OK, this might be a little hypocritcal, so I’ll just admit that up front. Y’all know how I don’t like buying “prepared” foods- because there’s so much added stuff, high in sodium, fat, “chemicals”, etc.
But I will say that sometimes those foods are OK in my book because of time and cost.
For example…. Hamburger Helper. I make Hamburger Helper for my family maybe 3 times a year. Most of the time it’s cheaper for me to make something from scratch- and I feel better about the meal. But I do like to keep Hamburger Helper in my pantry because it is an easy meal to fix (sometimes) and it’s “different” since we rarely eat it. I precook ground beef sometimes- so this is where I could walk in the door after football, pop the precooked meat in the microwave to thaw and start Hamburger Helper and we’ll be sitting at the table to eat 20 minutes later. It also would be an easy meal for the kids….and for $0.50 each after coupons- um, no brainer!
Totinos Pizza Rolls. Um, this is the second time in my life that I’ve purchased them. I do think they make a good ‘tween’ snack for the bigger kids when they have friends over. Yep, I’m THAT mom. The one in the commercials who makes those “cool snacks Mrs B!”. ha ha ha. If I can get a box for under $.60 why not?
Betty Crocker Instant Potatoes. Because sometimes you have dinner all ready to plate, but you forgot to start the potatoes. Oops! With instant potatoes you can have a side dish in 4 minutes. And they actually do taste good! This would also make another snappy quick daycare lunch side dish. And I can get them for practically FREE!
So here it is… my most recent “Extreme Coupon Adventure” from Monday at Albertson’s:
Transaction #1:
(Sale- buy 4 snack crackers receive $3.00 off)
I also have 4 coupons for Save $1.00 on Wheat Thins (from their facebook page, printed twice on two computers)
I also have 3 Twice-the-Value doublers from the Sunday Oregonian
This makes each box of Wheat Thins only $0.49 per box!!
I also have a box of Zatarain’s Dirty Rice on sale for $1.00 per box. I grabbed the last one- but got a rain check so I can go back and stock up on the Jambalaya flavor when it’s restocked.
Next 2 Transactions take advantage of the mix-and-match sale (buy 10 save $5.00) plus coupon match-ups and Twice-the-Value doublers.
Transaction #2:
6 boxes of Hamburger (or Tuna) Helper
4 packages of Betty Crocker Mashed Potatoes
I had two Save $0.75 on three Hamburger Helpers (doubled both of these coupons) making the six packages of Hamburger Helper only $0.50 per box.
I had two Save $0.50 on two Betty Crocker Potatoes (doubled one of them) making the 4 packages of potatoes only $0.125 each!
3rd Transaction:
Same concept as before- buy 10 save $5.00
3 Boxes of Hamburger Helper
2 Packages of Potatoes
2 Pillsbury Biscuits
3 Boxes Totinos Pizza Rolls
Save $0.75 on three boxes of Hamburger Helper (coupon doubled)
Save $0.50 on two packages of potatoes (coupon doubled)
I had three Save $0.35 on one package of Totinos Pizza Rolls (one was doubled)
Save $0.30 on two packages of Pillsbury Biscuits
In this scenario the Hamburger Helper was $0.50 per box after savings
Betty Crocker Potatoes were $FREE
Totinos Pizza Rolls were $0.53 per box
Pillsbury Biscuits came to $0.85 each
Total spent = $11.26
Number of items purchased = 25
Average cost per item = $.45
9 boxes of Hamburger (or Tuna) Helper
6 packages of Instant Potatoes
2 packages of Pillsbury Biscuits
3 boxes of Totinos Pizza Rolls
4 boxes of Reduced Fat Wheat Thins
1 box of Zatarains Dirty Rice
LOOOOOOOVE IT!!
Here’s where I got all the coupons from:
$0.75/3 Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper or Chicken Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meals, any flavor from Oregonian Pillsbury Coupon Insert on 10/2
$0.75/3 Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper or Chicken Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meals, any flavor from Oregonian GeneralMills Coupon Insert 9/11
$0.35/1 Totinos Rolls Snacks, any flavor/variety from Oregonian Pillsbury Coupon Insert on 10/2
$0.35/1 Totinos Rolls Snacks, any flavor/variety from Oregonian GeneralMills Coupon Insert 9/11
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker boxed Potatoes, any flavor from Oregonian Pillsbury Coupon Insert on 10/2$0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands or Grands Jr. Biscuits, any size/variety cans from Oregonian GeneralMills Coupon Insert 9/11
Elisa's Ramblings 
That’s awesome!!! and look at all those box tops you are collecting for the school :)
And each transaction gave me a bonus 25 box tops, too! I now have 100 more to enter online!
Alas, couponing like that does not work here in Maui. I can find manufacturer’s coupons online, but no coupon doublers or anything cool like that. We do save tons of money though by just checking out each store’s flyers and buying what’s on sale at each location. I love it when you look at the bottom of your Safeway receipt and you’ve saved more than you’ve spent!
If I didn’t do the daycare I don’t think we’d have half the stuff we do. It’s mostly to meet the snack requirements, and quick and easy meals on occasion….