What does $40 buy?

I went shopping today with my money-maker coupons. (KY) For each one I get about $1 in overage to spend on groceries. I try to use this overage mostly on items I don't have coupons for, so meat is the item I tend to stock up on with these.

I had $40 in coupon overage to use, so I got just about $40 worth of groceries. I used no other coupons save for one $.50 coupon that was on the package of chicken. I have to say, I was amazed at how little $4o buys when you are not using coupons or at least shopping only the sales items. Though some of this meat was priced competitively, I could have gotten it somewhere else for less if I shopped the sales. However, since it would be essentially free here, I was willing to "spend" more per pound. I ended up with 18.55 lbs of meat including a beef roast, thin sliced pork chops, sausage, hot dogs, chicken breasts, and one whole chicken. I also got 2.5 lbs of cheese and 18 cans of cat food. Since this store charges 5% surcharge on everything, I ended up paying $3.37. (The overage actually took off some of the surcharge too- it was $5.90)

In light of how little I got with my "free" $40, I can't imagine how high my food bill would be if I just shopped "normally".

Found some great deals!

I went in search of a couple of deals today and found some extra deals along the way. I hit the commissary to look for coupons and get some crackers. They have cheese-nips for $1, Wheat thins for $1.99, and Ritz for $2. They also have displays with booklets in them with coupons for $1/2 Nabisco crackers and $1/2 Ritz. I had a few tearpad coupons I had found before New years that were for $2 off Ritz too which made them free. My dad had wanted some wheat thins, so I got him 2 of those with the $1/2 coupon for $1.49 each and the cheese-nips for $.50 each.

Then I found this awesome coupon on the shelf in front of the Kool-aid and Country-time canisters.

It is $3 off 2 Kraft beverage products (excluding single kool-aid packets) and 1 Kraft food product. I grabbed one, but the canisters were all $2-$3 and up. I walked down the aisle to check capri-sun and found the kool-aid bottles were $1. So I grabbed 2 of those and went off to look for a kraft food product. The mac and cheese was $.99 and the stove top was $1. So I got all three for free! I went back and grabbed more coupons and loaded up my cart with 20 kool-aid packs and 10 food items and checked out again paying $.35 for them all! I have more coupons, so I will go back this weekend and do it again.

Then I went to Walgreens for the boost deal. I got 4 for $5 after my coupons and RR from last week and got $5 back. I picked up some Christmas m&m's for $.23 each and found half gallons of milk for $.50 each! It was a pretty good deal hunting day.