Target Trip 3/28

I had to make a trip to Target today to pick up a prescription for my husband.  We transferred it there because I had a $10 Gift Card coupon to use and it was expiring today.  I also had a $5 gift card that came in the mail last week from taking an online survey.  So, I went in knowing that I was going to have $15 of their money to spend.

I know there are usually some great deals to be had at Target, so as I was organizing my coupons last night, I pulled out a big stack of coupons that I was going to just check the price on while I was there.  I'm not sure if it was just a bad week for deals or what, but I didn't really find that many today.  What I did find, though, was exactly what I was needing to get.  The coupons I had on hand made the name brands that I prefer cheaper than the store brands that I usually settle for, and after my gift cards, I left there paying under $2 out my my own pocket, so I would say it was a pretty productive trip.

Here is what I came home with:

Shelf/Sale Price:  $27.44  (The original prices are not shown on my receipt, only the sale prices.)
Price After Coupons:  $16.88
Price Paid After Gift Cards:  $1.88

Coupons Used:
--$2/1 Purina Cat Food Printable (made it $9.99, and the store brand was just over $10)
--$2/1 Got2b from April All You (My husband's favorite and he hasn't had any for a LONG time!  Coupon made it just $1.49.)
--$4/1 Vicks Sinex from P&G insert (made it $1.99 and the store brand without the menthol was $1.97)
--AND Get Free Puffs wyb Vicks from P&G insert (I also had a Target store coupon that was in a coupon insert for $0.50/1 Puffs, but those are very regional so I'm not sure who all got it).
--$1/1 Flintstones from either 1/2 SS or 3/20 SS AND $2/1 Target Store Coupon Printable  (made it $3 and it was a bonus bottle with 75 instead of 60.  The store brand cost over $4 for 60, and these taste much better).

I'm very pleased with being able to use the gift cards for these items, because the cat food especially usually takes a large chunk out of our budget, and vitamins have gotten ridiculously expensive, too.  Whenever I have a credit like that to use, I try to get the things that I am running out of and will cost the most, so the credit covers that and less of it comes out of my pocket.  This trip is a very good example of being able to do just that!

How do you save money on costly necessities?  Do you have pets?  Have you altered their diet to save money?  I would love to hear.  No more Iams for my puppies!  LOL