From O magazine: $40 Shopping Cart (I had a hard time believing this...)

M

marilynfl

Moderator
$40 Shopping Cart $40.19

*this reflects typical sale prices in the writer’s area. Melba Newsome lives in Charlotte, NC

Here's the list from the magazine. I started to annotate the prices I paid for the same product recently (in parenthesis), but it got too damned depressing. Do I need to move to Charlotte?

3 pounds of frozen ground turkey = $3.00 ($12 at $3.99 a pound)

1 pound fresh tilapia = $2.59 ($6.99 a pound)

1 pound London broil = $2.39

1 pound black beans = $0.88

2 chickens (5 pounds each) = $5.75 (last chicken I bought cost $6.99)

1 dozen eggs = $0.99 ($3.2)

4 pounds chicken thighs = $3.56

1 pound bananas = $0.49

1 pound Bosc pears = $0.99

3 pounds collard greens = $1.00

2 pounds eggplant = $1.58

2 pounds apples = $1.98

3 pounds yellow onions = $1.19

1 head green-leaf lettuce = $1.49

5 heads garlic = $1.29

1 twelve oz jar peanut butter = $1.50

1 42-oz box oats = $2.14

1 loaf bread = $1.69

1 48-oz bottle canola oil = $1.97

1 pound brown rice = $0.50

1/2 gallon milk = $1.89

1/2 pound jalapeno peppers = $0.30

6 oz. cumin = $1.00

 
It can be done Marilyn, it just takes a bit of work and planning. 2 weeks

ago I bought chicken leg and thighs for .59#. I have to buy 5# to get that price (I try to get it when it's .49#). I bought 10# so I paid $5.90 for it. I break it down and package for the 2 of us per meal and freeze. I do the same thing with breasts when they are on sale and they usually come with the back bone. I remove the half breast and keep the bones packaged separately. I package the breasts per meal and freeze them and the bones. When I have the amount of bones I want I make stock. I shop at Publix (I don't really have a choice) and I shop by the sales that week. Yesterday I bought Peter Pan peanut butter at 2x1 so I paid $2.37 for 2 - 16.3 oz. jars. But on top of that I had 2 $1 off coupons for them so I paid .37 for 2. I have learned that products go on 2x1 sale about every 6 weeks So I try and buy the quantity that will last me for that time. Yesterday I spent $81.18 and I saved $37.30. That's not bad but coupons have been puny recently. I can direct you to a site where I learned how to do this if you're interested.

 
Very cool Orchid! I love it when I get a deal! Would love to know the site you found helpful.TIA

 
I have a super hard time believing this for my area...

For one thing, every time I've read about folks who use coupons, they always talk about double or triple coupon days. I've never ever seen any market here that offers this. So, deal over before it even starts.

I'd love to hear more about making something like this work!

Just to compare I looked at Safeway online for my area. Couldn't find a 12oz jar of peanut butter but they have "Smart Balance" brand at 16oz on sale 2 for $6. Double their price of $1.50 for 12oz.

 
Sure Barb, and I have more that I'm going to post separately. It's called Southern Savers.

I can't remember where you are Barb but this site covers stores for N.C., S.C., Georgia and Florida. No matter where you live you can certainly learn from what she teaches on her site. I have learned a ton and still learning. She post weekly sales ads for the major stores like Target, CVS etc. and grocery stores in the south. Sadly, the only one that I have now in Fl. is Publix so I have to do what I can and make the best of it. Each week she shows what is in the sales add AND shows the coupons that will go with them. She makes my life a lot easier. Then all I have to do is round up my coupons. We get them out of the paper each Sunday, John helps me with that, or sometimes I'll need to print out one. Publix will take a vendor coupon for EACH item so even if I'm buying something 2x1 I can use 2 coupons. Then sometimes Publix will have their own coupon for an item and I can "stack" them. Many times I will get items free. Really! Many times there will be an item that I really won't use but if it is free, I get it and when I have several items stored up I will donate to a food bank. They really need it. Or churches know how to distribute it. I will buy as many of them as I can get my hands on the coupons if they are free. Each week after she posts the ads she will do a separate post showing $1 or less items. I look at it closely and buy if I can. There are many areas on the site that show you how to save so even if these stores don't cover your area you can learn how she does it and go on line and see if there is a site like hers that does the same kind of thing. There are others out there I know. I'm going to post a link to last weeks Publix from this site to show you how it's laid out. Hope this helps.

http://www.southernsavers.com/

 
Maria, I know some states a store will take double coupons. I know

they can do that in Georgia and S.C. I can't. My stores will take a vendor and a company coupon for an item. I'm posting a link (hopefully) for last weeks ad that I went by. I can just click the little box next to the item and it will put a check mark in the box. When I have gone through and chosen what items work for me I can click Print Ad and then it will open in a new window for me to see. It will print all the coupons that will go with each item and where I can get them. I really want you to notice at the very beginning of the page she talks about some wine that they list in the ad "on sale". She points out that it isn't. You'll note she says she doesn't post things like that and I have really learned to trust her. I also try to be aware of prices. It's a lot of work but I'm a very organized person so I've really gotten a system over this last year. Look on line for someone that might have a site for your area that does the same thing. Maybe while your recuperating you will be able to just look at her site and maybe get some ideas. I've learned a lot and really save a lot of money. I have actually seen John take a receipt to work with him to show them how much money they can save if they would just go to her site. My best one so far was a $80 bill and I paid $20. Honest, I was pretty proud of that one. I have posted this site here before so all Floridians should be saving money. Hope this helps Maria and I wish you the best for tomorrow. Be sure and check in with us when you're up to it. You know we get anxious!

http://www.southernsavers.com/2011/03/publix-weekly-ad-323-329-or-324-330/

 
your working hours not to mention your commute time is not very

friendly for this but...what's Lar doing? John helps me. ;0) The link for Southern Savers covers Publix. Why not pull it up each week and just click on the items you know you use, make a list and print it. There are always basic item we all use or need, TP, detergent, dry pasta, Mayo, shampoo etc. and those and many other things will have long expiration dates on them. Why not buy them when they are a good price? Do you get the Sunday paper? Coupon books are in every Sunday. RP/Red Plum, SS/Smart Source and P&G/Proctor Gamble. Look through them and just cut out what you use. I used to just do that but after missing out on FREE! items that could be given away that I won't use I now take out what I know I will use and I keep the remainder, dated, in a file box for them. Now when a great deal comes along I can get to them. A bit more work but I'm choosing to do it for now. Times are tough for too many and if I can help, I'll do it.

 
Cool site, orchid - thanks for the link! (question inside)

I went to the Publix section first and was wondering if you knew what the amounts in parentheses are for?

Example: V8 100% Vegetable juice 46 oz, at $3.19 ($1.59)

Looking forward to your other links!

Thanks again,
Debbie

 
Sure Debbie and boy, you could really do well with this site cause

I think you have lots of the other grocery stores that I don't have. Plus, I believe Georgia stores take double or more coupon for items. Be sure and ask at your store if that is the case. Check them all out that you have. To your question, the first is the price for one. The second is what the price would be for each. So you can think of it as you are getting 2 for the price of 1 (the first #) or you are paying (the second #) for each. The same thing either way you want to look at it. And keep in mind, I believe the gal who does this site, Jenny, is in S.C. so yours and my prices might be slightly different. It's not usually off by very much though so I can always get a good idea. Jenny is really good at pointing out when Publix has coupon on their site but you might just want to go to Publix.com and check for coupons. Remember you can "stack" a Publix and a vendor coupon on each item. Also the Publix in my area will take a coupon that is 30 days or less out of date. Ask your stores. Go to the service counter, the cashier may not know. Trust me, I used to work there and I had to tell them. Publix actually encourages you to use coupons. They are going out of the way to help you save money. Honest. One time I remember reading a memo from the Southern District V.P. that said, "we're getting a lot of complaints from customers about coupons. Lets find a way to make them work." That would include Georgia.
Hey, they don't call me chatty Kathy for nothin...

 
If you have access to Publix, here's another site that's saved me so much money. Orchid, there's a

Winn/Dixie coupon for $5 off $30 in the Winn/Dixie add this week. Publix here takes them. There was one last week, also. Love the $5 off.

http://www.iheartpublix.com/

 
Yes, Curious our Publix will take other grocery stores but not Target or

others like that. Some other states they will. Bummer cause often there are printable coupons from Target but I can't use them. I heard recently of that site but I forgot to go look at it. I'll do it now. Thanks.

 
Cheapest I've seen whole chickens for...99 cents/pound. (2) 5 pounders for less than $6. HA!!

 
I know Traca, our friends where here visiting a while back from S.C.

and we compared some prices. Whoa, there was a difference. So we have to do what we can. Last week whole chickens were 89 cents a #. I have gotten cheaper but it has been a while so I got 3 and froze them. I have been waiting and hoping they would come down but it doesn't look like it. We just need to know that some areas of the country are lower priced than others and then try and make the best of where we live. We CAN save money. It may not be the cheapest for some but it's the best for us.

 
I had a friend who loaded her cookbook w/ shrimp recipes. We looked at prices here. Shocking!

 
Debbie in GA be sure to check this link that Curious posted. It looks

to me that this person may be based in Atlanta. That could be a plus to you.

 
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