Dhivael/Anne’s Hyperactive Blog

I went to Fry's (Kroger) yesterday. When I went to get a cart, I found out that they had replaced all the old carts with new ones. Wonderful! It's always a struggle to push a shopping cart around when it has a bad wheel and needs some extreme oiling. The upside to these kind of carts is that they make a lot of noise, so you don't have to say 'Excuse me' to anyone; they hear you coming and get out of the way. Even the little kids, who don't usually get out of the way for anyone.

So, here I am pushing this brand-new cart around. It rolls marvelously. Perhaps too well, actually. As I got to the end of an aisle, there was a mini-display of A-1 steak sauce. Two flimsy cardboard displays, actually. So I turned slightly to read the aisle markers to figure out where I wanted to go next. As I did so, I inadvertantly pushed the cart, just barely. Literally. I didn't even realized I'd pushed it.

The cart swung to the side and hit the corner of one of the displays. DOMINOS! The first display hit the second and A-1 bottles went tumbling and sliding across the floor. Luckily, I think they were plastic. They didn't sound like glass, and none broke, but I didn't know A-1 was packed in plastic. Then again, I can't remember the last time I actually bought any.

Every other time I've gone shopping, the store's been nearly deserted of clerks. But I usually go shopping in the afternoon. Yesterday, I went in the morning. The morning before the new ads come out, prices change, etc., etc. Of course, the store was full of clerks and not 10 seconds after I ruined the display, one came running up and said “It's okay, we'll get it.” I apologized profusely and fled off to another aisle. When I went back the other way about 5 minutes later, the bottles had been picked up and put in a shopping cart. The clerks were just finishing collapsing the display that I had run into (which remained standing while the other did not).

The ironic thing here? I had coupons for A-1, though I wasn't planning on purchasing any. Maybe it was some strange magnetism that attracted the cart to the display. I still have the coupons, though.

Albertsons has some of the highest prices in the area. In order of prices on things I usually buy, it’s Fry’s has the lowest, Basha’s, Albertson’s, Safeway. At least as far as non-sale items go. Anyway, on to the Albertson’s trip!

Product	Retail price (each)	Sale price (each)	Coupon	Final price (each)
2 bottles Albertson’s water, 1 liter (shopping is thirsty work)	$0.89	$0.89 (I think the shelf said this was on sale, but the receipt doesn’t show that. Oh well.)	N/A	$0.89
8 cans Van Camp’s Pork & Beans	$0.79	$0.45	$0.40 off 4 (1 coupon) $0.35 off 2 (2 coupons)	$0.31
2 bottles French’s Spicy Brown Mustard	$1.79	$1.00	$0.50 off 1 (2 coupons)	$0.50
French’s yellow mustard	$1.79	$1.00	$0.30	$0.70
3 bottles TreeTop Apple Juice, 64oz	$3.55	$1.67	$0.50 (3 coupons)	$1.17
2 bags Lay’s Wavy BBQ chips	$2.99	BOGO – $1.50	Store coupon, $2.50 off chips or soda with purchase of 3 bottles TreeTop apple juice	$0.25
1 bottle Gatorade Lemonade (to go with the water)	$1.29	$0.77	N/A	$0.77
4 cans Happy Tails canned cat food	$0.33	$0.25	N/A	$0.25
2 cans Happy Tails Dog food	$0.55	$0.50	N/A	$0.50
3 bottles Ken’s Salad Dressing (2 ceasar, 1 greek olive)	$3.79	$1.00	$1.00	$0.00
2 bottles Mrs. Dash Lemon Herb Peppercorn Marinade	$3.49	$2.50	$1.00	$1.50
Sweet Baby Ray BBQ sauce	$2.49	$2.00	$1.00	$1.00
2 boxes Post Cocoa Pebbles, 14oz	$4.39	$2.00	$1.00 off 2 boxes Pebbles	$1.50
2 boxes Post Honeycomb, 14.5oz	$3.99	$2.00	$1.00 off, 2 coupons	$1.00
2 Reach Toothbrushes	$2.99	$1.00	$1.00 off 2	$0.50
1 3-bar pack Dial soap	$1.99	$1.00	$0.75	$0.25
Gillette Series Antiperspirant/Deodorant	$2.99	$1.00	$1.50	-$0.50
Right Guard Antiperspirant/Deodorant	$2.99	$1.00	$0.75	$0.25
Totals	$85.38	$42.14	$19.40	$22.74

Percentage saved off retail: 73%
Percentage saved off sale: 46%

Walmart. I have no idea what the ‘true retail’ price for most of these things are, except that they are more expensive at other stores.

Product	Retail price (each)	Sale price (each)	Coupon	Final price (each)
Quilted Northern Bathroom Tissue, 12 double rolls	$5.97	$5.97	$0.50 off	$5.47
Purina Little Bites Indoor Complete, 4lbs	$3.87	$3.87	$1.00 off	$2.87
Hefty OneZip 1-gallon, 30 bags	$3.23	$3.23	$1 off	$2.23
Solar/Battery Powered Calculator	$1	$1	N/A	$1
2 bags cat litter	$2.22	$2.22	N/A	$2.22
Kibbles & Bits Homestyle, 20lbs	$10.22	$10.22	$1 off	$9.22
Totals:	$28.73	$28.73	$3.50	$25.23

Percentage saved: 12%

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Bashas. Again. I LOVE BBQ sauce!

Product	Retail price (each)	Sale price (each)	Coupon	Final price (each)
12 bottles Cattleman’s BBQ Sauce. Honey, Original and Smoke House	$2.69	$1.50	Each bottle COMES WITH a $0.50 coupon. Doubled to $1	$0.50
2 cannisters pop biscuits	$0.69	$0.50	N/A	$0.50
12 packets of McCormick Skillet Paste (3 each Country Herb Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Thick & Spicy BBQ Pork, Teriyaki Beef)	$2.89	$0.33	N/A	$0.33
2 packets McCormic Country Gravy Was in a hurry, didn’t realize that the clerk had confused these for the skillet paste. Oops. Sorry Bashas!	$1.89?	$1.50 $0.33	N/A	$0.33
Lawry Sloppy Joe seasoning	$1.49	$0.79	N/A	$0.79
Basha’s Tomato paste	$0.55	$0.50	N/A	$0.50
1 Gallon Shamrock Farms milk	$3.99	$2.39	N/A	$2.39
2 Packets McCormick TexMex Chili seasoning	$0.89	$0.50	N/A	$0.50
Totals	$79.93	$31.14 $28.80	$12.00	$19.03 $16.29

Percentage saved off retail: 80%
Percentage saved off sale: 42%

According to my Basha’s receipt, I have now purchased 2 out of 5 bottles of milk needed to get a free bottle. I can’t remember the last time I purchased milk at Basha’s. Weird.

Shopping at Basha’s, again. This time, I brought ALL my coupons with me, thus I could take advantage of the unadvertised sales:

Product	Retail Price (each)	Sale Price (each)	Coupon	Final price (each)
Total – Vanilla Yogurt, 16.9oz	$3.49	$1.99	$0.50 off 1 box Total – doubled to $1	$0.99
Total – Vanilla Yogurt, 16.9oz	$3.49	$1.99	$1.00 off two boxes General Mills cereal	$1.49
Lucky Charms – Berry	$4.89	$1.99		$1.49
2 Boxes Instant Rice, 28oz	$2.99	$2.50	N/A	$2.50
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, 10 pack – S’mores	$3.19	$2.50	$1 off 2 boxes	$1.50
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, 10 pack – Oatmeal Raisin	$3.19	$2.50		$1.50
Dreyer’s Dibbs Ice Cream, Strawberry	$3.99	$2.50	$0.75 off, ‘doubled’ to $1.00	$1.50
Cattleman’s BBQ Sauce (2 bottles)	$2.69	$1.50	$1.00 off 1 bottle $0.50 off one bottle, doubled to $1	$0.50
Malt-O-Meal Cinnamon Toasters, 21oz	$4.59	$2.00	$0.50, doubled to $1.00	$1.00
Malt-O-Meal Honey Nut Toasty Os, 21oz	$4.59	$2.00	$0.50, doubled to $1.00	$1.00
Totals:	$44.78	$25.47	$8.00	$17.47

Percentage saved off retail: 61%
Percentage saved off sale prices: 31%

First stop today was CVS Pharmacy for Ajax dish soap.

Ajax Orange Dish Soap 18oz – $1.49
Ajax Grapefruit Dish Soap 18oz – $1.49 BOGO end price – Free
Coupon -$0.20

Total retail price: $2.98
End price for both bottles: $1.29
Price per bottle: $.65

Percentage saved off retail: 56%
Percentage saved off sale: 13%

I also got a register coupon for $2.50 off a CVS purchase of $10 or more.

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Next stop, OscoDrug!
4 packages of Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix – $2.89ea. – sale price $1.50ea.
4 coupons for $0.50 off each package

6 bags of LifeSavers Gummies – $1.99ea. – sale price $1ea.
3 coupons for $1 off two bags

1 bottle blue Gatorade (good shape for water) – $2 – sale $1

2 tubes Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste – $3.39ea. – sale $2.50ea.
2 coupons for $1 off each tube off toothpaste

1 box Krusteaz Blueberry Muffin mix – $2.39 – sale – $1.19

Total retail price: $34.73
Total sale price: $19.19
Total coupons: -$7.00
End price: $12.19

Percentage saved off retail: 79%
Percentage saved off sale: 36%

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Now on to Walgreens…

3.5lb bag of cat food – $3.49

10lb bag of cat litter – $1.99

3 tubes of Aquafresh toothpaste – $1.99ea – sale $1ea
3 coupons for $1 off each tube

1 two pack of Aquafresh toothbrushes – $2.99
1 coupon for $1 off

1 ten pack of toothbrushes – $1

4 bars Lady Speed Stick antiperspirant/deodorant – $2.99ea. – Sale 2@$2.79
1 coupon $0.75 off two bars
1 coupon $1.50 off one bar

2 30oz popcorn – 2@$3

2 packs Orbit gum – $0.99ea.
1 coupon BOGO (buy one, get one) Orbit gum

1 Saturday newspaper – $0.46

Total retail price: $32.84
Total sale price: $21.51
Total coupons: -$7.25
End price: $14.26

Percentage saved off retail: 57%
Percentage saved off sale: 34%

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Last stop for today, Bashas!

2 boxes Van de Kamps fish – $6.79ea – sale $3.50
1 coupon $1 off two boxes

2 bottles Coca Cola – $1.49ea – sale $1.25ea
2 packs Farmer John hot dogs – $2.99ea – sale $1.50
2 coupons buy 1 pack Farmer John hot dogs, get 1 bottle of Coca Cola free

2 4oz packs Athenos Feta Cheese – $2.89ea – sale $2ea
1 coupon $1 off 2 packs Athena Feta Cheese

1 bottle Cattleman's BBQ Sauce – $2.69ea – sale $1.50
1 coupon $1 off

1 jar Best Foods mayo – $3.29 – sale $2.50

1 bottle Betadine iodine solution – $5.99 – sale $1

2 bottles Zim's Crack Cream Hand sanitizer – $6.99 – sale $1

2 packs antimicrobial drops – $17.49 – sale $0.10

1 pound Blue Bonnet margarine, sticks – $1.39 – sale $0.99

Total retail price: $90.64
Total sale price: $25.33
Total coupons: -$5.50
End price: $19.83

Percentage saved off retail: 78%
Percentage saved off sale: 22%

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Total retail price for all four stores: $161.19
Total sale price for all four stores: $67.52
Total coupons used: $19.95
Total spent: 47.57

Total percentage saved off retail: 70%
Total percentage saved off sale: 30%

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In addition, each Aquafresh product includes 3 free music downloads worth $0.99 each. 5 tubes of toothpaste and 1 package of toothbrushes makes 6 products and 18 downloads, worth $17.82.

If you add that price in, you get:
Total retail: $179.01
Total sale price: $85.34

Total percentage saved off retal: 73%
Total percentage saved off sale: 44%

All in all, not too bad.

I read a site about a woman who, using sales and coupons, ended up with $330 worth of groceries for $27. Now… I don't expect to be able to do that every week. Possibly once a month or so. I'll start keeping track.

Tomorrow's the first coupon trip. Six stores planned; which is more or less how many I'd go to without coupons. I've got approximately $25 worth of coupons I'll be using at the stores on $60 worth of goods. And I'll be buying things I don't have coupons for.

So how much will I spend? And how much will I save? And, perhaps most importantly, how long will it take me to eat 3 bags of LifeSavers gummies?

While trying to find the lyrics to the Star Trek theme that Nichelle Nichols sang (no, it's not the lyrics Gene Roddenberry wrote; these're different links), I came across where someone had uploaded the record album cover for 'Beyond Antares'. Since I had not/have not seen the lyrics for the other song on the album, I have done my best to type out 'Uhura's Theme' as best I can read the tiny print.

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Uhura's Theme – Nichelle Nichols
—
Galaxies of stars
They can all be ours
If we wish them to
Somewhere beyond the sky
Follow without asking why
Won't you come with me
Find our destiny
Just believe and dreams come true
Can't you hear the call
Coming from above
Don't be scared at all
Just trust in me my love, my love
See the milky way
Let us kneel and pray
Peace must reign up here
Somewhere beyond the sky
Follow without asking why
I'm so glad we came
Hope you feel the same
Wonder where we'll be next year
Wonder where we'll be next year

Where will we be… my darling
The place doesn't really matter
Just let me roam the galaxies with you
For our destiny
Eternal peace and love
In this beautiful universe
Beloved
Will sea of stars
infinity
Listen
Can you hear the call
Coming from above
Don't be scared at all
Trust in me my love
I'm so glad we came
Hope you feel the same
Wonder where we'll be next year
Wonder where we'll be next year

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And I'm still looking for the Star Trek theme lyrics as sung by Nichelle Nichols.