Kroger and Walgreens Trip

I try not to make too many “special” couponing trips unless I am able to go to multiple stores. Sunday night I had my sister convince me it was acceptable to take our 13 mpg Tundra to Defiance to go shopping. Figuring I spent about 6.00 on gas to get there and back, I think my trip justifies the gas expenditure.  If you don't agree, please don't tell me.  Let me live in my own little world of justification.  Thanks.

I had multiple free item coupons that I had gotten in the mail, and they were all expiring on the 17th (which is why I chose Sunday evening to go!). I don’t know how or why I received these coupons, as I just have the typical shopper’s card.

My free items included:

• 7 up two liter
• 16 oz Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
• Loaf of Private Selection bread (multigrain fancy kind)
• Nabisco Wheat Thins
• Dole Bagged Salad
• One dozen eggs
• One pound mini carrots
• Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa

I also wanted to get some asparagus, which was on sale for 1.88/lb. Of course this was gone, but I did get a rain check. I picked up a few other stockpiling items and ended up spending 6.16. My savings rate after coupons and the free item coupons was 84%!

Walgreens came next. Even though I love to coupon, I will NOT give up Diet Pepsi. I try to buy it when it is on sale, but if I need it, I will pay full price. One of my vices…not too concerned. Walgreens has a special this week, through Saturday, on select Pepsi purchases. WYB 20.00, you receive a 10.00 RR, which right off the bat gives you 50% off. Register Rewards (RR) are like cash, but can only be used at Walgreens.

I love it when people say “But I will never go back to use my RR”. Boo hoo. Don’t believe it. As you are shopping for your Pepsi items, fill your cart with 10.00 worth of other items that you could use for your stockpile, bathroom or pantry. Ideally, these would be items on sale, at great prices. Check out the flyer.  Check out with your Pepsi items, pay 20.00 or so, receive the RR, and then check out again and use your 10.00 RR to pay for the other items. If you know you won’t go back to use them, use them right away!

Remember, you cannot use your 10 Pepsi RR to buy more Pepsi products. It will not roll to give you the second set.

Here is how I did my Pepsi transaction.

5 Diet Pepsi 12 packs at 3/15.00 (not an awful price by itself)
Tostitos Scoops 2.50
Tostitos Queso Dip 2.50
Total: 20.00

Used:
1.00 Tostitos coupon
7 RR (already had these)
Paid 12.98 OOP
Got 10 RR back!