserts whole and cutting as needed. That worked for me about as well as the files but saved the tiem of clipping things I wasn't going to use. Briefly I lusted over the binder w/ the sleeves but then realized major pitfalls for me in that system. Now I use a hybrid that incorporates several methods. It works for me, I think my teen daughter is likely the only other person who would understand it though.

    • Chrissy

      This is how I do it – I keep a folder for each ad and label it … EX: SS 5/2; RP 5/2. I enter each coupon into an Excel Spreadsheet (it doesn't take as long as you think). When I need a coupon, I just do a search and there it is! With regional variations, this has really come in handy. If I get any random coupons, I put them in a binder divided into categories (Dairy, Drinks, etc.). I know this sounds complicated, but I spend maybe 2/3 hours per week doing coupons and save at least $200 shopping for a family of 3. I don't know too many people that make $100/hour tax free – do you? =) Good luck!

  • http://sweeteasavings.blogspot.com Marie

    Oh wow. I can't wait to possibly see a link to the mag! :)

  • http://creatingsensations.blogspot.com Vanessa

    Well this was my first time to even try! A lady spoke at our church Thursday night and I started today! My first attempt was at Winn Dixie.. I know I'd done better if my husband had stayed home! But. My total was 209.41. I paid a total of 121.09, which was a total savings of 87.32. Since this was my first week and we were OUT of groceries I did have to purchase a few things that were not on sale or BOGO. But I thought it was pretty good.

    • Andrea

      the longer you do it the lower your total OOP (out of pocket) will be… because you'll slowly build up a stockpile

      you did GREAT

    • tiffanyvee

      That is AWESOME for a first trip.

      Over the course of about six months, I have gotten the weekly spending for two people (including household items, personal items and food) down to $40 or less from $100 or more. You'll be surprised at how quickly your stock pile will grow!

  • JDaniel4's Mom

    How cool to get to share what you are doing.

  • kellycain

    I'm still learning, but…

    Harris Teeter:
    total before savings: $210.41
    total after savings: $68.23 (after discovering they wouldn't take my B1G1 Classico coupon)
    total saved: $142.18

    CVS: (my very FIRST CVS week!)
    total before savings: $110.34
    total after: $23.46
    savings of: $86.88

    total for the week spent: $91.69 (i know i still have a long way to go to get savings like y'all do! – i only feel confident posting the word y'all here, since this is SOUTHERN savers)

    • tiffanyvee

      That's still a 72% savings, which is great!

  • nicki

    Harris Teeter trip 1
    Total before savings: $101.69
    Total after savings: $31.47
    Total Saved: $70.22

    Harris Teeter trip 2
    Total before savings: $24.03
    Total after savings: $4.19
    Total saved: $19.84

    Rite Aid:
    Total before savings: $20.03
    Total after savings: $7.43
    Total Saved: 12.60
    (not great but I needed make-up BAD)

    CVS (3 transactions)
    Total before savings: $46.62
    Total after savings: $9.65
    Total savings: $36.97 and $4 ECB left

  • staj0805

    At CVS I got 4 Tresseme products, 1 pkg of pampers, and 2 fig newtons for $.44 and saved $22.55.

    • tiffanyvee

      That's incredible – especially the diapers!

      • staj0805

        Thanks! I felt kind of guilty about it because when entering the B1G1 on the tresseme products, the cashier used the pre-ECB Card price and that made a huge difference.

  • Telyva

    This was my first week attempting coupons ever. Considering I've shamefully being going to walmart to get their “always low prices.” But after doing some research and looking at coupons and seeing that this was something that I could really see myself doing I was ecstatic.

    I went to Harris Teeter twice this week. My freezer and fridge are stuffed, as is my pantry.
    First trip I bought 72.83 in groceries for 29.13. Second trip I bought 38.11 for 19.75. Only because I went and bought a few things at full price (two magazines). Total price for both trips 110.94 for 48.88. Which is simply awesome if you ask me!

    Then I went to Krogers and bought 54.04 in groceries for 36.16. Kind of splurged here aswell and bought a few things that where a bit more expensive. For a savings of 17.88.

    I also went to Walgreens and bout 16.08 in stuff for 4.08, saving 12.

    All in all this week I bought 181.06 in stuff for 89.12, saving 91.94 this week. I feel I did really well for my first time. I should also say I bought 71 items total so per item I spent like 1.26. Which is better than I have been doing. :)

  • Ginny

    I just got home from Publix. It was a great trip! I spent 36.00 plus 3.?? in tax. I saved 48.91!!! I was so excited and feel so blessed to be able to have the opportunity to coupon!

  • noteworthymom

    I'm slowly getting better. At BiLo my total was 94.22 before savings and my total after was 38.11. I was pretty excited!

  • knightgang

    Went to Publix today. Saved $112 and spent $56.77. Found some chicken marked down to 99 cents/lb and bought my son a candy bar. That put me over my weakly goal of $50 but I got a ton! I love couponing.

  • Cindy

    My first time experiencing Harris Teeter triple coupons. In 3 days, I have brought home $100 worth of groceries and my out of pocket was less than $20. I lost a few deals because the coupons didn't triple and I didn't realize it until I looked at my receipt. I was then told that a few of them said “do not double” and so they didn't – but — they didn't tell me that. Ah, live and learn!

  • gatorash

    I had a great week at Target- I got 2 Lysol no touch soap dispensers for 2.99 ea (found a 5 q and Target's store q was upped to 2 also), 1 pack of Pampers for 4.99, 2 GE Reveals for free, 2 7th Generation disinfectant sprays for .99 ea, 3 packs of Kandoo for .65 ea and 2 Tresemme fresh start waterless shampoo for 4.89 total. I got 2 packs of Juicy Juice juice boxes, 1 bottle of Motts for Tots, 1 loaf of bread, and my son found some Cars gummy snacks (he's OBSESSED with cars!) I also found a Caboodle clearanced from 20 to 4.88 for my little sister for her birthday in July. My total before q's was around 75 (90 if you count the amount clearanced off Caboodle). I spent 37.58. The lady behind me was like, holy cow! Your total went from 70something to 37???!? She was as into it as I was lol =)

    Publix didn't go as great as last week, I spent 70.44 and saved 69.90, so still about 50% which is way better than before I started couponing. I would routinely spend 130-150 a week for a family of 3 + 1 Fur Kid. I am kinda mad though, I had a $3 off meat when you buy 6 Old El Paso products, so I bought 6, and only got 1 off (didn't realize it till we were in the car- it came from Winn Dixie and it was either $3/wyb 6 or $1/wyb 3)

    I want to get my total weekly spending to around the 50 mark, but there were just too many things at Target, plus I spent about 7 more than I was planning to between caboodle and Cars snacks.

  • freebiejunkie

    Jenny, I saved over 90% at Publix on friday night! I tried to post a link to my site, but it is not taking it for some reason. So, here it is…Thanks… http://freebiejunkiessavings.blogspot.com/

  • freebiejunkie

    Jenny, I still could not get it to post above. So, I will just post it here….:)I saved 90% at Publix friday night. http://freebiejunkiessavings.blogspot.com/

  • freebiejunkie

    Jenny, I saved over 90% at Publix on friday night! I tried to post a link to my site, but it is not taking it for some reason. So, here it is…Thanks… http://freebiejunkiessavings.blogspot.com/

  • freebiejunkie

    Jenny, I still could not get it to post above. So, I will just post it here….:)I saved 90% at Publix friday night. http://freebiejunkiessavings.blogspot.com/