$11.78 OP for $77 worth of stuff at WAGS!

I got mostly grocery items today at WAGS. The original total was around $77, but after coupons, the total was $37.51. I used a $.73 store credit, and a $25 gift card from a transferred prescription. I had a Register Reward for $5 off $20, but they wouldn't let me use it because it had expired on 12/22/08. I know that other stores take expired RR's, but whatever. So my final total was $11.78, and I got a RR for $3 from the cereal. Here is a listing of what I got:

1 Softsoap

4 Kellogs' cereals

3 Motts apple juice

Quaker instant oatmeal

3 Jif peanut butter

1 smuckers jelly

Oreo Cakesters --- my 4yr old talked me into these. At $3.59 they were the most expensive item that I bought!

2 WAGS brand plastic bags

1 coffee filters (we were out!) again the WAGS brand

1 Fructis shampoo (was free after coupons)

4 Progresso soups

Revlon emery boards

Loreal concealer (on clearance) $.59 after coupon

Revlon lip color (on clearance) $.19 after coupon

Revlon blush (on clearance) $.89 after coupon!

2 Ben & Jerrys ice creams (free after coupons)

My kids actually like the Special K with Red berries; and they LOVE Motts apple juice. I tried to give them the WAGS brand apple juice a few weeks ago and they refused to drink it. They told me to NEVER buy that kind again! At 2 and 4 years old, they know what they like!

I was very happy to see so much makeup on clearance. I had been looking for new blush and new concealor, so I will try these out. Sure beats Sephora, where I used to buy all my makeup!

How I could've done better:

In retrospect, I should've bought the cereal first, then used the $3 RR for transaction #2. I always hate to do 2 transactions in the same trip. It feels like cheating.

I always spend less if the kids are at home, but with 3 kids, that is really not feasible, unless I am on my lunch hour at work.

Anyway, I rarely have a perfect transaction. But I think this one was pretty good!

While we were shopping I saw another lady looking for the peanut butter deal. I mentioned to her that for her coupon to be good she had to buy 3. I also told her about the shampoo deal. I thought I even had an extra coupon for her, but I had left it at home.

As I was checking out at the makeup counter, the manager came over and watched the cashier ring everything up. I don't think that he was very happy, but all my coupons matched up. Well except for the $5 expired RR. What he didn't realize is that I never bought anything in WAGS until I started doing this. I have basically shifted my spending from Target to WAGS andCVS.