Guess some of LovinSpoonful is turning coupon!

So, after moving 1000 miles, one thing is for sure.  Groceries cost more.  Well, that or we are just eating more... :-/  Either way the amount we spend has almost doubled.  So I am trying to do something about it.  I have been a pretty passive "couponer" until the summer before we got married.  Yes, Katie Popwell it is your fault! :)  Also, if you are thinking you don't have any of the coupons, keep reading! There is a solution for that!

I don't typically go to Acme because it's not as close, but this is something worth going for.  When you leave the store you will have:
6 Hamburger Helper meals (or chicken or tuna.  Take your pick)
4 Totinos pizza rolls
8 Progresso soups (you can expect a recipe using soups in the near future)
1 Betty Crocker cake mix
1 Better Crocker cake frosting

You can mix it up by looking at the ACME ad if you don't want some of it.

THE BREAKDOWN:
     Acme has a thing going that when you buy 10 of the items listed (General Mills, so if you need cereal check it out for that) you get a $5 Catalina.  If you aren't familiar with catalinas, they are coupons that are good toward your next purchase.  So in the case, you would have $5 to ACME next time you go (we are going to use it on the next transaction).  
     You also get 25 box tops.  Which doesn't sound that exciting.  However, I have recently learned that people PAY for these on ebay... Weird. I know.  One box top = .10 plus a little.  Last week, I got 60 box tops from Giant and actually got $8 for them! :-O I was floored! But it's $8 back in the budget.  


ITEMIZED:
This will take two transactions.  This is where it can get tricky!


Transaction 1:
option 1: You already have the $1/5 hamburger helpers coupon
6 Hamburger helpers @ $1 each
     (2 options)
    -$1/5 manufacturer coupon (MC)
    - .75/3 Skillet Hamburger helper meals
4 Totinos items @ $1 each 
    -.40/2 Pizza Rolls

Option 2:
$1/5 hamburger helpers or (2) .75/3 hamburger helpers
    -The .75/3 gets doubled to $1.50!!! So use 2 and get $3 off!
.40/2 Pizza rolls (The pizza rolls are the better deal!)
    -This gets doubled! ACME will double up to .99 cents and doesn't have limits as far as I can tell!  If you get the pizza rolls, you will use two of the coupon taking $1.60 off.  With the party pizzas, you will get $1.20 off.  
Total before coupons: $10

With Pizza Rolls and higher value HH coupon:
Total OOP: $5.40


GET: $5 Catalina and certificate for 25 boxtops (worth $2.50!)  
    - You essentially get $7.50 back!  You have already made $2 and gotten some food!


Transaction 2:


8 Progresso soups @ $1 each! Pick wisely :)
     -$1/4 MC (use 2) 
1 Betty Crocker cake mix @ 1.50
1 Betty Crocker frosting  @ 1.66 (or 1.67 not sure how it rings up)
     -.75 off when you buy a cake mix and a frosting! This DOUBLES to $1.50!!


Total before coupons: 11.16 (or 11.17)
After coupons: 7.66
Use the $5 Catalina from the last transaction: 2.66


GET: $5 to ACME and 25 more box tops!

TOTAL OOP for the day: $8.06 with $5 left to ACME and 50 box tops (should sell for about $6!)

You potentially make almost $3 just to buy this food! Sounds like a good deal to me! :))

COUPONS AND THE LACK THEREOF:

So, most people aren't just going to have these coupons.  They have all been in your Sunday papers and the mailed out inserts though!  The solution, is one: I might have extra.  And two, I have discovered an awesome site! For those of you with kids in diapers, this will be nice as well.

westcoastcouponclipping.com

This site has all the coupons currently out there and you can order them.  It will probably take 2-3 days for them to get here though and this sale ends the 18th (Thursday).  So it's a little tight.  However, if you enter your full 9 digit zipcode they will get here fasted.  I ordered mine today at 3 pm and they are already marked shipped.

If you order $4 in coupons (which is actually kinda hard to do!), the shipping is free! I think orders placed before noon are shipped out the same day!  But check with me if you are interested.  Hopefully mine will come in and I will have plenty extra! 

You can search the site in the mid-top right by brand or whatever! It's a pretty great site! Especially when you want to buy multiples when they go on sale, but don't need all the coupons the Sunday paper provides!  This is definitely the cheaper way to do it!

I definitely have one extra in the betty crocker (and believe me, I don't need it).  Maybe two depending on if they will take the expired one.  By the way, lesson learned.  Don't throw away expired coupons! They rarely check!

I will also have 2 extra of the progresso soup coupons if mine come in in time!  

I have two of the $1/5 coupons for the Hamburger Helper that people can have.  After I get this HH, I won't be buying it for a LONG time! (too much of it...)

I also will have 2 of the party pizza coupons if they get here in time!

Hope this helps! And happy shopping!  I will keep y'all updated on when my coupons come in and how many it looks like I have.  

 

***Time to get coupons: Thankfully, my coupons came in today! So I will go do the deal tonight after work.  I ordered them Monday around noon and gave my full 9 digit zip code.  They arrived on Thursday!  So about 3 days is what we can expect! They are shipping all the way from Washington state.