Now, I'm not all about getting the best deal above and beyond everyone else. I am about saving money and feeling that I personally did save money on an item we regularly use. I'm not the type of person to purchase items we don't use, and never will, just to get rewards. I only buy products that we normally use.

So with that, here's what I've spent my $100 on so far this week. Oh and tax does not count towards my $100. (There's an extra $20 involved just for tax only in our deal or special items like I had to buy Prestone, in a separate transaction.)

And additionally remember, basically I have to shop for two households, well three. One for when he is home (both of us), one for when he is on the road (in his truck), and one for me when he is on the road (me at home).
---------------------------

WALMART 06/21
Items purchased included cat food, lunchmeat, collard greens, bacon, pizza, pasta sauce, corn muffin mix, yogurt, coffeemate, biscuits, French's onions, 2 ltrs, bread, and cucumbers, and a couple things I don't know what they are on the receipt and can't remember.

Total BEFORE Coupons = 42.84
Total AFTER Coupons BEFORE Tax= 26.37
SAVINGS = $16.47 (39% savings)

$100 - 26.37 = 73.63
------------------------------------

WAGS 06/22

Folgers 13oz 2 for $6 = $6.00
Clorox 60oz $1.29($.60 off ea) x 2 = $2.58
Dawn "Simple Pleasures" CLEARANCE (Reg $3.29) $1.89 x 2 = $3.78 MINUS 2 $1/1 coupons = $1.78
Tide 2x 25oz CLEARANCE $2.69 x 2 = $5.38 MINUS 2 $.35/1 coupons = $4.68

PRICE BEFORE CLEARANCE/SALES/COUPONS = $32.32
GRAND TOTAL Before Tax = $15.04
SAVINGS = $17.28 (53% savings)

$73.63 - 15.04 = $58.59
-----------------------------

Albertsons 06/22

5-12 pks Pepsi, bananas, Kohlrabi, Nectarines

Total BEFORE Sales and Coupons = $41.39
Total AFTER Coupons/Sales/No Tax = $17.89
SAVINGS = $23.50 (57% savings)

$58.59 - 17.89 = $40.70

----------------------------
WalMart 06/22 (This one kinda doesn't count since it's for specific items to be put on or made into something to be put on the truck for DH at his request.)

Pudding cups, cheese slices, Beef Sausage, Chuck patties, lunch meat, Pop Tarts, bread, Spaghetto Os, potato chips, oranges, tater tots, lettuce, Ranch Dressing, pasta, and potato chips

Total BEFORE Coupons $32.09
Total AFTER Coupons $19.01
Total Savings $13.08 (41% savings)

$40.70 - 19.01 = $21.69
------------------------------

Smiths 06/24

Cat Food, Nestle Cookies, Suddenly Salad, Knorr Chicken Rice/Veggie, Swanson Dinner, Digornios for One Pizza

Total BEFORE Sales = $26.09
Total AFTER Sales = $16.19
Total AFTER Coupons = $2.44
Total SAVINGS = $23.65 (92% savings)

$21.69 - 2.44 = $19.25
----------------------------
$.99 Store 06/24

5# peaches = $.99
5# potatoes = $.99

Total with no coupons $1.98

$19.25 - $1.98 = $17.27
---------------------------
Bad Habit

$3.15 x 5 = $15.75
Total SAVINGS = A big whopping ZERO

$17.27- 15.75 = $1.52

$1.50!?!?! It's a good thing he's suppose to be back tomorrow! I don't want to miss going to Target to get the razor deal!!! :hysterical: I NEED MY ALLOWANCE! :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: (Actually I have $10 left over from buying the Prestone and about $10 in change. And no, I do not consider myself stranded without money because if something happened, he'd call Western Union and wire it to me. And that has happened before when he's been out for four days longer than we anticipated.)

Now you might think that I'm eating lunchmeat or something like that for supper. Well, Im not. And usually both of us only eat one meal a day. But this week, for example, I've eaten the following: (And I have to work backwards...)

TODAY - Digornios pizza, salad, chips, and Pepsi. Snacks were fresh nectarines, yogurt and blackberries from the freezer.

MONDAY - Roast chicken salad, with boiled eggs, almonds, raisins and ranch dressing. Snacks were banana, yogurt and nectarines, along with a few chips. Water... mass quantities of water. (It was 111F on this day.)

SUNDAY - Collard greens, bacon, pinto beans, corn bread, tea. Snack that day was a peanut butter and banana sandwich. (Gee, was this an I miss the south day or what?)

SATURDAY - Cheeseburger, potato salad, cucumbers, tomatoes (yes I was brave) and Pepsi (and yes I obviously survived). That morning I was hungry so I fixed a couple of eggs. And snacks that day, I think were the last of the apples, grapes and yogurt and cheese.

FRIDAY - Homemade spaghetti, salad, tea. Dessert was homemade PB cookies. Snacks, I can't remember that far back.. but you want to know dont you... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? :hysterical: Get outta here!

YankeeGal

Well, lets see here. Since this is my first post, maybe introductions are called for. My family is from the Appalachians since the late 1600s. When I was about 5 my father was transferred north. So I'm kinda stuck between two worlds. I was raised with southern values, make-do ethics, and cooking, but I have a Yankee attitude and would never move back south.

My degree from pre-Internet days is in computer science and I've worked as a geek, and corporate trainer most of my life, traveling around the country dealing with Fortune 100 companies along with government contracts.

My other half is a truck driver who has driven for the same company for 17 years and is nearly 2 million miles accident free. He's a West Coast boy... and I'm East Coast.. sometimes night and day I tell ya!

But together we have two psycho cats, CatZilla (for good reason) and Twiggy. We also feed and attempt to take care of a colony of feral cats where we live.

Yes, many of my days are spent alone now, at home, since I don't work (due to a little heart problem that has developed...) trying to appease and serve the cats.

We work on a budget of when he goes out on the road, he leaves me $100 for while hes gone (usually 5-7 days). That money is used to purchase groceries, paper products (PT and TP), cat food and supplies, cleaners, laundry, and cigarettes for me while he's gone (yes I know I shouldn't smoke..... ) and that includes food that he takes on the road with him. So I have to find the best deals and steals to fill the household.

As you know cats are picky so I have to purchase certain foods. We both have sensitive skin so only certain soaps, shampoos, tp, and laundry soaps can be used. So sometimes, yep, its a challenge, but I do it.

So anyway, that's me. Oh, and Im not quite as mean and nasty as I might put on...

YankeeGal

The earlier trip to CVS-T didn't pan out quite as I'd have liked; they didn't carry Soyjoy, they've always been out of Listerine, and they had the wrong stupid price up for the Colgate. All the same, when I went to CVS-A I could not have planned this better if I tried. Pulling a scenario out of my butt as I tossed stuff into my basket, I pulled off quite possibly the most perfect thing ever.


Soyjoy bars x8: $8
Smart Rinse 250ml: $3.49 - $1 Q
Gatorade BOGO: $1.89...

Kyrthira

Today I learned that the self-checkout computer will complain about two (well, three) things:

#1: Using more than two coupons.
Solution: Have a register monkey come enter their code so I can get into supersekrit cashier mode (SSCM) and scan more in.

#2: The item price is less than the doubled coupon price.
Solution: Tell the computer in SSCM mode to just use the item price as the coupon price.

#3: The hidden cap for coupon usage.
Solution:...

Kyrthira

I wish I could say that my time spent away from HCW was spent fulfilling some lifelong dream or greater purpose. I was in Kenya, working with orphans or building houses with H4H, or even filming an episode of Wife Swap.

But no, I just got overwhelmed. My WAH job that supposedly had a 'busy season' Jan. to April is really just busy all the time. By increasing my work hours we are able to pay off our house way before our first kid goes to college and increase our...

BzyBee