I think this proves it… I’m NOT an extreme couponer. Well, I suppose I am, but not like the people you see on the TLC Extreme Couponing show. This was Pastapalooza for us at Kroger this week. Ronzoni pasta (our favorite) is part of the March Madness sale at Kroger, and I had a fistful of coupons for it!
The problem with not being an extreme couponer is that I get embarassed when I buy a cartload of one item. I just can’t do it. So here’s what I did instead. I stopped at Kroger earlier this week and got this…
Then I stopped at a different Kroger store today and got this…
The best part is that I paid a grand total of $4.64 for both trips. Wahoo! That’s about 12¢ per box. (If you need to stock up on pasta, you can see the coupon matchups for this week’s Kroger sales here.)
I ended up with all the pasta I had coupons for, but I made myself split it into two different transactions on two different days. What really makes me think I’m NOT an extreme couponer is that I’m not keeping all of this in our stockpile. We’ll be keeping 16 boxes and donating the other 22 boxes to the food pantry. Now my mission is to find some inexpensive pasta sauce to donate with it!
So what’s the verdict? Am I an extreme couponer? Or am I just crazy because I can’t bring myself to buy 38 boxes of pasta in one trip to the grocery store?
I am the same way! Especially after I watche the TLC show! I was embarrased for those people! I’m all for free and super cheap stuff we use, but I just can’t do it that way! As it is, I get all red in the face when people want to ask me about my coupon binder! (Doesn’t stop me from taking it everywhere though!)
I’m with you Alli. I don’t think I’m up for the crazy extreme on the show. I’ll stick with keeping this many boxes of pasta as my limit. 😉
I don’t think you are either. You sound just like me. I went last week and got 14 boxes, but i had coupons for about 12 more. I didnt want to clear the shelves, so I said I would make another trip. There was somethings they were out of anyway. I haven’t gone back yet though! I gotta get on that! LOL
Our two stores had a TON of stock, so I couldn’t even use not clearing the shelves as my excuse. I thought it was funny that I couldn’t bring myself to buy it all at once. Glad I’m not alone!
I love that you are donating all that pasta. You are an extreme giver!!! The most I have bought at one time is 20! I would have done the same thing had there been a cheap pasta sale at Publix!! Awesome!
I LOVE the extreme giver label. I’ll take that any day!
I think that’s wonderful! I didn’t max out my coupons with that deal because I thought “we don’t eat that much pasta” – somehow it never occurred to me to donate to the food pantry. doh. Guess I’ll be gathering up the remaining coupons and heading back. Thanks for your story!
Yay! It’s worth the extra coupon prints for freebie donations for sure!
I think your a terrific couponer! I am a newbie and like learning how to do couponing.
Thanks Joann. I’m glad you’ve joined the couponing ranks. 🙂
Jen – I do the same thing. I can’t clear off a shelf. I always think how sad a newbie couponer would be if they walked and tried to get the deal and it was gone. And I love that you are donating – way to go girl.
That’s so true! I just can’t bear to cruise the store aisles with a cart overflowing with boxes of pasta. People already think I’m crazy… I don’t need any help in that department! 😉
Jen, I stocked up on the pasta as well. I broke it into two trips–one last week and one this. I probably bought about 26 boxes or so, too. I noticed that the Smart Taste pasta was a little higher in price this week. If you still have your Hunt’s pasta sauce coupons and they haven’t expired, Riesbeck’s currently has it for $1.00 a can. I used my coupons there this week. I kept waiting for a sale at Kroger so I could double them, but didn’t see one. Still, $.55 for a can of sauce isn’t bad.
I’m still holding those sauce coupons too. I think they expire soon, so I’m going to have to watch for them. They were $1.39 at Kroger last week, but I’m holding out for the $1.00 price. 😉
I am glad that you are not selfish by clearing a shelf.
Thanks Rita. Fortunately they had a TON of pasta. That’s refreshing to not have to worry about clearing shelves!
Not extreme at all! I am sure that the others shopping at the stores for the week were very glad you split your orders!
Great shopping!!
Thanks Shelly! The food pantry got the pasta today. Hopefully they’ll find homes for it all. 🙂
Most of the stores that I go to limit you to two or three like coupons so I am very jelous. I would love to and stock up like you did (even if two trips). I have a bunch of boxes of pasta so I don’t know what I would need with more but I love it. I think that you are an extreme couponer which I use as a compliment and you use it to benefit not only your family but others.
Oooh…. That WOULD be hard to stock up if your store limits how many like coupons you use. I’m fortunate that Kroger doesn’t do that. Thanks for the compliment. 😉