"Surely You Can't Be Serious"

"I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." Seriously, I've been challenged...to only spend $50 in one week at the grocery and drug stores that we teach about and where we shop. We don't include Aldi, Walmart, Staples or Office Depot in our coupon classes, but I am going to add those stores to my challenge as well as dining out.

Since I have been using coupons and stockpiling for a while, I have enough food for several weeks worth of meals. The food that I am buying now at the grocery store will be for meals to be prepared later. FYI...there are 2 adults, 2 children (ages 5 & 6) and a dog in the Pinch house. Sleeping Beauty and I typically shop the drug stores on Sunday and the grocery stores on Wednesday or Thursday.

I am starting with $50 cash, $2 RR from Walgreens, $1 +UP from Rite Aid and zero ECB from CVS.

The first stop Sunday was Walgreens. I did two transactions and bought the following:


4 Pilot G2 pens
2 Sunday newspapers
2 Pencil boxes
2 Eraser packs
1 Colgate toothpaste

I spent $5.50 RR and $2.16 in cash. (I already had $2 RR and received $3.50 RR in the first transaction and spent it in the 2nd transaction.)

Shelf Price and Tax: $14.66
Coupons Used: $7
RR Spent: $5.50
Cash Spent: $2.16
Rewards Received: 0
Rebates To Be Mailed: 0

Sleeping Beauty and I left Walgreens and went across the street to Rite Aid. I don't want to steal Sleeping Beauty's thunder about her trip to Rite Aid, but it was a shopping experience that will go down in the history books! If I remember correctly, people were applauding!! Okay, maybe I was the only one applauding, but the cashier and manager were impressed. (She will brag later!)

I did one transaction at Rite Aid and bought the following:


3 Clorox wipes
2 Chex Mix
1 Pantene hair gel
1 Motrin PM
1 Zegerid (heartburn OTC which will be used in the Pinch household)

I spent the $1 +UP and $4.21 in cash.

Shelf Price and Tax: $29.91
Coupons Used: $24.70
+UP Spent: $1
Cash Spent: $4.21
Rewards Received: $11 +UP ($2, $2, $7)
Rebates To Be Mailed: $10

Then Sleeping Beauty and I left Rite Aid, drove through the Walgreens parking lot and went across the other street to CVS.

I did one transaction at CVS and bought the following:


2 Sunkist 12-pack
1 7-Up 12-pack
1 Renpure Organics shampoo
1 Renpure Organics conditioner
1 CVS hand sanitizing spray pen

I spent $14.22 in cash.

Shelf Price and Tax: $20.21
Coupons Used: $5.99
ECB Spent: 0
Cash Spent: $14.22
Rewards Received: $3 ECB
Rebates To Be Mailed: $6.99

I probably will not be making any more trips to the drug stores this week. I am bummed that my source was wrong about triples this week at Harris Teeter. I have $29.41 to spend at the grocery store. With my coupons, I should be able to get a fair amount of food. Wish me luck!

Also, we don't plan to eat out this week. Every meal will be eaten at home. And we do eat meat, fresh vegetables and produce. (Some people assume since I use coupons that we only eat boxed, frozen or processed foods.)

Sunday's Totals -
Shelf Price and Tax: $64.78
Coupons Used: $37.69
Rewards Spent: $6.50
Cash Spent: $20.59

Cash Left To Spend This Week: $29.41 (from my $50 challenge)
Rewards: $11 +UP (Rite Aid); $3 ECB (CVS)
Rebates To Be Mailed: $16.99 ($10 Zegerid; $6.99 Renpure)

In case you haven't noticed already, the Rewards and Rebates equal $30.99, which is more than I spent on Sunday.

"Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-That's all, folks!"...until the next shopping trip.

**Pinch**