Grocery Spending for May 2015

Happy June all! Well, it's that time again. Time for a monthly report on grocery spending in our house. The grand tally came to $363.64. All those groceries are pictured above.(you can click on the pictures to make them larger) As you can see there are a lot of cleaning products and bbq sauce. Combining coupons and money saving apps these were all money makers. So, that means some of my grocery spending this month has been covered by this! In case you are interested here's a breakdown by store spending.

Walmart made $128.44 profit

Rona made $54.15 profit

Independent $26.40

Quality Greens $7.96

IGA $4.34

Cooper's $16.60

Costco $110.83

Save On $73.75

Safeway $36.60(got 162 AM which will equal $17.05 cash)

Superstore $114.16

Shoppers $155.59(cashed in $100 worth of points and made 97885 points this month, which will be worth $206.07 in groceries)

 June's spending will probably be higher as we have another adult, gluten free, dairy free eater living with us from now on. Being accountable by having to post this is quite motivating so I hope I can keep the costs down.As you can see I have some cashable points stocked up which I could use at Safeway or Shoppers to stretch my budget further. Want to see what's on sale and where daily? Follow me on Instagram where I post much more regularly. @savingyourhardearnedmoney

A Year of Shoppers

Shoppers has a redeem your points and get points back today(yesterday also). If you have at least 50000 points you can redeem. There are two levels 50000 and 95000 that are eligible. If you cash in 50000 points for $85 worth of free stuff you get 15000 points returned to you on Dec 25. If you cash in 95000 points for $170 worth of stuff you get 30000 points returned to you. This is the best possible time to cash in it used to be they had mega redemptions where you could get $250 worth of stuff for 95000 points, but not anymore. The best level is $210 for 95000, which they usually do first week of December or end of November. Getting $210 worth of stuff for 95000 points makes your points worth $2.21/ point. Cashing in 95000 for $170 and getting 30000 back means that 65000 points equals $170 and that makes your points worth $2.61/point!

They had the spend 95000 get 30000 points back on July 31 of this year. This was my redemption. You have to pay taxes so the total here was $179.85-$170-$3(CH51)=$6.85 for all of this!
I earned 270 points on this shop plus the 30000 that was added later.

This photo and the one below are the redemptions I did November 30th. It was the spend 95000 get $210 promo.
My total was $218.48-$210-$3 CH51=$15.48 for all of this!
I earned 110 points.

This shop I spent $210.34-$207.08(I screwed up and didn't calculate in the tax!)-$5 CH51=I made $1.74 to buy all of this!
I earned 150 points.

Final redemption of the year was yesterday. I used my last 95000 points for $170 worth of groceries. My grand total was $183.20-$170-$2 CH51=$11.20 I paid to buy all of this! I earned 3040 points and will get 30000 back Christmas day.
The total points I cashed in this year
95000X4=380000
I got back 63,570 doing those shops, so I spent a total of 316,430 points and got $799.71 worth of groceries which I paid out of pocket $31.79(12 % tax)!
How much did I spend at Shoppers to get these points? A grand total for the year of $454.53!(this includes the taxes on the redemptions)
How did I get so many points you ask? Here's some things to do.
1. Buy Shoppers gift cards to pay for your items. You get points to buy Shoppers gift cards.(10 points for every dollar)
2. Even better buy your Shoppers gift cards with the Shoppers Optimum Mastercard, you get even more points.(15000 for signing up, 15 points for every dollar spent in Shoppers)
3. Even better buy your gift cards in November when they offer 8000 points for every $150 worth of gift cards.
4. Buy only on extra points days 20X points etc.
5. Use Mail in Rebates
6. Use coupons
7. Use Checkout 51, Snap Save and Cart Smart
8. Use the Shoppers coupons they email you.
9. Watch the till. Several times I got free items because of  SCOP.(scanning code of practice)
Right now this is one of the best points programs out there. It will be interesting to see what happens now that they have been bought out! Do you use Shoppers points?

Shoppers Credit Card Changes and Bonus Points

It seems Shoppers Drug Mart has changed their credit card from a MBNA Mastercard to a RBC Mastercard. If you had the old one, mine is pink, you should receive a new one to replace it from RBC. I received mine yesterday.
 The paper work with it says Activate Jan 25, 2013 to continue earning Shoppers Optimum points.
 Use your RBC card before May 31, 2013 and receive 2500 Shoppers Optimum points. At a bonus redemption those points are worth $5.53 At a mega they'd be worth $6.58.
You earn 15 Shoppers Optimum points for every $1 spent using the card at Shoppers, plus 10 extra/ $1 if you use your Shoppers Optimum card. This is the same as it was with the old card.
In order to make this card worth using here's some tips:
1. Pay it off every month(for sure, otherwise it's not worth it!)
2. Keep a close eye on what you spend. Research shows that with a credit card we spend on average 12-15% more than we would normally!
3.Use it to buy Shoppers gift cards and then use them when you buy things at Shoppers. You get your points from using your credit card and then you get points again when you buy products at Shoppers.Try and do it on 20X or other bonus point days.
4. Buy  the above mentioned gift cards in November, when you can buy $150 in gift cards and get a bonus 8000 points for doing so.
Last year I earned 24,468 in Shoppers Optimum points just by using my credit card alone.(This does not include my points earned in store). At a Bonus redemption this would be worth $54.09. At a Mega, $64.39. I really only use it to buy Shoppers and other(Home Depot)gift cards for the amounts we would be spending at those merchants any ways.For the last few years we have been able to go Christmas shopping in the beginning of December with our points and it really helps.
 

20X the Points at Shoppers

Today is 20X the points day at Shoppers. I have had people ask me what I buy. Well, here's an example.
First, I bought a gift card with my Shoppers Optimum Mastercard, I pay it off every month. I got a $100 gift card and I received 1000 points. It is not shown on my receipt as I did that separately. Using my Shoppers Mastercard gets me 15X the dollar value spent so another 1500 points. So, together buying a gift card with my Mastercard made me 2500 in points, worth $6.58 at a Mega redemption.
The milk is on for $4.49, I need that any ways. The Sun chips are for the beach and 2/$4 is a good price. The Duracell chargers come with a charger and 2 batteries. They are on for $7.99, I had $5 off coupons from Brandsaver. The Vim was on for $1.99, I had a $1 off coupon from an insert. The Degree were on for $1.99 I had $1 off coupons from an insert. The Motrin was on for $5.99 I had a $3 off coupon they mailed me with a sample. The glade candles were the insert coupon spend $15 get $10 off. So, all together I had $26 in coupons.
My total before tax was $33.59.(As you can see you can spend less than $50 after coupons).
I got 11600 points for this. These points are worth $30.53 at a Mega Redemption. Add in the 2500($6.58) from above and the total is 14100 or $38.11. So, for all of this I will get all my money spent back (not counting taxes) on a Mega Redemption Day, plus an extra $4.52. Do you play this fun game?

Shoppers 20X the Points

It's 20X the points this Saturday at Shoppers and this week is not bad for deals so I thought I would  present some possible deals. Christie crackers are $1.88 with a limit of 4.  There are these coupons for  save .75 WYB2. Making them $1.51 each.

Campbell's Soup .49(limit 4)  with a coupon of B4YG$1 so 4 soups for .24 each!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I was writing and taking pictures in full sun...... Dempster's bread $2.79 less $1WYB2 making them $2.29 each.

.79 limit 4... the coupon is for $1 WYB4
after limit price is $1.29

Kashi cereal is $3.99 and there is a $2 off coupon for one box of toasted cinnamon crisp making if $1.99.

The Kashi snack crackers are $2.99 and this is a coupon for $3 WYB2 . Making them $1.49 each.

The Colgate Optic White is $1.99 and there are $1 off coupons.

Lever 2000 is $2.99 and there is a $1 off coupon. 

Physician's formula is 40% OFF and there are the MIRs.

Paper Towels are on sale for $1.99 for 8 rolls limit 4. Tostitos and Doritos Chips are 2/$5 limit 4. Sun Chips and Ruffles are $1.99 each limit 4. Milk is $4.49 for the 4L jug.

I don't for see any problems reaching the $50 for the 20X the points this time around. Using worz.ca my total without tax is $59.98 and my points are 15800.  What about you?????
.

Check Your Shoppers Spending and Points!

Shoppers has added a cool feature to their Optimum Points site. Just log in and you can see what you have spent and your points balance! Nice to be able to see the points/$ spent comparison. This will be way easier than receipt adding!! Try it out.

Transaction Date	Transaction Type	Purchase Amount($) (before tax)	Total Points Awarded	Total Points Redeemed
02-02-2012	Purchase at Store 2217	4.38	40	0
01-29-2012	Purchase at Store 2217	18.51	270	0
01-29-2012	Refund at Store 2217	-1.08	-88	0
01-29-2012	Purchase at Store 2217	2.49	20	0
01-19-2012	Campaign Adjustment	0.00	10,830	0
01-17-2012	Purchase at Store 0225	45.54	530	0
12-31-2011	Purchase at Store 2217	61.57	17,600	0

20X the points at Shoppers

Now that the mega redemption has passed and a new year is on the horizon I thought I would do a post about 20x the points days and when they are worthwhile to do.
Tomorrow Shoppers is offering 20X the points when you spend $50. To make this a good shop here are some key steps.
1. Buy a Shoppers Drug Mart gift card,you get points for buying their cards $50=500points (if you have the Shoppers Optimum Mastercard you get more points if you buy the gift cards with that, or wait until Nov each year to get bonus points for buying gift cards)
2.Plan your shop carefully with the flyer and the sales and coupons(coupons are available at save.ca, websaver.ca, brandsaver.ca, and gocoupons.ca)there are some great discussions on the Smart Canucks forum
3.Use Mail in Rebates. Right now there are 2 you can print off. You usually need to send in your original receipt so you need to do one at a time. The scented oil Air Wick starter kit is here They will give you up to $11.99 for the product and it's taxes. It seems to be around $7.49 at Shoppers. The Air Wick scent ribbons candle is here They will give you up to $13.99 for the product and it's taxes. It seems to be around$10.99 at Shoppers.
4.Combine bonus points on products when possible. Bonus points are updated regularly here.

5.Use worz to calculate your shop. It calculates tax at 13% so adjust according to your area. You can make an account for free and then click on calculators and then Shoppers Drug Mart. It will total up your shop with and without taxes and coupons! Very helpful.
You can click on the pink picture to make it large and see a sample shopping list.
With this list you would get 10200 points. At a Mega Redemption 95000 points is worth $250 so one point is  .0026315(approximately, ha ha!) so at that level these 10200 points are worth $26.84
This shop cost $42.77 - MIR of $12.30 for a total of $30.47.  If you were to subtract what this shop would be worth at a Mega redemption($26.84) this shop would cost $3.63.
Sometimes there aren't good enough sales to make it worthwhile, but this time it seems like there is!

10% off Tuesday and Combining Deals

As you probably already know, Tuesday is 10% off day at Safeway. I don't often participate in 10% off day as I find it quite difficult to find $35 worth of stuff that is at a good price! Well, this week I am going to do some combining of deals to get to $35. I will use these coupons. If you got the Kraft Sample box you will have also received the top 3 pictured here. I am guessing that each product will run me about $3-$4 each. That's $9-$12. The Tampax will probably be $3-$4 each. The oasis juices are $1 each when on sale, but at Safeway they can be close to $2 each! So, I am close to $20 dollars here. I need to buy tp and the Purex is 24 for $4.99 plus 30 airmiles for buying 2. Right there I am pretty close to $30! I will get a few limes 2/$1, maybe some Imperial Margarine if it is a good deal(it says BOGO on the front of the flyer) What I noticed the last time I did the 10% off day was that they added all the REGULAR prices of the items I was buying and gave 10% off of that! Bonus! So a $35 shop actually saved me $6 plus the coupons I used!

These are some mail in rebates that are available right now.  The ones on the left are good for Air Wick Scented Products.  One is worth up to $13.99 which covers the cost of the item, it's taxes and postage. The other is worth $11.99. You can print off your own form here The one for Finish is from the Smartsource insert that was in your newspaper.
Now,with these mail in rebates you need to send in your receipt. So, usually I do each one separately. In order to combine deals you could buy the $13.99 one next Saturday if you are going to do the 20X the points day at Shoppers. I used these mail in rebates many times with many different products to bring down my total at Shoppers 20X the points days.(There were lots out there last year!)
If it's a regular 20X the points you will need to spend $50 to qualify. So, this would bring you down to less than $40, needing to be spent.
You could buy one at Safeway. I might use the Finish one on 10% off day.
There are also the 10-15%off coupons when you spend $25-$100 at Extra Foods. They have the following:
Pineapples $1.97
Yams .46/lb
Cabbage is .38/lb
Broccoli Bunches are .96
No Name Cheese is $7.98 for 800g (limit 4)(I will buy some and grate it and freeze it.)
These are just a few ideas for combining deals and saving money. What do you do to save on groceries??

This Week's Sales

I just love this picture! It was taken by hubby up at Conkle Lake this summer!
This Week's Sales
There isn't a ton on sale this week. I have been resorting to using what I have in my freezer. What about you?
Save On 6-12
20lbs russet potatoes $4.99
Boneless Pork Loin $1.99/lb
Broccoli .99/lb
Red Grapes $1.29/lb
Plantation Rice 8Kg $7.49
Bagels 4/$1!!!!!!!(I have tried to make these and failed miserably, I think I'll buy them!:)
Waldorf Baguettes $1
Imperial Marg 1.36kg $2.99
WF cream of mushroom or tomato soup 12/$4.99

Zellers
Old Elpaso kits 275-510g $2.99

Walmart 4-10
Carver's Choice Bacon $2.47
Pears .77/lb
Squash .67/lb
Colgate toothbrush and 130ml toothpaste packs $1.97

Superstore/Extra Foods 4-10
Pineapples $1.97
Pork Blade Steak $1.88/lb
Cabbage .38/lb
Red Peppers bag of 4 $1.98
Cooked shrimp 340g $3.99 limit 4
Ginger Root .86/lb

Safeway 4-10
Imperial Marg 1.36kg 2/$6 limit 4
Oven Joy Bread 3 for $4
Cooper's 6-12
Pork Side Ribs $2/lb
Broccoli $1/lb

Shopper's 5-11
Sun Mon only
Milk 4L $4.39
Eggs $2.49 limit 2

From Nov 5-18 Buy a selection of gift cards and get points. Shoppers is offering 8000 points, which is equal to a minimum of $10(if you cash out at a regular redemption ),$16.84 at a bonus redemption at highest level, and $21.05 at a mega redemption.
So, if you give gift cards for gifts, or if you know you are going to be spending money at Home Depot, or any of  the other retailers, and if you have the cash on hand, now may be a good time to buy them.

This Week's Sales

The sunset on the Lake Okanagan...taken by my talented husband!
So it's September 1st, and to me this is more like the new year than January is. I enjoy this season, especially where I live now as we have a true fall. Right now there are beautiful flowers blooming everywhere. I am always shocked as it's only been 4 years that we have lived here, and I spent so many where the leaves all fell off right away and that was it...winter. I enjoy all the seasons, except winter, so I am never in a rush to get to it. Another reason I have to be thankful! Anyways, this time of year is a time of getting back into routines. We will be learning at home again this year, and have decided to start Sept 6.

Now is the time for harvesting. In our yard we have grapes(many, many grapes), plums(only half a tree this year after the bear took out the other half), hazelnuts(I am hoping this year the Stellar Jay might share!), and walnuts. Besides that this is the time to enjoy the upicks around town. I was told yesterday that there are peaches to be picked for .50/lb! We are coming to the time of year where it's getting safer to use the oven inside, evenings are cooler so the chance of getting things cooled off for sleeping is good. So, now is the time for planning how to properly preserve the bounty so it will last the winter. More on that in later posts!
Walmart 2-8
Red,green,or black grapes seedless .97/lb
Fresh Boneless Loin Center and Rib Pork Chops $7(this is a good deal if there is a kg or more in each package, be sure to root through them as they are all different weights and more is better!)
Cantaloupes are $1.47
Cucumbers .50
Pears .88/lb
Tomatoes .77/lb
Cauliflower .97
Royale TP 48singles for $9.97
Report covers(we called them duo tangs!).10
Bic pens $1 for 10 pack

Superstore 2-8
Sept 2-4 spend $250 get a $25 gift card
Chicken Legs $1/lb
Broccoli .96
Pears 6lbs $4.98(.83/lb)
Bok Choy .38/lb
Cantaloupe $1.46
Rye Bread is $1.66 when you buy 3
Whole Chicken $1.98/lb
10 pack Bic Pens .99
Black Diamond Cheese 700g $6.99

Extra Foods has the coupons on the front of their flyer. Mon and Tues 10-15% off when you spend $25-$100.



Shoppers Sept 3 only
SATURDAY ONLY 20X the points when you spend $50
Paper towel life brand $1.99 for 8 pack limit 4
Maxwell House coffee 925g $6.99 limit 4
Christie cookies and crackers $1.79 limit 4
Everyday Tuna 170g .59 limit 4
Campbellls' Soups .49 limit 4
Dempster's Hot Dog Buns 2/$3 for 12's limit 4
Sept 3-9
Everyday Market Butter $2.99(limit 4)

Safeway 2-8
Tuesday Sept 6 is 10%off day. Spend $35 minimum
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $2.99/lb ($26.36/box) limit 2
White Mushrooms $1.99/lb
Corn on the Cob 10/$4
Here's the Old Town Market Specials

A great deal on photos!!! Blacks has 50 6X8's! Yes, that's the big size for $5! I am seeing comments on their site that you can get the same deal on 4X6 and 5X7. I think I am going to print off some of our summer photos and use them as thank yous. Click here to check it out. Offer ends Sept 6.

This Week's Sales

Superstore 25-31
Gas Coupon is on the front of the flyer again. Spend $100 on groceries and get .10/L off
                                                                                $150                                .15/Loff
                                                                                $250                                .25/Loff
Turkey .96/lb
Mangoes 4Kg case $5.88
Black Diamond Cheese 500g $4.99
Green Onions 3/.96
Onions 3lb .96
Cucumbers 3for $2.58
NN BBQ Sauce 455ml $1
Foremost Yogurt 3/$1
Campbell's Soup .50

Safeway 25-31

Chicken Breasts 4Kg $26.36
10lbs oranges $3.99 if you buy 2

Quality Greens 23-28
Fuji Nicola Apples .49/lb
Green or Red Lettuce .99
Broccoli Crowns .99

Walmart 25-31
Grapes $1/47/lb
Celery.97

Shoppers is having a 20X the points day on Sat March 26. Spend $50 and you get 20X the points.
SAT ONLY SALES
Life Brand Paper Towel 8 rolls $1.99 limit 4
Life Brand TP 24 roll $4.99
Cottonelle 12 doubles $4.99($1 coupon)
Nature Valley Granola Bars or Simply Food Crackers $1.69 limit 4
Christie Cookie and Crackers $1.79 limit 4
Everyday Market Butter 454g 2/$5 limit 4!!!!

Picasa and Free 2500 Optimum points

I was working on my free photo album and I thought I'd share a way to make calendar and photobook making easier. There's a free program called Picasa and it's awesome! Just download it and then when you have your library open you will see icons on the bottom that say upload, email,print, export, shop, blog this, collage, movie and geo tag. Just hit shop and a list of different sites that allow you to use Picasa are shown. I use Shutterfly. Highlight all the photos you'd like to upload and walk away!!! It's soooo much easier than the traditional way of one file at a time.

Want 2500 Optimum Points?
Call 1-877-888-5348. They will ask you to demo their upcoming prescription phone line. You enter your shoppers optimum card and listen for about a minute and they will give you 2500 points.(in about 4-6 weeks)