My 2012 Grocery Bag Brag! (Ongoing updates with Pics and Tips!)

[Miss Molly]

Our FreshCo has pretty little green stickers at 50% off. I've never seen orange ones before and I hope this isn't a new trend. Loblaws used to give 50% off and now it's mostly 30% off and Metro used to give the equivalent of half off but not anymore.

[anicas_stash]

Great stuff!

How do you keep track of your grocery savings? Do you use a program or Excel template? Thanks

[$avvy$hopper]

Our FreshCo has pretty little green stickers at 50% off. I've never seen orange ones before and I hope this isn't a new trend. Loblaws used to give 50% off and now it's mostly 30% off and Metro used to give the equivalent of half off but not anymore.

I saw and purchased meat last week at Freshco and it had the 50% off stickers so they're still doing it. Too bad re Metro, I got some really great steaks and ribs there one time with 50% off stickers and it was several days before expiry, longer than i'd expected.

Great stuff!

How do you keep track of your grocery savings? Do you use a program or Excel template? Thanks

Thanks anicas_stash! I track my grocery savings in a notebook, to be honest! Sounds odd since I'm an Excel freak but for some reason, I never set up a spreadsheet for it.

It would be just as easy in Excel though - no fancy template needed, just some titles/headers and formulas to do the calculations. I break down my monthly report by total value, total coupons/points/gcs used and the final total spent out of pocket.

[$avvy$hopper]

Woohoo! The month is done and the January totals are listed in post #1. I also had fun cashing in Lean Cuisine and Stouffers Pins for gift cards:
I wanted to take advantage of the double points entry on leancuisine.ca so I could redeem for a $10 SDM card. Shopped Sunday at SDM and picked up 9 Lean Cuisine/Stouffers entrees along with some other stuff to reach $50 total - won a $10 SDM promo card! Headed home and entered my LC pins an redeemed for the $10 SDM card! So I'm up $20 already!

Then when I went to enter the 9 pins at stouffers.ca for the grocery card promo I was so surprised to see that I already had 10 pins in my account (don't remember entering any at all since the new promotion but no complaints here). So I entered my pins plus 3 others I had saved and redeemed for a $10 Loblaws GC.

With $30 extra bucks to spend in February/March, the next monthly update(s) are shaping up to be good ones!

Since we're stocked up for a bit I dare say, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

[$avvy$hopper]

Totally off topic...but I do like the new buttons (reply, edit, quote) on SC...I love blue and the icons are too cute! Nice job Boo and mods!

[$avvy$hopper]

With the last stock up at the end of January, I don't need much for early Feb so I based our meals on what we have on hand and a few extras. Here's the shopping so far:

1x Summer Fresh Dip $2.99 - $2 manager's sticker = $0.99
2x Bread $2
1x Lima Beans $1.29
2x Cereal $2.99 ea = $5.98
5x Kraft Macaroni and Cheese $5
1x Oxtail 2lbs $7.31 (not the best price but I wanted it)
1x High Liner Salmon $4.77 - $2 coupon from Shoppers Voice =$2.77
1x bag on onions $0.66
1x flour $3
1x bread crumbs $1
Total bill: $34.00
Less Coupons and Consignment $ : $8.41

Total $ OOP: $25.59

Next week will be the big grocery shop...lots of space in fridge, freezer and pantry and I want to use up some FPCs, bonus point coupons and promotional gift cards before they expire.

Glad for the lighter shop, it gave us more time to enjoy the lovely "can-you-believe-it's-February?" weather and I did visit some of the smaller stores - Cactus and another small caribbean foods shop. Nice mail day today - $5 coupon from Chapmans arrived and my sis gave me her Activia coupons. Hoping my last $5 gas card arrives soon too!

[coley3]

Great first week shop for February. I had an awesome day shopping Sobey's and Safeway on 15% off day here today. I'll set up a brag for all to see tomorrow. But I was stoked. So much for free with FPC's but my fav was 2x 4L milk for FREE. February could be a great shopping month for us both!

[2010ontest]

good january summary and ready for the big shopping of february!

Myself I will probably have a small fabruary all the way...

[$avvy$hopper]

I've got a big list of grocery items we need and have shops planned all week - was too tired (and cozy at home) to go out on Saturday! But it gave me a chance to shop at Starwind Supermarket - first time there and I'm surely going back. I just loaded my fridge with fresh produce paid under $1 OOP for the haul.


3x broccoli bunches = 3 for $2
2x Cherry Tomatoes cartons = 2 for $1
1x Bell Pepper Mix =$2.75
1x baby carrots =$0.99
4x apples =$1
1 bunch bananas =$0.94
2x Strawberries cartons = 2 for $3
2x 2lb seedless grapes cartons = 2 for $4
2 bags $0.10 (d'oh! left mine right on the seat in my car!!!!)

Total bill: $15.78
Less $15 Paypal from Swagbucks

Total OOP: $0.78!

They also had Saporito Canola Oil on sale for $2.99 for 3L; reg $5.99 and Astro Smooth and Fruity yogourt 12x100g packs 2 for $5! (Reg. $5.99 ea)

And my Pepsi FPCs arrived today! $20 in free snacks and drinks- so glad I did that promo!

[Sanrio]

Canola Oil on sale for $2.99 for 3L

That's cheap. Our lowest price is $5.49. Your price is so good that I would have stock up tons.

[$avvy$hopper]

Great first week shop for February. I had an awesome day shopping Sobey's and Safeway on 15% off day here today. I'll set up a brag for all to see tomorrow. But I was stoked. So much for free with FPC's but my fav was 2x 4L milk for FREE. February could be a great shopping month for us both!

Woohoo! WTG on your deals and savings! I missed your brag so I'll look for it and "WOW" on the 2x free milk!!!!!

good january summary and ready for the big shopping of february!

Myself I will probably have a small fabruary all the way...

Thanks! Looking forward to your grocery updates as well!

That's cheap. Our lowest price is $5.49. Your price is so good that I would have stock up tons.

Agreed! I've never seen it that low...$4.99 I think has been the lowest. It's limit of 3 per family sadly, but I'm sure they'll run this deal again.

[Stac]

love your posts

[coley3]

Great OOP for Feb. so far. My brag isn't up yet. LOL. Just got busy. Hope to get it up in a day or too. Shopping for me is still going well. Keeping my budget in check which is always a struggle. Did get in the mail today 5x $10 Shopper's Drug Mart GC from Lean Cuisine. They sure came fast. Used $16 of it for some Valentines treats for the kiddies tomorrow. Was happy with that 0 OOP.

[$avvy$hopper]

Great OOP for Feb. so far. My brag isn't up yet. LOL. Just got busy. Hope to get it up in a day or too. Shopping for me is still going well. Keeping my budget in check which is always a struggle. Did get in the mail today 5x $10 Shopper's Drug Mart GC from Lean Cuisine. They sure came fast. Used $16 of it for some Valentines treats for the kiddies tomorrow. Was happy with that 0 OOP.

Thanks coley3! WTG on the SDM GCs from Lean Cuisine; great V-Day treat for $0 too! I'm waiting for my card to show up...as well as my $5 gas card! Two MIRs came in though so it was a good mail week. Also picked up $27 in coupons from my mom and shared some with the guy who installed our new toilet. He was ecstatic!

I just posted my latest shops at No Frills, Zellers and Food Basics. Some good savings thanks to coupons and in-store discount price stickers. Not much else needed right now...poor fridge really is full!

No Frills:

1x break $1.69
1x Pork Tenderloin $8.22
1x Pork Ribs $9.55

Total bill: 19.46
Less Airwick MIR: $12.42
Total $ OOP: $7.04

Food Basics:

2x Minigo/Tubes $1.99 ea - 2x $.50 coupons= $1.49 ea
1x Cavendish fries $1.99 - $1.99 refund from SDM for expired product = $0
1x Brick Cheese $3.88
1x Magarine $1.99
1x Beef Steak $8.87 - 30% sticker = $6.21
1x Natrel milk 3.25% $4.99 - $5 coupon from company (product replacement)
1x kinder surprise (dd was very well behaved during all the shopping so a sweet treat for my sweetie!) $.99

Total bill and $OOP: $16.17

Zellers - Pantry fillers and I'm $10 richer!

1xCherrios $3.99 (has BOGO admission for movies on it!)
1x Jello pudding $1.50
1x Dare Bear Paws Crackers $1.50 (blue sticker!)
1x Dare Breaktime Cookies $1.49 - $0.75 wub 2 Dare products
1x Ketchup $2.49
4x Campbells soup $0.59 ea
1x Nature Valley Granola bars $1.75 (blue sticker!)
2x Turkey stuffing $0.75 ea (blue stickers!)
1x Onion ring chips $.50 (blue sticker!)
3x Allens' fruit juice 3 for $3
1x shirt for dd $2.10

Total bill: $21.24
Less $10 Promo card
Total $OOP: $11.24

Also earned 25,000 bonus points for spending more than $15 and added to my current balance I redeemed my HBC points for a $10 GC!!!!!

I have a few more items on my grocery list for this week but I'm going to check out the new flyer deals to decide if we should buy them tomorrow or Friday. So far, I have enough stuff to take us through the weekend.

[coley3]

I read your newest shop brags! They were awesome. Love how they put "family pack" on the 2 steaks. LOL. There is 5 in my family so it would not be family size for us. Too funny. Love how you spent so little but were able to get your daughter a treat and a new shirt too. To me that is extra great shopping.
I almost forgot about those HBC bonus point coupons. I have them printed and in my wallet. Might have to checkout if there are any good deals to use them on. I would love to find some blue tickets myself. That would help.