Thanks for the free tea, Kroger!

I played the Kroger Summer of Savings game and won a free box of Tazo tea! So I went tonight and picked up a box of the "Calm" blend, as well as two bags of Goldfish crackers that were on sale 4/$5 (wish I'd gotten the recent printable to print, but it wouldn't work!). Woohoo! And they say there will be a second chance drawing/contest in a few weeks. You can log in and play once a day and the instant prizes are pretty good and will be loaded directly onto your Kroger card.

More free e-coupon money!

Despite a few glitches/slowness/weirdness on the website, I scored today's Cellfire Cinderella coupon - $5 off my next purchase of $5.01 or more at Kroger! I love e-coupons - no need to bring a thing with me if I don't want to, but I also can combine them with paper coupons if I do want to!

Now...what to get? It expires in 3 days. Hmmmm.

Kroger - Cheap stuff, plus Shortcuts has great customer service!

I walked over to the small Kroger near my house because I had a coupon and a Shortcuts coupon for both Blue Diamond Almond Breeze and Fiber One. The Almond Breeze is on sale this week for $1.99, so in my head that meant I would get it for 44 cents ($1 paper coupon, 55 cent Shortcuts coupon). I didn't know how much the Fiber One was but I figured I could get a decent deal since the paper coupon was expiring.

I didn't realize that the Annie's mac and cheese was part of the 10/$10 sale too, so I grabbed 4 boxes of that. The Fiber One turned out to be $4.29 - so $2.74 after coupons. I decided that was a reasonable deal - I want to try using it ground up as a coating for onion rings and soy-chicken tenders ala Hungry Girl - but next time around I'm waiting for a good sale.

So. All was well, but the 55 cent Shortcuts coupon for the Almond Breeze didn't come off (though the Fiber One did). I went on Shortcuts.com, filled out the dispute form, and within about 60 seconds I had a reply that my account had been credited 60 cents! So now I have 60 cents off of...anything. I'm amused that I'm that excited about 60 cents.

So my plan is to go back and get one more box of Annies for 40 cents! Hooray! (A dollar for the Almond Breeze is still an amazing deal - wish I could find my other coupon but it seems I either used it or lost it, boo.)

Also today I signed up on Facebook for a free box of DaVinci pasta - I'm pretty sure the offer has now ended, but I'm really excited to get it! Free pasta yay!

Kroger - Free cat treats

Well, sort of.

[NOTE THAT THIS IS FOR THE ATLANTA REGION. I know there are different regions for Kroger with different sales so if you're swooping in from elsewhere, check with your store...]

I didn't see this deal in the flyer/online, but Whiskas Temptations cat treats are part of the buy-10-get-$5-off deal at Kroger. They are $1.49 before the sale. Buy 10 (or mix them into a deal of 10 whatever) and they'll be 99 cents each. There are 50 cent coupons out there (and some for $1 off the Tuna flavor - I'll get to that in a second). That makes them free!

Yeah, unless you go to *my* Kroger. They didn't have the tuna flavor (the one I can walk to is a small store with limited selection), and they didn't have the Naturals (so I don't know if they are included in the sale - but there are lots of coupons out there for those as well).

I had two 50 cent coupons for the cat treats, plus a Catalina coupon for 75 cents that was expiring today. So instead of waiting until later and driving to a better/larger store (still mad at myself!), I walked to the little one. Only one of my coupons scanned - I also had a fourth coupon for Daisy sour cream ($1.99, then you get 50 cents off if you do the 10-deal, then a 50 cent coupon so just 50 cents for sour cream). I noticed this, of course, after the transaction was complete, so I had to wait for the customer service person.

...who of course told me something like "oh you bought too many of one thing, and you can't use more than one coupon in a transaction" but she said she'd do this for me anyway, so I just stood and smiled and nodded, because arguing probably would have made things worse. So I wound up getting $2.84 back in change, which is fine, but...I wish it had all just gone through at first. And moreso, I wish I'd gone to a different store, found the tuna flavor, and gotten even MORE of these for free.

Did I mention that my cats loooooooove treats? Heh. I feed them very high quality cat food, but sometimes they do get what I consider the equivalent of Cheetos and Doritos for a treat.

Anyway, I hope this helps someone.

Don't forget to check out my article about how to get a ton of school supplies at CVS for 99 cents!

Kroger - Free toilet paper + spices

2 4-packs of Angel Soft toilet paper
1 McCormick Grill Mates

8 cents. I love Kroger!

CVS - Free Edge shaving gel

A quick trip that went fine:

1 Edge shaving tel - $2.89
1 Sunday paper - $2.50

Used ECB that was labeled $4.49 from the Softsoap. It rang up as $4.99. I paid 40 cents OOP. Got back $2.89. Also got $1 ECB from the scanner for calling CVS last week, as well as a $10/$50 that I don't think I'll be able to spend.



There are tons of freebies at Kroger this week - check it out!

Total OOP: $11.27 ($6.37 tax)
Total merchandise: 10 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 6 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 4 bottles Dawn, 3 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 2 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 1 small CVS mouthwash, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 4 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 3 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 3 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 1 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes.

Current ECB status: $7.88

Kroger - 100% savings

After a delightful day hitting many, many yard sales (several local neighborhoods had their sale days), I swung by Kroger and got the following for entirely free, nothing OOP:
1 box of Piccolini pasta
1 Suave deodorant
1 bag of Mahatma rice (white rice)

I did in fact get 25 cents overage on the Piccolini pasta coupon - those coupons expire on 4/30 and I'm going out of town so can't order/buy/whatever any more, but what a great deal that could be! Anyway, the rice ate up some of the overage, but I still had some, which confused (slightly) the cashier at the self checkout machines, but she waved me off with my receipt and zero OOP. Wish I'd gotten one more bag of rice (it would've been free too) but my husband pointed out we don't really eat white rice (well, I eat white sticky short grain rice, but otherwise it's always brown rice, he's right) (but I could've donated it) (but anyway...if I go back to Kroger it still will only be 9 cents if I really want it).

Anyway, the Barilla coupons were in the 3/29 Smartsource flyer - you can get free whole grain pasta AND free Piccolini pasta with those. Of course 3/29 was the week I got a single paper, not a double paper...figures...

Have you checked out the Atlanta Budget Grocery Examiner yet? I plan on posting really great deals like the above over there...!

Kroger - 91% savings

Granted, I didn't get anything of particular nutritional value....I got 3 free bags of Quaker rice cakes (the snack-size ones - I got apple cinnamon and kettle corn), a bottle of Softsoap hand soap for 30 cents (I can't resist this sale, but I really should - I have quite a stockpile of hand soap now!), and a package of cat treats for 50 cents. After tax, total was $1.01. Nice!

The Kroger I went to is small, so I may go out later to a larger one to try to find the free-after-coupon Barilla pasta, the cheap-after-coupon Mahatma rice, and the free-after-coupon hot sauce. :)

I love Kroger

2 4-packs of Cottonelle toilet paper
2 cans of Progresso soup (tomato)
1 box of Multigrain Cheerios

22 CENTS! 20 cents of that was tax! My receipt says I saved 99%! Yay!

Kroger!

Quick, if you're in the Atlanta area, this deal should be good until Saturday, 2/7/09. Combine the recent 50 cent coupon for Multigrain Cheerios with either the Cellfire or Shortcuts 75 cent coupon (no, both didn't come off for me for a single box - and that makes perfect sense) and you'll get the Cheerios for free! I just did this deal, plus got two 4-packs of Cottonelle for free (plus 25 cent overage from Cellfire that I put toward a block of silken tofu). Yay!

I'm planning on going back and doing this again, plus getting some cheap Progresso soup (using the recent $1.10 printable plus the Shortcuts 50 cents/2 coupon). Nice!

CVS - Gillette Gamer

I bought 2 Gillette Gamer razors - $15.98

Used 2x$4 coupons, $8 ECBs adjusted down to $7.98. The adjustment totally confused the cashier and in retrospect I should've tried to give the ECBs first and the coupons second to lower my OOP and not have to adjust anything, but I didn't, and he did get help from another cashier (who seemed annoyed and I think she muttered "you're not supposed to do this" but she also was having trouble with a different customer so who knows). Paid 56 cents in tax. Got back $8 - a wash.

The store was out of the Kotex bonus packs, sadly, because I have the CVS and the manufacturer coupon for that, but maybe my Sunday store will have one left...

I have one $9.98 ECB that I need to roll soon - it expires 2/6/09. I didn't see anything wonderful next week, but the February "free" deals do start up so maybe I can make something out of those plus the free Excedrin or something...watch this blog for a scenario. ;)

(I also went back to Kroger and picked up 6 more bottles of Suave shampoo and conditioner and paid $2 for it all.)



Total OOP: $2.52 ($1.98 tax)
Total merchandise: 3 double Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 4 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 2 bottles Dawn, 1 travel pack of tissues, 3 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 3-pack of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 2 Gillette Gamer razors.

Current ECB status: $25.56

Kroger - January 26, 2009

2 bags of Chex mix
2 bags Goldfish crackers
2 tubs Daisy light sour cream
2 bottles Ken's salad dressing
1 bottle Heinz ketchup
1 bottle French's mustard
[all of the above part of the "Mega Sale"]
3 bottles Suave shampoo or conditioner
2 avocados
2 tubs o'tofu

$14.66 including tax! My receipt says this is a 62% savings - not bad. The only thing I don't buy regularly was the Chex Mix - and that was free + overage thanks to coupons + e-coupons + the Mega Deal or whatever they call it. (My husband likes it too.)

The Suave is a good deal, particularly if you want to donate things. The hair products are on sale 10/$10, and there was a recent coupon for $2/3. That makes them 33 cents each! I may go back for more since I have at least one more coupon...

Kroger!

I went back with my 7 Catalinas and one other coupon and got:
1 avocado
1 quart of organic milk
1 can of organic black beans
1 package of Morningstar Farms crumble
2 boxes of whole wheat pasta
1 jar of salsa
1 4-pack of Cottonelle toilet paper

I used the Catalinas (I made sure to have a 1:1 ratio of coupons to items but I did get only things I needed and I'm not sure if I *had* to do that anyway) and 50 cents off the Cottonelle, which was doubled (making it free) and then I also had a 50 cent coupon from Shortcuts so I got overage there! And I paid a whopping $6 and change. PLUS I got a Catalina for 75 cents off two Morningstar Farms items, and I buy those anyway and they're pricey so yay! That expires in February so I might hold onto it in case of a sale between now and then.

Back to Kroger!

Oh I *LOOOVE* this deal!

Transaction 1:
1 3-pack of Fleischmann's yeast. It's $1. I used a 45 cent coupon, doubled. I paid 11 cents. I got back a 50 cent Catalina.

Transaction 2:
5 3-packs of yeast.
1 box of Kroger brand baking soda (we were low on this - we use it for everything from baking to cloth diaper laundry)

I used 5 yeast coupons (4 40 cent and 1 45 cent) and the Catalina. I figured I'd need one item per coupon, so that's why I threw in the baking soda, which is only 59 cents anyway. In the end I paid 55 cents and got back FIVE 50 cent Catalinas. That's $5 in free groceries!

I have 3 more yeast coupons to use later in the week. I also read about free Life Savers - I have the coupons but am not sure if the sale is in my region, so I have to go check. Anyway, I'm pleased. I'm either going to get organic milk, tofu, or Morningstar Farms stuff with the Catalinas. Or, you know, roll them into more and more yeast first.... (at on-sale-with-no-coupon price this week, I could buy one yeast per Catalina and get the Catalina back...).

YAY!

Kroger!

I went to Kroger and got 2 tubs of Daisy sour cream for free ($10/10, I had two 50 cent coupons), 2 4-packs of Cottonelle for free (cellfire + shortcuts + 2 newspaper coupons), and 1 3-pack of Fleischmans Yeast for 20 cents.

The yeast spat out a 50 cent Catalina.

I went back and got a double paper - and the Catalina DOUBLED. Is that standard? So I got the double paper for $1.47 and in it are two more $4 coupons for Maybelline that will net me two free lipsticks AND about $1.50 in overage at CVS! Woohoo!

I think I'm going back for more yeast. I've been planning on using my bread machine more anyway, but if I'm going to spend 20 cents and get back 50 cents (doubled to $1?) it's sure worth it!

My Other Card - 11/2

The store was out of the Crest, and that's what any scenarios I had revolved around, so I just got the paper. I used my other card's ECB - $1.98 - to get the paper for 52 cents. Why my other card? Well, the scanner was out of paper, and I knew that I was getting a $10 ECB for doing a survey! And I did - awesome. And I just did *another* survey on this card for $2 ECBs more! Yay.

I still am considering going back later in the week with either card to get one Crest, two Pert Pluses, and a 50 cent filler - use a $4 ECB, get back $3.49. Maybe.

And I had some candy in my basket - half price from Halloween - but the price still wasn't THAT great (I've gotten cheaper M&Ms with coupons) so I put it back. (This is also because yesterday I went to Target and pillaged the Halloween clearance...)

Also trying to figure out if Kroger deals are worthwhile this week. There are some inexpensive things, but do I *need* them? That's a big part of it. Stay tuned!

Kroger This Week

The funny thing is that I'm usually a Publix girl. I prefer not having to flash a loyalty card, and I find Publix to have a better selection and better prices. USUALLY. (Although one of the main draws I had to Publix was their generic line of vegetarian frozen meats and they've discontinued that.)

So. Last night I went to Kroger and got a bunch of things that we needed. I'll just give you the highlights though:

Two free cans of Muir Glen tomato paste with the $1/Muir Glen printable that is out there. I had three coupons left, they all expire at the end of the week, and I didn't know if we'd get to Publix (where I can get free cans of tomato sauce with overage) so I bought these because they were on sale for $1.
Two free bottles of Naturally Preferred water (Kroger's generic Vitamin Water) by combining the BOGO coupon from a few weeks ago with the Cellfire BOGO.
A free bottle of Herbal Essences shampoo and a free bottle of Herbal Essences conditioner by combining the $3/2 P&G coupon from this month with the $2/2 coupon from the P&G e-saver.
Two cans of Progresso tomato soup for 30 cents each by combining the $1.10 printable with the 50 cents/2 Shortcuts coupon.
Two bottles of Purex laundry detergent for $1 each by using the 50 cent coupon in the circulars. There is also a printable at www.purexsavesgreen.com for 50 cents and I plan to go back and get two more bottles.
Morningstar Farms products for $2.74 each with the $1 coupon that came out in the Publix booklet (it is a manufacturer's coupon). This is a decent price - Target has a better everyday price-before-coupon but this does beat Publix's everyday price-before-coupon (because they were on sale).

When all was said and done, I saved 41% on this trip this way - if you don't count the beer that my husband bought (heh, how could he pass up Yuengling now that it's in Georgia?) then I actually saved 48%, and I don't think beer should count toward groceries anyway. Ha!

I'm off to CVS later today with my other card for more razors, SoyJoy, and dishsoap, and I may hit Publix for more Purex, TP, and possibly Pert if they have it.

The end!

Kroger 10/25

Here's what I wound up with:

1 Cottonelle TP - 99 cents
1 Goldfish crackers - $1
2 Green Giant frozen plain spinach - $2
1 bag of Fresh Express salad - "Manager's Special" (it expires 10/28 but I bought it for tonight so who cares!) - $1.79
1 big ol' potato - $1.66

I got 50 cents off the Cottonelle from Cellfire, but then it did *NOT* also give me the 50 cents off of Shortcuts. I am assuming that it really does only allow one e-coupon per item and not one e-coupon per program. No big deal as I got overage for the Green Giant - I got 50 cents from Shortcuts and then ANOTHER 50 cents from Shortcuts (buy 1, get 50 cents and buy 2, get 50 cents) and I had two 50 cents/GG coupons so I got $1 overage there. Then 50 cents off the Goldfish from Cellfire. And finally, a blinkie of 75 cents off Fresh Express salad. With 18 cents tax, my total was $2.87 - my receipt says I saved 71%!

I think if I'd known I couldn't use two coupons on the Cottonelle I might've skipped it and had the overage go toward the potato and salad, but it's all good, it's just 50 cents. I got the toilet paper, spinach, and crackers for free, basically, plus the salad at a deep discount. Yay!

PS I think we're going to check out Aldi soon - I've been hearing more and more about them and I'm intrigued.

Kroger!

$2.80!

Everything but the crackers was free. I didn't realize I had loaded a Cottonelle coupon on my Kroger card so I got 50 cents overage - and of course I got home and looked at shortcuts.com and found a second Cottonelle coupon I could've used (I think - I don't know if they limit you to one type at a time). Anyway, heads up - combine the e-coupon with the recent 50 cent newspaper coupon to get 50 cents overage and free TP. :)