Meal Planning & Couponing Series: Combining Sales with Coupons (Part 3)

Remember when I said I would show you how to combine sales with coupons? Well, I know it's taken me a bit longer to get there than I would have liked due to a busy few days at work, but today's the day. If you shop at Smith's, Kroger, Dillon's, Fred Meyer, or pretty much any grocery store where they sell Kroger products, the prices are usually the same (but please note they do vary based on state sometimes), as are the items they sell. Which means this is the post for you! Since I'm planning on what I'm going to be purchasing this upcoming week, I'm highlighting some of the best deals you can get from these stores, as well as a few from Wal-Mart and Target (but I'm sure there are many more).

MAKING THE MOST OF A SALE:

Kroger Stores:
Note: Almost all of these can also be purchased at other stores except for the specific Kroger brand products. These just reflect prices at Kroger Stores.

Quaker Protein Instant Oatmeal, On Sale for $2.00
Coupon here for $2 off
Bottom Line: FREE

Silk Almond, half gallon, On Sale for $2.99
Sunday Coupon: $1 off 1 Silk Product Half Gallon
Sunday Coupon: $0.75 off 1 Silk Product Half Gallon
Promotion: Free Simple Truth Cage Eggs when you buy 3 Silk or Kashi Items
Bottom Line: $1.24-$1.99 minus the cost of eggs
*This would be a time when I would stock up on items!

Kroger Greek Yogurt, $0.79
$0.50 Cash Back from Checkout 51
Bottom Line: $0.29 each!

Jennie O Ground Turkey, On Sale for $2.99
Digital Coupon here for $1 off 1 Jennie Ground Turkey, limit 2
Bottom Line: $1.99 each

Kroger Cream Cheese & Sour Cream, On Sale for $1.00 each
*Another instance in which I would probably stock up for the holiday baking because this is the lowest price I've seen offered. I have been able to buy Challenge Cream Cheese for free before, but those coupons and promotional deals do not come around often!

Kroger Extracts & Spices, 50% Off All
*This would be the best time to obtain all those spices you know you will need for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals! Not to mention things like peppermint extract for baking. :)

Mountain Dairy Milk Gallon, $2.99
$1.00 Cash Back from Snap
$0.25 Cash Back from Ibotta (Accounts differ, check yours!)
$0.50 Cash Back from Checkout 51 (Accounts differ, check yours!)
Bottom Line: $1.24

Bartlett Pears, On Sale for $0.99/lb
20% Cash Back from Saving Star
Bottom Line: $0.79/lb

Tresemme Shampoo & Conditions, 32 oz bottle, $3.99
Sunday Coupon: $5 off 2 Tresemme Products
Bottom Line: $1.49 each
*Same thing for Tresemme Stylers, 9-11 oz!

Wal-Mart:

7UP, Fanta, Mug Root Beer, 2 Liter, On Sale for $1.00
Coupon here for $1.00 off 1
Bottom Line: FREE

Target:

Dove Go-Sleeveless Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, $3.89
Promotion: Free $5 Target Gift Card when you buy $15 worth of Dove Products
Coupon here for $0.75 off Dove Women Item
Bottom Line: 1.89 each

Classico Pasta Sauce, $2.19
Coupon here for $2 off 2 Classico Items
Bottom Line: $1.19 each

It is also important to note it is no longer difficult to save on healthier options. For example, I frequently have coupons for Jennie O Ground Turkey & Silk Almond Milk, so those are two staples in our house. We also use Costco for items that we need in larger quantities, especially if coupons are not readily available for them. LouAna Coconut Oil saves us over $5 if we buy in bulk at Costco. Plus, Saving Star and the other cash-back services frequently offer money back on fresh produce! Target Cartwheel also offers savings on produce if you add these offers to your cart.

OTHER WAYS TO SAVE:

Check for online coupons or offers at retailers that you visit often. For example, if you love shopping at Target and know they have a 20% off any online order and also have free shipping with no minimum purchase, then it definitely makes sense to purchase from Target online.

Coming from a previous retail employee, most retail stores will offer free shipping as it gets closer to Christmas, so it may save you money to wait a little longer, form the lists of items to get and bookmark them, and then buy them when shipping is free! This is especially true if you live far away from family like we do! :)

Take advantage of "cash-back" opportunities. Snap, Ibotta, Checkout 51, Saving Star. These are all places to get money back on items you would have already been buying. Your redeemed total adds up until it reaches an amount when you can cash it out. It may seem like it takes a while, but if you are consistent about redeeming your receipts, it adds up quickly! Plus, this is a way to save for the holidays. You can save up your redemption money and then immediately use it for holiday shopping.

Though there may be a membership fee at Costco and Sams Club, these bulk shopping places offer great discounts on not only food but also vacations, purchasing a car, household services, etc. You'd be amazed at all of the discounts they offer if you asked. :) We bought our Samsung Galaxy 5S phones from Costco at significant savings! It is definitely worth the membership fees.


I'd be interested in doing more posts highlighting the deals I have been able to get with coupons and sales if there is interest. Please comment if you would like this. If you have any questions, please comment or email (genlynne330@gmail.com) me!

Check back later for my Weekly Meals & Savings Excel Sheet!