Budget Shopping

Shopping Bargains

Over the last few years i have gotten better at the art of Bargain Shopping!

Today I Felt good about my purchases. I try to save coupons to where i shop - i wish i was better at always remembering the grocery coupons but over all usually do fairly well on no-name items.

I found that Safeway over the past few months has gotten very aggressive to maintain their customer business. I had pretty much moved over to WinCo for my purchases and Safeway for last min items like milk and bread. I now have found Safeway has weekend deals and if i clip away at their flyer i do really well and have mostly been spending about $50 per wk for groceries and maxing out the coupons - like buy 4 or more cereal's for $1 each or Scott's no-name soda for $.75 a bottle. Last wknd i bought Pizza for $2.99 each, my favorite Breyer's Ice Cream for $1.99 ea - so bought many to hold us for a while - usually this is on sale for $3.59 or average $4.59. I try to be a loss leader shopper in buying only what is on sale or needed. I already have checked this wknd's flyer and found Laundry soap of a named brand will be $2.99 and at Big Lots or WinCo i pay $4.99. Eggs are usually a good deal and we go through a lot of these. For ages i was buying milk at $1.99 a gallon but now i have noticed there has been an across the board increase to about $2.39. Tonight will take some of my deals and make a nice quiche for dinner - which will be healthy and cheap!

So today - i started after dropping the kids off - going to Petco. We just switched to shopping there and Odessa is very sensitive to what she eats. I had a coupon for $4 off the 16 lb bag of the only food she can now eat. So i was first in the store today and got my bag, well the women was so nice she gave me back the coupon so i can use it again! So will be back next week to get another bag - since it was already on sale - so really got about $7 off the bag.

I then headed over to Michael's to get stuff for the Chinese NY event and Winston's birthday - so had coupons in hand with 40% and was able to use these for what i needed.

Then i headed to Target for a baby shower gift and found a gift marked down 50% to $4.99 and got two more small items off the registered list so make it a nice but not expensive for us.

After this i headed to Southcenter mall and went to Godiva chocolates - Yes - my favorite which i rarely buy. But now since Oct have joined their club and get one truffle a month - oh you must try the Passion Fruit Truffle. So i got my free one and since Scott had got me some at Christmas as a surprise he got a $10 gift card. So i decided to pick my chocolates instead of a pre-made box which often has items i really don't like. The 8 pieces cost $16 - with my $10 off - it came to $6.17 - then i got another gift of 2 chocolates - so 11 chocolates of very high quality at this price is very good. I put these in the garage fridge - for Scott and the kids to give me for valentines day. So keeping the presents at a very affordable amount :-)

This week I could use my 20% off coupon. I had a present to buy for Winston and some other odds and ends to get.

Of course Big Lots already usually has great deals and with 20% more it really is nice. I found some wrapping paper - it was Christmas but was Nascar cars on it and Winston would not know at 75% with my additional 20% it cost me $.40 for the roll which was originally $2. I got 6 rolls of Blue Painters tape for the CNY event at $1.60 per roll. Of course i get food and party supplies as well.

Last week at Michael's i got a kids craft box to make buttons to wear - 8 Buttons which was originally $7, i got for $1.99 and i had 25% it came to $1.10 total - great for a rainy day project.

With Michael's these day - with each purchase you get another coupon - this weeks purchases will equal 50% off next week better than the usual 40% off. So if you have the patience - give it a try - i usually stash my coupons in my visor so that i have them at hand when needed. I do this with Bed Bath and Beyond since even though they have an expiration date - i can use them any time and do. I am not a junkie - these go and search sites, live and breath it - but it has definitely save us a ton and allowed us to do more with our $$$

Lavonne 1-27-2010