Saving Dollars and Making Cents

It feels a little odd that my first blog post is all about the results of a shopping trip and how I saved 81% on my purchase, but after sharing my Kroger haul via Instagram and Facebook and receiving an overwhelming number of questions, it seemed appropriate to start here.

Before we get to the spectacular savings breakdown, let me provide you with a little backstory.  (If you just want to know about the Kroger deals, feel free to skip the next few paragraphs.  I won't be offended!) 

Like everyone else, I was once sucked into the spectacle that is 'Extreme Couponing' on TLC.  I tried my hand at it a time or two, but between my duties at home, working a full time job, and attending school full time, I simply did not have the time.  It was also slightly mind-boggling to watch these adults take home cart after cart of deodorant, toilet paper, etc.  Why bring home more than you could ever hope to use?  My initial journey with coupons was short-lived.

Fast forward to present time.  My husband and I reached the point where one of our individual annual incomes was more than we used to bring home in a year's time.  While Tyler and I have always been diligent about managing our finances, the increase in extra money was too tempting for even us.  Our spending spiraled out of control.  We didn't rack up thousands and thousands of dollars in credit card bills, and while we both did purchase new vehicles within a year-and-a-half's time, we didn't buy anything extravagant.  It was the little things.  It was the trip to Walgreens for toilet paper that turned into a $50 mini shopping spree.  It was overbuying at the grocery store.  It was $10 here, $20 there.  It added up.  The more money we made, the more money we spent, and the more stress I felt.  I found myself longing for the days when we didn't have much money, but we made it just fine and lived a much simpler life.

For those who don't know, my last day at the job I'd worked for the past three years ended last Friday.  I am now staying home, focusing on my duties as a wife and mother, while finishing school.  We do still have a nice income, and I'm very thankful for that, but with this transition in our lives comes a transition from spending freely without questioning even a small purchase to evaluating purchases and making every dollar count.

And I love it.

When working, I was away from my home 45+ hours each week.  I haven't kept track of how many hours each week I devoted to school, but I'm sure the amount is quite substantial.  Between work, school, taking care of our home and daughter, and running her to and from gymnastics, softball, and soccer, there was no time for me to evaluate purchases or spend time browsing various websites to find good deals on items we needed.  Now that I'm not working, I have time to do those things.  I'll share later in the week a few SmartPhone apps that I use to save a few dollars here and there, as well as some awesome Good Will and Dollar Tree finds from earlier this week.  

But for now, let's talk Kroger and coupons.

For those of you who don't know, Kroger is currently in the midst of a Mega Sale event.  A variety of items throughout the store are on sale, and if you purchase five of any of those items, you save $5 -- or $1 off each item.  You can mix and match items, which is what I did this morning.  I spent some time browsing the sale ad, looking at eCoupons, and numerous couponing websites, calculated pricing for each item, narrowed my list down to fit my family's needs, and headed to Kroger with coupons in hand.

I will say this:  I highly recommend that you try to hit Kroger the day a new sale starts when there are deals like this.  In this case, it started yesterday (Wednesday), and though I got lucky, many items were nearly wiped out.  

This morning, I purchased 15 items and paid only $11.05.  Per my Kroger receipt, I saved $19.00 using manufacturer coupons, $21.30 in Kroger savings, for a total of $40.30 saved.  By being a diligent, smart shopper, I saved 81% on my order.  Here is the breakdown:

(Note:  Each of the items purchased was included in the Mega Sale event, so I automatically saved $1.00 on each item by purchasing five.)

Pantene Pro-V Shampoo -- $3.49 each
- $1.00 Kroger savings (Mega Sale Mix & Match event)
- $5.00 off 3 Pantene products manufacturer coupon
   Found in the Proctor & Gamble Super Saver coupon insert from the 8/31 Lexington Herald-Leader
Final Price:  $0.82 each
Quantity Purchased:  3

Pantene Pro-V Styler -- $3.49 each
- $1.00 Kroger savings (Mega Sale Mix & Match event)
- $2.00 off 1 Pantene Styling product manufacturer coupon

   Found in the Proctor & Gamble Super Saver coupon insert from the 8/31 Lexington Herald-Leader
Final Price:  $0.49 each
Quantity Purchased:  2

Gillette Satin Care Shave Gel -- $1.99 each
- $1.00 Kroger savings (Mega Sale Mix & Match event)
- $1.00 off 1 Gillette Shave Gel manufacturer coupon
   This was a printable coupon that I believe can be found at Coupons.com.
Final Price:  FREE!
Quantity Purchased:  2

Herbal Essences Body Wash -- $2.99
- $1.00 Kroger savings (Mega Sale Mix & Match event)
- $1.00 off 1 Herbal Essences Body Wash manufacturer coupon

   This was a printable coupon that I believe can be found at Coupons.com.
Final Price:  $0.99 each
Quantity Purchased:  2

Old Spice Body Wash -- $3.99
- $1.00 Kroger savings (Mega Sale Mix & Match event)
- $1.00 off 1 Old Spice Body Wash manufacturer coupon

   This was a printable coupon that I believe can be found at Coupons.com.
Final Price:  $1.99 each
Quantity Purchased:  1

Old Spice Shampoo -- $3.99
- $1.00 Kroger savings (Mega Sale Mix & Match event)
- $1.00 off 1 Old Spice Shampoo manufacturer coupon

   This was a printable coupon that I believe can be found at Coupons.com.
Final Price:  $1.99 each
Quantity Purchased:  1

Pine Sol, $1.99
- $1.00 Kroger savings (Mega Sale Mix & Match event)
- $1.00 off 2 Pine Sol manufacturer coupon

   This was a printable coupon that I believe can be found at Coupons.com.
Final Price:  $0.49 each
Quantity Purchased:  4


I know this isn't a haul worthy of Extreme Couponers on TLC, but I'm pretty impressed with my savings!  I decided I wanted to start small to keep from becoming overwhelmed, and I knew that I didn't want to purchase any items that my family wouldn't use in a reasonable amount of time.  If I pay $0.50 for a $2.00 item that I'll never use, I haven't really saved $1.50 -- I've wasted $0.50 that could have been better spent.  I'll detail my philosophy on refraining from over purchasing another time.


I also want to add that tons of new, unadvertised Kroger Mega Sale event deals keep appearing on my Facebook newsfeed, so I may make another trip to Kroger before the sale ends -- let's see if I can beat 81% savings!