Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Gift Card Exclusion

In order to make it a bit further with the $100 challenge, I'm excluding the use of gift cards towards the total count.  I have a Starbucks GC I used to buy lunch today and I have a Target GC from a previous deal.

At Target, I bought a frozen turkey breast for @ 99 cents a pound for $5.55.  A great thing about Target is that they will price match other ads for local stores.  You have to bring in the current ad and the price has to be without the use of a loyalty card or other store coupon.  I price matched General Mills cereal from Albertson's for $1.88.  Really this was just so the cost wouldn't go towards my weekly total.  The best part of the trip was a Glade holiday scents deal that Target is running.  Target has a $1.50 off 3 store coupon and is offering a $5 gift card when you buy 5 participating Glade holiday scents.  One of the products is "Holiday Scents" twin oil refills for $2.50 which also happens to have a $2 printable coupon online.  Printable coupons are usually limited to two prints per computer.  I happen to have access to three computers so I was able to get 5 of the $2 coupons and the $1.50 coupon.  I paid $1 to take all those refills (with warmers!) and got a $5 gift card back, making it a $4 money maker for me.  I did have one issue where it didn't want to accept one of the coupons, but the lovely cashier put it through.

I also made a stop at Albertson's.  They have a 5 cent discount if you bring your own bag (which Target also has but I forgot to ask for it).  That's free money!  I've read their policy currently doesn't allow coupons to give you an overage, but that they may be changing that policy in the future.  I also thought they didn't allow printable coupons over 75% of the value of a product, but I will need to check that.  My area currently has new Ozarka sparkling 1 liter bottle printable coupons for $1 off.  Albertson's has them regularly for $1.19 with an in store coupon of $1 off (which I couldn't find).  Now if they did accept the printable coupon as well then that would provide an overage or at least make them free.  I might try it out later and see what happens.

I paid out of pocket for Albertson's, so what did I add?

  • General Mills Chex cereal 2 boxes (12-14 oz) @ $0.89 each after store savings and coupons
  • Dole cans of mixed fruit 2 @ $0.50 each after store savings and coupons
  • Blue Bell half gallon ice cream (I know it's another luxury but this rarely goes on sale) $2.77 after store savings and coupon (which you can get by joining the Blue Bell club!)
Rolling total to date: $22.51

I'm now $2.51 into my week three budget and technically haven't gotten out of week one.  Yikes!  I should be done shopping until the next cycle of circulars.  I think I'm always going to be a week ahead since I started on the last day of a cycle and did my purchases on that day.  I think I can still make it though, it's just an extra challenge.  :)

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