I sold my soul and went to Kroger

I have to admit it, I am a Ukrop's snob.  I love Ukrop's, the way the stores are bright and clean, the aisles aren't crowded with pallets and displays, and of course the friendliness and helpfulness of the employees.  I just don't like going to other grocery stores and when I do I moan and groan to myself while I am there about how much nicer Ukrop's is and question what was I thinking by stopping here just because it was closer, a Sunday or whatever the reason may be.

I signed up for The Grocery Game (TGG) about 6 weeks ago.  The real reason why I signed up for it was because I was starting to buy groceries and prepare food for the winter retreat we were taking the college students on the first weekend in January.  (I am hoping to share my menu and what I spent in a future post.)  It is free to sign-up for a 4-week trial period.  I have several friends who use TGG and I thought why not give it a try.  The biggest downside I saw to TGG was that they didn't list Ukrop's as one of their stores.  For our area the only grocery stores they listed were Food Lion, Kroger, and Whole Foods.  They also offered Walgreens and CVS.  I signed up for all 5 available stores and would check my list every week to see what was on sale.  She uses a color coded system for the items on the list, black means only buy it if you need it, blue means stock-up, and green means free.  She does what I was already doing with my Ukrop's deals and matches up the sale price with any available coupons and then calculates your final price.  I have to admit that I wasn't very impressed with TGG in the free 4 week trial.  It is $10 to keep one store and $5 for any additional store for each 8 week period after the trial period.  My friends really find some good deals at Kroger because of the TGG and I thought well, for $1.25 a week I will give it a little bit longer and just keep that store.  I wasn't sure if it was just the time of year that I had signed up or what.  I also knew that around the Superbowl there is a Mega sale at Kroger where I got some good deals on my own last year and thought I would see how well I could do with some help.  So, I checked the list this week and realized I had to go to Kroger.  There were just some things that I really couldn't say "no" to. 

I printed my list with the few things in blue or green that I wanted, gathered the necessary coupons and headed to Kroger with the family in tow.  Steve doesn't go grocery shopping with me on a regular basis so he still thinks it is really neat to watch the final amount drop over and over again and see my final total be a fraction of what it originally was.  (He did note that the cashier (a guy) had a look of amazement when I got to my final total today.)

So enough about it already - what did you get?

(4) Peter Pan Peanut Butter - $1 each

(2) Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls (5 count) - $0.40 each

(6) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (4 count) - $0.33 each

(1) Halls Cough Drops - FREE

(1) Starkist Tuna Pouch - FREE

(6) Maruchan Noodles - FREE (one is missing because Natalie ate it for lunch)

(2) Celestial Seasoings Tea - $1 each

(5) Tony's Frozen Pizzas - FREE

(1) Large Tide Stain Release Liquid - $2 (I forgot to grab it for the picture)

Bag Credit - -0.15

Shelf price (before sales, coupons, tax, or bag credit): $53.73

Final price (after sales, coupons, bag credit, before tax): $10.65

Total Savings: $43.08 (80%)

I think I can justify my $10 for 8 weeks of TGG.  If you are not already a member of TGG and would like to become one send me a note and I will send you my e-mail address to use as a referral.  If I continue to keep TGG it will help me get free weeks.  You know how much I like "free".  :)

Ukrop's Meat Department Deals

I ended up going to work for a few hours on Thursday and before I left I walked by the meat department and found these goodies marked down begging for me to buy them.  I was getting low on my meat supply in the freezer so I gladly picked them up.  They were marked down on Thursday (the 14th) because they had a sell by date of Friday (the 15th).  (Ukrop's states that their perishables are good for 3 days after the sell by date if stored correctly.  I have had meat turn before the 3 day window and they have refunded me my money.)

This is what I got on Thursday (the prices are after the 33% off):

Meatloaf Mix (Ground Beef, Veal, & Pork) (1.07 lb) - $2.86

Beef Tip Roast (2.3 lb) - $6.18

London Broil (2.15 lb) - $7.02

Ok, so you bought a bunch of red meat.  Big deal you are going to make a meatloaf, a roast, and a london broil.  Close, but not quite.  :)

I had some helpers with me the kitchen:

Can you guess what I did by looking at the picture?  That is right - I made my own lean ground beef.  I cut the roast into large chunks and then processed it twice through the meat grinder attachment on my KitchenAid mixer.  The meat manager at the Ukrop's I shop and work at told me that it would be a cross between ground round and ground sirloin because of the cut I was purchasing.  He promised it would be very flavorful.  We will have to wait and see.  I packaged it in two freezer bags for future use. 

So here are my ready for the freezer finished products:

The two bags at the top are the ground beef tip roast.  I made a marinade for the london broil and placed it in a large freezer bag.  This way when I pull it out to thaw it will also marinate at the same time.  I also mixed up the meatloaf mix with my mom's recipe for meatloaf (some bread crumbs, an egg, some onion, some salt, some pepper, and tomato sauce).  My hope is that I will remember to pull all of these goodies out of the freezer a day in advance so they can thaw in the refrigerator and we can enjoy some meals with some of the prep work already out of the way.

Shopping Trip from Double Coupon Wednesday

I hit Ukrop's Wednesday afternoon with both girls in tow and ready for naps.  Needless to say it was a quick trip and I stuck very close to my list.  I was glad I had everything organized with how many of each item I wanted and all of my coupons grouped together.  It really helped me get in and out as quickly as possible.

Here is a picture of my purchases: (Sorry it is not my best picture, I couldn't find the good camera.)

Here is the list of what I picked up -- prices are after sales & coupons:

6 - Chef Boyardee Pastas 0.77 each

1- Food Club Sandwich Bread - 1.29

1- Fiber One Muffin Mix - 1.00

1- Fber One Granola Bars - 1.20

1- Large Box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch - 1.40

1- Shout Color Catcher - 2.89

2 - Halls Cough Drops - FREE

5 - Birdseye Frozen Vegetables or Rice - FREE

1 dozen Eggland's Best Eggs - 1.29

2- Yoplait Smoothies - 1.00 each

2- Chobani Yogurt - FREE

1- Hormel Honey Ham - 1.00 each

2lb bag of baby carrots - 3.89

3 - Dole Fruit Naturals - 0.67 each

1 - Litehouse Honey Crisp Apple Cider - FREE

Reusable Bag Credit - -0.10

Shelf Price (before sales, coupons, or tax) : $66.59

Final Price (after sales, coupons, bag credit and before tax) : $22.44

Total Savings: $44.15 (67%)

My friend Judi also posted her savings from her trip yesterday on her blog.  How much did you save?  Was this your first double coupon Wednesday at Ukrop's?  Did you get excited when you realized you were getting something for free?  Feel free to share - I get as excited about everyone else's deals as I do about my own.

Ukrop's Coupon Match-ups for Double Coupon Wednesday 1/13/10

I was so excited to see the frozen food sale and a 10/$10 sale this week at Ukrop's.  I posted in my previous post this week about two free items - the Chobani Greek Yogurt and the Birds Eye Vegetables.  I did find one other free item - the Hall's Cough Drops.  You will have to keep reading to find out how you can get these items for free in addition to some other great deals.  I am only listing the items on sale that have a coupon to match-up with them.  There are some other really good deals that do not have coupons available.  Go here to view the entire Ukrop's ad on-line.

 

I ran into Ukrop's real quick this morning while we were out to check out a few deals and to pick-up bananas for 0.39/lb and found two awesome deals.  The first deal is that the items listed under the Extra banner of the Savings SPOT section of the ad are store coupons - not manufacturer coupons.  That means you can get an even better deal by combining a manufacturer coupon with the SPOT coupon.  Please be sure to pay special attention to purchase requirements and limits with these coupons.  The other deal that I found are that the Ukrop's insulated coffee tumblers are FREE when you buy a medium coffee (for $1.40).  They were originally ~$6.  I found out about this deal from one of the managers at my store who likes to talk deals with me.  Pretty much anything that has "Ukrop's" on it needs to be sold.  I saw Ukrop's sparkling cider reduced for quick sale as well.  I picked up one of the tumblers, I had looked at them previously and couldn't allow myself to pay the full price, but for the price of a cup of coffee I got one.  (They may be a Richmond collectible one day.)

 

I am going to try to do this in the bulleted list again this week.  I hope it is easy for you to read, it is easier for me to enter - which means I get it done and posted faster.  :)

 

Ukrop's Coupon Guidelines:

1.  Ukrop's doubles coupons up to 0.99 and only on Wednesdays.
2. Ukrop's will only double 5 like coupons per transction.  (If you have more than 5 just divide your order into 2 seperate ones and it will be ok.)
3. Ukrop's will accept internet printable coupons.  There are some exceptions - they will not accept internet printables for a face value above $2 or for anything that is a free item.  This includes buy one get one free coupons.

 **A side note about internet printables - there has been a huge surge of fraudulent internet coupons.  Please be kind and respectful to the cashier if any of your coupons are questioned as long as they are legitimate and you are buying the correct item there shouldn't be any problems.**

 

All coupon deals are posted in the following format:

Item - coupon source - coupon amount - doubled (if applicable) - final price

 

• Hot Pockets & Lean Pockets (6.5-9 oz) - 6/$10 - 10/25 SS - $1/3 - buy 3 for $4 (or $1.33 each)
• Selected Healthy Choice Dinners - 5/$10 - 1/3 SS - $1/2 - buy 2 for $3 (or $1.50 each)
• Bird's Eye Steamfresh Vegetables - 10/$10 -  11/15 SS, 12/6 SS, or 1/10 SS - 0.50/1 - 0.50/1 - FREE
• Hunt's Ketchup (24 oz) - 10/$10 - January AllYou Magazine - B2G1 - Buy 3 for $2 (or 0.67 each)
• Rice-A-Roni and Pasta Roni (4.6 -7.2 oz) - 10/$10 - 1/3 RP - $1/3 - Buy 3 for $2 (or 0.67 each)
• Hunt's Snack Pack Pudding (4 pk/3.5 oz) - 10/$10 - 1/10 SS - 0.30/2 - 0.30/2 - Buy 2 for $1.40 (or 0.70 each)
• Chef Boyardee canned or Microwave Pasta (7.25 -15 oz) - 10/$10 - 1/10 SS - 0.35/3 - 0.35/3 - Buy 3 for $2.30 (or 0.77 each) **watch size of product you are purchasing, the coupon is only good on 7.5 oz microwaveable or 15 oz cans**
• Chobani Greek Yogurt (6oz) - 10/$10 - 12/13 SS - $1 - FREE
• Eggland's Best Grade A Large Eggs (1 dozen) - $1.99 - 11/1 SS - 0.35 - 0.35 - $1.29
• Rold Gold Pretzels - 2/$5 - http://www.smartsource.com/ - $1/2 - buy 2 for $4
• Carnation Instant Breakfast (5.94 -12.6 oz) - $3.99 - 1/3 SS - $1 - $2.99
• OneTouch Ultra 2 Glucometer - $39.99 - 1/10 RP - $10 - $29.99
• OneTouch UltraSmart - $49.99 - 1/10 RP - $10 - $39.99
• Selected Bayer Aspirin (20-120 ct)- $4.99 - 1/3 SS - $1 - $3.99
• Hall's Cough Drops (20-30 ct) - 0.99 - http://www.smartsource.com/ - 0.50- 0.50 - FREE
• or Hall's Cough Drops - 0.99 - 1/10 SS - $1/2 - buy 2 for 0.98 (or 0.49 each)
• Gold Bond Skin Care (3.5-5.5 oz) - $3.99 - http://www.smartsource.com/ - $1 - $2.99
• Del Monte Fruit Cups (4pk/3.75 -4.5 oz) - $1.69 **with Savings SPOT coupon**
• Yoplait Frozen Smoothies (7.6 oz) - 2/$4 - 1/3 GM - $1/1** - 2/$2 (must use Savings SPOT coupon, must buy 2 limit of 2)  **Use 2 manufacturer coupons
• Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt (4pk/4oz) - 2/$4 - 1/3 GM - $1/1** - 2/$2 (must use Savings SPOT coupon, must buy 2 limit of 2) **Use 2 manufacturer coupons
• Fiber One Yogurt (4pk/4oz) - 2/$4 - 1/3 GM - 0.50 - 0.50** - 2/$2 (must use Savings SPOT coupon, must buy 2 limit of 2) **Use 2 manufacturer coupons
• Fiber One Bars (5 ct) - 2/$4 - 1/3 GM - 0.40 - 0.40** - 2/$2.20 (must use Savings SPOT coupon, must buy 2 limit of 2) **Use 2 manufacturer coupons
• Fiber One Muffin Mix - 2/$4 - 1/3 GM - 0.50 - 0.50** - 2/$2 (must use Savings SPOT coupon, must buy 2 limit of 2) **Use 2 manufacturer coupons
• Selected General Mills Cereals (9-16.2 oz) - 4/$9 - 1/3 GM - $1/3 - 4/$8 (must use Savings SPOT coupon, must buy 4 limit of 4)
• or Selected General Mills Cereals - 4/$9 - http://www.coupons.com/ - 0.55 (Yellow box Cheerios only) - 0.55** - 4/$4.60 (or $1.15 each) (must use Savings SPOT coupon, must buy 4 limit of 4) use 4 manufacturer coupons
• Dannon Yogurt (6oz)- 10/$5 - 1/3 SS - $1/10 - buy 10 for $4 (or 0.40 each)
• or Dannon Yogurt  - 10/$5 - http://www.coupons.com/ - $1/6 - buy 6 for $2 (or 0.33 each)
• Selected General Mills Super Size Cereals (24-25.25 oz) - 2/$5 - http://www.coupons.com/ - $1/2 -  buy 2 for $4
• or Selected General Mills Super Size Cereals (24-25.25 oz) - 2/$5 - 1/3 GM - $1/3 - buy 3 for $6.50
• Hormel All-Natural Sliced Lunchmeat (8oz) - 2/$5 - www.hormel.com/updates/coupons - 2/$5 - 0.75 - 0.75 - buy 1 for $1
• Del Monte Fruit Naturals (8oz) - 10/$10 - http://www.redplum.com/ or http://www.fruitundressed.com/ - $1/3 - buy 3 for $2 (or 0.67 each)

fuelperks!bonus! Rewards item -

• Johnsonsville Dinner Sausage (19.76 oz) - $3.48 - www.johnsonville.com/home/coupon - 0.55 - 0.55 - $2.38

Happy shopping and feel free to share any deals that you find.

Free Items this week at Ukrop's

I am home from church this morning with "the crud".  Thankfully it is just the coughing all day and night crud and not a stomach bug.  Nonetheless, I don't think anyone would appreciate me sitting next to them in church while I was coughing my head off (as my mom would say).

Because everyone else went off to church this morning I have had a rare quiet morning to myself.  I was sitting at the table sipping some hot herbal tea and flipping through the sale ads and the coupon inserts from my Sunday paper.  I noticed two free items at Ukrop's this week just from glancing.

1. Chobani Greek Yogurt are $1 each this week.  There were $1 off any Chobani Yogurt coupons in the 12-13 SS.  Making them FREE!  If you don't have any coupons for this (or want more) look on ebay*.  I just purchased 30 (3 lots of 10) coupons with free shipping for $5.25 from a buy it now auction. I just tried this yogurt last week.  It is really good, and it is loaded with protein - 14 grams of protein in a 6oz serving.
2. The Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables are also $1 each this week.  There is a coupon in today's SS for 0.50/1 Steamfresh Vegetables. There are still valid coupons from the 11-15 SS and 12-6 SS for 0.50/1.  These coupons will double on Wednesday to $1 making them FREE!

There are some other great deals, but I wanted to let you know about the free items so that you could make sure you get at least one Sunday paper today and to give you enough time to secure some coupons from ebay*.  I will post the deals for the rest of the week in another post.  I am going to try to squeeze in a nap since I was up coughing most of the night and the house is quiet.

*When you purchase coupons from ebay you are not actually paying for the coupons you are reimbursing the seller for their time in clipping, sorting, posting, and preparing the coupons for you.  The coupons themselves are free.

Back into blogging...

When I originally started my blog this past summer I didn't really know where I was going with it.  I thought I would talk about my girls.  The crazy things they do and say during the day.  I thought I would talk about the adventures that Steve I have had as a couple, as parents, and as leaders with our church.  I admittedly had become a little obsessive abut couponing and wanted to share some tips to help people save money.  One of my motto's is "Why pay more than you have to?".  I never thought that I would be doing what I am doing now - weekly coupon match-ups for Ukrop's, specifically double coupon Wednesday's.

I am not complaining.  I just think it is neat to look back and think about why I started to blog and how it has evolved.  I am contemplating starting a new blog - or really a seperate blog.  I am thinking about moving my coupon match-ups to a seperate site so that this site can strictly be about my crazy world as a wife and a mom who works as a drug dealer pharmacist one day week.  My dilema right now is what to call a new site.  I want to stay with just local stores.  There a tons of other sites that cover national chain stores like Target, Walgreens, and CVS.  There are even plenty of sites that cover the other grocery stores that we have in the Richmond area such as Kroger and Food Lion.  I found my spot (I hope) helping people get the most for their money at Ukrop's.  Sadly the Ukrop's era is coming to a close, just as I was about to start the blog "I love Ukrop's". I can't honestly say I love Martin's - at least not yet. 

Suggestions?  Thoughts?  Any tips on topics that would be helpful?

Ukrop's Double Coupon Wednesday Match-ups for 1/6/10

I have had every intention of being earlier with my match-ups.  This week I once again had a wrench thrown into my plan.  We spent Friday through Monday at the beach with 18 college students from our church.  When I woke up Monday morning, I woke up feeling yucky.  When we got back home I crawled into bed and slept the day away.  I completely lost track of what day of the week it was and realized this morning that I hadn't started on my match-ups.

 

 

There are some really good deals this week at Ukrop's.  Click here to look at this week's ad.  There are stock-up deals on food club beans or tomatoes at 5/$3 (that makes them 0.60 a can) and Perdue boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.88/lb.  

 

 

Here are some tips regarding Ukrop's coupon policy:

 

•  Ukrop's doubles manufacturer coupons up to 0.99 on Wednesday only.
•  Ukrop's will only double 5 like coupons per transaction.
• Ukrop's will accept internet printable coupons.  They will not accept internet printables with a face value higher than $2 or for a "free" item.  (This includes buy 1 get 1 free.)

 I am so behind I am only hitting the high points and I didn't even have time for a spreadsheet.  I have made the coupons that will double on Wednesday in red.

 

Here is the format for the coupon match-ups:

Item / sale price / coupon source / coupon amount / doubled / final price

 

 fuelperks!bonus! rewards items: 

•  Peter Pan Peanut Butter (13-16.3 oz) / $1.99 /AllYou January 2010/ B2G1 Free / Buy 3 for $3.98
• Campbell's Select Harvest Meat Soups (18.6 - 19 oz) / $1.79/ 1-3 SS / 0.40/2 / 0.40/2 / Buy 2 for $3.78
• Jell-O Gelatins or Puddings (18-24 oz) / $2.79/ AllYou January 2010 / 0.50 / 0.50 / $1.79
• Oscar Mayer Deli-Shaved Lunchmeat (7-9 oz) / $3.00 / 12-13 SS / $1/2 / Buy 2 for $5 

 Savings SPOT item (must present coupon from SPOT machine at register to redeem the savings

•  Planters Mixed Nuts (9.25-11.5 oz) / $1.99 / 12-13 SS / $1/2 / Buy 2 for $2.98

Weekly Ad Items:

• Campbell's Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup (10.75 oz) / 2/$1 / 1-3 SS / 0.40/4/0.40/4/ Buy 4 for $1.20
• Baked Lay's Chips (8.75-11 oz) / 2/$6 / 1-3 SS /0.55/ 0.55/ $1.90
• 
  
  Keebler Wheatables / 2/$5 / http://www.coupons.com/ (no longer up but still valid if you printed it last month)/ $1.50/ Buy 1 for $1
• Special K Snack Crackers / 2/$5 / 1-3 RP / $1/2 / Buy 2 for $4
• Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers / 2/$6 / 1-3 SS / $1/2 / Buy 2 for $5
  
• Tylenol Cough, Cold and Sinus (8 oz or 20-24 ct) / $4.99 / 12-6 RP / $1 / $3.99
  
• Irish Spring Soap ( 3 bars) / $1.49 / 1-3 SS / 0.20 / 0.20 / 1.09
  
• Kellogg's Special K (12-19.5 oz cereal or 3.8 oz bars / 5/$10 (must buy 5 or 2.50 each) / 1-3 RP / $1 off 2 (seperate coupons for the cereal and the bars will really maximize your savings) / Buy 5 for $8
  
• Oscar Mayer Regular Lunchables / 10/$10 / www.coupons.com  (no longer up, but still valid if printed last month)/ 0.55/1 / 0.55/1 / -0.10 (FREE)
  
• Tyson Fully Cooked Entrees (17 oz bag) / $5.98 / 10-18 SS / 0.55/1 / 0.55/1 / $ 4.88
  
• Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon (12 oz) / 2/$5 / 11-15 SS / 0.75 / 0.75 / Buy 1 for $1
  
• Oscar Mayer Meat Bologna (16 oz) / 2/$3 / 12-13 SS / $1/2 / Buy 2 for $2
  
• Yoplait Yourt Cups (4-6 oz) / 10/$5 / 1-3 GM / 0.40/6 / 0.40/6 / Buy 6 for $2.20 (0.37 each)
  
• or Yoplait Yogurt Cups  / 10/$5/ 1-3 GM / 0.50/8 / 0.50/8 / Buy 8 for $3 (0.38 each)
  
• or Yopliat Yogurt Cups /10/$5/ http://www.coupons.com/ /0.50/6/ 0.50/6/ Buy 6 for $2 (0.33 each
  
• Kraft American Singles (12 oz) / $2.29 / 12-6 SS / $1/2 / Buy 2 for $3.58
  

Happy shopping and feel free to share any deals that you find!

 

PS - Tell me if you like this format better than my spreadsheet I am trying to find a format that works best for me and my faithful readers.  :)