super savings weekend--wal-mart and walgreens deals and freebies!

Wal-Mart and I are in a "love/hate" relationship.  Really, I try so, so hard to refrain from hating things.  However, I can leave Wal-Mart so mad sometimes that my ears are steaming and my face is boiling hot.  Well this weekend was a good weekend for Wal-Mart and me.  We got along well.  No name calling.  No stomping feet.  I left Wal-Mart with a smile on my face.  Hopefully Wal-Mart will play nice again the next time I stop by....I did leave with some pretty good deals that may have left Wal-Mart frustrated.  Go me.

Wal-Mart

Here are the best deals I found...

Free deals and some includes overage:

$7.77 Olay lotion--FREE plus $1.00 overage after $1/1 coupon and a full rebate found here.

$.94 Kotex liners--FREE plus $.06 overage after $1/1 coupon from coupons.com

$.50 dark chocolate Reese's cups--FREE plus $.05 overage after $.55/1 coupon found in 3/14 SmartSource insert

$1.25 Vitamin Water--FREE using coupon mailed to me for being a Facebook fan

(I came home to the dog food freebie in my mailbox.  Wal-Mart even sent me a party favor this time.  So sweet of them.  Check out their website for sample freebies.  As my mom and dad say about "sucking up" to someone...get a straw.)

Other great deals:

$.78 Martha White muffin mix--2 for $1.01 after using $.55 coupon (online printable--forgot location)

$1.98 McCormick Low Sodium Chicken Seasoning--$.98 after $1/1 coupon (you can find these everywhere right now! check inserts and online printables.  Wal-Mart has the best deals on these, but I'm hoping for a $10 for 10 sale at Kroger sometime...they do that on McCormick grinders sometimes.  That would make my favorite sea salt grinder free!)

$2.98 new Lays (all natural ingredients)--$1.98 after $1/1 coupon from 3/14 inserts

$12.74 Purina Healthy Morsels dog food--$10.74 using $2/1 coupon found here.  (I figured out our cost per day to feed Boone when we bought a 17.6 lb. bag the last time at this price.  Boone is a 48 pound dog and by following the guidelines for feeding him on the bag, it costs us a whoppin' $.35 a day to feed him.  And who says animals cost too much money?! I just wish kiddos would be that cheap.  Ha!)

Another thing I found impressive:

-Hormel's Natural Choice all natural lunchmeat is always $2.50 at Wal-Mart.  I have been in search for nitrate-free lunchmeat because we eat it almost daily.  This is a great deal! Even with sales and coupons, the other lunchmeats were more expensive.  I'm on the lookout now for coupons for this new lunchmeat to replace what we used to buy since I buy it almost weekly.

Total before tax with coupons and rebates:  $32.67

Total in freebies:  $10.46

Walgreens

Would you believe that I got all of this for just $2.79?

Now I'm not one to boast...but I even impressed myself with this week's deals.  Just because I'm seeing growth in my couponing skills.  And just like I focus on my kiddos' growth in class...not just how they do on a specific task, assessment, etc....I like to focus on my own growth in this couponing sport.  Thanks to some amazing blogs that I meantion all the time...Money Saving Mom, Deal Finding Chik, and Thankfully Thrifty, I have learned so much and continue to do so.  I just hope I can pass on some of the inspiration and knowledge.  Okay...back on topic. 

Check out my savings today:

First transaction--

$4 Dove Damage Therapy Conditioner

$7 Simply Saline Allergy & Sinus Relief Nasal Mist (new giant size)

used $1.50/1 Dove coupon from 3/28 inserts

used $1/1 Simply Saline insert coupon (forget where this came from--Feb. inserts?)

*Got back $7 RR (register rewards) for the Simply Saline and $4 RR for the Dove*

Paid $8.50 for these items plus tax in this transaction

(With the RR and coupons, it's as if I got paid $2.50 overage for these items.  Paid to buy things we will use anyway? Yes, thank you! And if you're new to Walgreens lingo...RRs are printed out in-store credits toward your next purchase.  Use them like cash with your transaction, but you do have to pay attention to their expiration date.)

Second Transaction--

$1.00 Betty Crocker Warm Delights dessert

$3.25 12-pack Sprite

$1.79 Chapstick

used $.75/1 Betty Crocker insert from 3/31

used $4 RR from first transaction

Paid $1.29 for these items plus tax

So basically how it breaks down when putting both transactions together:

-Purchased a total of $17.04 in products today (without tax)

-Used $3.25 total in coupons

-Got $11 in RR

Paid $2.79 for ALL of these items

(that's 84% savings)

My total for everything was about the price I would have paid for the Sprites by themselves and that is an item I purchase anyway.

Love it.