Safeway & Shoppers

**edit I just realized after reading another post, that you can do multiple promotions in one transaction so I should have gotten another $10 CAT. I'm going to head back to Safeway sometime this week to go to the CS and try to get the extra $10 I should have gotten**

After I left work yesterday, I went to both Safeway and Shoppers in one trip! When I came home with my several bags of groceries, the husband said that I overdid it, of course when I told him how much the groceries cost and that we wouldn't need to buy anything other than skim milk, bread and other perishables for the next few weeks, he was pretty impressed. I spent $64.17 total and got lots of stuff, including cleaning supplies!

My first stop was Safeway. I bought (items in green are part of the Living Well Feeling Great promotion):

1-12 pack Lipton Diet bottled green tea
1 18oz box Cheerios
1 box Kashi Heart Cereal
1 bag Kraft 2% singles
1 bottle Kraft free dressing
1 box Smart Balance 50/50 butter
1 jar Smart Balance peanut butter
1 bag Bertolli dinner for 2
1 package jello sugar free pudding
1 box Reynolds earth wrap foil (will mail in for free rebate)
1 bottle Dove body wash
2 bottles Green works cleanser
1 box 100 calorie packs
1 box Post Cereal trail mix (also a $.75 CAT will print when you buy 1)
2 jars Skippy peanut butter
2 bags Ronzoni Bistro (BOGO plus had BOGO coupon so free)
1 can Muer Glen tomatoes
1 bottle Clorox 2 33oz
1 box Kashi frozen entrees

- many coupons
- $5/$50 I was mailed
- $10 off frozen foods from chill out promotion
- $1.50 CAT from buying Starbucks

= $34.62 OOP
Received $10 CAT from the promotion and $.75 CAT from Post cereal promotion.
Total Savings, $69.44 or 67%!

And then Shoppers. I was so busy with reception related stuff that I wasn't able to get to Shoppers for the triple/double promotion until yesterday but it will be my only stop since we have plenty of food.

First I redeemed my rain check for the Post Raisin Bran.
I bought 4 boxes and paid $2 OOP!

Then I actually went shopping, I bought:
2 boxes of Betty Crocker warm delights minis
1 jar Betty Crocker frosting
1 box Success brown rice
1 bottle Newman's Own balsamic vinaigrette
1 container Lawsons' seasoned salt
4 boxes of Pop Tarts
6 cans of Dole diced fruit
2 boxes Oreo Fun Stixx
1 bottle Natural Source cleanser
1 bag Thomas English muffins
1 jar McCormick curry powder
1 box Puffins cereal
2 packages Mission tortillas
1 package Snyder pretzal sandwhich single serve packs
1 package Snyder multigrain chip single serve packs
2 small boxes Equal
1 bag Snyder tortilla chips
1 bag Tuna Creations
2 bags Snyder veggie chips
1 box Cascadian Farm cereal

= $27.55 OOP

33 items so about $.83 an item! Saved 65% or $50.79!

There was an older couple in front of me that spent $225 on their groceries. I can't even imagine. They used no coupons and I got a very "soccer mom" vibe from the mom - not that it's a bad thing but I imagine they probably do that every week. Even if they are feeding a family of say, 4 or 5 (the average family size in this area), that's nearly 4x what my husband and I spend. It's pretty amazing how much you can save with couponing and no matter how rich I were to ever get (knock on wood!), I don't think I would ever stop. The less you spend on groceries, cleaning supplies and simple things like toilet paper, the more you can spend on fun things and the more you can save. It's not only for people scrimping for money, it can really be beneficial for everyone with minimal costs and time once you get the hang of it.

Is anyone else simply amazed at what others spend on groceries?