Playing the Grocery Game: Free Stuff!

Today was supposed to be the day that I swept through CVS, Walgreen's and WalMart and snagged up a bunch of stuff for next to nothing. I had planned to plan strategy Tuesday evening, but can't remember now why I didn't...something else came up I guess. And last night we had a really bad storm that knocked our power out from 7 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday...I tried to look through the coupons and sale papers by candlelight, but it was rather difficult. Not to mention that all the great Scenarios I tried to plan included coupons that were, apparently, in every other region's Sunday circulars except for ours. Like the $5 coupon for the Schick Hydro razor that, combined with CVS Extra Care Bucks and a Schick rebate, would have actually paid me about $9. I was quite perturbed.

I ended up deciding NOT to go to CVS, since I didn't have a very solid plan, and after waffling in my head for several minutes as I traveled in the general direction of places to shop, decided to brave Super WalMart. I knew I was going there with a stack of FREE product coupons...I was ready for a showdown! If you've never really used coupons much at WalMart, then you have been spared the icy animosity from certain cashiers as you hand over a stack of coupons...particularly when it means you get something for pennies or free. They don't like that for some reason...I think they suspect that you're trying to pull a fast one over on them since certainly companies would never send out coupons for free stuff.

Going against my better judgment, I did what I swore I would not do again...take the kids with me. And while it wasn't a complete disaster, it just did a lot to cement that decision. I am too new at all this to shop with them. I need to be able to think and that's hard to do when you're constantly interrupted by requests for junk food and a toddler with a lightning-quick telescopic reach going for the glass jars of pickles.

I am, over all, very pleased with my first official "couponing trip". Using several free product coupons  I snagged $17.87 for just 89 cents! Not a bad haul. Now, some of this stuff is stuff I wouldn't buy on a regular basis, but once in a while, and for free, I'm o.k. with that.

Hard to believe this would have cost almost $20!

Pictured above are Ritz Crackerfuls, Kraft 100 Calorie Packs Cheese Bites, Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Chicken Breast (1 pound!), Kraft Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese, Beechnut Let's Grow Toddler Meals, and Genesis Today Goji Berry Juice. The Ritz, Kraft and Oscar Meyer coupons  I received the other day from a Kraft First Taste mailing. Goji Berry Juice from Genesis Today's Facebook fan page, and the Beechnut coupon was mailed to me when I signed up for something on their website.

Plus, when I got home I found this waiting on the steps for me:

 

I signed up for this just a couple days ago, but wasn't sure if it even went through or if I would get one. Came just in time for Father's Day! The $5 in coupons are definitely a plus!

So, I ended up with almost $30 worth of products today for less than a dollar. I'm so liking this coupon thing! Now, if I can just get the CVS thing started...