Weekly Grocery Savings - Total savings $142.51

This morning I went on my weekly grocery trip armed with my coupons, detailed shopping list and a very chatty toddler.

I started out at CVS, where I had a few things I wanted to pick up. I had a rain check for BOGO goldfish, and I also wanted to take advantage of a sale on Puff facial tissues.

This is what I bought:

Bayer Contour Blood on sale at 14.99 (saved $65)

2 Puff's facial tissue at 99 cents each total $2.97 (saved $3.48)

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish with raincheck bogo sale 2 for $2.19 (saved $2.19)

Subtotal $20.15

I had a coupon for the Bayer meter for up to 30 dollars, so it saved me the 14.99.

Total $5.16

I then paid with 5 CVS bucks I had leftover from last week, so out of pocket cost was

$.16

I received 5 CVS bucks back towards my next purchase

Total savings $90.66

We do not have any use for the blood glucose meter, so I always give them away to this one lady from Freecycle. She is a nurse, and she often brings these out to newly diagnosed with diabetes or to those without health care. I always save the coupons for the glucose meters, as often go on sale at CVS and sometimes (like this week) they will have them on sale with bucks back (and free after coupon).

Next stop was Publix where I spent $64.88 and saved $51.85.

It was not 50 percent, but with the CVS purchases the total for the week ended up being:

• Total spent $65.04
• Total saved $142.51

If I do not calculate the Bayer glucose meter in the savings I will still have weekly savings of 62.52, which almost makes it a savings of 50 percent.

This is for a family of four.

Some of my best deals at Publix were:

• Hunts Ketshup (26 oz) on sale at 2 for $3, with a .20 coupon, making them $1.40 each with a savings of ($1.78)
• Juicy Juice 64 oz on bogo sale at 2 for 3.49 making them $1.75 each with a savings of ($3.49).
• Publix half-gallon ice cream on sale at $2.50, I had a $1 coupon and paid $1.50 with a total savings of ($2.49).
• Pop Secret popcorn 6 pks. on bogo sale at 2 for $4.69. I had a $1 coupon off two, so I paid a total of $3.69 or $1.85 each with a total savings of ($5.69).
• Fat Boy Ice Cream sandwhiches on bogo sale at 2 for $4.49, making them $2.25 each with a savings of $4.49.

I wasn't sure about whether or not to buy the ice cream sandwiches, but I decided that the boys could need a good treat once in a while, especially since we are currently about 90 degrees every day.

Although the ice cream truck drives by several times a day playing music, they never ask to get any as they know it is too expensive. By buying these, they can now get a treat just like at the ice cream truck but for 32 cents each, instead of the $2 they would likely cost at the ice cream truck. I think everyone wins this way, and hopefully I will continue to have boys, who do not whine when they see the ice cream truck.

The best of my veggie deals were:

8 Florida corn for $2

2 Florida cucumbers for $1

5lb bag of apples for $2.99

Two mini watermelons $0 (These were a replacement for two bad watermelons I got last week).

How much do you spend on your grocery shopping each week?

Do you go every week, two weeks or how often do you go?

Has it increased or decreased over the past year or two?