Bluebonnets To Peaches

I was going to skip this weeks shopping trip, but then Publix sent me a $5 off $30 purchase and I just couldn’t turn that down!  The $30 purchase is BEFORE coupons so I got some great deals!

An interesting thing happen with my shredded cheese purchase.  Sargento Shredded Cheese is 2/$4 this week at Publix and I had a .40 coupon that would double making the cheese $1.60 a package (I consider anything under $1.67 a package a good deal since that is the price I can get for Kroger brand cheese). 

My 2 packages of cheese each had a peelie coupon on them for .75 off the cheese when you also purchase an artisan bread.  I wasn’t going to buy any artisan bread so I just left the peelie coupons on the packages.  While I was checking out, the cashier pulled the peelies off and ran the two .75 coupons.  I spoke up and said “I think those are only if I purchase the bread and I didn’t purchase the bread.”  The cashier didn’t say anything and the coupons scanned. 

After everything was scanned and I handed him my stack of coupons and I told him “I have a coupon for the cheese in there that might not go through since there were coupons on the package.”  Well, my .40 coupon did scan and double which means I saved an additional $1.50 on my cheese making the cheese I purchased .85 a package! 

Of course I’m happy to save the extra $1.50 and I know that Publix is still going to get their money for the coupons (to understand how coupons work visit How Stuff Works) but I also pride myself on correctly using coupons.  I don’t knowingly try to slide a coupon through that isn’t what I purchased, is expired or in any other way doesn’t abide by the store policy.

My thought is that I save a lot of money on groceries and I love the challenge of getting the best deal possible, but only if I can do it fairly.  It’s not fun if I have to cheat the store or the manufacturer and honestly that makes it hard to sleep at night. 

So, do you think I did the right thing?  I spoke up not only once, but twice and the cashier chose to scan the coupons and the register didn’t beep (actually, I’ve never heard the register at Publix beep on any coupon).  Looking back at the situation, I could have pulled out my .40 coupon before handing the cashier my stack of coupons but I honestly didn’t think of that while I was standing there.  What would you have done?

Here’s the breakdown:

• Milk $2.99
• 2 Ragu Pasta Sauce BOGOF, less .75 coupon = .72 each
• 2 Ronzoni Pasta BOGOF = .65 each
• Smithfield Bacon $2.50, less .55 coupon = 1.95
• Cateloupe $2
• Strawberries $2.50
• 3 Coca Cola 2 liters BOGOF = .90 each
• New York Garlic Breadsticks $2, less .50 coupon doubled = $1
• 3 Totino’s Pizza Rolls, BOGOF, less 3 .35 coupons all doubled = $1.20 each
• Glass Plus BOGOF, less .50 coupon, doubled = .25
• Publix Tortilla Chips, mystery coupon item this week = .01
• 3 lbs. Ground Beef $2.89/lb
• 2 Sargento Shredded Cheeses 2/$4, less .40 coupon doubled, less 2 .75 coupon peelies = .85 each

Total Purchased $62.70

Total Savings $37.07

Total OOP $25.63

I finished and hung my neighbors curtain this weekend!  I’m very proud of the way it turned out!  I had a lot of fun sewing it up and I’m feeling motivated to make some curtains for my own home! 

My Aunt Sheri makes custom drapes for a living and she helped me make my own drapes about 6 years ago.  Then about 5 years ago my mom started to make drapes for others as well.  It became a lot easier to have my talented mom make drapes for me then to do it myself!  Now that we’re are not living near Aunt Sheri or mom, I’m remembering how to do it myself!  I owe a huge thanks to my Aunt Sheri for showing me her “tricks of the trade” a few years ago (I was surprised by how much I remembered!) and to my mom for answering a ton of my questions this past week!

My neighbor down the street has asked me to sew a valance curtain for her downstairs bathroom.  The style that she wants is actually something I’ve sewn before so I shouldn’t have too many difficulties getting it sewn up; however, I did think it would be a good idea to “get the rust off” and sew something up before I attempt the curtain!

We needed a new library bag so I decided that would be a good thing to make.  After looking at fabric that I already have on hand, I chose an animal print thinking that the boys might think that was cool and actually carry the bag!  Well, after I got the bag sewn up I decided it needed some trim!  The boys probably won’t carry the bag now, but at least mom will look super cute at the library!

My sister, who lives in Virginia, made a business trip to Atlanta last week and we got to have lunch together!  This was a fun treat as I haven’t seen my big sis in over a year! 

She had rented a car and it just happened to be a convertible!  She had the top down and Nick gave her a look like she might not be the smartest Aunt he had ever met and told her, in his adorable 4 year old way “the rain gonna get in your car.”  She then put the top up and Nick’s eyes about came out of his head and all he said was “totally cool!”  I’ve never heard him say that before and it was hilarious!  I think Aunt Connie won him over!

This weekend I hit 3 stores to grab some good deals.

My first stop was Ingles.  I don’t normally shop at Ingles, I find their prices to be extremely high but occassional they run a really great sale on an item.  This week they have strawberries for $1.50!  I decided to run in and purchase a carton since I was driving right by the store anyway.

INGLES

Total Purchased $4.03

Total Savings $2.48

Total OOP $1.55

My next stop was CVS.  Here’s what I got:

• Pull Ups $8.99
• 2 Colgate Toothpaste, $2.99 each, used .75 coupon and a $1 coupon = $4.23
• 2 Rice Krispes $4.40, used 1.50 coupon = $1.45 each

Total Purchased $30.01

Total Savings $13.63

Total ECB’s Used $15

Total ECB’s Earned $15.98 ($5.98 from the toothpaste and $10 for completing a survey online)

Total OOP $1.38

My last stop was Publix

PUBLIX

• Fruity Pebbles BOGOF $1.95
• Barilla Pasta Sauce BOGOF $1.38
• Betty Crocker Cookie Mix BOGOF, used .40 coupon, doubled = .54
• Pillsbury Brownie Mix BOGOF $1
• 2 Quaker Baked Bars BOGOF, used 2 .55 coupons = $1.05 each
• 4 Juicy juice boxes BOGOF, used 2 .50 coupons, doubled = $1 each
• 3 Lipton Tea BOGOF, used .60 coupon and .75 coupon = .88 each
• Ritz Crackers $2.50
• 4 Milk Bone Biscuits BOGOF, used 2 BOGOF coupons = .93 each
• 2 Soft Scrub, used 2 .50 coupons, doubled = .48 each
• Publix lemon lime soda, mystery coupon = .01

Total Purchased $63.64

Total Savings $41.78

Total OOP $21.86

Hubby surprised me with another great auction find this past weekend!  It wasn’t more office supplies (ha), instead it was this beautiful area rug!

Isn’t it gorgeous?!  It’s brand new, never been used and we both just love it!  Hubby paid just a fraction of what it is worth and we both think it looks great in our dining room!

I love getting surprises like this, you just never know what hubby will come home with!

Isn’t this cookie bouquet super cute?!  I saw the idea over at Our Best Bites and I just loved it!  I used this same icing reciepe for my Christmas sugar cookies and it is super easy and tates good too!  I made one bouquet for our family and I sent this one with Brad to school.

We had a special visitor this past weekend, his name is Burt.

Burt is a special teddy bear from Nick’s preschool class that gets to spend one weekend with each of the kids in the class, this past weekend it was Burt’s turn to spend the weekend with us!

Nick was super excited to bring Burt home. Burt HAD to be buckled up in the car before we could go anywhere and he went EVERYWHERE with us all weekend. Burt travels with clothes, shoes and PJ’s. He has his own weekend bag and a journal that we got to put pictures in!

 The front of Burt’s journal reads:

“Dear Parents,

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Burt. I am a friend of (Nick’s teacher). I will be coming home with the Bee of the Day every Thursday and come back to school on Tuesday. In my bag I have some pajamas for when it is time to go to bed. I also have a special journal too! In my journal we can write about all my adventures and maybe include a few pictures too. Mrs. Nancy told me that she would read all about my adventures to the class when we get back. I’m looking forward to getting to know my new friends. By the way my favorite food is chicken nuggets. Love, Burt”

We really enjoyed our special visitor this weekend!  Burt played cars in the kitchen, played with Moon Sand and went out to get doughnuts with the family on Saturday morning!  Nick was sad to take Burt back to school, but excited to tell all his friends about our fun weekend!

I went to my favorite store, Publix this week! The funniest thing happen when I was checking out. My total was $28.03 and I handed the cashier the exact change and she just stared at it.  Then she turned back to the register screen and started looking at what I purchased.  Next, she said “I must have missed ringing something up, that’s a lot of food for only $28!”  I just laughed and said “the coupons really add up!”  I just love it when I surprise even the cashiers with my total!

Here’s a list of what I got:

• 3 boxes General Mills Cereal BOGOF $3.99, less $1 coupon = $4.99
• 2 Knorr Pasta Sides BOGOF, less $.60 coupon = .45 each
• 2 Land of Lakes Spreadable Butter BOGOF, less .30 and .50 coupons doubled = .10 each!
• Pillsbury Cake Mix BOGOF = .85
• Milk $2.99
• Eggs, $1.39
• Fuji Apples, 5 lb. $2.50
• 2 Swiss Miss Hot Cocoas BOGOF = $1 each
• 2 Cheeze It BOGOF = $1.65 each
• 2 Graham Crackers BOGOF = $2 each
• Publix Tortilla Chips $1.67
• 5 lb Publix Sugar (mystery coupon) = .01
• Publix Butter $2.39

Total Purchased $55.03

Total Savings $27.00

Total OOP $28.03