My Grocery Deals

It's been a long time since I took pictures of groceries, but since I just taught a coupon class and am really trying to get back into the coupons like I used to (sadly, I have been slacking the last couple months and my coupons were in a huge mess until just one week ago) I decided I needed to remind myself just how great this is.  Hopefully someone will see my list and picture and it will motivate them to try it.  Smith's had the sale I've been waiting for, so this was a great place to start. I definitely walked out of there with my coupon "high".

Here's a list of what I got and what I paid after sale price and coupons:

• 14 boxes of Kleenex (between .20 and .56 a box depending on the coupon and after the $2 catalinas printed)
• 8 bottles of shaving gel (.94)
• All laundry detergent (2.49)
• 33 cans Hunts tomato sauce (.34-.54 per can depending on the coupon)
• 4 cans Hunts tomato paste (.16 per can--and these were the big cans)
• 14 cans Hormel Chili (.17 per can)
• 4 French's Honey Mustard dipping sauces (.75)
• 4 bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (no coupons but still a great price--1.99)
• 4 40 oz. bottles Heinz ketchup (again, no coupons but still a great price--1.79)
• 2 each Cocoa Pebbles/Fruity Pebbles (1.44 for family size box)
• 4 Grape Nuts Flakes (.99)
• 6 Uncle Ben's Long Grain & wild rice (.67)
• 6 Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (.38)
• 8 Kraft Singles (1.71)
• 3 DiGiorno pizzas (3.49)
• 2 Kraft Deluxe Mac & cheese (1.49)
• 2 Miracle Whip (no coupons and not a great price but I am out--2.79)
• 12 boxes Ritz Crackers (1.32)
• 2 boxes of Cheez-its (1.99--not a great price but Colby pulled a sad face when I told him no so I caved)
• 9 Balance Bars (.16)
• 4 Kroger syrup (1.49--no coupons but I am out again and love this syrup)
• 2 bags Garden of Eatin chips (1.09--never had them before but I'm giving them a try)

All said and done, I spent $125 , I still have $2  in the form of a Catalina to spend the next time I go to Smith's, and I rolled out of there with TWO SHOPPING CARTS.  It was an awesome sale!  Unfortunately I didn't have any more coupons for hunt's tomato sauce, so I'm going to have to do some scrounging around and go back.  There were other things I wanted to get but my cart was heaped and stuff was falling out so I decided to call it a day. 

By the way, did I mention that I received rewards points based on the regular prices?  I'm up to 450 points already this quarter.  Another 50 points and it's off to the gas station we will go with both cars to save another $17.50 on gas.

For anyone contemplating using coupons, I don't know why you're waiting...

Going Bananas

Quite awhile ago, I saw a really fabulous idea online for a snack using bananas.  They seemed healthy and yummy and I knew I would love them.  I have been waiting and waiting for bananas to get really cheap so I could go buy a "bunch" (haha) and try it.  So when Winco put them on sale for 18 cents a pound I knew my time had come!  I headed to Walmart and price matched them...and I ended up with 27 pounds of bananas.  Here's the picture to prove it:

Now it's time to use these bananas up before they all go yucky.  One important thing to know about bananas (and the reason I will probably go get more before the sale ends) is that you can mash them and freeze them and they are GREAT for adding to recipes like banana bread and muffins.  Yes, they turn dark brown...but if you're putting them in something you will never even know.  I will be mashing these in batches of 3 and 6 (based on the recipes I will use them in) and freezing them.  But, before I do that I'm going to enjoy as many as I can right now!
As for the great idea I wanted to try... they turned out great and I highly recommend them.  While they would have been fun to have during the summer, when you're waiting for bananas to go on sale, you take them when you can get them...


BANANA PUDDING POPS

While I love bananas dipped in chocolate, these seemed like a more healthy alternative.  There is no real recipe, so just have fun and experiment!

First, you want to use bananas that aren't overripe at all.  The ones I peeled were almost a titch green.  Peel them, cut them in half and stick a craft stick into each half.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the bananas out so they aren't touching each other and place the pan in the freezer for a few hours (until they're completely frozen.)

While the bananas are freezing, decide on some toppings you would like.  I crushed up a bunch of different things including peanuts, graham crackers, white chocolate chips, and toffee bar.  You could use just about anything.  Crush or chop the toppings as fine as you can and put them in pie plates or shallow bowls.  (You may be tempted to not use toppings, but the toppings help hold the pudding in place so they are a good idea.) You will need more toppings than you think--they went fast and so did the pudding!  Some other toppings I thought about using were Oreo cookies, mini Reese's pieces, mini chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or vanilla wafers.  Some crunched up cereal might be good, too.

Make your pudding according to directions on the package less 1/4 cup of milk (for the pudding directions).  I used devil's food for one batch, chocolate fudge for one batch, and chocolate mint chip for the last batch.  One of my boxes of pudding was not Jell-o brand, and it didn't work out as well (the pudding went lumpy and it wasn't sweet enough) so I would probably stick with Jell-o brand next time. Beat the pudding with a whisk until it starts to set up, then you need to start dipping bananas before it completely thickens up.

Put the banana down in the pudding and spoon pudding until the banana is covered.  Then dip the banana in your topping.  DO NOT ROLL THE BANANA or you will just scrape all the pudding off into your topping.  Dip it, then turn it and dip it again and so on until the banana is covered.  The bananas I dipped in the chocolate mint chip didn't get a topping because I had run out (and there were chunks of mint chips in the pudding anyway). I let that pudding set up a little more before dipping them and they seemed to cover and freeze well.

Place the dipped bananas back on the baking sheet and when the pan is full put it back in the freezer.  When the bananas are completely frozen, cover them in plastic wrap (or plain sandwich baggies would work good too) and they can all be tossed in a freezer bag.
For the record, the white chocolate ones are my favorite, but the graham cracker ones run a close second.  The salt of the peanuts was a little much so I will probably use unsalted nuts next time. These were really yummy and make GOOD after school treats!  I still have bananas AND more pudding so I think I'm going to go make some using Cookies & Creme pudding...YUM!

Eat From the Pantry Month

A couple of months ago I noticed that a lot of people whose blogs are dedicated to food storage and coupon shopping were having an "Eat from the Pantry Month", and apparently they do this for one month every year.  I didn't participate then, but have decided that this is the month for me!  There are a couple of reasons to do this...

1. I really have a LOT of food in my food storage...probably way more than my year's worth that I was shooting for.  In some cases, more than I need and things are starting to get shoved to the back and forgotten about.
2. We are trying to finish the basement and the more food I put down there the more crowded it's getting and the more stuff we have to shift around when we work.
3. I would like to take a month off of grocery shopping and concentrate on other things (like finishing the basement, for example...)
4. I'd like to try my hand at living off what I have bought already so that I can see what areas I might be lacking in.  Six months ago I didn't have any seasonings or spices in my storage.  If I had to eat for a year with no salt...well...that would just be horrible.

So...I am declaring April to be out "Eat From the Pantry" month!  I made a menu for the month, and from there I made a "shopping list" and went shopping in the basement for everything I need to make all the meals for the month.  Now my pantry is full and all I am going to shop for this month is perishables...milk, produce and bread items.  I actually may hit the case lot sale only to buy some cans of powdered milk (they have my favorite brand on sale at Macey's this month) just because I don't have hardly any of that in my storage.
Surprisingly, I really DID have almost everything I needed for the month except some produce. And I learned a few things about what I don't have stored that I need to get...(like soy sauce).
Another GREAT thing about doing this is that it is going to free up my grocery money for the month for other things.  Considering we're almost ready for carpet, I think I know where that money will go...

I Love Grocery Shopping...is that so wrong?

So, after being away from the computer for the weekend, I am late posting my grocery deals from last week but I decided if I want to keep up I better get it on here before I go shopping again...There were awesome deals to be had and I couldn't miss out...so off I went to Walmart to price match.  Here's what I got and what I paid:

• 34 Yoplait Yogurts (.21)
• 4 Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta (FREE)
• 1 Uncle Ben's Rice (1.08)
• 2 Apple Jacks (.75)
• 2 Frosted Flakes (.75)
• 6 loaves Grandma Sycamore bread (1.18)
• 4 Ore Ida hash browns (FREE)
• 2 Ore Ida french fries (.48)
• 2 lb. mini carrots (2.00)
• 5 Yoplait Smoothies (.50)
• 7 boxes of Pop Tarts (.98)
• 2 2-lb. blocks Tillamook cheese (3.98)
• 2 Honeycombs (1.50)
• 2 bottles of applesauce (1.46)
• 4 Raisin Bran Crunch (1.24)
• fuji apples (.79/lb)
• 10 lb. bag of potatoes (.99)
• bananas (.38/lb)

I got some other odds and ends that I needed that weren't really deals, but necessary.  As I left the store with a cart COMPLETELY loaded to the top with stuff I was reminded of the days of shopping at Walmart before coupons...when that whole cartload would easily top $200...and the saddest part is that I wasn't done shopping (I would also hit Harmons and Costco) and by the end of the month there would be absolutely NOTHING left over. I absolutely HATED grocery shopping in those days.   And I cringe when I think about how much money I wasted for all those years. Now I love grocery shopping and getting these good deals is very addicting.  And not only am I getting great deals, I have really put together a nice food storage for us.  This trip cost me $62.64 and I saved $104.73 over regular prices.  FUN!

Saturday Savings...an AWESOME week!

Believe it or not, even though I am addicted to coupons and grocery shopping, I have not been shopping for the last couple of weeks...and it turns out that is a good thing because I spent a lot this week.  My freezer is actually looking a little bare these days...not to mention a couple of spots on the shelf in the food storage room...so when Smith's had a great sale, I decided it was time to make a list...(I actually hit Harmons too, but only for a few things.)  Here's what I got and what I paid:

• 3 Bumblebee tuna pouches (-6 cents--gotta love a money maker!)
• 14 pkgs. of pasta (.49)
• 6 dozen eggs (.63)
• 5 bottles Sunny D (.54)
• 2 loaves of bread (1.25)
• 15 lbs. of chicken breasts (1.99/lb.)
• 5 boxes Pasta Roni (.55)
• 5 boxes Rice a Roni (.55)
• 6 lbs. butter (1.66)
• 64 bottles of Powerade (.25)
• 2 boxes of Pop Tarts (1.49)
• 6 boxes of cereal (1.66)
• 2 boxes of Mini Wheats (.99)
• 2 cans of Pam (1.99)
• 5 Mott's Apple juice (.99)
• 4 bottles of Classico pasta sauce (.99 plus 1.50 off meat)
• 2 bottles of Ken's Salad Dressing (.49)
• 1 bottle of A-1 (1.99 plus $1 off meat)
• 4 packs of Sargento cheese slices (1.69)
• 10 3-packs of Irish Spring (.75)
• 1 bottle of Herbal Essence shampoo (FREE)
• 1 Softsoap body wash (1.00)
• 2 bottles of Softsoap refill (2.00)
• 4 DiGiorno Pizzas (2.97)
• 2 bags of Fritos (1.16)
• 1 Fritos dip (-1.33...another great money maker!)
• 6 packages of Chips Ahoy cookies (1.29)
• 5 boxes of Ritz Munchables (.79)
• 10 lbs. chuck roast (1.99/lb. but I got $4 off the meat with coupons)
• 2 gallons of milk (1.00)

Not everything I bought is in the picture...partly because it wouldn't all fit on my table and because I hustled some of it into the fridge or freezer.  All together I spent $166.78 and saved $233.26 with coupons and the special Smith's promo over regular Walmart prices.  Now I am hoping for another week off next week!  It would be great if all I spent on groceries for the entire month was $167...

Saturday Savings...on Tuesday

So...I was going to start posting my grocery savings on Saturdays regardless of the day I shopped, but this last week that didn't work out so well...so here I am on Tuesday with LAST week's grocery trip.  It was a good one, although a bunch of the stuff I bought was more expensive (but very necessary--does it GET more necessary than toilet paper?!)  So after a trip to Smith's and to Walmart, here's what I got:

• 3 applesauce 48 oz. (1.46)
• 3 gallons of milk (1.66)
• 4 24 oz. Daisy sour cream (only the best sour cream on the planet...) (.99)
• 6 boxes General Mills cereal (.50)
• 5 boxes Hefty trash bags--80 ct. (3.95)
• 4 Angel Soft toilet paper (3.99)
• 1 bag Dole salad (1.00)
• 2 lb. bag of carrots (.99)
• 4 lbs. broccoli (.50/lb.)
• baking potatoes (.29/lb)
• 3 32 oz. Gatorade (.19)
• 1 28 oz. peanut butter (1.44)
• 2 Reynold's Wrap parchment paper (1.69)
• 4 Reynold's Wrap foil 75 ft. (1.44)
• 11 cans Chef Boyardee (.45)
• 15 cans Campbell's Chunky soup (.50)
• 1 box Chocolate Cheerios (.74)
• 2 64 oz. Ocean Spray grapefruit juice (.98)
• 2 bags Totino's pizza rolls (1.94)
• Sprinkles and Valentines for Savannah (9.14--sheesh!)

Altogether, I spent $92.96 and saved $113.27...All those trash bags and toilet paper really sent me over budget but they were a STEAL ($9.87 regular price at Walmart--so I got them for less than half) and paper products are one of those important things that never go bad and you can't have too much of them...especially toilet paper...

One More Time...

I didn't break my promise.... I stayed out of the store for the rest of last week.  But since today is a brand new week, obviously all bets are off.  I am planning on this being my one and only trip to the grocery store this week (although I'm not making any promises...) but I really had to take advantage of Smith's great sale one last time. I didn't realize last week that the Hunt's tomato sauce was included in the sale, and I am a Hunt's tomato sauce snob--no other brand will do...so I really needed it.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Other than that,  I didn't get a lot, but I sure got a lot for the small amount of money I spent:

• 3 boxes of Raisin Bran (one FREE, the others were 1.49)
• 6 cans Hormel chilimaster (.29)
• 30 cans Hunts Tomato sauce (.16 for 6 cans, .49 for the rest)
• 2 bottles Frank's Red Hot Sauce (.69)
• 20 (more) bottles La Victoria salsa (FREE + .50 per bottle)
• 9 Sobe Lifewater (FREE...plus they got the 2 new flavors in...could I actually skip that?)
• 2 Philadelphia cream cheese (.49)
• 4 packages Keebler cookies (.19)
• 4 quarts Dreyer's ice cream--not pictured (1.49)
• 1 gallon chocolate milk (2.00)

After all my really good coupons and a catalina I had left over from last week, I only paid $17.94 for ALL of that and I SAVED $157.91 (I compare what I paid to what I would have spent on the same things if I was shopping at Walmart for everything with no coupons or sales the way I used to.).  Now THAT'S what I call a bargain.  Now, hopefully, no other stores will have a can't-miss sale this week and I can call it a day on the grocery shopping for the week. Tomorrow it's time to actually put together a menu and make plans to cook all this food.

Bu-Bye Grocery Budget (a.k.a. Lessons in Grocery Hording)

I am a psycho.  I almost think I need an intervention. Shopping for groceries with coupons and getting good deals is like a serious high to me...I can no longer control myself...so I cannot bear any responsibility for my actions.  Lucky for me, Patrick is not here to witness my insanity, and with any luck I will have all the evidence hidden away before he gets back.  Here's my story...

Albertson's is having an insanely good sale on Quaker products.  This sale only happens once a year (and now that Albertsons is officially closing their doors on Feb. 22 this will be the last)  So...after shopping at Smith's this week I was bound and determined to NOT step foot in another store until next week....no matter how good the sale.  Unfortunately, that plan all fell apart because we needed milk and strawberry syrup for Braden last night.  So off I went to Walmart...I took my ads so I could price match a gallon of chocolate milk, and that was my first mistake...Here's what I left the store with:

• 6 boxes of oatmeal packets (.40)
• 4 packs of hot dogs (.50)
• 2 canisters of oatmeal (.80)
• 2 boxes of pancake mix (.40)
• 6 boxes of Pasta Roni (.46)
• 5 boxes of Rice a Roni (.79)
• 3 gallons of milk (1.66) not pictured
• 1 gallon of chocolate milk (2.00) not pictured
• Strawberry Syrup (1.47)

Altogether, I spent $21.94 when I FULLY INTENDED to just get some milk.  But I was also presented with another dilemma... I actually saw a bunch of people price matching that Quaker stuff, the shelves were VERY bare (believe me, if they hadn't been, I would have bought more than I did), and someone was even waiting for them to check their truck to see if they had more granola bars.  This actually made me feel like I was missing out on something and suddenly the hunt had begun. I figured I better go back and see if they restocked. So...this morning...off I went to Walmart again.  I told myself it was just to "run in and see if they restocked..." Yeah, right.  Here's what I bought the second time around:

• 5 boxes Life cereal (1.00)
• 12 boxes Quaker granola bars--the very awesome Dipps kind (.50)
• 5 boxes (more) pancake mix (1.00)
• 5 bottles of syrup (1.00)

I spent another $25.00.

So....as if two trips to Walmart isn't enough...after the trip to Walmart this morning I somehow ended up back at Smiths (I think something is wrong with my car?)  Actually, I had stumbled on this really AWESOME coupon for salsa...there was NO WAY I could let this deal pass me by.  So, by the time I was done, I had an entire Suburban full of food.  Here are my Smith's deals:

• 2 Arrowhead water 24 packs (I've been watching Haiti and I'm going a little bonkers on the water because of it--can't have too much...plus I found a good coupon) (2.49)
• 1 Arrowhead water 6 pack (FREE)
• 2 packs Solo plastic bowls (.74)
• 2 packs Dixie paper plates, sm. (1.49)
• 2 packs Mission tortillas (.25)
• 2 packs Dixie napkins (.94)
• 12 bags of Goldfish (.88)
• 4 Sobe Lifewater  (I made .61 cents with my coupon)
• 2 Krusteaz Key Lime Bars (1.49)
• 12 bottles La Victoria salsa (a MONEYMAKER--I made .50 cents on each bottle)
• 4 Hormel Chilimasters (.29--for the big jars)
• 4 cans Hormel Chilimasters (.52)
• 2 packages Keebler Cookies--the new yummy looking Cheesecake middles kind (.19)
• 6 Hershey's bars (.25)

I spent $24.14 at Smith's.

What a RUSH!  Who knew I could have so much fun buying groceries!  Altogether for these three trips I SAVED $195.41.  It was a good day.  And now, I promise on everything I hold dear that I will NOT go back to the store again...this week.

Mega Deals!

I haven't been to Smith's in awhile because they haven't have very good sales...but all that came to an end today, as I blew the whole week's grocery budget (now how am I going to buy milk?).  They have a GREAT sale going this week. Here's what I got and what I paid:

• 2 Arrowhead water 24-packs (2.99)
• 1 Arrowhead water 6 pack (FREE)
• 5 boxes of Capri Sun (.99)
• 6 boxes Electrasol tabs/gels (.49)
• 4 bars of Kraft cheese (.99)
• 4 bags Kraft shredded cheese (.99)
• 2 packs Sargento cheese slices (.94)
• 17 Kraft Easy Mac (.49)
• 6 Krusteaz Cookie Mixes (.49)
• 1 box of Ritz crackers (.99)
• 9 boxes Nabisco snack crackers (.99)
• 5 boxes Post Raisin Bran (one was FREE, the others were 1.49)
• 4 cans Hormel chili (.52)
• 2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese spreadables (.75)
• 2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese (.75)
• 3 Quakes (I got paid .26 to take them--a money maker!)
• 7 Sobe Lifewaters (.49)
• 1 2-lb. block Velveeta cheese (2.79)
• 4 packs Dixie paper plates (1.49)
• 8 packs Solo plastic plates (.49)
• 2 packs Solo plastic cups (.49)
• 2 Dreyers ice cream (1.49--not in the picture because they were practically milk when I got home)
• 4 packs Mission tortillas (2 were FREE, 2 were .25)
  

I spent $81.09 and SAVED a whopping $156.41 over regular Walmart prices!  In addition, I have a couple rebates I have now fulfilled--a $20 for the Capri Suns, crackers, and Easy Mac and a $10 for the paper plates and cups...so if I subtract that, I save another $30.  Wow!  I love these kinds of grocery trips.  Unfortunately, I have gone over my weekly budget and I still need to hit Walmart for some milk, produce and a couple other things.

My Grocery Deals

Another new sale, another trip to Walmart!  I did so good with my savings this week that the checker had to call a manager to override the register for me.  Can I just say how annoyed I was to see that they got more Yoplait Smoothies (they are super yummy)  in now that the sale is OVER?!  I went back on Monday because I had more coupons to use, hoping that they would have restocked before the sale ended, and they had not.  Now they have a full stock of them...but too late.  Now I guess I have to wait for another sale on them.  In any event, I got a lot of good deals:

• 4 jars applesauce (1.46--not a sale but a necessity for Braden)
• 1 La Victoria taco sauce (1.92--not on sale but I need to stop all the whining and complaining from the peanut gallery that the old bottle is empty)
• 2 gallons milk (1.66)
• 2 dozen eggs (.99)
• 5 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers (.67)
• 12 Krusteaz muffin mixes (1.00)
• 4 Krusteaz crumb cake mixes (1.00)
• 4 Krusteaz bar mixes--lemon and raspberry (1.00)
• 5 boxes Quaker instant oatmeal (1.00)
• 24 Yoplait yogurts (.33)
• 2 Honey Nut Cheerios (.48)
• 12 cans Old El Paso enchilada sauce (.75)
• 4 Betty Crocker frostings (.25)
• 15 lb. bag of potatoes (1.50)
• 6 cans carrots (.50)

My total came to $64.87 and I saved $64.89...just a little over half.  I also had a Visa gift card that we earned by shopping online worth $17, so my out of pocket was only $47.87.  Yay!  To think I actually have grocery money left in my budget to go back for more milk later this week... 

A New Year, A New Grocery Budget

With the new year, I am going to try and cut my weekly grocery budget just a smidge again and try to bring it down to $75 a week.  I have an awful lot of food storage and it's time to make decisions about what I "need" vs. what I "can get" with my coupon deals.  (Right now I have 8 big bottles of mustard...it will probably last me three years...just one of the many things I don't need no matter how cheap it is.)  With that decided, I did my shopping today at Walmart.

Here's what I got and what I paid:

• 3 boxes Chocolate Cheerios (1.16)
• 6 bags Yoplait Smoothies (.25--I was going to price match these to $2 but the shelf said they were 1.50, then they rang up at 2.50 but they honored the shelf price :)
• 4 Crescent Rolls (.50)
• 8 Grands! biscuits (.50)
• 8 boxes Hot Pockets (1.24)
• 3 dozen eggs (.88)
• 12 boxes Hamburger Helper (.55)
• 5 boxes Quaker Instant Oatmeal (1.00)
• 4 Softsoap (.65)
• 3 packs Ivory soap (.07)
• 4 packages Don Julio Tortillas (.88)
• 2 gallons milk (1.66)
• 1 half gallon Chocolate milk (FREE--get a coupon here when you enter the contest to win free milk for a year)

Altogether I spent $50.22 and I saved $73.50 by price matching and using coupons.  Yay!

My Grocery Deals

I had a great trip to Walmart today to price match, although I didn't use too many coupons.  It really looks like a healthy shopping trip doesn't it?  I've gotta really hand it to the cashier that helped me today...he was super fast AND the price that I quoted him for the bags of mini carrots was higher than the price a couple other people had given him, so he told me and gave them to me cheaper than I expected!  Woo Hoo for nice checkers!  Here's what I got and what I paid...

• 4 16 oz. cottage cheese (.88)
• 3 Jennie-O Turkey Bacon (1.78)
• 5 Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt (.12)
• 6 loaves Grandma Sycamore bread (1.48--and wow were my kids happy to see their favorite bread reappear!)
• 6 Skippy Peanut Butter (.61)
• 4  BIG Honey Nut Cheerios (.88--plus these boxes have codes for free movie tickets)
• 9 Campbell's tomato soup (.49)
• 10 cans carrots (.50)
• 12 Yoplait yogurts (.19)
• 3 gallons milk (not in the picture--1.66)
•  fuji apples (.69/lb)
• yellow onions (.19/lb.)
• broccoli (.50/lb.)
• jalapenos (.50/lb.)
• 10 lb. bag of potatoes (.99)
• 4 bell peppers (.25)
• bananas (.33/lb.)
• 2 bags mini carrots (.69)
• Roma tomatoes (.33/lb... salsa here I come!)
• 24 pk. water bottles (2.50)

My total for this shopping trip was $55.91 and my savings including coupons was $49.83 over regular Walmart prices.  I actually forgot some things that I wanted, but since it is caselot stuff and I know those things generally stay on sale for three weeks, I will wait and get them next week.

CHRISTMAS BAKING DEALS

So, I didn't get a picture of my deals today before I put it away, so a list will have to suffice this time.  Smith's has some good deals going on for all the baking stuff needed for the holidays, so I took the opportunity to stock up on a bunch of things. I spent $78.96 and saved $60.51 with coupons and special savings.  I also earned a TON of bonus points with my rewards card...

Here's what I bought and what I paid:

• 12 Hershey's baking chips (and they had all the yummy kinds like Heath toffee chips and mint chips)(1.34)
• 4 2-lb. brown sugar (.99)
• 4 2-lb. powdered sugar (.99)
• 4 Kraft marshmallow creme (.99) (I just found a really yummy recipe for honey butter that calls for this and the kids loved it, so I stocked up)
• 6 5-lb. flour (1.25)
• 5 Tony's Pizzas (.48)
• 10 Hot Pockets/Lean Pockets (1.39)
• 10-lb. bag of potatoes (1.99)
• 1-lb. bag mini carrots (1.00) (the token healthy food from this shopping trip)
  
• 2 4-packs of food coloring (1.00)
• A WHOLE BUNCH of spices/seasonings/extracts (including 4 of the big ones I usually buy at Costco) all for under $2 each--a STELLAR deal!
• A loaf of french bread (not a great deal but needed it for dinner)
• A gallon of milk (FREE)

I wish I'd gotten a picture before I put it all away...it really was quite an impressive pile of goods! After the last couple of shopping trips I have enough chocolate chips (of every flavor) to last me well over a year, which is a good thing because they don't usually go on sale until the holidays roll around.   Now it's time to get going on the Christmas goodies...