The Great Aldi Experiment

All this for $37.18 plus tax

I've been reading on some of my favorite Frugal blogs about how much Frugals love to shop at Aldi. Up until recently, I wasn't willing to drive the half-hour to my closest store to take advantage of the savings. Just in the last few weeks, a new Aldi has opened up about 10 minutes from my house. I was determined only to buy the very basics this week (milk, produce, cheese) and I didn't want to stock up on any major coupon deals at the regular grocery stores.

Here are my observations from my fun Aldi trip:

(1) Bring your own bags and a quarter. Aldi strives hard to minimize their overhead costs. A few of the amenities we are accustomed to at traditional grocery stores do not exist at Aldi. They do not employ baggers or courtesy clerks. If you want to use a grocery cart, pop a quarter into the receptacle to check out a cart. The quarter is returned when you return your cart. Also, bring your own bags, and plan on spending a few minutes at the "bagging area" after you check out.

(2) Aldi is a small grocery store. They mostly carry house brands to minimize costs, and they do not accept coupons. They have a fairly good selection of groceries, but did not carry everything I wanted. For example, they had only white rice, and not brown rice. The dried bean selection consisted only of pinto beans. They were also out of spring mix salad blend, but did carry other bagged salad selections.

(3) Some of the produce prices were amazing! The produce section was small, but the quality of the produce looked good. Here are some of the amazing prices I found:

3 lbs. large gala apples, $1.19/bag (I bought 2 bags!)

whole Dole pineapple, 99c ($2.99-$3.99 elsewhere)

48 oz. zucchini, 99c

large pumpkin, $2.49 (These are $5.99 at other stores!)

bananas, 39c/lb (69c at other stores!)

broccoli crowns, $1.49

(4) Aldi is a good place to buy basic baking supplies. I bought a bag of all-purpose flour for $1.49. I'd have paid at least a dollar more at Publix or Kroger. I also bought a 2 c. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips for $1.69. Basic baking supplies rarely go on sale, except for a little bit around Thanksgiving and Christmas. I usually do not stock up at the holidays enough to last all year, so it's nice to have a lower cost source.

(5) Aldi has great prices on dairy products. Dairy is another thing we go through quickly. I bought skim milk for $1.49/gallon. Whole milk was an incredible 99c/gallon. I also bought blocks of mozzarella and cheddar cheese for $1.49/8 oz., a good price.

(6) Aldi has a double guarantee on their house brands. If you don't like something, they will refund your money and replace the product.

Have you shopped at Aldi? Do you have any good tips to share?

Kroger and Walgreens: Lots of Frees (Wags Paid Me!)

I hit Walgreens and Kroger while my son was in music lessons today. I had something happen that has never happened to me before. Walgreens paid me money back to shop there!

Walgreens

M&Ms, 49c

Twix, 49c

Milky Way, 49c

Milky Way Dark, 49c

2 Rimmel Nail Polish, Buy-One Get-One sale

Used 2 x $1/2 Mars products

Used 1 Buy-One Get-One Free Manufacturer Q.

I was expecting to pay tax on this transaction, but the cashier handed me a gift card with a 20c credit on it!

Kroger

My receipt got completely eaten up in the register, so I do not know what percentage I saved, but I expect it was over 85%. If I had not bought the apples and potatoes, it would have been in the high 90% range.

8 Playtex Handsaver Gloves, $1 ea - $1 Q = FREE

5 Crest Toothpastes, $1 ea - 50c Q, doubled = FREE

(coupons expire on 7/31)

5 Oral B Toothbrushes, $1 ea - $1 Q = FREE

(coupons expire on 7/31)

2 Purina Friskies Cat Food, $3.29 - $3.50 Q (www.giveabowl.com) = FREE

(cashier adjusted down the value of the coupon)

I also received a catalina coupon for $1 off my next shopping order for buying 2 Friskies. This makes my cat food a $1 money maker.

4 Eggo Waffles, 98c - $1 Q = FREE

(These are part of a Thursday only 50% off Kellogg's Sale at Kroger. My cashier adjusted down the value of the coupons. Kroger registers do not allow overage.)

7 Mahatma White Rice 1 lb., $1.09 - ea - 50c Q, doubled = 9c each

1 Mahatma Brown Rice, 28 oz, $2.29 - 50c Q, doubled = $1.29

(My coupons would expire on 7/31.)

Cinnabon Bars, $1.99 - $1 Printable = 99c

(Also part of the Kellogg's Thursday 50% off sale.)

10 lbs. potatoes, $1.99

3 lbs. apples, $2.49, Manager's Special

Trader Joes: Frugal Friend or Foe?

I used to shop at Trader Joe's more often. It isn't very close to my house, and I haven't been there in a very long time. My kids and husband really like the chili-lime chicken burgers and the buffalo burgers. I did so well on my Publix trip this week, only spending about $44, so I thought I would pick up some things that my family had been asking for.

Trader Joe's does accept coupons for name-brand items that they sell. The thing is, most of their products are house brands, for which there are no coupons. They have reasonably priced food, but no real knock-out sales. The store is really full of lots of organic, all-natural, and "healthy" type fare. I also find the store to be full of tempting, interesting fare, such as dark chocolate covered edamame. (I didn't buy it this trip because I know I don't control myself very well when eating it. LOL!)

So, instead of going in to buy two things, one box of chicken burgers and one box of buffalo burgers, I troll the aisles with my son and casually pick up $55 worth of merchandise!! Well, this has been a good lesson for me. I will have some nice and interesting things to add to my menus over the next couple of weeks, but if you want to stick to a strict budget, be careful in TJ's!

Do you shop at Trader Joe's? Do you find it easy to stick within a budget?

Watermelon

4 apples

3 lbs. organic cherries ($1.99/lb, and they are delicious!)

2 lbs. raisins

2 boxes chili-lime chicken burgers

2 boxes buffalo burgers

3 bags tortilla chips

frozen salmon

frozen shrimp

Z-bar for my son (not shown)

Total: $55.53, including tax

All*You Grocery Challenge Updage

I am participating in the All*You grocery challenge, which is 4 weeks of food spending of $25 or less per person in your household. This spending includes eating out as well as groceries, but does not include non-food items. For my family of five, this is $125 per week, an easily attainable goal.

I thought it might be fun to recap the week's expenses. What a crazy week! I spent only $42.40 on groceries. However, we spent $72.58 on eating out this week. This is really funny because we are not big on eating out usually.

The main lesson for the week is that yes, you can eat out on a food budget, and this even included the expense of my husband taking out a good friend who has been a boon to him professionally. You can even be generous on a food budget. Next week, however, I'm sure that out eating out expenses will be much lower!

I think the principle behind being able to spend this much on eating out this week is that strategic coupon use combined with stockpiling gives you the flexibility to take a week off from major grocery shopping.

The All*You Grocery Challenge is tracking expenses from Monday through Sunday, which is funny, because I always thought Sunday was the first day of the week.

Week 1: 7/13 - 7/19

7/14: Husband breakfast with Bible Study Group, $4

7/15: Coffee at Panera Bread, $1.81

7/16: Life Cafe lunch with kids, $24.37

(This is really unusual for me to take the kids out to lunch during the middle of the week!)

7/16: Kroger groceries, $36.74

7/17: Target, $1.27

7/17: Dreamland BBQ, $42.40

7/18: Kroger, $4.39 (food expenses only)

Total Grocery: $42.40 (37%)

Total Eating Out: %72.58 (63%)

Total Food Expenses Week 1: $72.58

I'm looking forward to week 2, especially since it has been over a week since I have been to my favorite store: Publix!

Saving Money on Fresh Produce

My family is crazy for fresh fruits and veggies.  They taste so good, and they are so very, very good for you.  Creative home keepers can find ways to save money on fresh produce.  Gardening is a great frugal choice, and we have a few plants for that end.  Some people visit local farmers markets.  I have found a good local resource in my area is Super H Mart, a largely Asian grocery store.  They have an amazing selection of produce, and generally have some excellent prices on some of their offerings.

Here are the fruits and veggies I bought today at Super H Mart, for a total of $16.21 including tax.  Almost half of that was for the HUGE watermelon, which I have been totally craving lately!

**Super Buys**

2 x 12 oz. bags of Eat Smart broccoli florettes $0.79/2.  (These are something like $2 each at Kroger or Publix!)

5 juice oranges for $1 (20c each!)

2 bags of carrots @ 69 c each.  This is another thing we eat almost everyday.

3 lb. apples $1.99, my daughter's special request.

3 limes, 10c each (Great to add to ice water or tea!)

Head of red leaf lettuce, 99c

** Other Buys **

Watermelon  $6.99

Cucumber 69c

Georgia Peaches 99c / lb

Publix Totally Rocks! 75% Savings

Yet another unbelievable trip to Publix this week.  The savings just continue to roll.  I even forgot a couple of competitor coupons at home, but I still saved 75%.  The haul was so big, I couldn't fit it into one photo.  The Lord has certainly blessed us with our daily bread this week.  

 Here are some highlights:

3 Boxes Mini Wheats (one is in the next photo)  BOGO $1.95 ea - $1 MQ = 95c each

7 x 4-packs of Yo-Plus Yogurt BOGO $1.25 ea - 50c MQ doubled = 25 c each 4-pack

 

7 Glad Cling Wrap 100 sq. ft.  Advantage Buy $1 each - $1 MQ (See below post) = FREE

7 Ritz Crackers BOGO $1.75 each - $1 MQ - $1 Target Q = FREE + overage

1 Box Wheat Thins (on right edge of photo)  FREE Q When you buy Ritz from Sunday's Paper

Cascade Rinse agent :  FREE item coupon from a home mailer.

8 Boxes Smart Taste Pasta:  $1.25 Advantage Buy - $1/2 MQs = 75 C per box

4 Yakisoba Noodles: 89c - 35c MQ doubled = 19c each (a great on-the-go lunch)

Tidy Cats Litter, 20 lbs:  $9.89 - $2 MQ - $4 Publix Q (any Purina pet product) from Family Style mag = $3.89, a wonderful price for 20 lbs. of premium scoopable cat litter!

8 McCormick Grill Mate Seasonings:  BOGO 99c each - 50c MQ doubled = FREE

4+ lbs. apples (in 4 approx. 1-lb bags):  Used 4 Target coupons for $1 off 1 lb. apples

Breyers Ice Cream: BOGO @ 2.50 ea - $75 MQ from Sunday's paper, = $1.75!

Publix Window Cleaner $0.01 with Penny Item Coupon

J&J First Aid Items: All Free with $3/2 MQ from blinkie machine and $2/2 from Green Advantage Buy flyer.

Reach Floss:  $1.49 - 50c MQ doubled - $1 Publix Q = FREE plus overage

Visine Eye Drops:  BOGO $3.99 each, used $3 off Qs, so 99c each.  These are really handy during allergy season!

I also used a $5 off $25 purchase from Kroger and one $5 off $25 from Rite Aid.

I hope this gives you some great ideas for your trip!

Final Tally:

Total Value of Groceries:  $218.87

Vendor's Coupons:  $65.69

Store Coupons:  $36.58

Advertised Special Savings:  $46.92

Advantage Buy Savings:  $13.87

Total Savings at Publix:  $163.06

Total before Tax:  50.37

Total after tax:  55.81

75% Savings

76% Savings at Kroger

I stopped by Kroger on the way home from taking my kids to school.

I had heard from a friend that Kroger would double only one of a like coupon, and the others would only ring up at face value.  I'm happy to report that that was not true on my Kroger trip today.  I used 2 x 50c Angel Soft toilet tissue coupons and 5 x 50c Mahatma rice coupons, all of which doubled!  (It made the TP 28c per 4-pack and the rice FREE!)

 Kraft BBQ sauce is $1.25 each.  You can get your own $1 off printable coupons HERE and HERE.  Final price is 25c each!  This is a good time to stock up on condiments, as they are never on sale in the winter!

Milk $1.99

Rice 99c - 50c Q  doubled = FREE

TP = $1.28 - 50c Q doubled = 28 c

Kroger cereal bars = FREE with coupon from Kroger home mailer*

Propel water = FREE with coupon from the Kroger catalina machine

Pizza Cheese, 8 oz $1.19 each.  I needed these for pizza later this week!  (These actually rang up at $1.99, so I had to go to customer service for a refund of the overcharged amount.  Too bad Kroger doesn't have an equivalent of the Publix Promise!)

*If you have not registered your Kroger card on the Kroger website, you should do so, and sign up to receive the home mailers.  They issue these about once per quarter, and send you coupons for the things you use.  Usually they send you a coupon or two for a FREE item!

Final cost for all the above items:  $7.10, or 76% saved!

So this Coupon Walks Into Target...

Kashi Waffles, 29c per box!

I had to go to Target for another reason today, but I decided to price check the Kashi Waffles.  I had four IP (internet printable) coupons for $1.50 off a box, and I received another five in the mail from Vocal Point over the weekend.  

WOW, I'm glad I did!  They were on sale for $1.79 each, so 29c per box for 9 boxes.  

The Banana boat 1-oz. tubes of sunscreen were free:  99c each - $1 Q.  So, yeah, they are tiny, but free is free.  The manufacturer coupon does not exclude the travel or trial sizes.

Bountiful Blessings at Publix this week

I had a wonderful trip to Publix today.   

We especially liked the freebies in the photo below.

Green Giant frozen veggies $1 - 50c Q doubled = FREE

Jello Pudding:  $2.00 - 50c Manufacturer's Q doubled - $1 Food Lion Store Q doubled = FREE

 Powerade 32 oz:  FREE item coupon from My Coke Rewards

Kashi Waffles:  $2.79- FREE item coupon from Vocal Point!

4 Glade Plug In Gel Warmers:  2 x FREE item coupons, 2 x Buy One, Get One Free coupon = 4 FREE

4 Johnson & Johnson mini-First Aid kits:  $1.47 ea - 2x $3/2 Qs = FREE

2 J&J Rolled Gauze:  $1.99 ea - $3/2 Manufacturer Qs - $2/2 Publix Qs = Free + $1.02 Overage

Electrasol Finsh dishwasher Detergent:  $2 sale - $2.50 coupon = FREE + 50c Overage

J&J Reach Floss (regular) 3 x $1.49 - 50c manufacturer's Q doubled - $1 Store Q doubled = FREE + 51c Overage each!

Publix Potato Chips = Penny Item (Technically not free, but close!)

New York Strip Steak:  Okay, this might be a stretch, but it was $9.91.  I was able to use a $5 off $25 purchase from Kroger and a $5 off $25 purchase from Rite Aid on my total order.  So, it a way they were free.  At least that is how I am rationalizing it (LOL)! = FREE

Here's the entire spread with my two shopping helpers!

There were some fabulous deals on organic and natural food items.  Here are the highlights:

Cascadian Farms Cereal $2 ea. x 3:  Used 1 x $1/2 and $1/1 = $1.50 each and $1 each.  This is really a great price for organic cereal!

Stoneyfield Yogurt 60c each x 12:  Used 3 x $1/4 coupons = 35c each

Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal:  2 x $2.50 - $1.50 Qs = $1 each

Back To Nature Cookies:  7 x $1.50 each on sale - 7 x $1 Qs = 50c each!

(We rarely buy store cookies since they are usually full of partially hydrogenated oils - - Trans Fat - - So these are a really special treat!)

Produce

My family loves to eat fresh produce.  We go through so much every week.  If you really look, however, sometimes you can find ways to reduce your fresh produce cost!

Here is what we bought

Publix Coleslaw

Florida Navel Oranges

6 lbs. Apples

Cucumbers

Wrapped Broccoli

Grapes

2 Bags Spring Mix

Coleslaw Mix

My Publix will take Target Coupons.  Target has an IP for  $1 off 1-lb or more of bulk apples.  I made 6 little bags of 2 large apples each.  This works out to about a pound.  Then, I used 6 coupons for the apples.  I also had a Kroger coupon for $4 off your $20 produce purchase. 

Total cost of produce alone before coupons: $22.60

Total value of coupons: $10.00

Net cost of produce: $12.60

  44% SAVINGS - Just on produce!

Grand Totals for this trip:

Total Value of Groceries Before Sales and Coupons:  $173.61

Total Savings $124.45

Net Cost after sales and coupons: $49.16

TOTAL SAVINGS 77%