$179 worth of groceries & I made $4.04!

Let me tell you a story...

Today on my lunch, I headed to Safeway with a well crafted, 3 transaction plan in hand. I filled my cart, organized my coupons, and after I had all my items on the conveyer belt, my favorite cashier is switched out by ... dun dun dun ... the dreaded Assistant Manager! He shut me down on about 50% of my legitimate Qs for lots of crazy, ridiculous reasons, my favorite being, "Nope, can't take this one. This just looks like a fraudulent coupon." I was in the check out line going back and forth with the corporate coupon policy out, but he was beyond reason. And to top it all off, none of my EQs came off, 2 seperate $5 discounts did not come off, & my $10 frozen food cat didn't print! My total was $47! I haven't spent that much on groceries all year! I told him to void the entire transaction because it was such a mess. I got my coupons back and high-tailed it out of there.

Now, fast forward to my Safeway trip after work. I refilled my cart with the same exact items I had picked out 4 hour earlier, but this time, I picked out a young, male cashier. The heavens parted and sunshine beamed down on my check-out line. Just kidding, that's a little dramatic, but seriously everything was 100% different. All my EQs came off, the $5 deductions came off, & all the cats printed as expected. This is a good reminder that one grumpy, jaded cashier can ruin an entire shopping run. Choose your cashiers carefully!

Ok, now that I've gotten that out, let's move on to my transactions...

I finally (half way through March) have jumped in on the frozen foods deal - see details here. I also did a few more "Buy 5, Save $5" deals - details here. I though the $1.00 Colgate toothpaste price was good as long as you buy 3+, turns out you have to buy in increments of 3. Oh well, I still didn't pay for it because I paired the MQs up with the HH (Heart Healthy booklet) Safeway coupons. Thank goodness. Paying for toothpaste would be embarrasing in the coupon world.

SAFEWAY #1

TOWARDS BETTY CROCKER CAT:

1.00 Betty Crocker fruit snacks (5) -.50/2 MQ 3/7 SS, -.50/2 EQ = .20 profit each

TOWARDS "BUY 5, SAVE $5" DEAL:

1.50 Nature Valley Nut Clusters -1/1 MQ 2/21 SS, -1/1 EQ = .50 overage

1.50 Nature Valley Granola Bars (3) -.50/1 3/7 SS, -.40/1 EQ = (3) .37 each

1.50 Post Raisin Bran -2.00/1 IPQ = .50 overage

TOWARDS FROZEN FOODS CAT:

2.29 Pillsbury toaster strudel (3) -.35/1 MQ 3/7 SS (3), -.55/2 EQ (3) = .74 each

3.00 Yoplait smoothies (4) -1.25/1 IPQ (2), -1/1 3/7 MQ SS (2) = 1.88 each

3.49 El Monterey burritos

3.00 DiGiorno personal pizza -free MQ = free

10.29 Star olive oil (2) BOGO sale -free MQ (2) (up to $4), -1/1 EQ = .65 each
1.00 Colgate (3) -1.50/1 MQ from pharmacy (3), -1/1 HH SWQ (3) = $1 overage each
2.00 Colgate -1.50/1 MQ from pharmacy, -1/1 HH SWQ (3) = .50 overage
.99 Lunchables (2) -.75/1 IPQ (2) no longer available = free
TOTAL BEFORE Qs: 65.13
TOTAL AFTER Qs: 7.61
Paid with (2) 3.50 Betty Crocker OYNO cats + .61 cash
Earned $13.50 in cats ($10 frozen foods, 3.50 Betty Crocker)
SUMMARY: 5.89 profit

SAFEWAY #2
TOWARDS BETTY CROCKER CAT:
1.00 Betty Crocker fruit snacks (5) -.50/2 MQ 3/7 SS= .10 profit each

TOWARDS FROZEN FOODS CAT:
1.99 Smart Ones fettucini alfredo (10) 1.49 each
2.29 Pillsbury toaster strudel (2) -.35/1 MQ 3/7 SS (2) = 1.29 each
1.00 Michalina single entree

1.00 Colgate -1.00/1 MQ 3/7 SS (3), -1/1 HH SWQ (3) = $1 overage each
2.00 Colgate -1.00/1 MQ 3/7 SS (3), -1/1 HH SWQ (3) = free
.08 tax
TOTAL BEFORE Qs: 40.48

TOTAL AFTER Qs: 14.56
Paid with a 10.00 frozen foods cat + 3.50 BC OYNO cat + 1.06 cash
Earned $13.50 in cats ($10 frozen foods, 3.50 BC)
SUMMARY: 1.06 cost

FRY'S
 I was able to load a few more EQs on my card, so I hit the cart buster sale one more time. (BC = Betty Crocker)

1.50 BC Warm Delight -.50/1 MQ 3/7 SS, -.50/1 EQ = FREE
1.50 BC Cookie Mix -.40/1 IPQ, -.40/1 EQ = .30
1.50 BC frosting -.50/1 MQ 3/7 SS, -.50/1 EQ = FREE
10.99 Prevacid -6.00/1 Fry's cat, -6.00/1 Frys EQ = 1.01 overage
1.49 Coke Zero (won from online Fry's game here) = .50 overage
1.00 Reese's (won from online Fry's game here) -$1 off wyb Coke & Reese's = .50 overage
1.56 fuji apples
.94 tax = .79 total paid on Fry's giftcard

BASHAS
I planned on grabbing some La Victoria enchilada sauce for free (see details here), but they only carry mild which is fully stocked in my pantry. I'm hoping the medium or hot variety goes on sale somewhere for $2 so I can snag those for my husband who has decided the mild flavor does not taste good. Too bad for him because I still have more than 10 cans of mild from the last time Bashas had a La Vic sale.

.50 Snickers (6) -.50/2 MQ 2/21 RP (3) = FREE

FINAL SUMMARY: $1.67 paid OOP, $4.04 profit!

Phew. I think maybe I need to stop procrastinating and spread these trips out so they aren't all compressed to Tuesday. The good news for all my fellow procrastinators is the frozen food deal is going on through 3/31/10. So, clean out your freezers & shop away!