Happy Dance!

I've complained commented on here before about this ONE woman who ALWAYS gets to Walgreens first thing Sunday AM and buys ALL of whatever it is that she is shopping for that week.  Then proceeds to have her own personal cashier at the cosmetic counter where they spend two hours ringing up all of her individual sales.  She says she makes care packages- but lets be realistic in knowing that there is no way.  Perhaps some of it does make its way to a good cause.......at least I am hoping......but I think she is slinging razors and deodorant on the underground street corner, if ya know what I am saying.    In my ever so humble opinion.  Ahem.

Yesterday......I made it to the store before her.  I could hardly contain myself.  I felt like a contestant on Supermarket Sweep- running up and down the aisles screaming and crying for joy.  Laughing, giddy like.  Everything I wanted to purchase, it was all there.  I was able to buy every single item on my list.  All of it.  It was an incredible couponing victory.  Just me and one other couponing momma in the store- each of us not clearing a single shelf.

And as I was heading up front to check out- mind you it was just about 7 minutes after the store opened- in she came.  And mark me up for ANOTHER personal victory as I totally refrained from stretching across the automatic doors while screaming "It's All MINE!!!!!".  Nor did I personally point out to her that I had in fact BEAT HER TO THE STORE!  I also did not do a touch down dance while screaming "IN YOUR FACE!".  I did however dance around my entire kitchen, hallway, and bathroom after getting home singing "I beat her to the store, I beat her to the store".  Which, I might add, was a total wasted effort as my family doesn't rejoice in my couponing victories. 

I must admit, I did feel a bit of anxiety I wasn't anticipating as she loaded like 12 boxes of cereal in her cart.  Instantly I questioned what deal I had missed- I swear I didn't see a deal on cereal.  It threw me off my plan- I got all confused trying to check out and I had to take a moment and remember that we don't even LIKE frosted flakes. 

So- why on earth did I bolt out of the house at 7:50am on a Sunday morning and put a total crimp in getting my family ready for church?  To beat her to the store!!!  For the thrill of the hunt.  I personally LOVE couponing and there were some great deals- and I wanted them.

Total cost after coupons- $41.26.  Total register rewards earned with purchases- $42.
I was able to buy all of these items that my family uses and (for the most part- sans candy) needs and leave the store with more in cash for next week than I spent.

Boo-Yah!

Of course, I rolled register rewards from last week into my purchases (4 transactions so that I could get 4 of the sale razors- two for men and two for women!) so my cash out of pocket was much much lower.  And had I not been thrown off by that whole cereal dilema, I could have managed even that better, but I'm still happy with my shopping trip.

One thing I missed when I listed my weekly line up was the Mentos Up2U gum.  With in ad coupon it is on sale for $.99 per pack.  When you stack that with the new coupon in the October Walgreens coupon book (located at the front of the store) for $1 off 2 packs along with the $1 off 2 packs manufacturer q from a couple of weeks ago- it makes it FREE!