I saved 79% at Kroger! - February 3, 2011

I haven't done a good savings post in a while, and I've gotten far too serious around these parts. Let us lighten the mood with tales of coupons and groceries, shall we? Bonus - as I write up this post, these deals are still available (until February 5, 2011) so maybe I'll help someone...?

I'm a Publix girl. I prefer to not have to hand over a shoppers card (though I still do because I have a UPromise card...oops) and I like that things are simply on sale and I don't have to jump through hoops to figure it all out. Kroger is different. Overall I find their everyday prices to be higher than Publix and their sales usually do have a gimmick attached. BUT when their sales are good, their sales are REALLY good. (Also I love their store-brand slow-churned ice creams, but I'm supposed to be on a diet so I don't buy ice cream much. DIGRESSION! YAY!)

This week Kroger is doing one of their Buy-10-get-$5 sales. So you have to buy ten things that are on sale and then you get $5 off your total at the end, or 50 cents off each thing. You can mix and match though. I'm always worried when I do this that somehow the computer isn't going to count properly or something will be left off. Today everything went beautifully though.

So here's what I got:
4 packages of Goldfish crackers (my kid loooooves these and I got the whole grain kind so they're....healthyishsorta?) - they're normally $2.19. They are on sale this week for $1.49. After the special sale, they're 99 cents a pack. That's my stock-up price, and I think I need to go back and just buy 10 more. I was on foot or I'd probably have done that.
2 cans of Rotel (yum) - usually 10/$10, on "sale" for 99 cents (silly). After the special sale, 49 cents a can. I had coupons for 25 cents off each can, and each coupon doubled. So each can was free and I did get that whole giant penny in overage from each one too.
4 packages of Whisker Lickins cat treats (for my spoiled cats - we had some health scares earlier in the week so now they are even MORE spoiled) - usually $1.49, on sale for $99 cents, 49 cents after the sale. I had two coupons for $1 off two, so these were also all free and I wish I had more coupons because my cats LOVE treats. Luckily there's a deal at Publix that can net me some more free treats for the next month.

I also forgot that I had a Cellfire coupon loaded onto my card for 50 cents off my entire purchase. If you go to Kroger, sign up at Cellfire.com. They offer e-coupons but they also occasionally do these special bonus deals where you just "win" a bit off your total.

Grand total after sale, coupons, e-coupon, and 10-$5? $3.40 plus 22 cents tax. RAH. Love it! And then on my way out I noticed the clearance bins had packages of 100 bendy straws marked down to 50 cents, so I ran back in for them (my kid can't drink out of an open cup yet, so straws are our BFFs and I always carry a bunch of them in a toothbrush holder in my purse or diaper bag).

As I mentioned, though, I think I want to go back for more Goldfish. Also I could get free Dove deodorant (which I'd probably donate) and cheap mustard, All laundry detergent, and salad dressing. I don't know if I can buy, say, 20 things and get $10 off - if you do know, leave me a comment!

Tadah!