shopping again...

OK - I really had to restrain myself from taking pictures of my groceries this week...I know that my brother really enjoys those shots ;) Spent 21.50 and saved 98.14 this week. Bought 37 items....

12 boxes of cereal
6 boxes of granola bars
4 packages of go-gurt
1 cookie mix
1 muffin mix
5 packages of fruit ripple snacks
1 container of bread crumbs
1 box of taco shells
3 cans of enchilada sauce
1 bottle of flavored water
2 boxes of pizza rolls

I did the math and that means each item on the average cost me .58 to buy.

So here's the deal....It comes down to matching coupons with sale items. The website that totally helps me with this is Pinching Your Pennies. I use the state forum for Utah and each week they list the sales and coupons and rate the final price of the items. There also is other forums for the national drug stores like Walgreen's or Rite-Aid. You need to be willing to spend some time organizing your coupons and sending in for rebates...but for me it has totally been worth it. I subscribe to two Sunday only papers for two sets of coupon inserts and my neighbor brings me theirs because they don't use them. You also need to be a little flexible on the brands that you use and be willing to use multiple brands but it really hasn't been too much of a problem for us. I shop at Costco for milk, butter, cheese, bread and meats on a regular basis unless I find cheaper sale prices for those items. I routinely buy toiletries for really cheap or free.

So, there you have it in a nutshell. My grocery shopping secrets for all to see ;)