Always Follow the Money... Even When Buying Fruit Snacks

I Almost had a D'OH Moment of My Own

A Well Meaning Lady At Winn Dixie ALMOST Had Me Convinced to Pay Too Much for the Kids' Fruit Snacks This Week!

In today's hectic world, it is very very easy to fall for a good "deal" that really isn't that great.  This past week, I had to run in to Winn Dixie real quick.  I almost fell for a not so good deal.

I was standing in the fruit snack aisle with my kids. Since they were behaving in the store, for once, I was letting them choose a fruit snack box.  They picked out Phineas and Ferb by Kelloggs. Normally, these are pricey. This week, they were $1.99 for 12.  Not great, but better than normal.

As I was heading to the checkout, this lady glances in my buggy and says "OH! Did you see that the Winn Dixie Brand is only 99c a box? They are cheaper and just as good."  And, I have indeed found that most store brand fruit snacks ARE just as good as name brand. SO, about face I go. I bet I could convince the kids to swap the Phineas and Ferb they were going to share if I let them each pick out a box.. twice as much for the same price, after all...

Then, I decided that was a good stock up price. So I threw about 5 boxes into my buggy before I stopped and actually LOOKED at the boxes. They were about the same size as the Kelloggs boxes. But, sneakily on the bottom, they were printed that they only had 6 packs per box. 

So the sneaky store brand fruit snacks really weren't on a great sale. They were the same cost (less one penny..) than the name brand! Back onto the shelves went the store brand.  My kids rejoiced as their Phineas and Ferb fruit snacks went back in.

They almost had me... ALMOST!   

So when you think you are getting a deal.. store brand or otherwise, follow the money. Always follow the money.  Price it per ounce, pack, whatever.  Don't have a D'Ohment.

*It would have been worth buying two boxes for the same amount and price as the Kelloggs fruit snacks had the kids wanted different shapes..but they both wanted Phineas and Ferb anyway.

**ALSO, a couple days after this experience, I worked a coupon deal at Target to pay around 89c or less a box of 10ct Market Pantry fruit snacks. That was the best deal no matter how you did the math. I bought 4 boxes.

TARGET TRIP- Excedrin, Kelloggs, and MORE deals!

Target Trip= Success

Found Some Great Deals and Ran Into Some Blog Followers!

Last night, I took a friend with me to Target so I could show her hands on my couponing process.  Of course, we stopped at the in-store Starbucks first for some "Free" coffee. (Pretty Easy to snag free coffee... be super nice and maybe a friend will get you a gift card. Also, you can take your EMPTY Starbucks coffee bags from the grocery section back to Starbucks for a free cup of coffee.)

Here are the highlights from my trip:

• Huggies Pull Ups- $4.99 for the Jumbo Pack. They were $8.99. I used a $2.50 Target Catalina Coupon, and a $1.50 manuf coupon.
• Splendid Little "boutique" Two Piece Outfit on Clearance.. Super adorable, reg $18, I paid $4.74.
• Banana Puffs for Baby- $1.17 after a Target 50c off coupon.
• Planters Peanuts-29c for the single serving. Perfect for an upcoming road trip. Used a 50c off Target coupon.
• Nabisco Honey Graham Crackers, Spongebob Shaped, AND a pack of Nabisco Animal Crackers:  On sale for $1.50 a pack. I used a Target $1 off any 2 Nabisco cookies coupon= $1 each pack!
• Excedrin: 59c  They were $3.59. I had a Target coupon for $3 off. 
• Excedrin:  59c  They were $3.59. I had a Target Q for $3 off (I bought two of these, using two coupons total!)
• Market Pantry Lunch Meat:  $3.90 for 2 packs after a $1 off 2 Target Q
• Market Pantry Fruit Snacks: 89c a box. 10 packs per box. They were on sale for $1.39 each. I had a Target Q for $1 off 2.  I had two of these coupons, so I got 4 boxes of fruit snacks for 89c ea box.
• Kraft Deli Sliced Cheese: $1.95 a pack for the normally $4 packs. They were on sale, plus I used $1 off two Target coupon.

THIS IS A SPECIAL DEAL:
I had some great Kelloggs-y coupons.  Remember the rebate offer I told you about? Go HERE to refresh. Basically, you buy 10 boxes of participating cereals by December, and get a $10 Debit Card Rebate.

Target had a special on various Kelloggs cereals.  They were marked $1.99.  I bought 6 boxes. (3 of the flavors I bought will work towards the $10 rebate offer.)
So, the total for 6 boxes of Kelloggs was $11.94
I used 3 coupons (manuf) that were good for $1 off 2 boxes of Kelloggs.
The new total was $8.94 for 6 boxes of cereal, or $1.49 a box.
THEN,
I had 2 coupons that were $1 off Fresh Produce WYB 2 boxes of Kelloggs.  So, I put $2 worth of bananas in my buggy= FREE BANANAS
AND
I had a coupon for $1 off Eggs WYB 2 Kelloggs Cereals = 39c for a dozen eggs. 

RECAP: Stacking my coupons, I paid $9.33 for 6 boxes of cereal, a dozen eggs, AND 8 large bananas. AND, 3 of the cereals work towards a rebate deal I am working for $10 back.

*I could have bought ten boxes of the participating flavors for a total of $15 after coupons, and gotten $10 rebate back, making it like getting the cereal for 50c a box after rebate. BUT, I was honestly annoyed a teensy bit. I am usually able to get my Kelloggs for less than $1 a box. I never pay more than $1.80 a box, unless my husband demands Crispix and it isn't on sale. (shame on him, right??! LOL) So, I made the decision that I have plenty of time to finish working the rebate offer before December. I plan to turn my rebate deal into a moneymaker. I am determined to do such! :) I will probably end up at CVS with EB's to spend on cheap on sale Kelloggs before all is said and done. 


So, that is my Target Trip this week. Not too shabby:
I spent $81.34 out of my weekly $120 budget. And, I saved $36.72, or 34% off my total (after adjusting for taxes) just by using coupons!

The cool part was running into some new followers at the check out! They were using coupons.. I was so proud. AND, I flipped open my binder and started handing the cashier more coupons for them while they were checking out.  They saved $18 this trip. That is a good start. After all, $18 a week saved adds up to $936 a year! The funny part was when the cashier (one of my fave Target employees.. we got lucky!) had forgotten to hand me my Catalina coupons.. and she joked and handed them to my new followers!  I let them keep the coupons.. I think this time they were advertisements instead of coupons. LOL!