Ooooo….this was a fun one today, readers. So this morning I had my coupons spread out, calculator in hand. I realized I had no cash and really didn't want annoying debit card transactions of less than $1. So I asked my husband if he had any cash. He said he had $4, and I said perfect! He was a little surprised that that's all I'd need to do my trip today (you think the man should have an idea by now!). Here's what I ended up with at Albertsons and how I did it:
I did two transactions.
Transaction One:
3 boxes Post Raisin Bran
2 boxes Honey Bunches of Oats
Then, I used these coupons:
$1/2 coupon from 2/28 SmartSource
$1/2 coupon from 3/14 SmartSource
$2/1 PostNaturals printable coupon (for the third box of Raisin Bran)
2 doublers for the $1 coupons
Paid: $1.95
Received a $4 Catalina for buying 5 boxes! (Wasn't I clever to add the "free" box of Post Naturals to generate a $4 Catalina vs. a $3 Catalina? Plus, my store allowed overage on that coupon, further driving down my out of pocket. Your results may vary – but my coupon didn't beep. At all.)
Transaction Two:
2 boxes Honey Bunches of Oats
4 boxes Pebbles
1 gallon milk
Then, I used these coupons:
(3) $1/2 coupons from 3/14 SmartSource (Pebbles and Honey Bunches)
3 doubler coupons
$4 Catalina coupon generated from Transaction One above
$2 coupon for doing receipt survey (this happens every so often)
Paid: $0.23
Received a $4 Catalina for buying 5+ boxes!
Bottom line: $1.82 profit for everything pictured above! Best of all, I still have $1 left from the money my husband gave me this morning!
What will I do with my $4 Catalina? I'll likely be back for more cereal! More info on this sale HERE and HERE.
By the way – time to toot my own horn. Remember how I made a list of what goes on sale and when? Read my write-up for March – I specifically mention increased cereal promotions including Kellogg's and Post! This is why it's important to pay attention to trends – they often roll around the same times per year.
Anyone else do this deal today or planning on it before Sunday? Any additional transaction ideas?
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
So was the milk a necessary accompaniment to all the money making cereal, or just a need based item? LOL! How was the stock? Dying to go get those diapers you mentioned! I hope they’re there on my way home tonight. Did you notice if there were any extra doublers at CS?
Keri, good question! We needed the milk, but actually buying it helped absorb some of the coupons I had – including that survey coupon. I figure I actually got a BETTER deal by including it in the transaction.
I’m going to plan another trip for later tonight or tomorrow, and I’m thinking by adding a filler item, your OOP may actually be less.
Consider:
Buy 6 boxes = $9.54
(3) $1/3 coupons = $6.54
(3) doubler coupons = $3.54
$4 Catalina = can’t use it!!
OR
Buy 6 boxes = $9.54
+ one $0.50 filler = $10.04
(3) $1/3 coupons = $7.04
(3) doubler coupons = $4.04
$4 Catalina = $0.04
Then, get another $4 Catalina…
What do you think???
BTW, stock was good at both stores I went to.
I bought 6 boxes of cereal with 3 coupons and 3 doubles for $3.54 and used that $4 catalina to buy 6 more boxes with 3 coupons and 3 doubles plus a Cadbury cream egg and paid only 23 cents. I then turned around and used that second $4 catalina towards some things for the CHILL deal. My freezer and pantry are FULL of breakfast items now!
Joni – how much were the Cadbury eggs? That might make a great filler item!!
Do you do back-to-back transactions with your doublers? I see in the fine print that it reads, “Three double coupons per family per shopping trip.” so I’ve avoided multiple transactions in one shopping trip if it includes using more than one set of doublers. Does your store just not really mind? Is this not an enforced rule or are you hitting multiple stores and/or multiple checkout lines?
Great question!! I actually visited two separate stores today. Only once have I done two sets of doublers at one store. In this instance, I asked the cashier directly. I said, “I have another set of doublers I’d like to use. I notice the fine print reads “limit one per shopping trip.” If I go to my car and return to the store, is that considered a shopping trip?” And I was given the green light.
IMO, the best approach is to NOT fly under the radar (i.e., going into different lines, different checkers) but being completely honest and open with your store. This is all about building positive long-term relationships!
If my cashier in the situation above had told me “no,” I wouldn’t have pressured her otherwise. I would’ve just left. I HTH! It’s always important to honor the fine print and when it’s not super clear (as in “shopping trip,”) ask!!
Ang, awesome transaction ideas! THANKS! I was just reading on another blog about a “filler item” and I hadn’t even thought about doing that. So, GREAT idea. One reader suggested a single banana. My family keeps bananan farms in business, so I thought that was a great idea if you don’t have anything else to get.
That’s amazing! Thanks for the post!
I must be blind because I cannot find coupons for any cereal in the 3/14 SS.
Do you buy many copies of the same newspaper in order to have several copies of these manufacturer’s coupons?
Maybe it was a regional coupon? There was one for Honey Bunches of Oats ($1/2) and right below it, one for Pebbles ($1/2).
I don’t always buy multiples. Sometimes I can gather the inserts for free, or find ways of getting them cheap.
Last week, I used some of my Catalina coupons to buy a couple papers, and my mom gave me her inserts, too. I also FOUND an insert on the bottom of my shopping cart! This was a good week for coupons.
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