Kroger: Manager's Special Jackpot!

I really made the trip to Kroger to get some cheap pineapples with my $1.25/2, and they were on sale for 2/$5.  But then I got up to the register...and realized I'd made a rookie mistake.  The coupon was for Del Monte, the ones on sale were Dole.  So, no pineapple for me today. :(  But, I had already hit the organic manager's special jackpot!  I didn't have coupons for these items, but they were half off as it was, and it's hard to get much better than that on these items. Had I been coming straight home I might've picked up some more, but I had lots of other stops to make...although I did have the forethought to throw a cooler in the car just in case I got something cold (because I wasn't planning to).  I was tempted to get 2 milks, but I knew we couldn't drink them before they went bad.  So here's what I got:

Total before store savings: $21.08
Total after store savings: $11.19
Savings: 47%

Horizon Organic Milk Half-Gallon @ $2.09
Horizon Organic Butter @ $2.99
Immaculate Baking Company Organic Cookies @ $2.79
Kroger Ground Beef 1.31 lbs @ $3.10

Kroger Mega Event: 5/4

I really love Mega Events.  So much free stuff!!!  You might remember that all the free pasta I got at the last Mega Event was donated to a food bank down in Orlando, FL.  I really haven't bought pasta for myself in a while, so I wanted to grab a few for myself, but a lot of these boxes will get donated.  I also came upon some Arm & Hammer Natural Deoderant that was 10/$10...normally $3.19.  So, I bought 2, but was tempted to buy more...

Total before coupons &; store sales: $48.29
Total before coupons but after Mega Event savings: $18.60 (so even w/o coupons, these things are a great price!)

Total after coupons & store savings: $6.20
Savings: 87%

*Denotes participating product in Mega Event


*(14) Boxes Ronzoni Pasta @ .49 each, so $6.87 total

     -(2) .55/1 Ronzoni quick cook found in SS 4/10/11
     -(6) $1/2 Rononi pasta found HERE
Final Price: FREE + .23 overage!

*(2) Mom's Best Natural Cereal @ .99 each, so $1.98 total
      -(2).75/1 found HERE
Final Price: .24 each, or .48 for both

*Dannon Light-N-Fit 4-pack @ $1.49
     -.40, doubled to .80, found in SS 4/10/11
Final Price: .69

(2) Knorr Sauces @ $1.59 each,  so $3.18 total
     -50/2, doubled to $1, found in SS 5/1/11
Final Price: $1.09 each, or $2.18 for both

*(2) Propel Water @ .49 each, or .98 total
     -$1/2 found in SS 2/13/11
Final Price: FREE + .02 overage!

*Boulder Chips @ .99
     -$1/1 found HERE
Final Price: FREE + .01 overage!

(2) Arm & Hammer Deodorant @ 10/$10, so $2 total
     -no coupons

Wallaby Organic Yogurt @ .69, (reg $1.29)
     -no coupons

Kroger Mega Event: LOTS of Free Pasta!

I love Kroger Mega Events!  Thanks to the new one that started yesterday, I was able to get a ton of free pasta to add to our donation box to take to Florida.  I kept 3 boxes of pasta since my stash had begun to run low since....oh, this time last year...but I put the other 13 boxes in the donation box full of Prego marinara sauce from Publix's sale last week.

I also got lucky and found peelies on the chicken for $1 off chicken WYB Philadelphia cooking cream...which I was already planning on buying anyway!  And, the chicken is hormone free and was on Manager's Special...score!  I walked out of Kroger one very happy girl...until some meanie decided he was a better driver than me when I was trying to be nice to all the people waiting behind me...but whatever, he couldn't ruin my good mood. :) 

Everything except the chicken was part of the mega event...so I had 10 items, and got the $5 off twice...which I'm already counting in my prices below.


Total before coupons & store sales: $56.33
Total after coupons & store sales: $11.18
Savings: 80%

(15) Ronzoni Pasta @ .49 each, so $7.35 total
      -$1/1 Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta found in 1/23/11 SS
      -(7) $1/2 Ronzoni pasta, including Smart Taste, Healthy Harvest & Garden Delight found HERE
Final Price: FREE + .65 overage!

(2) Philadelphia Cooking w/ Creme @ $1.99 each, or $3.98 total
     -(2) $1.50/1 blinkies
Final Price: .98 for both, or .49 each

Annie's All Natural Salad Dressing @ $1.49
     -.75/1 mailed to me by company a few months ago
Final Price: .74 cents

Huluva Good Dip @ .99
      -.50/1 found HERE
Final Price: FREE + .01 overage!

Classico Pasta Sauce @ $1.99
     -$1/1 found on Ronzoni pasta box
Final Price: .99

Perdue All-Natural Chicken @ $5.54 & $5.50 each, so $11.04 total
     -(2) $1 off chicken WYB Philadelphia Cooking w/ Cream
Final Price: $10.04

Kroger Mega Event Trip #3

So I decided to make one last trip to the Kroger Mega Event before it disappeared...and also my Kroger is closing so they had alot of stuff on sale...so I wanted to take some inventory and maybe go back armed with coupons to grab some of the clearance deals before they close!  Now, since items were everywhere, I knew I was going to have some issues at check out....for example, there was a big display for Sara Lee bread...there was mostly just white left (only 4-6 loaves on the whole display) and one wheat...my first thought was that someone just layed it down....so I looked at the tag for guidance..."assorted varieties" it said, not just white. So, I took that to mean it was included, since it wasn't excluded.  Well, of course it didn't ring up as part of the 10 items, so the cashier tricked the register and just scanned one of the Honest Ade teas twice...but then she still put in the full price of the bread (2.79, when the display said $1.49)!  I appreciate her helping me out, but I'd put something else back to get the bread, and now I wish I'd just said hold on to my order...check out the lady behind me and I'll be right back....because for that price I could've gotten cheaper bread at Publix!  But oh well.....she was trying to help.  So, that messed up my savings a bit, but I still did pretty well...in fact the lady behind me commented that they should "flash their light when someone does that well!"  HAHA

So anyway...here are my totals and the breakdown...the Mega Events really are the BEST time to shop at Kroger if you need items included in the sale...this one ends Saturday, so if you haven't gone yet, go now!

Total before coupons & store savings: $42.08
Total after coupons & store savings: $11.83
Savings: 72%

(3) Honest Ade organic tea @ .75 each, so $2.25 total
    -(3) .50/1, doubled to $1, found HERE
Final Price: Free + .75 overage!

Kroger gallon OJ @ $3.59
     -no coupon

(2) Barbaras Bakery All-Natural cereal @ $2. each, so $4 total
     -(2) $1/1 found HERE
Final Price: $1 each, or $2 for both

Cascadian Farms organic cereal @ $2.49
     -.75/1 found HERE
Final Price: $1.74

Dannon Light-N-Fit 4-pack @ $1.88
     -$1/1 found in 1/23/11 SS
Final Price: .88 cents

(2) Advil @ $2.50, or $5 total
     -(2) $2/1 found HERE
Final Price: .50 cents each, or $1 for both

(2) Reach toothbrushes @ $1 each, so $2 total
     -(2) $1/1 any Reach toothbursh or floss found in 11/11/11 RP
Final Price: FREE!

Evol organic burrito @ $1.49
     -no coupon

Sara Lee Bread @ $2.29
     -no coupon

Kroger Mega Event

Trip #1         Total before coupons & store sales: $18.48
         Total after coupons & store sales: .68
         Savings: 96%!!!

         

           Trip #2   Total before coupons & store sales: $45.91
   Total after coupons & store sales: $6.57
   Savings: 86%

So as you can see, I did this in 2 trips...I do some mystery shopping for Intellishop (read: free beer for my other half) and had to go to Kroger anyway for them.  Luckily, a new Mega Event just started and had alot of items that I actually wanted to buy!  (lots of times it's alot of processed food which I try to stay away from....).  The cashiers at this particular Kroger had trouble with coupons in both transactions, so I don't think they're used to seeing many coupons.  When a coupon beeped they tried to just hand it back to me and say sorry....and I said "I'm sorry, but that coupon should work and if it doesn't, I'll just take my order over to Customer Service to get this sorted out."  They fixed it pretty fast after that.  Except in the top transaction, I had another $1/1 ANY Reach toothbrush or floss product that beeped...well by that time, my OOP was already less than $1, so I just let it go.  I did get a comment from the cashier saying "I don't even know how you're paying less than a $1 for all this stuff..." like I was taking it out of her pocket.  So yea, not the most coupon friendly store...Anyway, I'm going to list everything in one big list, but you can see that for the Mega Event, there are 10 participating items (in the second pic I bought a few extra non-Mega Even items, hence more than 10 items.  Oh, the Sobe in the first pic is also non-Mega Event).

(3) Hunt's Tomatoes @ .49 each, so $1.47 total
      -$1/3 Kroger eCoupon found HERE
      -.45/3, doubled to .90, found in SS 1/23/11
Final Price: FREE + .43 overage!

(8) Rotel @ .49 each, so $3.92 total (I do love me some Rotel, but I'm donating a few of these!)
      -(2) $1/3 Rotel found HERE
      -Buy 3, get 1 free found in January All You magazine (and the cashier put it in as .99 even though the Mega price was .49; again unfamiliar cashiers....)
      -.25/1, doubled to .50, found in SS 1/23/11
Final Price: .43 for all 8, or a nickel a piece!

(3) Reach toothbrushes (to be donated) @ $1 each, so $3 total
      -(3) $1/1 any Reach toothbrush or floss found HERE
Final Price: FREE!

(2) Reach Floss @ $1 each, so $2
     -$.50/1, doubled to $1, found in SS 1/9/11
Final Price: $1
(Note: I had the other $1/1 but this was when it kept beeping and my total was belw $1 already, so I just let it go; sometimes you have to choose which battles to fight!)

Sobe @ .99
     -Free Sobe coupon from playing game a couple months ago
Final Price: FREE!

Kashi Cereal @ $2.99
     -$3/1 received from Vocal Point
Final Price: Free + a penny!

(2) Cascadian Farms Cereal @ $2.88 each, so $5.76 total
     -$1/2 found in product previously
Final Price: $4.76 for both, or $2.38 each

Cascadian Farms Granola Bars @ $2.88
     -Free Granola Bars wyb 2 boxes of CF cereal (value of $4.55--it took off the whole value!)
Final Price: Free + $1.67 overage!

(2) Horizon Single Serve Organic Chocolate Milk @ 10/$10, so $2 total
    -(2) $1/1 found HERE
Final Price: FREE!

Colgate Toothpaste (to be donated) @ $1.50
     -.50/1, doubled to $1, found in SS 1/2/11
Final Price: .50 cents

Finish Dishwashing Detergent @ $3.20
     -$2.25 off Finish gelpacs SS 1/2/11
Final Price: .95

(2) Garden of Eaten' Chips @ $1.49 each, so $2.98 total
    -(2) $1/1 any Garden of Eatin' chips
Final Price: .98 for both, or .49 each

Seven Cent Batteries

 A couple of weeks ago there was a great coupon for batteries: $1.50 any 4 or 8-pack Duracell Coppertop...and lo and behold, Kroger decided to put their 4-pack's on sale for $1.98! (normally $3.19)  As it always seem around here, we were in need of batteries for those oh-so important things like Wiimotes....

But, I had only gotten 1 paper, so I went online to Coupons & Things by Dede and ordered some more coupons.  Yes, I paid for her to send me coupons.  'Cept, it's illegal to sell coupons, so I was paying her $.12 per coupon for her time and cutting skills...and then paid postage as well.  Anyhow, I also knew these Suave deoderants were $.88 at Kroger as well, so I went ahead and ordered some .50/1 which would double, from Dede as well.  Only problem was, apparently Kroger has adjusted their scanners to only double to the amount of the item, not the full dollar.  Boo on them.  I was really hoping for some overage on these to cover the cost of the coupons and to go towards batteries!  Oh well.  I did go through the self-check out line the other day and it fully doubled...it must not be as smart.  Note to self: go through self-checkout next time I want coupons to full double. :)

Anyhow, I got the deodorants to donate since they were free and shelters always ask for that kind of thing.  Sadly enough for the environment, we will go through the batteries quickly.  Yes, we use rechargeables too, but my camera lasts about 2 seconds on them, and the Wiimotes won't tolerate them at all.  Ugh.

Total before coupons & store savings: $42.98
Total after coupons & store savings: $6.48 + $3 catalina for buying $15 in Duracell batteries.  So, essentially $3.48 for 44 batteries and 5 deoderants!
Savings: 92%

(11) 4-pack Duracell-AA Batteries @ $1.98/pack, so $21.78 total (I had to open one pack to put into my camera to take the picture...hence only 10 packs in pic)
      -(11) $1.50/1 found in 11/14/10 RP
Final Price: $5.28 (+1.20 for coupons-$3 catalina)=$3.28, or .07 cents per battery!

(5) Suave Deoderants @ $.88 each, so $4.40 total
      -(5) .50/1, doubled to .88 cents, found in 11/14/10 RP
Final Price: Free + .40 for coupons=.40 cents for 5, or .08 cents each

Kroger Mega Event

I did ok on this trip...I know some of this stuff goes on BOGO at Publix every now and then (i.e. Doritos and Marie Callender...actually it's on BOGO right now), but I was having trouble getting to my 10 items!  I knew I wanted the cereals, and the tuna is being donated and was free after q, and the chow mein noodles are to make haystacks this afternoon for fundraiser at hubby's school.  And of course, we always need OJ!  The chicken happened to be a great price ($1.79/lb) so I grabbed some for the day I run out and don't want to buy a bunch at one time at BJ's for a slightly higher price.  I hadn't planned on buying the bagels though, along with the pot pie...but I still got a fairly good deal on all of this. Although, I did realize on the way home that I should've just gotten another Barilla pasta and used a B1G1 coupon I have from vocalpoint...I was already using a free product q though, so it didn't even occur to me...until too late!  Oh well. :)

Total before coupons & store savings: $42.30
Total after coupons & store sales: $21.09
Savings: 50%

Kroger Gallon OJ @ $3.29
     -no coupon

(2) Kroger Chow Mein Noodles @ .75 each, so $1.50 total
     -no coupon

Tyson Chicken Breast @ $3.62
      -no coupon

Tyson Chicken Tenders @ $2.95
      -no coupon

(2) Chex Cereals @  $1.79 each, so $3.58 total (Mega Event)
     -$1/2 Chex Cereals found in11/14/10 GM
Final Price: $2.58 for both, or $1.29 each

(2) Mom's Best Natural Cereals @ .99 each, so $1.98 (Mega Event)
      -(2) .75/1 found HERE
.48 cents for both, or .24 cents each

Barilla Pasta @ $1.49 (Mega Event)
      -FREE product coupon from Vocalpoint
Final Price: FREE!

Ranch Doritos @ $2.25
     -no coupon, but part of Mega Event

Bumblebee Tuna @ .49 (Mega Event)
     -.55/1 found in 9/12/10 SS
Final Price: FREE + .05! (will be donated)

(2) Marie Calender Entrees @ $1.69 each, so $3.38 total

      -no coupons, but part of Mega Event

Lender's Bagels @ .99
      -no coupon, but part of Mega Event

Kroger Mega Event=Free!

So all of this was FREE at Kroger!  Well, minus the Orbit gum, I had to add that in at the last minute because my total went negative and the cashier told me I couldn't do that.  Which, Publix does, but I know it was all tax, and they really do have to turn that in...so I just grabbed the Orbit to bring the total back to a positive number! 

This week is a Mega Event week at Kroger, meaning they pick certain participating products, and if you buy 10 of those (you can mix and match), you automatically get $5 taken off your total.  So for example, I was watching the register and knew I should only have to pay a few cents when all was said and done...but the register was saying I owed $5.XX.  I looked and the automatic $5 hadn't come off, even though I knew I got 10 items.  So the cashier went back through and realized he hadn't rung up a Campbell's...when he did, BOOM!, off came the $5!  The lesson there is to watch the register like a hawk!

I'll be donating the pasta and toothbrush as well.  So without urther ado, here are the totals:

Total before coupons & store savings: $18.38
Total after coupons & store savings: .54 (.19 of that was tax!)
Savings: 97%

(6) Campbell's Cream of Chicken/Mushroom @ .49, so $1.47 total (price reflects post $5 savings)
     - (2) $1.50/3 Campbell's Great for Cooking soups found HERE
Final Price: FREE + .03 overage!

Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta @ .79
      -.50/1, doubled to $1, peelie found on box
Final Price: FREE + .21 overage!

Colgate Toothbrush @ $1
     -$1/1 Colgate toothbrush found HERE
Final Price: FREE!

(2) Annie's Natural Mac-N-Cheese @ .49 each, so .98 total
     -$1/2 mailed to me by company
Final Price: FREE + .01 overage!  (for some reason I kept thinking I'd be paying .50 for one box and that would eat up the other overage, not causing me to go into the negative...but I guess my brain was elsewhere!)

Orbit Gum @ .64
     -no coupon

Kroger 9/2

Since Kroger is right next to Publix, and I had a few coupons I knew would double to get me some free stuff, I made a quick stop over there.  The funny thing was, the cashier and I got into a conversation about couponing and she was telling me about how she shops at Publix because they have a better coupon policy!  Too funny...

Anyway, you can't beat super cheap veggies and rice, free frozen novelties, and items to donate!


Total before coupons & store savings:$8.11
Total after coupons & store savings: $1.15
Savings: 86%

(2) Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies @ 10/$10, so $1 each
     -$1/2 Birds Eye Steamfresh found HERE (these are also BOGO at Publix this week, for $1.19 each, so buy 2, use q, makes them .69 cents each....STILL cheap veggies!!!)
Final Price: 2 for $1, or .50 cents each

Mahatma Rice @ $1.09
    -$.50/1, doubled to $1, found HERE
Final Price: .09 cents

Minute Maid Fozen Lemonade @ 10/$10, so $1 each
    -.50/1, doubled to $1, found in RP, 8/15/10
Final Price: Free!

Van Camp Pork-N-Beans @ 10/$10, so $1 each
    -.50/1, doubled to $1, found in SS 8/01/10
Final Price: Free! (to be donated to local shelter)

Quick at Kroger

So here is the same picture I left on the post yesterday about my trip to Kroger.  Julia, you were actually pretty close with your guess of $2.  The other day, I received an envelope from Kroger with a bunch of coupons.  How I started getting those I have no idea!  I mostly shopped at Kroger up until this year when I realized how awsome Publix's coupon policy is...and never got anything!  So who knows, I guess the Kroger gods like me.

Anyway, I've started getting them every other month or so...there are mostly manufactutuer coupons which I can use anywhere, but there are always 2 free items...and this month they happened to be for Oscar Mayer Deli Meat and eggs, both of which I needed!  I tend to buy organic eggs, but you just can't beat free.  I'll go back to the organic $3.99/dozen eggs soon enough!  I could use these at Publix as competitor coupons, but since Kroger is being nice to me, I figured I'd use them there.  Also, my Publix has stopped carrying the Knorr alfredo sauce which we love, so I had a good exuse to stop by Kroger.  So here's what my receipt looked like:

Total before coupons & store sales: $8.92
Total after coupons & store sales: $3.24
Savings: 64%

Dozen Kroger Large Eggs @ $1.19
      -FREE Kroger dozen large eggs (in Kroger home mailer)
Final Price: Free!

Oscar Mayer Deli Turkey @ $3.99
    -Free OM Deli Meat (in Kroger home mailer)
Final Price: Free!

(2) Knorr Alfedo Sauce Mixes @ $1.59 each, so $3.18 total
     -no coupon :(
Final Price: $3.19