Mostly living off the stockpile...

I've been up in Maine for my research for the last week, and except for a trip home from June 16-22, this is where I'll be through August. I brought up a lot of food with me. Ryan is still in NJ with the kitties, tending to the garden. I hear the strawberries are coming in like crazy...he is freezing them so I can eat them later. Not a whole lot of shopping going on:

I made one trip to Acme the morning before I left: 5 cans of shaving cream and one package of tortillas for $1.46 total.

On my long drive up (ugh, Memorial Day traffic made it 10 hours total!) I needed a pick-me-up, so I splurged on an iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts: $2.48.

And during the past week Ryan went to Acme and bought milk and 8 pounds of split chicken breasts for a total of $10.02.

Total spent: $996.25
Pending rebates: $66.82
Rebates received: $132.52
Flea market profits: $346.00
Remaining on Shoprite GC: $31.28
"So it's really like": $419.63 spent

Wegmans, Produce Junction, Acme, Walgreens, CVS, Shoprite

This is the last of my shopping before I am off to Maine for the summer.

Wegmans:
This was done in two transactions so I can submit for two different rebates. The salmon transaction ($17.95 oop) has been submitted for the $10 Bud Light Lime Summer Grilling rebate. The ground beef transaction ($39.69) is going toward the $15/50 meat and salty snack rebate from Coors.

Produce Junction:
All these yummy fruits and veggies for only $8.75. Soon the garden will be providing all of Ryan's produce, though I'll have to find somewhere to get some at reasonable prices in Maine.


Acme:
Total oop: $0.70! I got $0.50 overage on one of the Tabasco sauces. The wraps were cheap after coupon and everything else was free after coupon.

Walgreens:
Used a free item Q for the cough drops. Paid with Wags GC, so no oop.


CVS:
Burned the rest of the ECBs on my card. I'll need the bug spray in Maine. oop: $0.10

Shoprite:
First transaction: bought a $50 Shoprite GC. Will submit the receipt for $20/$50 GC Heineken rebate. Free money!

Second transaction:
Total: $18.72 off Shoprite GC.

I received a $5 rebate check in the mail for the Heineken St. Patty's day rebate.

Oh, and got billed for newspaper deliver: $16.49


Total spent: $982.29
Pending rebates: $66.82
Rebates received: $132.52
Flea market profits: $346.00
Remaining on Shoprite GC: $31.28
"So it's really like": $405.67 spent

Flea Market Recap, Superfresh, Shoprite, Target, Pathmark

Whew! The wheeling and dealing has been in full force for the last two days.

I made $346 at the flea market. I still have 1.5 bins of stuff left... if I'd sold most of that I would've hit my $400 goal, but most of that (whatever doesn't expire) I can just try to sell again in the fall. There seemed to be less foot traffic overall than last fall, which might be due to the overcast weather or more competing flea markets/yard sales in the spring. At any rate, that's $346 back into the budget!


Superfresh:This was done in 4 transactions so I could roll my Unilever and Lysol CATs. I am too lazy to type out the details, but I turned a profit on the CAT deals, making all the snacks and meat super cheap.
Total oop: $12.06!


Shoprite:
I used free item MQ's for the Dr. Pepper, Wheat Thins, hot sauces, and toilet papers.
Total: $18.52


Target:
Not in the budget, but all 4 Lethal Weapon movies for $10: Ryan was happy. I spent my $5 Target GC that was earned buying kitty litter earlier this year. Excluding the movies,
Total oop = $9.71


Pathmark:
12 lbs of ground turkey! It was $1.77/lb, so we'll be stocked for a while.
Total oop: $31.13

Lastly, I received a $5.99 rebate check in the mail for Escencia shampoo.


Total spent: $848.61
Pending rebates: $28.14
Rebates received: $127.52
Flea market profits: $346.00
"So it's really like": $346.95 spent

Flea Market Preview

I'm very excited...the town flea market is tomorrow! Hopefully it won't rain (current forecast is 30% chance). Last fall I made $300 at the flea market. For this go-around, I have a little bit more stuff and I priced things that were hot sellers a little higher.

The loot (cats not for sale):

I've been accumulating this stuff since last October (I tossed the few items that had expired). The top bin is $0.50 items. The second-from-top bin and the box to the left of it are $1. The middle bin and box are $1.50. The two bottom bins and bottom box are $2. Toward the end of the day I will probably add to the signs, "$1 each or 6/$5, $1.50 each or 4/$5, and $2 each or 3/$5." I did the quantity discounts all day last time and they were really popular, but I think they cost me a lot of profit last year. Waiting a few hours will help me get top dollar for the in-demand items.

I am aiming for $400...of course I'll let you know how it goes.

Superfresh Super Doubles, Shoprite

I have to admit that this blog is getting seriously neglected. Updating promptly just isn't in my heart anymore. I will continue anyway, if only to complete my one year experiment in food frugality, but don't rely on me to get advance notice for hot deals.

I am back in Jersey for a week and a half longer.

I was at a wedding over the weekend. Sunday morning checkout time at the hotel was 11am but I only needed to be at the ceremony at noon, so we killed some time in the lobby. Awaiting me there? Two Sunday papers out for the guests to enjoy! I helped myself to the inserts since I'm sure they would just have been tossed at the end of the day. Score!

Superfresh (last week): "Super Doubles" with up to 5 $1 MQs doubled per transaction
This was done over 2 transactions to comply with the 5 super double rule. No overage since the cashier adjusted down to the price of each item. Combined totals:
10 Texas Toast croutons, $0.99 each, minus 5 $1/2 MQ doubled = FREE
Capri Sun Sunrise, $2.00 minus $1 MQ doubled = FREE
Quaker Tortillaz, $1.25 minus $1 MQ doubled = FREE
Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta, $1.99 minus $1 MQ doubled = FREE
Ken's Marinade, $2 minus $1 MQ doubled = FREE
2 Kraft BBQ sauce, $1.19 each minus $1/2 doubled = $0.38
Kikkoman soy sauce, $1.49 minus $0.55 hangtag MQ fully doubled = $0.39
1 ear corn (filler) = $0.20
Total = $1.00

Yes, all of that for $1 total, which is the sale price of one bag of croutons! This was a great opportunity for me since our garden greens are now big enough for salads; we'll have enough croutons for an entire season of fresh salad! We were also out of soy sauce and almost out of BBQ sauce, too. I hope super doubles will take place again; this was the first time I saw them at Superfresh since I started couponing.


Shoprite (3 weeks ago?)
3 Duncan Hines brownie mix, $0.88 each minus $1/3 MQ = $1.64
Shoprite grape jelly = $0.99
Thomas' English muffin two pack = $1.99
2.75 lbs Italian sausage at $1.49/lb = $4.10
Frank's Red Hot Sauce, $1.19, used free item MQ = FREE
Marcal toilet paper, $0.99, used free item MQ = FREE
$0.05 bag refund
Total: $8.86

And over the course of the past 3 weeks, $30 in rebate checks arrived in the mail (two from Bud and one from Stella Artois).

Total spent: $777.19
Remaining on Target GC: $5.00
Pending rebates: $34.13
Rebates received: $121.53
"So it's really like": $616.53 spent

Week-old shops

Hi everyone, I'm still alive, but just not in my normal routine. I've been up in Maine for my research since Monday, and will be staying until this coming Tuesday. I brought up all of my food from Jersey, which meant a lot of shopping right before I left and no shopping this week (except two Acme transactions Ryan did totaling $0.28). Until now I've been too busy/worn out to get caught up:

Walgreens:
Note the three monitors, but only two RR's >:( I only wanted to get one monitor at each store, which meant that in addition to my two regular stores I had to go to the Death Star Store. Of course no Catalina came out, so I asked if the machine was on and the cashier told me that I didn't get anything because I used a coupon. Lady, you gave me the same BS last time I was in the store (for the Skippy peanut butter/Ragu deal). Didn't you learn last time when the manager rang me up at a different register that the coupons don't affect the RR? Argh. I just gave up and moved to the next store instead of getting the manager to re-ring me this time. I know I should have more of a backbone, but I have a low tolerance for incompetence.

In separate transactions:
2 Bayer monitors, $14.99 minus $30 off MQ = FREE, earned $5 RR for each
No oop.

Later, at my good stores:
Transaction #1:
2 Tasters Choice instant coffee quick packs = $2.00
Glad plastic wrap = $3.39
$0.24 tax
Used one $5 RR
Total = $0.63 off GC

Transaction #2:
Nivea body wash, $4.99 minus $1 MQ = $3.99
Gatorade 32 oz = $1.00
Wylers lemonade quick packs = $1.00
$0.42 tax
Used one $5 RR
Total: $1.41 cash, earned $5 RR for Nivea

Transaction #3:
Nivea body wash, $4.99 minus $1 MQ = $3.99
Diet Pepsi 2L = $1.34
$0.45 tax
Used $5 RR
Total: $0.78 off GC, earned $5 RR for Nivea


Shoprite:
I forgot to bring this receipt with me! I will have to enter the details and total later.


Acme:
Bounty paper towel single roll, $1.00 minus $1 MQ = FREE
Diet Sierra Mist Ruby Splash, $1.25 minus free item CAT = FREE
$0.09 tax = $0.09 total

Wish I had more Bounty Q's! The one I had was from a home mailer from last fall or winter.

Transaction #2 and #3 (identical, not pictured):
Ryan was a saint and did these for me since I was up in Maine by the time the coupons I ordered off Ebay arrived. He called me from the store to ask for what a good cheap filler would be. I suggested that some people like to get a single banana or apple.

6 Viva paper towel single rolls, $1.99 each minus $0.60 MQ fully doubled = $4.74
1 ear corn on the cob = $0.40
Used $5 Kimberly Clark CAT
Total: $0.14 each transaction = $0.28 total


Produce Junction, not pictured:
2 Celery hearts = $1.00
5 lbs bananas = $2.00
6 apples = $1.00
3 lbs onions = $1.50
2 lbs broccoli = $2.00
Lots of green peppers = $2.00
2 large heads escarole = $3.00
Total: $12.50

Total spent: $767.23 (plus Shoprite receipt still at home)
Remaining on Target GC: $5.00
Pending rebates: $64.13
Rebates received: $91.53
"So it's really like": $606.57 spent (plus Shoprite receipt still at home)