My Shaw's Recap

So I did 7 trips this week. Here is the outcome (assuming I don't make a last minute run this afternoon with the kids).

Deal-o-rama
18 cans of Progresso Soup
2 Progresso Broths
25 Green Giant Boxes
3 Green Giant Create-A-Meals
4 Big Green Giant Bags
5 Knor Mixes
3 Knor Plus Veggie Mixes
3 Betty Crocker Frostings
2 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes
3 Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes
3 Betty Crocker Potatoes
2 Boxes of Yo-Gurts
6 Yoplait Trix Yogurt packs
4 Pillsbury Cookies (Ready to Cook)
2 Pillsbury Cookie Doughs
1 Romano's Mac. Grill Meal Maker
2 Skippy Peanut Butters
1 Country Crock Butter
2 Hellman's Mayo
9 Swiss Mix Cocoa Boxes
13 Healthy Choice Microwavable Soup Bowls
9 Cans of Healthy Choice Soup
2 pkgs Klondike Bars

Stuff Not Part of Deal
4 20 oz pkgs of Ground Turkey
2 Gallons of Milk
1/2 Gallon of Half and Half
3 Apple Juices
2 Sour Creams

So this week, I spent $152.45 out of pocket, BUT...I have $105 off my next order coupons. The five things I got that weren't part of the deal cost $40.27. So essentially, that long list of stuff I got was $112.18 cash out of pocket, but if you minus the $105 in coupons I'll use in the next two weeks, it was like paying $7.18.

For those of you wondering if we have lived on soup and cookies all week, the answer is no. I have such a stock pile off all things in our home. I'm probably sitting on 8 or 10 boxes of cereal, 4 pounds of frozen chicken breast, 3 pounds of frozen ground beef, tons of waffles, pasta, etc., etc., etc. Also, the Thursday before this week, I stopped at a local Meat Market and got $26 in fruits and meat. That $26 is part of our October budget though...

I think the key to really saving a lot on groceries is to stock up on the things that you know you will need and use. Always check expiration dates - even on non-parishable food items. For instance, all the cookie dough I got, it doesn't expire until February 2009 (good for the holidays), plus, you can freeze that. Most cereals don't expire for about a year. The frozen veggies, although it sounds like a lot, will probably only hold us over for 6-8 weeks. It isn't going to go bad in the freezer for that short amount of time.

For those with inquiring minds, my last two trips, I was informed that I could only use $15 worth of the $5 coupons at a time. I don't know if that is just the 2 stores I stopped in - I mean, the coupons don't say you can only redeem 3 at a time. But you can couple it with a $10 from ConAgra. This coming week, the ConAgra deal is actually advertised.