Awesome Albertson's

If you haven't heard, Albertson's is running an awesome General Mills promotion right now: buy $25 worth of selected products, get a $10 ONYO Catalina. Even better, certain products have their own Catalina promotion so you can double dip the Catalinas. So I based my transactions to maximize the Cats. Here are the transactions:



Transaction #1:

5 Simply Cookie Dough $12.50
5 Betty Crocker Fruit Gushers $12.50

Coupons used:

4 $1.25/1 Simply Cookie dough
1 $1/1 Simply Cookie dough
1 $.50/2 Fruit Gushers
3 $.40/1 Fruit Gushers

plus I had a $3 Cat & $2 Cat from a purchase last week (unclear how I got the $3, $2 was from Aunt Jemima syrup). I just noticed in reviewing my receipt that the cashier doubled 2 for $1 each, not sure how that happened? Anyway, OOP was $10.30 and I got $10, $3 and $3.50 in Cats that I rolled into the next transaction.

Here:




5 Simply Cookie Dough $12.50
6 Fruit snacks $12.50

Coupons Used:

5 $1/1 Simply Cookie Dough
2 $.40/1 Fruit Snacks
2 $.50/2 Fruit Snacks

1 doubled for -$1
minus $16.50 in Cats from previous order, left me with OOP $3.20 and I got another $16.50 in Cats that I used for this:



5 Cinnamon Rolls $8.35
4 Fruit Snacks $10.00
5 Warm Delights Minis $8.35
3 betty Crocker Potatoes $5

Coupons Used:

5 $1/1 Cinnamon Rolls
2 $.50/2 Fruit Snacks
5 $.50/1 Warm Delights
3 $.40/1 Potatoes

2 doubled for -$.50 each, minus $16.50 in Cats from previous order, left me with $5.50 OOP and ANOTHER $16.50 in Cats.

My family couldn't possibly take any more sugary snacks so my final transaction I bought basics like eggs, bananas, milk, cheese, apples, carrots and a rotisserie chicken (my husband makes an awesome chicken soup). I did use 2 BOGO coupons for eggs and got free Darigold Singles Chocolate milk with one last doubler! I used the $16.50 in Cats to bring my OOP down to $17.54. Plus, I got a survey at the bottom of the receipt for $2 off my next purchase!

I think it was a great trip and really demonstrates how you can work the deals to help lower your costs overall on the staple items - that's really what it's all about for me.

How was your shopping this week?

Awesome Albertson's: The $1.26 trip

We got back last Saturday from a fabulous 2 week family vacation. No bargain shopping in Desolation Sound, Canada so I was having some serious shopping withdrawals. Luckily, Albertson's was having a fantastic promo that I was able to take advantage of on the last day (Tuesday). Buy $25 worth of select Kraft products and get a $5 ONYO plus a $20 mail-in rebate.

I got:

5 Easy Mac cups ($5)
4 Velveeta cups ($4)
6 Kraft Italian shredded cheese ($10)
1 Ritz Crackerfuls ($2.50)
1 A1 Steak sauce ($3)
2 Philly Cream Cheese ($3)
That was the Kraft purchase to qualify for the rebate and Catalina.

I also got:
1 Albertson's yogurt ($2.29)
1 Starbucks ice cream ($3.79)
1 Rice Krispies ($4.69)
Albertson's brand Quick Oats (it's fruit crumble season! $2.99)
Strawberries ($2.99)
Bananas ($1.46)


Coupons used:
2 BOGO Velveeta cups (-$2)
1 A1 (-$1)
6 Kraft cheese (tearpad) (-$3)
1 Ritz crackerfuls (-$1)
1 $1/2 Philly Cream cheese (-$1)
2 $.55/2 Easy mac cups (-$1.10)
Free Starbucks ice cream (Facebook)(-$3)
Free Rice Krispies (Vocalpoint) (-$4.69)
3 doublers (-$3)

Paid $27.26. I got the $5 ONYO plus another for $1 for buying the Velveeta cups and will send in the for $20 rebate. Total OOP: $1.26!!

How was your shopping this week?

Awesome Albertson's

I needed to get a few basics like milk and bananas so I decided to hit my Albertson's on my way home from work yesterday. I usually like to shop without my kids because I can't seem to keep them happy and keep all my coupons and scenarios organized at the same time. But since I was on my way home I worked it so I'd pick up 1 y.o. Emily, shop and then pick up 5 y.o. Michael. Something is up with Emily though, and she was cranky the whole trip. When we got out to the car, I figured it out - diaper blowout! It was a mess.

Needless to say, the trip was ok. The catalina machine was broken at the register and I didn't notice until the end when nothing had printed. In my baby-crying-induced-daze at the end, I realized the cashier only gave me $3 back for the catalinas, when it should have been $7. Because of the diaper situation, I just couldn't go back in.

So here's what I got:

2 boxes Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats $2.88 each
2 Dole Mandarin Oranges $1.25 each
12 Kraft BBQ Sauce $.50 each (M&M)
8 Mac N Cheese $.50 each (M&M)
1 box Ronzoni Penne $1.79
1/2 gal. organic skim milk $3.79
Bananas $2.02
Real Simple Magazine $4.99 (Going away next weekend so needed reading material but yikes - I didn't realize this was so pricey!)

Coupons used:
B1G1 Mini Wheats
2 B3G1 Mac N Cheese coupons
$.55 2 Dole Mandarin Oranges
$1/1 Ronzoni Smart Taste
$1 off Real Simple Magazine
$9 Catalinas ($6 tuna deal, $1 V8, $2 Mac N Cheese from last transaction, see earlier post)

-$3 Doubles

Total OOP: $11.49. As stated above, I should have received $5 in Catalinas for the BBQ sauce and $2 for the Mac N Cheese, which would have made my OOP $4.49. I probably should go back but sometimes it just seems like more of a hassle for $4. Plus, the store is on my way home from work but not close to get to from my house.

What do you think? Do you go back in a situation like this?

Awesome Albertson's

I been shopping a lot at Albertson's lately because there have been such screamin' deals, especially the Mix & Match Promo. Buy 10 participating items and get $5 off instantly. The best deal so far has been Starkist Tuna, which was on sale 2 weeks ago. Combining the Mix & Match, coupons, and Catalina for $1 on your next order for every 5 that you buy (until July 17 reportedly) I was getting tuna pouches for $.05 per pouch! Lots of good stuff to donate to my local food bank.

Needless to say, I was able to get a lot of super cheap groceries while this was going on. But the store ran out of tuna before I ran out of coupons so I got a raincheck. Yesterday, the store had some more of the tuna in stock so I was able to work the deal and use the Catalinas to bring my total down on the other items I needed. There was also a new promo on the tuna, get a free snack pack of chips for every 3 puches that you buy - so free chips!

Here's how it worked:

30 Tuna pouches $37.50
10 Snack Pack Chips $20

- $15 M&M promo
- $18 Chips promo (this is wrong, should have been $20 off)
- $15 Tuna coupons

Paid $9.50 and got $6 in Catalinas to use on my next order!



My next order was a few things that were on sale and some basics that I needed. With double coupons it turned out great! Kraft Mac n Cheese was on Mix & Match for $.50 and I had Buy 3 Get 1 Free coupons. V8 Fusion drinks are 2/$5, use 2 $1 coupons, doubled plus a $1 Catalina when you buy 2, makes these Free! I had coupons for the chilis, Cheerios (M&M), Grill Mates and Rubbermaid containers (not shown). Found coupons on the syrup for $.55 off. No coupons for the coffee (M&M), cheese, dill or bananas. Total was only $17.05 after all coupons (total savings of $40.54)!



The store found more tuna after I was done, so I did one more transaction and still have the $6 in Catalinas to use for the next trip! How did your shopping go this week?

Awesome Albertson's

Albertson's is having a great sale right now - buy 10 select products and receive $10 off OYNO. I can't find my camera (husband is #1 suspect!) so I'm sorry I don't have a photo of the goods. There is an extensive list of the products included and the coupon matchups on this Hot Coupon World thread.

I went Saturday and here's what I got:

10 cans Progresso soup $1.50 each
6 cans Pillsbury Grands biscuits $1.25 each
2 Betty Crocker Lemon Poppyseed muffin mix $2.00 each
2 boxes Cheerios $2.50 each
2 cupcake boxes $.74 each
4 Hershey's chocolate bars $.44 each

Coupons used:
2 $2/4 Progresso soup
2 $1/2 Progresso soup
2 $.75/3 Grands biscuits
1 $1/2 Cheerios
1 $1/2 Betty Crocker muffin mixes

Total OOP: $27.96 and I got $20 in OYNO coupons that, according to the above HCW thread, will roll for the next purchase of the same items. I need to find more computers to print more coupons before Tuesday so that I can go back for more!

Awesome Albertson's

As you probably know, Albertson's is doing double coupons this week through Tuesday so I just had to do some weekend shopping. I took advantage of some great deals! Here's what I got:

Transaction #1

2 Kashi frozen coconut chicken $3.50 each**

3 Coffee Mate creamer $3 for $5

1 Darigold sour cream $1.99

2 Beechnut Wheat cereal $.89 each

1 Albertson's brand coffee $3

1 whole young fryer chicken $4.50

2 packages Ballpark franks $1.99 each

2 packages Oscar Meyer hot dogs $1.99 each

Coupons used:

2 $1/1 Macaroni Grill (doubled)

2 $1/1 Coffee Mate creamer (doubled)

$.40/1 Darigold sour cream

Free Albertson's coffee

$2 off chicken

**The store manager and I searched everywhere for the Macaroni Grill dinners that were included in the $2 off chicken deal and they were nowhere to be found so he let me sub the Kashi dinners and still use my coupons!

Total OOP: $17.46

I found an extra ad in a cart in the parking lot - someone had ripped out the store coupons but left the doublers! So I moved on to another store and here was the next trip...

Transaction #2

3 Quaker Simple Harvest granola bars $2.50 each

2 Orville Redenbacher Kettlecorn $2.00 each

2 Wild Harvest Organic pinto beans $1.00 each

Coupons used:

2 $1/1 Simple Harvest (doubled)

2 $1/1 Orville R. popcorn (double)

2 $1/1 Wild Harvest organic

Total OOP: $2.50!!

The second store was claiming that they didn't have any extra doubler ads but I'm hoping I can find some before Tuesday. If not, then I may still try to find another computer to print out more Wild Harvest coupons and stock up on free organic beans!

Awesome Albertson's

Albertson's is doing it again! Albertson's is once again doing DOUBLE coupons this week. *Check your local ad to ensure that stores in your area are running this promo. With the ad coupons, you can double up to 4 coupons (max Value $1) per family, per shopping trip.

I read a lot of frugal blogs from those who live in areas where coupons are always doubled, so if you live in one of those areas it's hard to understand why we are so excited about this when it happens. Well, none of the grocery stores in the Seattle-area double coupons on a regular basis, so Albertson's doing this twice within a month is very rare indeed.

I was not planning on shopping this week since it's so early in the month, AND we have a huge stockpile of basics AND I need to stay on budget, but I don't know how I can pass up the doubles opportunity. Now I'm so excited to shop!

Here are some of the match-up sites that I have found:

The Thrifty Soaper

A Thrifty Mom

Fabulessly Frugal

Have you found other great deals? Leave a comment with any other great buys. Happy Doubling!

Awesome Albertson's

I had $18 ONYO coupons that were expiring today so I had to make an Albies run. Here's what I got:

3 packages Ball Park franks marked down to $2.99 each

8 cans Albertson's tomato sauce, 8 for $1 with ad coupon

1 package Tully's coffee $5.99 with in-store coupon

1 package Ocean Spray Craisins $2.69

1 bunch bananas $2.26 ($.88 per pound)

I didn't expect the bananas to be that much because when I weighed them on one of the produce department scales, it said they were only 1 pound. Oh well - I know a 4-year old who will be happy that we have bananas again!

Total OOP: $2.87

This leaves me $.47 under budget for the month. Now I just need Albertson's to run some more great Catalina deals next month!

Awesome Albertson's

Albertson's did it again! It was running a great spend $30 get $15 off your next order promo this week. I still had coupons from last weeks great diaper deal. Additionally, it was running a double coupon promo and had some essentials on sale so I decided to make a trip and wow! was it worth it. Here's what I got:

2 for $5

2 boxes Bisquick heart healthy

2 boxes Fiber One muffin mix

2 boxes Betty Crocker blueberry muffin mix

3 for $5

6 boxes Chicken/Tuna Helper

3 boxes Betty Crocker Scalloped/Au Gratin potatoes

The promo did not actually include the blueberry muffin mix shown but since the store was out of the promo item, my wonderful cashier let me get these instead. She rang the Bisquick twice to make sure my $15 in coupons for my next purchase generated.

I also got 10 Kashi Go Lean bars on sale 10 for $10. I had 5 $1/2 coupons for those and then got back an additional $3 off coupon for my next purchase.

I also got:

2 dozen Alb eggs $.99 each

1 32 oz. Cheddar cheese block $4.99

2 1lb Alb butter $.99 each

1 kids sleep pants $7.99

Coupons used:

2 $1/1 Bisquick

2 $1/1 Fiber One muffin mix

2 $1/1 Betty Crocker muffin mix

2 $.40/1 BC potatoes

Coupon double took off $3

plus 6 $5 off my next purchase coupons

Total oop: $13.57 and I got $18 ONYO coupons! Total coupon savings: $82.35!

I always thought that it was too much hassle, too much work to spend the time to coupon. After a trip like this, how could you not believe - it is totally worth it! The next question is - where I am I going to put all this stuff?