This shopping trip was really unexciting. There weren’t any fantastic deals, so I am not jazzed about my total savings. I also splurged on several impulse buys, since I knew my total bill would be lower than normal.
My friend Becka also joined me tonight to see how I work the store. That means I broke two of my cardinal rules: shop alone and don’t deviate from the list. [Insert image of me hanging my head in shame.] But moving on…
Tonight my total bill was $74.47. Before my Pick ‘n Save card or coupons, my bill would have been $99.12. With discounts, coupons and bag refunds, I saved $24.65.
Eh. Not very exciting.
The best and the worst
My best deal this week were the Scotties tissues. I spent $3 on five boxes of tissues, which normally would have cost $8.75. That’s a 66% savings.
My “worst” deal is a toss-up between two gallons of Organic Valley milk (a better deal than the Stonyfield Farms I had originally planned to buy) that I bought for $13.38 and the Wagners pure maple syrup that I impulsively bought for $6.29.
These items are far more expensive than anything else on my bill. But they are important to me (I refuse to feed my family regular syrup and we try to eat as much organic as possible), so it’s worth the extra cost in my book. If I couldn’t fit these items in my budget, I wouldn’t buy them. But I’ve made room for them, so I’m comfortable spending the extra money on high-quality items.
I know Becka was disappointed that she didn’t save more (she did about as well as I did), but it’s important to remember that these savings add up little by little. Every time you shop, you’ll learn something new that will save you even more money next time.
I was so proud when Becka suggested getting a rain check for the whole chickens that were out of stock! A few weeks ago, she wouldn’t have known to ask for one and would have paid too much for a chicken. Now she knows better, and that knowledge will help her save even more in the long run.
So, how did you do this week? Did anyone out there beat me? I’m sure there is, so ‘fess up! How much did you save?