After our success at the Double Dollar coupon event, I was inspired to stop by Dillon’s to pick up a few more deals.
I had all three children and it was naptime, but we made it through without mishap. Well, except for the potty accident. But gratefully my two-year-old waited until we got out to the van, instead of when we were in the store! {Sigh. At least we’re making progress in the potty-training department. I have hope!}
Here’s our loot (Don’t ask me why the photo is all fuzzy! It was the only picture I took so it’ll have to do!):
1 box of Annie’s Mac and Cheese — on sale for $0.50.
6 tubes of Grands! Biscuits — on sale for $0.98 each. Used 2 $0.80/3 coupons (there are also $0.30/2 coupons here), plus I got a $4 catalina back for purchasing 6 making them about $0.03 each after coupons and catalina. (See more details on the catalina here.)
5 boxes of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta – on sale for $0.75. Used $0.75/1 coupons here to get them free!
1 pouch of Betty Crocker potatoes — on sale for $1. Used $0.80/1 coupon (there are $1/1 coupons available here, too!), plus I got a $0.50 catalina back for purchasing 1 making this free plus overage after coupon and catalina! (See more details on the catalina here.)
2 Scotch Brite sponges — on sale for $0.50 each. Used $1/2 coupon to get these free after coupon.
1 bag Brown Sugar — on sale for $1.
5 tubs of cottage cheese — reduced to $0.89 each (using this in Ziti that we’re making for Freezer Cooking Day on Thursday).
2 bags of Chex Mix — on sale for $1.50. Used $0.50/1 coupons here (doubled) to get these for $0.50 per bag.
1 half-gallon of lemonade — reduced to $0.79.
1 bag Tyson Chicken — used free coupon I got in the mail.
1 bag Banquet Chicken — used free coupon I got in the mail.
My total before coupons and sales was $56.81. After coupons and catalinas I earned from my last shopping trip, I paid $7.53 out of pocket plus I got back $4.50 in catalinas to use on my next shopping trip!
So if you combine both of my shopping trips today, I spent $26.35 out of pocket and saved $173.47! I’m pretty happy with that percentage of savings. 🙂
Great deals Crystal. I must say that I have been following you since your first began this site. I have learned alot about saving and it has been a fun journey. Last week I was able to get a lot of free items and I only spent 51.00 and saved 170.00 I was so excited. Thanks for your site. God Bless.
I also went to Dillons to get free pasta! I have a feeling more pasta posts will be on the horizon for my food blog… 🙂
Wow what a shopping trip….where on earth did you get the free chicken coupon…that would be a great one to get? Can you tell us where that came from and how we can get one too?
When you get Catalina coupons . . . are they off a specific item, or are they like register rewards and just work like cash the next time you buy something from that store?
You got some great deals! None of our grocery store double coupons down here in FL. 🙁
Hey–love your site and posts! I was wondering where you get your coupons for sponges? I can’t stand a dirty/smelly sponge, so I usually go through them about weekly or every other week. With a rather constant purchase like that, I was hoping to find some coupons to apply. Any help? Thanks, Collette
@Collette, Have you tried throwing your sponges in the dishwasher or washing machine? I don’t like dirty sponges either, and that works for the ones that I use anyway.
How do you get coupons for free items?
I often post special promotion links for free item coupons. Just keep checking back and you’ll usually see at least a few each month–sometimes even a few each week!
I’m just curious why you don’t do all 3 BC pouches when you go? They end up being free even without coupons so even if you have only one coupon, you are still paying the same amount (when factoring in the cat) and getting 3 times as much product.
And I loved that the lemonade was partially gone too. I was going to make a smart remark asking if that was why it was marked down 😛 And your photo looks fine 😉
I was wondering if anyone was going to notice the lemonade. 😉
I could only get one BC coupon to print again, so I just bought one–because I can’t stand to pay anything out of pocket for those, even if they are free after the catalina. 🙂
I live in the wrong state apparently. My store is such a pain about coupons and coupon events. And the prices of our groceries are much higher! Well maybe someday!
That’s awesome! I miss Dillons! We lived in Lawrence for about 15 years and now are in Omaha – the Kroger stores up here don’t double coupons!
Wow! Awesome savings. I wish we had a store that doubled coupons, even if it was even every once in a while. 🙁
*sigh*
My grocery store is so behind the times. 😉
I have that many biscuits too and I am struggling with what to do with them. Anyone have any ideas?
The Dillons I frequent here in Wichita had their Annie’s Mac and Cheese for $1 a box. I wonder how the price can vary like this from store to store…
@Elizabeth,
They were $1 a box, but you got $4 back if you bought 8, which was true for some of the other things in her order.
How did you get the coupons from tyson and banquet?
I was inspired by your post on Saturday, so I went with my stash of coupons. We may be eating a lot of pasta and Betty Crocker potatoes, but I ended up with $30.42 worth of stuff for 2 cents! (With a $3 catalina off my next order!) I turned around and bought 4 more BC potatoes for $1.45 total (with another $3 catalina off my next order!). So, I spent $1.47 and have $6 to spend again. Woo hoo! Thanks for your posts. They help soooo much.
Great trips! Thanks for posting the pictures and breakdown. I was wondering, do you have a good use for the canned biscuits? I’m not sure how long they will keep and we don’t go through them too fast.
@Melissa, I cut them in fours, roll them in cinnamon/sugar then bake them. When they come out, I drizzle frosting on them. We call them Cinnamon Bites. Nice treat!
@abbie, Oh, that sounds DELICIOUS – thank you!
I love that some of the lemonade is gone. =)
Awesome!!! You are an inspiration. I have recently started couponing (this is week 8!) and bargain shopping, and I have enjoyed your posts. It gives me something to strive for 🙂
Is Dillon’s a Kroger affiliate? I know at Kroger last week, the smart taste was on sale for 45 cents (at least in our area – WV), and the chocolate chex mix was available FREE when the digital coupon (cellfire or shortcuts, can’t remember which) was used in addition to the 50 cent one that was doubled.
Truly in awe. Keep up the good work!!
I have a question for you…. when I print out several online coupons, such as the Chex Mix for $0.50 off, it says DO NOT DOUPLE OR TRIPLE.
Does your store not notice this? or does that not print on your coupon?
@Leslie Gerik, I think it’s up to the store. Dillons has always doubled those “Do not double” coupons, but they do not double the coupons they mail out to customers.
@Leslie Gerik, Usually if the coupon starts with a 5 it will double anyway. If it starts with a 9 it won’t double.
Crazy-nuts! Way to go! =)
JEALOUS, lol! Maybe someday I’ll get that good 🙂
Oh my word! That is totally awesome!!! I would’ve been jumping up and down like a little kid!!! 🙂
Wow – great trip!!
A co-worker and I were chatting about couponing and these great pictures of shopping days we see: do you know before you go on these shopping days what you are going to buy or do you find the deals once you are there or a little of both? thanks for sharing.
I usually go with a list planned and coupons pulled. But I also bring my coupon box along so that if I run across a great deal–mark-down or unadvertised–I can check to see if I have a coupon to pair it with. So it’s a bit of a combination.
Simply WOW!
Excellent shopping trip and thanks for posting!